cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction to Isoform Sequencing Using Pacific Biosciences Technology (Iso-Seq)

Alternative RNA splicing is a known phenomenon, but we still do not have a complete catalog of isoforms that explain variability in the human transcriptome. We have made significant progress in developing methods to study variability of the transcriptome, but we are far away of having a complete picture of the transcriptome. The initial methods to study gene expression were based on cloning of cDNAs and Sanger sequencing. The strategy was labor-intensive and expensive. With the development of microarrays, different methods based on exon arrays and tiling arrays provided valuable information about RNA expression. However, the microarray presented significant limitations. Most of the limitations became apparent by 2005, but it was not until 2008 that an alternative method to study the transcriptome was developed. RNA Sequencing using next-generation sequencing (RNA-Seq) quickly became the technology of choice for gene expression profiling. Recently, the precision and sensitivity of RNA-Seq have come into question, especially for transcriptome reconstruction. This chapter will describe a relatively new method, “Isoform Sequencing” (Iso-Seq). Iso-Seq was developed by Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), and it is capable of identifying new isoforms with extraordinary precision due to its long-read technology. The technique to create libraries is straightforward, and the PacBio RS II instrument generates the information in hours. The bioinformatics analysis is performed using the freely available SMRT® Portal software. The SMRT® Portal is easy to use and capable of performing all the steps necessary to analyze the raw data and to generate high-quality full-length isoforms. For the universal acceptance of the Iso-Seq method, the capacity of the SMRT® Cells needs to improve at least 10- to 100-fold to make the system affordable and attractive to users.
A Revised Hemodynamic Theory of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) afflicts one out of every 40 individuals worldwide, causing irreversible central blindness in millions. The transformation of various tissue layers within the macula in the retina has led to competing conceptual models of the molecular pathways, cell types, and tissues responsible for the onset and progression of AMD. A model that has persisted for over 6 decades is the hemodynamic, or vascular theory of AMD progression, which states that vascular dysfunction of the choroid underlies AMD pathogenesis. Here, we re-evaluate this hypothesis in light of recent advances on molecular, anatomic, and hemodynamic changes underlying choroidal dysfunction in AMD. We propose an updated, detailed model of hemodynamic dysfunction as a mechanism of AMD development and progression.
Space motion sickness and vestibular experiments in spacelab

Approximately 43 percent of Apollo, Skylab, Soyuz/Salyut and Shuttle crewmen have experienced symptoms resembling motion sickness during their first several days in space. This paper reviews the space sickness problem in both an operational and physiological context, and describes experiments planned by a team of vestibular researchers from the USA and Canada to study space sickness and associated sensory-motor adaptation to weightlessness during Spacelab missions 1 and 4, and the German Spacelab mission D-1.
Phonon Energy Storage, Transport, and Transformation Kinetics

Heat transfer by lattice (phonon) conduction is proportional to the lattice thermal conductivity tensor K p (W/m-K), i.e., q k = − K p ∇ T (the Fourier law, Table 1.1), and sensible heat storage is determined by the phonon (lattice) specific heat capacity c v,p (J/kg-K). The specific heat capacity is also given per unit volume(J/m 3 -K), or per atom(J/K). Phonons participate in many thermal energy conversion phenomena, including laser cooling of solids, discussed in Chapter 7 [ s i − j (W/m3) in Table 1.1]. In this chapter, we examine how the atomic structure of a solid influences c v,p , K p , and s i− j involving phonons. Phonons are lattice-thermal-vibration waves that propagate through a crystalline solid. Most lattice vibrations have higher frequencies than audible sound, ultrasound, and even hypersound. Figure 4.1 shows the various sound- and vibrational-wave regimes. A single, constant speed (dispersionless, i.e., having a linear frequency dependence on the wave number) of 103 m/s is used for the sake of illustration. As will be shown, the vibrational waves have different modes, and the propagation speed can be strongly frequency dependent. In this chapter, we begin with lattice vibration and the relation between frequency and wave number (the dispersion relation) for a simple, harmonic, one-dimensional lattice. Then we discuss the quantization of phonons and a general three-dimensional treatment of dispersion. We discuss lattice specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity (from the BTE for phonons), including quantum effects, and discuss the atomic structural metrics of the thermal conductivity at high temperatures.
Noise Reduction in Arterial Spin Labeling Based Functional Connectivity Using Nuisance Variables.

Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) perfusion image series have recently been utilized for functional connectivity (FC) analysis in healthy volunteers and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Noise reduction by using nuisance variables has been shown to be necessary to minimize potential confounding effects of head motion and physiological signals on BOLD based FC analysis. The purpose of the present study is to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of different noise reduction strategies using nuisance variables to improve perfusion based FC analysis in two cohorts of healthy adults using state of the art 3D background-suppressed (BS) GRASE pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) and dual-echo 2D-EPI pCASL sequences. Five different noise reduction strategies (NRS) were performed in healthy volunteers to compare their performance. We then compared seed-based FC analysis using 3D BS GRASE pCASL in a cohort of 12 children with ASD (3f/9m, age 12.8±1.3y) and 13 typically developing (TD) children (1f/12m; age 13.9±3years) in conjunction with noise reduction strategies. Regression of different combinations of nuisance variables affected FC analysis from a seed in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to other areas of the default mode network (DMN) in both BOLD and pCASL data sets. Consistent with existing literature on BOLD-FC, we observed improved spatial specificity after physiological noise reduction and improved long-range connectivity using head movement related regressors. Furthermore, 3D BS GRASE pCASL shows much higher temporal SNR compared to dual-echo 2D-EPI pCASL and similar effects of noise reduction as those observed for BOLD. Seed-based FC analysis using 3D BS GRASE pCASL children with ASD and TD children showed that noise reduction including physiological and motion related signals as nuisance variables is crucial for identifying altered long-range connectivity from PCC to frontal brain areas associated with ASD. This is the first study that systematically evaluated the effects of different noise reduction strategies on ASL based FC analysis. 3D BS GRASE pCASL is the preferred ASL sequence for FC analysis due to its superior temporal SNR. Removing physiological noise and motion parameters is critical for detecting altered FC in neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD.
Double trouble: tPA-induced angioedema

Angioedema results from the release of one or more mediators, most often histamine and bradykinin, in the deeper layers of the skin and mucous membranes. There is an increase in vascular permeability of the affected tissue that leads to asymmetric, non-dependent and non-pitting swelling. There are several types of angioedema, including hereditary angioedema (HAE) types I and II, HAE with normal C1 inhibitor (C1-INH or type III), non-allergic ACE inhibitor (ACEI)-induced angioedema (ACEI-AAE) and acquired angioedema due to C1-INH deficiency (C1-INH-AAE).1 The most well-documented cause of drug-induced angioedema is secondary to ACEI use, and attacks commonly affect the head and neck, particularly the mouth, tongue and larynx.1 The reported incidence of ACEI-AAE is 0.1%–2%; however, other medications are capable of causing similar symptoms. Angioedema of the tongue subsequent to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is rare with prevalence of 0.2%–5.1%.2 A 70-year-old, right-handed, Caucasian male with a history of hypertension …
Domains in the performing arts

Domain-specific and domain-general criteria for performing arts are discussed in this chapter. The performing arts reflect very specific skills particular to each domain, such as the skills required to play a cello compared to those needed to perform in a ballet company, but there are also general skills that exist in all of the performing arts. The National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) defines each performing arts domain, including specific sociocultural influences. The performing artists (interpreters and generators) are dependent on the integral relationship between intermediaries who bring the performance product to the market. This chapter includes definitions, categories, and NEA statistics for dance, media arts, music, opera, theater, circus arts, and performance arts.
Environmental dignity rights

The threats to human rights caused by environmental degradation – including those caused by climate change – are increasingly evident. And yet, there continues to be confusion and lack of consensus about how human rights will be affected, as demonstrated at the recent climate talks in Paris and Marrakech. Taking better advantage of the role of constitutionally-instantiated dignity rights can help to diffuse this dissonance. Most of the effects that environmental degradation has on people can be seen in threats to their ability to live in dignity, including the ability to fully develop one's personality, to live in community, and to claim other rights. The right to dignity, though rooted in international law, is recognized in most of the world's constitutions and a robust jurisprudence of dignity rights has been developing in many countries. We conclude that environmental outcomes – including climate change – can and should be informed by dignity rights and corresponding jurisprudence, a synthesis we call "environmental dignity rights."
Autonomic Admission Control for Networked Information Servers

While the issue of enabling performance guarantees on the Internet has been the subject of intense research in recent years, the problem of enabling QoS guarantees in edge servers has received relatively little attention. The need for QoS guarantees is already present in today’s internet: while most backbones operate at a low level of utilization, web servers are often congested and are the main cause for the delay experienced by the end user. Here, we present a novel approach to admission control and resource allocation of sessions in edge servers. The model we adopt is quite general and its implementation does not depend on the type of application supported by the server (e.g., http or SSL). We model the system as a single server accessed by N + 1 users. N users have a lower bound on QoS, while one “super—user” aggregates the best—effort traffic to the server. The control rules admit a simple interpretation. Admitted classes “track” a target delay which is slightly smaller than their lower bound. The choice of a conservative target protects them from the performance degradation caused by the arrival of candidate classes into the system. On the other hand, candidate classes follow a “slow start” mechanism, similar to the update rule for TCP Reno. The intuitive rationale for this choice is similar to that of congestion—control algorithms: by increasing their priorities slowly, the candidate classes do not degrade the QoS of the admitted classes below their upper bounds. This resource allocation algorithm enjoys several attractive properties: it is measurement—based, since it only relies on the measurement of each class’ delay during a busy cycle; it is decentralized, since each class updates its priority based on local information; and finally it is closed—loop, while most admission control schemes are open—loop. As a consequence, the algorithm does not require signaling to admit a new class.
Abstract 19869: Genome Wide Association Study of Perioperative Myocardial Infarction Following Coronary Bypass Grafting

The incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) after cardiac surgery can be as high as 19%, and is associated with long-term mortality and morbidity. Identification of populations at risk for developing large infarcts or alternatively indicating presence of a cardioprotective state, as well as responsiveness to a protective agent remain high-priority knowledge gaps. We sought to identify novel common genetic variants associated with PMI in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of patients undergoing CABG. Methods: Using the Illumina 610quad chip, we conducted a GWAS for PMI in 1254 patients enrolled in the multicenter Genetics of Myocardial Adverse Outcomes and Graft Failure (GeneMagic) study, followed by a replication analysis in 644 patients from the Duke PEGASUS cohort. PMI was defined as CK-MB values ≥10xULN in the first two postoperative days, and was CEC adjudicated in the GeneMagic cohort. Sample and genotype QC analyses included assessing gender matching, autosome heterozygosity, cryptic relatedness, and population stratification, as well as filtering polymorphisms with minor allele frequencies Results: Following QC, 1193 patients in discovery cohort (100 cases/1093 controls), and 588 patients in replication cohort (108 cases/480 controls), all of European descent, were analyzed at 519,499 markers. In replicated analyses, we identified 14 SNPs associated with altered susceptibility to PMI (12 with increased risk [OR 1.35-2.44] and 2 with decreased risk [OR 0.4-0.73]), p Conclusion: Herein, we present a preliminary report of the first GWAS identifying multiple novel susceptibility loci for PMI. Further replication analyses in independent cohorts of cardiac surgical patients are ongoing.
Multifaceted but Invisible: Perceptions of the Value of a Pediatric Cognitive Specialty

BACKGROUND: Systems for standardizing physician payment have been shown to undervalue cognitive clinical encounters. Because health care reform emphasizes value-based approaches, we need an understanding of the way pediatric cognitive specialties are used to contribute to the provision of high-value care. We sought to investigate how clinical and administrative stakeholders perceive the value of pediatric infectious disease (PID) specialists. METHODS: We conducted qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of physicians and administrators from 5 hospitals across the United States in which children are cared for. All interviews were transcribed and systematically analyzed for common themes. RESULTS: We interviewed 97 stakeholders. Analysis revealed the following 3 domains of value: clinical, organizational, and communicative. Clinically, PID specialists were perceived to be highly valuable in treating patients with unusual infections that respond poorly to therapy, in optimizing the use of antimicrobial agents and in serving as outpatient homes for complex patients. Respondents perceived that PID specialists facilitate communication with patients and their families, the health care team and the media. PID specialists were perceived to generate value by participating in systemwide activities, including antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention. Despite this, much of the valuable work PID specialists perform is difficult to measure causing some administrative stakeholders to question how many PID specialists are necessary to achieve high-quality care. CONCLUSIONS: With our findings, we suggest that pediatric cognitive specialties contribute value in multiple ways to the health care delivery system. Many of these domains are difficult to capture by using current metrics, which may lead administrators to overlook valuable work and to under-allocate resources.
Workbooks for the Promotion of Mental Health and Life-Long Learning

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a rationale and background for using self-administered, self-help workbooks to promote mental health in functional rather than dysfunctional individuals, couples, and families. If the goal of any science is to understand, predict, and control, then one needs to know how progress in science, law, industry, and medicine occurs. The first writer has maintained that understanding, predicting, and controlling deviant or dysfunctional relationships is not going to occur as long as face-to-face (f2f) talk remains the major if not the only medium of communication between participants (clients, patients, or subjects) and professional helpers. Progress takes place more efficiently, through writing rather than through talk. Consequently, if progress is to occur in the delivery of physical and mental health services, it will occur through writing and not through f2f talk. Current preventive and psychotherapeutic practices, based on the f2f talk-based paradigm, are not going to meet the mental health ills and needs of this or any other nation (L’Abate, 1999; L’Abate & De Giacomo, 2003). An evolutionary shift from talking to writing media will allow expansions to populations that were heretofore unreachable through f2f talk. These populations become reachable once writing, computers, and the Internet become the vehicles of service delivery and possible healing (L’Abate, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2003a, 2005a, b).
Advanced flue gas cleaning systems for sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and mercury emissions control in power plants

