cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discovering Nature in North America

Americans are constantly discovering nature, and through it, or so they think, themselves. But what they discover and how they discover it are hardly simple matters. The very concept of nature, as Raymond Williams has argued, "contains, though often unnoticed, an extraordinary amount of human history." We carry that history with us whenever we go discovering. No new land, no new place is ever terra incognita. It always arrives to the eye fully stocked with expectations, fears, rumors, desires, and meanings.' And even as discoverers claim new knowledge from direct and unmediated experience with nature, history intervenes, filtering and imposing meaning on their experiences in the natural world. Originally, and in the older scholarship, the annals of discovery posed as the replacement of ignorance with knowledge, but this was too simple. Postmodernists have deconstructed the texts of discoverers as a deployment of various linguistic tropes in which even "substantial bodies: artifacts, animals, plants, ore Indians" dissolve "into multiple references back into the order of language." But this also is too simple. Discoverers did deploy representations derived from the Old World over the New, but to say so states only the beginning, rather than the end, of a complicated process. Such representations often could not contain the actual plants, animals, and landscapes they pretended to reveal. There was, and remains, a tangible physical world that sometimes affirmed but often mocked the representations designed to constrain it. For all the power of the postmodernist critique, it neglects this physical, tangible world, a world of substantial bodies, and trivializes our experience in it.2
Contingent Self-worth in Chinese Adolescents and Young Adults: Relations with Global Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptoms

Contingent self-worth (CSW) is the extent to which an individual's sense of self-worth is dependent on performance in a particular domain. CSW has been linked to poorer psychological health (e.g., lower global self-esteem, greater depression and anxiety). However, the majority of work on CSW has been conducted with US college students. Far less is known about the influence of CSW for younger individuals or for non-Western populations. This study examined relations between CSW domains and two indicators of well-being (depressive symptoms and global self-esteem) with Chinese adolescents (ages 13–16) and young adults (ages 19-22). Results indicated that CSW in the domains of academic performance and others’ approval were positively related to depressive symptoms, whereas CSW in the domain of family support was negatively related to depressive symptoms. Others’ approval CSW was negatively related to self-esteem for both adolescents and young adults, whereas CSW in the domains of academic performance and family support were related to self-esteem for adolescents but not young adults. This study indicates that CSW is a meaningful and predictive construct for Chinese youth, and that cultural, environmental, and developmental factors may impact the relations between CSW and psychological health.
Renal sarcomatoid carcinoma and carcinosarcoma

Objective:To investigate the pathological and clinical characteristic of renal sarcomatoid carcinoma and carcinosarcoma.Methods:the data of a case of renal sarcomatoid carcinoma and a case of renal carcinosarcoma were reviewed.The first patient presented with giant abdominal lump and loss of body weight in three months,B type ultrasound and CT revealed a giant invasive tumor on the right renal.The second patient presented with intermittent low back pain and gross hematuria.CT discovered that right renal invasive tumor,with the swelling of lymph nodes in retroperitoneal space.Results:Radical nephrectomy was successfully performed in two patients.The neoplasm of the first patient was proved to be renal carcinosarcoma by the pathological study and immunohistochemistry.The patient has lived for three months and was being follow up by now.The second patient was diagnosised as sarcomatoid carcinoma and died of multi organ metastatis two months after operation.Conclusions:Renal sarcomatoid carcinoma and carcinosarcoma have the biological behavior of invasive growth,often present with or develop metastases soon after the primary diagnosis.Most cases do not respond to immunotherapy or aggressive chemotherapy and have the poor prognosis.The immunohistochemical study are essential in pathological diagnosis and differentiation.Radical resection is still the first choice for treatment.
Regional Dispute Settlement

This chapter argues that the rise in regional courts is a game changer in regionalism that stands for more than just a commitment to use legal means to resolve economic disputes; it signals a commitment to uphold specific community values. Contrary to earlier waves of regionalism, many of these courts are not primarily engaged with trade. Instead, they are often activated to adjudicate cases involving good governance, human rights violations, as well as economic issues. But as we will see, their incidence and use across the globe is uneven. We place this development against the backdrop of a general rise in judicialized regional dispute settlement compared to so-called alternative dispute settlement mechanisms like negotiation, good offices, mediation, and binding arbitration. Most people see the lack of a regional court as signifying an aversion to legalized adjudication of disputes.
Detection of Antibiotic Residues by an Aptamer Based Dot-ELISA Method

Objective To establish a fast, sensitive and specific method to detect antibiotic residues. Methods The aptamers which could specifically combined with chloromycetion and kanamycin were selected. In the aptamer assay, the samples containing different concentrations of chloromycetion and kanamycin were spotted on the nitrocellulose(NC)membrane with optimization. The NC membrane was incubated with biotin- labeled chloromycetion specific aptamer at 55℃ for 1 hour and then washed. The membrane was incubated with streptavidin- labeled HRP and colored by DAB. Results The assay could rapidly detect chloromycetion and kanamycin residues in milk and other foods.A concentration as low as 10- 7g/ L could be detected with linearity. Conclusions Compared with the existing assay for detecting chloromycetion and kanamycin residues, the method presented here is sensitive and specific. It will be a good choice in antibiotics screening with broad prospects in application.
Development and organization of outpatient surgery units: the hospital's perspective.

