cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Potential Effect of Eliminating The State Corporate Income Tax On Economic Activity

Laura Wheeler is a senior researcher at the Fiscal Research Center (FRC) with the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Before coming to the FRC, Laura worked for several years with the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation and as an independent consultant on issues of tax policy. The FRC provides nonpartisan research, technical assistance, and education in the evaluation and design of state and local fiscal and economic policy, including both tax and expenditure issues. The center’s mission is to promote the development of sound public policy and public understanding of issues of concern to state and local governments. The FRC was established in 1995 to provide a stronger research foundation for setting fiscal policy for state and local governments and for better-informed decisionmaking. The FRC, one of several prominent policy research centers and academic departments housed in the School of Policy Studies, has a full-time staff and affiliated faculty from throughout Georgia State University and elsewhere that leads the research efforts in many organized projects. The FRC maintains a position of neutrality on public policy issues to safeguard the academic freedom of authors. Thus, interpretations or conclusions in FRC publications should be understood to be solely those of the author.
Porosity control in metal-assisted chemical etching of degenerately doped silicon nanowires

We report the fabrication of degenerately doped silicon (Si) nanowires of different aspect ratios using a simple, low-cost and effective technique that involves metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) combined with soft lithography or thermal dewetting metal patterning. We demonstrate sub-micron diameter Si nanowire arrays with aspect ratios as high as 180:1, and present the challenges in producing solid nanowires using MacEtch as the doping level increases in both p- and n-type Si. We report a systematic reduction in the porosity of these nanowires by adjusting the etching solution composition and temperature. We found that the porosity decreases from top to bottom along the axial direction and increases with etching time. With a MacEtch solution that has a high [HF]:[H2O2] ratio and low temperature, it is possible to form completely solid nanowires with aspect ratios of less than approximately 10:1. However, further etching to produce longer wires renders the top portion of the nanowires porous. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)
Constitutive framework optimized for myocardium and other high-strain, laminar materials with one fiber family

Abstract Central to this analysis is the identification of six rotation invariant scalars α 1–6 that succinctly define the strain in materials that have one family of parallel fibers arranged in laminae. These scalars were chosen so as to minimize covariance amongst the response terms in the hyperelastic limit, and they are termed strain attributes because it is necessary to distinguish them from strain invariants. The Cauchy stress t is expressed as the sum of six response terms, almost all of which are mutually orthogonal for finite strain (i.e. 14 of the 15 inner products vanish). For small deformations, the response terms are entirely orthogonal (i.e. all 15 inner products vanish). A response term is the product of a response function with its associated kinematic tensor. Each response function is a scalar partial derivative of the strain energy W with respect to a strain attribute. Applications for this theory presently include myocardium (heart muscle) which is often modeled as having muscle fibers arranged in sheets. Utility for experimental identification of strain energy functions is demonstrated by showing that common tests on incompressible materials can directly determine terms in W . Since the described set of strain attributes reduces the covariance amongst response terms, this approach may enhance the speed and precision of inverse finite element methods.
A Survey Of Student Perspectives Toward Faculty Evaluations

This study was designed to help faculty and administrators weigh the value of using student ratings of professors’ teaching effectiveness and to determine factors that may affect those ratings. For this study, conducted at a Midwestern AACSB accredited School of Business, 163 students (23% of the business majors) were surveyed to determine their perceptions concerning student ratings of faculty. Although 100% of the students surveyed believed they were honest in their evaluations, only 33% of them believed other students were honest. International students tended to give higher evaluations in math-related classes than U.S. students. Students tended to give higher evaluations to professors who used humor and to professors they liked. They did not give higher evaluations to male professors or ones under 55 years of age. The difficulty of the class did not impact students’ ratings of faculty.
Amplitude-frequency effect of Y-cut langanite and langatate

Amplitude-frequency effect of a Y-cut langanite (LGN) resonator and a Y-cut langatate (LGT) resonator were measured. The frequency shifts from the baseline frequency with 1 mA were measured as a function of drive currents up to 28 mA. High-drive current shifted the frequency, but it also heated the crystal locally, causing temperature-related frequency changes. The local heat transfer and its influence on the frequency were analyzed. The amplitude-frequency shift was effectively measured, and was not affected by the temperature-related frequency changes. The 3rd, 5th, and 7th overtones (OT's) were found to behave as soft springs, i.e., resonant frequency decreases as drive current increases. The drive sensitivity coefficients of the 3rd and 5th OT's are in the vicinity of -2 ppb/mA/sup 2/ for both resonators. The 7th OT's are higher than the other OT's: -5/spl sim/- 7 ppb/mA/sup 2/. The lowest drive sensitivity is -1.2 ppb/mA/sup 2/ on the 5th OT of the LGT.
Introduction to Loop Transformations

