cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wildland fire spot ignition by sparks and firebrands

Abstract Wildland and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fires are an important problem in many areas of the world and may have major consequences in terms of safety, air quality, and damage to buildings, infrastructure, and the ecosystem. It is expected that with climate changes the wildland fire and WUI fire problem will only intensify. The spot fire ignition of a wildland fire by hot (solid, molten or burning) metal fragments/sparks and firebrands (flaming or glowing embers) is an important fire ignition pathway by which wildfires, WUI fires, and fires in industrial settings are started and may propagate. There are numerous cases reported of wildfires started by hot metal particles from clashing power-lines, or generated by machines, grinding and welding. Once the wildfire or structural fire has been ignited and grows, it can spread rapidly through ember spotting, where pieces of burning material (e.g. branches, bark, building materials, etc.) are lofted by the plume of the fire and then transported forward by the wind landing where they can start spot fires downwind. The spot fire problem can be separated in several individual processes: the generation of the particles (metal or firebrand) and their thermochemical state; their flight by plume lofting and wind drag and the particle thermo-chemical change during the flight; the onset of ignition (smoldering or flaming) of the fuel after the particle lands on the fuel; and finally, the sustained ignition and burning of the combustible material. Here an attempt has been made to summarize the state of the art of the wildfire spotting problem by describing the distinct individual processes involved in the problem and by discussing their know-how status. Emphasis is given to those areas that the author is more familiar with, due to his work on the subject. By characterizing these distinct individual processes, it is possible to attain the required information to develop predictive, physics-base wildfire spotting models. Such spotting models, together with topographical maps and wind models, could be added to existing flame spread models to improve the predictive capabilities of landscape-scale wildland fire spread models. These enhanced wildland fire spread models would provide land managers and government agencies with better tools to prescribe preventive measures and fuels treatments before a fire, and allocate suppression resources and issue evacuation orders during a fire.
A Freirean Imprint on Liberation Theology

With plumes of white smoke spiraling out of the small chimney atop the famous Sistine Chapel in the early evening of March 13, 2013, the electricity of excitement was radiating off the thousands of onlookers who were gathered at St. Peter’s Square. The white smoke signaled the 266th pope had been elected. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, the first pope from the Americas, would take the name Francis.
Evaluating differences in the active-site electronics of supported Au nanoparticle catalysts using Hammett and DFT studies.

Understanding how a supporting material can change the surface chemistry of the nanoparticle catalysts that it hosts is critical to tuning catalytic properties. Experimental Hammett studies and density functional theory calculations show that differences in reactivity can be attributed to differences in the electron density at metal active sites, which arises from differences in electron donation from the support.
Scitovsky, Tibor (1992). The Joyless Economy: The Psychology of Human Satisfaction.

(1993). Scitovsky, Tibor (1992). The Joyless Economy: The Psychology of Human Satisfaction.. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 317-318.
Discrepancy-Based Model Selection Criteria Using Cross-Validation

A model selection criterion is often formulated by constructing an approximately unbiased estimator of an expected discrepancy, a measure that gauges the separation between the true model and a fitted approximating model. The expected discrepancy reflects how well, on average, the fitted approximating model predicts “new” data generated under the true model. A related measure, the estimated discrepancy, reflects how well the fitted approximating model predicts the data at hand.
Management and Outcome of Transepiphyseal Femoral Neck Fracture-Dislocation with a Transverse Posterior Wall Acetabular Fracture: A Case Report.

Case We present the case of a 10-year-old girl who sustained a transepiphyseal femoral neck fracture with posterior dislocation of the femoral epiphysis and an associated transverse posterior wall acetabular fracture, leading to complete separation of the capital femoral epiphysis. She underwent urgent operative intervention; she was followed for 13 years and achieved an excellent outcome. Conclusion Pediatric hip fracture-dislocations are complex injuries that should be managed by a competent pelvic reconstructive surgeon in a well-resuscitated patient. If a quality reduction is obtained in a timely manner, the patient has the best chance of achieving a favorable long-term outcome.
Cardiotonic Steroids and the Sodium Trade Balance: New Insights into Trade-Off Mechanisms Mediated by the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase.

