cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intrahepatic cholestatic syndromes: pathogenesis, clinical features and management.

Intrahepatic cholestasis is characterized by a decrease in bile flow in the absence of overt bile duct obstruction, resulting in the accumulation of bile constituents in the liver and blood. Various e
Schemes for robust quantum computation with polar molecules

We show how ultracold polar molecules, suggested as a new platform for quantum computation, can be manipulated to switch ``on'' and ``off'' their strong dipole-dipole interactions. This can be accomplished through selective excitation of states with considerably different dipole moments. We discuss different schemes for quantum gates using real molecules: CO, LiH, and CaF, as examples of polar molecules which are being experimentally studied at ultracold temperatures. These schemes can be realized in several recently proposed architectures.
A Rare Case of Optic Nerve Schwannoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background and Importance: Schwannomas are typically benign tumors of the peripheral nervous system that originate from Schwann cells. It is well known that the optic nerves are myelinated by oligodendrocytes since their cell bodies arise centrally within the lateral geniculate nuclei. Because of this basic cellular anatomy, optic schwannomas should theoretically not exist. It is possible, however, these rare lesions stem from small sympathetic fibers that innervate the vasculature surrounding the optic nerve and its sheath. Clinical Presentation: The patient is a 46-year-old male with a one-year history of progressive right eye blurry vision. To our knowledge, there are only five known reported case of an optic nerve schwannoma. Additionally, because of its medial position relative to the optic nerve and within the orbital apex, it is the first such case to be resected via an endoscopic endonasal approach. The lesion was subtotally resected because of its adherence and continuity with the optic nerve and the patient’s wish to preserve his vision. He was subsequently referred to radiation oncology for external beam radiation therapy. Conclusion: Herein, we discuss the pertinent clinical findings of this rare lesion and review the literature relative to optic nerve and solitary orbital schwannomas.
Respect, Protection, Faith, and Love: Major Care Constructs Identified Within the Subculture of Selected Urban African American Adolescent Gang Members

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to discover universal and diverse care meanings and expressions of the selected urban African American adolescent gang culture within a qualitative paradigm. DESIGN: The study was conducted using ethnonursing research methodology and was guided by Leininger's theory of culture care. Thirteen key participants and 28 general participants were selected from a school setting in a Midwestern city. Data were collected and analyzed over a 12-month period, in which the researcher participated daily in school and extracurricular activities of the gang members. Leininger's Data Analysis Guide included collection of raw data and maintenance of a field journal, coding and examining of the data for behavioral patterns and structural meanings, and finally formulation of major themes. FINDINGS: Culture care constructs that emerged from the major themes were respect, being listened to/accepted, worthiness, concern for others, protection, surveillance, trust, and faith. Conclusions: Nurses may promote health and well-being through collaborative partnerships with gang members and working with other caregivers to encourage more healthy lifestyles. Nurses should assume a leadership role in restructuring health policy that would give equal voice to underprivileged members of American society. Language: en
A feature mining based approach for the classification of text documents into disjoint classes

This paper proposes a new approach for classifying text documents into two disjoint classes. The new approach is based on extracting patterns, in the form of two logical expressions, which are defined on various features (indexing terms) of the documents. The pattern extraction is aimed at providing descriptions (in the form of two logical expressions) of the two classes of positive and negative examples. This is achieved by means of a data mining approach, called One Clause At a Time (OCAT), which is based on mathematical logic. The application of a logic-based approach to text document classification is critical when one wishes to be able to justify why a particular document has been assigned to one class versus the other class. This situation occurs, for instance, in declassifying documents that have been previously considered important to national security and thus are currently being kept as secret. Some computational experiments have investigated the effectiveness of the OCAT-based approach and compared it to the well-known vector space model (VSM). These tests also have investigated finding the best indexing terms that could be used in making these classification decisions. The results of these computational experiments on a sample of 2897 text documents from the TIPSTER collection indicate that the first approach has many advantages over the VSM approach for solving this type of text document classification problem. Moreover, a guided strategy for the OCAT-based approach is presented for deciding which document one needs to consider next while building the training example sets.
Thermal decomposition and fire behavior of glass fiber–reinforced polyester resin composites containing phosphate-based fire-retardant additives:

The thermal degradation and the fire behavior of a polyester resin containing phosphate-based fire-retardant additives and its corresponding glass fiber composites were investigated. An unsaturated commercial polyester resin was modified by the addition of three phosphate-based fire retardants: ammonium polyphosphate, silane-coated ammonium polyphosphate, and melamine pyrophosphate, at 35% w/w. The effects of the fire retardants on resin thermal decomposition and small-scale fire behavior were studied using dynamic thermogravimetric tests at different heating rates and microcalorimetric measurements according to ASTM D7309-07. Different modes of degradation with different activation energy levels for the neat resin and the phosphate-loaded resins were identified by analyzing the thermogravimetric data through the Kissinger method. Since the ammonium polyphosphate-containing resin showed greater thermal and fire performance than the other systems, it was used to manufacture unidirectional glass fiber compo...
Condensation Pressure Drop in Circular Microchannels