To represent execution orders that cannot be defined by a sequential loop nest, we need to introduce more general program constructs.
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging optical brain-imaging technology that offers a relatively non-invasive, safe, portable, and low-cost method of both indirect and direct monitoring of brain activity. Most exciting is its potential to allow more ecologically valid investigations that can translate laboratory work into more realistic, everyday settings and clinical environments. Here, the unique and beneficial characteristics of fNIRS are presented by reviewing the relative merits and limitations of this technique vis-a-vis other brain-imaging technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Cross-validation efforts between fMRI and fNIRS as well as the possible hesitations for its deployment in clinical research and practice are discussed.
A Preliminary Consideration of Issues Raised in Legislation Designed to Immunize Product Manufacturers

Following the immunization of the airlines by Congress, in regard to events surrounding September 11, 2001, gun manufacturers were successful in petitioning the House of Representatives to immunize them from suits involving firearms. This legislation, if adopted by the Senate, will provide additional precedent for other product manufacturers to seek similar protection. The goal of this paper is to manifest that the appropriateness of such legislation will depend upon the character of the specific product and judicial precedent dealing with the product. In deciding whether to grant immunity to other products, such as alcohol, tobacco, asbestos, food, and lead paint, legislatures will be asked to consider a broad spectrum of issues. With a goal to provide a partial framework for analyzing immunity legislation in regard to other products, issues raised in the firearms sellers immunity bill will be considered. This bill was selected for study because it is cutting-edge, on-going and likely to be precedential. Part One will examine the collapse of gun suits in the state courts. Part Two evaluates gun violence in the United States. Part Three considers critical gun control policies, and Part Four weighs the judicial construction of the Second Amendment.
Indigenous Homeland Security: A Proposed United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Law of First Contact

The thesis of this Article is that outside, foreign, non-native diseases are the most dangerous threat to indigenous populations. Additional threats include the loss of cultural identity caused by the introduction of new technology, and the loss of religious and cultural identity caused by proselytizing missionaries that seek to replace the indigenous religions. As such, the world community should take all necessary steps to protect indigenous peoples from these threats. The best way to prevent the introduction of disease, technology, and foreign culture is to strictly limit any contact between modern-day society and uncontacted indigenous peoples. While some countries have domestic laws governing the relationship between their citizens and the uncontacted tribes within their country's boundaries, domestic laws are not enough because of the desire of citizens to exploit natural resources within their geopolitical boundaries. Because domestic law is insufficient to protect the indigenous populations, a rule of international law is necessary to ensure compliance in all the countries that have uncontacted indigenous populations. Current international law does not really address the problems of uncontacted indigenous peoples. The most pertinent document is the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. According to Professor Clinton, the draft Universal Declaration of Indigenous Rights contemplates the continued international legal protection of the peoplehood and political institutions of indigenous and tribal peoples. While the Declaration has not been ratified by the United Nations member states, the fact that a draft declaration exists is a step in the right direction. The Declaration does address a number of issues facing indigenous peoples, but does not address the problem of first contact, that is, initial contact between foreign (usually Western) explorers and indigenous peoples which have had no prior human contact outside the members of their social group. Thus, I have modified the Declaration to address the issues of first contact, as well as some issues of sovereignty and cultural identity. The modified Declaration, titled Indigenous Homeland Security: A Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Law of First Contact can be found in Appendix A of this paper.
Influence of Gravity and Taper on the Vibration of a Standing Column

The stability and natural vibration of a standing tapered vertical column under its own weight are studied. Exact stability criteria are found for the pointy column and numerical stability boundaries are determined for the blunt tipped col- umn. For vibrations we use an accurate, efficient initial value numerical method for the first three frequencies. Four kinds of columns with linear taper are considered. Both the taper and the cross section shape of the column have large influences on the vibration frequencies. It is found that gravity decreases the frequency while the degree of taper may increase or decrease frequency. Vibrations may occur in two different planes.
EDA II: Multivariate Analysis

In this chapter, techniques for exploring the relationship between multiple continuous variables are shown, using scatter plots as basic building blocks.
Security performance

Several protocols and mechanisms aims to enforce the various dimensions of security in applications ranging from e-mail to e-commerce transactions. Most use encryption as a basic component. Adding such mechanisms and procedures to applications and systems does not come cheaply, however. Security is intrusive and increases the total cost of computer-system ownership. He also indicates that security is about trade-offs, rather than absolutes, and that we should strive for good-enough security, not for more security than necessary. This thought underlies the following description of some security trade-offs in the areas of performance and scalability. My analysis is quantitative in nature and aims to illustrate the effect of using a specific security protocol or set of cryptographic algorithms on a computer system's performance.
Maternal exposure to carbamazepine at environmental concentrations can cross intestinal and placental barriers.

