cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reasons and Promotion

A number of philosophers accept promotionalism, the view that whether there is a normative reason for an agent to perform an action or have an attitude depends on whether her doing so promotes a value, desire, interest, goal, or end. I show that promotionalism faces a prima facie problem when it comes to reasons for belief: it looks extensionally inadequate. I then articulate two general strategies promotionalists can (and have) used to solve this problem and argue that, even if one of these two strategies can successfully solve the problem with reasons for belief, promotionalists face a symmetrical problem in a range of structurally similar cases. As I'll argue, the problem is that promotionalism cannot account for reasons grounded in the ‘fit’ between an attitude and its object. I offer an alternative to promotionalism and explain how adopting this alternative solves the problems with promotionalism while preserving much of what made promotionalism attractive in the first place
The Glomerular Basement Membrane A Selective Macromolecular Filter

The basement membrane of the glomerular capillaries of the mammalian kidney has been a favorite object for studies on the structure, function, and composition of basement membranes because of its important physiological role in glomerular filtration of macromolecules and because it is often involved in renal disease. This chapter will focus on summarizing what is known about the characteristics of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and will compare its properties to those of basement membranes from other sources. For additional information the reader can refer to several excellent recent reviews that deal with specific aspects of basement membrane biology (LeBlond and Inoue, 1989; Martin et al., 1988; Paulsson, 1987; Timpl, 1989; Timpl and Dziadek, 1986; Yurchenco and Schittny, 1990).
Neural integrity is maintained by dystrophin in C. elegans

The dystrophin protein complex (DPC), composed of dystrophin and associated proteins, is essential for maintaining muscle membrane integrity. The link between mutations in dystrophin and the devastating muscle failure of Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been well established. Less well appreciated are the accompanying cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disorders also presented in many DMD patients, which suggest a wider role for dystrophin in membrane–cytoskeleton function. This study provides genetic evidence of a novel role for DYS-1/dystrophin in maintaining neural organization in Caenorhabditis elegans. This neuronal function is distinct from the established role of DYS-1/dystrophin in maintaining muscle integrity and regulating locomotion. SAX-7, an L1 cell adhesion molecule (CAM) homologue, and STN-2/γ-syntrophin also function to maintain neural integrity in C. elegans. This study provides biochemical data that show that SAX-7 associates with DYS-1 in an STN-2/γ-syntrophin–dependent manner. These results reveal a recruitment of L1CAMs to the DPC to ensure neural integrity is maintained.
SRS Low‐Curie Process Modeling and Experiments

Abstract Engineers at SRS are evaluating the Low‐Curie Salt Process which is aimed at initially withdrawing the interstitial liquor followed by dissolution of the salt cake. Partitioning of the cesium is predominantly within the interstitial liquor; consequently a separation based on activity can be effected. Laboratory experiments using simulants from SRS tanks have been performed along with thermodynamic simulations. Results indicate that insoluble layers such as Al(OH)3 and/or cancrinite may form and hinder the dissolution processes. The effectiveness of the Low‐Curie Salt Process may be reduced based on layer formation and the distribution of the interstitial liquor within the waste.
Goodness: A Method for Measuring Machine Translation Confidence

State-of-the-art statistical machine translation (MT) systems have made significant progress towards producing user-acceptable translation output. However, there is still no efficient way for MT systems to inform users which words are likely translated correctly and how confident it is about the whole sentence. We propose a novel framework to predict word-level and sentence-level MT errors with a large number of novel features. Experimental results show that the MT error prediction accuracy is increased from 69.1 to 72.2 in F-score. The Pearson correlation between the proposed confidence measure and the human-targeted translation edit rate (HTER) is 0.6. Improvements between 0.4 and 0.9 TER reduction are obtained with the n-best list reranking task using the proposed confidence measure. Also, we present a visualization prototype of MT errors at the word and sentence levels with the objective to improve post-editor productivity.
The ontogeny of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol responsiveness in the rabbit.

An autosomal recessive condition (thc/thc) in our closed colony of New Zealand White rabbits (Uaz:NZW-thc) results in nonfatal, behavioral convulsions following intravenous (i.v.) injections of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other psychoactive cannabinoids of marijuana. The ontogeny of the convulsive response was evaluated in potential THC-seizure-susceptible (SS) rabbits from postnatal Days (PN) 15-548. Ages of nonsusceptibility (PN 15-23), partial susceptibility (PN 24-38), and complete susceptibility (PN 39-548) were found. Also, open-field activity was determined in PN 14-25 THC-SS and THC-seizure-resistant (SR) rabbits. Administration of THC during the seizure-insensitive period resulted in genotype-dependent alternations in photocell activity and sprawling.
Notes on the creative process of artist collectives

