cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term water table manipulations alter peatland gaseous carbon fluxes in Northern Michigan

Northern peatland water table position is tightly coupled to carbon (C) cycling dynamics and is predicted to change from shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns associated with global climate change. However, it is uncertain how long-term water table alterations will alter C dynamics in northern peatlands because most studies have focused on short-term water table manipulations. The goal of our study was to quantify the effect of long-term water table changes (~80 years) on gaseous C fluxes in a peatland in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Chamber methods were utilized to measure ecosystem respiration (ER), gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), and methane (CH4) fluxes in a peatland experiencing levee induced long-term water table drawdown and impoundment in relation to an unaltered site. Inundation raised water table levels by approximately ~10 cm and resulted in a decrease in ER and GPP, but an increase of CH4 emissions. Conversely, the drained sites, with water table levels ~15 cm lower, resulted in a significant increase in ER and GPP, but a decrease in CH4 emissions. However, NEE was not significantly different between the water table treatments. In summary, our data indicates that long-term water table drawdown and inundation was still altering peatland gaseous C fluxes, even after 80 years. In addition, many of the patterns we found were of similar magnitude to those measured in short-term studies, which indicates that short-term studies might be useful for predicting the direction and magnitude of future C changes in peatlands.
George Herbert Mead's Theory of Self: A Study in the Origin and Convergence of Ideas*

Bien que la theorie du moi de George Herbert Mead soit consideree comme l'une des contributions les plus importantes au developpement des sciences du comportement, la place de cette theorie dans le processus d'evolution des idees de Mead demeure peu connue. Par le biais d'une analyse des travaux de Mead, cet article concoit cette theorie comme etant la convergence de ses interets en biologie, dans la reforme scolaire, en philosophic en psychologie, et en sociologie. On y discute egalement les consequences de cette constatation sur les theories contemporaines du moi. While George Herbert Mead's theory of self is recognized as one of the leading contributions to the development of the behavioural sciences, the position of this theory relative to the maturation of Mead's own idea system is unexplored. Through an analysis of the works of Mead, this paper examines the theory as a convergence of his interests in biology, educational reform, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. Also discussed are the implications of this fact for contemporary theories of the self.
El Nino and displays of spring-flowering annuals in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts

Abstract Bowers, J. E. (U.S. Geological Survey, 1675 W. Anklam Rd., Tucson, AZ 85745). El Nino and displays of spring-flowering annuals in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 132: 38–49. 2005.—Although popular and scientific literature frequently assumes a strong connection between El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and good displays of spring-flowering annuals in the southwestern United States, such assumptions are based on anecdotal, short-term evidence. The goals of this study were to identify good wildflower years as objectively as possible, to assess the correlation between El Nino and good displays of spring-flowering annuals, and to examine the influence of rainfall amounts on good wildflower years. The terms “good displays” and “good wildflower years” refer to times or places when populations of showy spring-flowering annuals (often called winter annuals) are abundant, robust, and diverse. In the deserts of southeastern California and southern Arizona, good wildflower years occurr...
The Dynamics of Non-Hyperbolic Toral Automorphisms

Abstract The dynamics of non hyperbolic automorphisms on the two-dimensional torus are classified up to topological conjugacy.
Photoneutron strengths in 26 Mg at energies of astrophysical interest

Background: The ${}^{22}$Ne${(\ensuremath{\alpha},n)}^{25}$Mg reaction is an important source of neutrons for $s$-process nucleosynthesis. The neutron production from the reaction is quite sensitive to the low-energy cross section, which is dominated by narrow resonances. The high level density of the ${}^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ compound nucleus above the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ separation energy prevents simple extrapolations from higher energy and the high Coulomb barrier makes the direct measurements extremely difficult. For this reason, indirect methods must be employed to study the level properties of ${}^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$.Purpose: The current measurement utilizes the reaction ${}^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$${(\ensuremath{\gamma},n)}^{25}$Mg to probe the level structure of the ${}^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ compound nucleus from the neutron-separation energy at 11.093 MeV up to ${E}_{x}\ensuremath{\approx}$ 12 MeV.Methods: The High-Intensity $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray Source of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory was used to bombard a $\ensuremath{\sim}$16 g sample of enriched ${}^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ oxide and the resulting decay neutrons were detected with an array of nine liquid scintillator detectors. Neutron time-of-flight peaks with corresponding energies as low as $\ensuremath{\sim}$50 keV were detected. An efficiency measurement of the detectors was made at the University of Notre Dame's nuclear science laboratory to energies as low as 45 keV.Results: Five resonances were observed at ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ = 11.150, 11.289, 11.329, 11.506, and 11.749 MeV and their strengths have been extracted.Conclusion:. The resulting strengths at ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ = 11.289, 11.329, 11.506, and 11.749 MeV are in good agreement with previous measurements. The strength of the resonance at ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ = 11.150 MeV is somewhat lower than previously measured but is in reasonable agreement when systematic uncertainties are considered. The results are also consistent with those of ${}^{25}$Mg${(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})}^{26}$Mg studies where a comparison shows that many of the resonances observed here are the result of multiple unresolved narrow resonances.
Homotopy-Aware RRT*: Toward Human-Robot Topological Path-Planning

