cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 12 - Paths to Sustainable Ocean Resources

Marine ecosystem services support our daily lives in a number of ways. Yet, multiple stressors acting on the marine environment, such as climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, and the overuse of marine resources threaten the continued provision of these services. While targeted actions are needed to address issue-specific threats, decision makers and the public must also concert efforts toward governance regimes that account for multiple stressors and foster ecosystem resilience. Further, while research is needed to better understand the impacts of multiple stressors, insurance-based models can be adopted to reduce risk by accounting for combined conditional probabilities of the effects of multiple stressors, including low probability but high-impact events. We must not allow the complexity of today’s challenges chart our future. We can act to avoid potentially disastrous loss and substantial costs through taking proactive measures now.
Designing Android Marshmallow volume controls: a user experience case study

When a user presses physical hardware volume keys on a smartphone, volume controls appears on the screen. Traditionally, these volume controls are represented by a single slider. Android's Lollipop release introduced new functionality into the volume controls: a way to temporarily silence interruptions from notifications and phone calls. After the launch of Android Lollipop, we discovered some usability issues with the more robust volume controls interface. We decided to address these issues in Android's next release, Marshmallow. In this case study, we describe the trade-offs we faced in designing Android Marshmallow volume controls and how our interdisciplinary user experience team designed a longitudinal study that helped us evaluate two designs we were considering. We also describe the impact of our research approach and how we arrived at a final design.
(Book Introduction) The Edgeworth-Wilson Correspondence in 1923 on the a Treatise on Probability (1921): What It Tells Us About Current, Academic Assessments of That Work

The Edgeworth-Wilson exchanges in 1923 reveal that neither Francis Isidro Edgeworth, one of the top ten economists of all time in world history ,nor Edwin Wilson, one of the very top American applied mathematicians in the USA in the first half of the twentieth century, had any idea about how to deal with Part II of J.M. Keynes’s, A Treatise on Probability (1921). The same conclusion holds for Ronald Fisher, who Stephen Stigler claims was the greatest statistician of the twentieth century. Richard Dawkins claims he was also the greatest biologist since Darwin. In fact, it is Benoit Mandelbrot, by a longshot, who was the greatest statistician of the 20th century. Part II of the, A Treatise on Probability includes Keynes’s formal analysis of his Boolean, non additive, nonlinear, indeterminate, interval valued approach approach to logical probability, based on the use of upper and lower limits or bounds. This inability to deal with Part II of the A Treatise on Probability would explain why the Keynesian Fundamentalists (the Robinsons, R. Skidelsky, P. Davidson, G.L.S. Shackle, J. Runde, S. Dow, R. O’Donnell, A. Carabelli, T. Lawson, and hundreds of other Post Keynesian and Institutionalist economists) have completely failed to grasp the interval valued approach of Keynes. They simply lacked the necessary training in mathematical logic, probability, and statistics needed to comprehend what Keynes was doing. The result is a gigantic, intellectual mess based on (a) their misbelief that Keynes’s theory is an ordinal theory that can only be applied some of the time because of their confusion regarding unknown and indeterminate probabilities and (b) their inability to find the very large number of errors made in F. P. Ramsey’s two very poor reviews of Keynes’s A Treatise on Probability. Again, Ramsey was simply overwhelmed by Part II of the A Treatise on Probability and could not follow Keynes’s analysis of interval valued probability. Ramsey’s claims about Keynes’s “mysterious non numerical probabilities” not obeying the laws of the calculus of probability and the Stohs-Garner discussions about “what is a non numerical probability?” are the foundation for the Fundamentalist position of Skidelsky that Keynes’s approach was an ordinal approach that could only be applied some of the time. Nothing is further from the truth.
Aberrant Ras Activation Associated with Functional Loss of Tnk1/Kos1 In Human B-Cell Lymphoma