This paper explores the relationship between the creative process of artist collectives and emergence, the appearance of "higher order" from the actions of a group of relatively simple agents following local rules. The author asks if there are "rules" or "cultures" of collective art activity that are particularly productive. The paper suggests applications of ideas from biology, cognitive science, and psychology to creative interaction, using examples from the collective in which the author participates.
Mutual information computation and maximization using GPU

We present a GPU implementation to compute both mutual information and its derivatives. Mutual information computation is a highly demanding process due to the enormous number of exponential computations. It is therefore the bottleneck in many image registration applications. However, we show that these computations are fully parallizable and can be efficiently ported onto the GPU architecture. Compared with the same CPU implementation running on a workstation level CPU, we reached a factor of 170 in computing mutual information, and a factor of 400 in computing its derivatives.
Moral hazard, renegotiation, and forgetfulness

When a principal and an agent operate with simple contracts, in equilibrium, renegotiation will occur after the agent takes her action. Since renegotiation makes incentive contracts non-credible, the principal may prefer non-renegotiable monitoring options. The current literature does not fully reconcile these predictions with the observation of simple, non-renegotiated incentive contracts. We model a principal-agent interaction in a social learning framework, and assume that when renegotiation is not observed, agents may forget its feasibility with infinitesimal probability. In the unique stable state of our model, renegotiation occurs with infinitesimal frequency, and second-best simple incentive contracts appear with non-negligible frequency.
An Optimum Design of Ambiguity Function, Antenna Pattern, and Signal for Side-Looking Radars

The design of antenna pattern and transmitted signal for a coherent-side-looking (range-azimuth) synthetic antenna radar is studied. The general design criterion is to minimize all spurious responses in the ambiguity function under the restraints of finite antenna aperture and signal bandwidth. The problem is completely solved for any set of consistent constraints. The interplay between aperture size, range and azimuth resolution, and spurious response level for the optimum design is exhibited, and antenna aperture illuminations, signal amplitude and phase modulation, and pulse repetition frequency are specified.
5.3.2 Information Technology (IT) Project Management Failures: Historical and Evolutionary Walk through from a Social Dynamic Perspective – A Primer to “Preemptive and Adaptive Project Management”

Despite the evolution and sophistication of project management, a great percentage of IT projects are still failing. For centuries projects have experienced complex social interdependencies. This paper treats projects within a social context and proposes the investigation of projects management challenges by applying the “social” lens. This construct serves as a primer to introduce system dynamics principles to project management applications to further the current understanding of project “soft” factors and their interdependencies. The authors conclude that a systems dynamic approach using social lens provides the appropriate construct for a new paradigm in IT project management: “Preemptive and Adaptive”. Intangible Soft Factors (ISF's) concept is introduced. The authors hypothesize that this construct provides the appropriate balance to further investigate the ability to successfully manage IT project outcomes by means of understanding the disguised yet bonding and exceedingly influential “social” forces overlooked as a dominant project agent.
Reduced hospitalization cost for patients with pectus excavatum treated using minimally invasive surgery.

Background: Currently, few data exist regarding the relative costs associated with open and minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair. The aim of this study was to compare the surgical and hospitalization costs for these two surgical techniques and to identify factors responsible for cost differences. Methods: A retrospective review of hospital charts, patient and parent questionnaires, and hospital accounting records was performed for 68 patients who underwent surgical correction of pectus excavatum between June 1996 and December 1999. Results: In this series, 25 patients underwent open repair, whereas 43 patients underwent minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE). The patient ages ranged from 4 to 19 years. The average ages for open repair (12 years) and MIRPE (11 years) did not differ significantly. As compared with open repair, MIRPE was associated with a 27% lower overall cost of hospitalization (p < 0.05). The operating room costs were 12% higher for the patients who underwent MIRPE (p < 0.05). The mean operative time for open repair was 3 h 15 min, whereas MIRPE required 1 h 10 min (p < 0.001). The hospital stay for open repair averaged 4.4 days, as compared with 2.4 days for MIRPE (p < 0.001). In contrast to other published series, the postoperative analgesia after MIRPE in this series consisted of narcotics, ketorolac, and methocarbamol. No patient received epidural analgesia, regardless of the repair technique selected. The postoperative complication rate was 4% in the open group and 14% in the MIRPE group. Most of the patients treated with either open or MIRPE reported postoperative oral narcotic usage for 2 weeks or less and returned to routine activities within 3 weeks. The patients and parents alike reported good to excellent overall outcomes in 85% or more of the open repair cases and 90% or more of the MIRPE cases. Conclusions: These data demonstrate for the first time that the use of an alternate pain management strategy including, narcotics, NSAIDs, and methocarbamol, but without epidural catheters, results in reduced hospital length of stay and decreased overall hospitalization costs for MIRPE, as compared with open pectus repair. This cost benefit was achieved without compromising pain management or patient satisfaction with surgical care.
Implementing a Robotics Curriculum in an Early Childhood Montessori Classroom

