cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Effect of Voriconazole on Pediatric Pulmonary Fungal Infection in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of voriconazole on pulmonary fungal infection of children in pediatric intensive care unit(PICU).Methods Seven severe pediatric patients with severe pulmonary fungal infections were selected in PICU between Feb.2008 and May.2009,all of them had bacterial infection besides fungal infection.They accepted the treatment with voriconazole and other sensitive antibiotics.They were treated with voriconazole injection in a dose of 7 mg·kg-1,twice daily,for 7-14 days,after that they were given voriconazole tablets in a dose of 7 mg·kg-1,twice daily,for 14-28 day.The clinical symptoms and signs during the treatment were observed.CT of lungs and chest X-ray and pulmonary sputum culture were reviewed periodically.The blood gas analysis,liver and kidney function,myocardial enzymes,blood,and urine were monitored,and the adverse reactions about voriconazole was recorded.Results In all the patients,5 children were cured,1 case was improved obviously,and 1 case was invalid,so the effective rate was 85.7%.Adverse reactions were found in 6 children,including 2 cases of children with diarrhea and 4 cases of children with damage of liver function during the treatment,but all the adverse reactions were eliminated by symptomatic treatment.Conclusions Patients in PICU are high-risk group of fungal infection as they have more opportunities for pulmonary fungal infection,but the use of many antifungal medicine in pediatric is limited.Voriconazole is a new synthetic broad-spectrum triazole antifungal drug and it has a good effect on pulmonary fungal infection in children,which is effective and safe.
Effects of liquid silicon-potash fertilizer on rice canopy layer structure,photosynthetic characteristics and grain yield

Hybrid rice Y Liangyou 1 was used to investigate the photosynthetic characteristics of canopy,yield components and translocation characters of reserves in stem and leaf sheath by spraying liquid silicon-potash fertilizer equally( 3 000 ml/hm2) at growth stages of 3rd and 4th leaves from the top,respectively. The results showed that spraying liquid silicon-potash fertilizer could increase the stem tillers earing rate,chlorophyll content in flag leaves during grain filling stage,photosynthetic rate,intercellular CO2 concentration and stomatal conductance of rice,while reduce the transpiration rate of flag leaf at filling period. In addition,spraying liquid silicon-potash fertilizer could maintain the high-performance leaf area index( LAI) in top three leaves,improve the canopy architecture,and increase the light utilization efficiency and dry matter accumulation and allocation of rice. Among the three treatments,spraying fertilizer at stage of 3rd leaves from the top was more favorable for canopy architecture and sunlight distribution in plant colonies,and as a result the seed setting rate,filled grain number per panicle and 1 000-grain weight,panicle number,and actual output were much higher.
Adenovirus-mediated thymidine kinase gene transduction in human epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines followed by exposure to ganciclovir

In an effort to develop gene therapy for ovarian cancer efficacy and toxicity of adenovirus-mediated transfer of the HSV-TK gene followed by administration of ganciclovir were studied in two human epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines Ov-ca-2774 and Ov-ca-1225. 100% transduction was achieved in both cell lines at MOIs of 7 and 15 as demonstrated by X-Gal staining. No toxicity of virus alone was observed at MOIs up to 30. GCV was not toxic up to 200 micrograms/ml. Cell killing efficacy was shown to be dependent on MOI as well as GCV dose. The "bystander effect" of ADV/RSV-TK was quantified by mixing experiments and found to be dependent on the proportion of ADV/RSV-TK positive cells as well as the GCV dosage. Similar results were observed in both cell lines. ADV/RSV-TK mediated gene therapy may be a promising approach in ovarian cancer.
Electronic Processes within Quantum Dot-Molecule Complexes.

The subject of this review is the colloidal quantum dot (QD) and specifically the interaction of the QD with proximate molecules. It covers various functions of these molecules, including (i) ligands for the QDs, coupled electronically or vibrationally to localized surface states or to the delocalized states of the QD core, (ii) energy or electron donors or acceptors for the QDs, and (iii) structural components of QD assemblies that dictate QD–QD or QD–molecule interactions. Research on interactions of ligands with colloidal QDs has revealed that ligands determine not only the excited state dynamics of the QD but also, in some cases, its ground state electronic structure. Specifically, the article discusses (i) measurement of the electronic structure of colloidal QDs and the influence of their surface chemistry, in particular, dipolar ligands and exciton-delocalizing ligands, on their electronic energies; (ii) the role of molecules in interfacial electron and energy transfer processes involving QDs, inclu...
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Intercropping within Managed Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) Does Not Affect Wild Bee Communities

