cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RavenCalendar: A Multimodal Dialog System for Managing a Personal Calendar

Dialog applications for managing calendars have been developed for every generation of dialog systems research (Heidorn, 1978; Yankelovich, 1994; Constantinides and others, 1998; Horvitz and Paek, 2000; Vo and Wood, 1996; Huang and others, 2001). Today, Web-based calendar applications are widely used. A spoken dialog interface to a Web-based calendar application permits convenient use of the system on a handheld device or over the telephone.
Prolactin secretion after hypophysial stalk transection in prepuberal beef heifers

Hypothalamic regulation of prolactin secretion was investigated in crossbred beef heifer calves. Heifers were randomly assigned to hypophysial stalk transected (HST, n = 5) or sham-operated control (SOC, n = 2) groups and were fitted 1 day before surgery with an indwelling external jugular catheter. Prolactin (PRL) in peripheral plasma was measured by radioimmunoassay in samples obtained before, during and after HST or SOC. HST heifers were given thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) 72 h after surgery and again 11 months later. HST heifers were also given haloperidol and α-methyl-p-tyrosine (αMT) 13 and 14 days after surgery. Two HST and three intact heifers were recatheterized 4 and 10 months after HST, and blood was collected over 48 h to determine PRL profiles during the summer and winter. Prolactin was elevated during surgery in both HST and SOC calves. After SOC, PRL declined rapidly and remained low during recovery from surgery and over the next 14 days. In contrast, PRL remained elevated (P < 0.05) after HST for at least 14 days as compared with SOC. HST calves responded to i.v. injection of TRH 72 h after surgery with an acute increase in PRL (P < 0.05) within 10 min. HST calves did not respond to i.v. injection of haloperidol or αMT 2 weeks after surgery. Within 4 months after surgery, HST heifers had lower basal PRL levels than observed in intact heifers, and seasonal changes in PRL secretion were also attenuated by HST. HST heifers did, however, remain capable of spontaneous pulses of PRL secretion and responsive to TRH injection 11 months after HST. The results of this study clearly indicate that basal PRL secretion is tonically inhibited by the hypothalamus in prepuberal beef heifers. Furthermore, the inability of HST heifers to respond to administration of αMT and haloperidol indicates that dopamine may play an important role in hypothalamic regulation of PRL secretion in this species.
The equivalence of linear programs and zero-sum games

In 1951, Dantzig showed the equivalence of linear programming problems and two-person zero-sum games. However, in the description of his reduction from linear programs to zero-sum games, he noted that there was one case in which the reduction does not work. This also led to incomplete proofs of the relationship between the Minimax Theorem of game theory and the Strong Duality Theorem of linear programming. In this note, we fill these gaps.
Active Tectonics and Alluvial Rivers

Flying into San Francisco, California, for the AGU Fall Meeting from the east coast of the United States, one sees an ever-changing pattern of rivers below. From straight channels, the rivers take on a meandering pattern, become braided, and form oxbow lakes. Their drainage patterns change from regional directions in response to local structures and tectonic activity This carving of the landscape is the response of alluvial rivers to active tectonics manifested locally by ongoing tectonic uplift, river erosion, and alluvial deposition.
Kant and the Perversion of the End

Kant’s philosophy treated endings as necessary but necessarily elusive for the moral and political imagination, and he employed irony, among other things, to draw attention to the risks of perverting the figure of the end. Kantian endings, this essay suggests, give rise to two possible orientations which exist in tension with each other: melancholic confrontations with impossibility alongside a more forward-looking, optimistic gaze. I examine the two features of Kantian endings and the affective orientations they inspire under the headings of succession and secession. In addition to the mathematical-logical language of Kant’s writing, however, one also has to be able to appreciate the noirish qualities of Kant’s thought, which is to say, elements of culpability and aversion with respect to figures of transcendence that posit the space within which finite experience takes shape.
The effects of spatial diversity and imperfect channel estimation on multi-carrier CDMA systems

We previously compared the theoretical bit error rates of multi-carrier direct sequence code division multiple access (MC-DS-CDMA) and multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) for a single-input single-output (SISO) system. We constrained both multi-carrier schemes to the same bandwidth, information rate, and energy-per-bit, which resulted in a possible trade-off between diversity gain and channel estimation errors between the two schemes. In this paper, we incorporate spatial diversity into the comparison by considering a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system employing Alamouti space-time block coding at each sub-carrier frequency. Since we only examine those cases where MC-CDMA has higher frequency diversity than MC-DS-CDMA, and since increases in diversity yield diminishing gains, the additional diversity benefits MC-DS-CDMA more than MCCDMA. To determine whether these gains for MC-DSCDMA are enough to offset the difference in frequency diversity between the two schemes, we derive closed-form expressions for the bit error probabilities of both schemes, and we compare the MIMO results against those of the SISO system for different information rates, number of users, and number of pilot symbols per channel estimate.
Some Extremal Properties of Perfect Splines and the Pointwise Landau Problem on the Finite Interval

where 5 E [0, 11, 1 < k < II I, and X, p real, are all fixed, and 11 . Ii?0 denotes the usual L” norm on [0, I]. We prove that in the discussion of (l.l), it is sufficient to consider a specific class P’(U) of perfect splines P(x) of degree n which satisfy j/ P Ilrn = 1 and Ij Ptn) l~io = (T, and certain more restrictive requirements as stipulated in Theorem 5.1. We also consider in more detail a special case of (1.1) viz.,
Sequence Variation in PPARG May Underlie Differential Response to Troglitazone

