cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
No End in Sight: The Continuing Menace of Nuclear Proliferation

No End in Sight: The Continuing Menace of Nuclear Proliferation. By Nathan E. Busch. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2004. 512p. $40.00.This new work on the core issue of nuclear proliferation is somewhat unique in its focus and organization. Most of the works on this subject have a virtually standard organization involving a country-by-country breakdown of the most recent and most likely proliferators (India, Pakistan, Israel, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, etc.), according to their motives (why they want to go nuclear) and their capacity to do so, either by themselves or with the help of existing nuclear powers. The focus of these works is, therefore, on what often is called “horizontal proliferation,” having to do with the addition of extra members to the “nuclear club.” Regarding the Cold War superpowers, the United States and former USSR, there has been a largely separate literature devoted to “vertical proliferation,” and associated arms control measures and possibilities, in the context of nuclear deterrence theories and concepts. The uniqueness of Nathan Busch's book is that he combines these two genres, treating various aspects of the nuclear programs of the long-existent large nuclear powers, as well as the emerging nuclear programs of Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and so on as an integrated subject.
Observations on the Allison Magneto-Optic Apparatus

The Allison magneto-optic apparatus has been subjected to critical tests by the checking of minima reported from other laboratories, by the working of unknowns and by the distribution of scale readings over a given range. About 300 of Allison's minima have been checked. Two sets of three unknowns, prepared in such a way that there was one chance in six of a fortuitous correct solution, have been successfully analyzed. One set in which three salts were chosen out of a list of seven was correctly analyzed after the three had been mixed. The chances were 34 to 1 against a lucky selection of the correct combination. A second set of three out of seven, similarly run, resulted in the identification of only one constituent. The overall average shows 10 out of 12 correctly reported. All unknowns were given to the observer at concentrations of 1 part in ${10}^{7}$ of water and they were diluted to 1 part in ${10}^{10}$ before subjecting to analysis. A statistical study has been made of the distribution of 1698 scale readings, made over a period of three years by five different observers. The readings were plotted against the number of times they were observed and definite peaks are evident in the curve. 84.2 percent of all readings fall within the limits of experimental error of a peak, and 30.1 percent fall on a peak. This is contrary to the results of Slack and of MacPherson, who found only chance distribution.
Imagination and expectation: The effect of imagining behavioral scripts on personal influences.

Etude des effets que peut avoir l'imagination de scripts de certains comportements sur les intentions personnelles
Anatomical study of critical features on the posterior wall of the maxillary sinus: clinical implications.

Objectives/Hypothesis Endonasal approaches to the pterygopalatine fossa for epistaxis or as part of a transpterygoid approach have been popularized somewhat by the ability to control the terminal branches of the maxillary artery (MA). Surgical landmarks are useful to identify these arteries. Therefore, identification of surface features on the posterior wall of the antrum that reflect the position of deeper structures within the pterygopalatine fossa would help predict anatomical position and orientation. Study Design Describe the incidence of identifiable markings on the posterior wall of the maxillary sinus and ascertain their nature. Methods An anatomical study of 18 cadaveric specimens noting and recording the presence, location, and number of prominences on the posterior wall of the antrum. After removing the bony wall, structure in the pterygopalatine fossa corresponding to the surface markings was noted. Results Two prominences were identified. Prominence (P)1 extended from the upper part of the posterior wall of the maxillary sinus to the inferior orbit and corresponded to the infraorbital nerve. P2 was located at the middle part of the posterior wall, below P1, and corresponded to the MA. P2 was located medial to a vertical “drop line” where P1 connected to the posterior wall. P1 and P2 were found in 41.7% and 22.2%, respectively, of the specimens. Conclusions This study defines features on the maxillary sinus posterior wall from an endoscopic perspective. These landmarks may be useful to identify the MA and its branches during surgery within the pterygopalatine fossa. Level of Evidence N/A. Laryngoscope, 124:2451–2455, 2014
Pattern-Direct and Layout-Aware Replication Scheme for Parallel I/O Systems

The performance gap between computing power and the I/O system is ever increasing, and in the meantime more and more High Performance Computing (HPC) applications are becoming data intensive. This study describes an I/O data replication scheme, named Pattern-Direct and Layout-Aware (PDLA) data replication scheme, to alleviate this performance gap. The basic idea of PDLA is replicating identified data access pattern, and saving these reorganized replications with optimized data layouts based on access cost analysis. A runtime system is designed and developed to integrate the PDLA replication scheme and existing parallel I/O system; a prototype of PDLA is implemented under the MPICH2 and PVFS2 environments. Experimental results show that PDLA is effective in improving data access performance of parallel I/O systems.
Learning to See the Infinite: Measuring Visual Literacy Skills in a 1st-Year Seminar Course.

