cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Penetration of Intact Skin by Quantum Dots with Diverse Physicochemical Properties

Skin is the largest organ of the body and is a potential route of exposure to engineered nanomaterials, but the permeability of the skin to these nanomaterials is unknown. We selected commercially available quantum dots (QD) of two core/shell sizes and shapes and three different surface coatings to determine if QD could penetrate intact skin in a size- or coating-dependent manner. Spherical 4.6 nm core/shell diameter QD 565 and ellipsoid 12 nm (major axis) by 6 nm (minor axis) core/shell diameter QD 655 with neutral (polyethylene glycol), anionic (carboxylic acids) or cationic (polyethylene glycol-amine) coatings were topically applied to porcine skin in flow-through diffusion cells at an occupationally relevant dose for 8 h and 24 h. Confocal microscopy revealed that spherical QD 565 of each surface coating penetrated the stratum corneum and localized within the epidermal and dermal layers by 8 h. Similarly, polyethylene glycol- and polyethylene glycol-amine-coated ellipsoid QD 655 localized within the epidermal layers by 8 h. No penetration of carboxylic acid-coated QD 655 was evident until 24 h, at which time localization in the epidermal layers was observed. This study showed that quantum dots of different sizes, shapes, and surface coatings can penetrate intact skin at an occupationally relevant dose within the span of an average-length work day. These results suggest that skin is surprisingly permeable to nanomaterials with diverse physicochemical properties and may serve as a portal of entry for localized, and possibly systemic, exposure of humans to QD and other engineered nanoscale materials.
Über fluorhaltige Verbindungen der Elemente der V. Hauptgruppe. VII. Tetrabromophosphor(V)‐hexafluorophosphat, [PBr4] [PF6]

Die Verbindung [PBr4] [PF6] wurde durch Fluorieren von Phosphor(V)-bromid mit Arsentrifluorid dargestellt. Sie entspricht in ihren Eigenschaften der homologen Verbindung [PCl4] [PF6]. Beide Substanzen sublimieren bei 135°C und sind isomer mit den bei Zimmertemperatur gasformigen Verbindungen PX2F3, wo XCl, Br. Die Bildungsreaktion von [PBr4] [PF6] verlauft uber [PBr6]−-Ionen. Die Hydrolyse der Verbindung ist kompliziert und wurde papierchromatographisch untersucht.
Non-parametric procedures for the determination of phase markers of circadian rhythms

Abstract The accurate determination of phase markers is an essential procedure in the analysis of the temporal organization of circadian rhythms. The method of cosinor analysis, a parametric procedure, has been often used to determine the time at which the peak of a rhythm (the ‘acrophase’) occurs. To avoid several difficulties associated with the use of parametric procedures, two non-parametric procedures are described in this paper. One of them is based on the onset times of dichotomous (and, by derivation, of fully numerical) variables. The other one is based on the acrophase of data previously smoothed by the method of moving averages. These two procedures are very easy to conduct, do not make assumptions about the distribution of the data (except that there is indeed a daily or circadian rhythm), and do not require stationary rhythms. They constitute a powerful alternative to the use of cosinor analysis.
Vehicle tracking and analysis within a city

Sensor-oriented vehicle tracking and analysis within a city (VTAC) plays an important role in transportation control, public facility management and national security. This project is dedicated to the development of a generic VTAC framework, which employs temporal and spatial dependent partial differential equations (PDE) to formulate the expected traffic flow, through which movement of the observed vehicles may be measured and analysis. The boundary conditions and parameters for the traffic flow are derived from the statistical analysis about historical transportation data; the physics domain is derived from the geographic information system. Using the artificial video data generated by Blender as benchmark data, the VTAC framework is validated by measuring and identifying those anomalous vehicles appeared in the video.
Models and algorithms for reliability-oriented task-allocation in redundant distributed-computer systems

Reliability-oriented task-allocation for heterogeneous distributed-computer systems with hardware redundancy is discussed. Redundancy of both processors and communication links is considered. A quantitative allocation model is derived and used to present and discuss models and algorithms for systems with level-two or level-three redundancy. The results contribute to the body of knowledge on task allocation and provide an alternative to performance-oriented methods. >
Hypergraph-Based Anomaly Detection of High-Dimensional Co-Occurrences

This paper addresses the problem of detecting anomalous multivariate co-occurrences using a limited number of unlabeled training observations. A novel method based on using a hypergraph representation of the data is proposed to deal with this very high-dimensional problem. Hypergraphs constitute an important extension of graphs which allow edges to connect more than two vertices simultaneously. A variational expectation-maximization algorithm for detecting anomalies directly on the hypergraph domain without any feature selection or dimensionality reduction is presented. The resulting estimate can be used to calculate a measure of anomalousness based on the false discovery rate. The algorithm has O(np) computational complexity, where n is the number of training observations and p is the number of potential participants in each co-occurrence event. This efficiency makes the method ideally suited for very high-dimensional settings, and requires no tuning, bandwidth or regularization parameters. The proposed approach is validated on both high-dimensional synthetic data and the Enron email database, where p > 75,000, and it is shown that it can outperform other state-of-the-art methods.
How Does Expansive Framing Promote Transfer? Several Proposed Explanations and a Research Agenda for Investigating Them

