cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer aided analysis of LPI signal detectability

A low probability of intercept signal detectability analysis (LPI/SDA) program which calculates the detectability of certain spread-spectrum signals by radiometric detection systems is described. LPI/SDA is a PC-based computer aided analysis system which expresses the detectability of a signal in terms of the signal carrier power to one-sided noise power spectral density required at the input to a radiometer to achieve user-specified detection and false alarm probabilities. LPI/SDA also has the ability to calculate LPI system quality factors, which describe the detectability of a signal separately in terms of scenario-dependent and scenario-independent factors. Sample detectability calculations are illustrated, and performance curves are provided. >
Predictors of Loss Management and Well-Being in Later Life Widowhood and Divorce

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that seem substantially to affect the management of loss and subjective well-being of older divorced and widowed individuals. Data were obtained from 219 adults, ages 50-69 years, who were divorced or widowed within two years of interview. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that self-reported personal health was the major predictor of management of loss and well-being for both divorced and widowed respondents with positive ratings of health consistently indicating more satisfactory outcomes. For widowed respondents, time since death of the spouse emerged as a strong predictor in six of the seven criterion measures of loss and well-being. For divorced respondents, time since divorce was not a significant predictor of management of loss and well-being, but divorced women reported more feelings of helplessness/avoidance and anger/guilt/confusion than men.
Agonist-dependent phosphorylation of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor: A possible mechanism for agonist-specific calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells.

The properties of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-dependent intracellular calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells depend crucially on the agonist used to stimulate them. Acetylcholine or carbachol (CCh) cause high-frequency (10-12-s period) calcium oscillations that are superimposed on a raised baseline, while cholecystokinin (CCK) causes long-period (>100-s period) baseline spiking. We show that physiological concentrations of CCK induce rapid phosphorylation of the IP3 receptor, which is not true of physiological concentrations of CCh. Based on this and other experimental data, we construct a mathematical model of agonist-specific intracellular calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells. Model simulations agree with previous experimental work on the rates of activation and inactivation of the IP3 receptor by calcium (DuFour, J.-F., I.M. Arias, and T.J. Turner. 1997. J. Biol. Chem. 272:2675-2681), and reproduce both short-period, raised baseline oscillations, and long-period baseline spiking. The steady state open probability curve of the model IP3 receptor is an increasing function of calcium concentration, as found for type-III IP3 receptors by Hagar et al. (Hagar, R.E., A.D. Burgstahler, M.H. Nathanson, and B.E. Ehrlich. 1998. Nature. 396:81-84). We use the model to predict the effect of the removal of external calcium, and this prediction is confirmed experimentally. We also predict that, for type-III IP3 receptors, the steady state open probability curve will shift to lower calcium concentrations as the background IP3 concentration increases. We conclude that the differences between CCh- and CCK-induced calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells can be explained by two principal mechanisms: (a) CCK causes more phosphorylation of the IP3 receptor than does CCh, and the phosphorylated receptor cannot pass calcium current; and (b) the rate of calcium ATPase pumping and the rate of calcium influx from the outside the cell are greater in the presence of CCh than in the presence of CCK.
Automated Estimation of Spectral Neighborhood Size in Manifold Coordinate Representations of Hyperspectral Imagery: Implications for Anomaly Finding, Bathymetry Retrieval, and Land Applications

In the past we have presented a framework for deriving a set of intrinsic manifold coordinates that directly parameterize high-dimensional data, such as that found in hyperspectral imagery. In these previous works, we have described the potential utility of these representations for such diverse problems as land-cover mapping and in-water retrievals such as bathymetry. Because the manifold coordinates are intrinsic, they offer the potential for significant compression of the data, and are furthermore very useful for displaying data structure that can not be seen by linear image processing representations when the data is inherently nonlinear. This is especially true, for example, when the data are known to contain strong nonlinearities, such as in the reflectance data obtained from hyperspectral imaging sensors over the water, where the medium itself is attenuating. These representations are also potentially useful in such applications as anomaly finding. A number of other researchers have looked at different aspects of the manifold coordinate representations such as the best way to exploit these representations through the backend classifier, while others have examined alternative manifold coordinate models.
Effects of artificial force feedback in laparoscopic surgery training simulators

The use of haptic devices to provide artificial force feedback in teleoperation has been shown to enhance performance. An experiment was conducted to examine how artificial (simulated) force feedback is utilized, compared with real force feedback, in a laparoscopic tissue-probing task Actual (real) forces in probing a double-layer silicon gel mass were replicated and exaggerated in a virtual environment using a haptic device. Ten subjects performed the probing task in four different artificial force feedback conditions: (1) high fidelity force feedback, (2) proportionately exaggerated feedback, (3) disproportionately exaggerated relative force feedback, and (4) reversed disproportionately exaggerated relative force feedback. Results showed that a higher maximum force was applied, detection time was longer, and distance error was greater in virtual probing compared to real probing. Detection time was significantly greater in the virtual high fidelity condition compared to the disproportionately exaggerated force feedback conditions. These results suggest that artificial force information may be processed differently than real haptic information, leading to higher force application that could potentially damage tissues, lower efficiency, and reduced accuracy in tissue probing tasks.
Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 differentially modulates effector memory T cells and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in a mouse model of necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an inflammatory disease with evidence of increased production of proinflammatory cytokines in the intestinal mucosa. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (LR17938) has...
Auctioning the Right to Choose When Competition Persists

