cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensory Experiences as Cryptic Symbols of a Multimodal User Interface

According to current theories of perception, our visual experiences match or approximate the true properties of an objective physical world. Ecological optics claims this match is direct, unmediated by psychological or computational processes. Computational theories claim that this match is indirect, the result of sophisticated algorithms that instantiate, e.g., the inferential methods of Bayesian estimation. The assumption of all of these theories that there is an objective, i.e., mind independent, physical world has proved incapable, so far, of yielding a scientific theory for the mind-body problem, a scientific theory of the relationship between conscious experiences and the brain. Therefore I explore, instead, the pos-sibility that sensory experiences constitute a multimodal user interface (MuI) between the perceiver and an objective world, an interface useful precisely because it does not match, approximate, or resemble that world. I also explore conscious realism, the ontological claim that the objective world itself is comprised entirely of conscious agents. Together, MUI theory and conscious realism provide a straightforward solution to the mind-body problem, and entail epiphysicalism: physical objects, such as quarks and brains and stars, are constructed by conscious agents, but such physical objects have no causal powers.
Predischarge Predictors of Readmissions and Postdischarge Complications in Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract Background and Objective: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has become the preferred surgical treatment for localized prostate cancer in the United States. Little is reported about the association between predischarge outcomes and postdischarge outcomes following RARP. The objective of this study was to explore the predischarge predictors of readmissions and postdischarge complications in RARP. Materials and Methods: The National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was used to identify prostate cancer patients who underwent elective RARP from 2012 to 2014. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess potential predischarge predictors of readmissions and NSQIP-defined postdischarge complications within 30 days of RARP. To test the robustness of primary analysis, a secondary multivariable logistic regression was performed in the cohort of patients without any NSQIP-defined predischarge complications. Results: A total of 9975 patients were included. The readmi...
Bayesian analysis of twinning and ovulation rates using a multiple-trait threshold model and Gibbs sampling.

The Multiple-Trait Gibbs Sampler for Animal Models programs were extended to allow analysis of ordered categorical data using a Bayesian threshold model. The algorithm is based on data augmentation, where a value on the unobserved underlying normally distributed variable (liability) is generated in each round of iteration for each categorical observation. The programs allow analysis of several continuous and ordered categorical traits. Categorical traits can have any number of response levels. Models can be different for each trait. The programs were used to analyze twinning and ovulation rates from a herd of cattle selected for twinning rate at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. Data included number of calves born at each parturition for the lifetime of a cow and number of eggs ovulated for several estrous cycles before first breeding as heifers. A total of 6,411 calvings was recorded for 2,087 cows with 83.2% single and 16.8% multiple births. A total of 19,849 ovulations was recorded for 2,332 heifers with 85.2% single and 14.8% multiple ovulations. Mean posterior estimates of heritability and fraction of variance accounted for by permanent environmental effects (PE) were .128 and .103 for twinning rate and .168 and .079 for ovulation rate. Mean posterior estimate of genetic correlation was .808, and correlation of PE effects was .517. Use of a threshold model could allow for more rapid genetic improvement of the twinning herd through improved identification and selection of genetically superior animals because of higher heritability on the underlying scale.
A review of the rupture characteristics of the 2011 Tohoku-oki Mw 9.1 earthquake

Abstract The 2011 March 11 Tohoku-oki great (Mw 9.1) earthquake ruptured the plate boundary megathrust fault offshore of northern Honshu with estimates of shallow slip of 50 m and more near the trench. Non-uniform slip extended ~ 220 km across the width and ~ 400 km along strike of the subduction zone. Extensive data provided by regional networks of seismic and geodetic stations in Japan and global networks of broadband seismic stations, regional and global ocean bottom pressure sensors and sea level measurement stations, seafloor GPS/Acoustic displacement sites, repeated multi-channel reflection images, extensive coastal runup and inundation observations, and in situ sampling of the shallow fault zone materials and temperature perturbation, make the event the best-recorded and most extensively studied great earthquake to date. An effort is made here to identify the more robust attributes of the rupture as well as less well constrained, but likely features. Other issues involve the degree to which the rupture corresponded to geodetically-defined preceding slip-deficit regions, the influence of re-rupture of slip regions for large events in the past few centuries, and relationships of coseismic slip to precursory slow slip, foreshocks, aftershocks, afterslip, and relocking of the megathrust. Frictional properties associated with the slip heterogeneity and in situ measurements of frictional heating of the shallow fault zone support low stress during shallow sliding and near-total shear stress drop of ~ 10–30 MPa in large-slip regions in the shallow megathrust. The roles of fault morphology, sediments, fluids, and dynamical processes in the rupture behavior continue to be examined; consensus has not yet been achieved. The possibility of secondary sources of tsunami excitation such as inelastic deformation of the sedimentary wedge or submarine slumping remains undemonstrated; dislocation models in an elastic continuum appear to sufficiently account for most mainshock observations, although afterslip and viscoelastic processes remain contested.
Information theoretic converse proofs for some PICOD problems