Visual literacy was a stated learning objective for the fall 2009 iteration of a first-year seminar course. To help students develop visual literacy skills, they received formal instruction throughout the semester and completed a series of carefully designed learning activities. The effects of these interventions were measured using a one-group pretest-posttest study design where students were asked to look at two different—but stylistically similar—paintings and write a response to the following two questions: what do you see and what do you think it means? Students' responses were analyzed based on the visual evidence they recorded and the strength of their arguments using Toulmin's argument model. After instructional interventions, paired t-tests indicate that students made significantly more basic (t(15) = 4.291, p < .001) and advanced observations (t(15) = 2.440, p = .014), offered more supporting visual evidence for their best- supported claims, and made stronger connections between their claims and the visual evidence.
High-performance fiber-optic links for microwave applications

Directly and externally modulated fiber-optic links are examined using a number of parameters of importance in microwave applications. The parameters considered are gain and frequency response, noise figure, intermodulation-free dynamic range, cancellation ratio, and AM/FM noise. It is noted that considerable progress has been made over the last few years in fiber-optic links using both direct and external modulation. The improvements in directly modulated links stem mainly from the introduction of distributed-feedback diode lasers. Externally modulated links have benefited primarily from an improved understanding of the scaling of link gain and noise figure with average optical power. >
Percutaneous freezing of sensory nerves prior to total knee arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure resulting in significant post-operative pain. Percutaneous cryoneurolysis targeting the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve and anterior femoral cutaneous nerve could relieve post-operative knee pain by temporarily blocking sensory nerve conduction. Methods A retrospective chart review of 100 patients who underwent TKA was conducted to assess the value of adding perioperative cryoneurolysis to a multimodal pain management program. The treatment group consisted of the first 50 patients consecutively treated after the practice introduced perioperative (five days prior to surgery) cryoneurolysis as part of its standard pain management protocol. The control group consisted of the 50 patients treated before cryoneurolysis was introduced. Outcomes included hospital length of stay (LOS), post-operative opioid requirements, and patient-reported outcomes of pain and function. Results A significantly lower proportion of patients in the treatment group had a LOS of ≥2days compared with the control group (6% vs. 67%, p Conclusions Perioperative cryoneurolysis in combination with multimodal pain management may significantly improve outcomes in patients undergoing TKA. Promising results from this preliminary retrospective study warrant further investigation of this novel treatment in prospective, randomized trials. Level of evidence III
A Perceptions Framework for Categorizing Inventory Policies in Single-Stage Inventory Systems

In this paper we propose a perceptions framework for categorizing a range of inventory decision making that can be employed in a single-stage supply chain. We take the existence of a wide range of inventory decision making processes, as given and strive not to model the reasons that the range persists but seek a way to categorize them via their effects on inventory levels, orders placed given the demand faced by the inventory system. Using a perspective that we consider natural and thus appealing, the categorization involves the use of conceptual perceptions of demand to underpin the link across three features of the inventory system: inventory levels, orders placed and actual demand faced. The perceptions framework is based on forecasting with Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series models. The context in which we develop this perceptions framework is of a single stage stochastic inventory system with periodic review, constant leadtimes, infinite supply, full backlogging, linear holding and penalty costs and no ordering costs. Forecasting ARIMA time series requires tracking forecast errors (interpolating) and using these forecast errors and past demand realizations to predict future demand (extrapolating). So called optimal inventory policies are categorized here by perceptions of demand that align with reality. Naturally then, deviations from optimal inventory policies are characterized by allowing the perception about demand implied by the interpolations or extrapolations to be primarily different from the actual demand process. Extrapolations and interpolations being separate activities, can in addition, imply differing perceptions from each other and this can further categorize inventory decision making.
Insulin responsiveness of CK-M and CK-B mRNA in the diabetic rat heart

Decreased cardiac performance is a known complication of diabetes mellitus, but the detailed molecular mechanisms that are responsible for this contractile abnormality are only incompletely explored, and cardiac gene products of known function, which are markedly and actively insulin responsive, have not been described. Recently, we found that creatine kinase (CK) enzyme activity and CK-M subunit mRNA levels are decreased in the heart of rats with experimental diabetes mellitus. These abnormalities could be restored to normal with chronic insulin administration. The CK-M and CK-B genes are expressed in the heart, and we wanted to determine whether diabetes also induces a change in CK-B mRNA levels. Quantitation of CK-M and CK-B mRNA levels on Northern blots with specific cDNA probes showed that, in diabetic hearts, CK-B mRNA levels represent only 19.8% of control levels and are more markedly depressed than CK-M mRNA levels, which are 46.5% of control values. Acute injection of insulin led to a significant 1.6-fold increase in CK-M mRNA and a 2.2-fold increase of CK-B mRNA 5 h after insulin injection. CK-M mRNA levels were restored to normal within 12 h, but 48 h were required to restore CK-B mRNA levels to normal values. After 1 mo of insulin therapy, CK-B mRNA levels had risen 9.7-fold, exceeding normal values by 90%, whereas CK-M mRNA levels were at the normal level as previously shown. CK enzyme activity showed only a small response to insulin administration 48 h postinjection. Diabetes leads therefore to a marked lowering of CK-M and CK-B mRNA levels in the rat heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Enzyme Kinetics of Conjugating Enzymes: PAPS Sulfotransferase

The sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes catalyze the formation of sulfate esters or sulfamates from substrates that contain hydroxy or amine groups, utilizing 3'-phosphoadenosyl-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) as the donor of the sulfonic group. The rate of product formation depends on the concentrations of PAPS and substrate as well as the sulfotransferase enzyme; thus, if PAPS is held constant while varying substrate concentration (or vice versa), the kinetic constants derived are apparent constants. When studied over a narrow range of substrate concentrations, classic Michaelis-Menten kinetics can be observed with many SULT enzymes and most substrates. Some SULT enzymes exhibit positive or negative cooperativity during conversion of substrate to product, and the kinetics fit the Hill plot. A characteristic feature of most sulfotransferase-catalyzed reactions is that, when studied over a wide range of substrate concentrations, the rate of product formation initially increases as substrate concentration increases, then decreases at high substrate concentrations, i.e., they exhibit substrate inhibition or partial substrate inhibition. This chapter gives an introduction to sulfotransferases, including a historical note, the nomenclature, a description of the function of SULTs with different types of substrates, presentation of examples of enzyme kinetics with SULTs, and a discussion of what is known about mechanisms of substrate inhibition in the sulfotransferases.
Infection of the Boll Weevil with Mattesia grandis Induced by a Feeding Stimulant

Spores of Mallesia grandis McLaughlin were applied in a feeding-stimulant formulation to cotton plants to induce boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, to ingest infective doses. Water suspensions of spores without the stimulant infected only 1 of 162 weevils in a field test. Formulations in the form of viscous liquid and granules that contained sugar, agar, feeding-stimulant extracts from cotton squares, and spores were tested in 30×30×30 inch field cages; disease incidence ranged from 18.3 to 93.3%. In 6×7×24-foot cages, 61.4% of the adults were diseased 10 days after the last application. In ⅛ acre cages, numbers of boll weevils on the treated plants were reduced significantly by the disease. The principle that materials which elicit a behavioral response may be employed to induce host insects to acquire infective doses of pathogens was established.
Distribution and Ecology of Myxomycetes in Temperate Forests. II. Patterns of Occurrence on Bark Surface of Living Trees, Leaf Litter, and Dung

The moist chamber culture technique was used to study myxomycete communities associated with bark surface of living trees, leaf litter, and dung in upland forests of southwestern Virginia. Patterns...
EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS OF FLYCATCHERS. I. SIBLING SPECIES IN THE GENERA EMPIDONAX AND CONTOPUS

Protein variation was analyzed at 38 presumptive genetic loci in 214 specimens of 12 species of Empidonax and 3 species of the related genus Contopus. These tyrannid flycatchers are noted for their great morphologic uniformity, species-specific songs, and distinctive nesting ecology. Intraspecific genetic variability was substantial and comparable to that shown in other recent avian studies. The average Nei's genetic distance among species of Empidonax, exclusive of euleri, was 0.070, a value somewhat higher than the average of 0.044 shown by other birds. Because euleri differs from all other species of Empidonax at large genetic distances, 0.348 to 0.465, we conclude that it should be removed from the genus; euleri is probably best placed in Cne- motriccus. Eight of the 12 species of Empidonax possessed unique alleles, ranging from 1 autapomorphy in atriceps to 10 in euleri. Within Contopus, only sordidulus had unique alleles and these were uncommon. A locus by locus comparison of alleles revealed many subsets of species which share particular alleles, but no clear groupings of taxa are evident. Distance Wagner trees and Fitch-Margoliash trees, as well as UPGMA and WPGMA pheno- grams, were constructed from the matrix of Rogers' genetic distances, showing that: (1) euleri is very distinct from all other species of Empidonax and Contopus; (2) the three species of Contopus are closely related; and (3) E. traillii-E. alnorum and C. sordidulus-C. virens are species pairs. Two of the three branching diagrams also suggest the close affinity of E. difficilis and E. flavescens, and of E. hammondii and E. atriceps. The latter relationship was unexpected because, on morpho- logic and vocal evidence, E. hammondii had been considered to be a close relative of E. minimus. The latter species and E. virescens seem to be rather strongly differentiated within the genus. Except for the component allospecies of superspecies (E. traillii-E. alnorum, E. difficilis-E. fla- vescens, and C. sordidulus-C. virens), which are relatively recently derived, the protein evidence suggests that the radiation of species of Empidonax occurred over a rather narrow span of time, perhaps in the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene. The phylogenetic picture is not one of a prolonged evolution of species via a dichotomous sequence of cladogenetic events. Therefore, the great similarity of sibling species in Empidonax and in Contopus is not evidence for their recent origin. Rather, it is a consequence of a very conservative evolution of plumage and morphology that has not kept pace with evolutionary rates for allozymes, vocalizations, and features of nesting biology. (Flycatchers; Empidonax; Contopus; sibling species; allozymes; char- acter discordance; speciation; phylogenetic inference; genetic distance.)
The Role of Seed-corn Beetles in Predation of Cabbage Maggot Immature Stages