Psychoactive pharmaceuticals have been found as teratogens at clinical dosage during pregnancy. These pharmaceuticals have also been detected in minute (ppb) concentrations in drinking water in the US, and are environmental contaminants that may be complicit in triggering neurological disorders in genetically susceptible individuals. Previous studies have determined that psychoactive pharmaceuticals (fluoxetine, venlafaxine and carbamazepine) at environmentally relevant concentrations enriched sets of genes regulating development and function of the nervous system in fathead minnows. Altered gene sets were also associated with potential neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Subsequent in vitro studies indicated that psychoactive pharmaceuticals altered ASD-associated synaptic protein expression and gene expression in human neuronal cells. However, it is unknown if environmentally relevant concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are able to cross biological barriers from mother to fetus, thus potentially posing risks to nervous system development. The main objective of this study was to test whether psychoactive pharmaceuticals (fluoxetine, venlafaxine, and carbamazepine) administered through the drinking water at environmental concentrations to pregnant mice could reach the brain of the developing embryo by crossing intestinal and placental barriers. We addressed this question by adding (2)H-isotope labeled pharmaceuticals to the drinking water of female mice for 20 days (10 pre-and 10 post-conception days), and quantifying (2)H-isotope enrichment signals in the dam liver and brain of developing embryos using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Significant levels of (2)H enrichment was detected in the brain of embryos and livers of carbamazepine-treated mice but not in those of control dams, or for fluoxetine or venlafaxine application. These results provide the first evidence that carbamazepine in drinking water and at typical environmental concentrations is transmitted from mother to embryo. Our results, combined with previous evidence that carbamazepine may be associated with ASD in infants, warrant the closer examination of psychoactive pharmaceuticals in drinking water and their potential association with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Analysis on Cracking Failure of T23 Steel Weld in Large Utility Boiler

There are problems exist in T23 steel' weld and heat affected zone.Reasons of T23 steel weld in a ultra supercritical boiler high temperature reheater was analyzed.According to characteristics of T23 steel,technique requirements should be paid attention were put forward.
[Molecular characteristics of HIV-1 CRF01_AE strains in Zhejiang province in 2009].

Objective To analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics of HIV-1 subtype CRF01_AE strains being prevailed among HIV/AIDS in Zhejiang province in 2009.Methods A total of 303 subjects were identified by stratified random sampling among HIV infected individuals in Zhejiang province in 2009.Gag fragments of the HIV-1 strains were amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction from the DNA extracted from whole blood of HIV-1 infected individuals.PCR products were sequenced and analyzed by phylogenetic method.Results A total of 132 HIV-1 subtype CRF01_AE sequences were identified from the 225 samples that sequenced successfully,accounting for 58.67％ ( 132/225 ).A total of 90.91％ (120/132) CRF01_AE strains infected HIV/AIDS were transmitted mainly by sexual contacts.A total of 65.91％ (87/132) of the cases infected by heterosexual route and 25.00％ (33/132) by homosexual route.There were three main clusters in the phylogenetic tree.Pairwise DNA distance within three groups was 0.037 ± 0.011,0.034 ± 0.008 and 0.047 ± 0.010,which has statistical significance ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Distribution of the sequence of homosexual behavior infected individuals was relatively concentrated in clusters one(96.97％,32/33 ),and crossed with heterosexual behavior infectors,and presented the close relations with strains from Jiangsu province, Zhengzhou of Henan province, Liaoning province, Shijiazhuang of Hebei province.Conclusion The CRF01 _AE strains were the dominant subtypes among HIV infected individuals.The majority of the CRF01 _AE infected cases had high risk sexual behavior.The heterosexual infected cases were more than homosexual cases.The circulating status of CRF01 _AE strains in homosexual population was relatively independent, but also had evidence of transmission from man who have sex with man to heterosexual population. Key words: HIV; Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Epidemiology, molecular; CRF01_AE; Genes
The phase-out of the unfit: keeping the unworthy out of work

The cities, for the most part, appeared up until the middle of the 1990s to be islands within the larger Chinese political economy in which job-secure workers could be certain that their livelihood, health, education, and living abodes would evermore undergird their and their children's sustenance. At least until the late 1980s, urbanites who stuck with the state sector even considered good treatment on the job a kind of birthright, an entitlement that was sure to be enforced. In the cities, true, there had always been the disadvantaged after 1949 – those without offspring or spouses, the disabled, and people unable to support themselves. But this relatively tiny batch of individuals generally survived in the shadows and out of sight, subsisting – but just barely – as members of the “three withouts” on a mere pittance, in the form of meager “social relief” disbursed by civil affairs departments.8
Muscle Action and the Sensory System