When contexts are framed expansively, students are positioned as actively contributing to larger conversations that extend across time, places, and people. A set of recent studies provides empirical evidence that the expansive framing of contexts can foster transfer. In this article, we present five potentially complementary explanations for how expansive framing may promote transfer and outline a research agenda for further investigating them. Specifically, we propose that expansive framing may: (a) foster an expectation that students will continue to use what they learn later, which may affect the learning process in ways that can promote transfer; (b) create links between learning and transfer contexts so that prior learning is viewed as relevant during potential transfer contexts; (c) encourage learners to draw on their prior knowledge during learning, which may involve them transferring in additional examples and making generalizations; (d) make learners accountable for intelligently reporting on the...
A Wireless Implantable Microsystem for Multichannel Neural Recording

An implantable microsystem capable of recording neural activity simultaneously on 64 channels is reported. This system receives power and setup data through an inductive wireless link, and wirelessly transmits the recorded neural information to an external interface. The microsystem is capable of detecting spike occurrences, as well as digitizing the spike waveforms on any channel with 8-bit resolution. Signals are amplified by 60 dB with a programmable bandwidth from < 100 Hz to 10 kHz. The input-referred noise is 8 muVrms. The channel scan rate for spike detection is 62.5 kS/s using a 2-MHz clock. The system dissipates 14.4 mW at 1.8 V, weighs 275 mg, and measures 1.4 cm times 1.55 cm.
Compiling influence diagrams

This paper examines a class of algorithms for "compiling" influence diagrams into a set of simple decision rules. These decision rules define simple-to-execute, complete, consistent, and near-optimal decision procedures. These compilation algorithms can be used to derive decision procedures for manually solving time constrained decision problems.
The Effect of Skewness and Kurtosis on Mean and Covariance Structure Analysis The Univariate Case and Its Multivariate Implication

The maximum likelihood (ML) method, based on the normal distribution assumption, is widely used in mean and covariance structure analysis. With typical nonnormal data, the ML method will lead to biased statistics and inappropriate scientific conclusions. This article develops a simple but informative case to show how ML results are influenced by skewness and kurtosis. Specifically, the authors discuss how skewness and kurtosis in a univariate distribution affect the standard errors of the ML estimators, the covariances between the estimators, and the likelihood ratio test of hypotheses on mean and variance parameters. They also describe corrections that have been developed to allow appropriate inference. Enough details are provided so that this material can be used in graduate instruction. For each result, the corresponding results in the higher dimensional case are pointed out, and references are provided.
Enhancement of respiratory immunity to Pasteurella mu/tocida by cholera toxin in rabbits

Summary Cholera toxin (CT) is a potent adjuvant for the mucosal immune system. The purpose of this study was to determine if coadministration of CT with a potassium thiocyanate extract of Pasteurella multocida (PTElleads to enhanced anti-PTE antibody activity and increased protection of rabbits against infection with P. multocida and associated disease. Groups of rabbits were immunized intranasally on days 0, 7, and 14, with phosphate buffered saline (PBS),200 /lg of CT, 1.0 mg of PTE, or 1.0 mg PTE with 200 /lg CT. Nasal lavage and serum samples were collected over 28 days after initial immunization and evaluated by ELISAfor specific antibody directed against PTE. Marked increases in serum (lgG) and nasal lavage (lgA) anti-PTE antibody activity were found beginning after day 14 in rabbits immunized with PTE. Rabbits immunized with PTE and CT demonstrated further increases in this activity. Tracheobronchial lavage samples collected at the time of necropsy demonstrated a significant level of anti-PTE IgA activity in animals immunized with PTE, and coadministration with CT stimulated a further significant increase in this activity. Groups of similarly immunized rabbits were challenged 16 days after initial immunization with 5 x 107 CFUs of P. multocida. Nasal lavage samples were cultured for P. multocida over the next 10 days. Rabbits were euthanized within 10 days after challenge, tissues cultured for P. multocida, and histopathologic lesion severity graded using a numeric scale. Rabbits immunized with PTE survived longer, had less severe lesions of the lungs, pleura, and liver, and fewer P. multocida CFUs cultured from samples than PBS or CT controls. Coadministration of CT led to further reductions in lesion severity of those tissues and numbers of P. multocida CFUs cultured from samples. Increased nasal turbinate atrophy of rabbits immunized with PTE with or without CT was associated with increased mean survival time. In summary, coadministration of CT with PTE enhanced protective immunity to P. multocida disease and infection in rabbits.
Alessandro Piccolomini and the First Printed Star Atlas (1540)

