cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Off-Loading Large Posterior Heel Defects After Sural Artery Soft-Tissue Flap Coverage With a Stacked Taylor Spatial Frame Foot Plate System

Soft-tissue reconstruction of large posterior heel ulcerations represents a formidable challenge because of the specialized nature of the tissues; relatively immobile surrounding tissues; proximity to underlying tendon, bone, and neurovascular tissues; and limited soft-tissue flap procedures available. The sural artery flap has been shown to be reliable, relatively simple to perform, to preserve major arteries, and to afford durable soft-tissue coverage of large soft-tissue defects about the posterior and plantar heel. However, a common problem during the postoperative recovery period for sural artery flaps has been preventing pressure over the flap, pedicle, and donor site that come in direct contact with the supporting surfaces as the patient remains immobilized. The use of external fixation devices to elevate the lower limb and foot is not new; however, current designs are difficult to construct, relatively unstable, do not allow weightsharing, and can not be used to concomitantly reconstruct underlying osseous deformities. In this report, the authors’ present their technique for performing the sural artery flap and introduce the use of a stacked Taylor Spatial Frame foot plate external fixation device as an alternative to the more cumbersome piecemeal systems described in the literature. This technique has the unique features of affording increased stability, ease of application, and ability to perform concomitant osseous surgery, in addition to allowing for weightsharing according to the individual patients needs while completely relieving pressure from the entire lower leg, ankle, and heel and allowing easy access to the flap, pedicle, and donor site for frequent monitoring and dressing.
Evaluation of heterotrophic algae meal as a diet ingredient for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.

Most microalgae evaluated in aquaculture diets have been produced autotrophically. In order to produce a cost-efficient biomass at greater magnitudes for biofuel feedstock, heterotrophic production may be warranted. However, the chemical/nutritional attributes of these microalgae could differ from those grown autotrophically. An 8-wk feeding trial was conducted to evaluate Chlorella spp. algae meal (AM) that had been cultured heterotrophically. The oil (lipid) was extracted to simulate biofuel production. Juvenile channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (5.7 ± 1.4 g; 8.9 ± 0.8 cm), were stocked at 10 fish/tank into fifteen 37.7-L aquaria in a closed recirculating system and fed one of the five experimental diets to apparent satiation twice daily. Diets contained either 0 (control, CTL), 10, 20, or 40% AM and an additional diet containing 40% AM was supplemented with 2% lysine (40% AM+LYS). After 8 wk, there were no statistically significant differences in terms of survival, dressout percentages, whole-body proximate composition, or fatty acid composition of the fillets among fish fed the diets containing varying levels of AM without added lysine. Feed consumption and weight gain for fish fed the 10, 40, and 40% AM+LYS diets were significantly greater than those fed the CTL diet. Feed conversion ratio was significantly lower for fish fed the 40% AM+LYS diet compared to those fed all other diets, which did not differ significantly from each other. These data indicate that channel catfish readily accept and can efficiently utilize heterotrophically produced AM at levels up to at least 40% of the total diet and that AM may enhance diet palatability.
Service-Oriented Architecture for VIEW: A Visual Scientific Workflow Management System

Scientific workflows have recently emerged as a new paradigm for scientists to formalize and structure complex and distributed scientific processes to enable and accelerate many scientific discoveries. In contrast to business workflows, which are typically control flow oriented, scientific workflows tend to be dataflow oriented, introducing a new set of requirements for system development. These requirements demand a new architectural design for scientific workflow management systems (SWFMSs). Although several SWFMSs have been developed that provide much experience for future research and development, a study from an architectural perspective is still missing. The main contributions of this paper are: (i) based on a comprehensive survey of the literature and identification of key requirements for SWFMSs, we propose the first reference architecture for SWFMSs, (ii) in compliance with the reference architecture, we further propose a service-oriented architecture for VIEW (a VIsual sciEntificWorkflow management system), (iii) we implement VIEW to validate the feasibility of the proposed architectures, and (iv) we present two case studies to showcase the applications of our VIEW system.
Silicon-Based Quantum Cascade Lasers using Electronic Intersubband Transitions in the L Valleys

We theoretically investigate the use of electronic intersubband transitions in the L valleys of Ge/SiGe quantum wells on SiGe(001) virtual substrates, for the development of silicon-based long-wavelength injection lasers.
Attempts to Influence Judges

While on the faculty of the Harvard Law School almost 100 years ago, Roscoe Pound (1912) wrote that judges are influenced by, and must take account of, the world around them. They can be influenced in at least three respects—in what decisions they make, in why they make them, and in the sources they use to justify the decisions. For example, in declaring racial segregation in the public schools to be illegal in 1954, Earl Warren and the other Supreme Court justices knew that their decision would be quite unpopular in parts of the country. In their effort to give every support and justification for the legitimacy of their action, they were willing to include in their decision a footnote citing contemporary psychological research that concluded that segregation diminished the self-esteem of Black children (see Chapter 6). Whether the psychological research that they cited was truly a reason for their decision is debatable.
Trace element zoning as a record of chemical disequilibrium during garnet growth