In 1972 Neal Bricker presented the “trade-off” hypothesis in which he detailed the role of physiological adaptation processes in mediating some of the pathophysiology associated with declines in renal function. In the late 1990’s Xie and Askari published seminal studies indicating that the Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) was not only an ion pump, but also a signal transducer that interacts with several signaling partners. Since this discovery, numerous studies from multiple laboratories have shown that the NKA is a central player in mediating some of these long-term “trade-offs” of the physiological adaptation processes which Bricker originally proposed in the 1970’s. In fact, NKA ligands such as cardiotonic steroids (CTS), have been shown to signal through NKA, and consequently been implicated in mediating both adaptive and maladaptive responses to volume overload such as fibrosis and oxidative stress. In this review we will emphasize the role the NKA plays in this “trade-off” with respect to CTS signaling and its implication in inflammation and fibrosis in target organs including the heart, kidney, and vasculature. As inflammation and fibrosis exhibit key roles in the pathogenesis of a number of clinical disorders such as chronic kidney disease, heart failure, atherosclerosis, obesity, preeclampsia, and aging, this review will also highlight the role of newly discovered NKA signaling partners in mediating some of these conditions.
A Comparison of ARIMA and LSTM in Forecasting Time Series

Forecasting time series data is an important subject in economics, business, and finance. Traditionally, there are several techniques to effectively forecast the next lag of time series data such as univariate Autoregressive (AR), univariate Moving Average (MA), Simple Exponential Smoothing (SES), and more notably Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) with its many variations. In particular, ARIMA model has demonstrated its outperformance in precision and accuracy of predicting the next lags of time series. With the recent advancement in computational power of computers and more importantly development of more advanced machine learning algorithms and approaches such as deep learning, new algorithms are developed to analyze and forecast time series data. The research question investigated in this article is that whether and how the newly developed deep learning-based algorithms for forecasting time series data, such as "Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)", are superior to the traditional algorithms. The empirical studies conducted and reported in this article show that deep learning-based algorithms such as LSTM outperform traditional-based algorithms such as ARIMA model. More specifically, the average reduction in error rates obtained by LSTM was between 84 - 87 percent when compared to ARIMA indicating the superiority of LSTM to ARIMA. Furthermore, it was noticed that the number of training times, known as "epoch" in deep learning, had no effect on the performance of the trained forecast model and it exhibited a truly random behavior.
Abstract 307: Focal Adhesion Kinase Activity and Nuclear Localization Controls Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Intimal Hyperplasia Through a GATA4-Cyclin D1 Axis

Neointimal formation is a hallmark of occlusive disorders such as atherosclerosis, post-angioplasty restenosis, vein graft, and allograft vasculopathy. Upon vessel injury, increased growth factor s...
Discrimination of changes in spatial configuration for multiple, simultaneously presented sounds

Listeners discriminated changes in the spatial configuration of two-to-eight consonant-vowel (CV) stimuli spoken by different talkers, all simultaneously presented from different loudspeakers in various azimuthal spatial configurations. The number of CVs, spatial configuration of the sound sources, and similarity of the talkers speaking the CVs were varied. Experiment I used a same-different procedure to determine the discriminability of different spatial configurations of multiple sound sources. In experiment II, listeners determined the direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) of sound source rotation over eight rotational steps. In both experiments, performance declined as the number of sound sources increased beyond two.
Utilization of ELISA technology to measure biological activities of carbohydrates relevant in disease status.

Since its discovery in 1960, ELISA technology has been utilized in an increasing number of biological and biochemical investigations. It has proven to be one of the most powerful tools available for probing recognition processes involving protein/protein, protein/glycoprotein, protein/glycolipid and glycoprotein/glycolipid interactions. This review begins with an introduction that provides an historical perspective on the development of ELISA followed by a description of the different classifications of this assay. One of the fundamental elements of ELISA is the adhesion of a molecule of interest to a solid support, generally a microtiter plate. Recent developments in the area of adhesion and adsorption are also presented. Although ELISA has been used most extensively in studying protein,'protein interactions, in the past 10 years there have been a number of advances in ELISA technology that have allowed recognition processes involving carbohydrates to be studied. This review focuses on the use of ELISA in investigating diseases where carbohydrate recognition processes are implicated. Since studies related to the HIV virus have provided a major impetus for the advancement of ELISA technology, this area of research is highlighted.
Mindfulness with Collegiate Gymnasts: Effects on Flow, Stress and Overall Mindfulness Levels

The physical and psychological demands of sports can place an athlete under a variety of stressors. Subsequently, the way in which athletes deal with such stressors can positively or negatively affect their performance. Flow is defined as a type of experience where one is completely engaged in an activity and optimally functioning. Recently, an increase in mindfulness and acceptance based approaches have been utilized as a means to augment negative emotions in sport and many have suggested a link between mindfulness and flow. Thus, if mindfulness can positively influence flow, perhaps performance can also be positively affected. There has also been a need to determine optimal intervention lengths to successfully teach mindfulness practices within sports teams. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a mindfulness training program on mindfulness scores, dispositional flow scores, and perceived stress scores within a population of Division I female collegiate gymnasts. Results from a repeated measures ANOVA indicated that athletes who participated in the mindfulness training demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the dispositional flow dimensions of loss of self-consciousness and the autotelic experience. These results suggest that mindfulness may influence factors associated with athletic performance.
From plastic to biomaterials: prototyping DIY electronics with mycelium