Several papers compare auctioning heterogeneous assets sequentially with sequentially selling the right to choose among assets not yet taken. Typically motivated by auctions of condos for owner occupation, these papers have assumed that each winning bidder exits, so each successive auction has less competition. In many heterogeneous-asset-sale situations, a winning bidder may still be interested in acquiring further assets. We build a simple model of persistent competition, in which the distribution of equilibrium revenue from separate sales is shown to be a mean-preserving spread of the distribution of revenue from selling rights to choose. Persistent competition reveals that a high bidder does not always select his most preferred asset, and that one asset being slightly more likely to be a favored asset discontinuously affects equilibrium bidding.
Improvement of Gas Exchange, Pulmonary Function, and Lung Injury With Partial Liquid Ventilation: A Study Model in a Setting of Severe Respiratory Failure

Study objective To evaluate gas exchange, pulmonary function, and lung histology during gas ventilation of the perfluorocarbon-filled lung compared with gas ventilation of the gas-filled lung in severe respiratory failure. Study design Application of gas (GV) or partial liquid (PLV) ventilation in lung-injured sheep. Setting A research laboratory at a university medical center. Subjects Eleven sheep 17.1 ±1.8 kg in weight. Interventions Lung injury was induced by intravenous administration of 0.07 mL/kg oleic acid followed by saline pulmonary lavage. When alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure difference (P[A-a]O 2 ) was 600 mm Hg or more and PaO 2 was 50 mm Hg or less with fraction of inspired oxygen of 1.0, bijugular venovenous extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was instituted. For the first 30 min on ECLS, all animals were ventilated with gas. Over the ensuing 2.5 h, ventilation with 15 mL/kg gas was continued without intervention in the control group (GV, n=6) or with the addition of 35 mL/kg of perflubron (PLV, n=5). Measurements and results At 3 h after initiation of ECLS, Qps/Qt was significantly reduced in the PLV animals when compared with the GV animals (PLV=41±13%; GV=93±4%; p 2 O/kg; GV=0.41±0.02 mL/cm H 2 O/kg; p 2 in the 50 to 80 mm Hg range was substantially and significantly lower in the PLV group when compared with that of the GV group (PLV=25±20 mL/kg/min; GV=87±15 mL/kg/min; p Conclusion In a model of severe respiratory failure, PLV improves pulmonary gas exchange and pulmonary function and is associated with a reduction in pulmonary pathology. (CHEST 1995; 108:500-08)
Spherical-tip indentation of viscoelastic material

In this paper, the indentation of viscoelastic solids by a spherical-tip indenter is analyzed. The viscoelastic solids are described by a standard solid model, that is, a three-element model. The analytical solutions are derived for a half-space of the viscoelastic material based on the method of functional equations. These solutions can apply to the response of compressible as well as incompressible coated layers to a spherical-tip indentation. The results include convenient closed-form formulas for approximating both relaxation testing and creep testing. They establish a fundamental basis for probing mechanical properties of polymeric coatings on substrates with nanoindentation or microindentation tests. Comparisons are made on the tests of both bulk polystyrene (PS) and drying semicrystalline polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) coatings on a silicon wafer to verify the application of analytical solutions to viscoelastic polymers. The moduli obtained for bulk PS correspond with literature values well. While the results from PVOH coatings show good agreement between elastic unloading and viscoelastic models in 10% relative humidity, the viscoelastic model gives a considerably lower value after long-term holds in 70% relative humidity. This is partially attributed to a strain rate effect.
Efficacy of periprostatic local anesthetic for prostate biopsy analgesia: a meta-analysis.