An important problem in human-robot interaction is for a human to be able to tell the robot go to a particular location with instructions on how to get there or what to avoid on the way. This paper provides a solution to problems where the human wants the robot not only to optimize some objective but also to honor "soft" or "hard" topological constraints, i.e. "go quickly from A to B while avoiding C". The paper presents the HARRT* (homotopy-aware RRT*) algorithm, which is a computationally scalable algorithm that a robot can use to plan optimal paths subject to the information provided by the human. The paper provides a theoretic justification for the key property of the algorithm, proposes a heuristic for RRT*, and uses a set of simulation case studies of the resulting algorithm to make a case for why these properties are compatible with the requirements of human-robot interactive path-planning.
Research on coordinated control strategy for gas-steam combined cycle unit with double shaft

A new load distribution scheme was put forward for implementing double-shaft gas-steam combined cycle unit’s coordinated control system, which mainly including static feed-forward and PID arithmetic correcting. Based on load distribution of AGC module, Central China Power Control Centers can control gas-steam combined cycle unit’s power directly. Because of gas turbine’s fast responsibility to load demand, gas turbine was designed to take the role of primary frequency regulation independently. The test results of Zhengchangzhuang Power Plant units indicate such strategy can meet the needs of rapid load change. The control strategy with finer controllability, universality and practicability can be applied to multi-shaft gas-steam combined cycle unit’s coordinated control system.
Fatty Acids in Hospital Menus. Calculated and Analyzed Values

Specimen meals for eighty-four days—representing four, twenty-one-day cycle menus, as served in a staff cafeteria—were collected and analyzed. Results are compared with calculations using food tables.
Antagonism of the Sodium-Potassium ATPase Impairs Chikungunya Virus Infection

ABSTRACT Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a reemerging alphavirus that has caused epidemics of fever, arthralgia, and rash worldwide. There are currently no licensed vaccines or antiviral therapies available for the prevention or treatment of CHIKV disease. We conducted a high-throughput, chemical compound screen that identified digoxin, a cardiac glycoside that blocks the sodium-potassium ATPase, as a potent inhibitor of CHIKV infection. Treatment of human cells with digoxin or a related cardiac glycoside, ouabain, resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in infection by CHIKV. Inhibition by digoxin was cell type-specific, as digoxin treatment of either murine or mosquito cells did not diminish CHIKV infection. Digoxin displayed antiviral activity against other alphaviruses, including Ross River virus and Sindbis virus, as well as mammalian reovirus and vesicular stomatitis virus. The digoxin-mediated block to CHIKV and reovirus infection occurred at one or more postentry steps, as digoxin inhibition was not bypassed by fusion of CHIKV at the plasma membrane or infection with cell surface-penetrating reovirus entry intermediates. Selection of digoxin-resistant CHIKV variants identified multiple mutations in the nonstructural proteins required for replication complex formation and synthesis of viral RNA. These data suggest a role for the sodium-potassium ATPase in promoting postentry steps of CHIKV replication and provide rationale for modulation of this pathway as a broad-spectrum antiviral strategy. IMPORTANCE Mitigation of disease induced by globally spreading, mosquito-borne arthritogenic alphaviruses requires the development of new antiviral strategies. High-throughput screening of clinically tested compounds provides a rapid means to identify undiscovered, antiviral functions for well-characterized therapeutics and illuminate host pathways required for viral infection. Our study describes the potent inhibition of Chikungunya virus and related alphaviruses by the cardiac glycoside digoxin and demonstrates a function for the sodium-potassium ATPase in Chikungunya virus infection.
Self‐Assembly Directed Organization of Nanodiamond During Ionic Liquid Crystalline Polymer Formation

The UV-initiated free radical polymerization of a lyotropic mesophase prepared by co-assembly of an aqueous mixture of an ionic liquid (IL) monomer, 3-decyl-1-vinylimidazolium chloride, in a dimethyl sulfoxide dispersion of an IL-monomer nanodiamond conjugate yields a well-ordered 2D hexagonally structured network-polymer composite. The IL monomer is covalently bound to carboxylated detonation diamond via ester-linked 3-decyl-1-vinylimidazolium bromide. Successful preparation of the amphiphile-functionalized nanodiamond is determined by ATR/FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Mesophase and composite structure are evaluated by SAXS, revealing a columnar architecture composed of amphiphilic ionic liquid cylinders containing solvent-rich cores. Self-assembly directed site localization of the nanodiamond positions the particles in the alkyl chain continuum upon polymerization. The composite reversibly swells in ethanol allowing structural variation and modulation of the nanoparticle internal packing arrangement. This work demonstrates that through careful molecular design, self-organization and site-directed assembly of nanodiamond into chemically distinct regions of a nanostructured organogel can be achieved.
Case 29-1985: Congestive Heart Failure and Cyanosis 31 Years after an Operation for Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease

Presentation of Case A 37-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of increasing dyspnea and edema. A diagnosis of congenital heart disease was made at the age of six months, when a physician found mild cyanosis and a loud systolic murmur. Frequent respiratory tract infections occurred during infancy. He began to crawl at nine months and to walk at two years. He was often observed in a knee—chest position in his crib, and he squatted after exertion during his early years. An uncomplicated tonsillectomy was performed at three years of age. At the age of six years a surgical . . .
The GIRE2 model and its application to the Europa mission

We present an empirical model of Jupiter's electron radiation environment and its application to the design of the future NASA mission to Europa. The model is based on data from the Galileo spacecraft. Measurements of the high-energy, omni-directional electrons from the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) and magnetic field from the Magnetometer (MAG) onboard Galileo are used for this purpose. Ten-minute averages of the EPD data are used to provide an omni-directional electron flux spectrum at 0.238, 0.416, 0.706, 1.5, 2.0, and 11.0 MeV. Additionally, data from the Geiger Tube Telescope onboard Pioneer 10 and 11 are used to calculate the flux of 31 MeV electrons. The Galileo Interim Radiation Electron model v.2 (GIRE2) combines these datasets with the original Divine model and synchrotron observations to estimate the trapped electron radiation environment. Unlike the original Divine model, which was based on flybys of the Voyager and Pioneer spacecraft, the new GIRE2 model covers about 7 years of data and more than 30 orbits around Jupiter from the Galileo spacecraft. The model represents a step forward in the study of the Jovian radiation environment and is a valuable tool to assist in the design of future missions to Jupiter. This paper gives an overview of GIRE2 and focuses on its application to the design of the future NASA mission to Europa. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and perform multiple flybys of the moon Europa, which is embedded in the middle of a very strong radiation environment. The radiation environment surrounding the moon as well as along the trajectory are described in the paper together with the implications of this environment on the design of a mission.
The RMA: China’s Quiet Revolution

China’s efforts to manage the RMA are a part of a larger process to modernize the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Military modernization is only one element of China’s central task: national economic modernization. Beijing’s timeline to achieve economic development extends until 2049, or 100 years after the founding of the People’s Republic, when it aims to reach a level of the ‘moderately developed countries’. This extended period to pursue economic modernization is based on the assumption announced by Deng Xiaoping in 1985 that a world war is no longer imminent. Without an immediate major threat to China’s national security, military modernization can be conducted at a measured pace appropriate to the nation’s level of economic development.
Character recognition in natural scene images using rank-1 tensor decomposition

Many approaches to solve the problem of scene character recognition utilize local features such as histograms of oriented gradients (HoG), SIFT, Shape Contexts (SC), Geometric Blur (GB), etc. An issue associated with these methods is the ad hoc rasterization of the local features into a single vector which perturbs the global spatial correlations that carry crucial information for recognition. To address this issue, we propose a novel holistic solution by incorporating tensor decomposition to get image features and utilizing image-to-class distance metric learning (I2CDML) for classification. For each training image, we first form a 3-mode tensor by rotating it through a sequence of angles. Then we perform rank-1 decomposition on the tensor to get the descriptor for each image. Utilizing the I2CDML framework, we then learn metrics for each class that are finally used to classify test images. We report results on popular natural scene character datasets, namely Chars74K-Font, Chars74K-Image, and ICDAR2003. We achieve results better than several baseline methods based on local features (e.g. HoG) and show that leave-random-one-out-cross validation yield even better recognition performance.
Neuroticism Traits Selectively Impact Long Term Illness Course and Cognitive Decline in Late-Life Depression.

Objectives Neuroticism is a broad construct that conveys a predisposition to experience psychological distress and negative mood states. Vulnerability to stress (VS) is one neuroticism trait that has been linked to worse mood and cognitive outcomes in older adults. We hypothesized that elevated VS would be associated with worse illness course and cognitive decline in older adults with late-life major depression (LLD). Design Participants were enrolled in the Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly (NCODE), a longitudinal investigation of the predictors of poor illness course and cognitive decline in LLD. Participants were followed upwards of 10 years. Setting NCODE operates in a naturalistic treatment milieu. Participants 112 participants aged 60 and older with a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Measurements Treatment response was assessed at least every 3 months and more often if clinically needed. Participants also completed the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R) and an annual cognitive examination. Neuroticism traits from the NEO PI-R included anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, self-consciousness, impulsivity, and VS. Results Higher neuroticism traits of VS, impulsivity, anger-hostility, and anxiety were associated with worse treatment response over time. High VS was the only neuroticism trait significantly associated with cognitive functioning. High VS negatively influenced the rate of global cognitive decline over time. Conclusions Individual personality traits within the neuroticism dimension are associated with treatment resistance and cognitive impairment in LLD. It remains to be seen whether these individual traits are associated with different neurobiological substrates and clinical characteristics of LLD.
Racial differences in renal replacement therapy initiation among children with a nonglomerular cause of chronic kidney disease