Intensively-managed pine (Pinus spp.) have been shown to support diverse vertebrate communities, but their ability to support invertebrate communities, such as wild bees, has not been well-studied. Recently, researchers have examined intercropping switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), a native perennial, within intensively managed loblolly pine (P. taeda) plantations as a potential source for cellulosic biofuels. To better understand potential effects of intercropping on bee communities, we investigated visitation of bees within three replicates of four treatments of loblolly pine in Mississippi, U.S.A.: 3–4 year old pine plantations and 9–10 year old pine plantations with and without intercropped switchgrass. We used colored pan traps to capture bees during the growing seasons of 2013 and 2014. We captured 2507 bees comprised of 18 different genera during the two-year study, with Lasioglossum and Ceratina being the most common genera captured. Overall, bee abundances were dependent on plantation age and not presence of intercropping. Our data suggests that switchgrass does not negatively impact or promote bee communities within intensively-managed loblolly pine plantations.
Atraumatic Delta Head Fracture in a Ceramic-On-Polyethylene Total Hip Arthroplasty

A 47-year-old man underwent a left ceramic-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasty with a delta ceramic femoral head. At 20 months postoperatively, he presented with acute left groin pain after he stepped over a fishing rod while on a boat. A fracture of the femoral head without trauma was diagnosed upon presentation. Manufacturing practices with improvements in each successive generation have decreased historically high ceramic fracture rates considerably. Although femoral head fractures have proven to be extremely rare both in ceramic-on-polyethylene articulations and with the newest delta femoral head, it is important to remain vigilant in all situations involving ceramics.
“An Alien at Home”: Henry James’s Failed Homecoming

“Henry James’s Failed Homecoming” offers up James’s late travel narrative The American Scene as a case study in examining the logic of homecoming at the fin-de-siecle. This chapter argues that James’s construction of what he initially conceived of as a detached sociological perspective for his return trip to the USA fails to provide him with a comforting objective perspective when he discovers himself to be excessively alienated—he can no longer find his childhood homes or any possible refuge from the irrefutable fact of modernity as evidenced even in the form of American hotel culture. James’s sense of alienation stems from a loss of his own distinctiveness and troubles his ability to produce the distinctions he needs to understand the new variety of American types that he has found on his return home.
Effect of dietary inducer dimethylfumarate on glutathione in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE To determine the effect of dimethylfumarate (DMF), an inducer of glutathione (GSH)-dependent detoxification, on intracellular GSH levels in cultured human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells, its mechanism of action, and its effect on hRPE cells subjected to oxidative injury. METHODS Established hRPE cell lines were treated with DMF and assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography for intracellular and extracellular GSH levels. Quantification of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GLCL) was determined through northern and western blot analyses, and activity was measured. Effects of pretreatment with DMF on GSH redox status of hRPE cells was determined. Sensitivity of hRPE cells to oxidative stress was determined using tert-butylhydroperoxide as the oxidative agent. RESULTS Dimethylfumarate caused a transient decrease followed by a significant increase in intracellular GSH. Glutathione increased maximally at 24 hours with 100 to 200 microM DMF. The initial decrease could be accounted for by the formation of a DMF-GSH conjugate. Dimethylfumarate treatment increased the steady state mRNA expression of the regulatory subunit of GLCL, but no increase was seen for the catalytic subunit. However, protein levels were increased for both, and the catalytic activity of GLCL was also increased. Whereas the initial decrease in GSH made hRPE cells more susceptible to oxidative damage, pretreatment with DMF under conditions that increased intracellular GSH protected hRPE cells against oxidative damage. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest a means by which the antioxidant capability of hRPE may be augmented without direct antioxidant supplementation. Specifically, a dietary compound that conjugates with GSH can induce GSH synthesis, increase GSH concentration, and improve protection by GSH-dependent detoxification pathways in hRPE. However, the early depletion of GSH before stimulated synthesis necessitates caution in prevention strategies using dietary inducers.
Preclinical Models for Assessment of Antidepressant Abuse Potential