Abstract Objectives To perform a meta-analysis of available randomized trials investigating the analgesic efficacy of periprostatic block with local anesthetic. Methods The National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database was searched for the time period 1966 to August 16, 2005 for all relevant articles. Inclusion criteria included subjects undergoing prostate biopsy, trials that were randomized with one arm of the randomization using local anesthetic for periprostatic block before prostate biopsy, and where the assessment of biopsy pain was measured and available in a form compatible for statistical analysis in our meta-analysis. Results Our search resulted in 107 abstracts, of which a total of 16 articles met all inclusion criteria. There were 660 subjects who received local anesthetics for a periprostatic block and 616 subjects who did not. The weighted mean difference between the groups indicates that subjects receiving local anesthetic periprostatic block would have a statistically lower pain score compared with those who did not (weighted mean difference in visual analogue pain of −1.66 [95% confidence interval −2.03 to −1.29]). Conclusions Our meta-analysis suggests that periprostatic block with local anesthetic for prostate biopsy might result in significantly lower levels of pain during the biopsy procedure. Because periprostatic block with local anesthetic is relatively easy to administer and does not seem to be associated with increased morbidity, clinicians performing prostate biopsies should consider using this technique on a routine basis.
Introduction to Biomaterials Science and Biocompatibility

The field of biomaterials science dates back centuries to the ancient Greeks and Chinese, who used natural materials to ameliorate the effects of diseases. However, not until late in the twentieth century did the design and use of medical devices using synthetic and natural materials advance rapidly. The largely empirical problem-solving strategies, such as trial-and-error materials selection procedures, have evolved into a multidisciplinary field that requires in-depth knowledge of biochemistry, anatomy, structural biology, immunology, histology, pathobiology, engineering, and materials science.
Active Sampling Device for Determining Pollutants in Surface and Pore Water - the In Situ Sampler for Biphasic Water Monitoring

We designed and evaluated an active sampling device, using as analytical targets a family of pesticides purported to contribute to honeybee colony collapse disorder. Simultaneous sampling of bulk water and pore water was accomplished using a low-flow, multi-channel pump to deliver water to an array of solid-phase extraction cartridges. Analytes were separated using either liquid or gas chromatography, and analysis was performed using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Achieved recoveries of fipronil and degradates in water spiked to nominal concentrations of 0.1, 1, and 10 ng/L ranged from 77 ± 12 to 110 ± 18%. Method detection limits (MDLs) were as low as 0.040–0.8 ng/L. Extraction and quantitation of total fiproles at a wastewater-receiving wetland yielded concentrations in surface water and pore water ranging from 9.9 ± 4.6 to 18.1 ± 4.6 ng/L and 9.1 ± 3.0 to 12.6 ± 2.1 ng/L, respectively. Detected concentrations were statistically indistinguishable from those determined by conventional, more laborious techniques (p > 0.2 for the three most abundant fiproles). Aside from offering time-averaged sampling capabilities for two phases simultaneously with picogram-per-liter MDLs, the novel methodology eliminates the need for water and sediment transport via in situ solid phase extraction.
Impaired aldosterone production by long-term infusion of atrial natriuretic factor.

This study assessed the effect of chronic infusions of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) on in vivo and in vitro production of aldosterone. Vehicle (saline) or rat ANF-(99-126) was intravenously infused at 100 ng.kg-1.h-1 for 5 consecutive days into male New Zealand White rabbits. At 5 days plasma ANF was 18 +/- 4.1 pg/ml in vehicle-infused and 48.5 +/- 9.0 in ANF-infused rabbits (P less than 0.01). Plasma renin activity was significantly less in ANF-infused rabbits (2.99 +/- 0.35 vs. 0.77 +/- 0.12 ng.ml-1.h-1, P less than 0.01); however no differences were observed in the basal plasma concentrations of aldosterone, corticosterone, potassium, or hematocrit. In in vivo studies, chronically administered ANF attenuated plasma aldosterone, but not pressor, responses to acutely infused angiotensin II given at doses of 4, 16, and 64 ng.kg-1.min-1 for 20 min each. In in vitro experiments, collagenase-dispersed adrenal capsular cells from ANF-infused rabbits exhibited significantly reduced maximal responses to adrenocorticotropic hormone, angiotensin II, and potassium. These results suggest that chronic small increases in circulating ANF can blunt selectively adrenocortical responses to aldosterone secretagogues without affecting pressor responses to angiotensin II.
Southern ocean overturning compensation in an eddy-resolving climate simulation

The Southern Ocean’s Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and meridional overturning circulation (MOC) response to increasing zonal wind stress is, for the first time, analyzed in a high-resolution (0.1° ocean and 0.25° atmosphere), fully coupled global climate simulation using the Community Earth System Model. Results from a 20-yr wind perturbation experiment, where the Southern Hemisphere zonal wind stress is increased by 50% south of 30°S, show only marginal changes in the mean ACC transport through Drake Passage—an increase of 6% [136–144 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv ≡ 10^6 m^3 s^(−1))] in the perturbation experiment compared with the control. However, the upper and lower circulation cells of the MOC do change. The lower cell is more affected than the upper cell with a maximum increase of 64% versus 39%, respectively. Changes in the MOC are directly linked to changes in water mass transformation from shifting surface isopycnals and sea ice melt, giving rise to changes in surface buoyancy forcing. The increase in transport of the lower cell leads to upwelling of warm and salty Circumpolar Deep Water and subsequent melting of sea ice surrounding Antarctica. The MOC is commonly supposed to be the sum of two opposing components: a wind- and transient-eddy overturning cell. Here, the transient-eddy overturning is virtually unchanged and consistent with a large-scale cancellation of localized regions of both enhancement and suppression of eddy kinetic energy along the mean path of the ACC. However, decomposing the time-mean overturning into a time- and zonal-mean component and a standing-eddy component reveals partial compensation between wind-driven and standing-eddy components of the circulation.
"The 3 Faces of Compassion: Trust Restoration by Transgressors, Victims and Third Parties"