Purpose African American (AA) adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a faster progression to end-stage renal disease and are less likely to receive a kidney transplant. It is unclear whether AA children experience renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease sooner than non-AA children after accounting for socioeconomic status (SES). Methods Among children with nonglomerular CKD in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children study, we investigated time to RRT (i.e., first dialysis or transplant) after CKD onset using parametric survival models and accounted for SES differences by inverse probability weights. Results Of 110 AA and 493 non-AA children (median age = 10 years), AA children had shorter time to first RRT: median time was 3.2 years earlier than non-AA children (95% CI: -6.1, -0.3). When accounting for SES, this difference was diminished and nonsignificant (-1.6 years; 95% CI: -4.6, +1.5), and its directionality was consistent with faster glomerular filtration rate decline among AA children (-6.2% vs. -4.4% per year, P = .098). When RRT was deconstructed into dialysis or transplant, the time to dialysis was 37.5% shorter for AA children and 53.7% longer for transplant. These inferences were confirmed by the frequency and timing of transplant after initiating dialysis. Conclusions Racial differences in time to RRT were almost fully accounted for by SES, and the remaining difference was congruent with a faster glomerular filtration rate decline among AA children. Access to transplant occurred later, yet times to dialysis were shorter among AA children even when accounting for SES which may be due to a lack of organ availability.
Optical and scintillation properties of single crystal CsSr 1−x Eu x I 3

In this research, we report our up-to-date results on the optical and scintillation properties of a new high light yield scintillation material: CsSr 1−x Eu x I 3 (x is in a range of 0 to 1). Single crystals with various Eu concentrations were successfully grown by Vertical Gradient Freeze technique in vacuum sealed quartz ampoules. Optical and scintillation properties were characterized. X-ray excited radioluminescence shows an emission peak at ∼450nm due to the 5d–4f transition in Eu2+. Scintillation light yield is 73,000 ph/MeV with 3.9% energy resolution at 662 keV for sample with Eu concentration of 7% relative to Sr. The scintillation time profile can be fitted by a single exponential with a time constant of 1.7–3.4 μs, depending on Eu concentration.
Flesh, Foil, and Authenticity: Reflections on Johann AR Roduit’s “Flesh and Foil”

Johann AR Roduit’s poem, “Flesh and Foil,” raises a number of issues regarding enhancement, especially the need for principles to guide the process of human enhancement. The guidance that the poem seeks can be found in a combination of virtue ethics and authenticity.
Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer

Endocrine therapy is the first targeted biologic therapy to be used in breast cancer treatment and was initially conceived in 1895. Based on the observation that lactation led to a cancer-like ductal epithelial proliferation in cattle and that castration of these cattle led to fatty degeneration of this epithelium, George Thomas Beatson, a Scottish surgeon, hypothesized that bilateral oophorectomy might benefit women with advanced breast cancer. He tested this hypothesis in Glasgow Cancer Hospital on a 33-year-old woman with recurrent soft tissue, axillary, and chest wall disease. Beatson described the case in the Lancet in 1896, reporting significant regression of the patient’s cancer after which she survived for another 4 years. Beatson’s initial report and subsequent reasoning in a 1901 edition of the Lancet that, “we must look in the female to the ovaries as the seat of the exciting cause of carcinoma, certainly of the mamma…” led to the adoption of oophorectomy for breast cancer. Although oophorectomy was effective in only about a third of women with advanced breast cancer, it became the standard of care for patients with limited adjuvant treatment options. This chapter provides an overview of available endocrine options for neoadjuvant therapy of breast cancer.
Trial of Amiloride in Type 2 Diabetes with Proteinuria.