SUMMARY Many indicators suggest continued growth in the ambulatory surgery arena. Economic pressures, technology, and third-party payers are contributing to this trend. Hospital admissions and inpatient stays are declining. The patient base is shifting to more economical settings. The impact of these factors has been considered throughout this discussion. These occurrences have prompted hospitals to diversify and to create organizational structures that provide opportunities for a total health care business approach. The success of ambulatory surgery programs developed by hospitals has been a major contributor to the continuation of these reorganization efforts. Acceptance on the part of patients and physicians is the major contributing factor to the continued growth of outpatient surgery units. Marketing techniques and consumer-oriented programs, coupled with efficiency and reduced costs, also assure that the ambulatory surgery phenomenon is here to stay.
Bootstrapping the relative performance of yield curve strategies

The present study assesses the relative performance of yield curve strategies involving bullet and barbell portfolios due to changes in the shape of the yield curve via shocks to the Dow Jones index. We employ three different yield curve models and bootstrap the bond portfolio performance using a block bootstrap approach to compute the 66 percent confidence intervals. We allow for co-movement among the yield curve factors. The study finds that a new parametrization we propose yields tighter confidence intervals than the usual approaches. In addition, we show that the shape of the confidence curves with respect to changes in terms to maturity, coupon rates, and market changes depends on the choice of the yield curve parametrization. This finding yields several important implications for bond portfolio strategies. JEL: Bootstrapping, Yield Curve, Barbell and Bullet Portfolios
New advances in invasive aspergillosis immunobiology leading the way towards personalized therapeutic approaches

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) remains a devastating disease in immune compromised patients despite significant advances in our understanding of fungal virulence and host defense mechanisms. In this review, we summarize important research advances in the fight against IA with particular focus on early events in the interactions between Aspergillus fumigatus and the host that occur in the respiratory tract. Advances in understanding mechanisms of immune effector cell recruitment, antifungal effector mechanisms, and how the dynamic host-fungal interaction alters the local microenvironment to effect outcomes are highlighted. These advances illustrate exciting new therapeutic opportunities, but also emphasize the importance of understanding each unique fungus-host interaction for improving patient outcomes.
Diagnostic procedures for Paget's disease : radiologic, pathologic, and laboratory testing

Paget’s disease is a relatively common skeletal disorder that affects older individuals. Although its causes are unknown, it is characterized by abnormal remodeling and a high rate of bone turnover that determines its pathologic, radiologic, and biochemical findings. The findings in the three phases of Paget’s disease are described.
A Functional Evaluation of Business Models in Fresh Produce in the United States

Marketing in the food system has at least three broad categories: physical functions, exchange functions, and facilitating functions. Physical functions include those activities that alter the form or place utility of produce. Form utility refers to the appearance the produce will have. Manufacturing, processing, and packaging create additional value for the consumer that prefers the product in an altered state. Place utility refers to the time and location at which the produce is consumed. Some degree of physical transportation and storage is used in selling fresh produce. Exchange functions are activities related to the possession utility of a product. Individuals or firms with knowledge of buyers and sellers can facilitate exchange between these two groups. Buyers and sellers must agree on setting a price for the product and ownership transfer. Fluctuation risks are borne by the owner. In the case of fresh produce, facilitating functions can be thought of as the actions that allow the system to function at peak efficiency. Such types of actions provide conduits for information and capital flows in the produce supply chain. Private firms, government, and industry groups have all historically served in facilitating roles for fresh produce. Standards and grades can ensure the flow of uniform products; financing provides the capital needed to operate the system; market intelligence can drive competition and communication efforts serve to inform the final consumer.
Oxygen Cost of Performing Selected Adult and Child Care Activities

Little is known about the oxygen cost of caring for infants and older adults. Many people perform these activities so it is useful to know the energy cost and if the activities are of sufficient intensity to contribute to meeting physical activity recommendations. The purpose of this study was to assess the oxygen cost of four care-related activities in the Compendium of Physical Activities. Nineteen participants (n = 10 women, n = 9 men; Age = 36.4 ± 13.6 y; % Fat = 34.1 ± 10.5; BMI = 28.1 ± 4.5 kg/m2) performed four activities: 1) pushing an infant in a stroller, 2) pushing an adult in a wheelchair, 3) carrying an infant, and 4) bathing and dressing an infant. The oxygen cost was assessed using a portable metabolic unit. Activities were performed in random order for 8 minutes. The oxygen cost and heart rates, respectively, for healthy adults during care related activities were 3.09 METs and 90 ± 8 beats per minute (bpm) for pushing an infant in a stroller, 3.69 METs and 97 ± 9 bpm for pushing an adult in a wheelchair, 2.37 METs and 85 ± 9 bpm for carrying an infant, and 2.00 METs and 87 ± 9 bpm for bathing and dressing an infant. Carrying an infant and bathing an infant are light-intensity physical activities and pushing a wheelchair or a stroller are moderate intensity activities. The latter activities are of sufficient intensity to meet health-related physical activity recommendations.
A new set of Random Forests with varying dynamic data reduction and voting techniques