We present an emotion-based model for responding to trust violations. By investigating the emotion of compassion, our model uncovers mechanisms for repairing the three core facets of relationship damage—positive exchange, perceptions of trustworthiness and feelings. It also integrates the three disparate theoretical approaches linked to these facets. The mechanisms we examine reveal the likely strength of trust repair processes ranging from partial repair to full restoration and even the strengthening of trust beyond initial pre- violation levels. In addition, our model explicates when compassion has the ability to pre- empt the need for trust by directly coordinating behavior and potentially undermining the likelihood of future trust repair. After presenting a basic model, we delineate the unique aspects of the model in terms of its implications for understanding how the cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects of compassion influence the ability of individuals to actively repair trust from different ...
“I Believe We Are the Fewer, the Prouder”: Women’s Agency in Meaning-Making after Military Sexual Assault:

This article draws on ethnographic evidence and argues for the theoretical significance of that evidence regarding concepts of personal agency vis-a-vis rhetorics of victimhood. The problem discussed in this article is that a dominant discourse that positions women primarily or exclusively as victims in response to their experience of sexual assault not only works to re-victimize women but imposes unnecessary boundaries on the meaning of these experiences for the women involved. Instead of privileging the dominant discourse, this article seeks to privilege the voices of women who have experienced sexual assault. How women make sense of their experiences and themselves is constituted by their discourses. Among the many ways women choose to make sense of their experience and (re)construct the self is by drawing on the alternative available discourses including their military values and identity.
Load Forecasting of Power Network Based on Wavelet Neural Network

To improve the precision of load forecasting and reflect the influence of climate factors on load better,the Mallat algorithm to carry on the Multi-Resolution Analysis(MRA).The load data and climatic information of Xinjian power network in recent years are applied in the load forecasting.The forecasting results show that the forecasting precision can be improved by choosing training samples.
Laquinimod Interferes With The Development Of Follicular Helper T Cells And Germinal Center B Cells In CNS Autoimmunity (P1.195)

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effect of Laquinimod on the generation of Tfh cells and the associated B cell differentiation in active EAE and in spontaneous opticospinal EAE (OSE). Background: Laquinimod is a novel oral agent with immunomodulatory properties for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. Previously, we demonstrated that laquinimod modulates adaptive T cell immune responses via its effects on antigen presenting cells (APC), including CD11c+CD4+ dendritic cells (DC) that are known to participate in the generation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Tfh cells are critical in B cell differentiation, germinal center formation and IgG class switching. Here, we evaluated the influence of laquinimod on the T-B cooperation. Methods: C57BL/6 mice immunized with recombinant murine MOG or spontaneous EAE mice (MOG-specific T cell receptor transgenic mice (2D2) crossed to MOG-specific B cell receptor knock-in mice) were treated with either laquinimod or vehicle. Results: Laquinimod treatment was associated with decreased frequency of Tfh and reduced expression of BCL6, a transcriptional repressor that directs Tfh differentiation. Treatment also resulted in a decreased frequency of germinal center B cells that paralleled a reduction in anti-MOG IgG antibodies and clinical EAE. Next, we observed that inhibition of Tfh differentiation was observed only when APC from laquinimod-treated mice were used, regardless of whether naive myelin-specific T cells were obtained from laquinimod-treated or untreated mice. In the OSE model, MOG-specific B cells efficiently present MOG to 2D2 T cells, which in turn promote B cell IgG1 class switching. Laquinimod treatment resulted in significant decreases in Tfh cells and anti-MOG IgG levels, which were associated with reduced incidence and severity of the spontaneous disease. Conclusions: Laquinimod treatment of active EAE or spontaneous OSE interfered with the generation of Tfh cells, maturation of germinal center B cells and production of anti-MOG IgG. These findings indicate that laquinimod can modulate T-B cooperation, and suggest it may be beneficial in humoral autoimmunity. Disclosure: Dr. Varrin-Doyer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schulze-Topphoff has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pekarek has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zamvil has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Teva Neuroscience, EMD Serono-Pfizer, Novartis, and Genzyme. Dr. Zamvil has received research support from the National Institutes of Health, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Maisin Foundation, the Guthy Jackson Charitable Foundation, Teva Neuroscience, and Boehringer-Ingelheim.
Neurologic Outcome of Infantile Hypoglycemia

The neurologic development of 90 patients with persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia was studied retrospectively at Hospitalier Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
A method for intrapulse spatial compounding