Abstract This paper presents a multiple flow-regime model for pressure drop during the condensation of refrigerant R134a in horizontal microchannels. Two-phase pressure drops were measured in five circular channels ranging in hydraulic diameter from 0.5 mm to 4.91 mm. For each tube under consideration, pressure drop measurements were first taken over the entire range of qualities from 100% vapor to 100% liquid for five different refrigerant mass fluxes between 150 kg/m2-s and 750 kg/m2-s. Results from the previous work by the authors on condensation flow mechanisms in microchannel geometries were used to assign the applicable flow regime to the data points. Pressure drop models for intermittent [1] and annular [2] flow reported earlier by the authors were modified and combined to develop a comprehensive model that addresses the entire progression of the condensation process from the vapor phase to the liquid phase. This combined model accurately predicts condensation pressure drops in the annular, dispers...
Using radiometric fingerprinting and phosphorus to elucidate sediment transport dynamics in an agricultural watershed

The major goals of this study were to determine stream bed sediment erosion/deposition rates, sediment age, percent ‘new’ sediment, and suspended sediment origin during two storm events of contrasting magnitudes (11.9 mm over 5 h and 58.9 mm over 39 h) using fallout radionuclides (excess lead 210 – 210Pbxs and beryllium 7 – 7Be) and link the nature and type of sediment source contributions to potential phosphorus (P) off-site transport. The study was conducted in cropland-dominated and mixed land use subwatersheds in the non-glaciated Pleasant Valley watershed (50 km2) in South Central Wisconsin. Fine sediment deposition and erosion rates on stream beds varied from 0.76 to 119.29 mg cm−2 day−1 (at sites near the watershed outlet) and 1.72 to 7.72 mg cm−2 day−1 (at sites in the headwaters), respectively, during the two storm events. The suspended sediment age ranged from 123 ± 12 to 234 ± 33 days during the smaller storm event; however, older sediment was more prevalent (p = 0.037) in the streams during the larger event with suspended sediment age ranging from 226 ± 9 to 322 ± 114 days. During the small and large storm event, percent new sediment in suspended sediment ranged from 5.3 ± 2.1 to 21.0 ± 2.9% and 5.3 ± 2.7 to 6.7 ± 5.7%, respectively. In the cropland-dominated subwatershed, upland soils were the major source of suspended sediment, whereas in the mixed land use subwatershed, both uplands and stream banks had relatively similar contributions to suspended sediment. In-stream (suspended and bed) sediment P levels ranged from 703 ± 193 to 963 ± 84 mg kg−1 during the two storm events. The P concentrations in suspended and bed sediment were reflective of the dominant sediment source (upland or stream bank or mixed). Overall, sediment transport dynamics showed significant variability between subwatersheds of different land use characteristics during two contrasting storm events. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal Inventory Policies under a Hierarchy of Setup Costs

This paper considers multi-product inventory problems which are subject to an order cost or setup cost hierarchy of the following form: all replenishment orders issued in any given scheduling period are filled in the next period, with the total setup cost of replenishing N different products in one period being S + sN. The values of N observed in the various periods, and therefore the expected setup cost per job, depend on the unknown lot sizes. This type of setup cost dependence can arise in simple inventory problems but is more commonly found in production environments in which the setup cost for a given job depends on the job immediately preceding it in the production schedule. Assuming demands to be random with known probability distributions, an iterative algorithm is presented for computing optimal lot sizes and reorder points for a set of heterogeneous products.
Efficient establishment of a fuzzy logic model for process modeling and control

Fuzzy logic modeling using internal and membership functions is a promising technique for the modeling and control of semiconductor manufacturing and packaging processes. To simplify its implementation procedure, a fuzzy logic model needs to be established with the minimum user interference. An algorithm with two major steps has been proposed and demonstrated for the efficient model establishment The first step develops intermediate fuzzy logic models with different numbers of membership functions assigned to each input variable. The number is one for the simplest model, and is increased one by one according to the pre-defined sequence and pathfinding criteria for more complex models, The second step stops the incremental procedure when the stopping criteria are met. The criteria are the multiple correlation factors R/sup 2/ based on the training and the testing data. The algorithm's accuracy and efficiency have been demonstrated by testing it with five two-variable, nonlinear functions. >
Ring fiber resonators based on fused-fiber grating add–drop filters: application to resonator coupling