Celestial cartography has a long and interesting history. Before the sixteenth century, the stars were depicted in celestial globes, manuscripts and early printed books as individual constellations...
Transient Loss of Protection Afforded by a Live Attenuated Non-typhoidal Salmonella Vaccine in Mice Co-infected with Malaria

In immunocompetent individuals, non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars (NTS) are associated with gastroenteritis, however, there is currently an epidemic of NTS bloodstream infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Plasmodium falciparum malaria is an important risk factor for invasive NTS bloodstream in African children. Here we investigated whether a live, attenuated Salmonella vaccine could be protective in mice, in the setting of concurrent malaria. Surprisingly, mice acutely infected with the nonlethal malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL exhibited a profound loss of protective immunity to NTS, but vaccine-mediated protection was restored after resolution of malaria. Absence of protective immunity during acute malaria correlated with maintenance of antibodies to NTS, but a marked reduction in effector capability of Salmonella-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells. Further, increased expression of the inhibitory molecule PD1 was identified on memory CD4 T cells induced by vaccination. Blockade of IL-10 restored protection against S. Typhimurium, without restoring CD4 T cell effector function. Simultaneous blockade of CTLA-4, LAG3, and PDL1 restored IFN-γ production by vaccine-induced memory CD4 T cells but was not sufficient to restore protection. Together, these data demonstrate that malaria parasite infection induces a temporary loss of an established adaptive immune response via multiple mechanisms, and suggest that in the setting of acute malaria, protection against NTS mediated by live vaccines may be interrupted.
WAVE REFRACTION THEORY IN CONVERGENCE ZONE

An experimental investigation utilizing nonbreaking waves and one bottom topography with parallel circular contours symmetric about the center of the basin was performed to assess the limits of applicability of linear wave refraction theory in a convergence zone. Analytical computations of reflections from underwater topographic variations and of viscous dissipation of energy at the bottom agreed with experimental measurements. It was vividly illustrated that a significant amount of energy was involved in diffraction along the wave crest, thus the necessity of developing a theory to include the stepwise computation of diffraction processes simultaneously with the computation .of wave refraction is now evident. Nonlinear transfer of energy from lower to higher frequency components was investigated by performing a harmonic analysis over one wave period. As expected, nonlinear effects increased with both wave period and wave height (for a given wave period). Only 20 percent of the energy remained in the fundamental component for the longest period largest amplitude wave tested. Higher frequency components ranged from being completely coupled to the fundamental frequency to almost completely uncoupled. It was clearly demonstrated that in some circumstances the consideration of nonlinear effects becomes extremely important.
Eliciting decision-makers' information requirements: application of the rep test methodology

Abstract:Many information systems fail to achieve their promised potential because of the inability of the analyst to design a system attuned to the needs of the decision-maker. To remedy this situation, it is essential to develop new methodologies that facilitate the process of defining distinct decision parameters, understandable by the decision-maker, the analyst, and others in the organization.The primary purpose of this paper is to present and apply the Rep Test, a methodology for eliciting the information used, or desired to be used, by decision-makers. The information elicited and the salient characteristics decision-makers attach to this information are further analyzed and interpreted by examining the results of information sources scaled on information attributes.
The influence of potentially traumatic household characteristics on blunt use among Black youth

The residential status of mothers and fathers in the household has been shown to influence drug use and other health outcomes among adolescents. However, no studies have examined if these household characteristics influence blunt use (marijuana mixed with or replacing tobacco in cigar paper), specifically among Black adolescents. Using data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, this study was designed to examine the relationship between household characteristics (non-residential mother vs. residential mother and non-residential father vs. residential father) and blunt use among Black male and female adolescents. Findings revealed that Black males with non-residential fathers were more likely to have smoked blunts in their lifetime than Black males with residential fathers, illustrating the importance of fathers in the lives of Black males.
Stability of vocational interests after recent spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify the stability of vocational interests among persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) first assessed during inpatient rehabilitation. DESIGN: Initial assessments were completed during inpatient rehabilitation an average of 50 days after SCI onset (n = 521). Follow-up measures, collected by mail, were obtained an average of 16.6 months postinjury (n = 190) and 29.1 months postinjury (n = 296). Participants (n = 135) completed all 3 assessments. Participants completed the 1994 Strong Interest Inventory (Campbell, 1971; Harmon, Hansen, Borgen, & Hammer, 1994), Form T317, a 317-item measure of vocational interests. RESULTS: Comparison of scale means across 3 times of measurement indicated significant changes in 2 of 6 general occupational themes (GOT), 8 basic interest scales (BIS), and 2 special scales (leadership style, risk taking/adventure). With 1 exception, a linear trend indicating an increase in reported interests accounted for observed relationships. An age by time interaction occurred with 1 GOT and 3 BIS. The average stability coefficient was 0.61 for the GOT, 0.59 for the BIS, and 0.70 for the special scales. The average coefficients were somewhat lower for the oldest participants. CONCLUSION: Interests do not appear to be static when first measured during inpatient rehabilitation after SCI. Rather, they evolve with average increases on select themes more compatible with the limitations of SCI. Stability coefficients suggest that interests are likely to change more than indicated in earlier studies.
High-Throughput Phenotypic Screening of Human Astrocytes to Identify Compounds That Protect Against Oxidative Stress