This review considers the contribution of monoamine neurotransmitters to anhedonia, substance abuse, and sexual dysfunction and the relationship between antidepressant efficacy and abuse liability. The use of drugs with known abuse potential to treat depression, the addition of psychostimulants with antidepressants, and the development of novel antidepressants with preclinical evidence for abuse liability have increased in recent years. This is in contrast to the general lack of abuse potential reported for traditional antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. While these new strategies might have the benefit of reduced sexual dysfunction, it is at the expense of increased abuse liability. Increasing extracellular dopamine may both increase antidepressant efficacy and reduce sexual dysfunction, but it increases abuse potential. Preclinical researchers should incorporate behavioral economics to assess both antidepressant efficacy and abuse liability while clinicians need to be aware of this relationship in considering novel treatments.
Chemotherapy-related neuropathic symptom management: a randomized trial of an automated symptom-monitoring system paired with nurse practitioner follow-up.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new care model to reduce chemotherapy-induced neuropathic symptoms. Neuropathic symptom usual care was prospectively compared to an automated symptom-monitoring and coaching system, SymptomCare@Home (SCH), which included nurse practitioner follow-up triggered by moderate to severe symptoms. Patients beginning chemotherapy were randomized to usual care (UC) or to the SCH intervention. This sub-analysis included only taxane/platin therapies. Participants called the automated telephone symptom-monitoring system daily to report numbness and tingling. The monitoring system recorded patient-reported neuropathic symptom severity, distress, and activity interference on a 0–10 scale. UC participants were instructed to call their oncologist for symptom management. SCH participants with symptom severity of ≥ 4 received automated self-care strategies, and a nurse practitioner (NP) provided guideline-based care. There were 252 participants, 78.6% of which were female. Mean age was 55.1 years. Mean follow-up was 90.2 ± 39.9 days (81.1 ± 40.3 calls). SCH participants had fewer days of moderate (1.8 ± 4.0 vs. 8.6 ± 17.3, p < 0.001) and severe chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms (0.3 ± 1.0 vs. 1.1 ± 5.2, p = 0.006). SCH participants had fewer days with moderate and severe symptom-related distress (1.4 ± 3.7 vs. 6.9 ± 15.0, p < 0.001; 0.2 ± 0.9 vs. 1.5 ± 6.1, p = 0.001) and trended towards less activity interference (3.3 ± 1.9 vs. 3.8 ± 2.1, p = 0.08). Other neuropathic symptoms were addressed in 5.8–15.4% of SCH follow-up calls. The SCH system effectively identified neuropathic symptoms and their severity and, paired with NP follow-up, reduced symptom prevalence, severity, and distress compared to usual care.
Teacher Interrupted: Telling the Story of a Reading Specialist with Alexia without Agraphia (P06.076)

OBJECTIVE: To provide a descriptive account of a 39-year-old schoolteacher and reading specialist9s experience of living with alexia without agraphia following multiple ischemic injuries to the left occipital and parietal cortices, as well as the inferior outflow fibers of the splenium of the corpus callosum, and to familiarize clinicians with subsequent adaptations to this illness. BACKGROUND: Alexia without agraphia is a rare, acquired neurological syndrome that results from damage to the corpus callosum fibers connecting the parieto-occipital regions of the two hemispheres. This loss of the reading capacity reflects injury to the pathways conveying visual input from both hemispheres to the dominant angular gyrus. DESIGN/METHODS: We give a narrative account of the onset of alexia without agraphia in a 39-year-old schoolteacher, emphasizing her new limitations, her adaptations to them, and her unique perspective of the disorder as a former reading specialist at a local elementary school. RESULTS: MP became aware of her illness when she experienced cognitive slowing and personality changes associated with multiple ischemic strokes due to biopsy negative primary CNS angiitis. MP9s major deficits were alexia without agraphia, right homonymous hemianopsia, color anomia, and mild visual object agnosia. Specifically, she had persistent difficulties with visual word and letter comprehension, while tactile pathways to letter recognition remained intact. MP is currently progressing well toward the goal of reading 3-4 simple paragraphs with good comprehension thanks to crafting her own compensatory techniques emphasizing the use of tactile letter-naming and letter-by-letter reading. CONCLUSIONS: As the prognosis for patients with alexia without agraphia is widely variable, an understanding of the patient9s experience of these impairments is critical for prompt diagnosis and the timely development of appropriate rehabilitation strategies. Disclosure: Dr. Cuomo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Flaster has nothing to disclose. Dr. Biller has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, and Frontiers in Neurology.
A Continent in Crisis: European Labor and the Fate of Social Democracy:

Over the past decade, Europe has stumbled from crisis to crisis, shaking the confidence of observers in the continent’s capacity to maintain the egalitarian societies and socially embedded markets ...
Curriculum spaces for connecting to children’s multiple mathematical knowledge bases

Elementary mathematics curriculum materials can serve as a lever for instructional change. In this paper, we promote a particular kind of instructional change: supporting teachers in learning to in...
Social Values and Compatible Forest Management

Although compatible forest management is often described as the simultaneous production of wood and other goods and services from forests (Haynes et al. 2003), it is fundamentally about values. In particular, it is about assigning values to forest goods and services and making judgments about how management actions affect those values. Values related to forests and forest resources come in many forms, including commodity, amenity, environmental quality, ecological, public use, and spiritual values (Stankey and Clark 1992). Some values conflict and others are not well understood. This poses a dilemma for forest management strategies, such as compatible forest management, that are not intended to negatively impact other values for the sake of wood production. If we do not understand a value and its relation to other values, how do we know if management actions negatively affect it?
Differences in Step Counts, Motor Competence, and Enjoyment Between an Exergaming Group and a Non-Exergaming Group.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an exergaming program on physical activity, motor competence, and enjoyment in preschool children. Materials and Methods: A sample of 65 preschool children was recruited from an urban preschool located in the Western United States. Children were randomly assigned to either an exergaming (n = 36) or a free-play group (n = 29). The intervention was 30 min/day, 5 days/week for 12 weeks for both groups, and all outcome variables were measured once during the final week of the intervention. The exergaming program included three active videogames: GoNoodles, Adventure to Fitness, and Cosmic Kids Yoga. Children in the free-play group were offered a variety of sport activities. School-day step counts were recorded using pedometers, motor competence was assessed by the Test for Gross Motor Development-Edition 3 (TGMD-3), and enjoyment was accessed using one subscale of the Intrinsic Motivational Inventory. A 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of v...
The Diffusion of Collaborative Justice: The Politics of Learning in the Development of Drug Courts