This paper explores how robotics can be used as a new educational tool in a Montessori early education classroom. It presents a case study of one early educator’s experience of designing and implementing a robotics curriculum integrated with a social science unit in her mixed-age classroom. This teacher had no prior experience using robotics in the classroom beyond a three-day professional development workshop. The case study was constructed by collecting data from surveys, interviews, and a personal blog written by the teacher documenting her experience. The outcome of this research project is a set of suggested criteria for effectively integrating foundational programming and engineering concepts into Montessori early education, based on the inclusion of Montessori tangibles, the need for teacher confidence, and the encouragement of student collaboration.
What's Wrong with Carryover Basis Under H.R. 8

This article examines the carrryover basis provisions of H.R. 8, the Death Tax Elimination Act of 2001. If the estate tax is repealed, the income taxation of gratuitous transfers needs to be examined. Under current law, the combination of sections 102 (excluding gratuitous receipts) and 1014 (giving stepped-up basis to bequests) causes unrealized gains at death to permanently avoid income tax. H.R. 8 purports to repeal stepped-up basis and replace it with a carryover basis rule for bequests. However, H.R. 8 would allow additional basis of up to $1.3 million per estate (augmented by unrealized business and investment losses and unused loss carryovers), plus up to $3 million for qualified marital transfers, to be added to carryover basis. These additional basis rules would permanently wash most unrealized gain of descendants out of the income tax. Additional free basis is not justified in income tax theory or policy. Estate tax features should not be carried over to the income tax. Moreover, a permanent exemption for marital transfers goes far beyond the deferral scheme of the estate tax, but would (in QTIP trusts) mostly benefit the remaindermen. The additional free basis rules would operate in a regressive manner. H.R. 8, says Dodge, is flawed in various other ways, including the fact that it discriminates in favor of life insurance and against pension and annuity rights. Finally, carryover basis is the wrong solution to the section 1014 problem, because (inter alia): (1) it cannot benefit charitable bequests, (2) it would tax gains and losses to the wrong person, (3) it would creates inequities among legatees (and would raise problems for fiduciaries), and (4) (especially the H.R. 8 version) would aggravate the lock-in effect. A better solution, he concludes, would be to treat gains and losses (including loss carryovers) as being realized by the decedent at death.
The role of uncertainties in performance-based design of dynamical systems

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the role of uncertainties in performance-based design of dynamical systems. Performance-based design involves the calculation of design parameters to meet some performance criteria, with corresponding specified reliability over the service life. This chapter investigates the effect of system uncertainties on the performance, robustness, and the effectiveness of performance-based designs. Uncertain system parameters are modeled as random variables with a prescribed joint-probability-density function, while the uncertain load-time history is modeled by a stochastic process. An uncertain linear structural system subjected to a stochastic excitation is presented to illustrate the ideas. When a structural system is being designed, the environmental loads that the built structure will experience in its lifetime are highly uncertain. The uncertain load time history needed in the dynamic analysis of a structure subjected to environmental loads—such as aerodynamic turbulence, wind, water wave excitation, and earthquake—is an uncertain value function, and best modeled by a stochastic process. Probabilistic methods provide the means for incorporating system uncertainties in the analysis by describing the uncertainties as random variables with a prescribed joint probability density function. Designs obtained by deterministic procedures are optimal for the specific set of structural parameter values used during the design process.
A Case Report of Gastric Perforation and Peritonitis Associated With Opportunistic Infection by Sarcina ventriculi

Case 1 A 14-year-old boy presented at the emergency room with sudden onset abdominal pain and distention. One and a half months prior to admission, the patient had a history of bowel reduction secondary to malrotation of small bowel. A concomitant appendectomy was also performed. Radiographic study revealed pneumoperitoneum. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperative findings revealed gastric perforation and necrotic stomach involving the fundus and greater curvature. There was gross contamination of the abdominal cavity by food and blackening of the abdominal viscera. The inferior pole of the spleen had a small infarct. About 600 mL serosanguinous abdominal fluid was aspirated and submitted for culture and sensitivity. The stomach was massively dilated. The omentum along the greater curvature was necrotic and friable.
ATTITUDES TOWARD ATTITUDES TOWARD DEATH

45 male Ss were asked to rate 17 statements concerning attitudes toward death using the Edwards social desirability technique. These statements differed on 2 dimensions: healthy vs unhealthy and hysterical vs obsessive. Healthy sensitivity was found to be most socially desirable followed by healthy insensitivity, unhealthy insensitivity, unhealthy sensitivity.
Online education, signaling, and human capital☆