Fundamental relationships exist between muscle function, the sense receptors, the brain, the nervous system, and the peripheral nerves. The discussion of muscle function that follows includes a discussion of the physiology of the nervous system and the peripheral nerves. The brain is. at this stage, regarded as a processor.
Blood Feud and State Control

EACH OF the legal sources in the Pentateuch refers to homicide and assumes that the life of the manslayer was in grave danger. The Priestly law stipulates (Num 35:9–34): The L ord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites and say to them: when you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall make accessible for yourselves cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, to which a slayer who strikes down a person by mistake may flee. The cities shall be as a refuge from the avenger, so that the slayer shall not die before he has stood trial before the assembly. The cities which are appointed shall be six cities of refuge in total. Three you shall appoint beyond the Jordan, and three you shall appoint in the land of Canaan: they shall be cities of refuge. The six cities shall be as refuge for the Israelites and the resident alien among them, so that anyone who kills unintentionally may flee there. If a person strikes another with an iron tool so that [the victim] dies, he is a murderer — the murderer shall surely be put to death. If a person strikes another with a stone tool that can kill so that the victim dies, he is a murderer — the murderer shall surely be put to death. If a person strikes another with a wooden tool that can kill so that the victim dies, he is a murderer — the murderer shall surely be put to death.[…]
Application of ultrasonics to enhance wet-drum magnetic separator performance

Wet-drum magnetic separators are used extensively for upgrading iron ore and for magnetite recovery in dense-medium separation circuits. In this study, the performance of a continuous, laboratory wet-drum magnetic separator was evaluated both with and without the application of ultrasonic energy when processing dense medium slurries. Test variables included magnetic-to-nonmagnetic ratio, solids concentration and nonmagnetic material. The results indicate that, under certain conditions, the purity of the magnetic material increased after ultrasonic treatment.
God’s Work: Antislavery and Religious Mobilization

Having explored the magnitude and impact of political mobilization for abolition one must turn towards its social sources. The religious dimension of British abolition has always claimed and usually received pride of place in such discussions, from Thomas Clarkson in 1808 to Roger Anstey and David Brion Davis. The abolitionist leaders were known to contemporaries and to posterity as the ‘Saints’. Nothing in the abolitionist historiographical tradition infuriated the iconoclastic Eric Williams so much as Reginald Coupland’s imaginary interview with Wilberforce. To the historian’s question on the significance of the abolition of British slavery, Wilberforce was made to reply: ‘It was God’s work. It signifies the triumph of His will over human selfishness. It teaches that no obstacle of interest or prejudice is irremovable by faith and prayer.’1
Midline (Central) Fluid Percussion Model of Traumatic Brain Injury

Research models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) hold significant validity towards the human condition, with each model replicating a subset of clinical features and symptoms. After 30 years of characterization and implementation, fluid percussion injury (FPI) is firmly recognized as a clinically relevant model of TBI, encompassing concussion through severe injury. The midline variation of FPI may best represent mild and diffuse clinical brain injury, because of the acute behavioral deficits, the late onset of subtle behavioral morbidities, and the absence of gross histopathology. This chapter outlines the procedures for midline (diffuse) FPI in adult male rats and mice. With these procedures, it becomes possible to generate brain-injured laboratory animals for studies of injury-induced pathophysiology and behavioral deficits, for which rational therapeutic interventions can be implemented.
Combination of Irradiation and Wertheim's Hysterectomy in Treating Cervical Carcinoma

A combination of irradiation therapy followed by radical hysterectomy (Wertheim's operation) was used in 140 cases of stage 1 or stage II carcinoma of the cervix. The results indicate that it is superior to irradiation alone. Five year survival rates for the patients with stage I and stage II lesions were 87.5 per cent and 70.3 per cent, respectively.
Speech Synthesis of Code-Mixed Text.

Most Text to Speech (TTS) systems today assume that the input text is in a single language and is written in the same language that the text needs to be synthesized in. However, in bilingual and multilingual communities, code mixing or code switching occurs in speech, in which speakers switch between languages in the same utterance. Due to the popularity of social media, we now see code-mixing even in text in these multilingual communities. TTS systems capable of synthesizing such text need to be able to handle text that is written in multiple languages and scripts. Code-mixed text poses many challenges to TTS systems, such as language identification, spelling normalization and pronunciation modeling. In this work, we describe a preliminary framework for synthesizing code-mixed text. We carry out experiments on synthesizing code-mixed Hindi and English text. We find that there is a significant user preference for TTS systems that can correctly identify and pronounce words in different languages.
Full-VDD and near-threshold performance of 8T FinFET SRAM cells