UNLABELLED Astrocytes are the predominant cell type in the nervous system and play a significant role in maintaining neuronal health and homeostasis. Recently, astrocyte dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Astrocytes are thus an attractive new target for drug discovery for neurological disorders. Using astrocytes differentiated from human embryonic stem cells, we have developed an assay to identify compounds that protect against oxidative stress, a condition associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. This phenotypic oxidative stress assay has been optimized for high-throughput screening in a 1,536-well plate format. From a screen of approximately 4,100 bioactive tool compounds and approved drugs, we identified a set of 22 that acutely protect human astrocytes from the consequences of hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress. Nine of these compounds were also found to be protective of induced pluripotent stem cell-differentiated astrocytes in a related assay. These compounds are thought to confer protection through hormesis, activating stress-response pathways and preconditioning astrocytes to handle subsequent exposure to hydrogen peroxide. In fact, four of these compounds were found to activate the antioxidant response element/nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 pathway, a protective pathway induced by toxic insults. Our results demonstrate the relevancy and utility of using astrocytes differentiated from human stem cells as a disease model for drug discovery and development. SIGNIFICANCE Astrocytes play a key role in neurological diseases. Drug discovery efforts that target astrocytes can identify novel therapeutics. Human astrocytes are difficult to obtain and thus are challenging to use for high-throughput screening, which requires large numbers of cells. Using human embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes and an optimized astrocyte differentiation protocol, it was possible to screen approximately 4,100 compounds in titration to identify 22 that are cytoprotective of astrocytes. This study is the largest-scale high-throughput screen conducted using human astrocytes, with a total of 17,536 data points collected in the primary screen. The results demonstrate the relevancy and utility of using astrocytes differentiated from human stem cells as a disease model for drug discovery and development.
Maintenance Work in Small Aircrafts: An Ergonomic Approach

Airline line safety depends on a number of people ranging from pilots to the aviation maintenance technicians. Nowadays there is a growing recognition that maintenance errors pose a serious threat to airline safety. So, the Federal Aviation Administration has launched an extensive research in the field of human factors related aircraft maintenance. Not much research has gone into maintenance of small jets used for business and chartering purposes. For this purpose, the study was made in a private organization specializing in the maintenance of small jet aircrafts. The overall productivity of the past years was studied for various models of aircrafts and it was observed that the airframe department had a high rate of maintenance related errors. It was also evident that Falcons had a reasonably high rate of maintenance errors associated with it. Moreover it was found out that Falcon 50's and Falcon 900's had a high number of incidents associated with them. A task analysis was also done for the maintenance a...
Potassium transport by pancreatic and parotid zymogen granule membranes

Zymogen granules that were stable at physiological conditions of pH, ionic strength, and temperature were isolated from the rat pancreas and parotid. The cation permeability of these granules was evaluated to characterize the mechanism of secretagogue-stimulated fluid secretion by acinar cells. Granule swelling and lysis provide a measure of the rate of cation transport, since the use of ionophore combinations such as tripropyltin and carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) will render cation conductance the rate-limiting step for salt influx. This technique supplies evidence for the existence of K+ conductance in the granule membrane. The pancreatic and parotid granules have a K+-selective conductance that is not inhibited by the K+ channel blockers barium, tetraethylammonium, quinidine, cesium, or 4-aminopyridine. Furthermore, the intragranular pH of pancreatic zymogen granules was measured to be approximately 6.5 and was identified as a factor that modulates the K+ conductance. Although the pancreatic and parotid granules were qualitatively identical, quantitatively the relative K+ transport rate constant was over twofold higher for the parotid than for the pancreatic granules. The zymogen granule K+ conductance may have an important role in active K+ secretion by exocrine glands, which is prominent in the parotid after stimulation with beta-adrenergic agents.
Rat lung lectin synthesis, degradation and activation. Developmental regulation and modulation by dexamethasone

