cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Finance Capital, Neo-Liberalism and Critical Institutionalism

Classical critical institutionalism is compared to recent 'neo-instititutionalism' in economics, sociology and organizational studies. Both approaches developed during a regime change within capitalism, crisis periods of economic change and destabilized relationships between capitalist sectors and social institutions. Unlike mainstream economics, institutional approaches map these changing connections between capitalist sectors (finance and industrial capital, for instance) and between economic and social institutions. The critical institutionalists were much more critical of society, mainstream economics and finance capital as a destructive force, a stance that has continuing utility for the analysis of global capitalism and neo-liberal finance capital. The new institutionalists, while uncritically positivist and administrative in their orientation to the capitalist system, have nevertheless devised useful concepts and theories of economic organ- ization and structure. A new, condensed critical institutionalism is needed to better analyze neo- liberal finance capital in this era of globalization.
Grain Size Control of Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals Using the Space Charge Concept

Grain growth kinetics and grain-boundary segregation of 12Ce-TZP and 2Y-TZg containing divalent to pentavalent cationic dopants, were studied. In all cases, normal grain growth following the parabolic growth relation was observed at higher temperatures. The mobility of grain boundaries was suppressed by the addition of divalent and trivalent cations, unchanged or enhanced by the addition of tetravalent and pentavalent cations. Larger cations have a stronger effect in suppressing grain growth. From ESCA, AES, and STEM analysis of the near grain-boundary regions, it is further concluded that only divalent and trivalent cations segregate. These observations can be satisfactorily rationalized using the space charge concept and the model of impurity drag. [Key words: grain growth, tetragonal zircoda polycrystals, segregation, grain boundaries, dopants.]
Analysis of task assignment with cycle stealing under central queue

We consider the problem of task assignment in a distributed server system, where short jobs are separated from long jobs, but short jobs may be run in the long job partition if it is idle (cycle stealing). Jobs are assumed to be nonpreemptible, where short and long jobs have generally distributed service requirements, and arrivals are Poisson. We consider two variants of this problem: a central queue model and an immediate dispatch model. This paper presents the first analysis of cycle stealing under the central-queue model. (Cycle stealing under the immediate dispatch model is analyzed in [9]). The analysis uses a technique which we refer to as busy period transitions. Results show that cycle stealing can reduce mean response time for short jobs by orders of magnitude, while long jobs are only slightly penalized. Furthermore using a central queue yields significant performance improvement over immediate dispatch, both from the perspective of the benefit to short jobs and the penalty to long jobs.
An H-2 Linked Gene, PED, Influences the Timing of Early Mouse Embryo Development

The preimplantation period of development is crucial for the survival of mammalian species. During this time the fertilized egg goes through a series of cleavage divisions and cell differentiation events leading to blastocyst formation. Only then can the embryo implant in the uterus and continue its development. We have discovered a gene, Ped, Preimplantation embryo development, linked to the H-2 complex, which influences the rate of early mouse embryo development. The Ped gene maps to the Q region of the H-2 complex. Moreover, concordance of expression of the fast Ped allele with the presence of Qa-2 antigens on preimplantation embryos, and concordance of expression of the slow Ped allele with the absence of Qa-2 antigens on preimplantation embryos, have been found. On the basis of these results we have hypothesized that the Ped gene product may be the Qa-2 antigen.
Neurologic aspects of traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is a common neurologic condition that can have a significant emotional and financial burden. Neurologic injury is classified on the basis of initial clinical status by the Glasgow Coma Scale, and also by the type and location of head injury. Complications in the management of these patients are reviewed, ranging from intracranial pressure management and stroke to post-traumatic epilepsy. In addition, predictive prognostic variables that can be used to predict outcome based on a patient's presentation at the time of a head trauma are discussed. Finally, interventions such as induced hypothermia that can be undertaken to try to optimize outcome, are discussed along with current data in support of or against such techniques.
Open loop compensation for the eddy current effect in the APS storage ring vacuum chamber

Results of the effort to counter the effect due to the finite inductance of the magnet and the eddy current in the 1/2-in-thick aluminum storage ring vacuum chamber are presented. The amplitude attenuation and the phase shift of the correction magnet field inside the APS storage ring vacuum chamber were measured. A circuit to compensate for this effect was then inserted between the signal source and the magnet power supply. The amplitude was restored with an error of less than 20% of the source signal amplitude and the phase shift was reduced from 80 degrees to 12 degrees at 10 Hz. Incorporation of this circuit in the closed-loop feedback scheme and the resulting beneficial effect in the closed-orbit stabilization is discussed. >
Biologic Effects of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor α Blockade in Uterine Cancer

