cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The international normalized ratio overestimates coagulopathy in patients after major hepatectomy

Abstract Background The International Normalized Ratio (INR) is commonly used to guide therapy after hepatectomy. We hypothesized that the use of thrombelastography (TEG) would demonstrate a decreased incidence of hypocoagulability in this patient population. Methods Seventy-eight patients were prospectively enrolled before undergoing hepatectomy. INR, TEG, and coagulation factors were drawn before incision, postoperatively, and on postoperative days 1, 3, and 5. Results Patients demonstrated an elevated INR at all postoperative time points. However, TEG demonstrated a decreased R value postoperatively, with subsequent normalization. Other TEG measurements were equivalent to preoperative values. All procoagulant factors save factor VIII decreased postoperatively, with a simultaneous decrease in protein C. Conclusions TEG demonstrated a brief hypercoagulable state after major hepatectomy, with coagulation subsequently normalizing. The INR significantly overestimates hypocoagulability after hepatectomy and these data call into question current practices using the INR to guide therapy in this patient population.
Short-term health and economic benefits of smoking cessation: low birth weight.

Objectives. To estimate excess direct medical costs of low birth weight from maternal smoking and short-term cost savings from smoking cessation programs before or during the first trimester of pregnancy. Methods. Simulations using data on neonatal costs per live birth. Outcome measures are mean US excess direct medical cost per live birth, total excess direct medical cost, reductions in low birth weight, and savings in medical costs from an annual 1 percentage point drop in smoking prevalence among pregnant women. Results. Mean average excess direct medical cost per live birth for each pregnant smoker (in 1995 dollars) was $511; total cost was $263 million. An annual drop of 1 percentage point in smoking prevalence would prevent 1300 low birth weight live births and save $21 million in direct medical costs in the first year of the program; it would prevent 57 200 low birth weight infants and save $572 million in direct medical costs in 7 years. Conclusions. Smoking cessation before the end of the first trimester produces significant cost savings from the prevention of low birth weight.
Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Almitrine in Rat Intestinal Fluid Using Flame Ionization Detection

Abstract A simple gas liquid chromatographic procedure using flame ionization detection is described for the determination of almitrine bismesylate in intestinal fluid in the presence of 2-allylamino, 4-amino, 6-(4′, 4″-difluoro 1 benzhydryl 4-piperazinyl (s-triazine bismesylate as internal standard (IST). A linear relationship between peak area ratio (almitrine bismesylate/IST) and almitrine bismesylate concentration is found in the range of 4–400 μg/ml. The least squares regression line is Y = 3.2X + 0.01 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9994. The percent coefficient of variation of the assay within days is estimated at 1.3% for 500 μg/ml and 2.0% at 50 μg/ml.
Vapor explosions in light water reactors: A review of theory and modeling

Abstract A vapor explosion is a physical event in which a hot liquid (fuel) rapidly fragments and transfers its internal energy to a colder, more volatile liquid (coolant); in so doing, the coolant vaporizes at high pressures and expands, doing work on its sorroundings. In present day fission reactors, if complete and prolonged failure of normal and emergency coolant flow occurs, fission product decay heat would cause melting of the reactor materials. In postulated severe accident analyses vapor explosions are considered if this molten “fuel” contacts residual water in-vessel or ex-vessel, because these physical explosions have the potential of contributing to reactor vessel failure and possibly containment failure and release of radioactive fission products. Vapor explosions are also a real concern in industrial processes where a hot fluid can contact a colder volatile fluid, e.g., foundries for aluminum and steel, paper pulping mills, LNG operations. The vapor explosion is commonly divided into four phases of heat transfer: (1) quiescent mixing of fuel and coolant, (2) triggering of the explosion, (3) explosion escalation and propagation, and (4) expansion and work production. This work provides a comprehensive review of vapor explosion theory and modeling in these four areas. Current theories and modeling have led to a better understanding of the overall process, although some specific fundamental issues are either not well understood or require experimental verification of theoretical hypotheses. These key issues include the extent of fuel-coolant mixing under various contact modes, the basic fuel fragmentation mechanism, and the effect of scale on the mixing process coupled to the explosion propagation and efficiency. Current reactor safety concerns with the vapor explosion are reviewed in light of these theories and models.
Boolean Queries and Term Dependencies in Probabilistic Retrieval Models.

A method of integrating Boolean queries with probabilistic retrieval models is proposed. Boolean queries are interpreted as specifying term dependencies that can be used to correct the document scores obtained with a basic probabilistic model. Alternative methods of obtaining dependency information, such as user-specified phrases, can also be used in this approach. The experimental results indicate that significant performance benefits can be obtained, particularly when dependencies are derived from term phrases identified in natural language queries. © 1986 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
What determines the cloud-to-ground lightning fraction in thunderstorms?