In crucifer plots, incandescent lights attracted many seed-corn beetles, Agonoderus lecontei Chandoir and A. comma (F.), which were most prevalent in rows nearest the lights. Damage by the cabbage maggot, Hylemya brassicae (Bouche), to rutabaga and radish plantings was significantly lower in lighted plots than in unlit controls. Seedcom beetles were efficient predators of cabbage maggot immature stages in the laboratory.
Safety and efficacy of percutaneous cecostomy for treatment of large bowel obstruction in adult cancer patients

Safety and efficacy of percutaneous cecostomy for treatment of large bowel obstruction in adult cancer patients S.O. Tewari, G. Getrajdman, A.M. Covey, E.N. Petre, M.R. Weiser, R.H. Thornton, L.A. Brody, C.T. Sofocleous, M. Maybody, W. Alago, Jr., A. Aguado, R.H. Siegelbaum, J.C. Durack, J.P. Erinjeri, H. Yarmohammadi, K.T. Brown, S.B. Solomon; Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Surgery, Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Process-structure-property relations for the erosion durability of plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) thermal barrier coatings

Abstract New thermal barrier coating (TBC) materials and microstructures are under development to increase gas turbine operating temperatures beyond the ~ 1200 °C threshold of standard 7 wt.% yttria stabilized zirconia (7YSZ). To deposit these advanced coatings, a new thermal spray deposition technique is used: Plasma Spray – Physical Vapor Deposition (PS-PVD). PS-PVD is capable of depositing from the vapor phase to yield strain tolerant columnar microstructures similar to Electron Beam – Physical Vapor Deposition (EB-PVD) or, alternatively, the traditional splat-like lamellar microstructure common to Air Plasma Spray (APS). This study investigates the process-structure relationships and resulting erosion response for plasma gas flow, amperage, and feed rate. It was found that in the selected design space, porosity and surface roughness vary from ~ 12–26% and ~ 5–10 μm, respectively. Erosion behavior is discussed and the mechanism is identified to be heavily dependent upon the intercolumnar spacing. The lowest erosion rates are similar to EB-PVD, while the highest erosion rates were closer to APS. This is attributed to the hybrid nature of the PS-PVD process and provides an opportunity to tailor coatings with a wide range of properties, and thus performance.
cFLIPL Interrupts IRF3–CBP–DNA Interactions To Inhibit IRF3-Driven Transcription

Type I IFN induction is critical for antiviral and anticancer defenses. Proper downregulation of type I IFN is equally important to avoid deleterious imbalances in the immune response. The cellular FLIP long isoform protein (cFLIPL) controls type I IFN production, but opposing publications show it as either an inhibitor or inducer of type I IFN synthesis. Regardless, the mechanistic basis for cFLIPL regulation is unknown. Because cFLIPL is important in immune cell development and proliferation, and is a target for cancer therapies, it is important to identify how cFLIPL regulates type I IFN production. Data in this study show that cFLIPL inhibits IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), a transcription factor central for IFN-β and IFN-stimulated gene expression. This inhibition occurs during virus infection, cellular exposure to polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, or TBK1 overexpression. This inhibition is independent of capase-8 activity. cFLIPL binds to IRF3 and disrupts IRF3 interaction with its IFN-β promoter and its coactivator protein (CREB-binding protein). Mutational analyses reveal that cFLIPL nuclear localization is necessary and sufficient for inhibitory function. This suggests that nuclear cFLIPL prevents IRF3 enhanceosome formation. Unlike other cellular IRF3 inhibitors, cFLIPL did not degrade or dephosphorylate IRF3. Thus, cFLIPL represents a different cellular strategy to inhibit type I IFN production. This new cFLIPL function must be considered to accurately understand how cFLIPL affects immune system development and regulation.
Circuitry underlying antiopioid actions of orphanin FQ in the rostral ventromedial medulla.