The speckle texture in ultrasound images is inherent to the coherent beamforming process for diffuse targets and limits the detectability of low contrast targets. Speckle compounding takes advantage of the limited spatial and frequency correlation of speckle by incoherently averaging multiple realizations to reduce the variance and smooth the background texture. Conventionally, spatial compounding requires multiple transducer positions, multiple transmit firings or splitting the active receive aperture. We propose a method to separate multiple decorrelated components from within a focused transmit beam in order to overcome these limitations. Synthetic aperture focusing methods are used in conjunction with a traditional phased array scan to produce multiple subimages to be used in spatial compounding. An average 21.7±5.6% improvement in contrast-to-noise ratio was observed for small (5–10 mm) hypoechoic targets in simulation and in vivo liver using the proposed technique.
Incremental prognostic value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain in patients with aortic stenosis and preserved ejection fraction.

Background— We sought to assess the utility of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) in predicting mortality in moderate to severe and paradoxical severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients with preserved ejection fraction. Methods and Results— We studied 395 AS patients (70±14 years, 57% men) with aortic valve area <1.3 cm2 evaluated between January to June 2008 (excluding severe other valve disease and LV ejection fraction <50%). Clinical and echocardiographic data were recorded. LV-GLS was analyzed using Velocity Vector Imaging. AS patients were classified as (a) moderate–severe (n=93; aortic valve area, 1.1–1.3 cm2), (b) standard severe (n=161; aortic valve area, ≤1 cm2; mean gradient ≥40 mm Hg), and (c) paradoxical severe (n=141; aortic valve area, ≤1 cm2 and mean gradient <40 mm Hg). Additive Euroscore was 7±3. The association of LV-GLS with all-cause mortality was assessed after risk-adjustment using Cox proportional hazards models. Median LV-GLS was −14.8% (interquartile range, −17.2%, −12.1%). At 4.4±1.4 years, there were 92 (23%) deaths. On multivariable Cox analysis, additive Euroscore (hazard ratio, 1.19; 1.13–1.27; P <0.001), New York Heart Association class (hazard ratio, 1.44; 1.11–1.87; P <0.001), AV surgery with time-dependent covariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.29; 0.19–0.45; P <0.001), and LV-GLS (hazard ratio, 1.05; 1.03–1.07; P <0.001) were independent predictors of mortality. LV-GLS <−12.1% (4th quartile) was associated with significantly reduced survival. Addition of LV-GLS to clinical parameters (additive Euroscore+New York Heart Association class) led to significant improvement in prediction of mortality (χ2 increased from 48 to 58; P <0.01). Conclusions— LV-GLS independently predicts mortality in moderate–severe and severe AS patients with preserved LV ejection fraction, providing incremental prognostic utility, in addition to standard clinical and echocardiographic parameters.
Tolkien’s Fairy-Story Beowulfs (1926–1940s)

In Chap. 4, “Tolkien’s Fairy-Story Beowulfs (1926–1940s),” just as Tolkien rewrote the harsh “Story of Sigurd” as a fairy-story in The Hobbit, here Tolkien’s adaptations of Beowulf are explicitly marked by his desire to rewrite Beowulf as eucatastrophic, happily.
Aflatoxin is Degraded by Fragmented and Intact Mycelia of Aspergillus parasiticus Grown 5 to 18 Days with and without Agitation.

Mycelia of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 degraded aflatoxins B1 and G1. Initially 9-day-old mycelia appeared to effectively degrade both aflatoxins; however, later experiments indicated that rates at which 9-day-old mycelia degraded aflatoxins B1 and G1 varied even though the mycelia were produced and evaluated under similar conditions. A comparison of the ratio of rates at which mycelia of different ages degraded aflatoxin B1 and G1 suggests that more than one mechanism may be involved in degradation of aflatoxin by the mold. Mycelia produced when incubation was quiescent or with agitation degraded aflatoxins B1 and G1. Fragmenting of mycelia greatly increased their ability to degrade aflatoxin, thus suggesting that the degrading factor(s) is/are intracellular constituent(s) of the mycelium.
Lien Priorities: The Defects of Limiting the 'Super Priority' for Common Interest Communities

