cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ADAPTATION OF NUCLEIC ACID EXTRACTION METHODS FOR ANIMAL FEEDS

Animal feeds contain a wide variety of microorganisms that may cause animal and human health problems. It would be desirable to rapidly detect as many of these organisms as possible. The objective of this study was the evaluation of nucleic acid extraction protocols to determine an optimal sample processing strategy for DNA isolation from different animal feeds. DNA extraction methods were applied to selected animal feeds to determine which could consistently provide DNA visible by gel electrophoresis. Comparable recovery of DNA extraction protocols was achieved after 20 g of each feed samples were mixed with 0.2% peptone containing 0.01% Triton X-100. For 9 different feeds visible DNA could be consistently detected for each feed indicating that a detergent-based dilution step prior to DNA extraction recovered sufficient DNA regardless of the feed matrix.
Low-pressure polishing of GaAs wafers

Abstract A low-pressure polishing procedure was developed where a GaAs wafer was immersed in a polishing solution of NaOCl and rotated with a speed of 6500 rpm. The strengths of the technique are illustrated by polishing non-lapped polycrystalline GaAs wafers, with final flatnesses better than 0.10 μm/cm.
The broken needle: report of case.

A case report is used to demonstrate the proper steps to avoid and remedy a broken needle situation.
The Judicial Bookshelf

Millions were reminded on January 20, 2009, that the inauguration of an American President is as remarkable as it is routine. In this distinctly republican rite, the chief executive publicly subordinates himself to the fundamental law of the land. As the Constitution dictates, “[b]efore he enters on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: ‘I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.’”1 This display of constitutional fealty was remarkable because the variety of political systems, experiences, and cultures across today's globe graphically illustrates that the seamless and peaceful transfer of authority from one political party or individual to another, as was witnessed at President Barack Obama's inauguration and at President George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001, is not always a foregone occurrence everywhere. January's event was routine in that, from the outset of government under the Constitution and with the notable and tragic exception of 1860, the defeated party or individual has accepted, if not welcomed, the verdict rendered by the electoral process. That was the outcome even in 1800, when the notion of a violence-free shift of control in a country founded on the principle of government by the “consent of the governed”2 was first put to the test at the presidential level. The assumption of authority by Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans from John Adams and the Federalists marked the world's first peaceful transfer of power from the vanquished to the victors as the result of an election.3 Given the stark national partisan differences that had crystallized in the short time since ratification of the Constitution and the fact that finalization of the election required extraordinary intervention by the House of Representatives to break an Electoral College tie, this outcome was a greater achievement than is sometimes acknowledged. “Partisanship prevailed to the bitter end and showed no signs of abating,” according to one historian who has recently revisited this critical and precedent-setting election. “Over the campaign's course, George Washington's vision of elite consensus leadership had died, and a popular two-party republic … was born.”4
Clinical use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors: therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia and other cancers.

Since the initial discovery of tyrosine-specific protein kinases encoded by transforming viruses and their normal cellular homologues, there has been a great deal of interest in understanding their role in cancer and exploring their potential as therapeutic targets. Several approaches confirmed the
Radiology Journals in Transition: A Summary of the 2013 Intersociety Committee Summer Conference

Abstract The digital and online revolution is having a profound impact on radiology journals, forcing a migration from print to online publication and altering traditional revenue streams needed to sustain the journals. The 2013 Intersociety Committee Summer Conference attendees reviewed the history of the development of radiology journals, explored the forces driving the transition from print to electronic publication, and examined the impact of the alteration of the traditional revenue streams, such as subscription and advertisement dollars, on the financial sustainability of journals. The attendees also discussed the international movement toward open access to journal content and its impact on a journal's financial viability. Lastly, the committee explored the perceived value of radiology journals based on readership type: academic, private practice, or industry.
Pianola: A script-based I/O benchmark

Script-based I/O benchmarks record the I/O behavior of applications by using an instrumentation library to trace I/O events and their timing. A replay engine can then reproduce these events from the script in the absence of the original application. This type of benchmark reproduces real-world I/O workloads without the need to distribute, build, or run complex applications. However, faithfully recreating the I/O behavior of the original application requires careful design in both the instrumentation library and the replay engine. This paper presents the Pianola script-based benchmarking system, which includes an accurate and unobtrusive instrumentation system and a simple-to-use replay engine, along with some additional utility programs to manage the creation and replay of scripts. We show that for some sample applications, Pianola reproduces the qualitative features of the I/O behavior. Moreover, the overall replay time and the cumulative read and write times are usually within 10% of the values measured for the original applications.
Increasing specificity in a low-resolution ion-mobility spectrometer