We introduce a fiber ring optical resonator based on adiabatic fused-fiber grating couplers. The coupling of a through fiber to the resonator is controlled by the strength of the fiber Bragg gratings. By using two of these couplers and incorporating erbium-doped (ED) fiber in the ring, we control the internal loss of the ring by pumping the ED fiber. The transmission spectra of the through port and the drop port of a four-port configuration, a ring coupled to two waveguides, are measured. We show that the loss/coupling ratio of the ring-fiber system can be changed and thus that the transmission properties of the fiber can be controlled.
A generalized Fock-Tani representation of non-relativistic systems containing composite particles

Abstract This paper introduces a generalized Fock-Tani representation. The necessity for such a representation is discussed along with several concepts associated with this representation. An order by order method of constructing the representation is used, and the first order beyond the original Fock-Tani representation is examined. Composites of two fermions are considered.
The QuickRing ATM switches

The 64/spl times/64 QuickRing ATM switch is a multi-stage switch constructed from 8/spl times/8 QuickRing ATM switches. The buffering requirements of such a switch must be carefully considered in the design. Under both Poisson and bursty traffic, the buffer space needed at an intermediate node is less than one-third of the buffer space needed at an output node.
Computer Attacks on Critical National Infrastructure: A Use of Force Invoking the Right to Self-Defense

Computer networks create tremendously increased capabilities but also represent equally increased vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilites are especially acute in relation to potential attacks on critical national infrasturucture. This Article proposes that international law must evolve to recognize that attacks against a nation's critical national infrastructure from any source constitute a use of force. Such attacks, therefore, give the victim state the right to proportional self-defense - including anticipatory self-defense - even if the computer network attack is not an armed attack under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Due to the instantaneous nature of computer network attacks, the right to respond must accrue immediately, despite the traditional obstacles of attribution (determining the attacker's identity), characterization (determining the attacker's intent), and the inviolability of neutrals.
Oxygen Activation in Flavoprotein Oxidases: The Importance of Being Positive

The oxidation of flavin hydroquinones by O2 in solution is slow, with second-order rate constants of ∼250 M–1 s–1. This is due to the obligatory, single-electron transfer that initiates the reaction being thermodynamically unfavored and poorly catalyzed. Notwithstanding considerations of O2 accessibility to the reaction site, its desolvation and geometry and other factors that can also contribute to further rate acceleration, flavoprotein oxidases must activate O2 for reaction with flavin hydroquinones to be able to achieve the 100–1000-fold rate enhancements typically observed. Protein positive charges have been identified in glucose oxidase, monomeric sarcosine oxidase, N-methyltryptophan oxidase and fructosamine oxidase that electrostatically stabilize the transition state for the initial single electron transfer that generates the O2–•/flavin semiquinone radical pair. In choline oxidase despite the presence of three histidines in the active site, the trimethylammonium group of the reaction product pro...
"Three Mediation Linkage" and the Criminal Reconciliation

The basis and support of people's mediation,people's mediation,judicial mediation,administrative mediation joint working mechanisms of convergence("Three Mediation Linkage")is a diversitied dispute settlement mechanism of the development of a brand-new ideas.With extensive coverage of the mediation organization system,giving full play to the "Three Mediation Linkage" to resolve social conflicts in the positive role can fully contribute to the achievement of the criminal reconciliation agreement and implementation,and realize dispute settlement.
Effects of galacto-oligosaccharides on immune function in mice

Objective To study the effects of Galacto-oligosaccharides on the immune function in mice.Methods Mice were randomly divided into control group,low dose group,middle dose group and high dose group.The animals in exposure groups were given intragastrically with Galacto-oligosaccharides by the doses of 83.3、833 and 2 500 mg/kg body weight respectively.The control group was given deionized water.The data of cellular immunity,humoral immunity,macrophage phagorytosis function and the activities of NK cells were examined and collected after 30 days.Results The toe swelling value and the content of serum hemolysis(HC50)of middle and high dose groups were significant higher than that of control group(P0.01).The index of macrophages for carbon clearance of low and middle dose groups were significant higher than that of control group(P0.01).Conclusion The results indicated that Galacto-oligosaccharides could enhance the immune function in mice.
Dimension reduction techniques