AbstractWe investigate the creation of county-level drug courts in California, Florida, and New York and seek to answer the following questions: (1) what conditions are necessary for the adoption o...
Distress tolerance in relation to cessation history and smoking characteristics among adult daily smokers

Abstract Introduction Distress tolerance (DT) is linked to smoking initiation, maintenance, and difficulty quitting. However, there is a lack of consistency in prior findings on DT's relations with conceptually linked smoking variables, and few studies have examined differences across DT domains. We examined interrelations between cessation history, smoking characteristics, and a full battery of multimethod DT measures. Methods We conducted a two-session laboratory assessment with 106 adult, daily smokers with moderate or lower smoking-specific DT, assessed by the Intolerance for Smoking Abstinence Discomfort Questionnaire. Additional DT indices included the Distress Tolerance Scale and four validated behavioral measures (mirror-tracing, serial addition, cold pressor, and breath-holding tasks). Participants reported on cessation history (length and number of prior quit attempts, withdrawal severity at previous attempt) as well as years smoking, cigarettes per day, and nicotine dependence. Results Withdrawal severity and nicotine dependence were consistently associated with lower self-reported DT, and associations were strongest with perceived tolerance of smoking-specific versus general distress. Length and number of prior quit attempts, years smoking, and cigarettes per day demonstrated a lack of robust associations with behavioral DT measures. Conclusions Findings suggest that perceived tolerance of smoking-specific distress may be the most robust indicator of cessation history and smoking characteristics.
Transplant chimerism in porcine structural vascularized bone allotransplants.

Abstract Background Bone allotransplant viability can be maintained long-term by implanting arteriovenous (AV) bundles and creating an autogenous neoangiogenic circulation. Only short-term immunosuppression is required. This study investigates the origin of viable osteocytes observed in areas of active bone remodeling in orthotopically transplanted tibiae in a Yucatan mini-pig model. Methods Segmental tibial defects created in female Yucatan minipigs (N = 14) were reconstructed with a matched vascularized composite allotransplant from a male donor. The circulation was microsurgically restored, with simultaneous autogenous AV-bundle implantation in group 1 (N = 7). A ligated AV-bundle was implanted as a no-angiogenesis control in group 2 (N = 7). After 20-weeks, repopulation of the allotransplant was assessed by real-time qPCR measurement of relative copy numbers of a Y chromosome-specific gene (SRY) and an autosomal housekeeping gene, ribosomal protein L4 (RPL4). A lower SRY/RPL4 ratio demonstrates replacement of male allogeneic cells with female, autogenous cells in the sample. Genomic DNA was extracted from cross-sections of the allotransplant, liver and spleen. Additionally, areas of new bone formation within the allotransplant were sampled by laser capture microdissection. A comparison was made between groups as well as male control samples. RNA was extracted from bone as well, as a measure of metabolically active cells. Results Laser-captured areas of new bone formation in animals with both normal and ligated AV-bundles were found to have significantly lower relative copy numbers of SRY (p = 0.03) than control specimens from male bone, indicating replacement by female (autogenous) bone-forming cells. Analysis of an entire segment of the allotransplant from Group 1 was similarly reduced (p = 0.04), unlike that from Group 2. RNA expression of SRY was observed in both groups. No chimerism could be found in non-bone tissues (liver and spleen). Conclusion We observed a significant level of transplant chimerism in areas of new bone formation sampled by laser capture microdissection. The migration of autogenous cells including osteocytes was seen in both groups. Survival of some allogeneic (male) cells was also demonstrable. No microchimerism was found in liver and spleen.
Learning Through Uncertainty: A Phenomenological Analysis of Older, Professional Men Coping with Involuntary Job Loss in the United States

The global recession caused scores of professionals to experience involuntary job loss. Unlike the case in prior financial downturns, men—especially older, professional men (i.e., aged 50+ whose employment required four-year college degrees)—in the United States suffered their fair share of job losses. To explore how this population coped adaptively with involuntary job loss, I conducted a phenomenological study of men across a range of professions who fitted this profile. Findings suggested that the older men who cope adaptively with this phenomenon demonstrate more developmentally complex ways of meaning-making. Such men viewed themselves as ‘narratives’ with subsequent chapters to be written, and were more likely to seek out actively others who also lost jobs (i.e., ‘rugged interdependence’) to further their goals moving forward.
Competing Interpreters of International Law: Law and Politics in Nationalist China’s War Crimes Trials, 1946–1949