Random forests have been used as effective models to tackle a number of classification and regression problems. In this paper, we present a new type of Random Forests (RFs) called Red(uced)-RF that adopts a new voting mechanism called Priority Vote Weighting (PV) and a new dynamic data reduction principle which improve accuracy and execution time compared to Breiman's conventional RF. Red-RF also shows that the strength of a random forest can increase without noticeably increasing correlation between the trees. We then compare performance of Red-RF, 9 new RF variants and Breiman's RF in eight experiments that involve classification problems with datasets of different sizes.
Heart Failure: Natriuretic Peptide Use in the Hospital

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a leading cause of hospitalization amongst elderly in the U.S. The role of natriuretic peptides (NPs) is clear in the evaluation of acute dyspnea to help diagnose ADHF. NPs are quantitative markers of wall stress and reflect severity of heart failure. In the inpatient management of ADHF, serial sampling and recognition of down-trending NPs is a powerful indicator of patients who are at lower risk for future adverse events. Serial monitoring at least once during hospitalization (or if clinical uncertainty exists) and a pre-discharge NP should be checked to ensure patients are appropriate for discharge. If persistent elevation occurs, alternate etiologies for this should be considered and medications should be further up-titrated and optimized prior to discharge.
Tertiary alphabet for the observable protein structural universe

Here, we systematically decompose the known protein structural universe into its basic elements, which we dub tertiary structural motifs (TERMs). A TERM is a compact backbone fragment that captures the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary environments around a given residue, comprising one or more disjoint segments (three on average). We seek the set of universal TERMs that capture all structure in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), finding remarkable degeneracy. Only ∼600 TERMs are sufficient to describe 50% of the PDB at sub-Angstrom resolution. However, more rare geometries also exist, and the overall structural coverage grows logarithmically with the number of TERMs. We go on to show that universal TERMs provide an effective mapping between sequence and structure. We demonstrate that TERM-based statistics alone are sufficient to recapitulate close-to-native sequences given either NMR or X-ray backbones. Furthermore, sequence variability predicted from TERM data agrees closely with evolutionary variation. Finally, locations of TERMs in protein chains can be predicted from sequence alone based on sequence signatures emergent from TERM instances in the PDB. For multisegment motifs, this method identifies spatially adjacent fragments that are not contiguous in sequence-a major bottleneck in structure prediction. Although all TERMs recur in diverse proteins, some appear specialized for certain functions, such as interface formation, metal coordination, or even water binding. Structural biology has benefited greatly from previously observed degeneracies in structure. The decomposition of the known structural universe into a finite set of compact TERMs offers exciting opportunities toward better understanding, design, and prediction of protein structure.
Behavioral Ecology, Technology, and the Organization of Labor: How a Shift from Spear Thrower to Self Bow Exacerbates Social Disparities

Self-bows replaced spear throwers as primary terrestrial hunting weapons on nearly all continents at different time periods throughout human prehistory. Many scholars have debated whether this transition occurred because of a shift in resource exploitation toward smaller fauna or because of the bow's supposedly superior performance in warfare. Before causal hypotheses explaining this technological shift can be tested, performance characteristics of atlatls versus bows must be well understood. Studies of performance characteristics often address topics such as the range, accuracy, or maintainability of weapons systems, but this study quantitatively compares the learnability of each weapon. Learning curves for spear throwers and bows are established using contemporary data generated by archers from the Society for Creative Anachronism and atlatlists from the World Atlatl Association. The hypothesis that spear throwers are easier to learn and can be wielded effectively by a wider segment of human populations than bows is supported. Implications for the organization of labor are contextualized in light of socioecological changes generally characterizing the conditions under which shifts from atlatl to self-bow technology occurred in prehistory. [learning curve, division of labor, atlatl, performance characteristics, skill]
Challenges and opportunities facing educational discourse researchers