Abstract Abstract 3159 Tnk1/Kos1 (Thirty-eight negative kinase/Kinase of embryonic stem cells) is the first demonstrated nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) to be identified as a tumor suppressor (Hoare et al.2008). The Tnk1/Kos1 knockout mice (∼80%) spontaneously develop B-cell lymphomas, specifically DLBCL, which express aberrantly high levels of Ras activity due to the loss of Tnk1/Kos1. Mechanistically the high Ras activity in the tumor tissue results from the stabilization of the RasGEF (Grb2-Sos1) complex since Ras is not found to be mutated in B-cell lymphomas. Importantly, in humans, the allelic loss of Tnk1 and/or reduced expression of Tnk1 transcripts occur in patients with DLBCL (Oncomine.org). In support of a tumorigenic mechanism, Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis using a phospho-specific Tnk1 antibody that we developed confirms the functional loss of Tnk1 activity in DLBCL tissue. These data underscore the potential clinical relevance of Tnk1 in human hematological malignancies. Interestingly, the L540 cell line, derived from a patient with Hodgkin Lymphoma was recently reported to express a 60 Kda truncated fusion Tnk1-C17orf61 gene product (Gu et al. 2010). Although the Tnk fusion gene product is heavily tyrosine phosphorylated, we find that it possesses poor to no enzymatic activity toward the Tnk1/Kos1 substrate Grb2. This indicates that its PTK activity is possibly inhibited by steric hindrance as a result of hyper Y-phosphorylation. This is reminiscent of kinase-dead Tnk1/Kos1 and hence the truncated L540 Tnk fusion protein may function as an oncogene (Hoare et al. 2003). Interestingly, when L540 cells were exposed to 5 Aza cytidine (40μM) or Trichostatin A (100ng/ml), we find a reduction in the expression of the truncated L540 Tnk fusion protein with a concomitant increase in Ras activity (hyper Ras activation) and accumulation of cells in sub G1 phase, indicating Ras mediated induction of cell senescence and death, an event commonly observed in the over expression of several oncogenes (Serrano et al 1997; Ruggero et al, 2004). Our findings may therefore, point the way to designing a novel and effective therapy that may prevent the progression of B-cell lymphomas associated with abnormal expression of mutated Tnk1. Importantly, since Ras is infrequently mutated to oncogenic Ras in human lymphoid tumors (unlike myeloid leukemias), aberrant Ras activation in such lymphoid tumors may result from the loss of Tnk1 kinase activity due to the constitutive activation of Ras-GEF activity. These findings indicate the mechanism by which wt-Ras can be aberrantly activated to an “oncogenic” equivalent form with the loss of Tnk1 to induce and/or contribute to spontaneous tumorigenesis in hematological malignancies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Advances in chemical pharmacotherapy for managing acute decompensated heart failure.

Introduction: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) contributes largely to the burden of heart failure and is associated with a poorer prognosis. Although numerous clinical trials evaluated the ...
Influence of Atmospheric Pressure and Composition on LIBS

While laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an attractive technique because of its basic simplicity with little or no sample preparation and ability to be performed under standard Earth atmosphere, there has been increasing interest in performing LIBS under non-standard pressures and with surrounding atmospheric gases other than air. Altering the atmospheric pressure can dramatically change the observed LIBS spectra, such as greatly improving the resolution, signal intensity, and overall signal-to-noise ratio by judicious choice of pressure and gas composition. The ability to enhance LIBS spectra has enabled challenging applications related to detection of isotopes. Interest in non-standard atmospheric conditions is also driven by applications for space exploration and process monitoring as well as the opportunity to better understand the dynamics associated with the LIBS plasma.
Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia in mucopolysaccharidosis type I (Hurler syndrome) treated with posterior fossa decompression: Case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND Hurler Syndrome is the most severe phenotype of mucopolysaccharidosis type I. With bone marrow transplant and enzyme replacement therapy, the life expectancy of a child with Hurler syndrome has been extended, predisposing them to multiple musculoskeletal issues most commonly involving the spine. CASE DESCRIPTION This is the case report of a 6-year-old male with Hurler syndrome who was diagnosed with Chiari I malformation and cervicothoracic syringomyelia on a preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for his thoracolumbar kyphosis. This report details the successful management of a Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia with posterior fossa decompression in a child with Hurler syndrome. CONCLUSION Children born with MPS I can have complex spine issues that require surgical management. The most common orthopedic spinal condition for these patients, thoracolumbar kyphosis, requires evaluation with an MRI before performing surgery. This resulted in the diagnosis of a Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia in our patient with Hurler syndrome. This was successfully treated with decompression of the posterior fossa.
Standardization of Minimal Residual Disease Testing in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM)3 is an incurable neoplasm of the bone marrow characterized by a clonal expansion of plasma cells with presence of a monoclonal spike (M-spike) in the serum and/or urine (1). However, there have been major improvements in the way that MM is treated, prolonging overall survival (OS). As OS increases, clinicians and researchers have been increasingly investigating the utility of minimal residual disease (MRD) testing by flow cytometry and molecular diagnostics. Simultaneously, clinical hematology and hematopathology teams are driving efforts to achieve standardization of these laboratory-developed tests (LDTs). Historically, when a patient has a hematologic malignancy such as MM, residual disease is detected by morphologic examination of bone marrow by light microscopy as well as serum/urine protein electrophoresis. However, as technology has improved, we are now able to detect very small populations of clonal cells that cannot be seen by light microscopy—this is termed “MRD.” Some have suggested that the word “measurable” be substituted for “minimal,” because as our analytical approaches improve, the lower limit of detection changes (2). Multicolor flow cytometry has facilitated the relatively widespread adoption of flow cytometric MRD (FCMRD) testing. A recent survey estimates that there are more than 90 predominantly North American laboratories that perform FCMRD (3 …
Leadership Knowledge and Practices in the Context of Charter Schools

ABSTRACTPrincipal leadership influences both the school environment and classroom teaching practices, and a principal’s ability to establish strong, collaborative instructional practices is essential to academic success. To date, very little research on leadership has focused on charter schools. Even though charter schools continue to grow in number and importance within the U.S. public education system, leadership in charter schools remains somewhat of a “black box.” This study seeks to use the extant research on leadership practices, charter schools, and the importance of principals, and original data from charter school principals, to expand the empirical findings on leadership in charter schools.
Shining light on nuclear-targeted therapy using gold nanostar constructs.