Heinricher, M. M., S. McGaraughty, and D. K. Grandy. Circuitry underlying antiopioid actions of orphanin FQ in the rostral ventromedial medulla. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3351–3358, 1997. Several labora...
The halting problem

In Chomsky 2015 it is proposed that raising of a wh phrase from subject position is not possible unless C is deleted in the Narrow Syntax (NS), as seen in the that /Comp-trace Effect (C-tE). Evidence presented here indicates that the raising of a subject may allow and even require the overt presence of C, pointing toward the conclusions that raising a subject is not related to C deletion, and that all wh subjects raise. The alternative considered here is that the locus of phenomena such as the C-tE may be the Sensory-motor (SM) component rather than NS. Taking anti-Comp-trace phenomena into account, there appears to be a requirement that a subject extraction must be phonetically marked ("Subject Extraction Marking" – SEM), either by the subject itself being overt, or by the presence of an overt C. This paper proposes a possible SM analysis consisting of rules that account for the complexities of spelling out that including Doubly-filled Comp, the C-tE, and SEM.
Carrier-wave telephony over power lines- early history

In this paper we focus on the early history of using power lines for voice communications, beginning in 1918 and carrying the story forward to the early 1930s, when telephony using power lines had essentially established itself as a mature technology worldwide.
Dysregulated CD4+CD25+ T- Regulatory Cells and TLRs in Myeloma.

Although current vaccine strategies have achieved anti-myeloma immune responses, meaningful clinical responses have not been observed. This may be related with the significant immune dysfunction observed in myeloma that may interfere with the development of effective anti-myeloma immune responses. The initiation of immune response is controlled by CD4 + CD25 + T regulatory (T reg ) cells, which can suppress anti-tumor immune responses. This property of T reg cells to modulate anti-tumor immune responses may function as a barrier to cancer immunotherapy. In order to overcome such suppression, signaling through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) can induce adjuvant effect by increasing local production of chemokines, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and by enhancing antigen-presentation by APCs. Here, we have evaluated the role of T reg cells and the effects of TLRs in myeloma. We observed significant increase in CD4 + CD25 + T reg cells in MM patient samples compared to normal donors (23±4% vs 6±3%). Proliferation of T cells depleted of T reg cells with anti-CD3 antibody was significantly lower in MGUS (n=9, SI=12±2) and MM (n=9, SI=28±8) compared with normal donors (n=9, SI=74±9, p reg cells was able to suppress T cell proliferation in normal donors (↓31%), however, their effects were less suppressive in MGUS (↓26%), and in fact, they increased T cell proliferation in MM (↑29%). Additionally, LPS which functions through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), is able to overcome suppression of T cell proliferation by T reg cells in normal controls (110%), however, it had significantly limited influence in MGUS (49%) and MM (24%). Expression profile of myeloma cells (n=15) showed up-regulation of TLR4 (7.4 folds) and its related gene MD2 (2.5 folds) in all the MM cells tested compared to normal plasma cells indicating a possible modulation of immune responses by myeloma cells through TLR4 or its soluble agent. This is the first demonstration of dysregulated T reg cells and TLRs in myeloma. Understanding of the molecular basis of T reg cell dysfunction is underway with a view to eventually target these mechanisms to improve immuno-therapeutic strategies in myeloma.
New Paths in Petersburg

This chapter presents an in-depth look at the most prominent representative of a Kantian direction. However, he adhered not to the letter of the Kantian Critiques, but to their spirit and sought a shorter way to what he considered the same goal. His student and later colleague dramatically differed and opposed Kant both in letter and spirit.
Unsupervised labeling of glomerular boundaries using Gabor filters and statistical testing in renal histology.

The glomerulus is the blood filtering unit of the kidney. Each human kidney contains ∼1 million glomeruli. Several renal conditions originate from structural damage to glomerular microcompartments, such as proteinuria, the excessive loss of blood proteins into urine. The gold standard for evaluating structural damage in renal pathology is histopathological and immunofluorescence examination of needle biopsies under a light microscope. This method is limited by qualitative or semiquantitative manual scoring approaches to the evaluation of glomerular structural features. Computational quantification of equivalent features promises to improve the precision of glomerular structural analysis. One large obstacle to the computational quantification of renal tissue is the identification of complex glomerular boundaries automatically. To mitigate this issue, we developed a computational pipeline capable of extracting and exactly defining glomerular boundaries. Our method, composed of Gabor filtering, Gaussian blurring, statistical F-testing, and distance transform, is able to accurately identify glomerular boundaries with mean sensitivity/specificity of 0.88/0.96 and accuracy of 0.92, on n=1000 glomeruli images stained with standard renal histological stains. Our method will simplify computational partitioning of glomerular microcompartments hidden within dense textural boundaries. Automatic quantification of glomeruli will streamline structural analysis in clinic and can pioneer real-time diagnoses and interventions for renal care.
Diagnostic errors in cerebrovascular disease What are we missing