Abstract Online higher education may lower educational time cost for less able individuals more than for others. If education merely signals ability, decreasing education cost for the less able may decrease welfare by increasing over-investment in education by the more able. When education adds to human capital and may signal ability, decreasing education cost for the less able is more likely to increase welfare the smaller the productivity difference between the more and less able, and the smaller the fraction of the more able in the population.
The Consumer Interest in Corporate Law

This Article provides a comprehensive assessment of the consumer interest in dominant theories of the corporation and in the fundamental doctrines of corporate law. In so doing, the Article fills a void in contemporary corporate law scholarship, which has failed to give sustained attention to consumers in favor of exploring the interests of other corporate stakeholders, especially shareholders, creditors, and workers. Utilizing insights derived from the law and behavioralism movement, this Article examines, in particular, the limitations of the shareholder primacy norm at the heart of prevailing “nexus of contracts” and “team production” theories of the firm. The Article concludes that fundamental reforms in corporate governance may be needed in order to vindicate the consumer interest in corporate enterprise.
Properties and Performance of Promethium Lasers

The optical properties of trivalent promethium (Pm3+) in dielectrics have been reported in very few systems.1-3 This is due to the difficulties associated with acquiring and handling Pm3+-doped materials, since Pm is radioactive, with all isotopes possessing short (<20yr) half-lives.
A Method for Yield and Scaling Characterization of FETs in an InGaP/GaAs Merged HBT-FET (BiFET) Technology

A method for FET yield and scaling analysis of the FET device in a merged FET-HBT GaAs process (BiFET) is described. Using the current-source configuration of a depletion mode FET, a number of devices were connected and stacked together in series and then this stack was replicated into multiple columns; this allows a yield and/or scaling test over a relatively large area. With just one landing of a dc probe, any single device in a 210 device set that has an IDSS that is out of spec will cause a failure that can be quickly identified and its location mapped. In a second type of analysis, a quick measure of device-to-device matching and scaling across a mix of individual and series devices are taken such that any discrepancies can be documented. The matching tests are performed either as side-by-side comparisons or measured over multiple test points as device area is increased progressively. With help from the new structures the root cause of a metal-semiconductor interface problem was quickly identified. It is believed that future BiFET technology iterations will be able to be qualified with fewer development lots and yield targets will be able to be met ahead of schedule.
Social Justice Counseling: The Next Steps Beyond Multiculturalism, by R. C.-Y. Chung and F. P. Bemak

Rita Chung and Frederic Bemak begin their exploration of social justice counseling with an acknowledgement that the mental health field has moved toward greater responsiveness to diversity and mult...
Building the Raspberry Pi Computers and Installing Software

Now that you’ve picked your Raspberry Pi models and chosen the software for them, it’s time to start putting everything together. In this chapter, we’ll look at how to build the Raspberry Pi computers and install software on them.
Chapter 4 – Adaptive Lens

Publisher Summary Adaptive or varifocal lenses with variable focusing powers have attracted much attention because of their wide applications in vision care, consumer electronics such as digital cameras, aberration correction, optical interconnects, and three-dimensional biomedical imaging. The focal power of an optical system is usually changed by nonlinear movement of lenses with spherical or cylindrical powers along the optical axis and such a system consists of several lens components. A lot of efforts have been devoted to the research in adaptive lens. Recent advances in this field have been reviewed in this chapter. For liquid crystal lens, refractive and diffractive LC lenses based on discrete electrodes, hole-patterned electrodes, modal control electrode, hybrid alignment, and polymer/LC materials have been discussed in detail. For liquid lenses, lenses based on mechanic pressure, electrowetting effect, dielectric effect, and hydrogel and thermal effect have been reviewed. Examples of applications in vision care, aberration compensation, zoom lens, and optical tweezers have been discussed.
Effects of Earnings Opacity Internationally

This paper explains the impact of corruption on the level of earnings opacity internationally. The results of a regression of measures of earnings opacity on corruption show a significant relationship between the level of corruption and the level of earnings opacity after controlling for economic development, human development, economic freedom, and size of government.
Alimony in Tax Reform

The proposed changes to the current tax treatment of alimony do not take family law into account and would have the unintended effect of reducing alimony transfers. Although the current tax treatment of alimony has a substantial influence over matters of family law, its impact on the public fisc is small. If the goal of the proposed modifications is to preserve revenue, enforcement of section 71 is a better approach than denying special tax treatment to alimony.
Twenty-Five Years of Experience with Interactive Instruction in Chemistry