Researchers, makers and hobbyists rely on plastics for creating their DIY electronics. Enclosures, battery holders, buttons and wires are used in most of the prototypes in a temporal way, generating waste. This research aims to extend the boundaries of biomaterials applications into electronics. Mycelium is a fast-growing vegetative part of a fungus which adapts to different shapes when growing in a mold and decomposes after 90 days in a natural environment as organic waste. In order to create more sustainable prototypes, we use mycelium composites with common digital fabrication techniques for replacing plastic in electronics. We present our method for growing mycelium, our design process of using digital fabrication techniques with mycelium, applications for embedding electronics in mycelium boards, making enclosures for electronics, and using mycelium within electronics. This paper could contribute with the merge of biomaterials and electronics, an approach which is still under exploration.
M-tourism in India: Symbolic Versus Intended Adoption

Abstract Mobile commerce applications are gaining popularity in India, especially in the contemporary context. M-tourism or mobile tourism (tourism operations using mobile devices) thus assumes importance in the tourism and travel industry. Factors influencing the symbolic acceptance as well as the intended adoption of m-tourism applications by end users are identified and the relationship between symbolic and intended adoption is examined, through modelling. The study provides valuable insights to tour operators, managers, and others to enable them to play an active role in encouraging the adoption of m-tourism by end users; it also provides insights to m-tourism app developers in incorporating features and configurations, thus facilitating m-tourism adoption.
Are fast radio bursts made by neutron stars

Popular models of repeating Fast Radio Bursts (and perhaps of all Fast Radio Bursts) involve neutron stars because of their high rotational or magnetostatic energy densities. These models take one of two forms: giant but rare pulsar-like pulses like those of Rotating RAdio Transients and outbursts like those of Soft Gamma Repeaters. Here I collate the evidence, recently strengthened, against these models, including the absence of Galactic micro-FRB, and attribute the 16 day periodicity of FRB 180916.J0158+65 to the precession of a jet produced by a massive black hole's accretion disc.
Teaching NeuroImages: Infantile-onset Krabbe disease with tigroid appearance of the white matter.

An 8-month-old girl presented with a 1-month history of developmental regression, irritability, and opisthotonic posturing. A brain MRI revealed abnormal T2 hyperintensities in the periventricular and deep cerebral white matter and peridentate cerebellar white matter. Reduced galactocerebrosidase activity in leukocytes confirmed the diagnosis of Krabbe disease.
Changes in Care Delivery for Patients With Heart Failure During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a Multicenter Survey.

Introduction For patients with heart failure (HF), the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care delivery and access to guideline-directed therapies known to reduce morbidity and mortality is largely unknown. To better understand how COVID-19 has affected HF care, we queried clinicians across the United States participating in the CONNECT-HF clinical trial. Methods A survey was developed by expert consensus and sent to all CONNECT-HF site principal investigators. Descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative questions and content analysis was performed for free-text responses. Results Between 4/30/2020-5/13/2020, we received 83/149 responses (56% response rate), representing 83 unique HF programs from 32 states. The threshold for admitting patients to the hospital was unchanged for more than half of the respondents (n = 46/80, 57.5%). All programs experienced a decrease of in-person clinic visits (n = 82/82, 100%). A mean of 6827.9% of outpatient visits were converted to telehealth. Most programs reported routinely assessing guideline-directed medical therapy during telehealth visits (n = 70/74, 94.6%). Referrals were lower at some programs for cardiac rehabilitation (n = 49/77, 63.6%) and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (n = 17/75, 22.7%). Three themes emerged from free-text responses: 1) patients being fearful and reluctant to visit the hospital; 2) lower volume of HF admissions and inpatient census; and 3) most HF research activities have been halted. Conclusions The care of patients with HF has been impacted by COVID-19 across the United States. There is a need for further evaluation of these changes, revised guidelines and protocols for telehealth care delivery, and efforts to address patients’ fear of seeking care.
Ultrasound-guided transgluteal sciatic nerve analgesia for refractory back pain in the ED.

Abstract Sciatic radicular back pain is a painful condition resulting in approximately 2% of emergency department (ED) visits a year. Typically, the ED treatment has been limited to various analgesic regimens with limited success sometimes resulting in hospital admissions for pain control. Regional anesthesia has become increasing popular for lower-limb analgesia, but has not universally permeated the ED setting. The transgluteal sciatic nerve block (TGSNB) is a procedure that can provide effective analgesia for lower extremity pain. Herein, we present the first technical description and clinical response to ultrasound-guided TGSNB performed by emergency physicians for acute pain control of sciatic back pain through a series of cases.
DayCent Model Predictions of NPP and Grain Yields for Agricultural Lands in the Contiguous U.S.