Nuclear-targeted therapy has received increasing attention as a potential strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy of treating cancer. The main challenges include targeting, drug-delivery efficiency and release of anticancer agents to the cancer cell nucleus. Nanoparticles as nanocarriers have started to address some of these issues. However, a lack of understanding in how nanoconstructs interact with the nucleus has precluded detailed studies. In this article, we highlight a nanoconstruct composed of gold (Au) nanostars loaded with nucleolin-specific aptamers. This nanoconstruct induced major changes in the nuclear phenotype through nuclear envelope (NE) invaginations. Femtosecond, light-triggered release of the aptamers from the surface of the Au nanostars further increased the number of NE deformations. Cancer cells with more NE folding showed increased apoptosis as well as decreased cell viability. The author’s of this article have revealed that correlation between drug-induced changes in nuclear phenotypes and increased therapeutic efficacy can provide new insight into nuclear-targeted cancer therapy.
Dofetilide Reloaded: To Admit or Not to Admit, That is the Question.

See Article by Cho et al Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality, and the available therapies have evolved significantly during the past several decades. In particular, catheter ablation has developed into an increasingly safe and effective treatment option for controlling symptomatic AF. Multiple studies have shown that AF ablation improves quality of life in patients with symptomatic AF, including those with heart failure.1,2 AF ablation can also lead to improved outcomes in patients with heart failure,3 and the results of the CASTLE-AF trial (Catheter Ablation Versus Standard Conventional Treatment in Patients With Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Atrial Fibrillation) recently reported at the European Society of Cardiology Congress showed a mortality benefit in these patients, reporting a significantly lower incidence of death or hospitalization for heart failure in the catheter ablation group compared with optimal medical therapy (28.5% versus 44.6%; P =0.007; http://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/clinical-trials/2017/08/26/01/51/castle-af). Nonetheless, ablation of AF certainly has limitations and is not as effective in patients with persistent AF. Antiarrhythmic drugs remain mainstays of symptomatic AF management, often as an alternative or adjunctive therapy to ablation. Dofetilide is a Vaughan Williams class III antiarrhythmic agent, which blocks the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current ( I Kr): this increases the action potential duration primarily because of delayed repolarization in both atrial and ventricular myocardium. This prolongs the QT but also increases the atrial refractory period and, therefore, terminates reentrant tachyarrhythmias and prevents their reinduction (Tikosyn [dofetilide] capsules package insert; Pfizer, Inc). Dofetilide is important among the antiarrhythmics for multiple reasons. It is one of the most effective antiarrhythmic medications, with ≈60% likelihood of maintaining sinus rhythm for a year4 …
Concentration-dependent binding of CdSe quantum dots on the SH3 domain

Quantum dots (QDs) are being used increasingly in applications for solar panels, consumer electronics, and biomedical imaging. For biomedical applications, QDs are typically coated with a biocompatible molecule for the system of interest. Experiments have indicated a QD dose-dependent and surface coating-dependent toxicity, with a portion of the toxicity being ascribed to interference with biomolecules. In this work, the interaction of trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) coated (CdSe)13 QDs with the SRC homology 3 domain (SH3) protein domain are explored using molecular dynamics simulations. The results of this research agree well with experiments that show that at the lowest concentration, the QDs have little affinity for the native proline-rich motif (PRM) binding site of SH3. At higher concentrations, the QDs aggregate and increasingly prefer the PRM binding site, indicating that the normal SH3 function is impeded. This binding dependence is attributed to changes in the local density of the surface coated TOPO molecules upon aggregation. These results present possible interesting QD toxicity patterns and reveal the interdependence between dose and surface coating effects in QD toxicity.
A 32 Gb/s, 4.7 pJ/bit Optical Link With −11.7 dBm Sensitivity in 14-nm FinFET CMOS

This paper presents a 32 Gb/s non-return-to-zero optical link using 850-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser-based multi-mode optics with 14-nm bulk FinFET CMOS circuits. The target application is the integration of optics on to the first-level package, connecting high-speed optical I/O directly to an advanced CMOS host chip (e.g., processor and switch) to increase package I/O bandwidth density and lower overall system power and cost. The optical link is designed for maximum link margin to tolerate high optical losses created by low-cost optical packaging. The transmitter (TX) uses a three-tap, 1/2-unit-interval-spaced feed-forward equalizer to improve eye opening. The receiver (RX) uses a low-bandwidth, low-noise transimpedance amplifier and a speculative one-tap decision-feedback equalizer for high sensitivity. The TX and RX power efficiencies are 3.3 and 1.4 pJ/bit, respectively. The TX optical modulation amplitude (OMA) is 1.2 dBm, and the RX sensitivity is −11.7 dBm OMA at a bit error rate of 10−12 with PRBS31 data, providing 12.9-dB link margin.
PCR Guru: An Ultimate Benchtop Reference for Molecular Biologists