Abstract: This chapter discusses current and future control technologies for sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and mercury in the power generation sector. Current control technologies addressed focus on flue gas desulfurization technologies for sulfur oxides, selective catalytic reduction, selective non-catalytic reduction, and hybrid technologies for nitrogen oxides, as well as powdered activated carbon injection for mercury control. Future control technologies for nitrogen oxides and mercury capture are discussed.
Postoperative pulmonary complications. When are preventive and therapeutic measures necessary

Relevant clinical and physiologic data are available to help guide decision making in the management of patients who are at risk for or already have postoperative pulmonary complications. Prophylactic measures should be simple and focused. Inexpensive treatment methods should be tried before resorting to more individual-intensive and expensive measures. Proper treatment of postoperative atelectasis requires adequate patient assessment and knowledge of the therapeutic options. Costs, measured in dollars as well as in patient morbidity and mortality, are substantially greater when physicians fail to recognize and treat reversible disease before elective surgery and when effective postoperative therapy is not provided in accordance with individual needs.
Safety in the Periprocedural Period

The possibility of adverse outcomes during or following embolization procedures is an unfortunate reality of the type of work that is performed in interventional radiology suites. Certain criteria may be followed, however, to help reduce the likelihood of such adverse outcomes. Some detrimental outcomes are due to technical factors, such as non-target embolization or ischemia caused by embolization procedures. Other harmful outcomes occur as a result of the medications and contrast agents used routinely during embolization procedures. This chapter focuses on the safe administration of medications routinely used for sedation and analgesia, as well as the intravascular administration of contrast media.
Cellular basis of vasospasm: role of small diameter arteries and voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.

Constriction of small (100–200 µm) diameter cerebral arteries in response to increased intravascular pressure plays an important role in the regulation of cerebral blood flow. In arteries from healthy animals, these pressure-induced constrictions arise from depolarization of arterial smooth muscle leading to enhanced activity of L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels. Recently, we have observed that pressure-induced constrictions are greatly enhanced in cerebral arteries obtained from a rabbit model of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to the emergence of R-type voltage-dependent calcium channels in arterial myocytes. Enhanced pressure-induced constrictions and the resulting decrease in cerebral blood may contribute to the development of neurological deficits in SAH patients following cerebral aneurysm rupture. This work supports the concept that small diameter arteries represent important targets for current treatment modalities (e.g. Hypertensive, Hypervolemic, Hemodilution “triple H” therapy) used in SAH patients. Furthe we propose targeting R-type calcium channels, encoded by the gene Cav2.3, as a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of SAH-induced cerebral vasospasm.
On Three Varieties of Specific Basic Proteins Associated with Mammalian Spermatogenesis

The differentiation of haploid spermatozoa from diploid stem cell spermatogonia in the mammalian germinal epithelium is an extremely complex process that remains very poorly understood. In mammals spermatogenesis is clearly influenced not only by a variety of hormones (especially FSH and androgens), but also by temperature in most species. Elucidation of the mechanisms and regulation of differentiation in eukaryotes is greatly aided where there exists knowledge of macromolecular markers that are specifically produced by one or more cell types that are intermediates and/or end products of the overall differentiation process. As regards mammalian spermatogenesis, it would seem likely, for example, that there will be specific macromolecules that play a role in meiosis, or alternatively may be restricted in their occurrence to one or another phases of spermiogenesis. Such testis-specific proteins might or might not be found in fully differentiated spermatozoa.
Does metformin increase the risk of fatal or nonfatal lactic acidosis

In patients without standard contraindications to metformin therapy, metformin does not increase the risk of lactic acidosis.
Association of M470V polymorphism of CFTR gene with variability of clinical expression of asthma: Case-report study.

Abstract Introduction and Objectives Asthma is a complex genetic disorder. Several genes have been found associated with asthma. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene is one of them. The aim of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of the genotype and allele frequency distributions of the biallelic marker M470V within the CFTR gene on mutant and wide chromosomes. Patients and methods The molecular approach consists in the genotyping of the M470V marker by the PCR-RFLP technique in 105 asthmatic patients, aged between four months and 17 years, and 105 healthy subjects. Results We found a significant difference in the genotype frequencies between the two studied groups (χ2 = 9.855, P = 0.007). The V/V genotype was over represented in the asthmatic group as compared to the controls (32.38% vs. 16.19%). Whereas, the M/V genotype is more frequent in healthy subjects (40.95% vs. 28.71%). We also noted a significant difference in allelic distribution of M470V with associated diseases (χ2 = 9.610, P = 0.022). Conclusions The present study is the first report on the distribution of the M470V polymorphism in asthmatic Tunisian patients. We noticed that the M470V variant could modulate the clinical phenotype of asthmatic patients. This preliminary study will establish the molecular basis of this disease in Tunisia.
Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis

All infants without contraindications should receive three doses of the child formulation of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis combination vaccine (abbreviation: DTaP; trade names: Daptacel®, Infanrix®), given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. A fourth dose should be given 6 to 12 months after the third dose, preferably between 15 and 18 months of age. A fifth dose is recommended between 4 and 6 years of age. One dose of the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster vaccine (abbreviation: Tdap; trade names: Boostrix®, Adacel®) should be given to all adolescents between the ages of 11 through 18 years. Tdap vaccine should also be given to all adolescents and adults who have never previously received it, particularly if they will be in contact with newborn infants in the near future.
Targeting the mTORC2 signaling complex in B cell malignancies

Abstract Hyperactive PI3 kinase-Akt (PI3K-Akt) signaling has an important role in cell growth and resistance to apoptosis in B cell malignancies. Inhibition of this pathway by blocking PI3K activity, and or inhibiting mTORC1/2 signaling complexes is an active area of research in B cell leukemia/lymphoma such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). With a tissue-scan array, the expression of Rictor is a component of the mTORC2 complex was determined by quantitative PCR in a number of B cell malignancies. Rictor was found to be over-expressed in CLL and MCL cells as compared to normal B cells with no over-expression in Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphomas. Inactivation of Rictor was performed by shRNA in two Mantle cell lines and these stable Rictor knockdown cell lines demonstrated a slower growth of cells as compared to scrambled shRNA control. In addition, there was a decrease of mTORC2 signaling and B cell receptor (BCR) cross-linking mediated Akt (Ser473) and NDRG1 (Thr 346) phosphorylation. To specifically disrupt the mTORC2 signaling complex and target Rictor overexpression, previously identified inhibitors that block Rictor and MTOR interaction in a yeast two-hybrid system were analyzed. Treatment of primary CLL specimens with these inhibitors followed by immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed the disruption of the mTORC2 complex. These inhibitors also induced apoptosis in CLL specimens and were more effective than rapamycin, an MTOR inhibitor and pp242, an mTORC1 and 2 inhibitors, at equimolar concentrations. Treatment of CLL specimens with the lead inhibitor, compound#6, resulted in inhibition of p-Akt, p-GSK 3 beta, p-PKC alpha, p-Foxo1, and p-Foxo3, with minimal effect on the phosphorylation of an mTORC1 target gene, S6 kinase. In comparison with Idelalisib (CAL-101), a clinically approved PI3Kinase p110 delta inhibitor in CLL, comp#6 is more effective in inducing apoptosis in primary CLL specimens at equimolar concentrations (mean 51.2, SD 21.7 as compared to mean 26.9, SD 17.2). The data support the effectiveness of these novel inhibitors that specifically disrupt the mTORC2 complex in primary CLL specimens.
From simplification to a partial theory solver for non-linear real polynomial constraints

Abstract Computing with non-linear polynomial constraints over the real numbers has been an important area within Computer Algebra since the field's inception. More recently, satisfiability for this theory has become an important problem in the SMT-solving community. Inspired by the S C 2 project, this paper combines ideas from both communities to produce a fast “partial solver” for the theory — i.e. a solver that can sometimes decide the satisfiability of formulas, but sometimes fails to make a determination. The partial solver is based on existing “black-box/white-box” simplification algorithms, which this paper extends to allow for the production of UNSAT cores (and stronger simplifications). The production of UNSAT cores is required if the partial solver is to be used in SMT-solving, which is one of the primary motivations for this work. The authors have implemented the partial solver in the system, and this paper also reports on experiments based on that implementation.
Injection Opioid and Injection Methamphetamine Use in the Rural United States: A Systematic Review and Network Analysis:

The abuse of opioid and methamphetamine is a public health crisis in the United States, particularly in rural areas where injection drug use is common. This systematic review of rural injection dru...
Predictive Model Based on Machine Learning for the Detection of Physically Mistreated Women in the Peruvian Scope

Violence against women in recent years in Peru showed alarming results, where 65.0 % of them were victims of some type of violence at some time in their lives. The study consisted of the elaboration of a predictive model that allows the recognition of the future physically mistreated woman. The data used was from a public survey of national scope. The methodology specified the data obtained; three supervised learning models Random Forest Classifier, Decision Tree Classifier, and Extra Trees Classifier were developed with the intention of buying the results and selecting that of the best performance. Regarding the results, Random Forest Classifier was the best model to obtain a precision of 51.0 % and a recall of 40.0 %, above those obtained by the other algorithms used. Subsequently, the best model passed to a calibration process where the average score was 0.7182, the precision was 0.76, and the recall was 0.31; concluding that the model classifies 76.0% of cases as physically mistreated women of which 31.0 % are effectively mistreated.
MAGNETIC INTERACTIONS IN TERNARY SUPERCONDUCTORS