Purpose: Platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) expression is frequently observed in many kinds of cancer and is a candidate for therapeutic targeting. This preclinical study evaluated the biologic significance of PDGFRα and PDGFRα blockade (using a fully humanized monoclonal antibody, 3G3) in uterine cancer. Experimental Design: Expression of PDGFRα was examined in uterine cancer clinical samples and cell lines, and biologic effects of PDGFRα inhibition were evaluated using in vitro (cell viability, apoptosis, and invasion) and in vivo (orthotopic) models of uterine cancer. Results: PDGFRα was highly expressed and activated in uterine cancer samples and cell lines. Treatment with 3G3 resulted in substantial inhibition of PDGFRα phosphorylation and of downstream signaling molecules AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Cell viability and invasive potential of uterine cancer cells were also inhibited by 3G3 treatment. In orthotopic mouse models of uterine cancer, 3G3 monotherapy had significant antitumor effects in the PDGFRα-positive models (Hec-1A, Ishikawa, Spec-2) but not in the PDGFRα-negative model (OVCA432). Greater therapeutic effects were observed for 3G3 in combination with chemotherapy than for either drug alone in the PDGFRα-positive models. The antitumor effects of therapy were related to increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation and angiogenesis. Conclusions: These findings identify PDGFRα as an attractive target for therapeutic development in uterine cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 20(10); 2740–50. ©2014 AACR .
Hepatitis C virus infection among HIV-positive men who have sex with men: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Outbreaks of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been reported in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in North America, Europe and Asia. Transmission is believed to be the result of exposure to blood during sexual contact. In those infected with HIV, acute HCV infection is more likely to become chronic, treatment for both HIV and HCV is more complicated and HCV disease progression may be accelerated. There is a need for systematic reviews and meta-analyses to synthesize the epidemiology, prevention and methods to control HCV infection in this population. Methods/design: Eligible studies will include quantitative empirical data related to sexual transmission of HCV in HIV-positive MSM, including data describing incidence or prevalence, and associations between risk factors or interventions and the occurrence or progression of HCV disease. Care will be taken to ensure that HCV transmission related to injection drug use is excluded from the incidence estimates. Scientific databases will be searched using a comprehensive search strategy. Proceedings of scientific conferences, reference lists and personal files will also be searched. Quality ratings will be assigned to each eligible report using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Pooled estimates of incidence rates and measures of association will be calculated using random effects models. Heterogeneity will be assessed at each stage of data synthesis. Discussion: HIV-positive MSM are a key HCV-affected population in the US and other high-income countries. This review seeks to identify modifiable risk factors and settings that will be the target of interventions, and will consider how to constitute a portfolio of interventions to deliver the greatest health benefit. This question must be considered in relation to the magnitude of HCV infection and its consequences in other key affected populations, namely, young prescription opioid users who have transitioned to illicit opiate injection, and older injection drug users among whom HCV prevalence and incidence are extremely high. This review is part of a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses that will synthesize the evidence across all these population groups and develop recommendations and decision tools to guide public health resource allocation.
The Architectural Fossil: James Fergusson, Geology, and World History

With the increased complexity of global history in the field of architecture, significant methodological questions have been raised that seek to clarify not only the project’s parameters of success, but also its inherited modes of knowing. In the modern era, many cite James Fergusson and his A History of Architecture in All Countries from the Earliest Times to the Present Day (1865–1867) as one of the first major exercises in the genre. This paper seeks to highlight the epistemological strategies of Fergusson’s world history, looking specifically at the impact of mid-19th century geology and ethnography to explain his modelling of the world through architectural difference. Geology afforded Fergusson the “lithic” language to frame history as an observable process that persisted from deep time to the present with understandable and uniform rules, treating architecture as a fossil to be analysed, categorised, and finally mobilised in his mission for a national style.
An enhanced MRO method for smart antenna capable (H)eNBs in LTE networks

A self-optimization function called mobility robustness optimization (MRO) is to gradually find-tune the handover configuration parameters by analyzing handover history. It is expected that the smart antenna can help the MRO function to further decrease the number of radio link failures. However, current MRO function does not take smart antenna into consideration. This paper proposes an enhanced MRO method which supports base stations with smart antennas. This method proposes the idea of beam pattern pair which is a pair of source beam angle and target beam angle. A beam pattern pair classification method is also proposed which utilizes the historical statistics of handovers to fine-tune the handover configuration parameters each for a group of beam pattern pairs so as to reduce the radio link failures. Simulation results show that the proposed beam-pattern based MRO method is 7% lower than the normal MRO method with respect to the radio link failure rate.
Compact, Tunable Optical Devices in Silicon-Oxynitride Waveguide Technology

We present an optical waveguide technology for low-loss, compact and tunable planar integrated optical devices. Examples of devices realized in this technology include finite and infinite impulse response (FIR and HR) filters and optical switches.
Soviet Modernity: Stephen Kotkin and The Bolshevik Predicament