Novel methodology has been developed that simultaneously improves sensitivity and specificity of a low-resolution ion mobility spectroscopy (IMS) sensor. Wavelet transforms have been applied to IMS spectra in order to de-noise and enhance spectral features. Next, trigger metrics of the spectra were derived using a statistical evaluator (SE) and optimized using a genetic algorithm (GA). The combination of wavelets, SE, and GA has been demonstrated to differentiate between background, analyte, interferent, and a binary mixture of analyte and interferent. This results in an overall increase in resolving power. The new system is less sensitive to false positives due to increased selectivity, shows the ability to yield quantitative data at ultra-low concentrations for low level toxicity, has the ability to detect binary mixtures of compounds, and shows great potential in significantly improving chemical warfare detection capabilities under field conditions.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On Honi the Circle-Maker: A Demanding Prayer

One spring in the latter half of the month Adar, some time after the death of Salome Alexandra (76–67 B.C.), “there was a certain Onias, who, being a righteous man and dear to God, … in a rainless period prayed to God (ηὔξατο τῷ Θeῷ) to end the drought, and God … heard his prayer and sent rain …” The story of Honi (Onias), so plainly told by Josephus, is reported much more dramatically in the talmudic sources. According to one source, the drought had lasted three years.
New approach to measure cutaneous microvascular function: an improved test of NO-mediated vasodilation by thermal hyperemia.

Cutaneous hyperemia in response to rapid skin local heating to 42°C has been used extensively to assess microvascular function. However, the response is dependent on both nitric oxide (NO) and endo...
Middle crustal ductile deformation patterns in southern Tibet: Insights from vorticity studies in Mabja Dome

Kinematic, kinematic vorticity (Wm), and deformation-temperature analyses were performed to test the hypothesis that mid-crustal rocks exposed in Mabja Dome, southern Tibet, were penetratively deformed within a southward-flowing mid-crustal channel during the late Eocene/early Oligocene to early Miocene. Outcrop and thin-section kinematic indicators show a downward transition from mixed top-N and top-S shear in chloritoid- and garnet-zone rocks, through dominantly top-S shear in garnet- and kyanite-zone rocks, to solely top-S shear in staurolite-zone and deeper rocks. Along mineral elongation lineation-parallel transects, Wm in schists and orthogneisses decreases with structural depth from w0.80 (w40% pure shear) to w0.55 (w63% pure shear). Deformation temperature increases from w450 � Ci n
Symbolic Opportunistic Policy Iteration for Factored-Action MDPs

This paper addresses the scalability of symbolic planning under uncertainty with factored states and actions. Our first contribution is a symbolic implementation of Modified Policy Iteration (MPI) for factored actions that views policy evaluation as policy-constrained value iteration (VI). Unfortunately, a naive approach to enforce policy constraints can lead to large memory requirements, sometimes making symbolic MPI worse than VI. We address this through our second and main contribution, symbolic Opportunistic Policy Iteration (OPI), which is a novel convergent algorithm lying between VI and MPI, that applies policy constraints if it does not increase the size of the value function representation, and otherwise performs VI backups. We also give a memory bounded version of this algorithm allowing a space-time tradeoff. Empirical results show significantly improved scalability over state-of-the-art symbolic planners.
Textural and Thermal History of Partial Melting in Tonalitic Wallrock at the Margin of a Basalt Dike, Wallowa Mountains, Oregon

Columbia River Basalt Group dikes invade biotite---hornblende tonalite to granodiorite rocks of the Wallowa Mountains. Most dikes are strongly quenched against wallrock, but rare dike segments have preserved zones of partial melt in adjacent wallrock and provide an opportunity to examine shallow crustal melting. At Maxwell Lake, the 4 m thick wallrock partial melt zone contains as much as 47 vol. % melt (glass plus quench crystals) around mineral reaction sites and along quartz--feldspar boundaries. Bulk compositional data indicate that melting took place under closed conditions (excepting volatiles). With progressive melting, hornblende, biotite, and orthoclase were consumed but plagioclase, quartz, and magnetite persisted in the restite. Clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, plagioclase, and Fe---Ti oxides were produced during dehydration-melting reactions involving hornblende and biotite. Reacting phases became more heterogeneous with progressive melting; crystallizing phases were relatively homogeneous. Progressive melting produced an early clear glass, followed by light (high-K) and dark (high-Ca) brown glass domains overprinted by devitrification. Melts were metaluminous and granitic to granodioritic. Thermal modeling of the partial melt zone suggests that melting took place over a period of about 4 years. Thus, rare dikes with melted margins represent long-lived portions of the Columbia River Basalt dike system and may have sustained large flows.
Engendering China: Women, Culture, And The State

This first significant collection of essays on women in China in more than two decades captures a pivotal moment in a cross-cultural-and interdisciplinary-dialogue. For the first time, the voices of China-based scholars are heard alongside scholars positioned in the United States. The distinguished contributors to this volume are of different generations, hold citizenship in different countries, and were trained in different disciplines, but all embrace the shared project of mapping gender in China and making power-laden relationships visible. The essays take up gender issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Chapters focus on learned women in the eighteenth century, the changing status of contemporary village women, sexuality and reproduction, prostitution, women's consciousness, women's writing, the gendering of work, and images of women in contemporary Chinese fiction. Some of the liveliest disagreements over the usefulness of western feminist theory and scholarship on China take place between Chinese working in China and Chinese in temporary or longtime diaspora. Engendering China will appeal to a broad academic spectrum, including scholars of Asian studies, critical theory, feminist studies, cultural studies, and policy studies.
Proteolytic Cleavage of AMPKα and Intracellular MMP9 Expression Are Both Required for TLR4-Mediated mTORC1 Activation and HIF-1α Expression in Leukocytes