Large datasets, as well as data consisting of a large number of features, present computational problems in the training of predictive models. In this chapter we discuss several useful techniques for reducing the dimension of a given dataset, that is reducing the number of data points or number of features, often employed in order to make predictive learning methods scale to larger datasets. More specifically, we discuss widely used methods for reducing the data dimension , that is the number of data points, of a dataset including random subsampling and K -means clustering. We then detail a common way of reducing the feature dimension , or number features, of a dataset as explained in Fig. 9.1. A classical approach for feature dimension reduction, principal component analysis (PCA), while often used for general data analysis is a relatively poor tool for reducing the feature dimension of predictive modeling data. However, PCA presents a fundamental mathematical archetype, the matrix factorization , that provides a very useful way of organizing our thinking about a wide array of important learning models (including linear regression, K -means, recommender systems – introduced after detailing PCA in this chapter), all of which may be thought of as variations of the simple theme of matrix factorization. Techniques for data dimension reduction In this section we detail two common ways of reducing the data dimension of a dataset: random subsampling and K -means clustering. Random subsampling Random subsampling is a simple and intuitive way of reducing the data dimension of a dataset, and is often the first approach employed when performing regression/ classification on datasets too large for available computational resources. Given a set of P points we keep a random subsample of S of the entire set. Clearly the smaller we choose S the larger the chance we may loose an important structural characteristic of the underlying dataset (for example the geometry of the separating boundary between two classes of data). While there is no formula or hard rule for how large S should be, a simple guideline used in practice is to choose S as large as possible given the computational resources available so as to minimize this risk.
Contrasting the hydrologic response due to land cover and climate change in a mountain headwaters system

Land cover change due to drought and insect-induced tree mortality or altered vegetation succession is one of the many consequences of anthropogenic climate change. While the hydrologic response to land cover change and increases in temperature have been explored independently, few studies have compared these two impacts in a systematic manner. These changes are particularly important in snow-dominated, headwaters systems that provide streamflow for continental river systems. Here we study the hydrologic impacts of both vegetation change and climate warming along three transects in a mountain headwaters watershed using an integrated hydrologic model. Results show that while impacts due to warming generally outweigh those resulting from vegetation change, the inherent variability within the transects provides varying degrees of response. The combination of both vegetation change and warming results in greater changes to streamflow amount and timing than either impact individually, indicating a nonlinear response from these systems to multiple perturbations. The complexity of response underscores the need to integrate observational data and the challenge of deciphering hydrologic impacts from proxy studies.
Humanities and Liberal Arts in the Chinese Universities: A New Connection and Dialogue

Over past decades, China has experienced unprecedented economic development and social change, which have contributed to its rise as a global economic power. At the same time, China is also facing unprecedented challenges, including corruption, environment degradation, ethical issues, and educational disparity. China’s social and economic reformation and transformation have made a great impact on education. China has long valued education as the key to social, political, and economic status—and what bring honors to the family.
Long- but not short-term estradiol treatment induces renal damage in midlife ovariectomized Long-Evans rats

Clinical recommendations limit menopausal hormone therapy to a few years, yet the impact of a shorter treatment duration on cardiovascular health is unknown. We hypothesized that both short- and lo...
How do uncertainties in NCEP R2 and CFSR surface fluxes impact tropical ocean simulations

NCEP/DOE reanalysis (R2) and Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) surface fluxes are widely used by the research community to understand surface flux climate variability, and to drive ocean models as surface forcings. However, large discrepancies exist between these two products, including (1) stronger trade winds in CFSR than in R2 over the tropical Pacific prior 2000; (2) excessive net surface heat fluxes into ocean in CFSR than in R2 with an increase in difference after 2000. The goals of this study are to examine the sensitivity of ocean simulations to discrepancies between CFSR and R2 surface fluxes, and to assess the fidelity of the two products. A set of experiments, where an ocean model was driven by a combination of surface flux components from R2 and CFSR, were carried out. The model simulations were contrasted to identify sensitivity to different component of the surface fluxes in R2 and CFSR. The accuracy of the model simulations was validated against the tropical moorings data, altimetry SSH and SST reanalysis products. Sensitivity of ocean simulations showed that temperature bias difference in the upper 100 m is mostly sensitive to the differences in surface heat fluxes, while depth of 20 °C (D20) bias difference is mainly determined by the discrepancies in momentum fluxes. D20 simulations with CFSR winds agree with observation well in the western equatorial Pacific prior 2000, but have large negative bias similar to those with R2 winds after 2000, partly because easterly winds over the central Pacific were underestimated in both CFSR and R2. On the other hand, the observed temperature variability is well reproduced in the tropical Pacific by simulations with both R2 and CFSR fluxes. Relative to the R2 fluxes, the CFSR fluxes improve simulation of interannual variability in all three tropical oceans to a varying degree. The improvement in the tropical Atlantic is most significant and is largely attributed to differences in surface winds.
CŒLIAC-AXIS COMPRESSION

Abstract In twelve patients with symptomatic coeliac-axis compression symptoms were relieved by operation, although one had only partial relief. In nine cases the coeliac artery remained narrowed after division of the compressing band. Autogenous arterial reconstruction was used in eight of these with good results. Specimens of the constricted segments were recovered in six instances. Histological examination showed that intimal fibrosis was responsible for the permanent stenosis.
Cardiac Computed Tomography: Description of Technology and Protocols