Publisher Summary The ternary compound ErRh4B4 is the first material to show re-entrant superconductivity because of the occurrence of long-range magnetic order. It superconducts below 8.5 K and becomes normal below about 0.9 K commensurate with an onset of magnetic ordering below that temperature. In this chapter, two techniques are used to probe the magnetism of the ordered state — neutron scattering and the Mossbauer effect of 166Er. In a neutron diffraction experiment one observes either new reflections or changes in the intensities of the nuclear peaks, depending on the magnetic structure. In either case it is possible to deduce the ordered magnetic moment on the atom from the diffraction pattern. The inherent difference between the neutron scattering and the Mossbauer effect of 166Er is that, in neutron diffraction, one measures the long-range correlation between magnetic moments, while in the Mossbauer studies one measures the single-ion auto-correlation of the spin. Hence, from the Mossbauer effect, one measures the total moment on the Er atom.
Min-Mid-Max Scaling, Limits of Agreement, and Agreement Score

In this paper, I solve a 60-year old question posed by Cohen's seminal paper (1960) and offer an agreement measure centered around the chance-expected agreement while isolating marginally forced agreement and disagreement. To achieve this, I formulate the minimum feasible agreement given row and column marginals by devising a new algorithm that minimizes the sum of diagonals in contingency tables. Based on this result, I also formulate the lower limit of the most common agreement measure-Cohen's kappa. Finally, I study the lower limit of maximum feasible agreement and devise two statistics of distribution similarity for agreement analysis.
Using Augmented Reality to Better Study Human-Robot Interaction

In the field of Human-Robot Interaction, researchers often techniques such as the Wizard-of-Oz paradigms in order to better study narrow scientific questions while carefully controlling robots’ capabilities unrelated to those questions, especially when those other capabilities are not yet easy to automate. However, those techniques often impose limitations on the type of collaborative tasks that can be used, and the perceived realism of those tasks and the task context. In this paper, we discuss how Augmented Reality can be used to address these concerns while increasing researchers’ level of experimental control, and discuss both advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
MOCVD epitaxy and doping for beta-Ga2O3 and (AlxGa1-x)2O3 (Conference Presentation)

β-Ga2O3 represents the emerging ultrawide bandgap semiconductor material, having a bandgap of 4.5-4.9 eV and estimated breakdown field of 6-8 MV/cm, promising for power electronic devices and solar blind photodetectors. High quality material growth and fundamental understanding of its ternary alloy (AlxGa1-x)2O3 are still lacking. Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth of β-Ga2O3 and (AlxGa1-x)2O3 are studied with the focus on understanding the effects of growth conditions on the material quality, control of background and n-type doping, as well as transport properties. Record high room temperature and low temperature mobilities have been achieved in MOCVD β-Ga2O3.
Direct Laser Writing of Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters: A Review of Methods and Applications

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) are nanomaterials of size of less than 2 nm that exhibit a set of unique physical, chemical, optical, and electronic properties. Because of recent interest in NCs, a great deal of effort is being made to develop synthetic routes that allow control over the NC size, shape, geometry, and properties. Direct laser writing is one of the few synthesis methods that allow the generation of photostable NCs with high quantum yield in a highly controlled fashion. A key advantage of laser-written NCs is the ability to create easy-to-use solid-state devices for a range of applications. This review will present necessary background and recent advances in laser writing of silver NCs and their applications in different solid-state matrixes such as glass, zeolites, and polymer substrate. This topic will be of interest to researchers in the fields of materials science, optics and photonics, chemistry, and biomedical sciences.
Performing the Gospels in Byzantium: Sight, Sound, and Space in the Divine Liturgy

Tracing the Gospel text from script to illustration to recitation, this study looks at how illuminated manuscripts operated within ritual and architecture. Focusing on a group of richly illuminated lectionaries from the late eleventh century, the book articulates how the process of textual recitation produced marginalia and miniatures that reflected and subverted the manner in which the Gospel was read and simultaneously imagined by readers and listeners alike. This unique approach to manuscript illumination points to images that slowly unfolded in the mind of its listeners as they imagined the text being recited, as meaning carefully changed and built as the text proceeded. By examining this process within specific acoustic architectural spaces and the sonic conditions of medieval chant, the volume brings together the concerns of sound studies, liturgical studies, and art history to demonstrate how images, texts, and recitations played with the environment of the Middle Byzantine church.
Impact of respiratory viral panel testing on length of stay in pediatric cancer patients admitted with fever and neutropenia.