The ratio of intracloud lightning (IC) to cloud-to-ground lightning (CG) in thunderstorms is observed to vary with latitude. The reason frequently given for this behavior is that the height of the freezing level, and hence the negative charge center in thunderstorms, varies with latitude, resulting in higher ratios in the tropics compared with those in midlatitudes. This study shows that this hypothesis could well be incorrect. Analysis of cloud and lightning data indicates that the IC/CG ratio is linked to the thickness of the cold cloud region in thunderstorms (0 C to cloud top), rather than to the freezing level height.
Use of two-dimensional electrophoresis to identify and map new mouse genes.

Cytosol polypeptides from mouse liver have been examined using two-dimensional electrophoresis. About 250 spots were readily discernible. When cytosols from strains BALB/cBy and C57BL/6By were compared, eight genetically determined differences were observed. Other strain pairs show comparable numbers of differences. These eight phenotypes were scored in seven recombinant inbred lines derived from the two parental strains, and their strain distribution patterns were compared with previously determined patterns for other genetic markers that differ between the two progenitor strains. Using this information, tentative chromosome assignments for the genes controlling five of the variant phenotypes have been made, and two of the assignments have been confirmed using congenic resistant strains. These eight genes will be useful reference markers in future crosses designed to map new genes.
Recent Advances in Telecommunications Avalanche Photodiodes

For high-bit-rate long-haul fiber optic communications, the avalanche photodiode (APD) is frequently the photodetector of choice owing to its internal gain, which provides a sensitivity margin relative to PIN photodiodes. APDs can achieve 5-10-dB better sensitivity than PINs, provided that the multiplication noise is low and the gain-bandwidth product is sufficiently high. In the past decade, the performance of APDs for optical fiber communication systems has improved as a result of improvements in materials and the development of advanced device structures. This paper presents a brief review of APD fundamentals and describes some of the significant advances
“Teach one, teach all” - The explosive combination of instructible robots connected via cyber systems

Combining robotic architectures with cyber systems has enormous potential for future robotic applications because it enables the possibility of online sharing of all aspects of the robotic architecture: the knowledge contained in architectural components, the parameterization of these components, the very component algorithms, as well as the architectural layout. In this paper, we discuss the potential of using cyber systems for knowledge sharing and use among multiple robots. We isolate functional requirements for the robotic middleware to enable such knowledge sharing, briefly discuss our own first steps in developing such a system, and show a proof-of-concept demonstration where two robots share and immediately use a new capability acquired through one-shot learning.
Stakeholders in systems problems

Stakeholders exist at the centre of all systems problems and are the principal contributors to the solution of these problems. We provide an approach for classifying stakeholders and determining an appropriate level of action to take with respect to these stakeholders that combines the power, legitimacy and urgency typology with a stakeholder attitude classification schema. The newly developed stakeholder strategy is a matrix that combines stakeholder attitude and classification. This matrix serves as a guide for the application of resources in support of stakeholder involvement. This technique provides systems practitioners with a means to deal with stakeholders effectively.
The impact of channel path length on PEMFC flow-field design

Distributions in reactant species concentration in a PEMFC due to local consumption of fuel and local transport of water through the membrane cause distributions in current density, temperature, and water concentration in three dimensions in a PEMFC. These distributions can lead to flooding or drying of the membrane that may shorten the life of an MEA. Changing the cell’s flow-field pattern to distribute the gas more evenly is one method of minimizing these stresses. This paper investigates how 200 cm 2 serpentine flow-fields with different number of gas paths, and thus different gas path lengths, affect performance and species distribution. The results show how the local temperature, water content, and current density distributions become more uniform for serpentine flow-field designs with shorter path lengths or larger number of channels. These results may be used to develop universal heuristics and dimensionless number correlations in the design of flow-fields and stacks. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Beyond reciprocity: gratitude and relationships in everyday life

The emotion of gratitude is thought to have social effects, but empirical studies of such effects have focused largely on the repaying of kind gestures. The current research focused on the relational antecedents of gratitude and its implications for relationship formation. The authors examined the role of naturally occurring gratitude in college sororities during a week of gift-giving from older members to new members. New members recorded reactions to benefits received during the week. At the end of the week and 1 month later, the new and old members rated their interactions and their relationships. Perceptions of benefactor responsiveness predicted gratitude for benefits, and gratitude during the week predicted future relationship outcomes. Gratitude may function to promote relationship formation and maintenance.
Visceral fat and prevalence of hypertension among African Americans and Hispanic Americans: findings from the IRAS family study.