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ (PPARG) agonists used to treat type 2 diabetes. TZDs can also be used to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes in at-risk individuals. However, a large fraction of TZD-treated patients (30–40%) do not respond to TZD treatment with an improvement in insulin sensitivity ( S i ). We hypothesized that variation within the gene encoding PPARG may underlie this differential response to TZD therapy. We screened ∼40 kb of PPARG in 93 nondiabetic Hispanic women (63 responders and 30 nonresponders) with previous gestational diabetes who had participated in the Troglitazone In the Prevention Of Diabetes study. TZD nonresponse was defined as the lower tertile in change in S i after 3 months of treatment. Baseline demographic and clinical measures were not different between responders and nonresponders. We identified and genotyped 131 variants including 126 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 5 insertion-deletion polymorphisms. Linkage disequilibrium analysis identified five haplotype blocks. Eight variants were associated with TZD response ( P S i as a continuous variable. Our results suggest that PPARG variation may underlie response to TZD therapy in women at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Novel three-dimensional hollow-core waveguide using high-contrast sub-wavelength grating

A novel hollow-core waveguide using high-contrast sub-wavelength grating (HCG) is experimentally demonstrated for the first time. The waveguide is formed by two HCG planar structures and shows both transverse and lateral light confinement.
How stable is a fuzzy linear system

One of the main problems to which control is applied is stabilizing a plant. In this case, it is sufficient to consider only small deviations from the ideal state. For small deviations, the dynamics of the plant can be described by linear differential equations. In many real-life cases, however, we do not know the exact values of the coefficients that describe the plant's dynamics. In the present paper, we describe the relevant mathematical problem and the standard stability techniques of control theory, and present an algorithm that estimates the desired degree of belief. In other words, this algorithm describes how stable is a given fuzzy linear systems. >
The relationship between transparent and participative government: A study of local governments in the United States:

The relationship between transparency and participation of government is not well articulated in the literature. Transparency provides stakeholders with knowledge about the processes, structures an...
Hemoptysis and Thoracic Aneurysm 40 Years Following Subclavian-Aortic Bypass for Coarctation Treated With Endograft and Amplatzer Plug

Myocardial infarction 3.9% (5/128) 1.0% (13/1305) <.01 Endoleaks 12.8% (16/125) 11.6% (151/1297) .70 1-year outcomes All-cause mortality 10.7% (13/122) 7.0% (90/1280) .14 Stent graft occlusion 3/1% (4/118) 3/1% (41/1305) .88 Endoleaks 6.1% (7/114) 8.6% (111/1287) .36 Abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter decrease 44.6% (41/92) 41.7% (405/972) .59 JOURNAL OF VASCULAR SURGERY Volume 58, Number 4 Abstracts 1161
ROADWAY ELECTRIFICATION AND AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES

This paper explains how the new technologies of roadway electrification and automation can be applied to help alleviate the severe transportation/environmental/energy problems facing our major metropolitan areas. The necessity of a complete system solution that encompasses these three problem areas simultaneously is emphasized. While the roadway‐electrification technology is targeted at the environmental and energy problems, the automatic steering and longitudinal control technologies serve to enhance mobility and safety in our urban motor transportation system. The vehicle control technologies offer the potential for dramatic increases in roadway capacity, which can significantly reduce travel times in congested urban regions. The significant synergism among the three technologies means that coordinated development and implementation will be significantly more beneficial than an approach that focuses on only one or two of the three technologies.
Sub-array design diagnostics for the development of large uniform arrays

The use of sub-arrays has been a popular approach in the design of large array antennas. Using sub-arrays simplifies the array design by allowing the designer to concentrate on the smaller sub-array and repeating it throughout the rest of the array. Anomalous grating lobes have been shown to appear in large uniform arrays caused by systematic errors in the design of sub-array. Thus, it is important for the sub-array designer to be able to diagnose errors in the sub-array design before incorporating it into the larger array. This paper will categorize and demonstrate specific sub-array pattern distortions that can cause grating lobes to appear in uniform arrays. In addition, a design example will present how recognition of the aforementioned distortions can be used to diagnose and prevent the appearance of grating lobes. This will be done by showing the design process of a 1×16 linear array design that uses four 1×4 sub-arrays. Its design progress will include analytical, full-wave simulation, and measurement parts.
Classification of threespine stickleback along the benthic-limnetic axis