Diagnostic error is the “failure to establish an accurate and timely explanation of the patient's health problems or communicate that explanation to the patient,” according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences.1 These errors occur pervasively in all settings of our health care system, including outpatient clinics, inpatient wards, and the emergency room. Diagnostic errors harm patients and cost the health care system. Among malpractice claims between 1986 and 2010, diagnostic errors accounted for the largest number of claims.2 Diagnostic errors most often led to death and permanent injury and led to the highest total payments, summing approximately $38.8 million.2
Interfacial Deposition of Ru(II) Bipyridine-Dicarboxylate Complexes by Ligand Substitution for Applications in Water Oxidation Catalysis

Water oxidation is a critical step in artificial photosynthesis and provides the protons and electrons used in reduction reactions to make solar fuels. Significant advances have been made in the area of molecular water oxidation catalysts with a notable breakthrough in the development of Ru(II) complexes that use a planar “bda” ligand (bda is 2,2′-bipyridine-6,6′-dicarboxylate). These Ru(II)(bda) complexes show lower overpotentials for driving water oxidation making them ideal for light-driven applications with a suitable chromophore. Nevertheless, synthesis of heterogeneous Ru(II)(bda) complexes remains challenging. We discuss here a new “bottom-up” synthetic method for immobilizing these catalysts at the surface of a photoanode for use in a dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell (DSPEC). The procedure provides a basis for rapidly screening the role of ligand variations at the catalyst in order to understand the impact on device performance. The best results of a water-oxidation DSPEC photoanode based...
Gait Ignition Failure

Gait ignition failure is one of the many synonyms for freezing of gait – generally brief (seconds) episodes of difficulty in initiating walking or maintaining stepping through turns, narrow passages, and distractions in the immediate environment. It is a neurological sign and not a syndrome.
Estimating the Value of Preventing a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

We estimated the medical cost savings for a case of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection prevented. Using medical care cost estimates, assumptions concerning knowledge of serostatus, time spent in various stages of HIV disease, and a discount factor, we estimated the present value of future cost savings for a case of HIV prevented, which ranged from $56,000 to $80,000. Since this method excludes both indirect costs and direct costs other than medical care, these figures underestimate the true cost savings for a case of HIV prevented. However, the method may prove useful in assigning a systematic economic value to an HIV infection averted that can be used in cost-benefit analyses of HIV prevention interventions.
Agitation for Law Reform 1649–1653

We have seen that during the first months of the Commonwealth it was necessary to make provision for the continuation, along lines as traditional as possible, of the judicial life of the nation. But time was soon to prove that there was one serious omission from the Cromwellian point of view. Nothing had been created to replace the system of prerogative courts which had proven most amenable to the wishes of James I and Charles I: Star Chamber, the judicial capacity of the Privy Council, the Councils of the North and of Wales, and the Court of High Commission. The High Court of Justice created for the trial of Charles was given a statutory life of not more than one month, but on March 26, 1650, it was resuscitated.1 The purposes and functions of this new “prerogative” 2 court were to deal with cases of treason and other types of political offenses which could not be handled by the ordinary courts to the satisfaction of the Commonwealthmen. This new “prerogative” court was very quickly to become the target of much criticism, not only because of its activities, but because of its very existence.
Interfacial characterization of food systems

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the interfacial characterization of food systems. It presents new well-researched methods and mechanisms that can be very helpful for the food researcher or developer. Many food products (salad dressings, whipped toppings, and ice creams ) are dispersed colloid systems, such as emulsions, suspensions, or foams. The texture, structure, and stability of these dispersions have fundamental importance for the food manufacturer. The interfacial area of fine dispersions is very high and thus, these interfaces strongly influence the behavior of the dispersions. The texture and structure of foods is very delicate, therefore, experimental methods that cause no or very little structural damage have to be applied in their investigations. The chapter discusses techniques, such as the surface force balance and back-light scattering methods and dielectrometry, and also presents new experimental techniques and several of their applications, which help in the understanding of the structure, texture, and stability of food systems. For future research, the mechanism of film stability by the micro layering of colloid particles seems to be the most promising, especially in food emulsions and foams. The structure and stability of foamed emulsions, such as whipped cream, ice cream, or whipped toppings, strongly depend on the inter-particle interactions and on the orientation of drops/particles at the foam films. The development of the surface force balance and back-light scattering techniques will aid in the understanding of the stability mechanisms in food dispersions.
Characterizing conflict between humans and big cats Panthera spp: A systematic review of research trends and management opportunities