This paper provides information theoretic converse proofs for some classes of Pliable Index CODing (PICOD) problems. PICOD is a variant of the index coding problem in which a user is satisfied whenever it can successfully decode any one message that is not in its side information set. Past work on PICOD provided a number of achievable schemes based on linear codes, some of which are known to be optimal when the server is restricted to use linear codes only. This paper proves that for some of those cases linear codes are indeed optimal in an information theoretic sense, i.e., they cannot be beaten by non-linear codes. It also shows the information theoretic optimality for other classes of PICOD problems that were open.
The Schönflies theorem for polygons in R 2

We now want to show that all polygons are situated in the plane in exactly the same way, topologically. That is, if J and J’ are polygons in R 2, then there is a homeomorphism f: R 2↔R 2 such that f(J) = J’. For this, we need some preliminary results.
Feasibly categorical models

We define a notion of a Scott family of formulas for a feasible model and give various conditions on a Scott family which imply that two models with the same family are feasibly isomorphic. For example, if A and B possess a common strongly p-time Scott family and both have universe {1}*, then they are p-time isomorphic. These results are applied to the study of permutation structures, linear orderings, equivalence relations, and Abelian groups. For example, conditions on two permutation structures (A, f) and (B, g) are given which imply that (A, f) and (B, g) are p-time isomorphic.
Recombinant asialoerythropoetin protects HL-1 cardiomyocytes from injury via suppression of Mst1 activation.

Abstract Background Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPO) and asialoerythropoietin (asialo-rhuEPO) are cardioprotective. However, the protective effects of rhuEPO could not be translated into clinical practice because of its hematopoiesis-associated side effects while non-erythropoietic asialo-rhuEPO is unavailable in large quantities for clinical studies. This study was designed to investigate the cardiomyocyte protective potential of plant-produced asialo-rhuEPO (asialo-rhuEPOP) against staurosporine (STS)-induced injury in HL-1 murine cardiomyocytes and identify cellular pathway(s) responsible for its cardioprotection. Methods HL-1 cardiomyocytes were simultaneously treated with STS and asialo-rhuEPOP. Cellular injury, apoptosis, and cell viabilities were measured by LDH assay, Hoechst staining and trypan blue exclusion method, respectively while western blotting was used to study its effects on apoptosis and autophagy hallmarks. Results Our results showed that 20 IU/ml asialo-rhuEPOP provided 39% protection to cardiomyocytes compared to STS-treated cells, which is 2-fold better than that of mammalian cell-produce rhuEPO (rhuEPOM). Asialo-rhuEPOP was found to suppress activation of proapoptotic kinase Mst1 (mammalian Sterile-20-like kinase 1) and FOXO3, leading to inhibition of apoptotic pathway and restoration of autophagy as indicated by the reduction of fragmented/condensed nuclei, altered ratios of Bax/Bcl2, p-Bad/Bad, cytosol/mitochondrial cyt c and caspase-3 activation, and the restored levels of autophagy markers Beclin1, p62 and LC3B-II. Additionally, Akt was found to be activated and FOXO3 was phosphorylated on Ser253, suggesting inhibition of FOXO3 transcriptional function. Conclusions Asialo-rhuEPOP-mediated cardioprotection occurs through activation of PI3K/Akt pathway leading to suppression of Mst1 activation and promoting cardiomyocyte survival. General significance Asialo-rhuEPOP could be used to modulate Mst1 activity elevated under numerous pathological states.
Leiomyosarcoma of the rectum and anus. A series of 22 cases.

Twenty-two patients with leiomyosarcoma of the rectum (n=19) or the anus (n=3) were treated surgically at the Mayo Clinic from 1950 through 1985. The majority of tumors occurred in men (1.4∶1.0) during the sixth and seventh decades of life. Fifty-nine percent of the patients had symptoms including, most commonly, change in bowel habit, bleeding, and pain. Wide local excision was performed in 10 patients, whereas a more radical surgical procedure, including abdominoperineal resection (n=8), pelvic exenteration (n=2), and low anterior resection (n=1), were performed in 11 patients. One tumor was unresectable. The overall survival until death from disease was 90% at 1 year, 74% at 5 years, and 51% at 10 years postoperatively. The percentage of patients free of disease at 1, 5, and 10 years postoperatively was 85, 62, and 40, respectively. Wide local resection was not superior to a more radical surgical approach in preventing tumor recurrence or improving survival. Lesions less than 2.5 cm and confined to the bowel wall can be treated by wide local excision, whereas larger or more extensive tumors should be treated by a more radical surgical approach.
Emphasis of University Supervisor Feedback to Teacher Candidates

The purpose of this study is to analyze the emphasis of the feedback that university supervisors give to teacher candidates. Specifically, we seek to understand the relation of praise versus area of growth and how the emphasis relates to the focus of feedback. Data included coded observation reports from eight university supervisors. The three main findings were: praise feedback had a significantly higher amount than area of growth feedback, feedback emphasized certain skills over others, and a significant portion of feedback was neutral in nature. These findings have implications for teacher preparation and the process for providing written feedback to teacher candidates. They include thoughtful consideration of the nature of constructive and comprehensive feedback in teacher preparation and the importance of candidates receiving a variety of feedback across the pedagogical skills necessary to be an effective teacher.
Evaluation of peer-led study groups in a PharmD program.