Introduction Renal sodium (Na+) retention and extracellular fluid volume expansion are hallmarks of nephrotic syndrome, which occurs even in the absence of activation of hormones that stimulate renal Na+ transporters. Plasmin-dependent activation of the epithelial Na+ channel has been proposed to have a role in renal Na+ retention in the setting of nephrotic syndrome. We hypothesized that the epithelial Na+ channel inhibitor amiloride would be an effective therapeutic agent in inducing a natriuresis and lowering blood pressure in individuals with macroscopic proteinuria. Methods We conducted a pilot double-blind randomized cross-over study comparing the effects of daily administration of either oral amiloride or hydrochlorothiazide to patients with type 2 diabetes and macroscopic proteinuria. Safety and efficacy were assessed by monitoring systolic blood pressure, kidney function, adherence, weight, urinary Na+ excretion, and serum electrolytes. Nine subjects were enrolled in the trial. Results No significant difference in systolic blood pressure or weight was seen between subjects receiving hydrochlorothiazide and those receiving amiloride (P ≥ 0.15). Amiloride induced differences in serum potassium (P < 0.001), with a 0.88 ± 0.30 mmol/l greater acute increase observed. Two subjects developed acute kidney injury and hyperkalemia when treated with amiloride. Four subjects had readily detectable levels of urinary plasminogen plus plasmin, and 5 did not. Changes in systolic blood pressure in response to amiloride did not differ between individuals with versus those without detectable urinary plasminogen plus plasmin. Discussion In summary, among patients with type 2 diabetes, normal renal function, and proteinuria, there were reductions in systolic blood pressure in groups treated with hydrochlorothiazide or amiloride. Acute kidney injury and severe hyperkalemia were safety concerns with amiloride.
Holding on to what is left

Despite all that we humans have done to the world, a wonderful legacy of biological richness remains. Almost everyone agrees that it would be a tragedy to lose more of this, and yet, as I explained in Chapter 7, it is quite obvious that the threats are intensifying.
Mergers and the Market for Busy Directors: An International Analysis

Using 13,233 acquisitions from 57 countries, we examine M&A decisions made by busy boards. We find that few busy acquirers originate from emerging markets and that they tend to undertake cross-border mergers, favor public targets, finance with cash and equity, pursue non-diversifying mergers, avoid targets with multiple bidders, and long-term underperform relative to non-busy acquirers. Importantly, we discover a non-linear relation between an acquirer’s board busyness and announcement returns. We find that the labor market penalizes directors who approve bad acquisitions, but does not reward them for good mergers. We observe that acquirers with busy boards consistently underperform.
Reflections on Variational Principles and Invariance Theory

At this juncture, a minimal requirement for respectability of a physical theory seems to be that it admit a variational principle. This being the case, one eventually becomes aware of a degree of uneasiness, for a variational principle requires the specification of a Lagrangian function and a Lagrangian function is not something that is readily available from knowledge of the physically primitive variables of a phenomena. This follows from the fact that a Lagrangian function for a variational principle must be defined on a space of functions, while the physical primitive variables of a phenomena are a collection of quantities that are quantified by those specific functions that agree with the values of the physical quantities. In general, a Lagrangian function must be defined over a much larger domain of functions than just those that represent the phenomena that we wish to quantify. To be specific, if there is only one variable φ of interest, in addition to the space-time variables, it is usual to consider the Lagrangian function as a function of φ and its first partial derivatives for all functions φ that are C1 functions on a given domain of the space-time variables. The question thus arises even in this simple problem: how do we determine the Lagrangian function when it can only be sampled for those functions φ that actually arise in physical phenomena. It is obvious that additional assumptions must be made about the phenomena before an identification of the Lagrangian function for a phenomena can be made.
Safety of 8-h time restricted feeding in adults with obesity

This study examines the safety of time restricted feeding (TRF; 8-h feeding window/16-h fasting window daily) in obese adults. Twenty-three subjects participated in an 8-h TRF intervention for 12 weeks. Self-reported adverse events, body image perception, complete blood count, and disordered eating patterns did not change from baseline to week 12. These findings suggest that consuming food within an 8-h window can safely facilitate weight loss in subjects with obesity.
Thinking Fast and Slow and Creatively in the Experience of Humor

Abstract In this chapter, we examine the intersections between comedy as practiced and taught at The Second City and its applications and principles within design thinking, behavioral science, and creativity. We examine the myths around the practice and use of comedy from a general public perspective: that comedy is dangerous, magical, and impossible to teach. Using examples from teaching, practice, and personal experimentation, we suggest that there are multiple ways in which comedy teaching and practice may be used to support creativity in multiple arenas.
Temporal Coding of Sleep

In Drosophila, well-delineated circuits control circadian rhythms, but the electrophysiological patterns that occur within these circuits are not well understood. In this issue, Tabuchi et al. clarify the temporal coding within a circuit, linking patterns of neural activity to sleep behavior.
Cycle-consistent 3D-generative adversarial network for virtual bowel cleansing in CT colonography