After World War II ended, Nationalist China adjudicated 883 non-major war criminals. To provide grounds for judgment, the Legislative Yuan, the central legislative authority, passed the War Criminal Trial Act (WCTA) in 1946. The WCTA was similar to, but not necessarily the same as, international law. This paper asks: What was the difference between the WCTA, a domestic law, and international law? What did the difference imply? How did the judiciary respond to the WCTA? This paper compares the content of the international and national laws and delves into administrative and judicial archives to answer the questions. This paper found that the WCTA departed from international law in many aspects. It stipulated a broader scope, adopted a stricter liability, and intended to promote Chinese nationalism. At the time, the legislators were not delegates elected by citizens, but specialists appointed by the ruling party, so the WCTA represented the opinion of the political sectors. However, the Judicial Yuan, which was responsible for unifying legal interpretation, limited the scope of the WCTA, hindered the purpose of promoting Chinese nationalism, and restrained the political sector’s revenge on Taiwanese people by interpreting the WCTA per international law. Because Judicial Yuan meetings were composed of Supreme Court senior judges, its interpretations represented the elite legal professionals’ view. The legislature and the judiciary were competing interpreters of international law. This paper concludes that elite legal professionals’ belief in “pursuing a civilized state” triumphed in this competition at the end.
The rise and fall of America’s conscience: the disappearance of the conscience from collegiate moral education

Scholarship about the concept of the conscience has languished in the past half century, although some recent works have sought to revive it. One recent attempt proposes that the key to reviving th...
Application of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems in Police Vehicles

Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of injuries and deaths for police officers. Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are driving control systems that have been found to improve...
Unwarranted Assumptions About Children's Testimonial Accuracy

We examine eight unwarranted assumptions made by expert witnesses, forensic interviewers, and legal scholars about the reliability of children's eyewitness reports. The first four assumptions modify some central beliefs about the nature of suggestive interviews, age-related differences in resistance to suggestion, and thresholds necessary to produce tainted reports. The fifth unwarranted assumption involves the influence of both individual and interviewer factors in determining children's suggestibility. The sixth unwarranted assumption concerns the claim that suggested reports are detectable. The seventh unwarranted assumption concerns new findings about how children deny, disclose, and/or recant their abuse. Finally, we examine unwarranted statements about the value of science to the forensic arena. It is important not only for researchers but also expert witnesses and court-appointed psychologists to be aware of these unwarranted assumptions.
Editor-in-Chief Transition at TBIOM

The Three-Year term as EIC of the IEEE Transactions on Biometrics, Behavior, and Identity Science can pass quickly.
The impact of the yield curve on bank equity returns: Evidence from Canada

Abstract We examine the reaction of Canadian banks' equity returns to changes in yield curve spreads. We find that Canadian banks equity returns are positively impacted by contemporaneous (and lagged) yield curve spreads. Our results suggest that Canadian banks have become more sensitive to changes in the slope of the yield curve in the post 2007–2009 financial crisis. We also find an asymmetric impact of the slope of the yield curve on Canadian bank equity returns. For equity investors, the yield curve’s relevance varies with spread-maturities. Our findings have important implications for the estimations of banks’ cost of capital and implicitly suggest regulatory incentives in favor of macro-prudential policy to evaluate bank risk. Swings in yield curve spreads could induce shifts in banks’ profit-seeking behavior towards non-interest income sources.
S doped Cu2O-CuO nanoneedles array: Free standing oxygen evolution electrode with high efficiency and corrosion resistance for seawater splitting

Abstract Electrochemical splitting of seawater is highly preferable over freshwater electrolysis to produce sustainable hydrogen terrifically due to its abundance in nature. Seawater electrolysis is encouraging to produce green hydrogen and safe drinking water. The accomplishment of seawater electrolysis needs robust and cost-effective anode material that should acquire an excellent catalytic activity, durability, and selectivity for OER and have high resistance against Cl- corrosion. Here we report a free-standing anode consisting of partially amorphous sulfur substituted copper oxide (S-Cu2O-CuO) nanoneedles directly grow on Cu foil. Benefiting from high electrical conductivity, plentiful active sites, high intrinsic activity per active site, and fast rate for ionic and electronic transfer, these disorders nanoneedles structured S-Cu2O-CuO demonstrate outstanding OER performance needing an overpotential of 450 mV to attain a high geometric activity (1000 mA cm−2) in 1 M KOH. Its disordered surface structure and amorphous features lead to improved corrosion resistance and durability, making it a prospective anode for direct seawater electrolysis. It requires an overpotential of 420 mV to achieve a geometric activity of 500 mA cm−2 in alkaline seawater and sustain water electrolysis for 100 h without making hypochlorite. Because of the facile, scalable, and economical approach, the catalyst is highly promising for large-scale realistic alkaline seawater electrolysis.
The New Astronomical Frontier of Interstellar Objects