LPS-induced TLR4 activation alters cellular bioenergetics and triggers proteolytic cleavage of AMPKα and HIF-1α expression in leukocytes. In human leukocytes, and more specifically neutrophils, AMPKα cleavage yields 55- and 35-kDa protein fragments. In this study, we address the mechanism by which AMPKα is cleaved and its relevance to human health. Our data indicate that AMPKα cleavage is linked to MMP9 expression and that both are required for mammalian target of rapamycin complex-1 and S6K1 activation and HIF-1α expression in LPS-stimulated human and mice leukocytes. Three key observations support this conclusion. First, no changes in AMPKα and TLR4 signaling intermediates (mammalian target of rapamycin complex-1/S6 kinase 1/HIF-1α) were detected in LPS-stimulated MMP9-deficient mice leukocytes. Second, rMMP9 cleaved human AMPKα ex vivo, producing degradation products similar in size to those detected following LPS stimulation. Third, MMP9 inhibitors prevented AMPKα degradation and HIF-1α expression in LPS-activated human leukocytes, whereas AMPK activators blocked MMP9 and HIF-1α expression. Significantly, AMPKα degradation, MMP9, and TLR4 signaling intermediates were all detected in leukocytes from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and patients following cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Plasma from these two patient cohorts induced AMPKα cleavage and TLR4 signaling intermediates in healthy donor leukocytes and either a TLR4 inhibitor or polymyxin prevented these outcomes. Detection of AMPKα degradation, MMP9 expression, and TLR4 signaling intermediates described in this study in leukocytes, the most readily available human cells for clinical investigation, may provide a powerful tool for further exploring the role of TLR4 signaling in human diseases and lead to identification of new, context-specific therapeutic modalities for precision medicine.
Astrojumper: motivating children with autism to exercise using a VR game

Children with autism have shown substantial benefits from rigorous physical activity, however, it is often difficult to motivate these children to exercise due to their usually sedentary lifestyles. To address the problem of motivation, we have developed Astrojumper, a stereoscopic virtual reality exergame which was designed to fit the needs of children with autism. We use electromagnetic trackers and a 3-sided CAVE to present virtual space-themed stimuli to the user, who must use physical movements to avoid collisions and gain points. We can use Astrojumper not only to motivate exercise, but to evaluate the different ways people with and without autism interact with an exercise tool. Preliminary playtesting of Astrojumper has been positive, and we plan to run an extensive evaluation assessing the effectiveness of this system on children with and without autism.
Theory of modulation of an injection-locked semiconductor diode laser with applications to laser characterization and communications

The current-modulation properties of an injection-locked semiconductor diode laser are investigated, with focus on the two values of detuning at which the intensity or the phase-modulation sensitivity of the slave laser is a minimum. The master laser’s frequency for minimum AM modulation is located near the lower edge of the locking band, and the condition for minimum FM response is just that of synchronization before injection, a stable operating point at 2% injection level that coincides with the point of maximum modulation bandwidth. The relaxation-oscillation resonance in the modulation spectrum can be largely removed by passage through a dispersive medium such as an optical fiber so that instead of deteriorating by fiber dispersion, the combined bandwidth of a properly designed system, in which the fiber length is limited only by loss, can exceed that of the injection-locked laser alone. In another application an accurate determination of the line-broadening factor, α, from the solitary-laser output power and the power at the two mentioned operating points is shown possible. The harmonic distortion is also evaluated, as relevant to α measurement and high-bandwidth modulation.
The Biodistribution of a Single Oral Dose of [14C]-Lycopene in Rats Prefed Either a Control or Lycopene-Enriched Diet

Lycopene (lyc) has emerged as a primary candidate for dietary interventions of prostate cancer; however, research regarding its absorption, tissue distribution, and metabolism is limited. Previously, we evaluated the biodistribution (3-168 h) of a single oral dose of 14C-lyc in rats prefed lyc for 30 d. The liver was the primary depot for lyc, and the 14C and 14C-polar products appeared in tissues as early as 3 h after dosing. In the current study, F344 rats (n = 48) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups prefed either a control or lyc-enriched diet (0.25 g lyc/kg diet) for 30 d and killed at 5 or 24 h after receiving a single oral dose of 14C-lyc. The percentage of the 14C dose absorbed at 24 h was lower (5.5 +/- 0.5%) in lyc-prefed (LP) rats than in control-prefed (CP) rats (6.9 +/- 0.4%, P < 0.04). Hepatic total 14C and 14C-lyc in CP rats was greater than in LP rats at 24 h (P < 0.005). A portion of 14C was delivered to extrahepatic tissues as early as 5 h, irrespective of diet. Of the tissues analyzed, an increase in the percentage in 14C-polar products occurred between 5 and 24 h only in the prostate and seminal vesicles, suggesting increased accumulation of 14C-polar products in these tissues, irrespective of prior dietary treatment. These data suggest that lyc absorption, tissue uptake, and catabolism were affected by prefeeding and that lyc can be partially taken up by extrahepatic tissues from the postprandial triglyceride-rich fraction.
A prospective phase II study of induction carboplatin and vinorelbine followed by concomitant topotecan and accelerated radiotherapy (RT) in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