BACKGROUND We examined the relationship between visceral adipose tissue (VAT), independent of overall adiposity, and prevalent hypertension among adults enrolled in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis (IRAS) Family Study. We also examined the role of insulin sensitivity (S(I)) upon hypertension. This was a cross-sectional epidemiological study in which African-American and Hispanic-American families were recruited from three clinical sites. The main outcome measure was prevalent hypertension, as defined by standardized protocol. METHODS The relationship between VAT and prevalent hypertension was examined in adjusted marginal models among 1,582 participants. All continuous variables were standardized. RESULTS A significant VAT by gender interaction prompted separate analyses for VAT according to gender. Further adjustment for S(I) was performed to determine its potential roles in the VAT-hypertension relationship. The mean age (s.d.) of the sample was 41.3 (13.8) years, with a mean body mass index (BMI) (s.d.) of 28.7 (6.0) kg/m2. Women comprised 58.5% of the sample (N = 925), and Hispanic Americans comprised 69.2% of the sample (N = 1,095). One in five participants (21.2%) had prevalent hypertension. In women, VAT was significantly associated with hypertension, independent of BMI (odds ratio (OR) = 1.49, P = 0.006). African-American women demonstrated increased odds of prevalent hypertension compared to Hispanic-American women (OR = 3.08, P < 0.001). Among men, VAT was not associated with hypertension independent of BMI, and BMI explained a significant amount of the variation in hypertension. CONCLUSIONS A significant relationship may exist between VAT and hypertension among women, but not among men. The relationship between VAT and hypertension in women was not associated with insulin resistance.
Pulsed Breakdown Characteristics of Helium in Partial Vacuum in kHz Range

Summary form only given. Discharge and breakdown studies have been conducted on electrical equipment operating in harsh environments for years. Most of the studies conducted and the techniques developed so far are primarily for terrestrial equipment; this cannot be extended to equipment operating at low pressure in sub-atmospheric conditions. This work presents the preliminary studies on breakdown experiments conducted in helium at partial vacuum conditions for point-to-point electrode geometry using pulsed high frequency signals. A high frequency pulsed voltage signal is applied across the electrodes and the voltage, current, and the light emission characteristics are observed. The applied signal consists of a train of square pulses at frequencies of 50 kHz and 150 kHz. The rise and fall times of these signals are in the range of 20- 30 ns and the duty cycles are varied from 10% to 50%. Results of the breakdown events and the effects of the pulse width (duty cycle) and the pulse repetition rate (signal frequency) in breakdown initiation at low pressure conditions of 0.10 to 10.0 Torr (13.33 to 1333.3 Pascal) are discussed. The optical data collected by a PMT (photomultiplier tube) and the video captured by a fast frame camera as a function of time are also presented.
The Perils of Pensions: Does Pension Accounting Lead Investors and Analysts Astray?

This paper explores the ability of investors and analysts to fully process available pension information when establishing prices and making earnings forecasts. I find that neither prices nor forecasts fully reflect the quantifiable future earnings effects of changes in pension information at the time it becomes publicly available in the firm's 10‐K. Instead, the evidence suggests that investors and analysts only gradually incorporate this information into prices and forecasts as they observe the effects of the pension plan changes on subsequent quarterly earnings. The persistent tardiness of analysts to incorporate this relevant and economically significant information about earnings is surprising given that they are provided with pension information on a repeated and timely basis. Additionally, I find that the off‐balance‐sheet portion of the pension plan's funded status and the PBO are predictive of future returns while the on‐balance‐sheet portion of the funded status is not. This implies that investo...
High density test structure array for accurate detection and localization of soft fails

To resolve performance yield issues it is required to detect and localize soft fails such as a contact having 500 ohms instead of its nominal 50 ohms. Soft fails can only be detected within very small test structures, which requires an array design to efficiently use the area of test chips. Here we present a novel high density test structure array, which will enable accurate 4 terminal measurements of 1000 or more very small devices under test (DUT) within each array. On average, only 2 selection devices are required per DUT, which will provide outstanding utilization of the test chip area. Experimental results reveal that within this array traditional test structures can be used beyond their intended purpose to detect additional defect types, which opens the door to significant reduction of overall mask and wafer consumption.
An Algorithm for Automatically Designing Deterministic Mechanisms without Payments

Mechanism design is the art of designing the rules of the game so that a desirable outcome is reached even though the agents in the game behave selfishly. This is a difficult problem because the designer is uncertain about the agentsý preferences and the agents may lie about their preferences. Traditionally, the focus in mechanism design has been on designing mechanisms that are appropriate for a range of settings. While this approach has produced a number of famous mechanisms, much of the space of possible settings is still left uncovered. In contrast, in automated mechanism design (AMD), a mechanism is computed on the fly for the setting at hand - a universally applicable approach. In this paper we present (to our knowledge) the first algorithm designed specifically for AMD. It is designed for the special case where there is only one type-reporting agent, the mechanism must be deterministic, and payments are not possible. The algorithm relies on an association of a particular (easy to compute) mechanism to each subset of outcomes, and a proof that one such mechanism is an optimal one - which allows us to reduce the search space to one of size 2|O|. We propose an admissible heuristic to use in searching over this space, and show how it can be updated efficiently from node to node. We show how to apply branch and bound DFS as well as IDA* to this search space, and show that this approach outperforms CPLEX 8.0, a general-purpose solver, solidly on unstructured instances, both with and without an IR constraint. However, on our third type of instance, a bartering problem, CPLEX almost achieves the performance of our algorithm by exploiting the structure inherent in the domain.
Preoxidation treatment using HCl/HF vapor