The upcoming commencement of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space of Time (LSST) will greatly enhance the discovery rate of interstellar objects (ISOs). `Oumuamua and Borisov were the first two ISOs confirmed in the Solar system, although the first interstellar meteor may have been discovered earlier. We discuss the properties of `Oumuamua and Borisov and explore the expected abundance of ISOs as a function of size in the solar neighborhood. We compare the expected abundance of ISOs to that of objects in the Oort cloud, and draw conclusions about the mass budget per star that is required to produce ISOs. We also investigate the possibility of ISOs being captured into bound orbits within the solar system, both from its birth star cluster and in the field. We examine the potential for ISOs to transport prebiotic or biotic material between planetary systems. We consider signatures of ISOs colliding with the Earth, the Moon, and neutron stars, as well as the possibility of differentiating ISOs from solar system objects in stellar occultation surveys. Finally, we discuss advantages that the imminent advent of LSST will afford the field of ISO studies, including large-number statistics that will reveal the origins of ISOs and discoveries of rare ISOs providing insights into exotic phenomena. One of the two branches of the newly established Galileo Project seeks to learn more about the nature of ISOs like `Oumuamua by performing new searches and designing follow-up observations.
Excessive Video Game Use, Sleep Deprivation, and Poor Work Performance Among U.S. Marines Treated in a Military Mental Health Clinic: A Case Series

ABSTRACT Excessive use of video games may be associated with sleep deprivation, resulting in poor job performance and atypical mood disorders. Three active duty service members in the U.S. Marine Corps were offered mental health evaluation for sleep disturbance and symptoms of blunted affect, low mood, poor concentration, inability to focus, irritability, and drowsiness. All three patients reported insomnia as their primary complaint. When asked about online video games and sleep hygiene practices, all three patients reported playing video games from 30 hours to more than 60 hours per week in addition to maintaining a 40-hour or more workweek. Our patients endorsed sacrificing sleep to maintain their video gaming schedules without insight into the subsequent sleep deprivation. During the initial interviews, they exhibited blunted affects and depressed moods, but appeared to be activated with enthusiasm and joy when discussing their video gaming with the clinical provider. Our article illustrates the impor...
Phenotypic and Developmental Plasticity in Plants

Plants exhibit an astonishingly diverse capacity to respond to environmental signals in many aspects of their development. This phenotypic plasticity is an essential component of their ability to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions and accommodate their sessile lifestyle. Developmental responses include variation in continuous characteristics, such as stomatal density or root mass, as well as discrete developmental programmes that are produced in reaction to specific stimuli. Of particular interest are the germination, photoresponsive and flowering time pathways, which integrate a wide range of information in order to tailor a plant's development to the current environment. These kinds of pathways have three fundamental components: sensory systems that receive environmental input, interface systems that translate the inputs into specific developmental responses and, lastly, the developmental pathways themselves. The genetic basis for these components is just beginning to be understood. Key concepts Phenotypic plasticity – The capacity of a given genotype to produce different phenotypes in different environmental conditions. Developmental plasticity – Variation in developmental processes that is induced by different environmental conditions. Maternal environmental effect – The ability of the mother to imprint information on her offspring, often regarding the expected environment for that offspring. Keywords: phenotypic plasticity; developmental plasticity; heteroblasty; flowering time; germination; life cycle
Driving Innovation in Health Systems through an Apps-Based Information Economy

Healthcare data will soon be accessible using standard, open software interfaces. Here, we describe how these interfaces could lead to improved healthcare by facilitating the development of software applications (apps) that can be shared across physicians, health care organizations, translational researchers, and patients. We provide recommendations for next steps and resources for the myriad stakeholders. If challenges related to efficacy, accuracy, utility, safety, privacy, and security can be met, this emerging apps model for health information technology will open up the point of care for innovation and connect patients at home to their healthcare data.
Effect of humidity on dielectric properties of mortars with alkali-silica reaction (ASR) gel

Microwave materials characterization techniques have been extensively and successfully used for evaluating important properties of a wide range of cement-based materials and structures. Recent investigations using these techniques for studying properties of mortar with alkali-silica reaction (ASR) gel have also been very promising. In this research, microwave dielectric properties of multiple mortar samples with different compositions and when subjected to different humidity levels are investigated. This paper presents the results of these experiments and the subsequent analysis pertinent to humidity-related issues in the mortar samples.
Teaching Renewal for Midcareer Faculty: Attending to the Whole Person