BACKGROUND Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respiratory viral panel (RVP) testing is often used in evaluation of pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia (FN), but correlation with adverse outcomes has not been well characterized. PROCEDURE A retrospective cohort of all children ages 0-21 years with cancer admitted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for FN from January 2013 to June 2016 was identified. Patient demographic and clinical variables such as age, RVP results, length of stay (LOS), and deaths were abstracted. Relationship between RVP testing and positivity and LOS, highest temperature (Tmax), hypotension and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were compared using Wilcoxon rank sums, chi-square, or Fisher's exact tests adjusting for age, sex, bacteremia, and diagnosis. RESULTS The 404 patients identified had 787 total FN admissions. RVPs were sent in 38% of admissions and were positive in 59%. Patients with RVPs sent were younger (median 5.5 vs 8.0 years, P < .0001) with higher Tmax (39.2° vs 39.1°, P = .016). The most common virus identified was rhinovirus/Enterovirus (61%). There were no significant differences in highest temperature or lowest blood pressure based on RVP positivity. Patients admitted to the ICU were more likely to have RVPs sent (odds ratio [OR] = 3.19, P < .002); however, neither having RVP testing nor RVP positivity were significantly associated with increased LOS or death. Coinfection with bacteremia and a respiratory virus was identified in 9.1% of patients. CONCLUSIONS These data raise the question of the utility of sending potentially costly RVP testing as RVP positivity during febrile neutropenia does not impact LOS, degree of hypotension, or ICU admission.
Emergency management collaboration: A review and new collaboration cycle.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the nature of collaborations in the field of emergency management and to propose a new cyclical framework that better reflects how collaborations form, function, and evolve throughout the collaboration process. Design: An extensive review of previous literature pertaining to the collaborative process was carried out in order to identify stages through which these collaborative relationships progress in the emergency management arena. Setting: This article focuses on the nature of emergency management collaborations at the local, state, and federal levels in the United States. Results: This article builds upon the previous literature pertaining to collaboration and offers a new framework which visualizes collaboration as a trust-building and outcome cycle which moves through four repeating phases: initiation, inclusion, execution, and evaluation. Conclusions: This cycle supports the continuous, sustained, and safe learning and sharing platform identified in the previous literature and offers an improved visualization that can be used to better prepare for, manage, and reset emergency management collaborations.
Taxes and Earnings Management: Evidence from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

We examine the influence of corporate income taxes on earnings management. We predict and find that corporate income taxes represent a significant friction in the level of discretion used in financial reporting decisions. Using the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) as an exogenous shock to corporate tax rates, we observe a significant change in pretax earnings management following the passage of the TCJA. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we observe opposing changes in pretax earnings management conditional on the pre-TCJA level of discretion and capital market pressure. Additionally, we observe a reduction in non-conforming discretionary tax planning following the TCJA. Finally, we provide evidence that debt contracting provisions in new loan agreements were revised to account for anticipated changes in financial reporting incentives.
But We Haven't Got Corporate Criminal Law!

Should the United States retain corporate criminal law? For more than a century, pearl-clutching abolitionists have decried the conceptual puzzles and supposed injustices of corporate criminal liability. Meanwhile, enthusiastic proponents of corporate criminal law have celebrated a system that they believe can deliver justice for victims and effective punishment to corporate malefactors. The abolitionists won long ago… through craftiness rather than force of reason. By arguing that the United States should get rid of corporate criminal law, abolitionists have staged a debate that presumes corporate criminal law in fact exists. It does not, and it never has. The greatest trick the abolitionist ever pulled was convincing everyone to think otherwise and then duping their opponents into arguing for the status quo. Criminal justice has four distinctive features. It 1) utilizes uniquely demanding procedure 2) to target the worst offenders with 3) the harshest penalties and 4) society’s deepest moral condemnation. The United States’ purported system of corporate criminal justice lacks all four features. The biggest corporate criminals routinely side-step all criminal procedure and any possibility of conviction by cutting deals with prosecutors, trading paltry fines and empty promises of reform for government press releases praising their cooperation. The real question is not whether the United States should retain corporate criminal law, but what it would take for the United States to have a corporate criminal justice system in the first place.
BTA's Director Travels to South Africa

In the last issue of Desert Plants, I referred to my pending trip to South Africa and Namibia and promised a few details for this issue. My two week trip in March included driving over 1,200 miles, 1,800 pictures, five national botanic gardens, several national parks, museums, private gardens and a Desert Research Center, with a 19.5 pound backpack. There is too much to cover in one article, so I will stick to my promise of a few details.
Detecting and Quantitating Physiological Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Unfolded protein response (UPR) is a key cellular defense mechanism associated with many human "conformational" diseases, including heart diseases, neurodegeneration, and metabolic syndrome. One of the major obstacles that have hindered our further understanding of physiological UPR and its future therapeutic potential is our inability to detect and quantitate ER stress and UPR activation under physiological and pathological conditions, where ER stress is perceivably very mild. Here, we describe a Phos-tag-based Western blot approach that allows for direct visualization and quantitative assessment of mild ER stress and UPR signaling, directly at the levels of UPR sensors, in various in vivo conditions. This method will likely pave the foundation for future studies on physiological UPR, aid in the diagnosis of ER-associated diseases, and facilitate therapeutic strategies targeting UPR in vivo.
Adenovirus myocarditis in mice. An electron microscopic study.