Replacement of the conventional two-step sequence of aqueous HF dummy oxide strip and wet clean by a one-step vapor phase HCl/HF/H/sub 2/O strip was investigated. Results indicated improvements in the electrical endurance of grown silicon dioxide and that the vapor mixture containing HCl was effective in reducing the detrimental effects caused by deliberately introduced contaminants. Compared with the conventional wet cleans, a 20% improvement in oxide lifetime was observed. Further improvements should be possible with proper optimization of the quantative composition or the constituents of the vapor. >
God's self-specification: his being is his electing

The article considers the relationship between divine will and being as revealed in election, particularly according to Karl Barth's unique formulation of the doctrine. It comes at the salient features of this relationship by way of a public disagreement between Bruce McCormack and Paul Molnar. In agreement with McCormack, the author contends, on the basis of Barth's provocative claim that Jesus Christ is not just object but subject of election, that we cannot speak of God's being apart from his will for humanity, and this from all eternity, or in God's most intimate primordiality. Yet echoing Molnar, this observation does not entail the logical priority of grace to being. The author argues that a thoroughgoing commitment to conceiving of the being of God in the act of electing means affirming the eternal simultaneity and indeed reciprocity of will and being, as Jesus Christ is the full and total revelation of both. One cannot serve as ground for the other. As such, a preferable way of construing election is as the decisive statement of Godself – the primordial, eternal iteration of God for humanity – or the specification of divine being.
Crystal Ball Results on Tau Decays

This report reviews measurements and upper limit determinations for a number of exclusive 1-prong tau decay modes using the Crystal Ball detector. These results are important input to the apparent discrepancy between the topological and sum-of-exclusive branching fractions in 1-prong tau decays.
Frequency-Specific Interaural Level Difference Tuning Predicts Spatial Response Patterns of Space-Specific Neurons in the Barn Owl Inferior Colliculus

Space-specific neurons in the barn owl's inferior colliculus have spatial receptive fields (RFs) because of sensitivity to interaural time difference and frequency-specific interaural level difference (ILD). These neurons are assumed to be tuned to the frequency-specific ILDs occurring at their spatial RFs, but attempts to assess this tuning with traditional narrowband stimuli have had limited success. Indeed, tuning assessed in this manner, when processed via a linear model of spectral integration, typically explains only approximately half the variance in spatial response patterns. Here we report our findings that frequency-specific ILD tuning of space-specific neurons, when assessed from responses to broadband stimuli, predicted nearly 75% of the variance in spatial responses, using a linear model of spectral integration ( p < 0.0001; n = 97 neurons). Furthermore, when we tested neurons using only those frequencies we found to be spatially relevant, we saw that their responses were similar to those elicited by broadband stimuli. When we used frequencies not identified as spatially relevant, such similarity was lacking. Furthermore, spectral components that elicited high firing rates when presented as narrowband stimuli were found in several cases to be irrelevant for or detrimental to the definition of spatial RFs. Thus, neurons achieved sharp spatial tuning by selecting for ILDs of a subset of spectral components in noise, some of which were not identified using narrowband stimuli.
Goat Island: Od. 9.116–141

Before Odysseus and his companions cross over to the land of the Cyclopes, they land on an island, which is described in unusual length and detail (9.116–41). It is inhabited only by wild goats; no hunters disturb them. It possesses neither flocks nor cultivated land, sown or ploughed, since no men live there. The Cyclopes, while nearby, have no ships, nor are there shipwrights who might build ships on which men travel to every city. The island could be made to flourish, for the soil is rich and would bear all things in season. In addition, it contains well-watered meadows, good for vineyards, and a fine protected harbour which requires no mooring.
Abstractions for Cloud Computing with Condor

Contents 7.1 Introduction 153 7.2Condor as a Cloud Computer 155 7.3Map Abstraction 157 7.4All-Pairs Abstraction 159 7.5Sparse-Pairs Abstraction 160 7.6Wavefront Abstraction 162 7.7Directed Graph Abstraction 164 7.8Choosing the Right Abstraction 167 7.9Conclusion 168 Acknowledgments 169 References 169154
Central Nervous System Hypersomnias

Hypersomnias of central origin are relatively rare when compared to hypersomnia secondary to medical conditions like sleep-disordered breathing and consist of the following conditions: narcolepsy (type 1) with cataplexy, narcolepsy (type 2) without cataplexy, idiopathic hypersomnia, Kleine–Levin syndrome, and behaviorally induced insufficient sleep syndrome
Competencies in Physical Therapy: A Resource for Written Self-Assessment and Clinical Performance Evaluation and a Component of a Department's Quality Assurance Program