Soluble lectins are widely distributed cell-agglutinating proteins. Their activity is developmentally regulated in several tissues, including the lung, but virtually nothing is known about the mechanisms of the developmental regulation or the turnover of these proteins. We studied mechanisms that might be responsible for the developmentally regulated changes in the activity of a lectin (beta-galactoside-binding protein) found in the lung, and determined if its activity or turnover could be modulated by treatment of rat pups with a glucocorticosteroid hormone (dexamethasone). Our studies on the activity and turnover of the lectin indicated that the peak of lectin activity (units/mg of protein) that occurred at age 12 days appeared to be brought about by two means: an increase in the activity of the lectin molecule itself (units/micrograms of lectin) that occurred at age 8 days, and 1.5-fold increase in the absolute rate of lectin synthesis at age 11 days. The decline in lectin activity was associated with a decrease in its rate of synthesis, return to the baseline extent of activation, and an increased rate of degradation. Treatment of rat pups with dexamethasone diminished the peak of lectin activity (units/mg of protein) by about 25%. This effect of dexamethasone was due, at least in part, to the complete prevention of activation of the lectin molecule (units/micrograms of lectin) and a premature increase in the rate of lectin degradation. Perhaps the normal fall in lectin activity after age 11 days is caused by mechanisms induced by the increase in serum corticosteroid that occurs at that age.
Towards better performance with heterogeneous training data in acoustic modeling using deep neural networks.

Modeling heterogeneous data sources remains a fundamental challenge of acoustic modeling in speech recognition. We call this the multi-condition problem because the speech data come from many different conditions. In this paper, we introduce the fundamental confusability problem in multi-condition learning, then discuss the problem formalization, the taxonomy, and the architectures for multi-condition learning. While the ideas presented are applicable to all classifiers, we focus our attention in this work on acoustic models based on deep neural networks (DNN). We propose four different strategies for multi-condition learning of a DNN that we refer to as a mixed-condition model, a condition-dependent model, a condition-normalizing model, and a condition-aware model. Based on the experimental results on the voice search and short message dictation task and the Aurora 4 task, we show that the confusability introduced when modeling heterogeneous data depends on the source of acoustic distortion itself, the front-end feature extractor, and the classifier. We also demonstrate the best approach for dealing with heterogeneous data may not be to let the model sort it out blindly, even with a classifier as sophisticated as a DNN.
Wearing the City: Memory P(a)laces, Smartphones, and the Rhetorical Invention of Embodied Space

This article extends research on the production of embodied space by focusing on the relations between place and memory. Beginning with a consideration of how wearable technologies enable new spatial practices within the constructed order of the city, we develop a conceptual framework to understand these spatial practices by returning to the rhetorical art of memory and the building of memory palaces. The art of memory, exemplified by memory palaces, offers a rhetorical resource for understanding how smartphones as wearable technologies may be incorporated—that is, brought into the body, as integral to the production of embodied spatial memories. We argue for the memory-palace builder as an inventive rhetorical (and mobile) figure who not only walks but also wears the city, composing and embedding hybrid memories into and onto hybrid places and, thus, providing a coherent way of being and acting in contemporary urban space.
A monograph of Ascogrammitis, a new genus of grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae)

This paper describes Ascogrammitis, a new genus of grammitid ferns formerly combined under Terpsichore. Seventeen species are recognized, including five new ones: A. clavigera, A. colombiensis, A. loxensis, A. oxapampensis, and A. tungurahuae. New combinations are made for A. alan-smithii, A. anfractuosa, A. angustipes, A. athyrioides, A. clathrata, A. cuencana, A. david-smithii, A. dilatata, A. nana, A. pichinchae, A. pichinchensis, A. stuebelii, and a lectotype is chosen for Polypodium induens. A key is provided to distinguish the species, and illustrations are provided for 12 species. The genus occurs primarily in neotropical cloud forests, with the greatest diversity in the Andes. Ascogrammitis is one of two monophyletic groups of grammitid ferns that are consistently associated with Acrospermum, an epibiotic bitunicate ascomycete that produces black clavate fruiting bodies.
3D reconstruction from images taken with a coaxial camera rig

A coaxial camera rig consists of a pair of cameras which acquire images along the same optical axis but at different distances from the scene using different focal length optics. The coaxial geometry permits the acquisition of image pairs through a substantially smaller opening than would be required by a traditional binocular stereo camera rig. This is advantageous in applications where physical space is limited, such as in an endoscope. 3D images acquired through an endoscope are desirable, but the lack of physical space for a traditional stereo baseline is problematic. While image acquisition along a common optical axis has been known for many years; 3D reconstruction from such image pairs has not been possible in the center region due to the very small disparity between corresponding points. This characteristic of coaxial image pairs has been called the unrecoverable point problem. We introduce a novel method to overcome the unrecoverable point problem in coaxial camera rigs, using a variational methods optimization algorithm to map pairs of optical flow fields from different focal length cameras in a coaxial camera rig. Our method uses the ratio of the optical flow fields for 3D reconstruction. This results in accurate image pair alignment and produces accurate dense depth maps. We test our method on synthetic optical flow fields and on real images. We demonstrate our method's accuracy by evaluating against a ground-truth. Accuracy is comparable to a traditional binocular stereo camera rig, but without the traditional stereo baseline and with substantially smaller occlusions.
The Status and Role of Physical Education as a College and University Requirement