We evaluate full-VDD and near-threshold operation of nine novel eight-transistor (8T) FinFET SRAM cell schemes using shorted gate (SG) and low power FinFET configurations for 32-bit by 1024-word SRAMs. 8T SRAM schemes outperform six-transistor schemes since SG-configured read FinFETs minimize delay and reverse-biased inverter FinFETs back gates reduce leakage current by up to 97%. At near-threshold, 8T FinFET cell delay increases by 56%, but leakage current and energy-delay product (EDP) decrease by up to 16% and 77%, respectively. 8T Low-Power Inverters scheme uses these configurations and reduces EDP by 60% (79% at near-threshold) versus the conventional SG 8T FinFET SRAM. Full-VDD and near-threshold operation of 8T FinFET SRAM cell schemes are evaluated.Near-threshold operation is more attainable with 8T rather than 6T FinFET SRAMs.Reverse-biased inverter back gates reduce both leakage and power and increase SNM.Near-threshold 8T FinFET cells can greatly reduce leakage and energy-delay product.
A history of McMurdo Station through its architecture

McMurdo Station, Antarctica, is a US Federal research facility operated year-round by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Its primary mission is to support scientific research, but it also provides logistical air and ground support for South Pole Station, seasonal field sites and nearby stations operated by other countries. It is the largest station in Antarctica, supporting up to 1,200 people. While McMurdo Station has a long scientific legacy, the facility also has an interesting architectural and engineering history that spans 60 years and has its antecedents in the ‘heroic age’ of exploration (1898–1916) and the Little America expeditions (1929–1958). Here, I describe the history of the built environment of McMurdo Station to clarify how it evolved from a temporary air station in the late 1950s to its current role as the flagship research facility of the US Antarctic Research Program (USAP). This historical review may provide insights that are useful as the station continues to transform and evolve, allowing it to continue its scientific mission into the 21st century.
Adenoviral-encoded GMCSF-CAIX antigen fusion gene transfer into human peripheral blood monocyte-derived dendritic cells to induce antigen-specific cellular immune responses: preclinical studies

2871 Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is resistant to conventional modes of therapy. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), a cell surface tumor-associated antigen, is expressed by most clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and has implications in RCC diagnosis, prognosis, and response to immunotherapy, and represents a novel approach to tumor-specific targeted therapy. Adenoviral-mediated, tumor-associated antigen transfer is a promising strategy to manipulate the immunostimulatory properties of DCs to create tumor vaccines. In the present study, we constructed a recombinant adenovirus encoding GMCSF-CAIX fusion gene (Ad-GMCAIX) using the AdEasy system. Human immature dendritic cells (DCs) were generated from CD14+ monocycles derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy donors. DCs were infected with Ad-GMCAIX to raise specific CTLs responses from autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes. The expression level of CAIX in the DCs was confirmed by RT-PCR, flow cytometric assay and western blot analysis. Lymphocytes from the same donors were repeatedly stimulated by genetically modified DCs to generate CAIX-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). ELISA was used to measure the secretion of IFN-gamma in the supernatants containing effectors cells stimulated with modified DCs. The ability of CTLs to lyse target cells expressing CAIX was performed in vitro by quantitative measurements of release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Our results demonstrated that DCs were efficiently transduced with Ad-GMCAIX and the expression of CAIX was significantly increased. The Ad-GMCAIX significantly increased the number of mature DCs via up-regulation of CD83, CD86 and HLA-DR as compared to unstimulated DCs. Ad-GMCAIX transduced DCs were able to induce CAIX -specific CTLs against RCC cancer cells expressing CAIX in vitro. Moreover, the DCs modified by Ad-GMCAIX produced higher levels of interferon gamma when compared with unstitumated DCs. Our results suggest that Ad-GMCAIX critically alters DC immune function and leads to the generation of CAIX specific CTLs, critical to the development of CAIX-based immunotherapy strategies. This finding demonstrates the exciting potential of CAIX to serve as an effective treatment modality for advanced RCC patients. These studies form the foundation for a planned clinical trial using dendritic cells pulsed with GMCAIX in patients with advanced kidney cancer.
Fast bootstrapping-based estimation of confidence intervals of expression levels and differential expression from RNA-Seq data.

Summary This note presents IsoEM2 and IsoDE2, new versions with enhanced features and faster runtime of the IsoEM and IsoDE packages for expression level estimation and differential expression. IsoEM2 estimates fragments per kilobase million (FPKM) and transcript per million (TPM) levels for genes and isoforms with confidence intervals through bootstrapping, while IsoDE2 performs differential expression analysis using the bootstrap samples generated by IsoEM2. Both tools are available with a command line interface as well as a graphical user interface (GUI) through wrappers for the Galaxy platform. Availability and implementation The source code of this software suite is available at https://github.com/mandricigor/isoem2. The Galaxy wrappers are available at https://toolshed.g2.bx.psu.edu/view/saharlcc/isoem2_isode2/. Contact imandric1@student.gsu.edu or ion@engr.uconn.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Chapter 5 – Virus Transmission and Epidemiology