Abstract Introduction Academic support in the form of formal, peer-led study groups was initiated at a four-year college of pharmacy utilizing paid group facilitators and a student program coordinator under the direction of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. This study's purpose was to assess the first year of this program from the viewpoints of the student participants, study group facilitators, and faculty. Methods Student, study group facilitator, and faculty perceptions of the study group initiative were collected following the first year of operation via cross-sectional surveys and qualitative content analysis. Surveys addressed the perceived value of study groups and their impact on study habits, supportive relationships, and professional growth. A five-point Likert scale was used to note participants' level of agreement with each survey item, while open-ended questions gathered subjective feedback. The mean, standard deviation, and frequency were calculated for each survey item across the three participant groups and qualitative themes from free-responses were identified. Results Student survey responses overwhelmingly supported the value and continuation of study groups (93% to 100% agreed or strongly agreed), with both participants and facilitators expressing enthusiasm for the program. Facilitators felt adequately trained (85.7%) and that their roles positively influenced their professional development (85.7% to 100%). Faculty respondents agreed that the program was valuable and should be continued. Conclusions Overall, students and facilitators perceived study groups to be valuable in supporting the academic success of pharmacy students.
Molecular Determination of Tissue Margins, Clonal Origin, and Histogenesis of Skin Cancers

Technologies are being increasingly employed to identify the biological pathways, genes, and ­proteins involved in disease pathogenesis and progression. These investigations have uncovered diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for a variety of cutaneous tumors. Molecular testing may have a role in the evaluation of tissue margins, clonal origin, and histogenesis of skin cancers.
Reevaluation of the case, de Hoffman, and Placzek one-group neutron transport benchmark solution in plane geometry

In a course on neutron transport theory and also in the analytical neutron transport theory literature, the pioneering work of Case et al. (CdHP) is often referenced. This work was truly a monumental effort in that it treated the fundamental mathematical properties of the one-group neutron Boltzmann equation in detail as well as the numerical evaluation of most of the resulting solutions. Many mathematically and numerically oriented dissertations were based on this classic monograph. In light of the considerable advances made both in numerical methods and computer technology since 1953, when the historic CdHP monograph first appeared, it seems appropriate to reevaluate the numerical benchmark solutions found therein with present-day computational technology. In most transport theory courses, the subject of proper benchmarking of numerical algorithms and transport codes is seldom addressed at any great length. This may be the reason that the benchmarking procedure is so rarely practiced in the nuclear community and when practiced is improperly applied. In this presentation, the development of a new benchmark for the one-group neutron flux in an infinite medium will be detailed with emphasis placed on the educational aspects of the benchmarking activity.
A comparative study of Ac-dielectric barrier discharge versus Ns-dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators in an incompressible turbulent mixing layer

A comparison between ac-DBD and ns-DBD plasma actuators is performed in a low speed turbulent mixing layer to assess differences in their control mechanisms (momentum vs. thermal). The mean flow response to actuation is matched for the two cases at a single downstream location to gauge scaling of relevant parameters (carrier frequency, energy per pulse, etc). The similarity between local behavior downstream is found to extend to the global flow, both in the mean and fluctuating components. However, the ns-DBD requires approximately six times more electrical energy to achieve the same control as the ac-DBD in this specific flow. An analysis of the flow field very near the splitter plate trailing edge sheds light on the difference in momentum versus thermal actuation mechanisms. A velocity deficit is observed for both actuators, but a thermal bump effect is evident in the ns-DBD case while a near surface jet is observed in the ac-DBD case.
Women prisoners’ perceptions of healthcare in a Midwestern prison

Many studies of prison healthcare exist, but few address incarcerated women’s own perceptions of the care they receive. It is necessary to understand not only the objective quality of care provided...
Factors Influencing Female Medical Students' Decision to Pursue Surgical Specialties: A Systematic Review.