Many species of fish display morphological divergence between individuals feeding on macroinvertebrates associated with littoral habitats (benthic morphotypes) and individuals feeding on zooplankton in the limnetic zone (limnetic morphotypes). Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) have diverged along the benthic-limnetic axis into allopatric morphotypes in thousands of populations and into sympatric species pairs in several lakes. However, only a few well known populations have been studied because identifying additional populations as either benthic or limnetic requires detailed dietary or observational studies. Here we develop a Fisher's linear discriminant function based on the skull morphology of known benthic and limnetic stickleback populations from the Cook Inlet Basin of Alaska and test the feasibility of using this function to identify other morphologically divergent populations. Benthic and limnetic morphotypes were separable using this technique and of 45 populations classified, three were identified as morphologically extreme (two benthic and one limnetic), nine as moderately divergent (three benthic and six limnetic) and the remaining 33 populations as morphologically intermediate. Classification scores were found to correlate with eye size, the depth profile of lakes, and the presence of invasive northern pike (Esox lucius). This type of classification function provides a means of integrating the complex morphological differences between morphotypes into a single score that reflects the position of a population along the benthic-limnetic axis and can be used to relate that position to other aspects of stickleback biology.
Validation of an agroecosystem process model (AGRO-BGC) on annual and perennial bioenergy feedstocks

Abstract Corn (Zea mays L.) residues and perennial C4 grasses are two Midwest bioenergy feedstock candidates due to their compatibility with agricultural infrastructure and potential for ecosystem service delivery. We validated the ecosystem process model AGRO-BGC by comparing model estimates with empirical observations from corn and perennial C4 grass systems across Wisconsin and Illinois under no-tillage, nitrogen fertilized, and unfertilized management. Validation parameters included soil organic carbon (SOC), total soil nitrogen (N) to 1.2 m, aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), net ecosystem productivity (NEP), and leaf area index (LAI). We parameterized AGRO-BGC to represent ecophysiological characteristics of corn and perennial prairie grasses, and constructed scenarios to represent corresponding edaphic, climate, and management conditions. Unfertilized annual model estimates had normalized mean average errors relative to field measurements of 0.3, 23, and 4 t ha−1 for ANPP, SOC, and N, respectively. Fertilized simulations erred from observations by 0.6, 29, 5 t ha−1 for ANPP, SOC, and N, respectively. We also estimated long-term implications of varying residue removal rates on SOC. Model estimates compared to field data tested the hypothesis that long-term increased residue removal decreases SOC. Field observations showed 0.17, 0.09, and a −0.17 t C ha−1 yr−1 change for control, harvest, and bare grass residue removal treatments, respectively. Simulated SOC loss was greatest for the most intensive residue removal scenarios (−0.48 and −0.68 t C ha−1 yr−1 for corn and grass, respectively), compared to no-harvest scenarios that increased SOC by 0.05 t C ha−1 yr−1 for both corn and grass. AGRO-BGC estimated a 0.07 t C ha−1 yr−1 loss under corn residue harvest, while estimating 0.09 t C ha−1 yr−1 loss for grass. Results suggest long-term increased corn and grass residue harvest (beyond grain) for biofuel feedstock will decrease SOC and soil productivity by approximately 15% in corn and 21% in grass systems over 47 years.
MnL3,2 x-ray absorption and magnetic circular dichroism in ferromagnetic Ga1−xMnxP

We have measured the X-ray absorption and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the Mn L{sub 3,2} edges in ferromagnetic Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}P for 0.018 {le} x {le} 0.042. Large XMCD asymmetries at the L{sub 3} edge indicate significant spin-polarization of the density of states at the Fermi energy. The temperature dependence of the XMCD and moment per Mn of 2.67 {+-} 0.45 {mu}{sub B} calculated using sum rules are consistent with magnetometry values. The spectral shapes of the X-ray absorption and XMCD are nearly identical with those for Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}As indicating that the hybridization of Mn d and anion p states is similar in the two materials.
The Use of Vision Boards as a Therapeutic Intervention

ABSTRACTThis article presents a creative approach for counseling using vision boards that can help clients set and visualize goals. These goals could be related to home, life, school, relationships, experiences, situations, values, career aspirations, or educational pursuits. Vision boards can be used to inspire and help clients to focus on their goals and to empower them to create the life they imagine. Aligned with solution-focused therapy and imagery, clients become responsible for guiding their outcome goals in counseling, which helps clients illuminate for themselves what is important to them. The authors discuss specifically what is needed and how to use this intervention in counseling.
Adam Z. Margoshes (1917-1966).

The untimely death of Adam Margoshes at the start of his academic career removes from psychology one of its brilliant “unknowns” who attempted to bridge the gap between science and art. I was fortunate to be his close friend and collaborator during these productive years.
A simplified and precise flavor evaluation procedure for determining oxidative rancidity in vegetable oils

High correlations were observed between the flavor evaluation procedure and objective chemical tests for measuring oxidative deterioration in stored corn, cottonseed, safflower, and soybean oils. The high correlations observed are believed to result from the precision of the flavor threshold testing procedure. Therefore, when suitable flavor testing methods are employed, the chemical methods become more valuable in assessing the quality of an oil. Milk is recommended as the testing media because of its desirable properties.
A tale of two metals: new cerium iron borocarbide intermetallics grown from rare-earth/transition metal eutectic fluxes.