PCR Guru: An Ultimate Benchtop Reference for Molecular Biologists is provides researchers in molecular biology with a handy reference for approaching and solving challenging problems associated with PCR setup and optimization. As a laboratory guide, it emphasizes the technical aspects of employing PCR as a tool in molecular biology laboratories. The book covers the history of PCR and the basic science underlying it. It then discusses PCR at the bench level, starting with detailed description and tips on primer design, and continuing with the standard protocols used to perform PCR.Provides troubleshooting tips for various types of modifications of standard protocolsContains unique ?Good Practices and Tips” that are indispensable for the beginner and expert alikeFeatures ?Special Cases” with applications of PCR, optimization, and troubleshootingIncludes detailed appendices with tables, figures, and key protocolsOrganized as a systematic, concentrated resource to save time when addressing a PCR problem
Best Constant Inequalities Involving the Analytic and Co-Analytic Projection

Let P + denote the Riesz projection and P −=I−P+ denote the co-analytic projection where I is the identity operator. We prove $$ \left\| {\max (\left| {P_ + f} \right|,\left| {P_ - f} \right|)} \right\|_{L^p (T)} \leqslant \csc \frac{\pi } {p}\left\| f \right\|_{L^p (T)} , 1 < p < \infty , $$ where f∈L p (T) is a complex-valued function, and the constant \( \csc \tfrac{\pi } {p} \) p p is sharp. Our proof is based on an explicit construction of a plurisubharmonic minorant for the function \( F(w,z) = \csc ^p \tfrac{\pi } {p}\left| {w + \bar z} \right|^p - \max (\left| w \right|,\left| z \right|)^p \) on C 2. More generally, we discuss the best constant problem for the inequality $$ \left\| {(\left| {P_ + f} \right|^s ,\left| {P_ - f} \right|^s )^{\tfrac{1} {s}} } \right\|_{L^p (T)} \leqslant C(p,s)\left\| f \right\|_{L^p (T)} , 1 < p < \infty , $$ where 0<s<∞, which may serve as a model problem for some vectorvalued inequalities, where the method of plurisubharmonic minorants seems to be promising.
Mood Management Mail Intervention Increases Abstinence Rates for Spanish-Speaking Latino Smokers

A self-administered mood management intervention program for smoking cessation provided through the mail to Spanish-speaking Latinos resulted in a 23% abstinence rate at 3 months compared to an 11% abstinence rate for a smoking cessation guide alone. Participants (N = 136) were randomly assigned to receive either the cessation guide (the Guia), or the Guia plus a mood management intervention (Tomando Control de su Vida) presented in writing and in audiotape format. At 3 months after random assignment, 16 out of 71 of those assigned to the Guia-plus-mood management condition reported being abstinent (not smoking for at least 7 days) compared to 7 out of 65 in the Guia-only condition (z = 1.8; p = .04, one-tailed). Moreover, those with a history of major depressive episodes, but not currently depressed, reported an even higher abstinence rate in the Guia-plus-mood management condition, compared to the Guia-only condition (31 vs. 11%, z = 1.8, p = .04, one-tailed). We conclude that the mood management mail intervention substantially increases abstinence rates, especially for those with a history of major depressive episodes.
Depressed Girls in the Earlier Phase of Adolescence

In the case of Christy, which follows, we find a younger adolescent girl was depressed. She was a very dependent girl who earlier had found a relationship with a young man who had given her some of the attention and some of the limits she could not get from her parents, both of whom were depressed and absorbed in their own problems. Yet, after 2 years with him, she became dissatisfied with her life-style. She wanted a more achieving, goal-oriented life, which she could not find on her own, but neither could she find this with Jeff. However, she had been with him since she was 12 years old. She was very dependent upon Jeff and could not bring herself to leave him Christy became depressed.
IPM for Soilborne Disease Management for Vegetable and Strawberry Crops in SE USA

Major shifts in agricultural practices are complex with highly inter-dependent biological, environmental, social, economic, business, and other (agri)culture factors. Seeking alternatives to methyl bromide (MeBr) to manage soilborne pathogens provided a model system that could be simulated where other large scale and dramatic changes need to be made. Parallel priorities were set in place. The first priority was to assemble an inter-disciplinary and inter-state response and vision team of key private and public sector stakeholders. The second priority was to determine the risk-aversion and biological basis for fumigation. The third priority was to implement a plan that did not simply focus on chemical alternatives, but sought to advance the science of plant pathology and conduct discovery research about the biology, ecology and management of the primary plant pathogens and cropping systems. Therefore, three strategic levels of research and extension were identified: (1) Tactic substitution – addressing short term needs of growers who sought non-ozone depleting fumigant alternatives; (2) Tactic Diversification – focused on medium term alternatives that included non-fumigant and IPM based tactics; (3) Tactic Development – focused on long-term goals to explore microbial ecology and farming systems-based approaches to replace MeBr-dependent production systems. The fourth priority was to effectively extend research based information to primary clientele. Combined efforts resulted in technically and economical feasibility assessments of alternatives, exploration of viable diversification and development of plant disease management tactics, and a region-wide advanced understanding of the biology and ecology of key plant pathogens.
Characteristics of Background Error Covariance of Soil Moisture and Atmospheric States in Strongly Coupled Land–Atmosphere Data Assimilation