Accurate estimation of crop net primary production (NPP) and yields is fundamental for regional analyses of agroecosystem dynamics using process‐based models. In this study, we simulated croplands in the contiguous U.S. using the DayCent ecosystem model with new production algorithms. Crops were divided into crop variety groups based on regional varieties of three major crops (corn, soybeans, and winter wheat) and generic parameter values that were generated for each group. These varieties have been developed through crop breeding programs and enhance production of major crop types in different temperature and precipitation regimes. NPP and yields for the three major crops were evaluated at the county level with reported yields from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The predictions of the multiyear average yields in all counties were more accurate than most other published results using process‐based models. DayCent predictions of yields produced an overall R2 of 0.54, 0.54, and 0.38 for corn, soybean, and winter wheat, respectively, with predictions for most counties within ±20% of the NASS reported yields. Our estimations of the total annual NPP for the three crops in the contiguous U.S. are 0.24, 0.09, and 0.06 Pg C yr(−1) for corn, soybean, and winter wheat, respectively. Together, they contribute 7.3% to 14.8% of the total NPP for all vegetation in the contiguous U.S. We conclude that crop variety groups capture heterogeneity in NPP for major crop types and can improve biogeochemical model predictions of NPP for croplands.
Dor crónica multifatorial e a abordagem holística do médico de família: a propósito de um caso clínico

Introducao : A dor cronica afeta cerca de 37% da populacao adulta portuguesa. E um desafio a todos os clinicos, pela sua natureza multifatorial e a quase sempre necessidade de envolver equipas interdisciplinares na sua abordagem. Os medicos de familia (MF), pela posicao privilegiada na capacidade de avaliar o utente como um todo, tem um papel preponderante, uma vez que detem informacao privilegiada sobre o ambiente familiar, comunitario e social. Este caso demonstra nao so a importância da avaliacao holistica, mas tambem da abordagem interdisciplinar, que se traduziu na melhoria da dor autopercecionada inicialmente como um oito para tres, segundo a escala numerica (EN). Descricao do caso : Sexo feminino, 59 anos, empregada hoteleira, antecedentes de artrite reumatoide, obesidade e gonartrosebilateral. Recorre a consulta programada com a sua nova MF por dor de inicio ha anos, agravamento recente, predominio lombar e membros inferiores, sem fatores de alivio ou agravamento identificaveis, que classifica basal como cinco, com picos de sete/oito na EN. Sao identificados, como problemas nao conhecidos, hipertensao arterial (HTA) nao controlada, perturbacao depressiva e de ansiedade generalizada, nao adesao terapeutica, doenca venosa cronica. O acompanhamento decorreu regularmente ao longo de oito meses, com necessidade de investigar causas de HTA nao controlada e consequente descoberta de sindroma de apneia do sono, capacitacao e empoderamento da utente, tratamento farmacologico e nao farmacologico da depressao major, envolvimento de psicologa, nutricionista e equipa de fisiatria. O controlo da dor nao se obteve inicialmente, apesar de terapeutica instituida segundo a escalada analgesica da Organizacao Mundial da Saude. Apenas quando todas as patologias foram sendo abordadas de forma efetivamente interdisciplinar foi possivel obter o controlo da dor desta utente. Comentario : Este caso demonstra a importância da avaliacao global da pessoa com dor cronica que veio a revelar varias patologias associadas, componente psicossomatico marcado e necessidade de abordagens multi e interdisciplinares. Apenas perante a abordagem de todos os problemas de saude se conseguiu devolver qualidade de vida e capacitacao para lidar com as suas doencas, dolencias e dor(es).
Synergistic interactions of ionic liquids and antimicrobials improve drug efficacy.

Summary Combinations of ionic liquids (ILs) with antimicrobial compounds have been shown to produce synergistic activities in model liposomes. In this study, imidazolium chloride-based ILs with alkyl tail length variations are combined with commercially available, small-molecule antimicrobials to examine the potential for combinatorial and synergistic antimicrobial effects on P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. cerevisiae. The effects of these treatments in a human cell culture model indicate the cytotoxic limits of ILs paired with antimicrobials. The analysis of these ILs demonstrates that the length of the alkyl chain on the IL molecule is proportional to both antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity. Moreover, the ILs which exhibit synergy with small-molecule antibiotics appear to be acting in a membrane permeabilizing manner. Collectively, results from these experiments demonstrate an increase in antimicrobial efficacy with specific IL + antimicrobial combinations on microbial cultures while maintaining low cytotoxicity in a mammalian cell culture model.
Theoretical plurality, the extended evolutionary synthesis, and archaeology