R33Fe14–xAlx+yB25–yC34 (R = La or Ce; x ≤ 0.9; y ≤ 0.2) and R33Fe13–xAlxB18C34 (R = Ce or Pr; x < 0.1) were synthesized from reactions of iron with boron, carbon, and aluminum in R–T eutectic fluxe...
Exposure to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole is associated with hospitalisation for hyperkalaemia in older people treated with spironolactone

Commentary on: T Antoniou, T Gomes, MM Mamdani, et al.. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole induced hyperkalaemia in elderly patients receiving spironolactone: nested case-control study.BMJ2011;343:d5228.
Composition of the cell wall and other fractions of the autolyzed yeast form of Histoplasma capsulatum.

Comparison of two strains ofHistoplasma capsulatum yielded data differing only in quantification, and the constituents observed and identified were galactose, glucose, mannose, glucosamine and amino acids. A comparison of hydrochloric acid and formic acid hydrolyses ofH. capsulatum fractions indicated hydrochloric acid to be of more value than 88 per cent formic acid hydrolysis for composition analyses. The removal of formyl esters from formic acid hydrolysates was found necessary and was accomplished byN HCl hydrolysis for 30 min. Two derivative artifacts were observed with formic acid hydrolysis; D-1, which was refractory to subsequent HCl hydrolysis, and D-2, which disappeared after HCl hydrolysis. Another artifact, D-3, was observed with 6N HCl hydrolysis of histoplasma cell wall fractions. The following conditions of hydrolysis were found to be useful: (1) glucose release was measured after hydrolysis inN HCl for 4 hr; (2) glucosamine release was measured after hydrolysis in 6N HCl for 9 hr; (3) amino acid release was accomplished by 6N HCl hydrolysis for 18 hr; and (4), hexoses released were determined by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) after hydrolysis in bothN HCl and in 88 per cent formic acid for 24 hr, followed byN HCl for 30 min. Several different types of carbohydrate polymers have been reported in the parasitic yeast form ofH. capsulatum. There is general agreement on the occurrence of amino acids as protein (8, 12, 13), chitin (7, 19) and several hexoses, including glucose and glucosamine, which are found in cell wall polymers (7, 8, 11–16, 19, 20, 24). The presence of uronic acid was also reported (14, 15), but not confirmed, by Domer, Hamilton & Harkin (8), and mannose was not found by all investigators (12). We undertook a study of graded acid hydrolyses and of composition analysis of the autolysis products of the yeast form by various procedures in order to add further to the above information.
Disease Dynamics in Ants: A Critical Review of the Ecological Relevance of Using Generalist Fungi to Study Infections in Insect Societies.

Abstract It is assumed that social life can lead to the rapid spread of infectious diseases and outbreaks. In ants, disease outbreaks are rare and the expression of collective behaviors is invoked to explain the absence of epidemics in natural populations. Here, we address the ecological approach employed by many studies that have notably focused (89% of the studies) on two genera of generalist fungal parasites ( Beauveria and Metarhizium ). We ask whether these are the most representative models to study the evolutionary ecology of ant–fungal parasite interactions. To assess this, we critically examine the literature on ants and their interactions with fungal parasites from the past 114 years (1900–2014). We discuss how current evolutionary ecology approaches emerged from studies focused on the biological control of pest ants. We also analyzed the ecological relevance of the laboratory protocols used in evolutionary ecology studies employing generalist parasites, as well as the rare natural occurrence of these parasites on ants. After a detailed consideration of all the publications, we suggest that using generalist pathogens such as Beauveria and Metarhizium is not an optimal approach if the goal is to study the evolutionary ecology of disease in ants. We conclude by advocating for approaches that incorporate greater realism.
Dead Reasons and Related Factors of 42 Cases with Acute Leukemia in Chinldren

Objective To explore the dead reasons and related factors of acute leakemia(AL)in children.Methods The clinical data of 42 dead cases of children with AL,who were admitted to Guangzhou Children's Hospital between Jan.1999 and Mar.2007 were reviewed.Nineteen cases were boys,23 cases were girls;the aging from 4 months to 12 years old and 5 months.Of 42 children,21 cases were acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL),18 cases were acute myeloid leukemia(AML),3 cases were unclassified AL.Results Ten out of 12 early-dead cases died of bleeding.Among 30 cases who received chemotherapy,4 cases died of bleeding,others of myelosuppression combined with infection,14 of whom died from sepsis,3 cases with fungal infection,1 case with virus infection,4 cases with unknown pathogens.Sixteen children relapsed among those who got remission,half of them relapsed within 1 year since diagnosed.Treatment-related mortality(TRM)was 90%(27 out of 30 cases).The main causes of TRM were infection and hemorrhage.Hyperleukocytosis and bleeding were 2 risk factors related to early death in new-diagnosed children.Conclusions More emphasizes should be put on bleeding tendency during early treatment in children with AL and treatment of infection complications during induction chemotherapy to reduce TRM.
Maintenance of the adult Drosophila intestine: all roads lead to homeostasis