Introduction Gender inequality within the medical field continues to be a prominent issue, particularly for surgical specialties. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the factors that influence female medical students’ decision to pursue a career in surgery, including general surgery and surgical subspecialties. Methods A literature search was conducted by 2 independent researchers searching PubMed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Keywords included “female,” “medical students,” “surgery,” “gender,” “career,” “surgical subspecialty,” “plastic surgery,” “otolaryngology,” “neurosurgery,” “orthopedics,” and “urology.” Studies evaluating factors that influenced female medical students’ decision to pursuing surgical specialties were identified. Results The initial search identified 2200 articles. Five hundred twenty-seven duplicates were removed, and 1993 studies were eliminated based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sixty-one articles underwent full-text review. Twenty-six additional studies were identified from references. A total of 14 articles were included in the review. Female medical students were positively influenced by mentorship, intellectual challenge, the rewarding nature of surgery, and specialty exposure. Gender discrimination, surgical lifestyle, and societal and cultural barriers were deterrents for female medical students. Compared to male, females minimized the importance of prestige and expected financial rewards. Conclusions This systematic review identifies mentorship, specialty exposure, nature of the surgical field, gender discrimination, and personal factors to be major determinants in female medical students' decisions to pursue a career in surgery. While factors such as inherent interest in surgery may not be easily modified, improvements in gender discrimination, access to mentorship, and specialty exposure can attract more female trainees to surgical specialties. Specifically, improving parental leave policies, reducing pregnancy-related stigma, eliminating gender-discrimination, matching medical students with role models early, and implementing outreach programs designed for women may increase students' interest in a surgical career.
The Overflow of Gifts

This chapter discusses the ways in which offerings circulate within and beyond Nanping Christian networks. I focus on two case studies—ubiquitous offering boxes and a Thanksgiving service—that I compare to non-Christian practices. Engaging with anthropological discussions on gift-giving, I argue that the flow of gifts in Christian networks not only reinforces the cohesion of these social groups but also shapes the various actors, humans and non-humans, who constitute them and their positionality in broader society. I show that the ways in which Christians make donations do not solely aggregate heterogeneous actors but invite us to not reduce the face, the Church, and their pastors to particular Christian groups.
Deformed Joint Free Distributions of Semicircular Elements Induced by Multi Orthogonal Projections

In this paper, we consider (i) how to establish semicircular elements \(\{U_{k}\}_{k=1}^{N}\) induced by N-many mutually orthogonal projections \(\{q_{k}\}_{k=1}^{N}\), for N \(\in \) \((\mathbb {N}\setminus \{1\})\cup \{\infty \},\) and the corresponding free product Banach \(*\)-probability space \(\mathbb {L}_{Q}^{(N)}\) generated by \(\{U_{k}\}_{k=1}^{N}\), (ii) the free-distributional data on \(\mathbb {L}_{Q}^{(N)}\), (iii) certain \(*\)-homomorphisms on \(\mathbb {L}_{Q}^{(N)},\) and (iv) how the \(*\)-homomophisms of (iii) deform the original free-distributional data of (ii).
Observation of a Symmetry-Forbidden Excited Quadrupole-Bound State.

We report the observation of a symmetry-forbidden excited quadrupole-bound state (QBS) in the tetracyanobenzene anion (TCNB-) using both photoelectron and photodetachment spectroscopies of cryogenically-cooled anions. The electron affinity of TCNB is accurately measured as 2.4695 eV. Photodetachment spectroscopy of TCNB- reveals selected symmetry-allowed vibronic transitions to the QBS, but the ground vibrational state was not observed because the transition from the ground state of TCNB- (Au symmetry) to the QBS (Ag symmetry) is triply forbidden by the electric and magnetic dipoles and the electric quadrupole. The binding energy of the QBS is found to be 0.2206 eV, which is unusually large due to strong correlation and polarization effects. A centrifugal barrier is observed for near-threshold autodetachment, as well as relaxations from the QBS vibronic levels to the ground and a valence excited state of TCNB-. The current study shows a rare example where symmetry selection rules, rather than the Franck-Condon principle, govern vibronic transitions to a nonvalence state in an anion.
Fermi surfaces of the topological semimetal CaSn3 probed through de Haas van Alphen oscillations

In the search of topological superconductors, nailing down the Fermiology of the normal state is as crucial a prerequisite as unraveling the superconducting pairing symmetry. In particular, the number of time-reversal-invariant momenta (TRIM) in the Brillouin zone enclosed by Fermi surfaces is closely linked to the topological class of time-reversal-invariant systems, and can experimentally be investigated. We report here a detailed study of de Haas van Alphen quantum oscillations in single crystals of the topological semimetal CaSn3with torque magnetometry in high magnetic fields up to 35 T. In conjunction with density functional theory based calculations, the observed quantum oscillations frequencies indicate that the Fermi surfaces of CaSn3enclose an odd number of TRIM, satisfying one of the proposed criteria to realize topological superconductivity. Nonzero Berry phases extracted from the magnetic oscillations also support the nontrivial topological nature of CaSn3.
Coping with stress in a warming Gulf: the postlarval American lobster’s cellular stress response under future warming scenarios