7146 Background: The key limiting factor in combining chemotherapy with accelerated RT is excessive esophagitis. We investigated the toxicity, response rate, and overall survival (OS) with inductio...
The Tekkotsu "Crew": Teaching Robot Programming at a Higher Level

The Tekkotsu "crew" is a collection of interacting software components designed to relieve a programmer of much of the burden of specifying low-level robot behaviors. Using this abstract approach to robot programming we can teach beginning roboticists to develop interesting robot applications with relatively little effort.
Morphine-like peptides, leucine enkephalin and methionine enkephalin: interactions with the opiate receptor.

The morphine-like peptides leucine enkephalin and methionine enkephalin compete for opiate receptor binding with affinities resembling that of morphine. In the absence of added sodium, methionine enkephalin is about twice as potent as leucine enkephalin in reducing [3H]naloxone binding, whereas binding of the agonist [3H]dihydromorphine is reduced equally by the two enkephalins. Sodium decreases competition by both enkephalins for [3H]naloxone, but with twice as great an effect on leucine enkephalin as on methionine enkephalin. In contrast, competition by the enkephalins for [3H]dihydromorphine binding is enhanced by sodium. Manganese increases the apparent affinities of both leucine and methionine enkephalins for the opiate receptor. Incubations exceeding 20 min at 25° and 5 min at 37° result in a marked apparent degradation of both leucine and methionine enkephalins, which can be prevented by bacitracin. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors thank Drs. D. Hauser and F. Cardinaux, Sandoz, Basel, for samples of enkephalin. They also thank Adele M. Snowman for superb technical assistance, and Dr. Richard Miller for advice on enhancing bacitracin effects.
Strategic Compromise: Real World Ethics

In this essay the Co-chair of Ethics Working Group 17 of the Health Care Task Force discusses the formation, organization processes and activities of the group, and provides an analysis and critique of the experience. It is suggested that the creation of the group and its inclusion in the process made a social statement which legitimized ethics as a significant part of public policy deliberations. At the same time, major questions are raised about the role of ethics in public policy arenas in which strategic compromise becomes the order of the day. Balanced and objective involvement may be illusory. Ethics, like informed consent, is a process, not an event and is ever evolving. Those who attempt to bring ethical considerations to the world of public policy have an obligation to think carefully about what should constitute an appropriate theoretical framework, make efforts to determine what is unique about ethics, and consider mechanisms for the various ethics disciplines to work effectively together. From this experience, the author developed a personal commitment to focus upon the critical importance of universal coverage for all Americans.
Changes of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene Expression after Sp inal Cord Injury in Rats.

Objective: To study the changes of inducible ni tric oxide synthase(iNOS) gene expression after spinal cord injury in rats. Meth ods: Forty-eight SD rats were divided randomly into eight groups. The modified Allen's model of spinal cord injury was established. The expression of iNOS mRNA after spinal cord injury were measured by reverse transcription -polymerase ch ain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: iNOS mRNA had little change in the early injury stage, while upregulated 72h after injury and reached its peak concentration af ter one week. Conclusion: The duration of the secondary spinal cord injury maybe much longer than what traditional concept had thought about, and the therapies should accordingly be prolonged for a long time.
Use of Viral Systems to Study miRNA-Mediated Regulation of Gene Expression in Human Cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small ∼22 nt regulatory RNAs that modulate mRNA expression in all multicellular eukaryotic organisms. Interestingly, viruses also encode miRNAs and these viral miRNAs target cellular and viral mRNAs to regulate virus replication and latent infection. In particular, herpesviruses encode a large number of miRNAs. Herpesvirus infection also changes the normal expression profile of cellular miRNAs. New genetic tools have recently been generated to study the function of viral and cellular miRNAs in virus-infected cells. The creation of these reagents and use in Epstein-Barr virus-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines are discussed as a model viral system for the investigation of miRNA function.
THROMBOPHLEBITIS AND PULMONARY EMBOLISM IN THE ELDERLY PATIENT

The incidence of deep venous thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism is increased in the elderly but, because the clinical manifestations may be misleading, the diagnosis is often missed. The clinician must maintain a high index of suspicion and order specific tests for venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism whenever these diagnoses are considered. Even though the risk of bleeding while anticoagulated is increased in the elderly, treatment with heparin followed by long-term anticoagulation with warfarin is the preferred course of therapy for most patients. Awareness of their increased risk and emphasis on prevention of venous thrombosis may be the most effective means of dealing with this clinical problem in the elderly.
Mapping Mass Mobilization: Understanding Revolutionary Moments in Argentina and Ukraine