Abstract Viral epidemiology is the study of the relationships among viruses and their hosts. An important aspect of viral epidemiology is spread. Viral epidemiologists try to predict the potential for development of an epidemic or pandemic and to determine appropriate interventions to contain an outbreak. Epidemiologists must try to account for a variety of factors involving both host and virus. These include, but are not limited to: mode of transmission, length of infection, and window of transmissibility, population density, living conditions, environment (climate, season), and stability of the virus. Modes of viral transmission include direct contact, exchange of body fluids, contact with infected fomites, inhalation, ingestion of contaminated food or water, and insects. Insect transmission can be complicated as the virus may replicate in the insect host or be passed vertically through eggs that survive for long periods in the environment. While medical personnel are interested in cases of disease, the epidemiologist must also consider infections that are silent or inapparent. Serological surveys are an important tool for detecting past viral infections.
The acquisition of electronic portfolio support staff expertise : a theoretical model.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the different methods in which electronic portfolio support staff acquired their expertise. In this study, five electronic portfolio support staff members served as a purposeful sample for analysis. Data were gathered over the course of one semester using individual and group observations, interviews with each study participants, demographic information, narrative prompts, and concept maps. Data were collected from each of the data sources and analyzed using NVIVO 8. Data were then categorized into thirteen different behavioral categories of expertise taken based on the literature. Further analysis revealed four predominant themes of expertise that were observed from each research participant: (a) domain knowledge, (b) performance, (c) problem solving, (d) deliberate practice in the domain over time, and (e) participation in a learning community. Next, a cross-case analysis was used to study the similarities and differences in the experience of each study participant in their journey to acquire electronic portfolio expertise and knowledge. Findings from the within and across case studies indicated that direct experience with the electronic portfolio was a major contributor of acquisition of expertise for each of the research participants. Domain performance tended to improve as the electronic portfolio support staff member acquired more domain experience through deliberate practice over time. Findings also indicated that problem solving skills improved through direct interaction with the electronic portfolio and through observation of more advanced electronic portfolio support staff members. Within the context of a learning community, the factors of domain knowledge, performance, problem solving, deliberate practice over time, and preservice teacher relationships interacted with one another in producing electronic portfolio expertise.
On Statistical Cross-Identification in Astronomy

The association of independent detections of the same objects is one of the most important fundamental challenges of observational astronomy today. Multicolor datasets have proven to provide great insight into large-scale structure, galaxy evolution, and multi-epoch observations are becoming mainstream with the upcoming next-generation sky surveys. The cross-identification is, however, a difficult problem scientifically, computationally and statistically. We will discuss a probabilistic approach that applies Bayesian hypothesis testing to decide whether a given set of detections truly belong to the same source. Studying the ensemble statistics of the datasets we can assign probabilities to the matches. The algorithms are shown to perform well in simulations and real observations. We extend the method to stars with unknown proper motion and discuss further applications to transients events. Also we visit some of the issues that arise in the online aggregation of catalogs.
The importance of early recognition in management of ERCP-related perforations

Iatrogenic perforations related to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are rare events, carrying with it a mortality of up to 8%. Given the rarity of this adverse event, there remains limited data and continued uncertainties when choosing therapeutic strategies. Our aims were to evaluate the management of ERCP-related perforations and compare outcomes based on timing of recognition. The endoscopic databases of two tertiary care centers were interrogated to identify consecutive adult patients who sustained ERCP-related perforation over a 10-year period from 2006 to 2016. Electronic medical records were reviewed to extract demographic data, perforation type, management strategies, clinical data, and patient outcomes. 14,045 ERCP’s were performed during our 10-year study period. Sixty-three patients (average age 62.3 ± 2.38 years, 76% female) with ERCP-related perforations were included. Stapfer I perforations were found in 14 (22.2%) patients, Stapfer II in 24 (38.1%), and Stapfer III and IV perforations were identified in 16 (25.4%) and 9 (14.28%), respectively. Forty-seven (74.6%) perforations were recognized immediately during the ERCP, whereas 16 (25.4%) were recognized late. Endoscopic therapy was attempted in 35 patients in whom perforations were identified immediately, and was technically successful in 33 (94.3%). In all, 4 (1 immediate/ 3 delayed) patients required percutaneous drainage and 9 (5 immediate/ 4 delayed) surgery. Length of hospital stay, ICU admission were significantly shorter and incidence of SIRS was significantly lower when perforation was recognized immediately. Immediate recognition of ERCP-related perforations leads to more favorable patient outcomes; with lower incidence of SIRS, less need for ICU level care, and shorter hospital stay.
Transformation of single MOF nanocrystals into single nanostructured catalysts within mesoporous supports: A platform for pioneer fluidized-nanoreactor hydrogen carriers