The scholarly investigation of discourse in teaching and learning is multi-disciplinary, theoretically rich, and highly technical. Researchers with backgrounds in education, cognitive psychology, computer science, and the social sciences apply a diverse set of techniques to understand how student discussions affect learning. Aided by big data coming from learning content management and massive open online course systems, these researchers have an unparalleled opportunity for insight into the teaching and learning process. In this paper we summarize some of the challenges and opportunities arising out of three workshops on Educational Discourse. These workshops convened both expert and emerging scholars to discuss the (i) ethical, (ii) technical, and (iii) infrastructure barriers to building a research community focused on computer-mediated educational discourse. Of particular note is that while computational infrastructure exists for storing and manipulating educational discourse, there is a need for a sociotechnical infrastructure upon which community members can come together to engage in joint work.
Amana Cemeteries as Embodiments of Religious and Social Beliefs

Cemeteries in the seven villages of the Amana Colonies (Iowa) differed and continue to differ in many ways from most cemeteries in the Prairie-Plains region and in the United States generally. Amana was settled in the 1850s by German religious separatists, and until 1932 the group practiced community of goods. Their Christian faith emphasized simplicity, equality, lay clergy, order, pacifism, and obedience to divine authority transmitted through divinely inspired leaders. The layout of the cemeteries, the arrangement of grave markers, and the nature of the markers themselves clearly reflect these and other aspects of the community's religious beliefs and socio-economic organization. Also noteworthy is that, in contrast to most cemeteries in the wider society, Amana cemeteries have scarcely changed in 160 years, despite a wholesale reordering of Amana's social and economic system in 1932, suggesting a strong hold of tradition in the community.
Insights into BRCA1/2 Genetic Counseling from Ethnically Diverse Latina Breast Cancer Survivors.

Despite the disproportionate underuse of genetic counseling and testing for BRCA1/2 (BRCA)-associated hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) risk among Latinas, little is known about the associated barriers and facilitators. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 at-risk Latina women from diverse backgrounds. Eligible women were diagnosed with breast cancer 1 first-degree relative diagnosed <50 years). All interviews were conducted in Spanish, audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Two bilingual coders used thematic analyses to identify 7 main themes. Results revealed very low levels of awareness and knowledge about HBOC and BRCA genetic counseling. Interestingly, for most Latinas, competing life demands and cultural concerns (fatalismo and destino) did not strongly influence personal beliefs about genetic counseling. In addition, older women were equally as interested in education, cancer prevention, and BRCA genetic counseling as younger women. These findings suggest that Latinas, regardless of age, increasingly acknowledge and prioritize their own health. Women reported their main motivator to undergo counseling was concern about family members’ cancer risks. Main barriers included financial and insurance concerns, and lack of awareness about genetic services. Investigating the beliefs and attitudes of diverse populations of Latinas at risk for HBOC reveals logistical barriers to BRCA genetic counseling uptake within this under-represented community. Efforts are needed to provide at-risk Latina breast cancer survivors’ knowledge of and access to genetic counseling and testing based on risk status and Latinas’ increasing responsiveness and uptake of these services.
Intravenous neutralization of vascular endothelial growth factor reduces vascular function/permeability of the ovary and prevents development of OHSS-like symptoms in rhesus monkeys

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a disorder associated with elevated serum VEGFA following chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) exposure in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycles in women. In this study, we tested the effect of intravenous VEGFA neutralization on OHSS-like symptoms and vascular function in rhesus macaques during COS cycles. Monkeys (n = 8) were treated with 3 COS protocols and assigned randomly to groups as follows: 1) COS alone (Control, n = 5); 2) COS + VEGF mAb Avastin 19 ± 5 h before hCG (Avastin pre-hCG; n = 6); 3) COS + Avastin 3–4 days post-hCG (Avastin post-hCG; n = 4); 4) COS + Simulated Early Pregnancy (SEP n = 3); or 5) COS + SEP + Avastin (SEP + Avastin n = 3). Follicles were aspirated 36 h post-hCG, fluid was collected from one follicle for analysis of steroid and vascular hormone content. Remaining follicles were aspirated, and luteinized granulosa cells (LGCs) cultured for 24 h. Ovarian/uterine vascular flow (VF) and blood volume (BV) were analyzed by contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) before hCG bolus and 6–8 days post-hCG bolus/time of peak SEP response. Ovarian permeability to albumin was analyzed by Dynamic Contrast Enhanced-MRI (DCE-MRI) post-hCG. Abdominal fluid was present in 4/5 Control, 2/6 Avastin pre-hCG, and 3/4 Avastin post-hCG females. Neutralization of VEGFA before hCG reduced ovarian VF, BV, and permeability to albumin (P < 0.05), while only ovarian VF and permeability were reduced in Avastin-post hCG group (P < 0.05). There was no effect of Avastin on ovarian vascular function during COS + SEP. VEGF levels in follicular fluid were reduced 78-fold by Avastin pre-hCG, and LGCs exposed to Avastin in vivo also released 4-fold less VEGF into culture media (P < 0.05). Culture medium of LGCs exposed to VEGFA neutralization in vivo had lower levels of P4 and ANGPT1, and an increased ratio of ANGPT2/1 (P < 0.05). Uterine VF was reduced by SEP + Avastin in the basalis/junctional zone (P < 0.05). Avastin treatment before hCG prevents the development of symptoms associated with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. In vitro data suggest neutralization of VEGFA alters expression of other vascular factors typically induced by hCG in the luteinizing follicle. Neutralization of VEGFA action alters the vascular function of the basalis zone of the uterus during simulated early pregnancy, indicating a potential effect on embryo implantation.
Structure and Function of Photosystem I