A typical CT scanner has several main components: (1) the X-ray tube that emits X-ray beam, (2) the detector array located at the opposite side that collects the X-ray beam, (3) the gantry that holds and rotates the X-ray tube and detector array, and (4) the table where the patient lies on and moves through the rotating gantry. The human body lies in the center of the scanner within the field of view of the X-ray source, which emits a fan-like beam of X-rays to the detector array. The basic principle of cardiac CT is the use of a two-dimensional (2D) X-ray beam that passes through the body in continuous circular rotations to generate multiple 2D X-ray images to create a three-dimensional (3D) image of the heart. Although the gantry rotates a full 360°, only approximately 180° of data is needed to reconstruct one image: so-called half-scan reconstruction. Depending on the tissue content, there is attenuation of the X-ray beam as the body absorbs it. The photons that pass through the body are then collected by the detector array. Data acquired onto the detector array are ­digitalized as gray-scale pixels using “filtered back projection” technique, a method similar to that used in nuclear cardiology, to produce a cross-sectional image slice made up of a pixel matrix in the X–Y plane (typically 512 × 512 pixels). Multiple 2D cross-sectional image slices are added in series in the Z-direction (or longitudinal direction) to become a 3D reconstructed image.
Reduced-order methodology for prediction of loads generated by a flexible flapping wing:

This paper describes a methodology to predict the loads generated by a flexible flapping wing. The three-dimensional, whole field wing deformation was first measured using a non-contact optical tec...
A Scalable and Extensible Computational Fluid Dynamics Software Framework for Ship Hydrodynamics Applications: NavyFOAM

The main challenge facing simulation-based hydrodynamic design of naval ships comes from the complexity of the salient physics involved around ships, which is further compounded by the multidisciplinary nature of ship applications. Simulation of the flow physics using “first principles” is computationally very expensive and time-consuming. Other challenges largely pertain to software engineering, ranging from software architecture, verification and validation (V & V), and quality assurance. This article presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework called NavyFOAM that has been built around OpenFOAM, an open source CFD library written in C that heavily draws upon object-oriented programming. In the article, the design philosophy, features, and capabilities of the software framework, and computational approaches underlying NavyFOAM are described, followed by a description of the V&V effort and application examples selected from Navy’s recent R&D and acquisition programs.
Heart and heart-liver transplantation in patients with hemochromatosis.

Abstract Background Hemochromatosis predisposes to dilated or restrictive cardiomyopathy which can progress to end-stage heart failure, requiring the use of advanced heart therapies including heart (HT) and heart liver (HLT) transplantation. Little is known about the characteristics and outcomes of these patients. Methods and results We queried the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry for all patients listed for HT or HLT for a diagnosis of ‘hemochromatosis' between 1987 and 2014. Waitlist and post-transplantation outcomes were compared between patients with hemochromatosis (HT vs HLT) and other etiologies. Of the 81,356 adults listed for heart transplantation, 23 patients with hemochromatosis were identified (16 listed for HLT; and 7 listed for HT). Compared with other etiologies, HC patients were younger (39 vs 51years, p p =0.003) and mechanical ventilation (13% vs 3.4%, p =0.041). Cumulative hazards of waitlist mortality or delisting were higher in hemochromatosis patients than for other etiologies of heart failure ( p Conclusions Both HT and HLT are viable options for patients with hemochromatosis. Patients with hemochromatosis are younger with increased wait-list mortality compared with other etiologies.
First In Our Hearts but Not in Our Pocket Books: Trends in Local Governmental Financing for Parks and Recreation from 2004 to 2014

This paper is a replication of a 2006 analysis conducted by Kaczynski and Crompton assessing expenditures for local park and recreation services in the United States relative to other local public services. Whereas the earlier analysis compared data from the period of 1990 to 2003, this paper covers 2004 to 2014. The original analysis was conducted during a period of economic growth in the United States while the housing crisis, Great Recession, and subsequent economic recovery all occurred during the more recent period. This study addresses the question of how funding for parks and recreation fared during times of economic hardship relative to other governmental services. Data was derived from the U.S. Census Bureau’s State and Local Government Finances survey of all 90,000+ units of local government in years ending in “2” or “7,” as well as a smaller sample of state and local governments collected during the intervening years (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016a). From 2004 to 2014, parks and recreation accounted for between 2.22% –2.55% of total expenditures. Of the 10 competitive services analyzed, only corrections and libraries received a lower percentage of annual expenditures during this period. Unlike during the original period however, expenditures for parks and recreation decreased by 7.15% (compared to an increase of 63.25% from 1989–1990 to 2002–2003). Although allocations to parks and recreation grew substantially from 2003–2004 to 2008–2009 (14.65%), growth was negative for the remaining years of analysis. This ranked parks and recreation seventh among the ten services analyzed in terms of cumulative percentage increase in total expenditures. Although expenditures declined across most of the individual governmental services from 2010–2013, parks and recreation experienced the highest percentage decrease in expenditures during this period (-21.22%). These results contrast sharply with Kaczynski and Crompton’s earlier analysis and suggest that the landscape has changed in terms of budget priorities, with parks and recreation not receiving prior levels of investment. While public awareness of the benefits of parks and recreation has grown (Mowen, Graefe, Barrett, Roth, & Godbey, 2016), this has not translated into funding support or recovery in the face of tough economic times. While expenditures are only one measure of support, a potential way for parks and recreation to adapt to their current financial reality is to initiate or intensify their repositioning messages centered on issues/problems that received priority even during years of economic recession. Other compelling strategies for parks and recreation include becoming more ingrained with the ongoing social/political discourse in their community, as well as pursuing alternative financing mechanisms beyond the tax-support model such as public/private partnerships. Subscribe to JPRA
Nematodes of Five Species of Dicroglossid Frogs (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from Southeast Asia