In this chapter Bodner, Metz, and Lowrey Casey critically presents 25 years of experience with interactive instruction in chemistry. The chapter begins by presenting the history of the traditional system of higher education in the USA that shaped the way science and mathematics courses were taught. The classic study of exemplary teaching at the high-school level that provides a way to understand the motives that lead a teacher to adopt a classroom environment that involves interactive instruction learning is presented. The chapter continues with the reviews of some of the early work on cooperative learning that influenced the way in which the first implementations of this approach to university teaching in the 1980s were conducted. Authors also describe the study about the effects of interactive instruction on students’ attitude and achievement in the introductory college-level classroom and describe subsequent efforts to bring interactive instruction into upper-level courses.
An Application of ASP to the Field of Second Language Acquisition

This paper explores the contributions of Answer Set Programming ASP to the study of an established theory from the field of Second Language Acquisition: Input Processing. The theory describes default strategies that learners of a second language use in extracting meaning out of a text, based on their knowledge of the second language and their background knowledge about the world. We formalized this theory in ASP, and as a result we were able to determine opportunities for refining its natural language description, as well as directions for future theory development. We applied our model to automating the prediction of how learners of English would interpret sentences containing the passive voice. We present a system, PIas, that uses these predictions to assist language instructors in designing teaching materials.
Circumcision: A Cultural-Legal Analysis

This paper considers the legal and cultural meaning of circumcision, the most commonly performed operation on men in the United States. The paper explores three periods of American history in which circumcision has had very different meanings. Before the turn of the Twentieth Century, circumcision was uncommon and generally disapproved. During the first part of this century, and until recently, the operation became increasingly frequent - first as a cure for disease (especially masturbation), and later as a routine prophylactic measure performed on newborn boys. Beginning in the 1980s, an anti-circumcision movement has developed in the United States and elsewhere in the world that attempts to reverse the positive cultural meanings the operation achieved earlier in the century. The paper uses the case of circumcision to explore the social construction of the Good. It argues that our culture's concept of the Good is organized around certain key polarities: purity and pollution, health and harm, self and other, natural and unnatural, beauty and deformity, gender-appropriate and gender-inappropriate, order and chaos, good and bad, and true and false. The article demonstrates how the cultural meaning of circumcision changed along each of these dimensions during the last hundred years.
An Analysis of the Role of Grain Size on Superplasticity of Γ Titanium Aluminides

The superplastic data for several microcrystalline and submicrocrystalline TiAl alloys has been analyzed to establish the rate controlling mechanism. The results show that the lattice diffusion controlled slip-accommodated grain boundary sliding mechanism is operative for the entire grain size range, 150 nm–20 μm. The detail of the nature of α2 phase, i.e. ordered or disordered, does not influence the kinetics of superplastic flow. The optimum superplastic temperature decreases with the decrease in grain size. The optimum superplastic flow stress shows an intrinsic inverse dependence on the grain size. This grain size dependence of the optimum superplastic flow stress can be explained as the stress required to nucleate dislocations from grain boundary edge during slip accommodation of grain boundary sliding. Superplasticity in nanocrystalline TiAl remains an intriguing possibility because it has the potential for increasing the optimal superplastic strain rate or alternatively, decreasing the superplastic forming temperatures.
Opportunities for Energy Storage in CAISO: Day-Ahead and Real-Time Market Arbitrage

Energy storage is a unique grid asset in that it is capable of providing a number of grid services. In market areas, these grid services are only as valuable as the market prices for the services provided. This paper formulates the optimization problem for maximizing energy storage revenue from arbitrage (day-ahead and real-time markets) in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) market. The optimization algorithm was then applied to three years of historical market data (2014–2016) at 2200 nodes to quantify the locational and time-varying nature of potential revenue. The optimization assumed perfect foresight, so it provides an upper bound on the maximum expected revenue. Since California is starting to experience negative locational marginal prices (LMPs) because of increased renewable generation, the optimization includes a duty cycle constraint to handle negative LMPs. Two additional trading algorithms were tested that do not require perfect foresight. The first sets a buy price threshold and a sell price threshold (e.g., limit orders) for participation in the real time market, subject to the constraints of the energy storage system. The second uses the day-ahead prices as an estimate for the real time prices and performs an optimization on a rolling time horizon. The simple threshold algorithm performed the best, but both fell well short of the potential revenue identified by the optimization with perfect foresight.
Whole-Body Vibration Exposures Among Solid Waste Collecting Truck Operators:

A number of studies have shown an association between whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure and the onset and development of low back pain among professional vehicle operators. This study measured WB...
Does Component Alignment Affect Patient Reported Outcomes following Bicruciate Retaining Total Knee Arthroplasty? An In Vivo Three-Dimensional Analysis.