Trace element concentrations in pelitic garnets from the Picuris Range of New Mexico display precipitous changes coincident with abrupt variations in Ca concentration. These patterns probably arise from the transitory participation of different trace element–enriched phases in the garnet forming reaction. Changes in the reactant and product assemblages occur at different times during the reaction history for crystals of different size, so they cannot be the result of any event affecting the entire rock, such as a change in pressure, temperature, or fluid composition. Instead, they reflect kinetic factors that cause Ca, Y, Yb, P, Ti, Sc, Zr, Hf, Sr, Na, and Li to fail to achieve chemical equilibrium during garnet growth. Caution is needed to avoid misinterpreting excursions in the concentration of these elements as event markers recording simultaneous rockwide changes in intensive parameters, when in fact they may record transient disequilibrium states that are local in scope, and not contemporaneous.
Auteur, mogul, Transporter: Luc Besson as twenty-first-century Zanuck

Over the last two decades, Luc Besson has transformed from a writer–director of stylish French and American films, such as The Professional, into the studio head of the vertically integrated EuropaCorp. He has now written and produced dozens of internationally successful films, such as the three Transporter films and Taken, distributed in the USA by Hollywood studios and internationally through EuropaCorp. Despite leaving the director's chair, his films as a writer–producer continue to exhibit his authorial touch, providing a compelling case study for changes and continuities in authorship for contemporary directors become producers. Besson has gained a level of control over his productions rarely seen since the classical Hollywood studio system. However, the demands of his ambitious production slate and international distribution have precluded certain aspects of his directorial style while hyper-extending others.
Implications of the Decline in Plant Collecting for Systematic and Floristic Research

In a companion paper in this issue, we have shown that plant collecting in the U.S. is in decline (Prather et al. 2004). We focused on the U.S. only because it was relatively easy for us to measure collecting there, but we are concerned that the decline in collecting may be pervasive worldwide. Because specimens are the fun damental records of biodiversity, we believe that this has serious ramifications in many arenas, particularly in systematic and floristic research, but also in conser vation biology, land management, and education, to name only the most obvious. Here we elaborate on the importance of collecting, even in the United States where the flora is relatively well-known. We further discuss some of the many causes of the decline, and encourage the systematics community to advocate con tinued plant collecting. Curators of collections and floristic researchers are
Quantitative phosphoproteomics reveals new roles for the protein phosphatase PP6 in mitotic cells

Protein phosphorylation is an important regulatory mechanism controlling mitotic progression. Protein phosphatase 6 (PP6) is an essential enzyme with conserved roles in chromosome segregation and spindle assembly from yeast to humans. We applied a baculovirus-mediated gene silencing approach to deplete HeLa cells of the catalytic subunit of PP6 (PP6c) and analyzed changes in the phosphoproteome and proteome in mitotic cells by quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics. We identified 408 phosphopeptides on 272 proteins that increased and 298 phosphopeptides on 220 proteins that decreased in phosphorylation upon PP6c depletion in mitotic cells. Motif analysis of the phosphorylated sites combined with bioinformatics pathway analysis revealed previously unknown PP6c-dependent regulatory pathways. Biochemical assays demonstrated that PP6c opposed casein kinase 2-dependent phosphorylation of the condensin I subunit NCAP-G, and cellular analysis showed that depletion of PP6c resulted in defects in chromosome condensation and segregation in anaphase, consistent with dysregulation of condensin I function in the absence of PP6 activity.
Anticipatory activation of the unfolded protein response by epidermal growth factor is required for immediate early gene expression and cell proliferation

The onco-protein epidermal growth factor (EGF) initiates a cascade that includes activation of the ERK and AKT signaling pathways and alters gene expression. We describe a new action of EGF-EGF receptor (EGFR), rapid anticipatory activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor, the unfolded protein response (UPR). Within 2 min, EGF elicits EGFR dependent activation of phospholipase C γ (PLCγ), producing inositol triphosphate (IP3), which binds to IP3 receptor (IP3R), opening the endoplasmic reticulum IP3R Ca(2+) channels, resulting in increased intracellular Ca(2+). This calcium release leads to transient and moderate activation of the IRE1α and ATF6α arms of the UPR, resulting in induction of BiP chaperone. Knockdown or inhibition of EGFR, PLCγ or IP3R blocks the increase in intracellular Ca(2+). While blocking the increase in intracellular Ca(2+) by locking the IP3R calcium channel with 2-APB had no effect on EGF activation of the ERK or AKT signaling pathways, it abolished the rapid EGF-mediated induction and repression of gene expression. Knockdown of ATF6α or XBP1, which regulate UPR-induced chaperone production, inhibited EGF stimulated cell proliferation. Supporting biological relevance, increased levels of EGF receptor during tumor progression were correlated with increased expression of the UPR gene signature. Anticipatory activation of the UPR is a new role for EGF. Since UPR activation occurs in <2 min, it is an initial cell response when EGF binds EGFR.
Ion mobility mass spectrometry of peptide, protein, and protein complex ions using a radio-frequency confining drift cell