Abstract: Five species of dicroglossid frogs (Dicroglossidae) (n = 29) from Southeast Asia were examined for helminths: Limnonectes blythii, L. hascheanus, L. khasianus, L. kohchangae, and L. macrognathus. We found eight species of Nematoda, consisting of gravid individuals of Aplectana macintoshii, Cosmocerca ornata, Foleyellides malayensis, Icosiella innominata, Oswaldocruzia rohdei, Seuratascaris numidica, and larvae of Abbreviata sp. and Physalopteridae gen. sp. Dicroglossid frogs from Southeast Asia are infected by generalist helminths that infect other species of frogs. Twelve new host records are reported.
A Perfect Sampling Method for Exponential Random Graph Models

Generation of deviates from random graph models with non-trivial edge dependence is an increasingly important problem. Here, we introduce a method which allows perfect sampling from random graph models in exponential family form ("exponential family random graph" models), using a variant of Coupling From The Past. We illustrate the use of the method via an application to the Markov graphs, a family that has been the subject of considerable research. We also show how the method can be applied to a variant of the biased net models, which are not exponentially parameterized.
State Capacity and Development: Federalism and Tax in Brazil

With each new period of international insertion, the Brazilian state has sought capacity to promote dynamic sectors, evident in major, coincident changes to two institutions: federalism and tax. Coincident reforms mobilize new resources and achieve accommodations among elites leading different jurisdictions and levels of government. To make sense of these accommodations, this chapter explores the social relations of fiscal and federal affairs—fiscal federal sociology. In contrast to coincident reforms to advance state capacity, divergent reforms occur when fiscal agreements and/or accommodations among regional elites breakdown. The historical evolution of coincident and divergent reforms produces the current paradox of a Brazilian state that shows great capacity in some areas and some periods, but has experienced long periods of stagnation and regression.
Visualizing a country without a future: Posters for Ayotzinapa, Mexico and struggles against state terror

Abstract On September 26, 2014, Mexico police forces ambushed several student buses from a rural teachers college in southwestern Mexico, killed several and abducted forty-three others. These forty-three have not been seen since and now pertain to the country's bulging numbers of the forcibly disappeared. All of the students were young men studying at a rural teaching college, called a Normal School, and they are typically referred to as “normalistas” (student-teachers). Within a week of this massacre/disappearance, protests erupted across the country to demand their “live return” and to inspire international support of a growing social justice movement. In support of the activism, Mexican artist-activists organized an exhibition and catalog of political posters submitted from around the world. In this paper, I use a critical geographic lens to frame a discussion of these posters, and of the political poster as an activist artform more generally, as I examine them within the many paradoxes that activists navigate in their struggles at the nexus of racism, misogyny, and neoliberal terror.
Simultaneous determination of trace concentrations of aldehydes and carboxylic acids in particulate matter.

Abstract Carboxylic acids and aldehydes are present in ambient air particulate matter (PM) originating from both primary emission and secondary production in air and may, due to their polarity have, an impact on formation of cloud condensation nuclei. Their simultaneous determination may provide improved understanding of atmospheric processes. We developed a new analytical method allowing for a single step determination of majority of carboxylic acids and aldehydes (+95 compounds). This sample preparation employed O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA·HCl) in methanol to yield oximes (for aldehydes) and methyl esters (for majority of acids); with the limits of detection of 0.02–1 ng per injection, corresponding to approximately 0.4–20 μg/gPM. Subsequent trimethylsilylation with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) was employed only for aromatic acids, which were not completely esterified, and for hydroxyl groups. Our method, in contrast to previous primarily qualitative studies, based on derivatization with an aqueous PFBHA followed by BSTFA derivatization, is less labor-intesive and reduces sample losses caused by an evaporation. The method was tested with a broad range of functionalized compounds (95), including monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic and aromatic acids, ketoacids, hydroxyacids and aldehydes. The developed protocol was applied to wood smoke (WS) and urban air standard reference material 1648b (UA) PM. The observed concentrations of aldehydes were 10–3000 μg/gPM in WS PM and 10–900 μg/gPM in UA PM, while those of acids were 20–1800 μg/gPM in WS PM and 15–1200 μg/gPM in UA PM. The most prominent aldehydes were syringaldehyde and vanillin in WS PM and glyoxal in UA PM. The most abundant acids in both PM samples were short-chain dicarboxylic acids (≤C10). WS PM had a high abundance of hydroxyacids (vanillic and malic acids) as well as ketoacids (glutaric and oxalacetic) while UA PM also featured a high abundance of long-chain monocarboxylic acids (≥C16).
High-yield synthesis of luminescent silicon quantum dots in a continuous flow nonthermal plasma reactor