The Gulf of the Maine (GoM) is one of the fastest warming bodies of water in the world, posing serious physiological challenges to its marine inhabitants. Marine organisms can cope with the cellular and molecular stresses created by climate change through changes in gene expression. We used transcriptomics to examine how exposure to current summer temperatures (16 °C) or temperature regimes reflective of projected moderate and severe warming conditions (18 °C and 22 °C, respectively) during larval development alters expression of transcripts affiliated with the cellular stress response (CSR) in postlarval American lobsters (Homarus americanus). We identified 26 significantly differentially expressed (DE) transcripts annotated to CSR proteins. Specifically, transcripts for proteins affiliated with heat shock, the ubiquitin family, DNA repair, and apoptosis were significantly over-expressed in lobsters reared at higher temperatures relative to current conditions. Substantial variation in the CSR expression between postlarvae reared at 18 °C and those reared at 22 °C suggests that postlarvae reared under severe warming may have a hindered ability to cope with the physiological and molecular challenges of ocean warming. These results highlight that postlarval American lobsters may experience significant heat stress as rapid warming in the GoM continues, potentially compromising their ability to prevent cellular damage and inhibiting the reallocation of cellular energy towards other physiological functions beyond activation of the CSR. Moreover, this study establishes additional American lobster stress markers and addresses various knowledge gaps in crustacean biology, where sufficient ‘omics research is lacking.
Emerging investigator series: moving beyond resilience by considering antifragility in potable water systems

It is inherently difficult to plan water systems for a future that is non-predictive. This paper introduces a novel perspective for the design and operation of potable water systems under increasing water quality volatility (e.g., a relatively rapid and unpredicted deviation from baseline water quality). Increased water quality volatility and deep uncertainty stress water systems, confound design decisions, and increase the risk of decreased water system performance. Recent emphasis on resilience in drinking water treatment has partly addressed this issue, but still establishes an adversarial relationship with change. An antifragile system benefits from volatile change. By incorporating antifragility, water systems may move beyond resilience and improve performance with extreme events and other changes, rather than survive, or fail and quickly recover. Using examples of algal blooms, wildfires, and the COVID-19 pandemic, this work illustrates fragility, resilience, and antifragility within physicochemical process design including clarification, adsorption and disinfection. Methods for increasing antifragility, both individual process options and new system design tools, are discussed. Novel physicochemical processes with antifragile characteristics include ferrate preoxidation and magnetic iron (nano)particles. New design tools that allow for systematic evaluation of antifragile opportunities include artificial neural networks and virtual jar or pilot “stress testing”. Incorporating antifragile characteristics represents a trade-off with capital and/or operating cost. We present a real options analysis approach to considering costs in the context of antifragile design decisions. Adopting this antifragile perspective will help ensure water system improved performance during extreme events and a general increase in volatility.
Comparative study of high-dose chorionic gonadotropin on the human and rat corpus luteum and effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone on human luteal function

Abstract Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was administered to pseudopregnant rats with 4-day-old corpora lutea and to normal women on days 16 to 18 following onset of menses. In the rat serum progesterone levels fell by 90% within 8 hours as did unoccupied luteal luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors following treatment with hCG (100 IU). Total receptor number for LH, however, remained unchanged until after 12 hours. In the woman 20,000 or 40,000 IU of hCG given on day 16 and day 18 of the cycle did not reduce serum progesterone or serum estradiol levels although the serum hCG level was similar to that achieved in the rat. In fact, serum progesterone levels rose and the cycle length was extended by hCG treatment in the human. Conversely, treatment of the woman with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, 500 μg on day 16 and on day 18) caused an initial rapid rise, then a fall in serum progesterone levels and the cycle length was shortened. It was concluded that the human corpus luteum may be resistant to desensitization by hCG but possibly not to LH. However, the possibility cannot be excluded that GnRH may compromise luteal function through mechanisms independent of effects on pituitary gonadotropin secretion or action.
The WTO Constitution: Toward Tertiary Rules for Intertwined Elephants

Constitutions have many dimensions. These dimensions include at least the following: - an economic constitution in the sense of a set of rules for exchange of value and authority, - an interfunctional constitution that allows for the integration of various social values, - a political constitution that reflects the cultural and democratic integrity of a group of people, - a legal and judicial constitution that provides rules for the making of other rules, and for determining supremacy and the scope of judicial application of rules, - a human rights constitution that limits the sphere of governmental authority, and - a redistributive constitution founded on social solidarity. The WTO constitution has already grown along some of these dimensions. As we assess the constitutional development of the WTO, we must first analyze these dimensions separately. Second, we must examine how these dimensions relate to one another. Third, we must examine how these dimensions of the WTO "constitution" relate to the general international legal system's constitution. Finally, we must examine how these dimensions of the WTO "constitution" relate to the domestic constitutions of the WTO's member states.
Abstract 20471: Thrombospondin-4 is a Key Mediator in Cardiac Aging

Thrombospondin-4 (TSP4) is a matricellular protein that is essential for the heart to adapt to stress. We previously demonstrated that mice lacking TSP4 develop heart failure (HF) when exposed to high blood pressure, the latter phenomenon being secondary to deficient extracellular matrix (ECM)-myocyte crosstalk. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that TSP4 is also a key mediator in cardiac aging. TSP4-/- mice and controls (WT) were followed for almost 3 years. TSP4 expression increased with aging as well as with exercise. TSP4-/- died at a younger age than WT (Kaplan-Meyer curve; p= 0.001). TSP4-/- developed HF (LVEF = 58 ± 12 vs 38 ± 14 %, for WT and TSP4-/-; p
The Cambridge Introduction to British Romantic Poetry: Romantic epics and romances