‘Modernity’ has long been a working category of historical analysis in Russian and Soviet studies. Like any established category, it bears a history of its own characterised by founding assumptions, conceptual possibilities and lasting interpretive habits. Stephen Kotkin's work has played a special role in framing the kind of scholarship this category has enabled and the kind of modernity it has assigned to twentieth-century Russia. Kotkin's 1995 Magnetic Mountain introduced the concept of ‘socialist modernity’. His continued work with the concept in his 2001 Kritika article ‘Modern Times’ and his 2001 Armageddon Averted marked crucial moments in the history of the discipline and have positioned the author as a pioneering and dominant voice on the subject for nearly two decades. Given the defining nature of Kotkin's work, a critical discussion of its impact on the way the discipline conceives of Soviet modernisation and presents it to non-Russian fields is perhaps overdue. Here, I approach Kotkin's work on modernity as the field's collective property in need of a critical, deconstructive reading for its underlying assumptions, prescribed master narratives, and resultant paradoxes.
Epidemiological Analysis on 416 Cases of Influenza A H1N1

[Objective] To analyze the epidemiologic features of 416 cases of Influenza A H1N1 in Shunyi District of Beijing City in 2009, and provide scientific evidence for further control of H1N1 flu.[Methods]A statistical analysis was performed on laboratory testing results and epidemiological data.[Results]The peak of flu appeared in late Autumn and early Winter, adolescents and youths were susceptible population, constituent ratio of patients in 7~30 years age group was different from that of 7 years age group and 30 years age group, the difference was significant (P0.05). Vaccination was one of the effective measures for prevention of disease outbreak.[Conclusion]School and airport are the focus location for prevention of H1N1 flu; it is necessary to further improve the health education to let more people know the knowledge about H1Nl flu, and to popularize the concept of "The H1N1 flu can be prevented, controlled and cured".
The medical evaluation of the elderly preoperative patient.

SUMMARY Improvements in anesthesia and surgical techniques have greatly reduced the perioperative mortality and morbidity of elderly patients.13 Mortality is more closely correlated with pathology, type of surgery, and duration of anesthesia rather than with age.33 Particular attention should be directed toward cardiac and pulmonary status, because operative mortality and morbidity is related, for the most part, to cardiovascular and pulmonary complications. Postoperatively, the occurrence of pulmonary emboli and painless myocardial infarctions is more common in this age group. Elderly patients are more often confused postoperatively owing to the residual effect of anesthetics, analgesics, fever, and electrolyte disturbances. The stress of surgery and unfamiliar surroundings are also frequent precipitating causes. Orthostatic blood pressure and pulse readings should be checked before ambulating elderly patients who have been at bed rest for more than 2 to 3 days because of the frequent occurrence of orthostatic hypotension. Pressure sores, incontinence, and aspiration pneumonia may also occur owing to immobility. The elderly patient’s functional status and mental status may be enhanced by simple encouragement, early mobilization, and by social interaction.29 It is not possible to precisely define the risks of a proposed procedure, nor can the physician eliminate all risks from a surgical procedure. The risks a particular patient is subjected to depend on the complex interplay of the preoperative medical condition of the patient, the type of surgery proposed, and the skill and expertise of the anesthesiologist and surgeon. We must strive to achieve the goal of bringing our patient to the operating room in the best possible condition in the time available.
Effect of breastfeeding on neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Editor’s note: The lead author of the article in question (reference 1) has informed the editors that breastfeeding data were not collected . Recently, Young et al.[1][1] described a retrospective study in which the use of morphine reduced the duration of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit
Genetic regulation of T regulatory, CD4, and CD8 cell numbers by the arthritis severity loci Cia5a, Cia5d, and the MHC/Cia1 in the rat.

T cells have a central role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritis, and several abnormalities in T cell homeostasis have been described in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We hypothesized that T cell phenotypes, including frequencies of different subsets of T regulatory (Treg) cells and in vitro functional responses could be genetically determined. Furthermore, we considered that the genetic contribution would be accounted for by one of the arthritis regulatory quantitative trait loci (QTL), thus providing novel clues to gene mode of action. T cells were isolated from thymus, peripheral blood, and spleen from DA (arthritis-susceptible) and ACI and F344 (arthritis-resistant) strains and from F344.DA(Cia1), DA.F344(Cia5a), and DA.F344(Cia5d) rats congenic for arthritis QTL. T cell subpopulations differed significantly between DA, F344, and ACI. DA rats had an increased frequency of CD4+ cells, and a reduction in CD8+ and CD4+CD45RClo Treg cells, compared with F344. The differences in CD4/CD8 and CD4+CD45RClo Treg cells were accounted for by Cia5a. DA rats also had a reduced frequency of CD8+CD45RCloCD25+ Treg cells compared with F344, and that difference was explained by Cia5d. DA rats also had a significantly lower frequency of CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD25+ thymocytes, and of peripheral blood CD8+CD45RCl° Treg cells, compared with F344 rats, and that difference was accounted for by the MHC. This is the first identification of arthritis severity QTL regulating numbers of CD4+CD45RCl° (Cia5a) and CD8+CD45RCloCD25+ (Cia5d) Treg cells. The MHC effect on CD8+ Treg cells and CD25+ thymocytes raises a novel potential explanation for its association with arthritis.
Stand-up for freshmen: the risky bets and high rewards of stand-up comedy in the writing classroom