Light-emission from silicon based on quantum confinement in nanoscale structures has sparked intense research into this field ever since its discovery about 15 years ago. The lack of a simple high-yield synthesis approach for luminescent silicon nanocrystals has so far hampered their widespread application in such diverse areas as opto-electronics, solid-state lighting for general illumination, and fluorescent agents for biological applications. In this paper we discuss a non-thermal plasma process for the synthesis of luminescent silicon nanocrystals. The particle size is mainly controlled by the residence time in the plasma region. The system is capable of producing several tens of milligrams of luminescent powder per hour.
Highly Compact Structure for Near-total Absorption in a Graphene Monolayer in the Visible

We propose a highly compact structure consisting of a subwavelength grating covered with a graphene monolayer to achieve near-total absorption in the graphene monolayer in the visible without the need for thick multilayer dielectric mirrors.
Coincidences and How to Reason About Them

Suppose that several observations “coincide,” meaning that they are similar in some interesting respect. Is this coinciding a mere coincidence, or does it derive from a common cause? Those who reason about this kind of question—whether they embrace the first answer or the second—often deploy a mode of inference that I call probabilistic modus tollens. In this chapter I criticize probabilistic modus tollens and consider likelihood and Bayesian frameworks for reasoning about coincidences. I also consider the perspective offered by model selection theory (including the Akaike information criterion), and argue that model selection often provides important insights.
Mechanism of lactose-proton cotransport in Escherichia coli. Kinetic results in terms of the site exposure model.

Abstract Rigorous kinetic derivations are presented for the Site Exposure mechanism of lactose—proton cotransport in E. coli [J. Theor. Biol. (1978) 75, 35–50]. Proton translocation inwards is solely associated with the external exposure of the galactoside binding site. A symmetric dimer configuration of the transporter is proposed, resulting in two forms corresponding to the cis and the trans orientation of the binding sites. The cis to trans orientation is inherently unfavorable, induced only by transmembrane substrate gradients. Recently reported extensive kinetic data are straightforwardly predicted by this mechanism, including the complicated effects on the apparent affinity and maximal velocity of uptake exhibited by changes in the magnitude of the proton electrochemical gradient.
Nab-paclitaxel/Gemcitabine Induced Acquired Ichthyosis

The ichthyoses are a diverse group of cutaneous disorders characterized by abnormalities in cornification. The majority of ichthyoses are inherited with childhood presentation and new onset ichthyosis in adulthood warrants further medical evaluation. Though most well recognized for its association with Hodgkin’s disease, acquired ichthyosis (AI) has been linked to a number of inflammatory, autoimmune, and endocrine processes. However, drug induced AI is exceedingly rare and remains a poorly understood entity. Here we report the case of man with who developed AI while receiving nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine for treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and review the literature.
The effect of income inequality on political polarization: Evidence from European regions, 2002–2014

This article investigates whether income inequality leads to political polarization and provides new evidence that an increase in the Gini coefficient at the local level increases the probability of supporting a political party at the extreme left and right of the ideological distribution. Using individual data for 25 European countries from 2002 to 2014, I find that increasing inequality leads on average to more support for left‐wing parties. I also find that increasing inequality leads to more support for far‐right parties among older individuals. Support for far‐right parties seems to be driven by rising anti‐immigrant sentiments. The results are robust to different specifications, including an instrumental variable that addresses the endogeneity of income inequality.
Luther’s ‘Metaphysics’ in Heidegger’s Beiträge

This essay argues that Luther’s “metaphysics” is present in Heidegger’s Beitrage zur Philosophie (Contributions to Philosophy), a text many consider to be Heidegger’s second magnum opus. I argue that Luther’s “metaphysics” is present in Heidegger’s Contributions in primarily two ways: (1) there is a Lutheran structure (of existential categories) that Heidegger appropriated not only in Being and Time, but also much earlier in his lectures on St. Paul from the 1920s, of responding to a call and converting in anxious anticipation toward a futural not-yet (what Heidegger calls “the last god”); and (2) Contributions’ project concerns overcoming metaphysics, which involves first thinking through to metaphysics’ conditions for possibility, which means recognizing the “ironic nature” of beyng via what Heidegger calls “thinking concealment,” the logic of which originates in Luther’s attacks on not only Greek metaphysics, but upon Judaism and the Mosaic law as well.
Association between surgical volume and clinical outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting in contemporary practice.