Onuch investigates the mass mobilisations that took place in Argentina in 2001 and Ukraine in 2004, including those which erupted on Plaza de Mayo and Maidan, the major forums for mass public prote...
Evaluating drivers of Pleistocene eastern tropical Pacific sea surface temperature

Sea surface temperature (SST) of the eastern equatorial Pacific is a key component of tropical oceanic and atmospheric circulation with global teleconnections. Forcing factors such as local and high-latitude insolation changes, ice sheet size and albedo feedbacks, and greenhouse gas radiation have been proposed as controls of long-term eastern tropical Pacific SST, though the precise role each mechanism plays is not fully known on glacial-interglacial or longer timescales. Here proposed mechanisms are evaluated by comparing orbital-scale records of eastern Pacific SST with forcing variability over the past 1.5 Ma. The primary SST records are a compilation of new and existing data from Ocean Drilling Program Site 1239 at the northeastern margin of the modern eastern Pacific cold tongue and Site 846 SST within the cold tongue. Using time series analysis, we test previously proposed mechanisms for control of long-term tropical SST change and SST gradients in the eastern Pacific. We find that within statistical uncertainties, in the precession band eastern Pacific SST is consistent with direct forcing by equatorial radiation changes in the tropical cold season (summer-fall) rather than inversely correlated as previously suggested. In the obliquity band high-latitude solar forcing leads or is in phase with eastern equatorial Pacific SST, while in the eccentricity band atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are closely associated with cold tongue SST. Pleistocene eastern Pacific SST gradients indicate that the gradient on the northern margin of the cold tongue strengthened through the mid-Pleistocene transition, a result compatible with the cold tongue becoming more focused at ~900–650 ka.
That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles: Evaluating HTTPS Enforcing Mechanisms

Recent incidents have once again brought the topic of encryption to public discourse, while researchers continue to demonstrate attacks that highlight the difficulty of implementing encryption even without the presence of "backdoors". However, apart from the threat of implementation flaws in encryption libraries, another significant threat arises when web services fail to enforce ubiquitous encryption. A recent study explored this phenomenon in popular services, and demonstrated how users are exposed to cookie hijacking attacks with severe privacy implications. Many security mechanisms purport to eliminate this problem, ranging from server-controlled options such as HSTS to user-controlled options such as HTTPS Everywhere and other browser extensions. In this paper, we create a taxonomy of available mechanisms and evaluate how they perform in practice. We design an automated testing framework for these mechanisms, and evaluate them using a dataset of 30 days of HTTP requests collected from the public wireless network of our university's campus. We find that all mechanisms suffer from implementation flaws or deployment issues and argue that, as long as servers continue to not support ubiquitous encryption across their entire domain (including all subdomains), no mechanism can effectively protect users from cookie hijacking and information leakage.
Improvement in Herpes Zoster Vaccination in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Quality Improvement Project

Objective. To improve herpes zoster (HZ) vaccination rates in high-risk patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being treated with immunosuppressive therapy. Methods. This quality improvement project was based on the pre- and post-intervention design. The project targeted all patients with RA over the age of 60 years while being treated with immunosuppressive therapy (not with biologics) seen in 13 rheumatology outpatient clinics. The study period was from July 2012 to June 2013 for the pre-intervention and February 2014 to January 2015 for the post-intervention phase. The electronic best practice alert (BPA) for HZ vaccination was developed; it appeared on electronic medical records during registration and medication reconciliation of the eligible patient by the medical assistant. The BPA was designed to electronically identify patient eligibility and to enable the physician to order the vaccine or to document refusal or deferral reason. Education regarding vaccine guidelines, BPA, vaccination process, and feedback were crucial components of the project interventions. The vaccination rates were compared using the chi-square test. Results. We evaluated 1823 and 1554 eligible patients with RA during the pre-intervention and post-intervention phases, respectively. The HZ vaccination rates, reported as patients vaccinated among all eligible patients, improved significantly from the pre-intervention period of 10.1% (184/1823) to 51.7% (804/1554) during the intervention phase (p < 0.0001). The documentation rates (vaccine received, vaccine ordered, patient refusal, and deferral reasons) increased from 28% (510/1823) to 72.9% (1133/1554; p < 0.0001). The HZ infection rates decreased significantly from 2% to 0.3% (p = 0.002). Conclusion. Electronic identification of vaccine eligibility and BPA significantly improved HZ vaccination rates. The process required minimal modification of clinic work flow and did not burden the physician’s time, and has the potential for self-sustainability and generalizability.
The Analysis of the Regression-Discontinuity Design in R:

This article describes the analysis of regression-discontinuity designs (RDDs) using the R packages rdd, rdrobust, and rddtools. We discuss similarities and differences between these packages and p...
From Superman to Squirrel Girl: Higher Education in Comic Books, 1938–2015