(1958). The Status and Role of Physical Education as a College and University Requirement. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 29, No. 9, pp. 31-64.
Structural Perspectives on BCL-2 Family of Proteins

BCL-2 proteins are a family of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins that regulate a critical step in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, the permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane. Because apoptosis and mitochondrial function play an important role in physiology and a number of diseases, intensive investigation over the past two decades has been invested to understand in detail the structure and function of the BCL-2 proteins. Structural biology investigations of BCL-2 proteins have provided tremendous insights into our understanding of their structure–function relationships and models have been proposed to explain how the BCL-2 family members form a network of interactions to control apoptosis signaling. Here, we will review the available structural information of pro- and anti-apoptotic members and the structures of their interaction in homodimerization and heterodimerization. We will discuss the structural insights for each structural domain of BCL-2 proteins that determine their function in the cytosol and the outer mitochondrial membrane. Furthermore, we will discuss the structural details of the interactions between BCL-2 family members and the various structural paradigms that ultimately regulate the activation of apoptosis.
A Phase II single-arm trial of palonosetron for the prevention of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in malignant glioma patients receiving multidose irinotecan in combination with bevacizumab.

PURPOSE Given that the prognosis of recurrent malignant glioma (MG) remains poor, improving quality of life (QoL) through symptom management is important. Meta-analyses establishing antiemetic guidelines have demonstrated the superiority of palonosetron (PAL) over older 5-hydroxytryptamine 3-receptor antagonists in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) prevention, but excluded patients with gliomas. Irinotecan plus bevacizumab is a treatment frequently used in MG, but is associated with low (55%) CINV complete response (CR; no emesis or use of rescue antiemetic) with commonly prescribed ondansetron. A single-arm Phase II trial was conducted in MG patients to determine the efficacy of intravenous PAL (0.25 mg) and dexamethasone (DEX; 10 mg) received in conjunction with biweekly irinotecan-bevacizumab treatment. The primary end point was the proportion of subjects achieving acute CINV CR (no emesis or antiemetic ≤24 hours postchemotherapy). Secondary end points included delayed CINV CR (days 2-5), overall CINV CR (days 1-5), and QoL, fatigue, and toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS A two-stage design of 160 patients was planned to differentiate between CINV CR of 55% and 65% after each dose of PAL-DEX. Validated surveys assessed fatigue and QoL. RESULTS A total of 63 patients were enrolled, after which enrollment was terminated due to slow accrual; 52 patients were evaluable for the primary outcome of acute CINV CR. Following PAL-DEX dose administrations 1-3, acute CINV CR rates were 62%, 68%, and 70%; delayed CINV CR rates were 62%, 66%, and 70%, and overall CINV CR rates were 47%, 57%, and 62%, respectively. Compared to baseline, there was a clinically meaningful increase in fatigue during acute and overall phases, but not in the delayed phase. There were no grade ≥3 PAL-DEX treatment-related toxicities. CONCLUSION Data suggest that PAL-DEX is effective in preventing CINV in MG patients, which ultimately maintains the QoL of patients with glioma.
Reviewing and revising the institutional vision of U.S. higher education

This article reviews the literature on the institutional vision of higher education in the United States – that is, the philosophical template through which colleges and universities define and communicate the kinds of human beings they are attempting to cultivate. Key linguistic components found to constitute a well conceived, viable, and easily diffused institutional vision are identified and significant issues, controversies and problems associated with these guiding, governing, and self-promotional mission and vision statements are examined. Particular attention is given to those types of schools recognized in the literature as the most maligned in the academic community or misrepresented in the popular press. A comparative analysis revisits the data of a subset of these investigations with the intention of generating greater insight into the institutional vision of higher education and offering a prescription for how these statements can better serve their institutions.
Mental health treatment-related stigma and professional help seeking among student veterans

Record numbers of military veterans are enrolling at colleges/universities across the United States. Although a substantive subset might suffer from mental health problems, the majority of these students might not be amenable to utilizing services. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of treatment-related stigma in intentions to seek professional help among undergraduate student veterans at a university on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Focusing on 251 veterans and a gender-matched comparison group of 251 nonveterans, student veterans endorsed higher probabilities of seeking care from physicians (d = .77) and psychologists or other professionals (d = .67). In addition, nonveteran students had greater self-stigma about seeking help (d = -.27) but veterans had more negative beliefs about treatment efficacy (d = 1.07). When compared with veterans who did not exceed clinical thresholds, those with a probable need for treatment had more stigma (ds = .63). Multivariate analyses also revealed an inverse main effect of self-stigma on intentions to seek help from both professional categories. However, military experience differentially moderated associations between treatment-related beliefs and intentions to seek mental health services. Finally, exploratory analyses identified that student veterans were most likely to engage in therapy/counseling at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center or Clinic, Vet Center, or other noninstitutionally sponsored settings in the community (e.g., private practices, faith-based organizations). Looking ahead, these findings will inform research and the provision of services for addressing the mental health needs of this substantive subpopulation of college students in the United States. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Primacy of Fair Presentation: Evidence from PCAOB Standards, Federal Legislation, and the Courts