Ion mobility mass spectrometry experiments enable the characterization of mass, assembly, and shape of biological molecules and assemblies. Here, a new radio-frequency confining drift cell is characterized and used to measure the mobilities of peptide, protein, and protein complex ions. The new drift cell replaced the traveling-wave ion mobility cell in a Waters Synapt G2 HDMS. Methods for operating the drift cell and determining collision cross section values using this experimental set up are presented within the context of the original instrument control software. Collision cross sections for 349 cations and anions are reported, 155 of which are for ions that have not been characterized previously using ion mobility. The values for the remaining ions are similar to those determined using a previous radio-frequency confining drift cell and drift tubes without radial confinement. Using this device under 2 Torr of helium gas and an optimized drift voltage, denatured and native-like ions exhibited average apparent resolving powers of 14.2 and 16.5, respectively. For ions with high mobility, which are also low in mass, the apparent resolving power is limited by contributions from ion gating. In contrast, the arrival-time distributions of low-mobility, native-like ions are not well explained using only contributions from ion gating and diffusion. For those species, the widths of arrival-time distributions are most consistent with the presence of multiple structures in the gas phase.
Hugh Miller's Final Reply: Symbolizations

"All Monica All the Time" is one of those pieces that until now was never sent to a journal for publication. It may have needed more work, but I am not certain why it became a forgotten manuscript. In retro spect, what we were saying seems on target. The free play of signifiers was, we conceded, overpowering public policy discourse. Our hopes for strategies such as "warrants for discourse" were dimming, and the pros pects for the deterioration of American culture were rising. In Postmodern Public Administration Fox and I lamented political consult ant Lee Atwater's political trope, Willie Horton, deployed in the first Bush's presidential campaign against Michael Dukakis. The Clinton years saw the image-manipulations blossom. Since then, Atwater's dis ciple Karl Rove has managed the symbolizations for the Republicans. Hyperreality remains on the ascendancy in the realm of public policy. The abject treachery of the Bush presidency has, with hard leather boots, ground this point into the concrete. George W. Bush continues to draw links between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks?links that did not exist until he invented them in order to transpose the righteous anger over 9/11 into political resources for a different war agenda. If such invention is poetry, I hate poetry. But why call it poetry? Let's call it deceit. I suspect Bush of violating the sincerity warrant. He took the country to war on false premises: Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (not). The public conversa tion leading up to the Iraq war is an example of inauthentic communi cation, and the results have been death and destruction, and severe diminution of American credibility in the world. Now, is this a "defini tive assessment"? I do not even wish for that. In the democracy I envi sion, assessments tend to be contestable rather than definitive. So when McSwite writes, "To demand that people be sincere is to blame the vic tim in a very real sense" I am taken aback. By busting George W. Bush for violating the sincerity warrant, am I blaming the victim? No, I don't think so.
Extended Virtues and the Boundaries of Persons

What sorts of things undergird a person's character and what does the answer tell us about the person's relationship to her body, her environment, and the people who surround her? For the purpose of ascribing virtue, vice, and character, what are the boundaries of the person? Traditionally, philosophers have accepted mentalism, the view that only mental features are relevant to character. Even philosophers inclined to say that character is partially constituted by nonmental features would be inclined to accept skindividualism: a person's virtue must involve a disposition that is wholly grounded by features inside the person's skin. Drawing from arguments in the philosophy of mind and data from social psychology, I argue that skindividualism is wrong. Virtues can be extended, in the sense that the grounds for a person's virtues might not be inside that individual's skin. If this is the case, persons are not skindividuals.
Parameters Design for the 6 Class Line Discharge Test on MOA for 1000 kV UHV AC Systems

Starting from three aspects:the rationality of the test method,the equivalence of the test method,the practicality of the test method,the paper discusses and analyzes the line discharge test method on the MOA for 1000 kV UHV AC systems.Based on the practical line parameters and prospective calculated switching overvoltage of 1000 kV UHV AC systems,design the test parameters for the 6 class line discharge test on 1000 kV MOA,that can meet the energy requirements of not less than 40 MJ pre-injected into 1000 kV MOA during 2 times line discharge test.Make the specifications about the 6 class line discharge test method,as a reference to draw up the standard for 1000 kV MOA in China.
Reassessing imaging surveillance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Dr. Brian Link discusses clinical implications of the large Mayo Clinic/ University of Iowa study (ASCO abstract 8504) showing patient symptoms rather than scheduled surveillance imaging drove detection of relapses in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
Prolonged wbc depression after cimetidine in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia

A patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia was treated with cimetidine and antibiotics after pneumonectomy. The prolonged suppression of the WBC that followed may be related to cimetidine administration in a stressed patient. Such patients should have periodic white blood cell counts because substituting the cyanoguanidine group for the thiourea group may not eliminate the hematologic effects of the H2 receptor antagonists.
Exporting Ideology: Chinese Domestic Politics and China’s African Aid

Although the role of international sources of ideas as an input in domestic development has long been recognized, it is only recently that scholars have begun to systematically explore the ways in which development ideas are generated, transmitted, and adopted (or abandoned). Development ideologies can be forged from persistent and deep-rooted elements in a nation’s cultural heritage, but can also change rapidly, particularly under direction from above. China’s aid was affected by the turbulence in China’s domestic political strategies during the pre-reform period, particularly during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, when many of China’s aid programs in African countries were launched, and by the about-face in the post-1978 reforms.
Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in brain tumor patients undergoing craniotomy: a meta-analysis

Brain tumor patients undergoing craniotomy generally receive prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE), but modalities in use differ widely and have been debated in the literature. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of VTE prophylaxis among brain tumor patients undergoing craniotomy. Ten randomized controlled trials were included in the final efficacy analysis. The various prophylactic measures employed in these studies reduced the risk for thrombosis compared to controls with an overall risk ratio of 0.61 (95 % CI: 0.47–0.79) in the fixed effect model. Although Cochrane Q-test showed unimportant heterogeneity across studies (p = 0.19) and the I2, a measure of heterogeneity between studies, was reasonably low at 28 %, subgroup analysis indicated that intervention type was a potential effect modifier for efficacy (p = 0.04). Unfractionated heparin alone showed a stronger reduction in VTE risk compared to placebo (RR = 0.27; 95 % CI: 0.10–0.73), and LMWH combined with mechanical prophylaxis showed a lower VTE risk as compared to mechanical prophylaxis alone (0.61; 95 % CI: 0.46–0.82). This meta-analysis demonstrates a statistically significant VTE risk reduction among brain tumor patients receiving prophylaxis, with chemical prophylaxis showing the strongest risk reduction. Five studies were included in the safety analysis, which showed an overall increased risk of bleeding comparing different prophylactic measures to different controls (RR = 2.02; 95 % CI: 1.14–3.58; I2 = 0 %; p = 0.86). Interventions in these studies were associated with an increased risk of post-operative, minor hemorrhage (RR = 2.20; 95 % CI = 1.00; 4.85), while the risk of major hemorrhage was not increased by chemoprophylaxis.
Comparison of body mass index, waist circumference, and waist to height ratio in the prediction of hypertension and diabetes mellitus: Filipino-American women cardiovascular study.

The relative ability of three obesity indices to predict hypertension (HTN) and diabetes (DM) and the validity of using Asian-specific thresholds of these indices were examined in Filipino-American women (FAW). Filipino-American women (n = 382), 40–65 years of age were screened for hypertension (HTN) and diabetes (DM) in four major US cities. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR) were measured. ROC analyses determined that the three obesity measurements were similar in predicting HTN and DM (AUC: 0.6–0.7). The universal WC threshold of ≥ 35 in. missed 13% of the hypertensive patients and 12% of the diabetic patients. The Asian WC threshold of ≥ 31.5 in. increased detection of HTN and DM but with a high rate of false positives. The traditional BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 threshold missed 35% of those with hypertension and 24% of those with diabetes. The Asian BMI threshold improved detection but resulted in a high rate of false positives. The suggested WHtR cut-off of ≥ 0.5 missed only 1% of those with HTN and 0% of those with DM. The three obesity measurements had similar but modest ability to predict HTN and DM in FAW. Using Asian-specific thresholds increased accuracy but with a high rate of false positives. Whether FAW, especially at older ages, should be encouraged to reach these lower thresholds needs further investigation because of the high false positive rates.
Taking One for the Team: Is Collective Action More Responsive to Ecological Change?