“Milton! thou should’st be living at this hour,” Wordsworth writes in a sonnet (“London 1802”), “England hath need of thee.” She has become stagnant, selfish, and unhappy, and Milton’s spirit would raise her up again. His soul was like a star, his voice was like the sea’s – pure, majestic, and free. Milton wrote poems of every sort, including sonnets of the sort Wordsworth is writing here, as well as a great deal of prose, but he was best known, and most revered, for his epic Paradise Lost , that sea of majestic blank verse. Since the time of the ancients the prevalent opinion was that the epic is the highest genre, and to compose one is the highest ambition of poets, though there were a few who made fun of it. For the Roman poet Virgil the epic was the inevitable culmination of his career, which began with little poems ( Eclogues ) and then took up a middle-sized one ( Georgics ), as stages in his preparation for a great work. His Aeneid became the established model of the national epic as soon as it appeared and remained so well into the nineteenth century. Milton, however, chose a biblical theme, not a national one like the founding of Rome. His immense accomplishment lent even greater prestige to the form, but left the field clear for a national English or British epic, if there was anyone worthy of entering the lists after him. There were indeed many who tried to produce one. At least two of them were friends of Wordsworth’s and Coleridge’s: Joseph Cottle, who wrote Alfred (1800), and John Thelwall, who wrote The Hope of Albion; or, Edwin of Northumbria (1801) – both set in Anglo-Saxon times. A closer friend, Southey, came out with several epics, set in Arabia, India, Spain, or Wales. None these nor any of the others had lasting success; they are forgotten today, perhaps because the very idea of a national epic was soon to seem quaint if not absurd. Even Paradise Lost , however admired, began to feel dated by the Romantic era.
Improving the diagnosis and prediction of customer churn: A heterogeneous hazard modeling approach

The authors develop a hazard modeling approach to predict customer churn and to study the nature of the empirical link between customer churn and factors such as customer service experience, failure recovery, and payment equity. The approach uses a latent class Weibull hazard model with time-varying covariates. The model incorporates heterogeneity in both baseline hazard probabilities and in response parameters. The authors apply the model to the churn prediction problem at a continuous service provider, a direct-to-home satellite television firm based in a South American country. The empirical results show that the prediction of customer churn is significantly improved when heterogeneity is added to the customer churn rates and to the response parameters. Significant links are found between churn rates and variables capturing customer service experience, failure recovery efforts, and payment equity. Results also show important differences in the magnitude and significance of the response parameters across latent classes.
Exchange constants in the copper trimer system 3CuCl2•2dx

Abstract A high temperature series expansion for the susceptibility of an interacting trimer chain is obtained to third order J ′/ T where J ′ is the intertrimer exchange constant. This is compared with experimental data obtained by Willett's group to estimate the intratrimer exchange, J / k B = 85 K and the intertrimer exchange, J ′/ k B = −14 K.
Identification and Purification of the Rat Liver Golgi Membrane UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine Transporter

Glycosylation of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosphingolipids occurs mainly in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. Nucleotide sugars, donors of all the sugars involved in Golgi glycosylation reactions, are synthesized in the cytoplasm and require specialized transporters to be translocated into the lumen of the Golgi apparatus. By controlling the supply of sugar nucleotides in the lumen of the Golgi apparatus, these transporters directly regulate the glycosylation of macromolecules transiting the Golgi. We have identified and purified the rat liver Golgi membrane UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine transporter. The transporter was purified to apparent homogeneity by a combination of conventional and dye color chromatography. An ∼63,000-fold purification (6% yield) was achieved starting from crude rat liver Golgi membranes and resulting in a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 43 kDa. The transporter was active when reconstituted into phosphatidylcholine vesicles and could be specifically photolabeled withP 3-(4-azidoanilido)-uridine-5′-[P 1-32P]triphosphate, an analog of UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine. Native functional size determination on a glycerol gradient suggested that the transporter exists as a homodimer within the Golgi membrane.
Biphasic effect of orthophosphate on the (Na, K)-pump of human red cells