CT colonography (CTC) uses orally administered fecal-tagging agents to indicate residual materials that could otherwise interfere with the interpretation of CTC images. To visualize the colon in virtual 3D endoluminal views, electronic cleansing (EC) can be used to subtract the fecal-tagged materials from the CTC images. However, conventional EC methods produce subtraction artifacts that distract readers and computer-aided detection systems. In this study, we used generative adversarial learning to transform fecal-tagged CTC input image volumes to corresponding virtually cleansed image volumes. To overcome the need for paired training samples, we used a cycle-consistent 3D-generative adversarial network (3D EC-cycleGAN) scheme that can be trained with unpaired samples. The associated generator and discriminator networks were implemented as 3D-convolutional networks, and the loss functions were adapted to the unique requirements of EC in CTC. To investigate the feasibility of the approach, the 3D EC-cycleGAN was trained and tested with CTC image volumes of an anthropomorphic phantom filled partially with fecal tagging to recreate the attenuation ranges observed in clinical CTC. Our preliminary results indicate that the proposed 3D EC-cycleGAN can potentially learn to perfor
Electronic Commerce: Markets and Users

This chapter provides an analysis of electronic commerce markets and users. Here we describe the tools necessary to find, assess, select and interpret the wealth of available information that characterizes electronic markets and the Internet user population. We begin with an introduction to relevant Internet statistics as well as the quantitative and attitudinal measures commonly employed. Next, we portray the past, current, and future Internet user populations. Finally, the major advantages and disadvantages of different estimation techniques are highlighted, and the major producers of Internet statistics and forecasts are identified. Here our emphasis is on the reliability and trustworthiness of reported research results.
The current state of omics technologies in the clinical management of asthma and allergic diseases.

Abstract Objective To review the state of omics science specific to asthma and allergic diseases and discuss the current and potential applicability of omics in clinical disease prediction, treatment, and management. Data Sources Studies and reviews focused on the use of omics technologies in asthma and allergic disease research and clinical management were identified using PubMed. Study Selections Publications were included based on relevance, with emphasis placed on the most recent findings. Results Omics-based research is increasingly being used to differentiate asthma and allergic disease subtypes, identify biomarkers and pathological mediators, predict patient responsiveness to specific therapies, and monitor disease control. Although most studies have focused on genomics and transcriptomics approaches, increasing attention is being placed on omics technologies that assess the effect of environmental exposures on disease initiation and progression. Studies using omics data to identify biological targets and pathways involved in asthma and allergic disease pathogenesis have primarily focused on a specific omics subtype, providing only a partial view of the disease process. Conclusion Although omics technologies have advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying asthma and allergic disease pathology, omics testing for these diseases are not standard of care at this point. Several important factors need to be addressed before these technologies can be used effectively in clinical practice. Use of clinical decision support systems and integration of these systems within electronic medical records will become increasingly important as omics technologies become more widely used in the clinical setting.
Correction: Suzuki coupling-based synthesis of VATPase inhibitor archazolid natural product derived fragments

Correction for ‘Suzuki coupling-based synthesis of VATPase inhibitor archazolid natural product derived fragments’ by Cooper T. Vincent et al., RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 32210–32218.
Linear rather than exponential decay: a mathematical model and underlying mechanisms

Some populations, such as red blood cells (RBCs), exhibit a pattern of population decline that is closer to linear rather than exponential, which has proven to be unexpectedly challenging to describe with a single simple mathematical model. Here we show that a sub-exponential model of population extinction can approximate very well the experimental curves of RBC extinction, and that one possible mechanism underlying sub-exponential decay is population heterogeneity with respect to death rates of individuals. We further show that a sub-exponential model of population decline can be derived within the frameworks of frequency-dependent model of population extinction if there exists heterogeneity with respect to mortality rates such that their initial distribution is the Gamma distribution. Notably, specific biological mechanisms that may result in linear pattern of population decay may be different depending on the specific biological system; however, in the end they must converge to individual death rates being different within the population, since uniform death rates would result in exponential population decline. As such, the proposed model is not intended to describe the complex dynamics of RBC biology but instead can provide a way to phenomenologically describe linear decay of population size. We briefly discuss the potential utility of this model for describing effects of drugs that may cause RBC depletion and conclude with a suggestion that this tool can provide a lens for discovering linear extinction patterns in other populations, which may have previously been overlooked.
Densities of Large Marine Gastropods in Seagrass, Oyster Reef, and Sandy Habitats in Tampa Bay and along the Gulf Coast of Florida