The current foreclosure crisis sweeping the country has had a particularly detrimental effect on common interest communities. These entities – which include condominiums, co-ops, and homeowner associations – require a consistent flow of monthly maintenance payments from unit owners in order to adequately maintain common areas and meet community fiscal responsibilities. When individual unit owners suffer financial setbacks and are strapped for funds, unit owners simultaneously default on payments to mortgage lenders as well as to the common interest community. To resolve the question of lien priorities in foreclosure proceedings, the majority of states have a passed a “super-priority” statute in which the common interest community recovers six months back maintenance fees and the mortgage lenders retains priority on the remainder of the unit’s value. While this statutory framework worked well during periods of rapid real estate turnover, the real estate crisis has derailed the process to the detriment of the common interest community. Delinquent maintenance payments and foreclosure actions have skyrocketed, slowing the pace at which lenders can foreclosure. Units sit uninhabited for years on end without maintenance paying owners. Moreover, once a lender fails to foreclose within six months, the maxed-out community priority gives the lender no incentive to expedite proceedings. Lacking the tools to foreclose or collect the maintenance payments on its own, and hemmed in by a six-month super-priority, associations across the country are at the breaking point.This Note proposes to eliminate the six-month cap in an attempt to rebalance the equities and skew the economic incentives in a manner that motivates lenders to foreclose rapidly. Because lenders can better protect against delinquent unit owners, and can better bear the burden of a junior lien, the proposal is fair and sensible. More importantly, however, the proposal is a substantial step in the direction of stabilizing property values and ensuring the financial health of associations, which is critical to moving beyond the current housing crisis and its related economic ripple effects.
Addressing a weakness of anticancer therapy with mitosis inhibitors: Mitotic slippage

Mitosis inhibitors, which include antimicrotubule drugs, are chemotherapy agents that induce the arrest and apoptosis of mitotic cells. Mitotic slippage, in which mitotically arrested cells exit mitosis, limits the effectiveness of mitosis inhibitors. We have discovered that the CRL2ZYG11A/B ubiquitin ligase promotes mitotic slippage. The combination of antimicrotubule drugs and a CRL2ZYG11A/B inhibitor prevents mitotic slippage to increase antimitotic efficacy.
Pharmacological inhibition of spinal cord injury-stimulated ribosomal biogenesis does not affect locomotor outcome

After unresolved endoplasmic reticulum stress, recovery of protein synthesis including increased expression of ribosomal components and translation factors may induce cell death. Using a mouse model of moderate contusive spinal cord injury (SCI) at the T9 level, upregulation of ribosomal biogenesis was observed in the injury epicenter at 24h after trauma. Such upregulation coincided with endoplasmic reticulum stress response as previously reported in this model. It was also accompanied by changes in expression of many other genes associated with translational regulation. Systemic treatment with a pharmacological inhibitor of RNA-Polymerase-1, BMH-21 reduced rRNA transcription in the spinal cord. Moreover, in the injury epicenter, treatment with BMH-21 increased expression of oligodendrocyte-specific transcripts including Mbp and Cldn11 at 3days post injury. Although such findings may suggest at least transient reduction of oligodendrocyte death, locomotor outcome was mostly unaffected except slightly accelerated recovery of hindlimb function at week 2 post-injury. Therefore, at least in mice, RNA-Polymerase-1 does not appear to be a robust target for therapies to protect spinal cord tissue after contusion. However, these findings raise an interesting possibility that altered rate of ribosomal biogenesis contributes to the apparent translational reprogramming after contusive SCI. Such a reprogramming could be a major regulator of SCI-induced gene expression.
Simulation of the Bottleneck Controlling Access into a Rieske Active Site: Predicting Substrates of Naphthalene 1,2-Dioxygenase

Naphthalene 1,2-dioxygenase (NDO) has been computationally understudied despite the extensive experimental knowledge obtained for this enzyme, including numerous crystal structures and over 100 demonstrated substrates. In this study, we have developed a substrate prediction model that moves away from the traditional active-site-centric approach to include the energetics of substrate entry into the active site. By comparison with experimental data, the accuracy of the model for predicting substrate oxidation is 92%, with a positive predictive value of 93% and a negative predictive value of 98%. Also, the present analysis has revealed that the amino acid residues that provided the largest energetic barrier for compounds entering the active site are residues F224, L227, P234, and L235. In addition, F224 is proposed to play a role in controlling ligand entrance via π–π stacking stabilization as well as providing stabilization via T-shaped π–π interactions once the ligand has reached the active-site cavity. Ov...
Both Hands’ Angles Calculation

In natural communication, people use both hands to express themselves while talking. The bent fingers’ angle for one hand can be detected using the method discussed in the previous chapter. There is a need to detect the angles for both hands to make the gesture-based system more robust. In this chapter, a novel method for angle approximation of both hands’ bent fingers is presented and its application to a robotic hand control is discussed. The system uses a simple camera and a PC.
Traditional and Critical Theory Today: Toward a Critical Political Science

In the famous early theoretical manifesto of the Frankfurt School, “Traditional and Critical Theory” (1937), Max Horkheimer proclaimed the necessity of rethinking the direction in which theory was ...
The Taxonomy of Verbal Behavior