Photosystem I, a membrane protein complex found in all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, uses light energy to transfer electrons from plastocyanin to ferredoxin. Light energy captured by antenna chlorophylls is transferred rapidly to the primary electron donor, P700. The excited primary donor then initiates electron transfer through a series of secondary acceptors A0, A1, FX, FB and A three-dimensional structural model of the Photosystem I complex at 4 A resolution is used to describe the spatial organization of cofactors. The chemical identity of each of the electron transfer cofactors based on current spectroscopic information is discussed in relation to the available structural information. The use of specific mutagenesis to probe the structure and function of individual subunits and to investigate the interaction of cofactors with the protein environment is then described. The combined results from structural, spectroscopic and molecular analysis are generating a unified model of the structure, function and evolution of Photosystem I and related reaction centers.
Big Five personality and health in adults with and without cancer.

Personality is associated with health, but examinations in patients with illnesses are lacking. We aimed to determine whether personality–physical health associations differed between community and cancer samples. This cross-sectional study involved 168 participants without cancer, 212 men with prostate cancer, and 55 women with breast cancer. We examined whether the Big Five personality dimensions were associated with health behaviors and multiple health indicators. Higher conscientiousness and lower neuroticism were associated with better health behaviors and health (rmax = .31), with few differences between community and cancer samples. Findings call for research on the implications of personality in patients with serious illnesses.
The Lady or the Tiger? and Other Logic Puzzles. By Raymond Smullyan

(1985). The Lady or the Tiger? and Other Logic Puzzles. By Raymond Smullyan. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 92, No. 2, pp. 156-157.
Towards a Concept of “Pax Africana”

This is a reprint of a chapter from the late Kenyan scholar Ali Mazrui’s 1967 book Towards a Pax Africana: A Study of Ideology and Ambition, in which he lays out the ideal and political relevance of the pursuit of Pax Africana, while reflecting on its implications. As such, it sets the stage for the rest of the volume. For Mazrui, Pax Africana is not about the imposition of a peace on others, but rather about Africans taking custodianship of African peace and security, and addressing the structural causes of conflict on their own continent. While the United Nations (UN) can play an important role in achieving disarmament and supplement African conflict resolution efforts, Africans have to rely ultimately on their own resources and exertions to build peace on the continent; and to look beyond Western paradigms as a panacea in their quest to transform Pax Africana into a practical proposition.
The Great American Housing Bubble

The Great American Housing Bubble started in the nineteen-thirties and burst in 2006. Bubbles always burst, and because this one's bursting caused a severe financial panic and recession, it is important to understand the economics of its formation. A search for the demand stimulants that resulted in upward pressure on house prices leads to many factors including, but not limited to, the provision in the Internal Revenue Code for deduction of mortgage interest and property taxes, the Federal Reserve System's easy money policy, laxness by financial regulatory authorities, insurance of mortgages by U. S. Government agencies, the Federal Home Loan Banks' financial assistance to home lenders,and the insatiable demand for mortgages by the government sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These demand stimulants worked steadily for many decades with the result that the illusion that U. S. house prices do not go down became conventional wisdom. That illusion was the basis for terrible mistakes, including overbuilding, rating agency errors, and risky financial practices that pricked the bubble and exacerbated the financial crisis that followed. Was this the worst series of government financial mistakes in history?
The “Spitzer Affair”

Lysenko had followers outside of East and Central Europe as well. Michurin societies were formed in Belgium, England, Argentina and Japan. The French Association Francaise des Amis de Mitchourine, who worked with farmers in the countryside attempting to replicate the results of Soviet Lysenkoists, was the most active. A researcher at the National Agronomy Research Institute in Versailles spent 2 years trying to create new varieties of tomatoes, using the exact methods prescribed by Soviet Lysenkoists. The work ended in fiasco, but the experimenter lamented: “When an army fights we must not weep for its dead or wounded. I live on with the hope that though I have been injured, I will one day belong to the avant-garde.”
Fate of Viruses in Treated Sewage Effluent During Soil Aquifer Treatment Designed for Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse

Land application or soil aquifer treatment of wastewater has been considered as a low-cost method for improving its quality for potential reuse. The objective of this work was to evaluate more quantitatively than in the past the fate and removal of viruses as they pass through the soil. A mini-basin (12 feet × 12 feet) was constructed at a site where secondary treated wastewater will be applied to large basins for underground storage. Suction samplers were placed at various depths in the upper 20 feet of the vadose zone directly beneath the mini-basin, and monitoring wells were placed at various distances (10 to 150 feet) from the mini-basin. Two experiments (August and September, 1990) were conducted where bacteriophage MS-2 and PRD-1 were added to the effluent before its application to the basins. High infiltration rate (up to 50 feet/day) and impeding layers at 15 ft resulted in nearly saturated flow conditions and up to 150 ft of horizontal transport of the viruses. The results also indicated that at least 90% removal of MS-2 and 99% removal of PRD-1 could be expected after movement of the sewage through 15 ft of soil and greater removal was observed at a slower infiltration rate (3 feet/day).
In Vivo Measurement of Blood Flow Using Ultrasound Time-Domain Correlation

The use of Doppler ultrasound as a non-invasive measurement of blood flow has become a standard clinical practice. Unfortunately, Doppler ultrasound has theoretical and practical problems which limit it to being only a qualitative clinical tool [1] [2]. For these reasons, an ultrasonic technique using time domain correlation has been developed as a quantitative alternative to Doppler ultrasound. The Ultrasound Time Domain Correlation (UTDC) technique has a theoretical precision of 5% as opposed to 85% for Doppler ultrasound [3], and previous research has shown that the UTDC technique can measure constant and pulsatile flow in a blood flow phantom with an accuracy of 20% [4] [5]. In vivo measurements on canine subjects have also been performed; however, previous UTDC measurement systems were not capable of running in real time which made in vivo measurements difficult. Recently, a real-time system using ultrasound time domain correlation has been constructed which can produce velocity vs range information every 0.7 seconds. Previous versions of the system required 45 seconds for the same measurements.
Spin phonon interactions and magneto-thermal transport behavior in p-Si

Abstract The spin-phonon interaction is the dominant process for spin relaxation in Si, and as thermal transport in Si is dominated by phonons, one would expect spin polarization to influence Si's thermal conductivity. Here we report the experimental evidence of just such a coupling. We have performed concurrent measurements of spin, charge, and phonon transport in p-doped Si across a wide range of temperatures. In an experimental system of a free-standing 2 μm p-Si beam coated on one side with a thin (25 nm) ferromagnetic spin injection layer, we use the self-heating 3ω method to measure changes in electrical and thermal conductivity under the influence of a magnetic field. These magneto-thermal transport measurements reveal signatures in the variation of electrical and thermal transport that are consistent with spin-phonon interaction. Raman spectroscopy measurements and first principle's calculations support that these variations are due to spin-phonon interaction. Spin polarization leads to softening of phonon modes, a reduction in the group velocity of acoustic modes, and a subsequent decrease in thermal conductivity at room temperature. Moreover, magneto-thermal transport measurements as a function of temperature indicate a change in the spin-phonon relaxation behavior low temperature.
A contrastive overlook at Asian literature in the Americas: two examples

This paper will critically explore and compare East Asian perspectives and adaptation modes in the Americas as well as self-perception within the realm of “the Other” through two novels: Yawara! A Travessia Nihondin-Brasil (Yawara! The Nihondin-Brazil Journey 2006) by Julio Miyazawa, a Nipo-Brazilian (Nisei), and Yellow on the Outside, Shame on the Inside: Asian Culture Revealed by the Sino-American Anson Chi (Web published).
A RARE CAUSE OF SVC SYNDROME AND CARDIAC TAMPONADE

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the ovary (LCNC) is a rare malignancy. We present the first description of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) and cardiac tamponade resulting from LCNC. A 58 year-old female with history of recurrent LCNC resulting in SVCS and SVC stent placement, presented
Gender, population dynamics, and growth: The interplay between economic structure and demographics

This article presents an approach to modeling long-run growth in which endogenous population dynamics affect an economy’s growth path. It links economic structure, captured by variations in aggrega...
Five-year Longitudinal Cohort Study of Reinterventions After Sleeve Gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Objective:To compare the long-term risks of reintervention following sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in a large surgical cohort.Background:The use of SG has increased dramatically relative to RYGB for the treatment of obesity. However, long-term risks following SG compare
The case of the missing pulmonary vein: A focused update on anomalous pulmonary venous connection in congenital cardiovascular disease

Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection is defined by one or more of the pulmonary veins draining to the heart into a location other than the left atrium. Depending on the location of the anomalous venous connection, they can be categorized as supracardiac, infracardiac, cardiac, and mixed types. In some cases, there is no hemodynamic consequence; in others, it can result in tricuspid regurgitation, right heart dilation, and pulmonary hypertension. Frequently, the reason for referral can be asymptomatic right heart dilation of unknown significance. Diagnosis is often difficult by transthoracic echocardiogram unless there is a high index of suspicion, and the appropriate views are obtained. Cardiac CT (computed tomography) or cardiac MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can provide more precise anatomic detail as needed. The current article reviews the etiology and pathophysiology of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection, and also reviews the current knowledge on their treatment.
Seismogenic thickness of California: Implications for thermal structure and seismic hazard