This article was written to demonstrate how clinical competence in ultrasound administration can be reviewed. A team of two members of the Minnesota Competency Consortium developed two tests: 1) a written examination that could be used as a tool to assess the knowledge of physical therapists in physical therapy departments and 2) a skills-mastery check list to assess ultrasound treatment skills. Both tests followed the competency hierarchy of Competencies in Physical Therapy: An Analysis of Practice . As one component of a physical therapy department's quality assurance program, the tests also were used to identify educational needs in order to develop programs to meet those needs.
Why Alkynyl Substituents Dramatically Accelerate Hexadehydro-Diels–Alder (HDDA) Reactions: Stepwise Mechanisms of HDDA Cycloadditions

The hexadehydro-Diels–Alder (HDDA) reactions between suitably substituted 1,3-diynes and alkynes produce highly reactive benzynes under thermal conditions without catalysts. DFT calculations and distortion/interaction analyses show that, for the activated substrates, the stepwise diradical pathway is more favorable than the concerted [4 + 2] process. One manifestation of this mechanism is that alkynyl substituents dramatically accelerate HDDA reactions, mainly by decreasing the distortion energy required to achieve the diradical transition state.
The acquisition of variation in second-language Spanish: An agenda for integrating studies of the L2 sound system

The current study aims to stimulate further interest in interdisciplinary studies of variation in the second-language sound system, to outline the issues that must be considered to establish respect across the various disciplines implicated in this line of research, and to present findings from original research that constitutes a first step toward examining this area of second-language acquisition. By examining the acquisition of two phonetic variants in second-language Spanish, one that is largely geographic (/?/) and one that is conditioned by a range of social factors (/s/-weakening), we show that a large participant pool is needed to study the acquisition of second-dialect features and that the frequency and graphemic contexts in which learners use these features vary. We also identify a range of individual characteristics that appear to influence the acquisition of a second dialect and show that explaining why some learners use socially-conditioned phonetic features requires a complex account of learning experience that includes but is not limited to length, location and purpose of experience abroad, present patterns of contact with native speakers of the language and psycho-social factors linked to language attitudes.
Mental Optometry: The Mind’s Eye, You Go Where You’re Looking

The term, Mental Optometry, is newly developed concept that can be used to describe the interplay between mind, brain, and sensory interpretations. Taken from the premise of behavioral optometry and research explaining body orientation to physical field of vision, what we see or perceive with our mind’s eye, emotions and behaviors will also follow in the same manner. While not explicitly referred to in such a manner, cognitive, cognitive behavioral, and cognitive bias formation theories imply such a concept as being foundational to their systems. Mental Optometry arms the theorist and practitioner with a neurobiological empowered understanding of mood, emotion, thought, and interpretations of visual stimuli such that therapeutic interventions can be developed to assist patients in recognizing and altering skewed interpretations of what they think they see (the mind’s eye) – imagery that may deleteriously support negative cognitions leading to negative mood states.
Investigation on cockroaches density and invasion situation in Taian urban area

Objective To determine the current cockroaches invasion situation in Taian urban area and provide scientific evidence for the work of killing pests. Methods Investigating the population density and the seasonal decay trend of cockroaches in various business by visual observation and drug-excitation. Results 3 kinds of cockroaches were found.Of all cockroaches investigated,the Periplaneta americana accounted for 61.81%,the Blattella germanica 23.13% and the Periplaneta fuliginosa 16.06%.The highest density of cockroaches was in July and August.Conclusion To control the density of cockroach,it is necessary to take different measures according to the different environment and occasion.
Efficacy of aerosols based on 6 kinds of insecticides compound against mosquitoes,flies and cockroaches

Objective In order to observe the efficacy of aerosol insecticides based on pyrethroids in killing Culex pipiens pallens,Musca domestica and Blattella germanica.Methods KT50 of the six kinds of aerosol insecticides were tested according to GB/T 13917.2-2009 in hermetic round canister;killing efficacy in analogous sites were tested according to GB/T13917.10-2009.Results The KT50 of six kinds of aerosol insecticides compound to Cx.pipiens pallens and M.domestica were less than 1.6 min,KT50 of five kinds of insecticides compound were less than 1 min to B.germanica except NO.2 which was over 2.0 min.The 24 h mortality of insects used in the hermetic round canister were 100%.The one hour killing efficacy of the six aerosol insecticides in analogous sites to Cx.pipiens pallens,M.domestica and B.germanica were 100%.Conclusion The six aerosol insecticides compound all show fast killing effects in killing Cx.pipiens pallens,M.domestica and B.germanica.
Health status of radiation workers in Changsu City in 2010

[Objective]To perform occupational health examination on radiation workers,and protect their health.[Methods]The examination was performed according to "Occupational Health Management Approach for Radiation Worker" unified by the Ministry of Health.[Results]A total of 719 workers exposed to radiation,27 had leukopenia,lens opacity on 48 workers,the chromosome aberration rate was 0.40‰ and lymphocyte micronucleus rate was 0.49‰.[Conclusion]The incidence of chromosome aberration and lymphocyte micronucleus of workers with radiation exposure is higher than that of workers without exposure.
An Examination of Shortages of Consumer Goods in the Polish Marketplace