ABSTRACTThis paper will highlight two specific risks that humour and laughter present for the writing classroom: the risk of instructors coming across as ‘non-serious’ and the risk of students becoming offended. By bringing up these risks, I do not pretend to have concrete solutions to them. Quite the contrary. Like early rhetoricians, I’ll highlight some strategies and approaches that have been fruitful for me in practice, but my intention here is to invite risk into the classroom as risk. Because laughter interrupts the human subject, showing us the limits of any rational pursuit designed to contain it, appeals to laughter are inherently risky. Quite often, we can’t control what we find funny nor what we are offended by, yet we can use our emotional reactions to humour – those that lie outside of our rational control – to ask broader rhetorical questions about why language produces the effects that it does. Laughter, because its effects are often felt before they are conceptually interpreted, is an ampl...
Conclusion: The Future

At the end of this study on the international character of the Suez Canal, there is one feature that has come out more than once in the previous pages, which deserves particular attention: the unsettled condition of the Suez question.
Emerging strategies for voluntary urban ecological stewardship on private property

Abstract As global urban populations grow, green spaces in cities are under increasing pressure to provide urban habitat and perform important ecosystem services. While public natural areas are typically called upon to provide key habitat in cities, green spaces on private property make up large parts of the urban land base and provide important roles for habitat and ecosystem services that support city function. However voluntary strategies for encouraging ecological stewardship on private property in cities are not well studied. This paper accesses available literature, case studies, municipal and organizational reports, and first-person interviews to describe four emerging strategies for catalyzing voluntary private property stewardship in cities: (a) indirect incentives; (b) market-based certifications; (c) community-based initiatives; and (d) payments for ecosystem services. Each offers the potential to combine the individual actions of multiple urban landowners in order to optimize the landscape-scale benefits of these actions in a strategic way. Components, methods and drivers are identified for each strategy and examples are provided to illustrate their application. The challenge of scale in optimizing ecological benefits in cities, and the potential for institutional partnering on multi-parcel, private property stewardship efforts to generate both site-scale and landscape-scale ecological outcomes is discussed. Voluntary, urban ecological stewardship strategies offer a different set of solutions than regulatory models, and open a new land base that would otherwise be inaccessible for improving ecological function as cities change and grow.
Revision Strategies in Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

BackgroundWhile initially developed to improve function in patients with chronic rotator cuff deficiency, the success of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has led to expanding indications ...
A mixed anhydride approach to the preparation of sulfinate esters and allylic sulfones: Trimethylacetic p-toluenesulfinic anhydride

Abstract A reagent combination of toluenesulfinic acid and trimethylacetyl chloride affords a putative trimethylacetic p-toluenesulfinic anhydride. This reagent has been used to prepare a series of sulfinate esters from primary and secondary alcohols. In addition, the reagent was used to convert Baylis-Hillman substrates into allylic sulfones. Attempts to use the reagent to convert amines to sulfinamides were unsuccessful. In contrast, the use of 2-pyrrolidinone afforded N-p-toluenesulfinyl pyrrolidinone in 64% yield. The use of a chiral 4-benzyl-1,3-oxazolidinone or 4-benzyl-1,3-oxazolidine-2-thione led to the isolation of S-p-tolyl p-toluenethiosulfonate.
Chemistry of K in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 photovoltaic absorbers: Effects of temperature on Cu-K-In-Se films

Abstract Incorporation of K has led to world record Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 photovoltaic power conversion efficiencies, but there is poor consensus about the role of phase impurities in these advances. This work lays a foundation for identifying and controlling these phase impurities. Films of Cu-K-In-Se were co-evaporated at varied K/(K + Cu) compositions and substrate temperatures (with constant (K + Cu)/In ∼ 0.85). Increased Na composition on the substrate's surface and decreased growth temperature were both found to favor Cu 1-x K x InSe 2 alloy formation, relative to two-phase CuInSe 2 +KInSe 2 formation. Structures from X-ray diffraction (XRD), band gaps, resistivities, minority carrier lifetimes and carrier concentrations from time-resolved photoluminescence were in agreement with previous reports, where low K/(K + Cu) composition films exhibited properties promising for photovoltaic absorbers. Films grown at 400–500 °C were then annealed to 600 °C in a controlled Se ambient, which caused K loss by evaporation in proportion to the initial K/(K + Cu) composition. Similar to growth temperature, annealing drove Cu 1-x K x InSe 2 alloy consumption and CuInSe 2 +KInSe 2 production, as evidenced by high temperature XRD. Annealing also decomposed KInSe 2 and formed K 2 In 12 Se 19 . At high temperature, the KInSe 2 crystal lattice gradually contracted as temperature and time increased, as well as just time. Evaporative loss of K during annealing could accompany the generation of vacancies on K lattice sites, and may explain the KInSe 2 lattice contraction. This knowledge of Cu-K-In-Se material chemistry may be used to predict and control minor phase impurities in Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) 2 photovoltaic absorbers—where impurities below typical detection limits may have played a role in recent world record photovoltaic efficiencies that utilized KF post-deposition treatments.
Steady-State and Transient Behavior of Knotted Chains in Extensional Fields