Debate persists around the timing of risk reduction strategies for large-scale ecological change for three reasons: risks are difficult to predict, they involve irreversibilities, and they impact multiple jurisdictions. The combination of these three factors creates a general class of filterable spatial-dynamic externalities (FSDE) in which one person’s risk reduction investments reduce or filter undesirable events experienced by others and underestimates the option value placed on being able to respond to new information about the consequences of ecological change. By focusing on the optimal intervention decision, we illustrate how and when the opposing forces created by an FSDE will lead to a divergence in private and collective risk reduction strategies. We use bioinvasions as our motivating example. The bioinvasion first hits one jurisdiction, and that jurisdiction’s risk reduction investment reduces the risk faced by all other jurisdiction. We find that efforts to internalize the full benefits of risk reduction investments may have unintended consequences on the responsiveness of environmental policy. There is a social welfare gain from asking the first jurisdiction to delay a risk reduction investment to internalize the option values of all at-risk jurisdictions.
Singling Out Chromosome Gains in Tumor Evolution

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Sheltzer et al. shed new light on Theodor Boveri's century-old hypothesis by demonstrating that aneuploidy characterized by single-chromosome gains acts to suppress tumorigenesis and that aneuploidy itself is a nidus for genomic instability.
The selfie (and ussie) as identity in the classroom

This activity uses Goffman’s impression management theory to gain insight into the self-presentation on several social media platforms. Hogan’s (2010) distinction between performances and exhibitions and boyd’s (2006) context collapse are used as course concepts to apply throughout the class activity. Students create selfies in preparation of the class activity and create new selfies during the class activity. The creation of selfies paired with discussion questions of course concepts allows students to apply real identity presentations to academic research. Students learn how to apply Goffman’s impression management theory to a digital context, the distinction between a performance and exhibition, the role of online audiences, and how the technological affordances and culture of each platform impact identity impression. Variations of the activity are discussed in relation to different types of communication studies classes. Observations and advice are also included to provide insight to instructors.
Impact of archeomagnetic field model data on modern era geomagnetic forecasts

Abstract A series of geomagnetic data assimilation experiments have been carried out to demonstrate the impact of assimilating archeomagnetic data via the CALS3k.4 geomagnetic field model from the period between 10 and 1590 CE. The assimilation continues with the gufm1 model from 1590 to 1990 and CM4 model from 1990 to 2000 as observations, and comparisons between these models and the geomagnetic forecasts are used to determine an optimal maximum degree for the archeomagnetic observations, and to independently estimate errors for these observations. These are compared with an assimilation experiment that uses the uncertainties provided with CALS3k.4. Optimal 20 year forecasts in 1990 are found when the Gauss coefficients up to degree 3 are assimilated. In addition we demonstrate how a forecast and observation bias correction scheme could be used to reduce bias in modern era forecasts. Initial experiments show that this approach can reduce modern era forecast biases by as much as 50%.
Kinetics of Physical Transformations

A concrete physical system may change in time. Any such change will be called a process, provided the change exists in every inertial coordinate system. In this broad sense, not only chemical reactions, positron—electron ‘annihilation’, nuclear reactions, etc., but also the emission and absorption of photons, and even a change in a purely mechanical motion, are particular cases of processes. Free motion of a concrete physical object is not a process, because there exists an inertial coordinate system in which the object is at rest.
Factors Influencing Fluid Milk Waste in a Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program

Abstract Objective To determine predictors of fluid milk waste in a Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program. Design Cross-sectional with 3 repeated measures/classroom. Setting Elementary schools in a medium-sized, low-income, urban school district. Participants Twenty third- through fourth-grade classrooms across 6 schools. Main Outcomes Dependent variables include percentage of total and served milk wasted. Independent variables included observed daily menu offerings, program factors, and teacher and student behavior. Analysis Descriptive statistics were used to characterize variables across classrooms and schools. Multilevel mixed-effects models were used to test associations between predictors and outcomes of interest. P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant. Results Total milk waste increased 12% when juice was offered and 3% for each additional carton of unserved milk. Teacher encouragement to take and/or consume breakfast was associated with a 5% and 9% increase in total and served milk waste, respectively. When students were engaged in other activities in addition to eating breakfast, total milk waste decreased 10%. Conclusions and Implications Beverage offerings were predictive of greater total milk waste. Teacher and student behavior also appeared to influence milk consumption. Findings suggest that specific changes to School Breakfast Program implementation policies and practices could have an important role in waste mitigation.
Studies of PSM in aqueous solution near the overlap concentration

Porcine Submaxillary Mucin (PSM) is a glycoprotein whose primary structure consists of a protein core with frequent, short oligosaccharide side chains. Previous static and dynamic light scattering data indicate, in dilute aqueous 0.1M NaCl, PSM exists as quasi-spherical, internally branched, highly hydrated, polydisperse aggregates which slowly dissociate till a stable species of weight average molecular weight (Mw) 7.4 x 106 is reached. In 6M GdnHCl the non-covalent bonds between PSM molecules are apparently broken giving a highly elongated molecule of Mw 2.0 x 106. The forces which bond PSM into its native aggregate form in 0.1 M NaCl seem to be specific in nature since the dissociation is irreversible. Upon reduction of PSM with mercaptoethanol, polydispersity decreases substantially, and Mw decreases to 9 x 105. A discrete change in the solution properties of PSM in 0.1 M NaCl at a concentration of 2 mg/ml, manifested by a sudden decrease in the translational diffusion coefficient, increase in viscosity number and decrease in slope of the osmotic compressibility, was observed. We tentatively propose that a weak secondary association process occurs at this concentration although it cannot be ruled out that hydrodynamic interaction of the congested macromolecules are responsible for the observed effect.
Fundamental Basics of the CPBS Approach