This paper offers an examination of various as-pects of consumer goods shortages in the Polish marketplace. In part, these are “real" shortages" acknowledged by central planners and confirmed by production and foreign trade statistics. However, inefficiencies in the distribution system magnify the problem by creating “artificial shortages." Widespread consumer hoarding and the development of systems of “preferred position" among consumers further aggravate the basic problem.
Metaphors of The Self: Disraeli’s Early Fiction

Describing the process of writing Death in Venice, Thomas Mann recalled, ‘Originally the tale was to be brief and modest. But things or whatever better word there may be for the conception organic have a will of their own, and shape themselves accordingly… The truth is that every piece of work is a realization, fragmentary but complete in itself, of our individuality; and this kind of realization is the sole and painful way we have of getting the particular experience — no wonder, then, that the process is attended by surprises.’1 Mann reminds us that the author both creates a text and discovers an aspect of his or her self during its creation. In Disraeli’s first four novels — Vivian Grey (1826–27), The Young Duke (1831), Contarini Fleming (1832) and The Wondrous Tale of Alroy (1833), he ‘realized’ aspects of his individuality. Not only did he create imagined worlds in his novels, but the novels played a crucial role in creating his character and personality. In discussing Disraeli’s first four novels, I shall argue that understanding the symbiotic relationship between author and text is an essential condition to appreciating his art. An 1833 entry in Disraeli’s ‘mutilated’ diary shows that the novels compensate for his failure to excel even as they protest against accepted English conventions and manners:
The Role of Cognitive and Evolutionary Processes in Guiding Gaze Patterns While Viewing Transgender Women

Eye gaze patterns of cisgender men and women were observed while they viewed photographs of transgender and cisgender women. Past scene perception research suggested that body regions that are consistent or inconsistent with one’s expectations for transgender women’s bodies could attract eye gaze while viewing a transgender woman. We did observe a tendency for participants to view body regions that were consistent with their expectations for transgender women’s bodies more than inconsistent body regions. Evolutionary psychological research suggested eye gaze should be drawn to chests. If a woman’s chest area is important to assess for mate selection related reasons, participants should have viewed the chest more than other regions and male participants should view the chest more than female participants. We found mixed support for evolutionary theory. In some analyses it appeared the chest did attract eye gaze more than other less evolutionarily important body regions while in others it did not. Contradicting evolutionary psychological theory, we did not observe a tendency for male viewers to look more than female viewers at a transgender or cisgender woman’s chest.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting as Refractory Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Diagnostic and Management Challenge. A Case Report and Concise Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is one of the thrombotic microangiopathic (TMA) syndromes, caused by severely reduced activity of the vWF-cleaving protease ADAMTS13. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that affects various organs in the body, including the hematopoietic system. SLE can present with TMA, and differentiating between SLE and TTP in those cases can be very challenging, particularly in patients with no prior history of SLE. Furthermore, an association between these 2 diseases has been described in the literature, with most of the TTP cases occurring after the diagnosis of SLE. In rare cases, TTP may precede the diagnosis of SLE or occur concurrently. CASE REPORT We present a case of a previously healthy 34-year-old female who presented with dizziness and flu-like symptoms and was found to have thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and schistocytes in the peripheral smear. She was subsequently diagnosed with TTP and started on plasmapheresis and high-dose steroids, but without a sustained response. A diagnosis of refractory TTP was made, and she was transferred to our facility for further management. Initially, the patient was started on rituximab, but her condition continued to deteriorate, with worsening thrombocytopenia. Later, she also fulfilled the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria for diagnosis of SLE. Treatment of TTP in SLE patients is generally similar to that in the general population, but in refractory cases there are few reports in the literature that show the efficacy of cyclophosphamide. We started our patient on cyclophosphamide and noticed a sustained improvement in the platelet count in the following weeks. CONCLUSIONS Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a life-threatening hematological emergency which must be diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Refractory cases of TTP have been described in the literature, but without clear evidence-based guidelines for its management, and is solely based on expert opinion and previous case reports. Further studies are needed to establish guidelines for its management. We present this case to highlight the role that cyclophosphamide might carry in those cases and to be a foundation for these future studies.
Equivalence of the Aubin bargaining set and the set of competitive equilibria in a finite coalition production economy