AbstractThis study characterizes the spatial and temporal variability of the background error covariance between the land surface soil moisture and atmospheric states for a better understanding of ...
The Prenatal Rating of Efficacy in Preparation to Breastfeed Scale: A New Measurement Instrument for Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-efficacy

Background:Breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding intention are two modifiable factors that influence rates of breastfeeding initiation.Research Aims:(1) To develop a scale to measure prenat...
Seeing Is Believing: Using Virtual and Augmented Reality to Enhance Student Learning.

Virtual and augmented reality apps enable gifted students to explore content in new and exciting ways. Students can use the technology to create interesting and interactive products that not only d...
The ilvEDA operon of Escherichia coli K12 encodes only one valine-α-ketoglutarate transaminas activity

Abstract Transaminase B of E. coli K12 was purified to apparent homogeneity as measured by SDS acrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis, and amino terminal sequence analysis. The valine- and isoleucine-α-ketoglutarate dependent transaminase activities of pure enzyme as well as crude extracts were characterized by immunologic and kinetic methods. The data disprove the existence of a separate valine-α-ketoglutarate transaminase within the ilvEDA operon.
It takes two (Las1 HEPN Endoribonuclease Motifs) to cut the RNA right

Las1 is an essential endoribonuclease that is well-conserved across eukaryotes and a newly established member of the HEPN (higher eukaryotes and prokaryotes nucleotide-binding) nuclease family. HEPN nucleases participate in diverse RNA cleavage pathways and share a short HEPN nuclease motif important for RNA cleavage. While most HEPN nucleases participate in stress activated RNA cleavage pathways, Las1 plays a fundamental role in processing the pre-ribosomal RNA. Underscoring the significance of Las1 function, mutations to the LAS1L gene have been associated with neurological dysfunction. Two juxtaposed Las1 HEPN nuclease motifs create its composite nuclease active site, however the roles of the individual HEPN residues are poorly defined. Here we show through a combination of in vivo and in vitro studies that both Las1 HEPN nuclease motifs are required for nuclease activity and fidelity. Through in-depth sequence analysis and systematic mutagenesis, we define the consensus Las1 HEPN nuclease motif and uncover its canonical and specialized elements. Using reconstituted Las1 HEPN-HEPN9 chimeras, we define the molecular requirements for RNA cleavage. Intriguingly, both copies of the Las1 HEPN motif are necessary for nuclease specificity revealing that both HEPN motifs participate in coordinating the RNA within the active site. Taken together, our work reveals critical information about HEPN nuclease function and establishes that HEPN nucleases can be re-wired to cleave alternative RNA substrates.
Processing seismic source transients to quantify ecosystem impact

Modeling of acoustic field metrics for transient seismic signals in ocean environments is required for the regulatory and resource management purposes. The validation by calibrated measurements is a critical step to assess model’s accuracy. The talk discusses acoustic metrics derived from the field data collected in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of the experiment was to characterize 3-dimemsional field of the industrial seismic exploration array. Received Sound Pressure Levels of direct arrivals showed a large variability (up to 50 dB re 1 μPa) for a fixed distance between source and receiver indicating that the distance cannot be used as a single parameter to derive meaningful exposure thresholds. However, the far-field primary acoustic field variations with distance along the true acoustic path for a narrow angular bin are accurately predicted using a simplified model of the theoretical monopole source in free space. The source level of a monopole depends on radiation direction. The different acoustic metrics show robust relationships. As distance between source and receiver increases, the direct arrival may not be present (shadow zone). In this case more comprehensive propagation modeling is required. [Research funded by the Sound and Marine Life Joint Industry Programme.]Modeling of acoustic field metrics for transient seismic signals in ocean environments is required for the regulatory and resource management purposes. The validation by calibrated measurements is a critical step to assess model’s accuracy. The talk discusses acoustic metrics derived from the field data collected in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of the experiment was to characterize 3-dimemsional field of the industrial seismic exploration array. Received Sound Pressure Levels of direct arrivals showed a large variability (up to 50 dB re 1 μPa) for a fixed distance between source and receiver indicating that the distance cannot be used as a single parameter to derive meaningful exposure thresholds. However, the far-field primary acoustic field variations with distance along the true acoustic path for a narrow angular bin are accurately predicted using a simplified model of the theoretical monopole source in free space. The source level of a monopole depends on radiation direction. The different...
DOJ/FTC Draft 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines Comment of the Global Antitrust Institute, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University

This comment is submitted by the Global Antitrust Institute (GAI) at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice regarding the draft 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines. The GAI Competition Advocacy Program provides a wide range of recommendations to facilitate adoption of economically sound competition policies.
Effects on the Upper Airway Morphology with Intravenous Addition of Ketamine after Dexmedetomidine Administration in Normal Children