Maintenance of tissue homeostasis is critical in tissues with high turnover such as the intestinal epithelium. The intestinal epithelium is under constant cellular assault due to its digestive functions and its function as a barrier to chemical and bacterial insults. The resulting high rate of cellular turnover necessitates highly controlled mechanisms of regeneration to maintain the integrity of the tissue over the lifetime of the organism. Transient increase in stem cell proliferation is a commonly used and elaborate mechanism to ensure fast and efficient repair of the gut. However, tissue repair is not limited to regulating ISC proliferation, as emerging evidence demonstrates that the Drosophila intestine uses multiple strategies to ensure proper tissue homeostasis that may also extend to other tissues.
CSLSI: Mental, Physical, and Life Harmony Spiritual Intelligence

Our holistic health is of great interest to the Lord. This chapter presents sections on the key elements of promoting life margin and securing balance and rest. From a workplace standpoint, a key section addresses the presence of life harmony and balance between work, family, and our spiritual life to preserve margin and promote godly life priorities. The chapter concludes with a section on identifying risk factors of mental illness.
Computerized triplet beam orientation optimization for MRI-guided Co-60 radiotherapy.

Purpose Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided Co-60 provides daily and intrafractional MRI soft tissue imaging for improved target and critical organ tracking. To increase delivery efficiency, the system uses three Co-60 sources at 120° apart, allowing up to 600 cGy combined dose rate at isocenter. Despite the potential tripling in output, creating a delivery plan that uses all three sources is considerably unintuitive. Here, the authors computerize the triplet orientation optimization using column generation, an approach that was demonstrated effective in integrated beam orientation and fluence optimization for noncoplanar therapies. To achieve a better plan quality without increasing the treatment time, the authors then solve a fluence map optimization (FMO) problem while regularizing the fluence maps to reduce the number of deliverable MLC segments. Methods Three patients—one prostate, one lung, and one head and neck boost plan (H&NBoost)—were evaluated in this study. For each patient, the beamlet doses were calculated using Monte Carlo, under a 0.35 T magnetic field, for 180 equally spaced coplanar beams grouped into 60 triplets. The beamlet size is 1.05 × 0.5 cm determined by the MLC leaf thickness and step size. The triplets were selected using the column generation algorithm. The FMO problem was formulated using an L2-norm dose fidelity term and an L1-norm anisotropic total variation regularization term, which allows controlling the number of MLC segments, and hence the treatment time, with minimal degradation to the dose. The authors’ Fluence Regularization and Optimized Selection of Triplets (FROST) plans were compared against the clinical treatment plans (CLNs) produced by an experienced dosimetrist. PTV homogeneity, max dose, mean dose, D95, D98, and D99 were evaluated. OAR max and mean doses, as well as R50, defined as the ratio of the 50% isodose volume over the planning target volume were investigated. Results The mean PTV D95, D98, and D99 differ by +0.04%, +0.07%, and +0.25% of the prescription dose between planning methods. The mean PTV homogeneity was virtually same with values at 0.8788 (FROST) and 0.8812 (CLN). R50 decreased by 0.67 comparing FROST to CLN. On average, FROST reduced Dmax and Dmean of OARs by 7.30% and 6.08% of the prescription dose, respectively. The manual CLN planning processes required numerous trial and error runs. The FROST plans on the other hand required minimal human intervention. Conclusions Efficient delivery of MRI-guided Co-60 therapy needs the output of multiple sources yet suffers from unintuitive and laborious manual beam selection processes. Computerized triplet orientation optimization improves both planning efficiency and plan dosimetry. The novel fluence map regularization provides additional controls over the number of MLC segments and treatment time.
Abstract 3677: Enhanced targeted delivery of paclitaxel to tumor cells of epithelial and neuroectodermal origin using chlorotoxin-chitosan nanodelivery system