The vocabulary of behavior analysis was established in the context of research with nonverbal organisms (Skinner, 1938). That vocabulary is based on a taxonomy of function rather than one of structure. For example, it identifies operant classes by their environmental effects rather than by their topographies. No major additions were made to this vocabulary when it was applied to the general properties of human behavior (Skinner, 1953), but the extension to specific features of verbal behavior was accompanied by a substantial expansion of technical terms (Skinner, 1957). Some of those terms categorize verbal responses in terms of the basic processes that contribute to their emission; for example, the term tact captures the role of discriminative stimuli in the control of a verbal response. Others take topographical features into account; for example, echoic and textual behavior are distinguished by whether relevant stimuli are auditory or visual. The taxonomy of verbal behavior did not originate in the laboratory. Instead, it was based on observations of verbal behavior in natural environments: The emphasis is upon an orderly arrangement of well-known facts, in accordance with a formulation of behavior derived from an experimental analysis of a more rigorous sort. The present extension to verbal behavior is thus an exercise in interpretation rather than a quantitative extrapolation of rigorous experimental results. (Skinner, 1957, p. 11) Nonetheless, the taxonomy of verbal behavior identifies units into which complex verbal behavior can be decomposed in an experimental analysis, and the continuing expansion of experimental analysis of verbal behavior is likely to add to that taxonomy.
Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 after application of lactic acid bacteria

Establishing novel preharvest intervention strategies for leafy green growers is of critical need with the rise in foodborne outbreaks associated with these products. Recent studies have shown that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are able to reduce the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in various food matrices. Electrostatic application of organic acids has been shown to be effective as a postharvest safety intervention to reduce E.coli O157:H7 on leafy greens. The effect of LAB electrostatically applied and sprinkler irrigated once over a 4 week growth cycle was evaluated against E. coli O157:H7 on spinach.; Results: The results indicated that E. coli O157:H7 when applied once during the 4 week growth cycle will survive in the soil and spinach leaves at harvest. LAB applied electrostatically and by sprinkler irrigation water on the soil and/or leaf surface within the first 4 weeks of the growing cycle resulted in a significant reduction (almost a 3 log10 reduction) of E. coli O157:H7 both on the leaf and in the soil at harvest, regardless of the application time (P < 0.01).; Conclusion: LAB surface treatments have the potential to improve the safety of leafy green plants as a preharvest food safety intervention when combined with good agricultural practices. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
The Action Period of Healthcare Legislation

With Medicare and Medicaid in place, Congress set about determining how to properly staff the medical community to meet the needs of patients. Continuing to work in a spirit of bipartisan collaboration, it determined that there was a shortage of physicians, osteopathic doctors, and dentists. Passage of the Health Manpower Act and the Hill-Burton Act provided incentives for medical education and the construction of hospitals and other medical facilities. The result was an explosion in the number of medical specialists (encouraged by the areas of funding/study undertaken by the newly established National Institutes of Health), a lack of primary care physicians, and difficulty attracting medical professionals to rural areas. Amendments to Hill-Burton helped to address some of these issues, making it easier for hospitals to hire foreign-trained primary care physicians and providing incentives for rural areas to build facilities, hire physicians, and provide services to the poor. Conversely, in large cities where Hill-Burton funds were used for expansion, technology and services were being duplicated from hospital to hospital. Two additional amendments, the Comprehensive Health Planning Program and the Regional Medical Program, helped to consolidate regional services and led to the development of specialty clinics across the country.
ProSecCo: Progressive Sequence Mining with Convergence Guarantees

We present PROSECCO, an algorithm for the progressive mining of frequent sequences from large transactional datasets: it processes the dataset in blocks and outputs, after having analyzed each block, a high-quality approximation of the collection of frequent sequences. These intermediate results have strong probabilistic approximation guarantees and the final output is the exact collection of frequent sequences. Our correctness analysis uses the Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) dimension, a key concept from statistical learning theory. The results of our experimental evaluation of PROSECCO on real and artificial datasets show that it produces fast-converging high-quality results almost immediately. Its practical performance is even better than what is guaranteed by the theoretical analysis, and it can even be faster than existing state-of-the-art non-progressive algorithms.
Migration and elution equations in gradient liquid chromatography.

Abstract What is known in the literature as the fundamental equation for gradient elution (FEGE) was previously proven only for conventional gradient LC – uniform (the same at any distance from the inlet) static (fixed in time) solvent velocity (um) in a column of uniform and static internal structure, cross-section and thermodynamic properties. A published alternative to the FEGE – the general migration equation – is valid for any column-based linear chromatography (GC, LC, SFC etc.). It allows one to theoretically or numerically predict a solute migration time to any location along the column. Starting from that general equation, several migration equations in gradient LC under different operational conditions including non-uniform non-static um, Neue-Kuss retention model and others have been developed in this report. It has been shown that the conditions of validity of the FEGE can be expanded to include non-uniform um. On the other hand, the FEGE is not valid for other unconventional operations of LC including gradient LC with dynamic (changing in time) um. This implies that FEGE cannot be applied to, e.g., gradient LC operating at constant pressure where, due to the change in solvent composition, the solvent viscosity changes causing the change in um with time. Applications of newly developed equations to other unconventional operations of gradient LC were also considered. Several new time parameters of the mobile phase flow were identified, interpreted, and evaluated.
Emerging Challenges to the Safe and Effective Use of Methadone for Cancer-Related Pain in Paediatric and Adult Patient Populations