General anesthesia decreases the tone of upper airway muscles in a dose-dependent fashion, potentially narrowing the pharyngeal airway. We examined the effects of adding ketamine on the airway configuration after dexmedetomidine administration in spontaneously breathing children with normal airways. 25 children presenting for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain/spine under general anesthesia were prospectively recruited in the study. Patients were anesthetized with dexmedetomidine bolus (2 mcg over 10 min) followed by dexmedetomidine infusion (2 mcg·kg−1·h) and ketamine and permitted to breathe spontaneously via the native airway. MR-CINE images of the upper airway were obtained with dexmedetomidine infusion alone (baseline) and 5, 10, and 15 min after administering ketamine bolus (2 mg·kg−1) in two anatomical axial planes at the nasopharynx and the retroglossal upper airway. Airway lumen is segmented with a semi-automatic image processing approach using a region-growing algorithm. Outcome measures of cross-sectional area, transverse and anterior-posterior diameters of the airway in axial planes at the level of the epiglottis in the retroglossal airway, and in the superior nasopharynx were evaluated for changes in airway size with sedation. Airway dimensions corresponding to the maximum, mean, and minimum sizes during a respiratory cycle were obtained to compare the temporal changes in the airway size. The dose-response of adding ketamine to dexmedetomidine alone condition on airway dimensions were examined using mixed-effects of covariance models. 22/25 patients based on inclusion/exclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. The changes in airway measures with the addition of ketamine, when compared to the baseline of dexmedetomidine alone, were statistically insignificant. The modest changes in airway dimensions are clinically less impactful and within the accuracy of the semi-automatic airway segmentation approach. The effect sizes were small for most airway measures. The duration of ketamine seems to not affect the airway size. In conclusion, adding ketamine to dexmedetomidine did not significantly reduce upper airway configuration when compared to dexmedetomidine alone.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Hospitalizations Attributable to Cardiometabolic Conditions in the United States: A Comparative Risk Assessment Analysis.

BACKGROUND Risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalization is robustly linked to cardiometabolic health. We estimated the absolute and proportional COVID-19 hospitalizations in US adults attributable to 4 major US cardiometabolic conditions, separately and jointly, and by race/ethnicity, age, and sex. METHODS AND RESULTS We used the best available estimates of independent associations of cardiometabolic conditions with a risk of COVID-19 hospitalization; nationally representative data on cardiometabolic conditions from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015 to 2018; and US COVID-19 hospitalizations stratified by age, sex, and race/ethnicity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network database and from the COVID Tracking Project to estimate the numbers and proportions of COVID-19 hospitalizations attributable to diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, and heart failure. Inputs were combined in a comparative risk assessment framework, with probabilistic sensitivity analyses and 1000 Monte Carlo simulations to jointly incorporate stratum-specific uncertainties in data inputs. As of November 18, 2020, an estimated 906 849 COVID-19 hospitalizations occurred in US adults. Of these, an estimated 20.5% (95% uncertainty interval [UIs], 18.9-22.1) of COVID-19 hospitalizations were attributable to diabetes mellitus, 30.2% (UI, 28.2-32.3) to total obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2), 26.2% (UI, 24.3-28.3) to hypertension, and 11.7% (UI, 9.5-14.1) to heart failure. Considered jointly, 63.5% (UI, 61.6-65.4) or 575 419 (UI, 559 072-593 412) of COVID-19 hospitalizations were attributable to these 4 conditions. Large differences were seen in proportions of cardiometabolic risk-attributable COVID-19 hospitalizations by age and race/ethnicity, with smaller differences by sex. CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of US COVID-19 hospitalizations appear attributable to major cardiometabolic conditions. These results can help inform public health prevention strategies to reduce COVID-19 healthcare burdens.
New light on acetone: a master equation model for gas phase photophysics and photochemistry

This paper presents a unified model of gas phase acetone photophysics and photochemistry that is based on experimental data, which are reviewed and discussed in detail, and a detailed microcanonica...
Impact of the reverse bias voltage on the lifetime of polymer solar cells

Abstract We report an investigation into the impact of applying a large reverse bias voltage during current–voltage (J-V) sweeps on the degradation rate of solar cells based on poly[N-9″-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) and [6-6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM), under air mass 1.5 simulated solar irradiation. The degradation rate was found to be significantly slower when devices were characterized using frequent J-V sweeps with a large reverse bias component (-7 V to 1 V), with a decrease in power conversion efficiency of 24% after ∼ 100 hrs of light exposure. In contrast, devices scanned from −1 V to 1 V degrade by 72% in the same time period. The decay in the photovoltaic performance was found to be related to an increase in the series resistance and a decrease in the shunt resistance of the devices over time. Further characterization of the bulk heterojunction layer under irradiation conditions indicates that this behavior might be caused by the decreasing mobility of the charge carriers due to the formation of the defects or traps in the layer, induced by the photo-oxidation process. The frequent application of a large reverse bias sweep most likely helps de-trap the charge carriers and slows down the device degradation. Impedance analysis indicated that during the decay of PCDTBT:PC70BM devices the bulk layer became more resistive with time, and applying large and frequent reverse bias sweeps during testing could significantly slow down this process. The charge carrier extraction time was found to increase from 7 μs to more than 400 μs after photo-degradation. These findings demonstrate that repeated application of a reverse bias voltage can affect device degradation, and therefore that the specific details of J-V characterization should be reported alongside device lifetime claims.
XS: An analysis and synthesis for linear regression constructed by integrating a graphical statistical system, a relational database system and an expert system shell