Abstract The seismogenic thickness of the crust, a proxy for brittle-crust thickness, is a geometric parameter related to crustal strength, seismic hazard, and the crust's thermo-mechanical nature. We use high-resolution earthquake-location data from California to construct a topographic map of the base of the seismogenic crust by calculating the depth above which 95% of seismicity (D95) is located for fixed width bins. Seismogenic thickness is highly variable, ranging from ~5 km to >30 km, with thicker D95 values in the Great Valley-Sierra Nevada and thinner values in the Walker Lane and northern coastal California. Seismogenic thickness is inversely correlated with surface heat flow in most locations, consistent with a steady-state conductive crust, and local deviations probably reflect non-steady-state conditions related to magmatism and/or hydrothermal circulation. Such correlation suggests that, at regional scale, brittle-ductile transition (BDT) depth is mostly controlled by geothermal gradients, and the base of the seismogenic crust essentially represents a BDT isotherm (~300–350 °C for quartz-dominated lithologies). Spatial variations of D95 depths across California can be used to evaluate or constrain the locations of future seismicity, propagation direction of earthquake ruptures, and maximum depth, rupture area, and magnitude of future strike-slip earthquake events. Thicker seismogenic crust has a greater integrated strength. Seismogenic depth asperities, which represent mechanically stronger crustal patches, may focus and nucleate future earthquake events and/or impede rupture propagation.
Evaluation of Off-the-shelf Speech Recognizers Across Diverse Dialogue Domains

We evaluate several publicly available off-the-shelf (commercial and research) automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems across diverse dialogue domains (in US-English). Our evaluation is aimed at non-experts with limited experience in speech recognition. Our goal is not only to compare a variety of ASR systems on several diverse data sets but also to measure how much ASR technology has advanced since our previous large-scale evaluations on the same data sets. Our results show that the performance of each speech recognizer can vary significantly depending on the domain. Furthermore, despite major recent progress in ASR technology, current state-of-the-art speech recognizers perform poorly in domains that require special vocabulary and language models, and under noisy conditions. We expect that our evaluation will prove useful to ASR consumers and dialogue system designers.
Mapping Localized Peroxyl Radical Generation on a PEM Fuel Cell Catalyst Using Integrated Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microspectroscopy.

Understanding molecular-level transformations resulting from electrochemical reactions is important for designing efficient and reliable energy technologies. In this work, a novel integrated scanning electrochemical cell microspectroscopy (iSECCMS) capability is developed by combining a high spatial resolution electrochemical scanning probe with in situ fluorescence spectroscopy. Using 6-carboxyfluorescein as a fluorescent probe, the iSECCMS platform is employed to measure the effect of the detrimental generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed at the active sites of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. Carbon-supported tantalum-doped titanium oxide (TaTiOx) catalysts, a potential Pt-group-metal-free (PGM-free) cathode material explored for low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), is used as a representative model ORR system, where generation of intermediate H2O2 instead of fully oxidized H2O is a major concern. We establish that the iSECCMS platform provides a novel and versatile capability for spatially-resolved mapping of in situ ROS generation and activity during the kinetically-limited ORR and may, therefore, aid the future characterization and development of high-performance PGM-free PEFC cathodes.
The Sexual Objectification and Alcohol Use Link: The Mediating Roles of Self-Objectification, Enjoyment of Sexualization, Body Shame, and Drinking Motives

Alcohol consumption is on the rise among U.S. women, especially college women, despite the negative consequences that uniquely and disproportionately affect them. The current work integrates objectification theory and related research with literature on drinking motivations to explore how women’s experiences living in a culture that constantly objectifies the female body is associated with women’s consumption of alcohol. Among a sample of 539 female U.S. college students, the present study examined how differentially valenced responses to interpersonal sexual objectification (enjoyment of sexualization or body shame) contribute to distinct drinking motivations and outcomes. Results showed general support for the proposed serial mediational model. The link between sexual objectification and drinking frequency was mediated by self-objectification, enjoyment of sexualization, and drinking for enhancement, social and conformity motives, and by self-objectification, body shame, and the conformity motive. Finally, sexual objectification was related to drinking quantity through self-objectification, enjoyment of sexualization, and the enhancement drinking motive. These findings suggest that objectification experiences and resulting negative and positive inner states are important predictors of alcohol consumption. The integration of objectification theory with drinking motives sheds light on additional negative consequences associated with women living in a patriarchal society, including increased alcohol use. This model, if confirmed by future research, may provide promising avenues for reducing women’s drinking and thus minimizing the negative consequences they experience from alcohol.
Clinical Research in Pharmaceutical Drug Development

Clinical research is a part of drug development. It is highly regulated and one of the costliest aspects of bringing new drugs to market. Regulatory requirements in clinical research continue to evolve rapidly and vary by country, although the guidelines from the International Conference on Harmonization-Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) are widely accepted. The success of any clinical research study or project is dependent on a large team encompassing diverse functions. Many aspects need to be considered for the successful execution of clinical studies including formulating hypotheses, choosing proper endpoints, selecting correct study designs, securing quality data, and statistical analyses.
Octanoate is differentially metabolized in liver and muscle and fails to rescue cardiomyopathy in CPT2 deficiency.