Abstract Orthophosphate (P 1 ) can both stimulate and inhibit the (Na, K)-pump in red cells. At concentrations below 0.5 mmol/1 cells, P i stimulated the pump, but at higher concentrations P i was inhibitory. The stimulation was demonstrated in intact cells by preincubation with inosine (which leads to a reduction in cellular P i concentration), and then by incubating cells in media with various P i concentrations (which relieved the inhibition caused by inosine). In inosine-treated cells there was an inverse relationship between the hematocrit during measurement of the fluxes and inhibition of the (Na, K)-pump; this was also a reflection of cellular P i , which was lower in inosine-treated cels at low hematocrit. The stimulation of the (Na, K)-pump by P i below 0.5 mmol/l cells was an indirect effect due to synthesis of ATP by membrane-bound glycolytic enzymes, which required the appropriate substrates (in addition to P i ). This was shown by studies on inside-out vesicles made from red cell membranes. In the absence of the other substrates, P i was inhibitory to Na transport in the vesicles. Above 0.5 mmol/l cells P i was inhibitory to Na transport, both in inside-out vesicles and in intact cells. The mechanism of inhibition, probably a direct effect on the (Na, K)-pump, was not determined, though product inhibition seemed likely. The dependence on P i of abnormal modes of Na transport by the pump (uncoupled Na efflux and Na/Na exchange) at low P i concentrations was less than the dependence of normal Na/K exchange. This was attributed to a requirement by the abnormal modes of a lower rate of synthesis of ATP or a lower ATP concentration.
Transaxillary carotid stenting: Technical case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE As endovascular neurointerventions continue to evolve rapidly, angioplasty and stenting of both the extracranial and intracranial vessels have become more routine procedures. When the transfemoral approach is contraindicated or technically difficult, familiarity with alternative access techniques becomes essential. We report a successful transaxillary carotid stenting in a patient with an axillary bifemoral bypass graft. CLINICAL PRESENTATION A 77-year-old man presented with a symptomatic high-grade stenosis (80%) of the left internal carotid artery. Because of the increased risk of general anesthesia related to his advanced age and severe comorbidities, stenting of the left internal carotid artery was considered. A left transaxillary approach was chosen because of the presence of an axillary bifemoral bypass graft. TECHNIQUE Under ultrasound guidance, the left axillary artery was successfully punctured and cannulated. After a 0.038 Magic Torque wire (Boston Scientific/Medi-Tech, Watertown, MA) was anchored with the tip of the wire in the distal left occipital artery, a 7-French (outer diameter) Vista Bright guiding sheath (Cordis, Miami, FL) was successfully positioned in the mid left common carotid artery, with an MPA catheter (Cordis) used as guiding support. Subsequently, two Precise stents (Cordis) were successfully deployed across the stenosis, yielding a satisfactory angiographic result. CONCLUSION With proper patient selection and the use of ultrasound guidance during the initial puncture, the transaxillary approach is a safe and technically feasible alternative to the transfemoral approach when performing carotid stenting.
Mapping radio sources with uncalibrated visibility data

There are many situations in which it is possible to detect interference fringes, but with large systematic errors in amplitudes. A new method is described for mapping objects from such data. In principle this method is applicable to any system which can produce detectable fringes, and is not limited to radio frequencies.
Characterization of a low barrier hydrogen bond in the active site of chymotrypsin

Abstract The possibility of strong hydrogen bonding in aqueous solutions is supported by spectroscopic and chemical properties of proton sponges and internally strained dicarboxylic acid monoanions in aqueous and aqueous/acetone solutions. A species of low barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) in aqueous solutions is the downfield proton in transition state analogue tetrahedral addition complexes of chymotrypsin with peptide trifluromethylketones. The LBHB proton bridges His57 and Asp102 in the hemiketal adducts of Ser195 with the peptide trifluoromethylketones. The downfield proton resonances (18.6–18.9 ppm, the deterium isotope shift, the low deuterium fractionation factors (0.3–0.4), the close contact of His57 with Asp102 in crystal structures (≤2.6 A), the high enthalpy of activation for exchange with solvent protons ( Δ H ex 0 14−19 kcal / mol ) and the high basicity of His57 (p K a 10.6–12) all support the assignment of an LBHB. In contrast to N -acetyl- l -leucyl- l -phenylalanine trifluoromethylketone, the comparable tetrahedral addition complex of the peptide aldehyde N -acetyl- l -leucyl- l -phenylalanal with Ser195 does not lead to an LBHB between His57 and Asp102 at pHs above 7. This is attributed to the high basicity of the hemiacetal adduct (p K a >13.5), so that the available proton in the active site resides on the hemiacetal hydroxyl group and not on His57.
Apical Extrusion of Sodium Hypochlorite Using Different Root Canal Irrigation Systems

Abstract Introduction Root canal irrigation carries a risk of extrusion of irrigant into the periapical tissues. The objective of this study was to compare different irrigation systems in matched pairs of teeth prepared to an apical size of 35.06 and 50.06 by measuring the frequency and extent of apical extrusion of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) into a simulated periapical environment. The null hypothesis was tested that there is no difference between systems. Methods Bilaterally matched pairs (n = 10) of single-canal extracted human anterior teeth were instrumented to an apical size of either 35.06 or 50.06. Teeth were embedded in a gel containing the pH-sensitive dye M-cresol purple that changes from yellow at pH 7.4 to purple at pH 9. Root canals were irrigated with 6% NaOCl (pH 11) by using EndoActivator (EA), EndoVac (EV), Rispi-Sonic/MicroMega 1500 (MM), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), and syringe irrigation with a slot-tipped needle (SN), so that each tooth underwent all irrigation procedures in a randomized crossover design. Apical extrusion was evaluated by image analyses. Results The frequency of extrusion was less in teeth with apical preparation size 35.06 (36%) compared with 50.06 (60%) ( P = .014) and was dependent on the irrigation system in 35.06 ( P = .039) but not 50.06 groups. In the 35.06 group the frequency of extrusion was less for EV than for MM and SN (both P = .029). The extent of extrusion was less for MM compared with PUI ( P = .024) and SN ( P = .046) in the 35.06 group and greater for SN compared with all other systems in the 50.06 group ( P Conclusions The frequency of apical extrusion of NaOCl was dependent on the type of root canal irrigation system and apical preparation size. The extent of extrusion depended on the irrigation system, with syringe and slotted-needle irrigation resulting in the greatest extent of extrusion.
Culture, Personality, and the Multiplicity of Identity: Evidence from North African Life Narratives