This is an experimental study. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) retaining bicruciate retaining (BCR) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have the potential to restore normal knee kinematics and thus improve patient outcome. Limited studies have examined the relationship between component alignment and patient-reported outcome measures (PROM). This study aims to determine (1) accurate three-dimensional (3D) component alignment of BCR TKA and (2) whether the component alignment of BCR TKA affects PROMs. The 3D modeling analysis was performed based on computed tomography images from 29 BCR TKAs. Component orientations were quantified for femoral and tibial components in the sagittal, axial, and coronal planes. The knee society scores (KSS) were collected preoperatively and postoperatively at 1-year follow-up. Multiple comparisons were performed to analyze the relationship between component alignment and patient outcomes. High variability was observed in the tibial component alignment (root–mean-square values: axial plane 6.6 degrees, sagittal plane 5.1 degrees, and coronal plane 4.0 degrees). At 1-year follow-up, significant improvement in KSS was noted in BCR TKA patients (p
Upregulation of human immunodeficiency virus-1 in chronically infected monocytic cell line by both contact with endothelial cells and cytokines.

Cells of monocytic lineage (Mo) persistently infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been suspected to be a major reservoir for in vivo transmission of virus to susceptible target cells. Cellular events and mechanisms that upregulate viral gene expression in such cells are important issues. Because the traffic of such cells is central to biodistribution of HIV, we have explored the impact of interaction of endothelium with HIV-1-infected U1 promonocytic cells. Coculturing of U1 with human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC) for 24 to 72 hours in the absence of stimulation induced HIV-1 p24 biosynthesis significantly. Antibody-blocking experiments indicated that CD11/CD18 integrins play a role in upregulation of HIV expression elicited by interaction with HUVEC. Engagement of CD11b/CD18 by adherence of U1 to surfaces coated with either the cognate ligand fibrinogen or monoclonal antibody specific for CD11b/CD18 also enhanced p24 biosynthesis. Furthermore, endothelial cells were found to constitutively synthesize and secrete soluble factors that enhanced HIV- 1 synthesis. The enhancing factors, of estimated size 10 to 45 kD, were induced in HUVEC to high levels by monokines or by lipopolysaccharide, resulting in markedly enhanced HIV-1 expression by U1. These endothelial cell-derived HIV-1-enhancing factors consist of, among others, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1 beta, and granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF). Our results suggest that activation of HIV biosynthesis in infected Mo via interaction with endothelium may impact significantly on the tissue distribution and pathogenesis of HIV infections.
Trends in deceased donor liver enzymes prior to transplant: The impact on graft selection and outcomes.

We sought to characterize the trend in alanine aminotransferase elevations prior to transplant and the impact on the pattern of enzyme elevations on organ utilization and graft function. We performed a retrospective cohort study of UNOS data on all deceased donors between 2007 and 2016. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was categorized into six study groups with peak ALT 3000 IU/L. The change from peak ALT to terminal ALT prior to transplant was categorized as no change/increasing at time transplant, 0.1–9.9%, 10–24.9%, 25–49.9%, 50–74.9% and >75% change. In multivariable models evaluating liver utilization, the interaction between peak ALT and percent change in ALT was most pronounced at the highest peak ALT levels, where liver utilization varied markedly as a function of percentage drop from peak to terminal ALT. There was no increased risk of graft failure based on peak ALT. Conclusion: Markers of ischemic liver injury and recovery are significantly associated with liver utilization, yet among transplanted livers they were not associated with graft outcomes and may represent an area to expand the donor pool.
Whose border is it anyway? Control, contestation, and confluence in Indo-Myanmar borderlands

The implementation of the Look East Policy (LEP) ─ now the Act East Policy ─ in the 1990s signaled a marked shift in India’s economic policy aimed at transforming its northeastern region from a per...
11 – Visual Queries

Publisher Summary This chapter extends the advanced theory of symbolic projection and deals with various issues in active image information systems design. The chapter emphasizes on the system aspects and on how active database concepts can be incorporated into image information systems. It also explores the design of multiparadigmatic visual interfaces to image databases. In a visual interface for image databases, the information stored in the image database needs to be visualized in an information space. The chapter describes different representations ofthe information space. It differentiates between the two types of information space, i. e., logical information space and the physical information space.
At-Speed Defect Localization by Combining Laser Scanning Microscopy and Power Spectrum Analysis