SYNOPSIS Palmrose and Kinney (2018; hereafter PK) claim that technical compliance with GAAP is sufficient to justify an unqualified audit opinion. We disagree. PK's view ignores “fair presentation,...
Wavelets as Attractors of Random Dynamical Systems

Abstract Many algorithms for generating computer images today involve a recursive tree traversal. These include iterated function systems for generating fractals, sub-division refinement methods for generating B-splines and Bezier curves, line averaging methods for interpolants, and algorithms for wavelets and solutions to dilation equations. This article shows how ergodic theory can be used in a very general setting to produce random algorithms which generate the same images as the recursive ones. These images become attractors of random dynamical systems. In particular a random dynamical algorithm for generating Daubechies' wavelets is derived. The random dynamics even serves to shed new light on the structure of these wavelets.
Measurement of Nonstoichiometry in BaTiO3 Using Raman Spectroscopy

The nonstoichiometry and point defect accommodation in low temperature (900°C) BaTiO3 influences the Raman spectrum. Therefore it is possible to monitor this nonstoichiometry and to use this technique to study the point defect chemistry of BaTiO3. Earlier research by Eror and Loehr indicated that the half-band width of a 525 cm-1 vibrational band broadened in Ba-excess or Ti-excess material.1 This observation is confirmed. We also report variation of Raman band intensities with changes in oxygen nonstoichiometry as well as Ba/Ti ratio. These dependencies are expected to be indicative of the defect species which influence the band shapes. The origin of the spectral parameter changes is not completely understood, although it is believed to be related to disorder introduced by the point defects,1,2 or changes in polarizability induced by electronic structure changes near point defects, vacancies or dopants. Vibrational spectra can be more sensitive than neutron scattering for the study of low level defect concentrations (<1%).2 For example, between 10 and 550 ppm of nickel vacancies have been detected in NiO using disorder activated Raman scattering. The presence of doubly ionized nickel vacancies was indicated by the oxygen partial pressure dependence of the data.
The Social Network Map: Assessing Social Support in Clinical Practice:

The authors describe the development and pilot use of a procedure for assessing social support. The social network map takes into account both the structure and function of the client's personal so...
On the Nature of Natural Intelligence — A Revision of Laozi

“The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name ”-the oft-quoted and widely loved word of Laozi has been an impasse in every aspect of science and humanity especially in cognitive science and natural intelligence. However, it is argued in this article that overcoming the impasse is an inevitable step for the development of a formal equilibrium-based bipolar dynamic causal system of being and revealing. This argument is based on the assertion that the universe is fundamentally a bipolar dynamic equilibrium of particles and antiparticles or negative and positive en-ergy/information under the unification of science and philosophy. Subsequently, a revision of Laozi is proposed, and the logic of natural intelligence is told. This development leads to a number of predictions. In particular, it predicted that, if ancient Greek philosophy laid the foundation of science with its being-centered and truth-based formal system, the scientific reincarnation of ancient Chinese philosophy must build the roof of science with its har-mony-centered and equilibrium-based formal system. Otherwise, the reincarnation would be impossible.
Tropical spastic paraparesis: a clinical study of 50 patients from Tumaco (Colombia) and review of the worldwide features of the syndrome

Abstract Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) is a chronic and slowly progressive endemic myelopathy occurring in geographical isolates in the Caribbean, South India, South Africa, the Seychelles, and Colombia. A detailed clinical and laboratory study was performed on 50 TSP patients from the island of Tumaco (Colombia), in a tropical rain forest area. Most patients were middle-aged blacks, 29 (58%) men and 21 women. In every case, neurological examination confirmed the presence of pyramidal signs in the lower limbs, plus, in 58%, moderate decrease in vibratory perception distally in the feet, bilaterally and symmetrically. Absent ankle jerks were found in 28%. Slow onset and chronic progression were documented in most patients. Positive treponemal serology, from yaws infection in childhood, was found in the serum in 92%, and in 19% also in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). No pleocytosis was documented on 27 CSF samples, but increased protein content occurred in 86%, with elevation of gamma-globulins in 78%. Treatment of 20 patients with high doses of penicillin produced no change in the clinical picture. TSP emerges from this review of the literature as a remarkably homogeneous clinical entity worldwide. A retrovirus - human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) - has been recently implicated as a possible etiology of the syndrome.
The relevance of serum albumin among elderly patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