Abstract This paper introduces an analysis and synthesis system (XS) which aids users in performing statistical analyses. In any large study, the dataset itself grows and changes dramatically over its life-course. Important datasets are often analyzed by many people over extended periods of time. Effective analysis of these large datasets depends to a large part in integrating past inferences and analytical decisions into current analyses. XS provides statistical expertise to answer current problems, but it also makes available the results of past analyses available for potential integration and consistency checking. In addition, XS permits the integration of knowledge outside the confines of the dataset with statistical results and user input in order to make analytical decisions.
The clinical spectrum of neurologic disorders after intestinal and multivisceral transplantation

Živkovic SA, Eidelman BH, Bond G, Costa G, Abu-Elmagd KM. The clinical spectrum of neurologic disorders after intestinal and multivisceral transplantation. Clin Transplant 2009: DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2009.01065.x © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Background: Intestinal transplantation has evolved into an effective therapy for patients with intestinal failure and the inability to be maintained on total parenteral nutrition. Long-term heavy immunosuppression and complex systemic disturbances increase the risk of the neurologic complications. Methods: This retrospective analysis identified the post-transplant neurologic complications in adult patients who underwent intestinal transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between May 1990 and August 1998. The recipients received 28 isolated intestine, 17 composite liver-intestine, and nine multivisceral allografts. Results: With a median follow-up of 25 months, 46 of 54 recipients (68%) developed headaches (n = 27; 50%), encephalopathy (n = 23; 43%), seizures (n = 9; 17%), neuromuscular disorders (n = 4; 7%), opportunistic CNS infections (n = 4; 7%), and ischemic stroke (n = 2; 4%). Conclusions: Under high maintenance immunosuppression, intestinal transplant recipients were at high risk for neurologic complications. Future studies are needed to describe post-transplant neurologic complications with modern immunosuppression protocols.
Limit Cycle Oscillation and Orbital Stability in Aeroelastic Systems with Torsional Nonlinearity

The paper treats the question of the existence of limit cycleoscillations of prototypical aeroelastic wing sections with structuralnonlinearity using the describing function method. The chosen dynamicmodel describes the nonlinear plunge and pitch motion of a wing. Themodel includes an asymmetric structural nonlinearity in the pitchdegree-of-freedom. The dual-input describing functions of thenonlinearity are derived for the limit cycle analysis. Analyticalexpressions for the average value, and the amplitude and frequency ofoscillation of pitch and plunge responses are obtained. Based on ananalytical approach as well as the Nyquist criterion, stability of thelimit cycles is examined. Numerical results are presented for a set ofvalues of the flow velocities and the locations of the elastic axiswhich show that the predicted limit cycle oscillation amplitude andfrequency as well as the mean value are quite close to the actualvalues. Furthermore, for the chosen model with linear aerodynamics, itis seen that the amplitude of the pitch limit cycle oscillation does notalways increase with the flow velocity for certain elastic axislocations.
Barriers and Bridges for Successful Environmental Technology Transfer

Governmental policy, social factors, individual behavior, and technology play critical roles in improving the environment. The Department of Defense is not immune to these factors as its actions have, and will continue, to impact its operational environments.
Custom memory allocation for free

We present a novel and efficient container-centric memory allocator, named Defero, which allows a container to guide the allocation of its elements. The guidance is supported by the semantic-rich context of containers in which a new element is inserted. Defero allocates based on two attributes: size and location. Our policy of allocating a new object close to a related object often results in significantly increased memory reference locality. Defero has been integrated to work seamlessly with the C++ Standard Template Library (STL) containers. The communication between containers and the memory allocator is very simple and insures portability. STL container modification is the only needed code change to achieve custom memory allocation. We present experimental results that show the performance improvements that can be obtained by using Defero as a custom allocator for STL applications. We have applied our memory allocator to the molecular dynamics and compiler applications and obtained significant performance improvements over using the standard GNU STL allocator. With our approach custom memory allocation has been achieved without any modification of the actual applications, i.e., without additional programming efforts.
Cumulenes as ligands. IV. Rhodium and platinum complexes of tetraphenylhexapentaene. X-ray crystal structure of bis(triphenylphosphine)chloro(tetraphenylhexapentaene)rhodium