Well-dispersed nanostructured catalysts along mesoporous materials have been systematically prepared via a novel multistep approach involving either the pyrolysis under nitrogen, the calcination under oxygen or the reduction under hydrogen of MOF nanocrystals decorated with transition metal complexes and previously confined within the mesoporous cavities via novel solid state synthesis. The resulting supported nanostructured catalysts can be composed of metals, metal oxides, heteroatom-doped carbons and combinations thereof depending on the transformation conditions. The pioneering concept of Fluidized-Nanoreactor Hydrogen Carriers has been proposed for the first time by using the resulting nanostructured catalysts within fluidized mesoporous silica.
The Regulation and Function of Ornithine Decarboxylase and of the Polyamines

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights the regulation and function of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and of the polyamines. ODC catalyzes the synthesis of putrescine. It is necessary to distinguish among several possible functions of polyamines, to define the state of the cell at the time of induction, and to differentiate among various modes of induction of ODC activity. The chapter discusses a few new aspects of the regulation and function of ODC and of the polyamines and some of the uncertainties in the field. It also presents areas that are closely related to the regulation and the interrelationships of the polyamines in a variety of physiological and pathological states. The chapter also explores the possible functions of the polyamines.
The Detection of Extrasolar Planets via the Transit Method

Small telescopes (1- to 2-m), using the transit (or photometric) method for the detection of extrasolar planets, can be employed in dense stellar fields to discover unknown extrasolar planets—not only Jupiter-sized, but also Neptunesized gas giants, and possibly Earth-sized planets as well. This approach overcomes the current limitations of the radial velocity method. It enables the detection of extrasolar planets around faint (V > 11 m ) distant stars (d > 100 pc), at earlier spectral types (earlier than late F) than the radial velocity method.
Location, location, location: about home networking devices location and features

A home. It is where people spend most of their family time. It is a place to gather friends. It is somewhere to escape the world in the comfort of someplace that is our own. And it is a location that is filled with a variety of big and small appliances and devices. The number of appliances, their size, shape, and their features change over and over again, and based on the advancement in technology, there are changes in the needs of consumers alongside a certain expectation of comfort and productivity. One of the properties of a device in a home is the location in which people place it. Where to place the device depends, among other things, on its use and the features that the device offers as well as its aesthetics. This study investigates the location of home networking devices, also known as routers, in modern houses. It also looks at how router features accommodate users based on the location where people keep the devices and how their needs have evolved. For this study, 95 participants were surveyed about the location of their home networking devices (routers) location then, 43 locations were evaluated from houses located in Silicon Valley, California. The results provide the data on the rooms where people keep their routers, their physical location, and certain idiosyncrasies of their usage. In light of this study we have extracted some results and hypothesized some guidelines for future designs of routers in the consumer market.
State and Context in Vocal Communication of Rodents

Context adds meaning to vocal communication. For an individual that is encountering conspecifics, sensitivity to factors such as the identity of a social partner and presence of eavesdroppers (the external scene) or reproductive state and experience (the internal scene) may be essential for effective communication. Although the external and internal scenes are often categorized as separate, they are functionally entangled because they often interact to influence communication and they converge at the physiological level. The external and internal scenes have well-documented effects on both vocal production by signalers and the responses to vocal signals by receivers. This commonality supports a view of context as an emergent phenomenon with individuals acting as both senders and receivers during a communication event and contributing to the tone of the interaction via feedback to social partners. Amid this complexity, an operational view defines context as the set of factors that influences communication within a given interaction. This definition can be used as a simplifying tool for exploring both the functions and mechanisms of context sensitivity. Since both the external and internal scenes affect physiological systems involved in the internal representations of qualities such as stress, reward, and positive or negative valence, an integrated concept of context also unites ecological and biomedical perspectives.
High‐Mobility Group Box‐1 and Liver Disease

High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a ubiquitous protein. While initially thought to be simply an architectural protein due to its DNA-binding ability, evidence from the last decade suggests that HMGB1 is a key protein participating in the pathogenesis of acute liver injury and chronic liver disease. When it is passively released or actively secreted after injury, HMGB1 acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern that communicates injury and inflammation to neighboring cells by the receptor for advanced glycation end products or toll-like receptor 4, among others. In the setting of acute liver injury, HMGB1 participates in ischemia/reperfusion, sepsis, and drug-induced liver injury. In the context of chronic liver disease, it has been implicated in alcoholic liver disease, liver fibrosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently, specific posttranslational modifications have been identified that could condition the effects of the protein in the liver. Here, we provide a detailed review of how HMGB1 signaling participates in acute liver injury and chronic liver disease.
Efficacy and side effects of doxycycline versus minocycline in the three-dose melarsomine canine adulticidal heartworm treatment protocol