We report a development of a novel localized nanodelivery system featuring an enhanced targeted and controlled paclitaxel (PTX) delivery to epithelial and neuroectodermal origin tumor cells. The presented drug delivery system consists of a chitosan hydrogel embedded with PTX loaded non-ionic surfactant vesicles (PTX-niosomes) and chlorotoxin (CTX). We found a higher accumulation of chitosan on the surface of ovarian epithelial carcinoma cells known to overexpress MUC1 antigen as compared to normal ovarian epithelial cells. We therefore hypothesized that besides serving as a localized drug delivery platform, chitosan hydrogel can actively target MUC1 overexpressing tumor cells. To further improve the tumor-specific delivery of PTX, we have incorporated CTX, a 36-amino acid peptide, which binds to tumor cells of neuroectodermal origin, but not to non-transformed cells. Using a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) assay, we have measured the in-vitro release profiles of PTX from chitosan hydrogel embedded with PTX-niosomes and CTX. We have assessed the morphology of CTX and PTX-nisomes as well as chitosan hydrogel embedded with PTX-niosomes and CTX using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We have used Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infra-Red (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to investigate the possible molecular interactions between chitosan hydrogel and various tumor cells. To better understand the mechanism involved in interactions between chitosan and specific tumor cells, we have developed a new Cell based Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Cell ELISA) allowing us to quantify the expression level of MUC1 in epithelial and neuroectodermal origin tumor cells. Our Cell ELISA results revealed higher expression level of MUC1 (around 1.5 fold) in ovarian epithelial carcinoma cell line (OV2008) when compared to normal ovarian epithelial cell line (MCC3). The ATR-FTIR results showed a specific interaction of chitosan with OV2008 cells implying the mucoadhesive property of chitosan and its potential in targeting of MUC1 overexpressing tumor cells. We observed a sustained PTX release from chitosan hydrogel embedded with PTX-niosomes ( Citation Format: Rana Falahat, Eva Williams, Marzenna Wiranowska, Ryan Toomey, Norma Alcantar. Enhanced targeted delivery of paclitaxel to tumor cells of epithelial and neuroectodermal origin using chlorotoxin-chitosan nanodelivery system. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3677. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3677
Tryptophan-Derived 3-Hydroxyanthranilic Acid Contributes to Angiotensin II–Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation in Mice In Vivo

Background:Abnormal amino acid metabolism is associated with vascular disease. However, the causative link between dysregulated tryptophan metabolism and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is unknown....
Colloquium : Anomalous metals: Failed superconductors

There is no theoretical consensus on the nature of metallic states in two dimensional materials in the presence of interactions and disorder. Quantum and statistical fluctuations couple to each other in an unusual way that defies the conventional wisdom of the standard Landau-Fermi-Drude model for three dimensions. In this Colloquium the intriguing theoretical and experimental aspects of the anomalous metallic state in two dimensions in the context of the proximity of a superconducting phase transition are discussed.
A duck wearing boots?! pragmatic language strategies for repairing communication breakdowns across genetically based neurodevelopmental disabilities

Purpose The ability to repair breakdowns in communication is an important pragmatic language skill that helps to maintain clear and meaningful interactions. Examining this ability in genetically ba...
Quantifying Cannabis: A Field Study of Marijuana Quantity Estimation

The assessment of marijuana use quantity poses unique challenges. These challenges have limited research efforts on quantity assessments. However, quantity estimates are critical to detecting associations between marijuana use and outcomes. We examined accuracy of marijuana users' estimations of quantities of marijuana they prepared to ingest and predictors of both how much was prepared for a single dose and the degree of (in)accuracy of participants' estimates. We recruited a sample of 128 regular-to-heavy marijuana users for a field study wherein they prepared and estimated quantities of marijuana flower in a joint or a bowl as well as marijuana concentrate using a dab tool. The vast majority of participants overestimated the quantity of marijuana that they used in their preparations. We failed to find robust predictors of estimation accuracy. Self-reported quantity estimates are inaccurate, which has implications for studying the link between quantity and marijuana use outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Psychological Science of Spending Money

This chapter discusses the psychological research related to the act of spending money, with the aim of understanding the underlying psychological processes involved. To that end, the emotions involved in spending money before, during, and after the money changes hands are explored, including the role of anticipated and anticipatory emotions, different orientations to the gains and losses inherent in an act of spending, and the process of hedonic adaptation. Additionally, given how fundamental choice is to the act of spending money, factors that influence the decision-making process are discussed, including the role that comparative processes and expectations play in the process of making decisions and evaluating their outcomes. In each case, particular attention is paid to the psychological forces that influence the ultimate goal underlying any act of spending: happiness. Finally, several concrete strategies for making purchases most likely to lead to success on this goal are identified, including purchasing experiences over possessions, spending pro-socially, and making meaningful purchases.
M. B. Parkes: Pages from the Past: Medieval Writing Skills and Manuscript Books. Edited by P. R. Robinson and Rivkah Zim

The reason for not listing how many pages this book comprises and to rely instead on the number of chapters consists of the basic nature of this book, a collection of articles previously published by M. B. Parkes between 1992 and 2007 in a number of venues and here reproduced by P. R. Robinson and Rivkah Zim in recognition of Parkes’s outstanding contributions to palaeography and codicology. There is no need here to reminisce on Parkes’s specific accomplishment since any scholar in those two fields is well familiar with his work, both in the form of monographs and articles. The present collection deals with the following topics: (1) scribes and scripts; (2) punctuation; (3) readers; and (4) book provision. All these articles have proven their timeless value, and this collection thus makes available all at once some of Parkes’s most eminent investigations pertaining to medieval and early modern manuscripts and their production from the seventh to the seventeenth century. Of course, many of his fundamental ideas and observations can also be found well compiled and synthesized in one of his latest books, such as Their Hands Before Our Eye: A Closer Look at Scribes (2008), while here the editors have put together some truly outstanding gems of Parkes’s most important research in specific respects. It is not clear what the occasion for this republication might have been, since Parkes retired already in 1997, while the editors do not mention any particular birthday or any other event. They also refrain from giving us a biography or a bibliography of Parkes’s work, though they nicely round-off this anthology with an index of all manuscripts referred to and with a general index. Since there is no continuous numbering system throughout the book, each article is identified by a Roman numeral, which thus makes it easy to trace the concrete mention in the text.
Cold stress results in sustained locomotor and behavioral deficits in Drosophila melanogaster