Methadone continues to be an important medication for the treatment of paediatric and adult cancer-related pain. Appropriate patient selection to ensure safe and effective treatment by a team of clinicians who appreciate and are familiar with methadone and its unique pharmacology is crucial. Unlike morphine and other more common opioids, methadone is purported to have involvement with delta-opioid receptor and higher affinity as an N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor antagonist. Clinically this gives it the advantage of being effective for both nociceptive and neuropathic pain, but also may be useful in the setting of tolerance to other opioids. Methadone also comes in multiple available formulations that can be administrated through a variety of routes beyond the oral route. Challenges with methadone in treating cancer-related pain include drug interactions specifically as it relates to new targeted cancer therapies. Recent guidelines recommend electrocardiogram monitoring with methadone and there is potential for additive cardiac toxicity in the oncology setting. Appropriate dosing of methadone for pain management given age, organ dysfunction, and patients who are on methadone maintenance therapy are also key factors. This article aims to provide clinicians with evidence and clinical practice guidelines for safe and appropriate use of methadone including indication, initiation, and monitoring given its complexity for management of pain in the dynamic oncology setting.
Indigenous sustainable relations: considering land in language and language in land

In this piece we (as one Indigenous anthropologist writing with a non-Indigenous anthropologist) explore research on how land is also connected to the revitalization of Indigenous minority languages and lifeways, suggesting that projects concerning either the sustainability of language and of land should not be considered separately. Under a framework of ‘sustainable relations,’ we explore how Indigenous ontologies of language conceptualize the indivisibility of language and land, and land and humans, which leads to a situation in which projects for the revitalization of language and for the reclamation of connections with land are often linked. The vital importance of the land-language connection for the continued sustainability of language, land and Indigenous lifeways is also showcased through an examination of recent studies looking at correlations between Indigenous language maintenance, engagement with the land and overall health and well-being of communities.
Radiation Exposure and Avoidance in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

The advent of minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS or MISS) heralds an important milestone in the surgical management of spinal disorders. MIS provides the modern spine surgeon the ability to treat spine pathology in a precise, less morbid manner when compared to open procedures. The benefits of MIS over open procedures include, but are not limited to, decreased blood loss, decreased infection rates, and decreased hospital length of stay. These benefits of MIS coexist with the burden of an increased reliance on radiographic imaging in the operating theater. Radiography in MIS can produce significant amounts of radiation, placing both the surgeon and patient at risk. Efforts to limit radiation exposure in MIS stem from a basic understanding of the physical nature of ionizing radiation and its effects on living tissue. Although the quantity of radiation produced in various MIS procedures varies in the literature, a surgeon’s hands and thyroid gland may represent structures consistently at risk. Techniques to limit radiation exposure include preoperative considerations, such as prudently planning when imaging is necessary during a case, and intraoperative adjustments such as appropriately positioning the radiation source in relation to the patient and surgeon. Knowledge of these techniques allows spine surgeons to effectively perform MIS while simultaneously reducing radiation exposure.
On the Design and Analysis of Optimal Wireless Caching Schemes With Placement Cost and Unlimited Memory

Coded caching has been shown to result in significant throughput gains, but its gains were proved only by assuming a placement phase with no transmission cost. A free placement phase is, however, an unrealistic assumption that could stand as an obstacle towards delivering the promise of coded caching. In this letter, we focus on analyzing the effect of the placement communication cost on the overall throughput and the structure of the optimal caching scheme, under the assumptions of the worst case traffic pattern and unlimited memory at the end users. Interestingly, we find relevant network configurations where uncoded caching is the optimal solution.
All-cause mortality and SUDEP in a surgical epilepsy population

Abstract Epilepsy surgery is considered to reduce the risk of epilepsy-related mortality, including sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), though data from existing surgical series are conflicting. We retrospectively examined all-cause mortality and SUDEP in a population of 590 epilepsy surgery patients and a comparison group of 122 patients with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy who did not undergo surgery, treated at Columbia University Medical Center between 1977 and 2014. There were 34 deaths in the surgery group, including 14 cases of SUDEP. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for the surgery group was 1.6, and SUDEP rate was 1.9 per 1000 patient-years. There were 13 deaths in the comparison group, including 5 cases of SUDEP. Standardized mortality ratio for the comparison group was 3.6, and SUDEP rate was 4.6 per 1000 patient-years. Both were significantly greater than in the surgery group (p 10 years after surgery. All-cause mortality was reduced after epilepsy surgery relative to the comparison group. There was an early benefit of surgery on the occurrence of SUDEP, which was reduced after 10 years. A larger, multicenter study is needed to further investigate the time course of postsurgical SUDEP.