The study of cultural evolution now includes multiple theoretical frameworks. Despite common influence from Darwinian evolutionary theory, there is considerable diversity. Thus, we recognize those most influenced by the tenets of the Modern Synthesis (evolutionary archaeology, cultural transmission theory, and human behavioral ecology) and those most aligned more closely with concepts emerging in the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (cultural macroevolution and evolutionary cognitive archaeology). There has been substantial debate between adherents of these schools of thought as to their appropriateness and priority for addressing the fundamentals of cultural evolution. I argue that theoretical diversity is necessary to address research questions arising from a complex archaeological record. Concepts associated with the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis may offer unique insights into the cultural evolutionary process.
Is Fear of COVID-19 Contagious? The Effects of Emotion Contagion and Social Media Use on Anxiety in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, causing substantial anxiety. One potential factor in the spread of anxiety in response to a pandemic threat is emotion contagion, the finding that emotional experiences can be socially spread through conscious and unconscious pathways. Some individuals are more susceptible to social contagion effects and may be more likely to experience anxiety and other mental health symptoms in response to a pandemic threat. Therefore, we studied the relationship between emotion contagion and mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. We administered the Emotion Contagion Scale (ESC) along with a measure of anxiety in response to COVID-19 (modified from a previous scale designed to quantify fear of the Swine Flu outbreak) and secondary outcome measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. These measures were completed by a large (n = 603) student sample in the United States. Data were collected in the months of April and May of 2020 when the fear of COVID-19 was widespread. Results revealed that greater susceptibility to emotion contagion was associated with greater concern about the spread of COVID-19, more depression, anxiety, stress, and OCD symptoms. Consumption of media about COVID-19 also predicted anxiety about COVID-19, though results were not moderated by emotion contagion. However, emotion contagion did moderate the relationship between COVID-19-related media consumption and elevated OCD symptoms. Although limited by a cross-sectional design that precludes causal inferences, the present results highlight the need for study of how illness fears may be transmitted socially during a pandemic.
Special Opportunities in Helicopter Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic research relating to modern helicopters includes the study of three-dimensional, unsteady, nonlinear flow fields. A selective review is made of some of the phenomena that hamper the development of satisfactory engineering prediction techniques, but which provide a rich source of research opportunities: flow separation, compressibility effects, complex vortical wakes, and aerodynamic interference between components. Several examples of work in progress are given, including dynamic stall alleviation, the development of computational methods for transonic flow, rotor-wake predictions, and blade-vortex interactions.
Automatic Target Recognition with Dynamic Reconfiguration

This paper describes the acceleration of an infrared automatic target recognition (IR ATR) application with a co-processor board that contains multiple field programmable gate array (FPGA) chips. Template and pixel level parallelism is exploited in an FPGA design for the bottleneck portion of the application. The implementation of this design achieved a speedup of 21 compared to running on the host processor. The paper then describes an FPGA resource manager (RM) developed to support concurrent applications sharing the FPGA board. With the RM, the system is dynamically reconfigurable. That is, while part of the co-processor board is busy computing, another part can be reconfigured for other purposes. The IR ATR application was ported to work with the RM and has been shown to adapt to the amount of reconfigurable hardware that is available at the time the application is executed.
Relative contributions of transient and steady state infiltration during ephemeral streamflow

[1] Simulations of infiltration during three ephemeral streamflow events in a coarse-grained alluvial channel overlying a less permeable basin-fill layer were conducted to determine the relative contribution of transient infiltration at the onset of streamflow to cumulative infiltration for the event. Water content, temperature, and piezometric measurements from 2.5-m vertical profiles within the alluvial sediments were used to constrain a variably saturated water flow and heat transport model. Simulated and measured transient infiltration rates at the onset of streamflow were about two to three orders of magnitude greater than steady state infiltration rates. The duration of simulated transient infiltration ranged from 1.8 to 20 hours, compared with steady state flow periods of 231 to 307 hours. Cumulative infiltration during the transient period represented 10 to 26% of the total cumulative infiltration, with an average contribution of approximately 18%. Cumulative infiltration error for the simulated streamflow events ranged from 9 to 25%. Cumulative infiltration error for typical streamflow events of about 8 hours in duration in is about 90%. This analysis indicates that when estimating total cumulative infiltration in coarse-grained ephemeral stream channels, consideration of the transient infiltration at the onset of streamflow will improve predictions of the total volume of infiltration that may become groundwater recharge.
Reduction of surgical site infections after laparoscopic gastric bypass with circular stapled gastrojejunostomy