Recently, there has been a push to understand how molecular topology alters the nonequilibrium dynamics of polymer systems. In this paper, we probe how knotted polymers evolve in planar extensional fields using Brownian dynamics simulations and single-molecule experiments. In the first part of the study, we quantify the extension versus strain-rate curves of polymers and find that knots shift these curves to larger strain-rates. These trends can be quantitatively explained by Rouse-like scaling theories. In the second half of the study, we examine the consequences of knot untying on the time-dependent conformations of polymers in these external fields. We find that knot untying creates significant, transient changes in chain extension. If the topology is complex, the chain undergoes a wide range of time-dependent conformations since knot untying proceeds through many different stages. We provide examples of such untying trajectories over time.
Therapeutic approaches for cardiac regeneration and repair

Ischaemic heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. Injury to the heart is followed by loss of the damaged cardiomyocytes, which are replaced with fibrotic scar tissue. Depletion of cardiomyocytes results in decreased cardiac contraction, which leads to pathological cardiac dilatation, additional cardiomyocyte loss, and mechanical dysfunction, culminating in heart failure. This sequential reaction is defined as cardiac remodelling. Many therapies have focused on preventing the progressive process of cardiac remodelling to heart failure. However, after patients have developed end-stage heart failure, intervention is limited to heart transplantation. One of the main reasons for the dramatic injurious effect of cardiomyocyte loss is that the adult human heart has minimal regenerative capacity. In the past 2 decades, several strategies to repair the injured heart and improve heart function have been pursued, including cellular and noncellular therapies. In this Review, we discuss current therapeutic approaches for cardiac repair and regeneration, describing outcomes, limitations, and future prospects of preclinical and clinical trials of heart regeneration. Substantial progress has been made towards understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating heart regeneration, offering the potential to control cardiac remodelling and redirect the adult heart to a regenerative state.
Effects of metallic plasma thruster plume on solar cells

The increase in efficiency per surface area of solar cells in recent years, coupled with the continuous miniaturization of electric propulsion systems, have made propulsive capability a highly viable option for small satellites. These propulsion systems enable small satellites to perform orbital maneuvers, to the point where CubeSat-class satellites have been suggested for missions past the lunar orbit. However, applications of these miniature electric propulsion systems on small satellites pose a new challenge for satellite designs, where the appropriate distancing of the thrusters from solar panels cannot be accomplished within the limited volumetric constraints of small satellites. Accordingly, the degradation effects of the exhaust plume on the solar panels may have an undetermined impact on the small satellites. In addition, these new generation miniature electric propulsion systems often use an unconventional propellant that produces unconventional plasma within their plumes. One example is a pulse plasma thruster using metal propellant that results in a metallic plasma plume. Solar cell performance degradation due to radiation and ultraviolet light has been thoroughly studied in the past. Gaseous-plasma effects also have been studied, but there is a lack of data on how a metallic plasma plume will affect solar cells mainly because it is non-conventional plasma that is not frequently used in space applications. The main goal of this research is to characterize the degradation and coating effects of metallic plasma plume on solar cells. In particular, this study will focus on the Micro-Cathode Arc Thruster developed at The George Washington University. It is a compact propulsion system designed for small satellites and has been previously flown on a CubeSat. This paper will examine the theoretical issues, and characterize solar cell performance degradation resulting from deposition of the metallic exhaust plasma plume on the surface of the cover glass.1
Learning Bayesian networks from incomplete data

Much of the current research in learning Bayesian Networks fails to effectively deal with missing data. Most of the methods assume that the data is complete, or make the data complete using fairly ad-hoc methods; other methods do deal with missing data but learn only the conditional probabilities, assuming that the structure is known. We present a principled approach to learn both the Bayesian network structure as well as the conditional probabilities from incomplete data. The proposed algorithm is an iterative method that uses a combination of Expectation-Maximization (EM) and Imputation techniques. Results are presented on synthetic data sets which show that the performance of the new algorithm is much better than ad-hoc methods for handling missing data.
Advantages and disadvantages of combining sedative agents