In this chapter we will examine four basic methodologies and decision tools that are utilized in the CPBS approach to decision making. The first is Bayesian decision analysis, which forms the heart of the CPBS approach. Tests and measurements that are used to identify or detect a property of interest are generally not perfect. When tests are biased or inaccurate, it is often advantageous to use more than one test. The interpretation of a combination of test results can be problematic because there often exists a variable amount of information overlap (positive dependence) and differences (negative dependence) among the tests. It is a difficult problem to account for both the imperfection of the individual tests as well as their interdependencies in their joint interpretation.
High-throughput profiling of the circulating proteome suggests sexually dimorphic corticosteroid signaling following ischemic stroke.

Increasing evidence suggests that there are innate differences between sexes with respect to stroke pathophysiology; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences remain unclear. I...
Staphylococcus lugdunensis abscess with deep tissue involvement.

Coagulase-negative Staphylococci are commonly found on human skin (Heldt Manica and Cohen, 2017, Zaaroura et al., 2018). However, one coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, has been increasingly recognized for its virulence and propensity to cause locally destructive skin and soft tissue infections in immuno-compromised hosts (Arias et al., 2010, Zaaroura et al., 2018). Despite this, S. lugdunensis is not frequently discussed in the dermatology literature, and recommendations with regard to the management of skin and soft tissue infections caused by this organism are lacking. Herein, we present a case of a large, suppurative, cutaneous, and soft-tissue abscess with deep muscle invasion due to S. lugdunensis to highlight the pathogenicity of this organism. We provide an evaluation and treatment recommendations for those who encounter this microbe as a cause of skin and soft-tissue infections in clinical practice.
The Science of Administrative Change

Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to reduce regulation during the 2016 presidential campaign. Indeed, one of his key advisors promised to "deconstruct" the administrative state. Since taking office, President Trump has attempted to make good on his promises, spurring federal agencies to brush aside countless regulations that previous administrations had promulgated based on scientific, technological, or economic evidence. Those efforts, which have been dubbed a "war on science," implicate a long-contested question in administrative law: to what extent should a change in presidential administrations excuse agencies from an obligation to justify changes in policy with expert, reasoned analysis of relevant data? Perhaps surprisingly, the Trump administration's efforts align with views that have dominated administrative law scholarship in recent decades. By the time Trump took office, many leading administrative law scholars had already championed enhanced presidential control over agency decisions, dismissed expert analysis as an anachronistic relic of the New Deal, and suggested that the considered judgments of previous administrations should be amenable to quick and easy change. This article takes a contrary view and asserts a renewed role for expert, reasoned analysis in the face of politically motivated administrative change. Unlike earlier work, this article identifies change as a fundamental and essential aspect of much expert decision-making, and it explains that regulatory statutes often call for an exercise of expert judgment capable of incorporating frequently changing bodies of scientific, technological, or economic knowledge. This positive procedural account of agency decision-making shows that the reasoned analysis contributed by agency expertise is far from superfluous, but contributes legitimacy and transparency to administrative government. By identifying the value of expertise within the context of politically directed policy changes, this article addresses an under-theorized aspect of judicial review of agency decisions and reinforces the need for agencies to support changes in policy with reasoned, expert analysis.
Russia’s Imperial Ambitions, Ukraine, and the West

The major focal point of tension between the Western powers and Russia since 2014 has been the latter’s actions in Ukraine. In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea and launched a war by proxy in...
Linear Stability Analysis of a Normal Shock Train in a Constant Area Isolator of a Hypersonic ScramJet

Recent experiments in hypersonic vehicle technology have had some successful outcomes (ex. NASA X-43, Boeing X-51) but also have seen some unexpected failures (DARPA Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2). One important failure mode is the problem of engine unstart. Morgan, et al (2012) has discussed and analyzed a Scramjet isolator using two unit problems, viz. that of an oblique shock impinging on a turbulent boundary layer and that of a normal shock train in a constant-area duct. In order to analyze unstart, we use the numerical data obtained from the LES calculations of the normal shock train in a constant area duct and perform temporal linear stability analysis on it under the assumptions of inviscid semi-parallel flow. This paper describes the methodology and the details of this linear stability analysis. The results obtained from the investigations have been documented and interpreted with their relevance to the physical problem. The report concludes that temporal linear stability analysis is insufficient to analyze the problem of unstart. Finally, the need for a new approach (namely, dynamic mode decomposition (DMD)) has been discussed.
Online topic detection and tracking system and its application on stock market in china