Abstract Mas-Colell (Mas-Colell, 1989) proved that the bargaining set and the set of competitive allocations coincide in an exchange economy with a continuum of traders under some standard assumptions. In the case of pure exchange economies with a finite number of traders it is well-known that the set of competitive allocations could be a strict subset of the core which can also be a strict subset of the bargaining set. In this paper, we show that the Aubin bargaining set (or fuzzy bargaining set) and the set of competitive allocations coincide in a finite coalition production economy under some standard assumptions. We also show that the (Mas-Colell) bargaining set shrinks to the set of competitive allocations in a finite coalition production economy E under some standard conditions when E is replicated. As a consequence, the existence of competitive equilibrium in a finite coalition production economy implies the nonemptiness of Aubin bargaining sets.
Turning physicists into quantum mechanics

Quantum computing, quantum encryption and quantum teleportation: today's physics journals sound morelike Star Trek than ever. Based on the weird and counterintuitive features of quantum mechanics, these concepts have been brought to fruition in recent years by theorists and experimentalists alike. Indeed, these ideas are now leaving physics laboratories and being used by industry to make real products. Who knows what revolutions await in computation and communications from these budding breakthroughs?
CRISPRi-mediated metabolic engineering of E. coli for O -methylated anthocyanin production

Anthocyanins are a class of brightly colored, glycosylated flavonoid pigments that imbue their flower and fruit host tissues with hues of predominantly red, orange, purple, and blue. Although all anthocyanins exhibit pH-responsive photochemical changes, distinct structural decorations on the core anthocyanin skeleton also cause dramatic color shifts, in addition to improved stabilities and unique pharmacological properties. In this work, we report for the first time the extension of the reconstituted plant anthocyanin pathway from (+)-catechin to O-methylated anthocyanins in a microbial production system, an effort which requires simultaneous co-option of the endogenous metabolites UDP-glucose and S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM or AdoMet). Anthocyanin O-methyltransferase (AOMT) orthologs from various plant sources were co-expressed in Escherichia coli with Petunia hybrida anthocyanidin synthase (PhANS) and Arabidopsis thaliana anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase (At3GT). Vitis vinifera AOMT (VvAOMT1) and fragrant cyclamen ‘Kaori-no-mai’ AOMT (CkmOMT2) were found to be the most effective AOMTs for production of the 3′-O-methylated product peonidin 3-O-glucoside (P3G), attaining the highest titers at 2.4 and 2.7 mg/L, respectively. Following modulation of plasmid copy number and optimization of VvAOMT1 and CkmOMT2 expression conditions, production was further improved to 23 mg/L using VvAOMT1. Finally, CRISPRi was utilized to silence the transcriptional repressor MetJ in order to deregulate the methionine biosynthetic pathway and improve SAM availability for O-methylation of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (C3G), the biosynthetic precursor to P3G. MetJ repression led to a final titer of 51 mg/L (56 mg/L upon scale-up to shake flask), representing a twofold improvement over the non-targeting CRISPRi control strain and 21-fold improvement overall. An E. coli strain was engineered for production of the specialty anthocyanin P3G using the abundant and comparatively inexpensive flavonol precursor, (+)-catechin. Furthermore, dCas9-mediated transcriptional repression of metJ alleviated a limiting SAM pool size, enhancing titers of the methylated anthocyanin product. While microbial production of P3G and other O-methylated anthocyanin pigments will likely be valuable to the food industry as natural food and beverage colorants, we expect that the strain constructed here will also prove useful to the ornamental plant industry as a platform for evaluating putative anthocyanin O-methyltransferases in pursuit of bespoke flower pigment compositions.
Effect of Pitching Consecutive Days in Youth Fast-Pitch Softball Tournaments on Objective Shoulder Strength and Subjective Shoulder Symptoms.

Background:The windmill pitching motion has been associated with risk for shoulder injury. Because there are no pitching limits on youth fast-pitch softball pitchers, these athletes often pitch multiple games across consecutive days. Strength changes, fatigue levels, and shoulder pain that develop among female fast-pitch pitchers over the course of consecutive days of pitching have not been investigated.Hypothesis:Over the course of 2- and 3-day fast-pitch softball tournaments, pitchers will develop progressive objective weakness and increased subjective shoulder fatigue and pain without complete recovery between days.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Fourteen female fast-pitch softball pitchers between the ages of 14 and 18 years were evaluated for strength and fatigue changes across 2- and 3-day tournaments. At the beginning and end of each day of tournament play, pitchers were asked to quantify shoulder fatigue and shoulder pain levels of their dominant throwing arm using...
Immunogenicity of clear cell ovarian cancer: Association with ARID1A loss, microsatellite instability and endometriosis.