Conservation of big cats (Panthera spp.), a taxonomic group including tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards, is a daunting challenge. As expanding human populations across Panthera range countries exacerbate competition for land and prey, conflicts between humans and big cats are inevitable. Through a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature published from 1991 to 2014 and indexed in Web of Science and Google Scholar (186 articles), our study explored the current state of knowledge regarding human-Panthera conflict and potential solutions, examining variables such as spatial and temporal distribution of research, methods used to study conflict, evaluation of interventions, and management recommendations. Our synthesis revealed several key data gaps and research needs. More studies could utilize diverse data collection approaches to focus on both the ecological and socio-cultural context for conflict. Additionally, only 21% of articles included in the review evaluated conflict mitigation interventions, and few of these yielded conclusive results. Success ratios suggest that compensation schemes and livestock management strategies were more effective tools for addressing conflict than either direct interventions (lethal removal or translocation of animals) or community interventions (e.g. education, ecotourism, local management). More studies should systematically evaluate the efficacy of conflict mitigation strategies, many of which are consistently recommended without empirical support. Results highlight trends and opportunities that can be used to inform future research and management efforts focused on human-Panthera conflict, ultimately enhancing the potential for coexistence between humans and carnivore species worldwide.
Hypertension Management in African Americans: The AASK and Other Landmark Trial Application

Hypertension is a major public health challenge and affects 120 million adults in the United States. Recent hypertension trial outcomes indicate that further lowering of blood pressure below the standard target may reduce mortality (Group et al., N Engl J Med 373(22):2103–2116, 2015) which is now reflected in the latest treatment guidelines that have lowered the target blood pressure to 130/80 mmHg (Whelton et al., Hypertension 71:e13–e115, 2018). The excess burden of hypertension among African-Americans was recognized in the early twentieth century and largely contributes to the excessive morbidity and mortality seen in this population compared to other racial/ethnic groups. It is well documented that hypertension in African-Americans is more prevalent, has an earlier onset, increased severity and results in more complications than other populations (Flack et al., Curr Cardiol Rep 14(6):660–666, 2012). Despite treatment advances, improved access to health care, and similar control rates across most racial groups, African-Americans continue to experience high rates of hypertension attributable complications such as end stage renal disease (ESRD), heart failure and stroke. A comprehensive approach for effective management of hypertension in the African-American population is crucial to address this important health disparity. The pathogenesis, new hypertension guidelines and clinical trial outcomes related to African-Americans, specifically the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) trial, will be discussed in this chapter. The term “African-American” or “Black” patients will refer to all people of African ancestry living in the USA.
Sorghum stem aerenchyma formation is regulated by SbNAC_D during internode development

Sorghum bicolor is a drought-resilient C4 grass used for production of grain, forage, sugar, and biomass. Sorghum genotypes capable of accumulating high levels of stem sucrose have solid stems that contain low levels of aerenchyma. The D-locus on SBI06 modulates the extent of aerenchyma formation in sorghum stems and leaf midribs. A QTL aligned with this locus was identified and fine-mapped in populations derived from BTx623*IS320c, BTx623*R07007, and BTx623*Standard broomcorn. Analysis of coding polymorphisms in the fine-mapped D-locus showed that genotypes that accumulate low levels of aerenchyma encode a truncated NAC transcription factor (Sobic.006G147400, SbNAC_d1), whereas parental lines that accumulate higher levels of stem aerenchyma encode full-length NAC TFs (SbNAC-D). During vegetative stem development, aerenchyma levels are low in nonelongated stem internodes, internode growing zones, and nodes. Aerenchyma levels increase in recently elongated internodes starting at the top of the internode near the center of the stem. SbNAC_D was expressed at low levels in nonelongated internodes and internode growing zones and at higher levels in regions of stem internodes that form aerenchyma. SbXCP1, a gene encoding a cysteine protease involved in programmed cell death, was induced in SbNAC_D genotypes in parallel with aerenchyma formation in sorghum stems but not in SbNAC_d1 genotypes. Several sweet sorghum genotypes encode the recessive SbNAC_d1 allele and have low levels of stem aerenchyma. Based on these results, we propose that SbNAC_D is the D-gene identified by Hilton (1916) and that allelic variation in SbNAC_D modulates the extent of aerenchyma formation in sorghum stems.
Self-reported Instances of Major Discrimination, Race/Ethnicity, and Inflammation Among Older Adults: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study.