One advantage of combination sedative therapy is the use of small doses of agents from different drug classes to treat concomitant behavioral problems. The simultaneous use of multiple sedative agents results in the need for new clinical decisions regarding the administration of and weaning from the pharmacologic effects of these drugs. This article reviews the current status of research regarding combination sedative therapy.
Nanostructured Forms of Carbon : An Overview

Carbon is a remarkable element showing a variety of stable forms ranging from 3D semiconducting diamond to 2D semi-metallic graphite to 1D conducting and semiconducting carbon nanotubes to 0D fullerenes [1]. One distinction between these forms of carbon relates to the many possible configurations of the electronic states of a carbon atom, which is known as the hybridization of atomic orbitals and relates to the bonding of a carbon atom to its nearest neighbors. Carbon is the sixth element of the periodic table and has the lowest atomic number of any element in column IV of the periodic table. Each carbon atom has six electrons which occupy 1s2 , 2s2, and 2p2 atomic orbitals. The 1s2 orbital contains two strongly bound core electrons. Four more weakly bound electrons occupy the 2s22p6 valence orbitals. In the crystalline phase, the valence electrons give rise to 2s, 2px, 2py, and 2pz orbitals which are important in forming covalent bonds in carbon materials. Since the energy difference between the upper 2p energy levels and the lower 2s level in carbon is small compared with the binding energy of the chemical bonds, the electronic wave functions for these four electrons can readily mix with each other, thereby changing the occupation of the 2s and three 2p atomic orbitals so as to enhance the binding energy of the C atom with its neighboring atoms. The general mixing of 2s and 2p atomic orbitals is called hybridization, whereas the mixing of a single 2s electron with one, two, or three 2p electrons is called spn hybridization with n= 1,2,3. Thus three possible hybridizations occur in carbon: sp, sp2 and sp3, while other group IV elements such as Si and Ge exhibit primarily sp3 hybridization. Carbon differs from Si and Ge insofar as carbon does not have inner atomic orbitals, except for the spherical Is orbitals, and the absence of nearby inner orbitals facilitates hybridizations involving only valence s and p orbitals for carbon. The various bonding states are connected with certain structural arrangements, so that sp bonding gives rise to chain structures, sp2 bonding to planar structures and sp3 bonding to tetrahedral structures (Fig. 1).
Development and Differentiation

The preceding chapter addressed the question of cell migration in development. In this chapter I will discuss the possible roles of FN in other aspects of development. These fall into two major categories: morphogenesis and differentiation. The effects of extracellular matrix (ECM) in general and FN in particular on cell adhesion, cell shape, and cytoskeletal organization suggest a likely role in the behavior of individual cells and cell sheets. Thus, it is widely assumed that FN may play a role in tissue morphogenesis. In addition to the known effects on cell migration, one can suggest roles in cell polarization, folding and organization of epithelial sheets, condensation and segregation of tissue masses, and stabilization of tissue organization. A second major function suggested for ECM during development is in inhibiting, promoting, or stabilizing tissue-specific differentiation, which I use to mean expression of specific gene products. There is a growing body of evidence that ECM, including FN, can affect gene expression by specific cell types (see Section 11.2).
Overview on complex carbohydrates.

The topic of Complex Carbohydrates can be a very complex subject. Every scientist working in the subject area has a pretty good idea of what complex carbohydrates are, but converting that knowledge to a streamlined word for word definition and adopting a commensurate public nutrition policy becomes significantly more difficult. Like most topics in the nutrition arena, sorting out the key health aspects of the complex of carbohydrates in the diet is no simple task. A great deal of work has been accomplished by a wide variety of researchers on the topic. This quantity of work by a multitude of researchers is necessary to arrive at scientifically valid conclusions regarding the health benefits that might be derived from consumption of any particular food component, not just complex carbohydrates.
Interphase Cytogenetics of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Using a Panel of Eight Chromosome-Specific DNA Probes

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, as introduced by Cremer et al. [1], is a useful technique for detecting numerical as well as certain structural chromosome aberrations in interphase nuclei [2,3]. Numerical chromosome anomalies are determined by enumerating the hybridization signals of specific repetitive α-satellite DNA probes. Thus, FISH which is also referred to as “interphase cytogenetics” extends the possibilities to evaluate numerical anomalies particularly in neoplasms, for example acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL), in which conventional cytogenetic analysis is hampered by a small number of metaphases and poor chromosome quality.
Abstract 74: Analysis of Genome-Wide Blood DNA Methylation Profile in Moyamoya Disease

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder of unknown cause. Epigenetic regulations such as methylation play key role in gene expression and cerebrovascular diseases, how...
Finger surgery for deafness: rethinking quackery in medical history.