Objective To assess the prognostic utility of serum albumin among elderly patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in terms of all-cause mortality and also to identify the predictors of hypoalbuminemia. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 119 elderly patients admitted for ADHF. Elderly patients were defined as patients over the age of 65 years. The patients were followed up for approximately 11 years. Patients with advanced renal failure, liver disease not due to HF, cancer and other causes of low life expectancy were excluded. Hypoalbuminemia was defined as serum albumin ≤ 2.9 g/dL. Results The study was made up of 65 females and 54 males with age ranging from 65 to 96 years. Of the 119 elderly patients with ADHF, there were 26 deaths. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the mortality group had an admission serum albumin level of ≤ 2.9 g/dL than those surviving (P = 0.011). After Cox's logistic regression, low albumin (P = 0.016), elevated direct bilirubin (P = 0.03), age greater than 85 (P = 0.008), lack of use of beta blockers (P = 0.0001) and left ventricular ejection fraction less than 35% (P = 0.005) increased the risk of death. Elevated serum creatinine (P = 0.0357) was the only predictor of hypoalbuminemia following multiple linear regression. Conclusions Hypoalbuminemia may be an unrecognized marker of death in elderly patients with ADHF.
9) Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardia in an Adolescent Female

Introduction: Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia is defined as an arrhythmia without evidence of a predisposing factor such as structural heart disease or a secondary medical cause. Pharmacologic management may differ based on the anatomic origin of the tachycardia. This case highlights the management of an adolescent patient with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia and a brief review of current literature. Case Report: A previously healthy 13 year old female presented with the sensation of palpitations after soccer practice. Initial EKG demonstrated a wide QRS ventricular tachycardia at 195 beats per minute with a left …
Opioid Prescribing After Discharge in a Previously Mechanically Ventilated, Opioid-Naïve Cohort:

Background:Opioids are utilized for pain management during and after mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU).Objective:The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of p...
Foreign Corrupt Practices Statistics, Qualitative Issues, and Other Developments

This article, part of a continuing series of yearly analysis of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement and related developments, provides a detailed overview of quantitative and qualitative FCPA and related information and will be of value to anyone seeking to elevate their FCPA knowledge. Section I of the article discusses how, similar to prior years in the FCPA’s modern era, 2019 was another year of robust FCPA enforcement against companies large and small and across industry sectors. In fact, 2019 was the largest year in FCPA history in terms of corporate settlement amounts as the government collected approximately $2.65 billion. Section II of the article switches gears to discuss various qualitative issues associated with 2019 FCPA enforcement including: (i) the long time periods associated with FCPA scrutiny; (ii) the general lack of judicial scrutiny of enforcement theories; (iii) the substantial gap between corporate and individual enforcement; and (iv) how much of the largeness of FCPA enforcement was due to enforcement actions against foreign companies; and certain statutory interpretation issues. Section III of the article discusses other noteworthy developments from 2019 including: (i) FCPA and FCPA related enforcement agency policy developments including revisions to the DOJ’s FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy, the DOJ’s Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs as well as the DOJ’s new so-called “inability to pay” policy; (ii) legislative developments related to the FCPA including efforts to target bribe demands made by foreign officials and how best to make use of FCPA settlement amounts; and (iii) an FCPA related judicial decision providing business organizations possible legal recourse if they lose a business opportunity because of the conduct of another business organization resolving an FCPA enforcement action.
Risk of Genitourinary Malignancy in the Renal Transplant Patient.

OBJECTIVE To better understand the risk of genitourinary malignancies in the renal transplant patient. Currently, no consensus exists regarding screening and intervention, with much of the clinical decision-making based on historical practices established before recent progress in immunosuppression protocols and in genitourinary cancer diagnosis and management. METHODS A database of all solid organ transplants performed at the University of Minnesota from 1984 to 2019 was queried for renal transplant recipients in whom development of subsequent urologic malignancies (prostate, bladder, renal, penile, and testicular cancer) was found. RESULTS Among 6172 renal transplant recipients examined, cumulative incidence of all cancers of genitourinary etiology are presented over an average follow-up time of 10 years. Kidney cancer (combined graft and native), prostate cancer, and bladder cancer each demonstrated respective 30-year incidence of 4.6%, 8.7%, and 1.5% from the time of transplant. By comparison, age-matched data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database demonstrated 30-year cumulative incidence of 1.1%, 11.1%, and 1.7% for kidney cancer, prostate cancer, and bladder cancer respectively. The predominant genitourinary cancer was renal cell cancer, both of the native and of the transplanted kidney (native, n = 64; transplanted, n =11), followed by prostate cancer (n = 63), and bladder cancer (n = 37). CONCLUSION In this closely followed cohort of renal transplant recipients, renal cancer occurs at a higher incidence rate than in the non-transplanted population, while a lower rate of prostate cancer was found, with bladder cancer demonstrating a comparable cumulative incidence between transplant patients and the national age-matched population.