Abstract The interaction of tetraphenylhexapentaene with chlorotris(triphenylphosphine) rhodium produces a red complex in which rhodium is bound to the second CC bond of the cumulene. In contrast, reaction of the same cumulene with (PPh3)2Pt0 generated by reducing (PPh3)2PtCl2 with hydrazine in ethanol results in the formation of a yellow symmetrical complex as the kinetic product. This complex isomerizes to a red unsymmetrical complex. An X-ray crystal structure of bis(triphenylphosphine)chloro(tetraphenylhexapentaene)rhodium is reported.
Significance of Ultraheavy Cosmic Rays

The experimental composition of ultraheavy cosmic rays is compared with that expected if the cosmic-ray source had a composition like that of the solar system, or that of specific nucleosynthesis processes--the r-process or the s-process. Observations in the interval 30 <Z <60 indicate that the cosmic-ray source is not principally r-process; rather, it looks like solar-system abundances modified by an acceleration bias correlated with the first ionization potential or modified by addition of s-process material. The abundance of actinides, which are results only of r-process, is not greatly enhanced in the cosmic rays.
Organization of Enzymes in the Polyaromatic Synthetic Pathway: Separability in Bacteria

Ultracentrifugation in sucrose density gradients was employed to estimate the molecular weights and to determine possible physical aggregation of the five enzymes catalyzing steps two to six in the prechorismic acid portion of the polyaromatic synthetic pathway in six species of bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Aerobacter aerogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptomyces coelicolor. The five enzymes were not aggregated in extracts of any of the species examined, nor are the genes encoding these enzymes clustered in those bacterial species for which genetic evidence exists. (An initial examination of the blue-green alga Anabaena variabilis indicates nonaggregation in this species also.) This situation in bacteria is in marked contrast to that found in Neurospora crassa and other fungi in which the same five enzymes are associated as an aggregate encoded (at least in the case of N. crassa) by a cluster of five genes. In addition, also in contrast to N. crassa, no evidence was obtained for more than one kind of dehydroquinase activity in any of the bacteria examined. These comparative results are discussed in relation to the origin, evolution, and functional significance of the gene-enzyme relationships existing in the early steps of aromatic biosynthesis in bacteria and fungi.
Culturing Purifies Murine Lymph Node Lymphatic Endothelium

Abstract Background: Lymph node (LN) lymphatic sinuses transport lymph, cells, and antigens from the periphery through the LN. The lymphatic endothelium lining these sinuses appears to be an important contributor to the lymph node immune response. It has been challenging to obtain sufficient LN lymphatic endothelial cells for investigation of their functions, as they are minor constituents of LNs. Methods and Results: A procedure was developed to purify lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) from murine LNs, which yields large numbers of primary LN LEC. Two-dimensional in vitro cultures of dissociated LN stromal cells initially consist of multiple cell types, and then rapidly evolve to produce pure cultures of lymphatic endothelium within a few passages. One million LEC can be harvested after 4 weeks of culture, and much larger cell numbers can be obtained by continued culturing over long periods. The LEC cultures maintain endothelial morphology and expression of LEC markers, and preserve the same slow growth ...
Todas las cosas, la cosa

Inventario a contraluz. Antologia de una nueva poesia colombiana. Federico Diaz-Granados (seleccion, prologo y notas) Arango Editores, Bogota, 2001, 440 pags.
Vortex Action Potentials in Normal Ventricular Musclea

A remarkable feature of healthy ventricular myocardium, exposed by electrical stimulation and high-resolution mapping, is that, despite its gross nonuniformities and structural discontinuities on the submillimeter scale, it behaves electrically so much like a continuous uniformly anisotropic excitable medium. Such media are susceptible to a self-sustaining high-frequency periodic mode of activity in the form of freely movable paired vortices in two dimensions or vortex filaments in three dimensions. These can be evoked by a timely stimulus of the right size, for example, in myocardium by an electrical stimulus during the vulnerable period. Such stimuli may occur at random within complex patterns of stimulation and activation, even in healthy uniform tissue. Discontinuities and heterogeneity apparently make diseased tissue more vulnerable. Such vortices may underlie common reentrant tachycardias that degenerate into ventricular fibrillation, the commonest cause of sudden cardiac death. If the normal mechanism here reviewed also plays a role in diseased tissue, then it provides a quantitative basis for design of improved procedures for management of reentrant ventricular tachycardias that threaten to degrade to fibrillation.
Calibration of the tipping-bucket raingage

Abstract Three models of the tipping-bucket raingage were calibrated in the laboratory by adjusting the volume required to tip the bucket and by correcting the raingage output readings. In the volumetric calibration, the effects of raingage installation, the wetting of buckets, and the surface tension of the liquid used were considered. To calibrate the raingage output, the recorded rainfall intensities (i.e. calculated from the raingage record) were compared to the actual intensities calculated from the rate of inflow to the raingage receiver. Recorded intensities wre typically smaller than actual ones, in extreme cases by as much as 10%. An explanation for this underestimation was found by considering the loss of water during the bucket rotation. Estimates of these losses were obtained by timing the bucket movement for various rainfall intensities. Finally, the sensitivity of the tipping-bucket raingage output to the variations in the basic desing parameters of the raingage was studied numerically using the analytical expression derived for the recorded intensity.