In light of the research on the distinct needs of midcareer faculty and the pressures faced by this group in the academy, we offer here an example of an educational development effort that looks at the renewal of teaching through the lens of renewing the whole person in his/her academic roles. Opportunities for midcareer faculty to focus on renewal in a holistic way are few, so this model, The Graylyn Teaching Renewal Retreat, was designed and developed as an annual opportunity for faculty from diverse institutions and disciplines.
Functions and Uses of Phosphates in the Seafood Industry

Food-grade phosphates have many functional uses in seafood products, including, but not limited to, the retention of moisture and flavor; the prevention of lipid oxidation; shelf-life extension and cryoprotection. Condensed phosphates such as, sodium tripoly- and hexameta- phosphates and blends are most often used. Information on the uniform and consistent application of phosphates to seafood products is generally lacking and the process protocol in many seafood plants is often derived empirically. Abuse of phosphates leads to dramatic increases in the ratio of water to protein and charges of economic fraud. The objective of this work is to summarize previous efforts related to the responsible application of phosphates to seafood products.
Treatment of refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with intensive chemo-radiotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation

The observation that syngeneic marrow transplantation following supralethal cytoreductive therapy can produce relatively long-term disease-free survival in a significant fraction of patients with acute leukemia [1] and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma [2, 3] suggests that cure of these diseases may be achieved with marrow transplantation without the hazards of graft-versus-host disease that accompany allogeneic marrow transplants.
Relational and absolute cues in auditory discrimination by monkeys

Rhesus monkeys were trained to make auditory frequency, intensity, and duration discriminations. Initial training was carried out with a procedure which allowed the utilization of either relational cues or absolute cues. Later tests with similar auditory parameters allowed only the utilization of relational cues. Performance on these latter tests indicated that relational rather than absolute cues had been utilized when both types were available on the frequency and intensity discrimination tasks. However, absolute rather than relational cues were apparently utilized in making duration discriminations.
The school leader’s imperative: leading change

School leadership in contemporary society is immersed in the chaotic nature of change. The rapid rate of change, driven by technology and fueled by growing economic and global concerns, impacts the small rural school district as well as the large urban school district. Effective school leaders understand the magnitude of what it means to lead change. The consequences of reacting to change are immense to school organizations and the population the organizations serve. A starting point for the school leader in learning to lead change is in understanding the nature of change.
Ultrasonic robot localization using Dempster-Shafer theory

A localization algorithm for ultrasonic robot described is based on range readings from wide beam ultrasonic transducers to built a model of the empty regions in the room. The method is incorporated into a move-to-station behavior which was demonstrated on the Georgia Tech mobile robot. A belief model of the range of readings that was based on Dempster-Shafer theory was used to compute the belief of points in the environment being empty, occupied, or unknown. The current belief in the empty space was used to construct a weighted centroid of the empty space after each move of the robot. By moving toward this center of mass and continually adding to the beliefs of the point in the environment the robot iteratively moved to the center of the open space.
o-phthaldehyde fluorescence microassay for the determination of antibody concentration.

Abstract o -Phthaldehyde (OPA) reagent reacts with primary amines in aqueous solution at room temperature. When the reaction occurs in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, a bright blue fluorescence is produced. We investigated the application of the OPA reagent in the routine determination of monoclonal antibody concentration. The OPA reagent produced maximal fluorescence within 30 min and was stable for 2 h. Buffers containing primary amines gave high background fluorescence; however, the OPA reagent gave reliable results with the most commonly used antibody solutions. The OPA reagent provided a rapid and simple measure of protein concentration from 1 μg to 1 mg and was readily adapted for use with a 96-well fluorescence reader.
Semiautomatic determination of citation relevancy: a preliminary report

Abstract Technology transfer, research and development and engineering projects frequently require in-depth literature reviews. These reviews are carried out using computerized, bibliographic data bases. The review and/or searching process involves keywords selected from data base thesauri. The search strategy is formulated to provide both breadth and depth of coverage and yields both relevant and nonrelevant citations. Experience indicates that about 10–20% of the citations are relevant. As a consequence, significant amounts of time are required to eliminate the nonrelevant citations. This paper describes statistically based, lexical association methods which can be employed to determine citation relevance. In particular, the searcher selects relevant terms from citation-derived indexes and this information along with lexical statistics is used to determine citation relevance. Preliminary results are encouraging with the techniques providing an effective concentration of relevant citations.
Cytogenetics of Some Species of Cornus

Distinct karyotypic differences between species of Cornus were not detected during a study of mitosis in root tip cells. C. Nuttalli was found to have 2n=22. Several interesting cytological abnormalities during microsporogenesis were evident in five species. A B chromosome was observed in several cells of C. rugosa during first division but not in second division. Globules persisted in some diakinesis cells of most Cornus species and could often be confused with chromosomes. Weak asynapsis was evident in several species. C. altornifolia, C. rugosa and C. stolonifera exhibited polyspory at the quartet stage. The result of these anomalies appears to be the generation of variability within the genus.
Determination of montelukast (MK-0476) and its S-enantiomer in human plasma by stereoselective high-performance liquid chromatography with column-switching