The defect detection capabilities of Power Spectrum Analysis (PSA) [1] have been successfully combined with local laser heating to isolate defective circuitry in a high-speed Si Phase Locked Loop (PLL). The defective operation resulted in missed counts when operating at multi-GHz speeds and elevated temperatures. By monitoring PSA signals at a specific frequency through zero-spanning and scanning the suspect device with a heating laser (1340 nm wavelength), the area(s) causing failure were localized. PSA circumvents the need for a rapid pass/fail detector like that used for Soft Defect Localization (SDL) [2] or Laser-Assisted Defect Analysis (LADA) [3] and converts the at-speed failure to a DC signature. The experimental setup for image acquisition and examples demonstrating utility are described.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Metolazone Compared to Chlorothiazide for Treatment of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Treatment of volume overload in the setting of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is typically achieved through the use of loop diuretics. While they are highly effective, some patients may develop loop diuretic resistance. One strategy to overcome this scenario includes sequential nephron blockade with a thiazide-type diuretic; however, it is unknown which thiazide-type diuretic used in this setting is most effective. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to compare the efficacy and safety of chlorothiazide with metolazone as add-on therapy in the setting of loop diuretic resistance for the treatment of ADHF. Literature searches were conducted through PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct from inception through February 2020 using the following search terms alone or in combination: metolazone, chlorothiazide, acute decompensated heart failure, loop diuretic, and urine output. All English-language prospective and retrospective trials and abstracts comparing metolazone to chlorothiazide for the treatment of ADHF were evaluated. Studies were included if they analyzed urine output for at least 24 hours in patients with ADHF. Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate pooled effect size by using a random-effect model. Primary outcomes included net and total urine output. Secondary outcomes included commonly reported safety outcomes. Four studies comparing the use of metolazone to chlorothiazide as an adjunct to loop diuretics to treat ADHF were included in the evaluation. Metolazone was as effective as chlorothiazide to augment loop diuretic therapy in ADHF in most studies with no pooled difference in net or total urine output. However, there were notable differences in baseline loop diuretic dosing, ejection fraction, renal function, race, and endpoint timing across studies. Adverse effects were commonly observed and included electrolyte abnormalities, change in renal function, and hypotension but were comparable between groups. Metolazone is as effective as chlorothiazide as add-on to loop diuretics in treating ADHF without an increase in safety concerns.
Charting a path between firm-specific incentives and human capital-based competitive advantage

Research Summary Scholars have long recognized the theoretical and practical implications of firm‐specific human capital. However, we highlight that firm‐specific incentives (i.e., worker incentives that provide more utility to workers in the focal firm than similar incentives available at other employers) provide an important pathway to competitive advantages that has not been comprehensively examined in the extant organizational research. We address this gap by (a) defining firm‐specific incentives and showing why they are different from incentive conceptualizations and typologies in the extant literature, (b) articulating potential origins of firm‐specific incentives, and (c) formally proposing the conditions under which firm‐specific incentives facilitate human capital‐based competitive advantages. In so doing, we develop a cohesive theoretical framework of incentive‐based competitive advantage that integrates across multiple literatures. Managerial Summary Just as companies differentiate their products by creating unique value for customers, they also create unique value for their employees. Some companies do this by offering employee incentives, perks, and benefits that are highly unique to the company and difficult for other companies to imitate. These unique incentives, perks, and benefits can help these companies to attract, motivate, and retain top talent at a financial discount and, accordingly, can help these companies realize competitive advantages over their rivals.
The Intrinsic Activity of Thyroxine Is Critical for Survival and Growth and Regulates Gene Expression in Neonatal Liver.

Background: Thyroxine (T4) is generally considered to be a prohormone that requires conversion to triiodothyronine (T3) to exert biological activity. Although evidence suggests that T4 has intrinsic activity, it is questionable if this activity has any physiological relevance. Methods: To answer this question, triple knockout (KO) mice (Triples) that cannot express the types 1 (D1) and 2 (D2) deiodinase and the Pax8 genes were generated. Thus, they lack a thyroid and cannot convert T4 to T3. Triples were injected on alternate days with either vehicle or physiological doses of T4, T3, or T3+T4 from postnatal days 2-14. They were euthanized at P15, and RNA-seq was employed to profile gene expression in the liver. In another experiment, Pax8KO mice were injected with T3, T4, or T4+T3, and growth rate and survival to P84 were determined. Results: The growth retardation of Triples was not improved by either T3 or T4 alone but was significantly improved by T4+T3. In the liver, T4 significantly regulated the expression of genes that were also regulated by T3, but the proportion of genes that were negatively regulated was higher in mice treated with T4 than in mice treated with T3. Treatment with T4+T3 identified genes that were regulated synergistically by T3 and T4, and genes that were regulated only by T4+T3. Analysis of these genes revealed enrichment in mechanisms related to cell proliferation and cholesterol physiology, suggesting a unique contribution of T4 to these biological functions. Pax8KO mice all survived to P84 when injected with T4 or T4+T3. However, survival rate with T3 was only 50% and 10% at 3.5 and 12 weeks of life, respectively. Conclusions: T4 has intrinsic activity in vivo and is critical for survival and growth. At a physiological level, T4 per se can upregulate or downregulate many T3 target genes in the neonatal liver. While most of these genes are also regulated by T3, subsets respond exclusively to T4 or demonstrate enhanced or normalized expression only in the presence of both hormones. These studies demonstrate for the first time a complex dependency on both T4 and T3 for normal mammalian growth and development.
Electrochemical and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Signal Fusion for Detection of UCl3-GdCl3-MgCl2 in LiCl-KCl Molten Salt