Abstract Newborn white Swiss mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with suspensions of murine adenovirus. The dosages used produced a fatal illness characterized by an extensive acute myocarditis and a high incidence of acute valvulitis. Virus assay showed high titers of virus in heart, blood, and kidney, corresponding to the time of most severe damage. Electron microscopy revealed intranuclear viral replication in myocytes, fibrocytes, and endothelial cells of mural and valvular endocardium and of the aorta and myocardial capillaries. These findings may well have significance as animal model systems of myocardial and valvular lesions in man.
When Financial Intermediaries are Corporate Owners: An Agency Model of Institutional Ownership

Increasingly, the equity investments of individual investors are being channeled through financial institutions. This article posits that the role of institutional owners as financial intermediaries, and the resulting complexity that institutions bring to ownership, distinguish institutional ownership from individual ownership. I develop a model of institutional ownership, referred to as the nexus agency model (NAM), which reflects this complexity. The model provides a framework for identifying the potential additional agency costs to beneficial owners that are associated with owning via financial institutions. The degree to which owning via institutions benefits individual owners depends on the adequacy of the legal and regulatory environment and governance mechanisms in protecting individual owners' interests. The applicability of the nexus model to different institutional owner types is then demonstrated in a discussion of U.S. public and private pension plans and mutual funds, leading to the generation of a NAM-based research agenda for each type and across the types. The article ends with discussion of the model's applicability to non-U.S. institutional environments.
Hydroxyzine (atarax) in chronic urticaria and in allergic manifestations; clinical observations in man and experimental studies on asthma in guinea pigs produced by several agents.

Abstract 1.1. Atarax gives relief in the majority of cases of chronic urticaria and dermographia. 2.2. Atarax is less effective in other allergic diseases. 3.3. Indirect evidence points to the possibility that there is a mediating mechanism in chronic urticaria besides the possible ones of histamine, acetylcholine, or serotonin. 4.4. Experimental studies in the guinea pig indicate that Atarax is a longacting, potent, antianaphylactic, antihistaminic, antiserotonin, and antiacetylcholine agent. For the most part, other tranquilizing or antihistaminic drugs have only part or none of these effects. 5.5. The antihistaminic activity of these drugs appears to be the most important feature determining its antianaphylactic action in guinea pigs.
My Life as an Art Soldier in Mao’s China: Art and Politics

The author narrates how in Mao's China his personal experience took unexpected turns when China dramatically transformed politically, economically, and culturally, and how he in reacting to these overwhelming changes evolved from an initial role of artist to student activist, businessman, political prisoner and academic. The article focuses on the relationship between art and politics in Mao's China and how the two evolved into what the author characterizes as "market communism" in today’s China.
The more the merrier? Working towards multidisciplinary management of obstructive sleep apnea and comorbid insomnia.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that is associated with negative cardiovascular consequences and adverse events from excessive daytime sleepiness. Insomnia is the inability to initiate or maintain sleep accompanied by daytime dysfunction. OSA and insomnia co-occur at a high rate, and such patients appear to have distinct clinical features of both disorders. Although empirically supported treatments are now available for OSA and insomnia independently, there are currently no standards or guidelines for how to combine or initiate these treatments for patients who suffer from both sleep disorders. Our goal was to review the literature on current diagnostic considerations, clinical features, pathophysiology, and treatment approaches for patients with OSA and comorbid insomnia. In particular, the potential benefits and challenges of using a multidisciplinary treatment model are discussed, including a research strategy that could inform implementation of pulmonary and behavioral sleep medicine treatments. The research, clinical, and policy implications of treating both OSA and insomnia are discussed with the hope that further activity will establish standards or guidelines for patients with OSA and insomnia.
Semiparametric approach to characterize unique gene expression trajectories across time

A semiparametric approach was used to identify groups of cDNAs and genes with distinct expression profiles across time and overcome the limitations of clustering to identify groups. The semiparametric approach allows the generalization of mixtures of distributions while making no specific parametric assumptions about the distribution of the hidden heterogeneity of the cDNAs. The semiparametric approach was applied to study gene expression in the brains of Apis mellifera ligustica honey bees raised in two colonies (A. m. mellifera and ligustica) with consistent patterns across five maturation ages. The semiparametric approach provided unambiguous criteria to detect groups of genes, trajectories and probability of gene membership to groups. The semiparametric results were cross-validated in both colony data sets. Gene Ontology analysis enhanced by genome annotation helped to confirm the semiparametric results and revealed that most genes with similar or related neurobiological function were assigned to the same group or groups with similar trajectories. Ten groups of genes were identified and nine groups had highly similar trajectories in both data sets. Differences in the trajectory of the reminder group were consistent with reports of accelerated maturation in ligustica colonies compared to mellifera colonies. The combination of microarray technology, genomic information and semiparametric analysis provided insights into the genomic plasticity and gene networks linked to behavioral maturation in the honey bee.