The setting and people of higher education play prominent roles in comic books in this analysis of over 150 narratives from 1938 to 2015. This chapter reveals both homogeneous depictions and important evolutions throughout the period, both of which bear important messages about the purpose and value of higher education, the utility of professors, and the involvement of students. Comic book representations not only reinforce but also challenge the preponderance of anti-intellectual messaging toward higher education as a feature of entertainment media.
Machine learning and coresets for automated real-time video segmentation of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery

Context-aware segmentation of laparoscopic and robot assisted surgical video has been shown to improve performance and perioperative workflow efficiency, and can be used for education and time-critical consultation. Modern pressures on productivity preclude manual video analysis, and hospital policies and legacy infrastructure are often prohibitive of recording and storing large amounts of data. In this paper we present a system that automatically generates a video segmentation of laparoscopic and robot-assisted procedures according to their underlying surgical phases using minimal computational resources, and low amounts of training data. Our system uses an SVM and HMM in combination with an augmented feature space that captures the variability of these video streams without requiring analysis of the nonrigid and variable environment. By using the data reduction capabilities of online k-segment coreset algorithms we can efficiently produce results of approximately equal quality, in realtime. We evaluate our system in cross-validation experiments and propose a blueprint for piloting such a system in a real operating room environment with minimal risk factors.
The emergency control of postpartum hemorrhage

T HIS communication is concerned onIy with bIeeding from the reIaxed uterus immediateIy after dehvery and omits any consideration of bIeeding from cervicaI or vagina1 tears. Since postpartum hemorrhage is stiI1 one of the principa1 causes of death after chiIdbirth, any effective method of preventing or controIImg it is decidedIy in order. Modern obstetrics sometimes seems comphcated. It is, therefore, necessary in this report to show that the procedure advocated is safe and usefu1. FoIIowing separation of the pIacenta, contro1 of bIeeding from the uterus is effected aImost entireIy by its contraction, thus producing a Iiteral stranguration of the interspersed sinuses. CoaguIation of the bIood is of IittIe primary importance as a patient can become exsanguinated too quickIy. The advent of pain-relieving agents during labor, often foIlowed by anesthesia in which the anesthetic may be of a relaxing type (ether), has brought about a situation which requires new methods of treatment. This is especiaIIy true when dealing with a thinned-out, overdistended uterus, the condition being aggravated by drugs and anesthetics. Even folIowing deIivery in which exhaustion is not a factor, uterine tone may be so impaired that, while it is sufficient to separate the pIacenta partiaIIy or compIeteIy, it is not sufficient to cIamp down the uterus immediateIy in the vise-Iike manner so desirabIe. A moderate deIay in contracting may permit a large amount of blood to escape. Attending Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Methodist Hospital
Side chain length impacting thermal transitions and water uptake of acrylate–maleimide copolymers with pendent catechols

To elucidate how Tg affects adhesion of synthetic polymers containing pendent catechols, a series of poly(acrylate-r-(1-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-maleimides)) (PAMs) have been synthesized that vary in their acrylate side chain length. During characterization, a thermal transition was observed that over-rode the anticipated trends in Tg. Careful material handling and analysis using TGA-MS techniques led to the realization that water absorption is an intrinsic characteristic of this class of polymer and must be considered as applications are developed.
Experimental Tests of the Theory: Music

The theory of musical emotions and their cognitive function has been tested in laboratory experiments. Theoretical predictions have been confirmed: music helps alleviate cognitive dissonances, accumulate knowledge, and unify the psyche. From choices of 4-year-old to judgments of seniors music helps cognition. Students taking musical classes outperform other students in all subjects. Is it due to music or due to inborn abilities?
The Efficacy of Heart Rate Variability in Tracking Travel and Training Stress in Youth Female Rowers: A Preliminary Study

Egan-Shuttler, JD, Edmonds, R, and Ives, SJ. The efficacy of heart rate variability in tracking travel and training stress in youth female rowers: A preliminary study. J Strength Cond Res 34(11): 3293-3300, 2020-Heart rate variability (HRV) is a reliable indicator of cardiac parasympathetic activity and has been used in athletic populations to measure training adaptations. To date, there is limited research showing whether HRV is practical in youth female athletes and rowers during short periods of overload training. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the practicality of HRV in documenting training responses during a period of overload training in youth female rowers. Time-domain (SD of N-N intervals, SDNN; root mean square of successive differences, RMSSD) and nonlinear (SD1) indices of HRV were recorded during baseline training, daily during the 6-day training camp, and 1 week after the camp in 5 athletes from an elite, high-school, rowing team. Training duration and rate of perceived exertion were recorded to document training load. Training load during the camp was 76% above the athlete's normal workload (2,258 ± 459 vs. 1,280 ± 356 arbitrary units (a.u.)). Using progressive statistics, cardiac vagal activity (RMSSD and SD1) was very likely reduced during each day of the camp when compared with baseline training, although returned to baseline within a week of the training camp. Interestingly, SDNN was reduced throughout the training camp and remained reduced up to a week after the training camp (78% likely; effect size = -0.32). These insights add value to HRV's use in youth sport and provides coaches with an easy, cost-effective means to monitor the physiological response to training, allowing fine-tuning of training, potentially enhancing performance.
Abstract P6-04-01: Rapalog everolimus induces G1 cell cycle arrest through autophagy-mediated protein degradation of cyclin D1 in breast cancer cells