5514Background: Studies of immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies) in ovarian cancer have demonstrated isolated responses in tumors with clear cell histology. In order to as...
Development of Sm-Co permanent magnets

Samarium-cobalt alloys opened the era of the rare-earth permanent magnets, in which the energy density of magnets increased by a factor of ten in the first few decades.
Covariance NMR Processing and Analysis for Protein Assignment

During NMR resonance assignment it is often necessary to relate nuclei to one another indirectly, through their common correlations to other nuclei. Covariance NMR has emerged as a powerful technique to correlate such nuclei without relying on error-prone peak peaking. However, false-positive artifacts in covariance spectra have impeded a general application to proteins. We recently introduced pre- and postprocessing steps to reduce the prevalence of artifacts in covariance spectra, allowing for the calculation of a variety of 4D covariance maps obtained from diverse combinations of pairs of 3D spectra, and we have employed them to assign backbone and sidechain resonances in two large and challenging proteins. In this chapter, we present a detailed protocol describing how to (1) properly prepare existing 3D spectra for covariance, (2) understand and apply our processing script, and (3) navigate and interpret the resulting 4D spectra. We also provide solutions to a number of errors that may occur when using our script, and we offer practical advice when assigning difficult signals. We believe such 4D spectra, and covariance NMR in general, can play an integral role in the assignment of NMR signals.
The Decision-Feedback Equalizer [A Circuit for All Seasons]

The decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) dates back to the 1960s [1] and began to appear in high-speed wireline communication systems in the early 2000s. In this article, we study the properties of this circuit and describe its "analog" implementations.
Endothelial Cell-Derived Von Willebrand Factor, But Not Platelet-Derived, Promotes Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice.

Objective— VWF (von Willebrand factor) is synthesized by endothelial cells and megakaryocytes and is known to contribute to atherosclerosis. In vitro studies suggest that platelet-derived VWF (Plt-VWF) is biochemically and functionally different from endothelial cell–derived VWF (EC-VWF). We determined the role of different pools of VWF in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Approach and Results— Using bone marrow transplantation, we generated chimeric Plt-VWF, EC-VWF, and Plt-VWF mice lacking a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13 in platelets and plasma on apolipoprotein E–deficient ( Apoe −/− ) background. Controls were chimeric Apoe −/− mice transplanted with bone marrow from Apoe −/− mice (wild type) and Vwf −/− Apoe −/− mice transplanted with bone marrow from Vwf −/− Apoe −/− mice (VWF-knock out). Susceptibility to atherosclerosis was evaluated in whole aortae and cross-sections of the aortic sinus in female mice fed a high-fat Western diet for 14 weeks. VWF-knock out, Plt-VWF, and Plt-VWF mice lacking a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13 exhibited reduced plaque size characterized by smaller necrotic cores, reduced neutrophil and monocytes/macrophages content, decreased MMP9, MMP2, and CX 3 CL1-positive area, and abundant interstitial collagen ( P Conclusions— EC-VWF, but not Plt-VWF, contributes to VWF-dependent atherosclerosis by promoting platelet adhesion and vascular inflammation. Plt-VWF even in the absence of a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13, both in platelet and plasma, was not sufficient to promote atherosclerosis.
Motor skills intervention research of children with disabilities.

Abstract Background Physical inactivity and obesity among children with physical and cognitive disabilities is an emerging public health issue. Children’s motor skill development is a determinant of lifelong physical activity and obesity. Aims The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate motor skill intervention literature among children with physical and cognitive disabilities. Methods and procedures Electronic searches were completed to identity research articles published from 1984 to 2014. Major findings were categorized among subtopics including characteristics of intervention studies, research designs, diagnostic method, motor skill interventions and motor skill outcome. Outcomes and results 21 studies were found and included participants with developmental delay (42.8%), autism (19.0%), cross-disability (19.0%), intellectual disability (4.8%), cerebral palsy (4.8%), developmental coordination disorder (4.8%), and learning disabilities (4.8%). Only one study was a randomized controlled trial. Conclusions and implications: The current literature on motor skill intervention research is broad in scope and has limited generalizability within and across disability groups. Future research is needed to develop cross-disability intervention methods adaptable to disability and function-specific needs, including the utilization of rapidly developing technology. Researchers are encouraged to utilize sound methodology with robust theoretical foundations. Family and community engagement is encouraged in intervention delivery.
Abstract P358: Dietary Fat Quality and Risk of CHD in the 28 Year Follow-up of a Large Prospective Study of US Women

Background: The importance of fat quality is reflected in the recent 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend reducing saturated fat intake, and replacing this with polyunsaturated fa...
Reelin/Dab1 Signaling in the Developing Cerebral Cortex

Mice lacking the cytoplasmic adapter protein Dab1 (Disabled homolog-1) display histological defects in the central nervous system (CNS) that are essentially indistinguishable from those observed in the reeler mouse. Dab1 is expressed in virtually all Reelin-responsive cells and is rapidly phosphorylated in response to Reelin application. The finding of a near identity in phenotype, coupled with a direct biochemical response to Reelin, has raised great interest in understanding Dab1 function, both as an exemplar of an adapter protein with a profound phenotypic contribution, and as a means of decoding mechanisms of Reelin signaling. What has emerged from these studies is a surprisingly complex picture of Dab1 at the genomic, mRNA, protein, and functional levels. This chapter will summarize some of the key features of Dab1, and its role as a transducer of the Reelin signal in the developing cerebral cortex.