In 1923, American news dispatches announced that King Alfonso of Spain had summoned a famous New York osteopath to treat his 15-year-old son, Infante Don Jaime (1908–1975). Deaf and mute following a severe case of mastoiditis, Don Jaime was judged “incurable” after Spanish specialists
Transitional Region Based Distance Estimation for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks are changing our lives by making all objects around us “smart” and thus creating an Internet-of-Things (IoT). Location information is indispensable for all these things to be really “smart”. GPS and some other hardware based techniques can provide good location information but GPS signal availability, cost, and energy consumption limit their adoption. Location information can also be estimated accurately without hardware support if accurate distance information between nodes is available. Many distance measurement techniques are being investigated. In this paper, a transitional region based distance estimation method for neighboring nodes is proposed. Inside the sender's transitional region, the receiver receives packets reversible to the distance to the sender. Intuitively, the further away, the lower chance to receive. Our mathematical analysis shows that the distance from sender is close to linearly related to receivers' packet reception ratio for most of the transitional region. Our simulation shows that our proposed approach is viable and is superior to RSSI based approach.
Translating Affective Touch into Text

This paper presents a game-like experience that translates tactile input into text, which captures the emotional qualities of that touch. We describe the experience and the system that generates it: a plush toy instrumented with pressure sensors, a machine learning method that acquires a mapping from touch data into a feature vector of affect values, and a mechanism that transcribes that feature vector into text. We conclude by discussing the range of novel interactions that such a nuanced tactile interface can support.
Income Tax Progressivity: Trends and Implications

This paper discusses how the structure of the tax system affects its progressivity. It suggests a measure of progressive capacity of tax systems, based on the Kakwani index, but independent of pretax income distributions. Using this and other progressivity measures, the paper (i) documents a decline in progressivity over the last decades and (ii) examines the relationship between progressivity and economic growth. On this relationship, regressions do not reveal a significant impact, suggesting that efficiency costs may be small – at least for degrees of progressivity observed in the sample. Finally, the paper finds that increasing tax progressivity reduces pretax inequality.
Crítica de la razón precaria. La vida intelectual ante la obligación de lo extraordinario

Review of LOPEZ ALOS, Javier (2019). Critica de la razon precaria. La vida intelectual ante la obligacion de lo extraordinario. Madrid: Catarata, pp. 140.
Hormonal regulation of visfatin gene in avian Leghorn male hepatoma (LMH) cells

Abstract Visfain has been extensively studied in mammals and has been shown to play an important role in obesity and insulin resistance. However, there is a paucity of information on visfatin regulation in non-mammalian species. After characterization of chicken visfatin gene, we undertook this study to determine its hormonal regulation in avian (non-mammalian) liver cells. Addition of 5 ng/mL TNFα, 100 ng/mL leptin, 1, 3, 10 or 100 ng/mL T3 for 24 h upregulated visfatin gene expression by 1.2, 1.8, 1.95, 1.75, 1.80, and 2.45 folds (P Together, this is the first report showing hormonal regulation of visfatin in avian hepatocyte cells and suggesting a potential role of CRP, INSIG2, and nuclear orphan receptor LXR, FXR, and CXR in mediating these hormonal effects.
Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Regulations and Nurse Practitioner Supply

Adopting full scope of practice (SOP) for nurse practitioners (NPs) is associated with improved access to care. One possible mechanism for these improvements is increased NP supply. Using county-level data, we fit cross-sectional and panel regression models to estimate the association between adopting full NP SOP and NP supply in general, and in rural and health professional shortage area-designated counties in particular. In cross-sectional analyses, we estimated positive associations between NP SOP and NP supply, though these relationships were only statistically significant when analyzing health professional shortage areas. In the panel regression models with county fixed effects, the estimated effects were attenuated toward zero and sometimes switched signs. Our findings suggest that improvements in access to care following adoption of full SOP may not be driven by increased NP supply but rather by increased capacity of NPs and physicians to provide care.
CDSeq: A novel complete deconvolution method for dissecting heterogeneous samples using gene expression data.

Quantifying cell-type proportions and their corresponding gene expression profiles in tissue samples would enhance understanding of the contributions of individual cell types to the physiological states of the tissue. Current approaches that address tissue heterogeneity have drawbacks. Experimental techniques, such as fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and single cell RNA sequencing are expensive. Computational approaches that use expression data from heterogeneous samples are promising, but most of the current methods estimate either cell-type proportions or cell-type-specific expression profiles by requiring the other as input. Although such partial deconvolution methods have been successfully applied to tumor samples, the additional input required may be unavailable. We introduce a novel complete deconvolution method, CDSeq, that uses only RNA-Seq data from bulk tissue samples to simultaneously estimate both cell-type proportions and cell-type-specific expression profiles. Using several synthetic and real experimental datasets with known cell-type composition and cell-type-specific expression profiles, we compared CDSeq’s complete deconvolution performance with seven other established deconvolution methods. Complete deconvolution using CDSeq represents a substantial technical advance over partial deconvolution approaches and will be useful for studying cell mixtures in tissue samples. CDSeq is available at GitHub repository (MATLAB and Octave code): https://github.com/kkang7/CDSeq.
Cation Effects in p-Type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) depends on the properties and interactions of three fundamental components: the semiconductor, chromophore, and electrolyte. For the electrolyt...
Snapshot Samplings of the Bitcoin Transaction Network and Analysis of Cryptocurrency Growth.