Tolerance of climatic stressors is an important predictor of the current distribution of insect species, their potential to invade new environments, and their responses to rapid climate change. Cold stress causes acute injury to nerves and muscles, and here we tested the hypothesis that low temperature causes sublethal deficits in locomotor behaviors that are dependent on neuromuscular function. To do so, we applied a previously developed assay, the rapid iterative negative geotaxis (RING) assay, to investigate behavioral consequences of cold stress in Drosophila melanogaster. The RING assay allows for rapid assessment of negative geotaxis behavior by quantifying climbing height and willingness to climb after cold stress. We exposed flies to cold stress at 0°C and assessed the extent to which duration of cold stress, recovery time, and cold acclimation influenced climbing performance. There was a clear dose-response relationship between cold exposure and performance deficits, with climbing height and willingness decreasing as cold exposure increased from 2 to 24 hr. Following cold exposure of an intermediate duration (12 hr), climbing height and willingness gradually improved as recovery time increased from 4 to 72 hr but flies never fully recovered. Finally, cold acclimation improved overall climbing height and willingness in both untreated and cold-stressed flies but did not prevent a reduction in climbing performance. Thus, cold stress causes deficits in locomotor and behavior that are dependent on the dose of cold exposure and persist long after the stress subsides. These results likely have implications for the ecological and evolutionary responses of insect populations to thermally variable environments.
Donald Trump and the American Literary Tradition

Though in many ways the most unusual US president ever elected, both in experience and in character, Donald Trump is not entirely sui generis. This article strives to show that in some respects he is in the American tradition, as evidenced by his continuity with some classic American literary works. Characteristics which Trump shares with the American literary tradition include religiosity; egalitarianism, and its corollaries including anti-expertise, braggadocio, self-assurance and self-reliance; insularity and xenophobia; and American exceptionalism.
Classification of Patients with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction

While coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a major cause of ischemia, it is very challenging to diagnose due to lack of CMD-specific screening measures. CMD has been identified as one of the five priority areas of investigation in a 2014 National Research Consensus Conference on Gender-Specific Research in Emergency Care. In this study, we utilized methods from machine learning that leverage structured and unstructured narratives in clinical notes to detect patients with CMD. We have shown that structured data are not sufficient to detect CMD and integrating unstructured data in the computational model boosts the performance significantly.
Apheresis red blood cells associated with repeated hemolysis during blood priming of the Cellex Photopheresis System.

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in young pediatric patients has a risk for procedural hypotension and anemia due to extracorporeal fluid shifts. A standard mitigation policy in these patients is to prime the device with packed red blood cells (RBC) or whole blood. We now report multiple episodes of hemolysis while attempting to prime the Therakos Cellex in a pediatric transplant patient undergoing a course of ECP for severe graft-vs-host-disease. Over the course of 40 ECP treatments, hemolysis was observed on five occasions. An extensive investigation found an association between hemolysis and apheresis RBC (A-RBC). Of 46 RBC units dispensed for blood priming, hemolysis occurred with 22% (4 of 18) of A-RBC and accounted for 80% (4 of 5) of all hemolysis episodes. Hemolysis was significantly higher with A-RBC when compared with RBC collected by whole blood donations (WB-RBC: 3.5% [1 of 28]; P = .049). A comparison of RBC attributes, including unit age, showed that hemolyzed A-RBC units tended to be younger than both nonhemolyzed RBC (6.5 vs 10.3 days, P = .018) and WB-RBC (8.5 days, P = .10). We hypothesize that A-RBC may exhibit "sublethal" RBC damage following prior exposure to centrifugal shear and negative forces at the time of collection, leading to a decrease in RBC deformability and increased susceptibility to hemolysis. This is the first report showing an increased susceptibility to hemolysis with A-RBC during priming of the Cellex.
Spermatogonial Type 3 Deiodinase Regulates Thyroid Hormone Target Genes in Developing Testicular Somatic Cells.