Rapamycin analogs (rapalogs) inhibit mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and are known to cause induction of autophagy and G1 cell cycle arrest. However, it remains unknown whether rapalog-induced autophagy plays a critical role in its regulation of cell cycle. We, for the first time, found that rapalog everolimus could stimulate autophagy-mediated Cyclin D1 degradation in breast cancer cells. Inhibiting mTOR with everolimus rapidly increased the degradation of Cyclin D1 in MCF-10DCIS.COM and MCF-7 cells. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), a classic autophagy inhibitor, could attenuate everolimus-induced Cyclin D1 degradation. Furthermore, knockdown of autophagy related gene 7 (Atg-7) could also repress everolimus-triggered degradation of Cyclin D1 in MCF-10DCIS.COM. Moreover, everolimus-induced autophagy occurred earlier than its induction of G1 arrest and cell death. Blockade of autophagy attenuated everolimus-induced G1 cell cycle arrest. These preliminary data support the conclusion that the autophagy induced by rapalogs in breast cancer cells appears to cause Cyclin D1 protein degradation resulting in G1 cell cycle arrest. Our findings contribute to our knowledge of the interplay between autophagy and cell cycle regulation mediated by mTOR signaling and Cyclin D1 regulation. Citation Format: Chen G, Ding X-F, Bouamar H, Pressley K, Yang J, Sun L-Z. Rapalog everolimus induces G1 cell cycle arrest through autophagy-mediated protein degradation of cyclin D1 in breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-04-01.
Revisión de artículos sobre floculación de microalgas

El articulo presenta una revision cronologica del estado del arte en el tema de floculacion de microalgas, desde los primeros trabajos para tratamiento de agua residual, hasta las investigaciones mas recientes sobre tecnologias modernas, sustancias nuevas y procedimientos integrales. El analisis de la informacion se estructuro en dos partes: 1) revision de publicaciones por pais, donde se realizo la investigacion, revista y evolucion por ano de las publicaciones, y 2) analisis mas detallado de la clasificacion de los articulos por especie de microalga; ademas, se considero el floculante usado, asi como las condiciones del proceso y los resultados destacados.
A 2-Phase Aspiration-Level and Utility Theory Approach to Large Scale Design

The ability to make rational decisions is one of mankind’s unique attributes. A characteristic of the formal techniques that have been used for decision making is the selection of the best alternative with respect to a certain figure of merit. One of the most critical problems in engineering design is making early decisions on a sound basis. However, the early stages of design are also the most uncertain, and obtaining precise information upon which to base design decisions is usually impossible. The need for a methodology to represent and manipulate imprecision is greatest in the early, preliminary stages of engineering design, where the designer is most unsure of the final dimensions and shape, material properties, and performance of the completed design. Utility Theory provides an analytical way to aid the decisions in engineering design. By exchanging from objective to attribute and expressing these attitudes mathematically, a utility based attribute function (Utility Function) can be set up to describe the attitude of a decision-maker with regard to his/her preference. In this work, the Aspiration-level Interactive Method (AIM), a goal-seeking method based on identifying non-dominated solutions, is used along with Utility Theory to compensate for the limitations of utility theory in forming a meaningful group preference. This work is an initial attempt to integrate two methodologies from the field of decision theory in order to provide rational decision support for design problems where a hierarchy of decision making is required. The hierarchy, in this paper, is characterized by multiple designers at the lower level who report to one manager. The designers each have different preferences and values, while the manager is driven by project goals and specifications. The approach presented generates feasible and preferred design combinations for further analysis in the detailed design phase. 1 ME Member ME Member, Corresponding Author NOMENCLATURE SUF: Single-Attribute Utility Function MUF: Multi-Attribute Utility Function AIM: Aspiration-level Interactive Method
Changes in Chemical Fingerprints of Asphalt Binders Due to Aging

Asphalt binders remain exposed to aging from mixing and placement operations throughout their service life. The aging process is a chemical event, often known as oxidization, which hardens asphalt binders by causing changes to their chemical compositions. Stiffening also occurs when they are modified chemically to make them fit in certain environmental and loading conditions. Aging can accelerate stiffening of the modified binders because of the simultaneous presence of the modifier and oxidizing agents. This study evaluates the changes in the chemical fingerprints of asphalt binders in terms of their Saturates, Aromatics, Resins, and Asphaltenes (SARA) fractions and Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)—based functional groups. Two selected performance grade (PG) binders (PG 64-22) modified with Polyphosphoric Acid (PPA) and Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) have been subjected to Rotational Thin Film Oven (RTFO) and Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) aging. Asphalt binders from two different crude sources modified with different percentages of PPA, SBS and a combination of PPA and SBS were considered in this study. Due to the aging effects, the modified asphalt binders became abundant in solid phase than the unaged binders at a lower modification level, which in turn made the binders stiff. The changes in pattern were different for binders from two different crude origins. The findings from this study can help setting guidelines for level of chemical modification to asphalt binders.
Integrin-Dependent and -Independent Signaling During Pressure-Overload Cardiac Hypertrophy