Abstract Background Circular stapled gastrojejunostomy (GJ) is favored by many surgeons during laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). However, it has been associated with higher rates of surgical site infection (SSI). Objectives To study the impact of introducing standard technical modifications (intervention) on the incidence of SSI after LRYGB with circular stapled GJ. Setting Tertiary academic medical center. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent primary LRYGB between May 2010 and September 2014 were separated into preintervention and postintervention cohorts. The intervention consisted of the use of a stapler cover, wound irrigation, antibiotic application to the wound, and primary wound closure. Predictor variables studied included patient demographic characteristics, the intervention, and other operative and perioperative factors. The primary outcome studied was SSI. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine factors independently associated with SSI. Results Three hundred thirty patients underwent LRYGB (preintervention n=200, postintervention n=130). Patients' characteristics were similar in both groups. A 21-mm stapler and chlorhexidine-based skin preparation were more frequently used in the postintervention group. SSI rate decreased from 15% to 3.8% ( P P = .026), use of chlorhexidine-based prep (OR .37, 95%CI .15–.93, P = .034), and maintenance of patient temperature (OR .47 95%CI .26–0.85, P = .012) were independently associated with reduced SSI rates. Conclusion Use of a stapler cover, wound irrigation, wound antibiotic application, and primary wound closure were associated with a significantly lower wound infection rate after LRYGB with the circular stapled GJ. The observed SSI rates after our intervention are similar to those reported after hand-sewn and linear stapled techniques. In addition, other factors associated with decreasing the likelihood of developing SSI were use of chlorhexidine-based prep and maintaining intraoperative normothermia.
Self-dual N=1 SUSY gauge theories

We present a large set of new self-dual N=1 SUSY gauge theories. Examples include SU(N) theories with tensors and SO(N) theories with spinors. Using these dualities as starting points, new nontrivial duals can be derived by breaking the gauge group through the Higgs mechanism or by integrating out matter. General lessons that can be learned from these duals are that {open_quotes}accidental{close_quotes} infrared symmetries play an important role in duality, many theories have more than one {open_quotes}dual,{close_quotes} and there seems to be no simple organizing pattern which relates duals of theories with different number of flavors. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Analysis of "natural" language discourse

Referential linkage in extended language strings (multiple-sentence, paragraph, etc.) is of great interest to computer scientists, linguists, and literary scholars concerned with the analysis of discourse. In all three disciplines, semantic relationships are central to approaches to inter-sentential, inter-paragraph, and inter-supraparagraph linkings. This paper compares and contrasts some of the directions taken in current research and explores the possible utility of a general-purpose thesaurus for the construction of semantic frames of reference. The utility of such a thesaurus for measuring semantic distance between terms and thus establishing possible linkages is suggested by an experiment concerning word prefixation.
The fog of expectation.

The demented elderly man arrived in the emergency department with a note from his nursing home: “cough and shortness of breath worsening over the past 7 days.” He had a low grade fever but did not seem too unwell, and my examination revealed only some crepitations at the base of the right lung. Chest infection, I thought, and the x ray did show some patchy opacification in the right lower lobe. I started some antibiotics and …
Response to Comment on Pepino et al. Sucralose Affects Glycemic and Hormonal Responses to an Oral Glucose Load. Diabetes Care 2013;36:2530–2535

We appreciate the insightful comments by Grotz and Jokinen (1) regarding our study (2) that found that ingesting sucralose affects the metabolic response to subsequent glucose ingestion. Grotz and Jokinen imply that the greater increase in peak plasma glucose concentration during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after sucralose than water ingestion was not clinically important because the concentrations were still within the normal range for an OGTT. However, sucralose ingestion also caused a 20% increase in total plasma insulin concentrations, which demonstrates insulin resistance, which is a known risk factor for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease (3). The clinical relevance of this observation is not …
A Risk-Return Analysis of a Firm's Working-Capital Position

Abstract In this paper, a method is proposed by which management is able to analyze the risk-return tradeoff for various levels of liquid assets for the firm and for different maturity compositions of its debt. Together, these factors determine its working-capital position. Certain probability concepts are employed; and information is provided about the risk of cash insolvency for alternative strategies. In addition, the opportunity costs of these strategies are determined. With the framework proposed, more rational working-capital decisions are possible. The firm is able to achieve a working-capital position that provides the appropriate margin of safety in relation to the cost involved in attaining that position
Oral contraceptives, ABO blood types and thromboembolism

An interesting article in CMAJ by Sode and colleagues[1][1] reported that in groups of patients with increased susceptibility to thromboembolic disease because of factor V Leiden R 5062 or prothrombin mutation G 20210A, the highest incidence of disease occurred in patients with A, B or AB blood
The role of nicotine on respiratory sensory gating measured by respiratory-related evoked potentials

Respiratory perception can be altered by changes in emotional or psychological states. This may be due to affective (i.e., anxiety) modulation of respiratory sensory gating. Nicotine withdrawal ind...
The Demand of Freedom in Kant's Critique of Judgment

This paper examines the issue of the unity of the critical philosophy in Kant's Critique of Judgment through a careful consideration of the actual bridge that joins nature and freedom. Kant argues that this bridge is made under the demand for the furtherance of life, and is accordingly to be equated with the demand of freedom. This article specifically focuses on this demand that is, in effect, carried out by the principle of purposiveness. It is argued that this demand is somewhat artificial since it does not fully take into account the real struggle between nature and freedom.
Kinetic study of gas phase olefin polymerization with a TiCl4/MgCl2 catalyst I. Effect of polymerization conditions