Financial markets are very sensitive to emerging news related to stock because investors need to continuously monitor financial events when deciding buying and selling stocks. Tracking important events has done mostly using rule-based methods in the past, which is time-consuming in the face of huge online news data. To track this issue, in this paper, a novel document embedding technology based on TF-IDF and BERT incorporating online text cluster algorithm to form an automated event detection system is proposed. Embedding technology is first used to encode text to vectors and then an online text cluster algorithm - SinglePass is implemented to accomplish topic tracking. Experiment results show that the proposed algorithms can effectively detect and track online topics. In addition, both domestic and international events such as the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and Sino-U.S. trade war and their impact on capital market in China are analyzed, which demonstrate the practical and economic value of proposed system.
Rat Anterior Cingulate Cortex Continuously Signals Decision Variables in a Patch Foraging Task

Abstract In patch foraging tasks, animals must decide whether to remain with a depleting resource or to leave it in search of a potentially better source of reward. In such tasks, animals consistently follow the general predictions of optimal foraging theory (the Marginal Value Theorem; MVT): to leave a patch when the reward rate in the current patch depletes to the average reward rate across patches. Prior studies implicate an important role for the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in foraging decisions based on MVT: within single trials, ACC activity increases immediately preceding foraging decisions, and across trials, these dynamics are modulated as the value of staying in the patch depletes to the average reward rate. Here, we test whether these activity patterns reflect dynamic encoding of decision-variables and whether these signals are directly involved in decision-making or serve a more general function such as monitoring task performance or allocating cognitive control. We developed a leaky accumulator model based on the MVT that generates estimates of decision variables within and across trials, and tested model predictions against ACC activity recorded from rats performing a patch foraging task. Model predicted changes in MVT decision variables closely matched rat ACC activity. Next, we pharmacologically inactivated ACC to test the contribution of these signals to decision-making. Despite ACC inactivation, rats still followed the MVT decision rule, suggesting that foraging decision variables represented in the ACC are used for a more general function such as regulating cognitive control or motivation. Significance The ability to make adaptive patch-foraging decisions – to remain with a depleting resource or search for better alternatives – is critical to animal well-being. Previous studies have found that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity is modulated at different points in the foraging decision process, raising questions about whether the ACC guides ongoing decisions or serves a more general purpose of regulating cognitive control. To investigate the function of the ACC in foraging, the present study developed a dynamic model of behavior and neural activity, and tested model predictions using recordings and inactivation of ACC. Findings revealed that ACC continuously signals decision variables but that these signals are more likely used to regulate cognitive control than to guide ongoing decisions.
Recovery of Morphine from Biological Samples by Hydrolysis and Solvent Extraction

Quantitative recovery of drugs from biological samples is important when a response is to be related to the amount of drug present in a tissue sample. Morphine is one drug of interest in this regard because of its widespread use and its chemical peculiarities. Its relatively low dosage, amphoteric nature, and metabolism to a water-soluble product, 3-morphine monoglucuronide [1,2], make morphine relatively difficult to analyze in biological samples. Most quantitative analytical schemes of analysis require that the glucuronide be cleaved to free morphine for extraction into an organic solvent. Acid hydrolysis [3] and enzymatic cleavage [4] are the most popular methods for freeing the morphine. We report here a study of the recoveries of radioactively tagged morphine from biological samples of morphine-treated dogs by using hydrolysis and solvent extraction. It is possible to recover more than 90% of the morphine contained in a sample with acid hydrolysis and about 80% with enzymatic cleavage.
Reconfiguration planning for pivoting cube modular robots

In this paper, we present algorithms for self-reconfiguration of modular robots that move by pivoting. The modules are cubes that can pivot about their edges along the x, y, or z axes to move on a 3-dimensional substrate. This is a different model from prior work, which usually considers modules that slide along their faces. We analyze the pivoting cube model and give sufficient conditions for reconfiguration to be feasible. In particular, we show that if an initial configuration does not contain any of three subconfigurations, which we call rules, then it can reconfigure into a line. We provide provably correct algorithms for reconfiguration for both 2-D and 3-D systems, and we verify our algorithms via simulation on randomly generated 2-D and 3-D configurations.
Reading Through a Plan

Problem: Planners may read plans often, but the profession continues to view the interpretation of plan content as something that is either too obvious or too unimportant to require explicit discussion. Plans are seldom adequately interpreted. This is regrettable because plans contain a rich variety of content and meaning. Purpose: This article calls for planners to “read through” plans, not just to grasp their essential ideas or the means of implementing those ideas, but also to perceive additional levels of meaning relating to a) a plan's place within a larger intellectual sphere, b) a plan's statement on the social and political values of the time, and c) a plan as a part of the history of the planning profession and the life of cities. Methods: I propose a visual approach to plan reading descended from Panofsky's (1939) theory of iconology and use this to examine three very different plans that describe different size cities (small, large, very large) during different periods over the past 80 years (t...
Gustatory adaptation affects sexual maturation in male German cockroaches, Blattella germanica