Marine gastropods in Florida are harvested by the marine-life trade, tourists (for shells), and traditional commercial fisheries, but stocks are not formally assessed for most species. The main goal of this project was to estimate biological variables that may be used to evaluate the Species of Greatest Conservation Need status of the banded tulip Cinctura lilium and six other large marine gastropod species that are commonly encountered in the targeted habitats. The principal target, C. lilium, was listed in the 2012 State Wildlife Action Plan. The densities and size structures of C. lilium and six co-occurring species of large marine gastropods in Tampa Bay were examined to evaluate population dynamics, seasonal variation, and habitat preferences of these species. Long-term trends in the densities of large, predatory marine gastropods in 10 regions from 2009 to 2017 were included. In Tampa Bay, strong habitat preferences were observed for all species studied: C. lilium and Melongena corona were most likely to be observed on oyster reefs, and Fasciolaria tulipa was found only in seagrass, whereas Strombus alatus, Triplofusus gigantea, Sinistrofulgur sinistrum, and Fulguropsis spirata were more common on soft sediments. Seasonal variations in densities were weak; seasonal differences in size structure were more pronounced. The smallest individuals of C. lilium appeared in spring and summer; F. spirata, S. alatus, and S. sinistrum reached a detectable size in fall. The smallest detectable M. corona appeared in winter. Regionally, there were more gastropods in southwestern bay grass beds (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Pine Island Sound) than in coastal seagrass beds (Big Bend, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and coastal Pinellas) or northern bays (St. Joseph Bay and St. Andrew Bay), and each region had characteristic species. As a group, tulip snails exhibited modest local declines in densities at two sites, whereas the whelks and T. gigantea varied annually but did not exhibit consistent trends during 2009 to 2017. The present study establishes a baseline of abundance for seven species of common marine gastropods and recommends expanded monitoring in multiple habitats to improve future analyses of abundance trends.
An Advanced Microstructural and Electrochemical Datasheet on 18650 Li-Ion Batteries with Nickel-Rich NMC811 Cathodes and Graphite-Silicon Anodes

Cylindrical lithium-ion batteries are used across a wide range of applications from spacesuits to automotive vehicles. Specifically, many manufacturers are producing cells in the 18650 geometry i.e. a steel cylinder of diameter and length ca. 18 and 65 mm, respectively. One example is the LG Chem INR18650 MJ1 (nominal values: 3.5 Ah, 3.6 V, 12.2 Wh). This article describes the electrochemical performance and microstructural assembly of such cells, where all the under-pinning data is made openly available for the benefit of the wider community. The charge-discharge capacity is reported for 400 operational cycles via the manufacturer's guidelines along with full-cell, individual electrode coating and particle 3D imaging. Within the electrochemical data, the distinction between protocol transition, beginning-of-life (BoL) capacity loss, and prolonged degradation is outlined and, subsequently, each aspect of the microstructural characterization is broken down into key metrics that may aid in understanding such degradation (e.g. electrode assembly layers, coating thickness, areal loading, particle size and shape). All key information is summarized in a quick-access advanced datasheet in order to provide an initial baseline of information to guide research paths, inform experiments and aid computational modellers.
Effect of Fission Source Spectrum on Monte Carlo Calculation of Ex-Core Quantities

The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) offers unique capabilities to combine highfidelity in-core radiation transport with temperature feedback using MPACT and CTF with a follow-on fixed source transport calculation using the Shift Monte Carlo code to calculate ex-core quantities of interest. In these coupled calculations, MPACT provides a fission source to Shift for the follow-on radiation transport calculation. In past VERA releases, MPACT passed a spatially dependent source without the energy distribution to Shift. Shift then assumed a 235 U Watt spectrum to sample the neutron source energies. There were concerns that, in cases with burned or mixed oxide (MOX) fuel near the periphery of the core, the assumption of a 235 U Watt spectrum for the source neutron energies would not be accurate for studying ex-core quantities of interest, such as pressure vessel fluence or detector response. Therefore, two additional options were implemented in VERA for Shift to sample neutron source energies: (1) a nuclide-dependent Watt spectra for 235 U, 238 U, 239 Pu, and 241 Pu, and (2) to use the standard 51-energy group MPACT spectrum. Results show that the 51-group MPACT spectrum is not suitable for ex-core calculations because the groups have been fine-tuned for in-core calculations. Differences in relative detector response due to 235 U and nuclide-dependent Watt spectra sampling schemes were negligible; however, the use of nuclide-dependent Watt spectra for vessel fluence calculations was found to be important for fuel cycles with burned and fresh fuel.
PMU-Based Decoupled State Estimation for Unsymmetrical Power Systems

Modal decomposition of measurement equations has already been shown to simplify the formulation and resulting computational complexity of three-phase state estimation of systems where all the transmission lines are three-phase and fully transposed. When there are non-transposed and/or mixed-phase lines, modal decomposition can no longer fully decouple the three-phase measurement equations. This paper addresses the above shortcoming by proposing a simple yet practical solution based on the commonly used numerical compensation techniques. Thus, it enables application of the powerful decoupling approach to any type of three-phase networks which may contain non-transposed or mixed-phase lines and are fully observable by PMUs. The proposed procedure modifies the measurement set by deriving additive terms that compensate for the neglected unsymmetrical effects. It will be shown that unbalanced systems including non-transposed and mixed-phase elements, can still be transformed into three decoupled subsystems and solved in parallel by the proposed approach. Performance of the proposed algorithm is validated against several IEEE test cases.
Resilient reachability for linear systems