This study sets out to demonstrate the capability of using electrochemistry and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for concentration prediction of multiple species in a molten salt system ...
Implicit Invariant Sets for High-Dimensional Switched Affine Systems

In this paper we consider the problem of robust control invariant set computation for discrete-time switched affine systems. We consider additive disturbances and joint state-input constraints. We provide several constructions of N-step recurrent sets from which we derive an implicit description of invariant sets. This is done with a linear program characterizing set recurrence and backwards reachability with affine feedback controllers. The focus of these methods is scalability to systems with high-dimension. The performance of these methods is evaluated on a system modeling consensus of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a system modeling the large-scale control of thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs).
Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infections: Its Significance and Plausible Reason

SARS-CoV-2 induced COVID-19 is continued to spread. In this present situation, where the virus has spread rapidly all over the world, and a meaningful treatment or vaccine is yet to be available, the biggest challenge arises on how to combat its spread. Human infection by SARS-CoV-2 results extremely heterogenous symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic or mild cases to severe hypoxia and ARDS depending upon host immune status. However, the exact mechanism of occurrence of an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19 is not clearly understood. The major and yet to be resolved question is however, the role of “asymptomatic carrier” in spreading the disease. Herein, we summarize our current understanding on the possible clinical significance of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. Particularly, the evolutionary significance, host antiviral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and possible outcome in terms of asymptomatic carrier are briefly discussed. The resulting “asymptomatic carrier” may be the outcome of an efficient host antiviral defense, that effectively limits but could not block SARS-CoV-2 replication, and asymptomatic shedding might occur.
A Case of Bilateral Multifocal Choroiditis Associated with BRAF/MEK Inhibitor Use for Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma.

Purpose: To report a case of BRAF/MEK inhibitor-associated multifocal choroiditis that recurred after medication re-exposure and resolved after discontinuing BRAF/MEK inhibition and administering l...
(An)other Southern Rhetoric: Charlotte Hawkins Brown’s Mammy: An Appeal to the Heart of the South

In 1919 Charlotte Hawkins Brown, founder of the Palmer Memorial Institute, wrote the novella, Mammy: An Appeal to the Heart of the South as a persuasive appeal to white Southern women in Greensboro...
Development of an automated synthesis of [18F] MK-6240 on a GE FASTlabTM synthesizer

1007 Objectives: [18F]-MK6240, as a biomarker for neurofibrillary tangles, is a promising PET imaging agent for studying TAU pathology. The previously reported automated syntheses of [18F]-MK6240 involve lengthy semi-preparative HPLC purification and a post-synthesis column cleaning to remove the deprotected unlabeled precursor. The goal of this work was to develop a HPLC-free synthesis of [18F]-MK6240 on a GE FASTlabTM synthesizer using specially-tailored disposable cassettes. Methods: A few different solid phase extraction (SPE) purification conditions were tested and evaluated by HPLC analysis of the eluted fractions. After the SPE purification was optimized, a FASTlab synthesis sequence was developed in house using GE FASTlab Developer, which involves the following key steps: 1. Trapping and elution of [18F]; 2. Drying of eluent; 3. Labeling under high temperature; 4. Deprotection with acid and neutralization; 5. SPE purification and formulation. The synthesis using the FASTlab platform was tested and optimized, and the formulated product was subjected to QA analysis. Results: The optimal SPE separation was achieved with a Sep-Pak tC18 Plus cartridge. This automated synthesis provided the product in 9.5% yield (non-decay corrected) with high radiochemical purity of 98.1% (n=3) within 1 h. Generally, 130-200 mCi of the labeled product can be obtained from 30 min irradiation at 50-65 μA using GE PET trace cyclotron. The chemical impurities are under 2 ug/ml based on HPLC analysis. Conclusions: An automated synthesis of the novel TAU radioligand [18F]-MK6240 using GE FASTlabTM platform has been developed. The SPE purification method combined with the use of a disposable ‘plug and play’ cassette provides high efficiency and simplicity in operation. This method provides a convenient GMP compliant synthesis of [18F]-MK6240 in high chemical and radiochemical purity.