The American Heartworm Society currently recommends the use of a monthly macrocyclic lactone, a 28-day course of 10 mg/kg doxycycline BID, and the 3-dose protocol of melarsomine dihydrochloride for the treatment of canine heartworm disease. Doxycycline is necessary for the reduction of the bacterium Wolbachia, found in all heartworm life-stages. Previous price increases and decreasing availability prompted us to evaluate alternative tetracycline antibiotics, i.e. minocycline, for the reduction of Wolbachia during canine heartworm treatment. Thirty-two heartworm-positive dogs were randomized to receive 10 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg of either doxycycline or minocycline for 28 days BID, for a total of 8 dogs per experimental group. All dogs received 6 months of Heartgard Plus® (ivermectin/pyrantel) and the 3-dose protocol of 2.5 mg/kg melarsomine dihydrochloride. Blood samples were collected prior to the initiation of treatment, every 7 days throughout tetracycline treatment, and then monthly thereafter until the dog tested negative for the presence of heartworm antigen. DNA was isolated from circulating microfilarial samples and qPCR was performed on each sample. A greater number of dogs in the 10 mg/kg doxycycline and minocycline treated groups experienced gastrointestinal side effects as compared to the 5 mg/kg doxycycline and minocycline treated groups. All eight dogs in the 10 mg/kg doxycycline-treated group tested negative for the presence of Wolbachia DNA by 28 days post-tetracycline treatment. A total of two dogs in both the 5 mg/kg doxycycline- and 10 mg/kg minocycline-treated groups and three dogs in the 5 mg/kg minocycline-treated group remained positive for the presence of Wolbachia DNA by the end of tetracycline treatment. No lung pathology was assessed in this clinical trial, therefore the clinical effect of the remaining Wolbachia DNA in the 10 mg/kg minocycline-, 5 mg/kg doxycycline- and 5 mg/kg minocycline-treated groups cannot be determined. Owner compliance in the proper administration of these tetracyclines may be impacted by the increased severe gastrointestinal side effects reported for the 10 mg/kg doxycycline- and minocycline-treated groups. We recommend that veterinarians prescribe the recommended 10 mg/kg doxycycline for canine heartworm treatment and reduce the dosage to 5 mg/kg in cases of severe gastrointestinal side effects in order to improve owner compliance in administration of medications.
Minimally Invasive Repair of Left Subclavian Artery Aneurysm.

Abstract A 79 year-old gentleman with a history of trauma resulting in paraplegia was being evaluated for vascular access for hemodialysis . Cardiac catheterization revealed a large, asymptomatic left subclavian artery aneurysm. The patient was taken to the hybrid vascular intervention suite. A small incision was made in the left arm to gain access to the left brachial artery into which a sheath was inserted. The aneurysm was crossed with a wire through which two, overlapping covered stents were deployed completely excluding the aneurysm. The patient was discharged to home the following day. Endovascular exclusion has become the treatment of choice for aneurysms of the subclavian artery .
The Miraculous Flying House of Loreto: Spreading Catholicism in the Early Modern World

In 1531, Girolamo Angelitta, the secretary for the city government of Recanati (in modern Italy), rewrote an old story. According to Angelitta, in 1291, a few weeks before the Mamluk conquest of Ac...
3D Trajectory Optimization in UAV-Assisted Cellular Networks Considering Antenna Radiation Pattern and Backhaul Constraint

This paper explores the effects of three-dimensional (3D) antenna radiation pattern and backhaul constraint on optimal 3D path planning problem of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in interference prevalent downlink cellular networks. We consider a cellular-connected UAV that is tasked to travel between two locations within a fixed time and it can be used to improve the cellular connectivity of ground users by acting as a relay. Since the antenna gain of a cellular base station changes significantly with the UAV altitude, the UAV can increase the signal quality in its backhaul link by changing its height over the course of its mission. This problem is non-convex and thus, we explore the dynamic programming technique to solve it. We show that the 3D optimal paths can introduce significant network performance gain over the trajectories with fixed UAV heights.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Neurocritical Care: a Specialty-Wide Disruptive Transformation or a Strategy for Success.

Neurocritical care combines the complexity of both medical and surgical disease states with the inherent limitations of assessing patients with neurologic injury. Artificial intelligence (AI) has garnered interest in the basic management of these complicated patients as data collection becomes increasingly automated. In this opinion article, we highlight the potential AI has in aiding the clinician in several aspects of neurocritical care, particularly in monitoring and managing intracranial pressure, seizures, hemodynamics, and ventilation. The model-based method and data-driven method are currently the two major AI methods for analyzing critical care data. Both are able to analyze the vast quantities of patient data that are accumulated in the neurocritical care unit. AI has the potential to reduce healthcare costs, minimize delays in patient management, and reduce medical errors. However, these systems are an aid to, not a replacement for, the clinician’s judgment.