Abstract Long-chain fatty acid oxidation is frequently impaired in primary and systemic metabolic diseases affecting the heart; thus, therapeutically increasing reliance on normally minor energetic substrates, such as ketones and medium-chain fatty acids, could benefit cardiac health. However, the molecular fundamentals of this therapy are not fully known. Here, we explored the ability of octanoate, an eight-carbon medium-chain fatty acid known as an unregulated mitochondrial energetic substrate, to ameliorate cardiac hypertrophy in long-chain fatty acid oxidation-deficient hearts because of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 deletion (Cpt2M−/−). CPT2 converts acylcarnitines to acyl-CoAs in the mitochondrial matrix for oxidative bioenergetic metabolism. In Cpt2M−/− mice, high octanoate-ketogenic diet failed to alleviate myocardial hypertrophy, dysfunction, and acylcarnitine accumulation suggesting that this alternative substrate is not sufficiently compensatory for energy provision. Aligning this outcome, we identified a major metabolic distinction between muscles and liver, wherein heart and skeletal muscle mitochondria were unable to oxidize free octanoate, but liver was able to oxidize free octanoate. Liver mitochondria, but not heart or muscle, highly expressed medium-chain acyl-CoA synthetases, potentially enabling octanoate activation for oxidation and circumventing acylcarnitine shuttling. Conversely, octanoylcarnitine was oxidized by liver, skeletal muscle, and heart, with rates in heart 4-fold greater than liver and, in muscles, was not dependent upon CPT2. Together, these data suggest that dietary octanoate cannot rescue CPT2-deficient cardiac disease. These data also suggest the existence of tissue-specific mechanisms for octanoate oxidative metabolism, with liver being independent of free carnitine availability, whereas cardiac and skeletal muscles depend on carnitine but not on CPT2.
Diagnosis and Intervention: A Summing-Up

From the information available on hyperactivity, the accepted viewpoint here is that the term hyperactivity refers to a set of symptoms that reflect a variety of possible causes. The symptoms—inattentiveness, impulsivity, physical overactivity, excitability, and distractibility—are often present in early childhood, thereby giving credence to the concept of a develop- mentally based, constitutional hyperactivity. But, the symptoms may also appear after age four or five, thereby offering support for the view of a psychologically based hyper-reactivity. Some experts still believe that there is an organic basis to hyperactivity (i.e., brain damage, cerebral dysfunction, neurological impairment, etc.,); however, there is limited data, via neurological study, to support this position among the majority of children labelled hyperactive. More recently, diet factors have been presented as a possible cause of hyperactivity. The scientific literature, however, remains inconclusive as to the incidence and degree of food substance related hyperactivity. Diet, as with the other possible etiological factors, needs to be considered seriously, but may or may not be relevant with a given child.
Hematopoietic Tumors: Normal or Abnormal Models of Leukocyte Differentiation?

One of the major problems in cellular immunobiology has been the issue of resolving the cellular bases of the many different specific functional properties mediated by the immune system. This is in essence a dual problem, as it involves both a detailed phenotypic characterization of all the differentiation lineages in the hematopoietic system, and the correlation of each cellular subset with specific functional properties. This problem is particularly compounded both by the wide heterogeneity in the differentiation stages of cells within hematopoietic tissues, and by the requirements for collaboration and interaction amongst different cell types in the mediation of specific immunological functions (Katz and Benacerraf, 1977). Analysis of the cell types involved in any given immune response is further complicated by the wide heterogeneity in cell populations when cell suspensions are obtained from in vivo tissue and blood sources.
Synthesis of metastable NiGe2 by mechanical alloying

Abstract Mechanical alloying of Ni–Ge elemental powder blends was carried out in a high-energy SPEX shaker mill to study phase evolution as a function of milling time. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques were employed to characterize the phases present in the milled powders. It was noted that a supersaturated solid solution formed in the early stages of milling containing up to about 12 at.% Ge. On continued milling, the equilibrium NiGe phase started to form at 5 h, and its amount in the powder increased with increasing milling time. On milling for about 60 h, the equilibrium intermetallic NiGe and Ge powder particles reacted to form the metastable NiGe2 phase. Reasons for the formation of this metastable phase at room temperature and at atmospheric pressure, which is normally present at high temperatures and under high pressures, have been discussed.