This study focuses on the kinetics of ethylene/propylene (homo/co)poly-merization reactions using a high activity TiCl 4 /MgCl 2 /AlEt 3 catalyst. The reactor system is a gas phase reactor equipped with an on-line composition control scheme. As such, important kinetic data such as the instantaneous reaction rate of each monomer is readily obtained. In the investigation, experiments are performed to study the effects of comonomer composition variations, temperature variations, hydrogen concentration variations, and variations in the Al/Ti ratio. It is observed that the ethylene and propylene instantaneous reaction rates show a rather peculiar pattern with the appearance of a second peak. Our work linked the existence of this peak to the Al/Ti ratio used. A theory based on the oxidation state change is proposed. This theory is also used to explain the effects of temperature changes and hydrogen concentration changes on the system. A variety of analytical techniques are employed to study the polymer properties and evidence is provided to support the existence of polymer partial melting at relatively high reaction temperatures. The resulting diffusion limitation is believed to be partially responsible for the observed activity decrease at such elevated temperatures.
Multiscale modeling of fluid transport in heterogeneous materials using discrete Boltzmann methods

The lattice Boltzmann method is a promising approach for modeling single and multicomponent fluid flow in complex geometries like porous materials. Here, we review some of our previous work and discuss some recent developments concerning fluid flow in multiple pore size materials. After presenting some simple test cases to validate the model, results from large scale simulations of single and multi-component fluid flow through digitized Fontainebleau sandstone, generated by X-Ray microtomography, are given. Reasonably good agreement was found when compared to experimentally determined values of permeability for similar rocks. Finally, modification of the lattice Boltzmann equations, to describe flow in microporous materials, is described. The potential for modeling flows in other microstructures of interest to concrete technology will be discussed.
Face Detection System Based on AdaBoost Algorithm

In order to do further research on face recognition, this paper constructs system software work environment on the hardware platform, and then AdaBoost algorithm is given and transplanted into this system. According to the detection speed of the system and the detection rate, this paper does simulation results, it shows that the speed of each frame image detected by the system is about 110 to 130 milliseconds, and the detection rate of face rotation of small range is 85% or more, which shows the system can meet the practical needs and has widely application.
Time-Resolved CCD Photometry of an Ensemble of Stars

A technique for obtaining CCD photometry of a large ensemble of stars, with precision limited by atmospheric scintillation and photon statistics is presented. Under bright-sky conditions with a 0.9-m telescope, a precision of about 0.0015 mag relative to an ensemble average standard was obtained for 12th-13th mag stars in M 67 with exposure times of 1 min. The increase in noise level due to variable cirrus clouds is minimal. Effective noise levels for the detection of coherent oscillations with periods of 5-20 min could thus be reduced to about 30 micromag over ten nights of observing for stars of this brightness. A much larger ensemble of faint stars could be followed at lower precision with sky background and photon statistics as dominant error sources. Four probable-cluster DA white dwarfs were detected in the old galactic cluster M 67, using B, V calibration photometry.
Dynamics of gene expression for a hippocampal glycoprotein elevated in Alzheimer's disease and in response to experimental lesions in rat

A hippocampal poly(A) RNA, pADHC-9, was cloned by differential screening of a human hippocampal cDNA library. By RNA blot analysis, pADHC-9 was elevated 2-fold in Alzheimer's disease hippocampus. In situ analyses identified pADHC-9 expression in pyramidal and non-pyramidal cells of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. Nucleotide sequence analysis identified pADHC-9 as a potential human homolog of rat sulfated glycoprotein 2 (SGP-2). SGP-2 expression increased in rat hippocampus following experimental lesions that mimic intrinsic neuronal loss and/or deafferentation. The function of pADHC-9 in brain has not been defined, but in serum, a similar protein inhibits complement-dependent cytolysis. Increased expression of pADHC-9 in Alzheimer's disease hippocampus may be a compensatory response mounted to retard a complement-driven neurodegenerative cascade.
Vitamin K1, vitamin K1 epoxide and warfarin interrelationships in the dog

Abstract The cyclic interconversion of vitamin K1 and vitamin K1 epoxide, in the presence and absence of administration of warfarin, was studied in two dogs, using tritiated vitamin K1 and vitamin K1 epoxide. Warfarin, at therapeutic doses, completely blocked the conversion of vitamin K1 epoxide to vitamin K1. Alternative routes of metabolism of vitamin K1 epoxide appear to account for about one-third of its clearance from plasma. Warfarin did not influence the clearance of vitamin K1 from plasma. Nonetheless, it reduced the volume of distribution of vitamin K1 (but not of vitamin K1 epoxide), possibly by displacing vitamin K1 from specific binding sites in the liver. In the absence of warfarin, approximately 10 per cent of an administered dose of vitamin K1 appeared as vitamin K1 epoxide in plasma, whereas 45 per cent of an administered dose of vitamin K1 epoxide appeared in plasma as vitamin K1. Warfarin increased the former percentage to 65 per cent by inhibiting reconversion of the epoxide, as shown by the absence of vitamin K1 in plasma when vitamin K1 epoxide was administered in the presence of warfarin.
A study of the radiological anatomy of the multicystic kidney