In an attempt to uncover the linkage between hemodynamic load and cardiac hypertrophy, we focused on the cytoskeletal (CSK) assembly of signaling proteins in pressure-overloaded feline myocardium. Analysis showed CSK association of c-Src, β3-integrin, FAK, PTP-1B, and p130Cas in 4 to 48 hour pressure overloaded (PO) myocardium. This assembly was accompanied by increased amounts of both total fibronectin (FN) and vitronectin (VN) and their attachment to the cardiocyte sarcolemma, indicating that a change in extracellular matrix (ECM) composition might be responsible for the CSK assembly of these signaling proteins. Furthermore, analysis with adult feline cardiocytes cultured in a three-dimensional (3-D) gel matrix made of either collagen containing FN and VN or of agarose alone for 12 hours revealed a CSK assembly of some of the signaling proteins only in collagen matrix, an event that could be blocked with RGD peptide. To investigate the role of CSK-assembled signaling proteins, activation of the two S6 kinase (S6K) isoforms, p70S6K and p85S6K, that are involved in translational and transcriptional activation was measured in PO myocardium. While both isoforms are activated substantially, p70S6K activation occurred maximally at 1 hour of pressure overload prior to the CSK assembly of signaling proteins. The activation of both isoforms of S6K was found to be mediated by a PI 3-kinase-independent pathway with the possible involvement of protein kinase C. Furthermore, studies performed in vitro by embedding adult cardiocytes either in collagen or in agarose gels and stimulating them electrically to contract showed S6K activation in both types of gels, although CSK association of signaling proteins was present only in the collagen gel matrix. Therefore, these studies demonstrate that pressure overload activates both integrin-dependent and -independent signaling, which results, respectively, in cytoskeletal recruitment of signaling proteins and in S6K activation. Both may play critical roles in hypertrophic growth regulation.
Human leukemia mutations corrupt but do not abrogate GATA-2 function.

By inducing the generation and function of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, the master regulator of hematopoiesis GATA-2 controls the production of all blood cell types. Heterozygous GATA2 mutations cause immunodeficiency, myelodysplastic syndrome, and acute myeloid leukemia. GATA2 disease mutations commonly disrupt amino acid residues that mediate DNA binding or cis-elements within a vital GATA2 intronic enhancer, suggesting a haploinsufficiency mechanism of pathogenesis. Mutations also occur in GATA2 coding regions distinct from the DNA-binding carboxyl-terminal zinc finger (C-finger), including the amino-terminal zinc finger (N-finger), and N-finger function is not established. Whether distinct mutations differentially impact GATA-2 mechanisms is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that N-finger mutations decreased GATA-2 chromatin occupancy and attenuated target gene regulation. We developed a genetic complementation assay to quantify GATA-2 function in myeloid progenitor cells from Gata2 −77 enhancer-mutant mice. GATA-2 complementation increased erythroid and myeloid differentiation. While GATA-2 disease mutants were not competent to induce erythroid differentiation of Lin−Kit+ myeloid progenitors, unexpectedly, they promoted myeloid differentiation and proliferation. As the myelopoiesis-promoting activity of GATA-2 mutants exceeded that of GATA-2, GATA2 disease mutations are not strictly inhibitory. Thus, we propose that the haploinsufficiency paradigm does not fully explain GATA-2–linked pathogenesis, and an amalgamation of qualitative and quantitative defects instigated by GATA2 mutations underlies the complex phenotypes of GATA-2–dependent pathologies.
Diffusion Coefficients of Cuprous and Cupric Ions in Electrolytes with High Concentrations of Bromide Ions

This study examines the diffusion coefficients of cuprous and cupric ions in aqueous solutions containing 4–6 mol·dm–3 bromide ion. Under these conditions, the majority of the Cu2+ species is the complex CuBr4–2, and the majority of Cu+ species is the complex CuBr3–2. Diffusion coefficients were obtained for temperatures ranging from 298 to 334 K via a rotating disk electrode and the Levich relationship. Diffusion coefficients for the cuprous bromide complex were found to be between 11.9 and 19.1 × 10–6 cm2·s–1. Diffusion coefficients for the cupric bromide complex ranged between 4.5 and 12.0 × 10–6 cm2·s–1. Confidence intervals were calculated with reasonable uncertainties. The diffusion coefficients were found to be in good agreement with literature values of cuprous and cupric chloride complexes.