A steoreoselective high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the quantification of montelukast (free acid of Singulair, or MK-0476), a potent and selective leukotriene D4 (cysLT1) receptor antagonist, and it S-enantiomers (L-768,232). The method involves protein precipitation and fluorescence detection. Chromatographic separation of the enantiomers from endogenous components in plasma and chiral resolution of the enantiomers are achieved by using column switching HPLC and an alpha-acid glycoprotein chiral column. The assay is linear in the range of 28.9-386 ng ml-1 of free acids of montelukast and L-768,232. The intraday precision (% relative standard deviation) values of this method were in the range of 2.5-9.1% for montelukast, and 2.4-6.8% for L-768,232, while the intraday accuracy values were in the range of 97-103% for montelukast and 96-104% for L-768,232. The interday precision values of this method at 48.2 and 193 ng ml-1 were 5.3 and 3.6%, respectively, for montelukast, and 4.2 and 3.7%, respectively, for L-768,232, while the interday accuracy values at these concentrations were 97 and 103%, respectively, for montelukast and 99 and 102%, respectively, for L-768,232. The utility of the methodology was demonstrated by analysis of plasma samples from a study in which healthy volunteers received 10 mg per day of montelukast orally for 7 days. Results of this study indicate that there is no apparent bioinversion of montelukast to its S-enantiomer in humans.
Energy storage management as key issue in control of power systems in future all electric ships

This paper introduces a comprehensive approach to the study of energy management for all electric ships. Starting from an analysis of the characteristics of the power systems on board of future ships, the paper describes some of the control challenges and the role of energy storage in the definition of overall system stability. The theoretical description is then supported with some preliminary simulation results.
Iterated extended ultrapowers and supercompactness without choice

Abstract Working in ZF + DC with no additional use of the axiom of choice, we show how to iterate the extended ultrapower construction of Spector (1988, 1991). This generalizes the technique of iterated ultrapowers to choiceless set theory. As an application, we prove the following theorem: Assume V = LU[ P κ(λ)] + “κ is λ-supercompact with normal ultrafilter U” + DC. Then for every sufficiently large regular cardinal ρ, there exists a set-generic extension V[G] of the universe in which there exists for some σ a set S ⊆ P ρ(σ) for which one can define an elementary embedding j mapping V to LD[S], where D is the filter in V[G] generated by the closed unbounded filter (according to V) on P ρ(σ). Moreover, we have j(κ) = ρ, j(λ) = σ, j( P κ(λ)) = S (which is P ρ(σ) according to LD[S]), and j(itU) = D ∩ LD[S] i s a normal ultrafilter in LD[S] on P ρ(σ).
Finite element analysis of arches undergoing large rotations—II: classification

Abstract Four different elements are developed using Green strains and second Piola-Kirchhoff stresses to analyze thin/thick arches undergoing large displacements and large rotations. Effects of arc length and thickness on the load-displacement characteristics of various arches undergoing large displacements are studied. Based on these studies, parameters necessary to classify the arches are established.
A Tristimulus Photometer

Several efforts have been made in the past to use photocells for direct color measurements. Fast spectrophotometers were designed, and one instrument displayed the spectral response, for all practical purposes, instantaneously. These instruments facilitated the accumulation of the basic data considerably; however, they left considerable computational work to be done in establishing the visual effect of the measured color.In order to avoid the tedious job of product integration involved in obtaining the ICI coordinates, it was proposed to construct an instrument with a certain photocell-filter combination approximating the ICI standard distribution factors. However, the extent of approximation is limited particularly for the X¯ curve with its double components.The new instrument provides a good approximation of the ICI coordinates by means of a novel unidirectional cross-feed arrangement, which injects a portion of the Z¯ response into the X¯ response circuit. Three integrated signals can be read on three meters simultaneously, and the ICI coordinates can be computed by one addition and two dividing operations.
Theory of lateral bandgap variation achievable by strain engineering in patterned substrate strain epitaxy

Abstract Energy minimization considerations are used to estimate the strain tensor for pseudomorphic structures grown on a patterned substrate. We show that if a material B is deposited below critical thickness in a hole of width W in a substrate A the strain is biaxial unless W ≤ 50 A, when the strain becomes hydrostatic. For W > 50 A if the material A is deposited on top of the layer B, as the thickness of A is increased, the lattice matched overlayer A gradually readjusts the strain causing the strain in region B to change from biaxial to hydrostatic. For reasonable film thickness we find that hydrostatic strain can be produced for patterns with widths up to 0.3μm. Since the bandgap changes considerably when the strain changes from biaxial to hydrostatic, this concept can be used to produce lateral variation in the bandgap of heterostructures in single step epitaxy.