BACKGROUND Studies assessing the association between surgical volume and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) outcomes yielded conflicting results. Given the substantial recent decrease in CABG volume, we sough to examine the volume-outcomes effect in contemporary practice. METHODS The National Readmission Database was queried to identify patients undergoing CABG between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016. Risk-adjusted in-hospital morbidity, mortality, length-of-stay, cost, and 30-day readmission were compared between low-, intermediate-, and high-volume centers. RESULTS A total of 411 159 CABG hospitalizations at 1558 hospitals were included. Hospitals were classified into three tertiles (high > 250, intermediate 100-250, and low-volume < 100). Hospitals in the highest tertile (n = 568) performed 73.9% of all CABG operations, while those in the intermediate (n = 452), and low (n = 538) volume tertiles performed only 21.7% and 4.4% of all CABGs, respectively. The median number of CABGs performed at high-, intermediate-, and low-volume hospitals was 45 316 335, respectively. After risk adjustment, undergoing CABG at low- or intermediate- volume hospital (vs high-volume hospitals) was associated with higher in-hospital death (odd ratio [OR] = 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.44, and OR = 1.11, 95% CI, 1.05-1.17, respectively, P < .001). Similarly, adjusted odds of stroke, acute kidney injury, and blood transfusion were higher at low- and intermediate-volume centers compared with high-volume centers. Undergoing CABG at a low-volume center was associated with 50% higher adjusted cost and 77% higher adjusted 30-day readmissions. CONCLUSIONS In contemporary practice, in which one-third of CABG-capable hospitals perform < 100 CABG operations annually, a strong relationship is observed between surgical volume and adjusted in-hospital morbidity, mortality, cost, and 30-day readmission.
Does Duress Justify or Excuse? The Significance of Larry Alexander's Ambivalence

A majority of commentators regard duress as an excuse rather than a justification. Yet that is problematic on its face. Actions under duress share no family resemblance with complete excuses like insanity, involuntary intoxication, infancy, and mistake - all of which involve subjective cognitive and/or volitional deficits that are distinctive to individuals, all of which operate by negating society’s reactive emotions of resentment for conduct that is condemnable, and all of which provide complete excuses, regardless of how horrific an actor’s conduct. Actions under duress resemble are complete justifications like the lesser-evils defense and self-defense - all of which (i) involve competent moral agents who, while under the pressure of hard choices, intentionally and non-mistakenly harm others in order to benefit themselves or their own, (ii) obtain only when offenses are objectively proportional in some way to the harms with which actors are threatened, and (iii) are universalizable to all persons facing such choices. Why, then, do commentators characterize duress as an excuse? Many do so, I believe, because they assume that threats that are natural in origin provide the baseline for determining the harms that actors may inflict on innocent and non-threatening persons. Because they take natural threats as the baseline for justification in such cases, and because MPC section 2.09 provides a defense for coercive threats that go beyond that baseline, commentators feel they must regard section 2.09 as an excuse. I have argued that commentators are mistaken. A coercive threat of an unlawful harm is a graver evil for a threatened person than an otherwise identical evil that is natural in origin; and the offense that a person is coerced into inflicting may not be as grave an evil by him as the evil of his coercer. The combination justifies coerced actors in committing offenses that would be unjustified if the threatened and inflicted harms differed in their respective origins.
Projected U.S. State-Level Prevalence of Adult Obesity and Severe Obesity

Abstract Background Although the national obesity epidemic has been well documented, less is known about obesity at the U.S. state level. Current estimates are based on body measures reported by pe...
The potential for materials informatics in the development of non-conventional materials

Abstract The materials genome project has proposed that computational modeling and materials informatics should be combined with the more commonly used experimental methodologies to speed the development of new materials technologies. Unfortunately the ability of materials informatics to contribute depends upon the ready availability of large amounts of appropriate information assembled into databases. In addition, the nature of current physics based materials modeling and simulation techniques are limited to short length scale and short timescale phenomena and systems of limited complexity. Such circumstances would suggest that this approach would have little utility in the development of non-conventional materials. However, it is possible to assemble databases specifically designed for certain material types and material structure-property relationships If this is done with generally accepted procedures and widely available tools, the process of assembling relatively large microstructural databases could be “democratized” to the point that non-conventional materials practitioners all around the world could participate. In this way, a systematic approach could be used to address the variability in the structure and property relationships for locally sourced non-conventional materials. This chapter will briefly introduce materials informatics before proceeding with a discussion of how they could be applied to non-conventional materials using a community based approach. This will be facilitated with one example, the structure-properties relationships of bamboo.