Premature overexposure to thyroid hormone causes profound effects on testis growth, spermatogenesis, and male fertility. We used genetic mouse models of type 3 deiodinase (DIO3) deficiency to determine the genetic programs affected by premature thyroid hormone action and to define the role of DIO3 in regulating thyroid hormone economy in testicular cells. Gene expression profiling in the neonatal testis of DIO3-deficient mice identified 5699 differentially expressed genes. Upregulated and downregulated genes were, respectively, involved according to DAVID analysis with cell differentiation and proliferation. They included anti-Mullerian hormone and genes involved in the formation of the blood-testis barrier, which are specific to Sertoli cells (SCs). They also included steroidogenic genes, which are specific to Leydig cells. Comparison with published data sets of genes enriched in SCs and spermatogonia, and responsive to retinoic acid (RA), identified a subset of genes that were regulated similarly by RA and thyroid hormone. This subset of genes showed an expression bias, as they were downregulated when enriched in spermatogonia and upregulated when enriched in SCs. Furthermore, using a genetic approach, we found that DIO3 is not expressed in SCs, but spermatogonia-specific inactivation of DIO3 led to impaired testis growth, reduced SC number, decreased cell proliferation and, especially during neonatal development, altered gene expression specific to somatic cells. These findings indicate that spermatogonial DIO3 protects testicular cells from untimely thyroid hormone signaling and demonstrate a mechanism of cross-talk between somatic and germ cells in the neonatal testis that involves the regulation of thyroid hormone availability and action.
Anxiety and fear in PTSD

Abstract Hallmark symptoms of PTSD include the expression of fear or anxiety as evidenced by reexperiencing of the traumatic event, distress upon reminders of the trauma, avoidance of trauma reminders, persistent negative cognitions about oneself and ongoing threat, and hyperarousal. These symptoms occur despite the absence of or disproportionate to the actual danger posed by the environment. Associative learning models of PTSD posit that classical conditioning and impaired fear extinction principles are at the core of the development, maintenance, and amelioration of PTSD symptoms. In this chapter, basic neurobiological understandings of fear are reviewed, highlighting brain regions associated with fear conditioning and extinction processes in PTSD. The role of sensitivity to threat, specifically anxiety sensitivity and attentional biases toward threat, in fear responding and PTSD symptomatology is then reviewed. Overgeneralization of conditioned fear responses and excessive avoidance of fear-related stimuli also contribute to the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms. Finally, impaired fear inhibition learning in PTSD is reviewed, examining impairments in safety signal learning and fear extinction as core processes impeding resilience and recovery after trauma exposure.
Distribution System State Estimation with AMI Based on Load Correction Method

State estimation for distribution systems (DSSE) is an important smart grid function for greater penetration of distributed renewable generation and energy storage, system resiliency, controllability, improved fault management, and optimal performance. The deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) by the utilities provides useful near real-time data, which helps to overcome the historical limitation of measurement. Researches have proposed several estimation techniques; however, accuracy, observability and other issues still remain. This paper evaluates the Load-Calibration State Estimation method that compares the calculated and measured power (active and reactive) at source substation using forward backward load flow algorithm. Voltage and customer load demand data are processed into normalized daily load profile from AMI smart meters for state estimator. A digital radial distribution network database, modeler, and simulator system provides a testing and verification environment. The testing platform simulates various operating conditions and generates measurement data with additive noise. The state estimator is tested on the IEEE 13 and IEEE 37-bus test systems, and the estimator's output is compared with the known answers. Results indicate better speed and accuracy for the Load-Calibration State Estimator over the traditional transmission-level non-linear leastsquares estimator.
The Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) Impact Framework: Measuring the Real-world Impact of Implementation Science.

Measuring the health, economic, and cultural gains generated by scientific investments is crucial to reducing waste and improving quality of care. To date, there is no comprehensive framework for assessing the multi-faceted contributions of implementation and quality improvement sciences towards quality, cost, and patient and provider experiences in health systems. We describe the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) Impact Framework and its application to QUERI investments. The QUERI Impact Framework adapts and expands on metrics from the National Academy of Medicine, incorporating lessons learned from QUERI initiatives. The cross-cutting impact metrics reflect QUERI’s strategic methodology across five domains of impact (Alignment, Commitment, Tailoring, Informing the field, Observing healthcare changes and generating New questions/projects or ACTION). Key impact metrics, including the number of implementation facilities, number of staff trained, and number of patients served, were derived directly from health system performance plan goals. QUERI applied the Framework by conducting iterative rapid assessments of impacts for QUERI Program centers, which are implementation laboratories that support 3–7 initiatives aligned with a cross-disciplinary goal addressing a national priority. From October 2015 to September 2019, QUERI Programs supported implementation of 49 evidence-based practices and promising innovations across 465 facilities, including 15 facilities that are experiencing quality gaps. As part of these implementation efforts, the programs worked with 71 operations partners to develop 71 tools/toolkits/manuals and support training of 5147 VA staff, serving 250,159 Veterans. The QUERI Impact Framework aligns multiple stakeholders at different levels of a health system around common metrics, which cross implementation science and quality improvement boundaries. The Framework supports a comprehensive assessment of the short-term and distal impacts of implementation efforts in a health system, allowing both research and operations leadership to understand the value of implementation and quality improvement investments to inform program and policy decisions.