Adaptations to hazardous environmental factors are essential for survival, although they may be maladaptive in conditions where the hazard is absent. In German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) populations, glucose aversion has evolved rapidly in response to glucose-containing insecticidal baits, but little is known about the consequences of this behaviour in the absence of bait. In the present study, glucose-averse (GA) and wild-type (WT) male German cockroaches are restricted to a range of nutritionally defined diets containing either glucose or fructose as the sole carbohydrate source, and time to first expression of courtship is measured by stimulating the male antennae daily with isolated antennae from receptive, 6-day-old females. Glucose-averse males that are restricted to glucose-containing diets mature their courtship responses significantly later than GA males restricted to fructose-containing diets, whereas there is no difference in maturation of courtship responses between GA males restricted to fructose-containing diets and WT males restricted to diets containing either sugar type. Glucose-averse males furthermore respond later to GA female antennae than to WT female antennae, all from 6-day-old females. This suggests that GA females are less sexually stimulating, and the results are also consistent with earlier findings showing that GA females contain less developed oocytes than WT females at this age. These findings demonstrate that an adaptive gustatory mutation conferring protection from a toxin may have comparatively detrimental effects under conditions where the toxin has vanished, both by delaying female sexual maturation and signalling and by delaying male sexual maturation and courtship under conditions where glucose is a major energy source.
Reinforcing and discriminative stimulus properties of mixed agonist-antagonist opioids.

Nine mixed agonist-antagonist opioids were evaluated in macaque monkeys for their ability to serve as positive reinforcers and for their discriminative stimulus similarity to etorphine and ethylketazocine. For tests of reinforcing properties, various doses of each drug were substituted for codeine under a fixed-ratio 30 time-out 600 sec schedule of i.v. delivery. Discriminative properties were assessed in separate groups of monkeys for which etorphine and saline, or ethylketazocine and saline, were established as discriminative stimuli for responses maintained under a fixed-ratio 20 schedule of food delivery. Two patterns of reinforcing and discriminative stimulus properties were observed. Buprenorphine, butorphanol, GPA 1657, nalbuphine, propiram and WY 16225 (dezocine) functioned as positive reinforcers and occasioned etorphine-appropriate but not ethylketazocine-appropriate responses. dl-Profadol also functioned as a positive reinforcer; its stereoisomers occasioned etorphine-appropriate but not, in general, ethylketazocine-appropriate responses. In contrast, levallorphan and oxilorphan did not function as positive reinforcers and occasioned ethylketazocine-appropriate but no more than 30% etorphine-appropriate responses. Under these experimental conditions, the reinforcing and discriminative stimulus profiles of the mixed agonist-antagonist opioids paralleled those of etorphine-like (mu) or ethylketazocine-like (kappa) opioid agonists.
WHICH MATURE BABIES NEED TO BE OBSERVED IN THE NURSERY: ANALYSIS OF THE SURFACE TENSION (ST) OF AMNIOTIC FLUID (AF) LIPID EXTRACT (LE)

We reported (Ped. Res. 1981:15:1452A) that the mothers whose AF LE showed reduced ST lowering property delivered babies who developed complications in the neonatal period. This study included babies of all weights. To exclude the impact of premies we examined the predictive value of ST lowering property of the AF LE for newborns weighing >2500gm. The ST was measured on 64 AF LE by the standard method. The ST sum was calculated by adding the volume and the ST (both are the minimum volume (ul) of the AF LE required to maximally lower the ST (dynes/cm)). In 28 babies (♂15,♀13), the ST sum was≤40; 22 were normal and 6 (♂5,♀1) showed complications: meconium staining-3, ABO incompatibility-2, hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy-2, and Down's syndrome-1. In 36 babies (♂17,♀19), the ST sum was >40; 19 were normal and 17 (♂6,♀11) showed complications: Rh and other isoimmune hemolytic diseases requiring exchange transfusion-4, hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy-2, ABO incompatibility-2, polycythemia requiring partial exchange transfusion-1, hypoglycemia-4, possible sepsis-1, and meconium staining-3. The mothers of only 5 babies showed a prenatal condition suggesting a need for the baby's observation. Conclusion: ST sum value is a nonspecific indicator of a baby's health. A high value suggests a need for observation of a ⩾2500gm baby; a low value suggests an absence of complications subsequent to delivery.
Simulation methods for studying nonstationary behavior of computer networks

Methods for the simulation of the nonstationary behavior of computer networks are discussed. Steady-state performance measures, typically computed over time histories, are modified to be applicable to the nonstationary case by redefining the measures as ensemble statistics. The application of well-known ensemble simulation techniques to determining the modified performance metrics from finite ensembles generated by independent replications is given. The simulation methods are illustrated with a comprehensive tutorial example and with a performance study which gives results for a shared buffer switch. >