Background This study examines the relationship between self-reported instances of major discrimination and inflammation among older adults, and explores whether this relationship varies in accordance with race/ethnicity. We hypothesized that self-reported instances of major discrimination would be associated with higher levels of high-risk inflammation and that this relationship would be stronger for racial/ethnic minorities than whites. Methods Data from the 2006/2008 Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing biennial nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States, were used to collect measures of self-reported instances of major discrimination and high-risk C-reactive protein (CRP), which was assayed from blood samples. Modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors was applied to estimate the prevalence ratios of self-reported instances of major discrimination, as it relates to high-risk CRP (CRP ≥ 22 kg/m2), and test whether this relationship varies by race/ethnicity. Results Respondents who experienced any instances of major discrimination had a higher likelihood of high-risk CRP (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.22) than those who did not report experiencing any instances of major discrimination. This association was independent of differences in newly diagnosed health conditions and socioeconomic status. The relationship between any self-reported instance of major discrimination and high-risk CRP was weaker for blacks than whites (PR: 0.81, 95% CI = 0.69-0.95). Conclusions Our study confirms that self-reported instances of major lifetime discrimination is a psychosocial factor that is adversely associated with high-risk CRP among older adults; this association is especially pronounced among older whites. Future studies among this population are required to examine whether the relationship between self-reported instances of major discrimination and high-risk CRP changes over time.
Hippocampal volume and depression among young children

Clinical depression can occur in young children as early as age three. This very early onset variant of depression shows the same clinical features with developmental adjustments as depression that onsets later in life. One robust neural feature of adult depression is reduced hippocampal volume. We measured hippocampal volume in a sample of 35 children aged 4-7 who were either in a clinical trial for preschool onset depression or were recruited from the community. We used T1 MPRAGE acquisitions on a Siemen's Scanner, with Freesurfer 5.3 used to segment the hippocampus. Depression was measured using the K-SADS early childhood (K-SADS-EC) to create a dimensional depression severity score and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Depression T-Score. Multilevel models indicated that greater depression severity as measured by either the CBCL Depression Score or the K-SADS-EC was associated with lower hippocampal volume, even controlling for total gray matter, maternal depression, income-to-needs ratio, and stressful life events. These data indicate evidence for reduced hippocampal volume among children with PO-MDD who were more severely depressed. Findings are consistent with the idea that hippocampal volume reductions are an early occurring associated neural marker of MDD, particularly for more severe depression.
MF-Join: Efficient Fuzzy String Similarity Join with Multi-level Filtering

As an essential operation in data integration and data cleaning, similarity join has attracted considerable attention from the database community. In many application scenarios, it is essential to support fuzzy matching, which allows approximate matching between elements that improves the effectiveness of string similarity join. To describe the fuzzy matching between strings, we consider two levels of similarity, i.e., element-level and record-level similarity. Then the problem of calculating fuzzy matching similarity can be transformed into finding the weighted maximal matching in a bipartite graph. In this paper, we propose MF-Join, a multi-level filtering approach for fuzzy string similarity join. MF-Join provides a flexible framework that can support multiple similarity functions at both levels. To improve performance, we devise and implement several techniques to enhance the filter power. Specifically, we utilize a partition-based signature at the element-level and propose a frequency-aware partition strategy to improve the quality of signatures. We also devise a count filter at the record level to further prune dissimilar pairs. Moreover, we deduce an effective upper bound for the record-level similarity to reduce the computational overhead of verification. Experimental results on two popular datasets shows that our proposed method clearly outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
Learning to See Teaching as a Cultural Activity: U.S. Preservice Teachers’ Significant Experiences With Nepali Mentor Teachers During an International Field Experience

ABSTRACTPreparing educators to understand teaching as a cultural activity is a crucial element of teacher education programs. International field experiences have shown to accomplish this goal when...
The Human Epigenome

The output of the genome is controlled by the interaction of ­transcription factors with the epigenome. Epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation, histone modification, histone variants, non-coding RNAs and nucleosomal ­remodeling machines interact with each other to ensure stable states of gene expression. These processes can become dysregulated during aging, exposure to environmental stressors and the development of cancer and other diseases. DNA methylation patterns can be relatively easily read by high throughput techniques and provide information reflecting the influence of the environment and aging on the functionality of the epigenome. Analysis of DNA methylation patterns therefore provides an exciting new route to understanding how the environment interacts with the epigenome to cause disease. Despite the promise of DNA methylation patterns for epidemiologic studies, caution in interpreting data from surrogate tissues is necessary and cellular heterogeneity can also complicate interpretation of the data. In addition, DNA methylation within the body of genes can influence the response of the genome to the environment. Hypomethylation of repetitive elements can lead to genomic instability and ectopic gene expression. Methylation of coding regions can directly increase the rate of spontaneous hydrolytic mutations and increase the mutational frequency induced by carcinogens and radiation. Epigenetic processes can therefore contribute in multiple ways to the development of human diseases particularly cancer.
Unraveling racial disparities in asthma emergency department visits using electronic healthcare records and machine learning.

Hospital emergency department (ED) visits by asthmatics differ based on race and season. The objectives of this study were to investigate season- and race-specific disparities for asthma risk, and ...