This article investigates identity in two autobiographies and two life-history interviews from North Africa. The autobiographies show the centrality of "key" self-representational symbols which the authors selectively draw from their cultural lexicon but invest with idiosyncratic affective meanings. The life narratives show how the "structured ambiguity" of self-symbols allows them to be reconfigured to articulate contrasting identities, among which the narrators shift. Generative models of musical cognition describe crucial features of this multiplicity. Against both modernist and postmodernist views of culture and self, narrative data argue for a distributed model of culture and for a theory of multiple identities integrated by "key" cultural symbols.
The Impact of a Diabetes Self-Management Education Program Provided Through a Telemedicine Link to Rural California Health Care Clinics

Background: This project investigated the impact of a DM self-management education program provided through a telemedicine link at nine rural health clinics in Northern California. Methods: Two hundred thirty nine patients were provided with a single 2-hour class on DM delivered through a live televideo connection. Patients provided pre-intervention information on: demographics and overall health, self-care behaviors, and knowledge about DM. All participants completed a post-education survey on knowledge and self-care behaviors. Results: There was a significant decrease in the number of patients who felt overwhelmed with their DM; pre-intervention 18.8%; post-intervention 5.4% (P , 0.0001). Patients increased the number of days they exercised; pre-intervention 3.4 days; post-intervention 3.9 days (P = 0.02). Patients increased the number of days they checked their feet; pre-intervention 4.2 days; post-intervention 5.6 days (P , 0.01). Knowledge about DM improved over the study period (P , 0.01). Conclusions: A single 2-hour class on DM administered through a telemedicine link to patients in rural health clinics resulted in feeling less overwhelmed, more knowledgeable about DM, and demonstrated an increase in self-care behavior; ie, exercise and foot care.
IQGAPs: integrators of the cytoskeleton, cell adhesion machinery, and signaling networks.

Cell motility and morphogenesis are the end prod-ucts of highly coordinated cellular activities involvingcytoskeletal structures, the machinery for cell adhesion,and signaling networks. Among the hundreds of proteinsthat contribute to cellular movements and shape changes,only a few lie at the hub of these activities by virtue ofinteracting directly with cytoskeletal, cell adhesion, andsignal transduction proteins. One such protein isIQGAP1, the ﬁrst known member of a protein family thathas a widespread, but curiously sporadic phylogeneticdistribution. IQGAP1 can bind directly to an impressivecollection of other proteins, including F-actin; the micro-tubule interacting protein, CLIP-170; the cell adhesionfactor, E-cadherin; -catenin, which couples E-cadherinto cortical actin networks and also regulates gene expres-sion through the wnt signalling pathway; calmodulin;and activated forms of the small G proteins, Rac1 andCdc42, which are intimately involved in regulating cor-tical actin networks. IQGAP1 is widely expressed amongmammalian cell types, is most concentrated in corticalregions rich in actin ﬁlaments, and has been implicated inthe control of cellular motility and morphogenesisthrough regulation of actin organization, cell-cell adhe-sion, microtubule stability, and small G proteins. Mam-mals express at least two different IQGAPs, which areE-mail: gsb4g@virginia.edu50%identicalinaminoacidsequence.ThefunctionsofIQGAP1 at the cellular and organismal levels are in theprocess of being unraveled, and very little is knownabout other mammalian IQGAPs. In contrast, geneticapproaches using
Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas

Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are an important entity for gastroenterologists and endoscopists because these lesions represent the best example of an early malignancy of the pancreas. In the past, cystic neoplasms of the pancreas were thought to be relatively rare, composing less than 10% of cancers of the pancreas. With the increasing use of cross-sectional imaging, an increasing number of these neoplasms are being seen. Cystic lesions of the pancreas are made up of a broad range of neoplastic cysts and inflammatory pseudocysts. The neoplastic cysts manifest a wide range of malignancy, from overtly malignant to premalignant lesions, and benign cystadenomas. Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas can be divided into two major categories, mucinous and nonmucinous lesions (Table 1) (1). There are three types of mucinous lesions, benign mucinous cystadenomas, malignant mucinous cystic lesions, and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). The nonmucinous lesions include microcystic serous cystadenomas and the cystic endocrine tumors.