Abstract A fault-tolerant system is able to reach its goal even when some of its components are malfunctioning. This paper examines tolerance to a specific type of malfunction: the loss of control authority over actuators. Namely, we investigate whether the desired target set for a linear system remains reachable under any undesirable input. Contrary to robust control, we assume that the undesirable inputs can be observed in real time, and subsequently allow the control inputs to depend on these undesirable inputs. Building on previous work on reachability with undesirable inputs, this paper develops a reachability condition for linear systems, and obtains a formula that describes reachability of the goal set for driftless linear systems by computing the minimum of a concave-convex objective function. Prom this formulation we establish two novel sufficient conditions for resilient reachability.
Gynecomastia-like changes of the female breast: A clinicopathologic study of 4 cases

c Objectives.—Gynecomastia-like changes of the female breast are only sparsely reported and are not well defined in the literature to our knowledge. Our objectives were to determine the incidence, clinical presentation, mammographic findings, and the medical background of patients with these changes. Design.—Two thousand seven hundred nine female breast surgical cases from 1995 to 1999 were searched by SNOMED. Three observers further reviewed all cases with gynecomastia-like changes. Strict criteria were developed and cases that fulfilled the criteria were analyzed further. Results.—We found the incidence of female gynecomastia-like changes to be 0.15% (4/2709) of all female breast lesions, which represents an underestimation. Patients were usually young and had an average age of 32 years. The usual clinical presentation was a palpable mass with a size ranging from about 3.5 3 2 3 2c m to 53 4 3 2.5 cm. Mammography showed either negative findings or a nonspecific density. Gross examination of these specimens revealed no distinct lesions. Histologically, the lesions consisted of ductal hyperplasia with periductal stromal fibrosis or edema. They were associated with fibrocystic changes in the adjacent breast. The patients had no significant medical history. Conclusion.—We propose that the gynecomastia-like change is a specific benign entity within the spectrum of benign fibrocystic changes and that it usually occurs in young patients. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2001;125:506‐509)
Regulation and mechanism of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase. I. Purification and properties of the enzyme from Salmonella typhimurium.

A procedure is described for a 450-fold purification of 5-phosphoribosyl α-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase from cells of Salmonella typhimurium LT-2. A sedimentation coefficient (s20, w) of 17.7 was estimated for the enzyme by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Some general properties of the enzyme are described. PRPP synthetase has a specific and apparently absolute requirement for high levels of inorganic phosphate for PRPP synthesis. Saturation curves for phosphate are bimodal, which suggests multiple effects of the anion on the system. Phosphate appears to have a role in maintaining the structural integrity of the enzyme, since removal of phosphate by dialysis or dilution inactivates the enzyme. The enzyme requires a divalent cation such as Mg++ or Mn++ for activity. Kinetic studies indicate that the active substrate is the Mg-ATP complex, and that the divalent cation also activates the system in some other way, possibly by activating the enzyme. The PRPP synthetase reaction was demonstrated to be reversible. The equilibrium constant for the reaction in the direction of PRPP synthesis at pH 7.5 and 37° was determined to be 28.6, which corresponds to a standard free energy (ΔF‡) of −2.0 ± 0.5 kcal per mole for the reaction. The standard free energy of hydrolysis of PRPP to ribose 5-phosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate was estimated to be −7.0 ± 0.5 kcal per mole.
Low-grade inflammation and weight gain in reproductive-aged women (391.4)

Objective To investigate whether low-grade inflammation is related to weight gain in reproductive-aged women. Methods We quantified C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in plasma of 44...
Serum complement in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia.

Abstract Whole serum complement was measured at intervals in 36 women with uncomplicated pregnancies and found to be elevated above levels measured at 6 weeks post partum. A slight rise in complement titer toward term was noted. Complement titers at delivery in 39 patients with pre-eclampsia were no different than a control group of normal pregnant women. Whole complement and C3 (B 1c globulin) were found to be absent in amniotic fluid samples obtained at term, and assays for individual complement components detected only trace amounts.
A 547 GHz SIS receiver employing a submicron Nb junction with an integrated matching circuit

A heterodyne receiver using an SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) waveguide mixer with two mechanical tuners has been built and characterized over the frequency range of 460 GHz to 630 GHz. This receiver is designed for radioastronomy applications. The mixer uses high-current-density, 0.25- mu m/sup 2/, Nb/AlO/sub x//Nb SIS tunnel junctions with integrated superconductive RF circuits to tune the junction capacitance. A DSB (double sideband) receiver noise temperature as low as 200+or-17 K has been obtained at 540 GHz. In addition, negative differential resistance has been observed in the DC I-V (current-voltage) curve at 487-491 GHz. >
Life's entanglements with writing: on Christopher Breu's Insistence of the Material and Arne De Boever's Narrative Care

The field of biopolitics can be understood as a response to a fantasy: the fantasy of the flesh made word; the fantasy of life as a script infinitely open to revision.1 The response of biopolitics ...