The purpose of this work was to perform a network analysis on the rapidly growing bitcoin transaction network. Using a web-socket API, we collected data on all transactions occurring during a six hour window. Sender and receiver addresses as well as the amount of bitcoin exchanged were record. Graphs were generated, using R and Gephi, in which nodes represent addresses and edges represent the exchange of bitcoin. The six hour data set was subsetted into a one and two hour sampling snapshot of the network. We performed comparisons and analysis on all subsets of the data in an effort to determine the minimum sampling length that represented the network as a whole. Our results suggest that the six hour sampling was the minimum limit with respect to sampling time needed to accurately characterize the bitcoin transaction network.Anonymity is a desired feature of the blockchain and bitcoin network however, it limited us in our analysis and conclusions we drew from our results were mostly inferred. Future work is needed and being done to gather more comprehensive data so that the bitcoin transaction network can be better analyzed.
Estimating Preconstruction Services for Bridge Design Projects

AbstractPreconstruction services play a vital role in ensuring timely approval of infrastructure funds and successful execution of construction projects. Most state DOTs use simple methods such as ...
Landscape factors driving the spread of the invasive grass, Hymenachne amplexicaulis, among wetlands in a Florida subtropical grazing land

Wetlands embedded in agroecosystems provide vital ecosystem services (i.e., freeze protection, water retention, nutrient cycling, biodiversity support). However, they are particularly susceptible to invasion by nonnative species. West Indian marsh grass [Hymenachne amplexicaulis (Rudge) Nees] is a major wetland invader in Florida. Despite the documented consequences of H. amplexicaulis invasions, the landscape factors influencing the spread of this species are poorly understood. In this study, we asked whether landscape factors associated with wetland isolation, connectivity, and land management influence the presence of H. amplexicaulis among wetlands embedded in pastures. We recorded the presence or absence of H. amplexicaulis in 158 seasonal wetlands embedded in different pasture types (semi-natural vs. intensively managed). Wetland area, isolation from neighboring wetlands, isolation from the nearest source ditch, and connectivity were determined using a geographic information system (GIS). We related landscape factors to H. amplexicaulis using generalized linear models and model selection based on the second-order Akaike information criterion. Hymenachne amplexicaulis was first detected at the study site in the early 2000s. By 2018, we observed this species in 66% of the surveyed wetlands. The likelihood of observing H. amplexicaulis was higher in wetlands embedded in semi-natural pastures and higher in less isolated wetlands, especially when connected to a ditch. These results indicate that H. amplexicaulis spreads both overland (during seasonal flooding) and via the ditch network. Future work is needed to understand whether seeds or stolons are the primary invasion propagule and whether the species forms a persistent seed bank that could slow down restoration efforts. Additionally, further research is required to understand the ecological impact of this highly invasive plant in Florida wetlands.
Using Virtual Worlds as an Integrated Part of Virtual Distance Learning (VDL) Networks in Simulator-Based Education

The use of complex simulators is an essential part of Maritime Education and Training. Increasing digitalization provides new opportunities for developing simulator-based teaching. As future maritime operations require increasingly specialized and broad competencies, the maritime education community must adapt and provide effective, efficient education and training programs. The purpose of this paper is to present an ongoing initiative to develop a joint simulation learning platform available to all Norwegian maritime education and training providers.
Anisotropic magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic semiconductor CrSbSe 3

Single crystals of ${\mathrm{CrSbSe}}_{3}$, a structurally pseudo-one-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductor, were grown using a high-temperature solution growth technique and were characterized by x-ray diffraction, anisotropic temperature- and field-dependent magnetization, temperature-dependent resistivity, and optical absorption measurements. A band gap of 0.7 eV was determined from both resistivity and optical measurements. At high temperatures, ${\mathrm{CrSbSe}}_{3}$ is paramagnetic and isotropic, with a Curie-Weiss temperature of $\ensuremath{\sim}145\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ and an effective moment of $\ensuremath{\sim}4.1{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$/Cr. A ferromagnetic transition occurs at ${T}_{c}=71$ K. The $a$ axis, perpendicular to the chains in the structure, is the magnetic easy axis, while the chain axis direction, along $b$, is the hard axis. Magnetic isotherms measured around ${T}_{c}$ do not follow the behavior predicted by simple mean-field critical exponents for a second-order phase transition. A tentative set of critical exponents is estimated based on a modified Arrott plot analysis, giving $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.25$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\sim}1.38$, and $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\sim}6.6$.