Eleven multicystic kidneys were investigated by preoperative ultrasound and functional assessment and exvivo radiological injection. The ureter was in continuity with the renal pelvis in 3, 1 had a dilated upper ureter and renal pelvis, 10 had intercommunicating cysts, and 3 had tubular structures coursing around and into cysts. The anatomic features demonstrated by these radiographic studies suggest that the aetiology of this condition may be a vascular accident with secondary parenchymal changes due to a combination of ischaemia and obstruction, rather than a primary metanephric blastema or ureteric bud abnormality.
The Agony of Power. By Jean Baudrillard

The Agony of Power. By Jean Baudrillard. Translated by Ames Hodges. Introduction by Sylvere Lotringer (Los Angeles: Semiotext(e), 2010), 127 pp. $12.95 paper. The Agony of Power collects previously...
Early Predictors of Communication Development in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Joint Attention, Imitation, and Toy Play

This study investigated the unique contributions of joint attention, imitation, and toy play to language ability and rate of development of communication skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sixty preschool-aged children with ASD were assessed using measures of joint attention, imitation, toy play, language, and communication ability. Two skills, initiating protodeclarative joint attention and immediate imitation, were most strongly associated with language ability at age 3–4 years, whereas toy play and deferred imitation were the best predictors of rate of communication development from age 4 to 6.5 years. The implications of these results for understanding the nature and course of language development in autism and for the development of targeted early interventions are discussed.
Multiphoton ionization of VOCl3

Abstract VOCl 3 is studied by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization in the region 430 to 440 nm. Mass spectrometric detection reveals the production of both V + and VO + with the molecular ion having the larger intensity. The V + ion current spectrum shows sharp atomic resonance peaks while the VO + spectrum is structureless.
TMEDA-derived biscationic amphiphiles: An economical preparation of potent antibacterial agents.

Abstract Bis-alkylated derivatives of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) represent a well-known class of versatile biscationic amphiphiles, owing to their low cost and ease of preparation. Asymmetric TMEDA derivatives, however, have been studied significantly less, particularly in regards to their antimicrobial properties. We have thus prepared a series of 36 mono- and bis-alkylated TMEDA derivatives to evaluate their inhibition of bacterial growth. This series of compounds showed low micromolar activity against a panel of four bacteria. Optimal inhibition was observed when the biscationic amphiphiles possessed modest asymmetry and were composed of between 20 and 24 total carbon atoms in the side chains. These amphiphiles were prepared in a simple two-step procedure, utilizing inexpensive materials and atom-economical reactions, making them practical for further development.
Role of galanin receptor 1 and galanin receptor 2 activation in synaptic plasticity associated with 3′,5′-cyclic AMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation in the dentate gyrus: Studies with a galanin receptor 2 agonist and galanin receptor 1 knockout mice

The neuropeptide galanin was shown to impair cognitive performance and reduce hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP) in rodents. However, the contribution of the two main galanin receptors; GalR1 and GalR2, present in the hippocampus to these effects is not known. In the present study, we determined the protein expression levels of GalR1 and GalR2 in the mouse dentate gyrus (DG) and used galanin (2-11), a recently introduced GalR2 agonist, and GalR1 knockout mice to examine the contribution of GalR1 and GalR2 to the modulation of LTP and 3',5'-cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB)-dependent signaling cascades. In the DG, 57+/-5% of the galanin binding sites were GalR2, and the remaining population corresponded to GalR1. In hippocampal slices, galanin (2-11) fully blocked the induction of DG LTP, whereas galanin (1-29), a high affinity agonist for both GalR1 and GalR2, strongly but not fully attenuated the late phase of LTP by 80+/-1.5%. Application of galanin (1-29) or galanin (2-11) after LTP induction caused a transient reduction in the maintenance phase of LTP, with the larger effect displayed by superfusion of galanin (2-11). The induction and maintenance of DG LTP was not altered in the GalR1 knockout mice. Superfusion of galanin (1-29) or galanin (2-11) blocked the LTP induction to the same degree indicating a role for GalR2 in the induction phase of DG LTP. Furthermore, we analyzed the effects of GalR1 and/or GalR2 activation on DG LTP-induced CREB phosphorylation, associated with the late transcriptional effects of LTP. In the lateral part of the granule cell layer, high-frequency trains stimulation caused a significant increase in the level of CREB phosphorylation, which was significantly reduced by application of either galanin (1-29) or galanin (2-11), indicating that both GalR1 and/or GalR2 can mediate some of their effects on LTP through inhibition of CREB-related signaling cascades.