cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homosocial desire in men's talk: Balancing and re-creating cultural discourses of masculinity

This article is an exploration of how a group of men in the United States create homosocial (as opposed to homosexual) desire through language. In a society in which dominant discourses of masculinity provide competing scripts of male solidarity and heterosexuality, the achievement of closeness among men is not straightforward but must be negotiated through “indirect” means. It is shown how men actively negotiate dominant cultural discourses in their everyday interactions. In addition, a broadened view of indirectness, based on social function as much as denotation, is argued for.This article was initially presented in much shorter and different form at the Second International Gender and Language Association (IGALA) Conference in Lancaster, U.K., in April 2002. I would like to thank the audience there, and in particular Jennifer Coates, for their comments and lively discussion. I would also like to thank Deborah Tannen for her insightful comments and advice, and two anonymous reviewers whose comments strengthened the article considerably. I would also like to thank the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago for inviting me to have conversation about this work in their semiotics workshop, and specifically Lauren Keeler, Jonathan Rosa, and Michael Silverstein. Ultimately, responsibility for the article's contents remains with the author.
Lactic acid: New roles in a new millennium

The study of lactic acid (HLa) and muscular contraction has a long history, beginning perhaps as early as 1807 when Berzelius found HLa in muscular fluid and thought that “the amount of free lactic acid in a muscle [was] proportional to the extent to which the muscle had previously been exercised” (cited in ref. 1). Several subsequent studies in the 19th century established the view that HLa was a byproduct of metabolism under conditions of O2 limitation. For example, in 1891, Araki (cited in ref. 2) reported elevated HLa levels in the blood and urine of a variety of animals subjected to hypoxia. In the early part of the 20th century, Fletcher and Hopkins (3) found an accumulation of HLa in anoxia as well as after prolonged stimulation to fatigue in amphibian muscle in vitro. Subsequently, based on the work of Fletcher and Hopkins (3) as well as his own studies, Hill (and colleagues; ref. 4) postulated that HLa increased during muscular exercise because of a lack of O2 for the energy requirements of the contracting muscles. These studies laid the groundwork for the anaerobic threshold concept, which was introduced and detailed by Wasserman and colleagues in the 1960s and early 1970s (5–7). The basic anaerobic threshold paradigm is that elevated HLa production and concentration during muscular contractions or exercise are the result of cellular hypoxia. Table 1 summarizes the essential components of the anaerobic threshold concept.
Preventive nutrition services for aging populations

Population aging is a global phenomenon (9, 20, 37, 38, 51). In the last 40 years, average life expectancy worldwide increased from 46 years to 65 years and the gap in life expectancy between all countries narrowed from 25 years to 13.3 years (20). These demographic transitions have brought about dramatic changes in the world’s health needs. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension and stroke, diabetes, pulmonary disease, and certain cancers are either rapidly emerging or are already established at high rates globally (41). Chronic diseases of aging account for nearly half of population morbidity and mortality in the developing regions of the world and over 85% of deaths and disability in developed regions (9,20,37,38,41). Of particular importance to this discussion is that malnutrition, which in this context includes both nutritional excesses and deficiencies, is one of the few preventable risk factors for chronic diseases (41). Carefully planned population-based nutrition interventions can lower risk for chronic diseases and their adverse outcomes. High-risk nutrition interventions can also be used to reach particularly vulnerable segments of the population, such as extremely frail elders, to reduce the prevalence of nutrient deficiencies. Clearly, the prevention of nutrition-related problems in the population, including older persons, has important global health implications.
Structural Models of Gender, Alcohol Consumption, and Health

Background. Gender differences exist in patterns of alcohol consumption and in the health and social effects of alcohol use, but little is known about gender differences in how alcohol use is affected by mental and physical health conditions. Methods. We used structural equation modeling techniques to examine gender differences in the relationships among alcohol consumption, physical and mental health, functional status, and social and demographic characteristics. Data were obtained from a random sample of the adult membership of a health maintenance organization in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Simultaneous models evaluated gender differences in predictors of drinking vs. nondrinking status and, among drinkers, amount of alcohol consumed. Results. Physical health was twice as strong a predictor of drinker/nondrinker status among women compared with men, but among drinkers, there were no gender differences in predictors of amount of alcohol consumed. Mental health predicted drinking status and alcohol consu...
Coupling of Independent Electrochemical Reactions and Fluorescence at Closed Bipolar Interdigitated Electrode Arrays

Electrochemical reactions occurring at the opposite ends of bipolar electrodes (BPEs) are necessarily coupled, enabling electron transfer events at one end to be read out optically, for example, by coupling to fluorogenic reactions at the other end. To explore the potential of this technique for studying multiple redox events, arrays of parallel BPE interdigitated electrode arrays (IDEAs) were fabricated and integrated with separate analytical and reporter microfluidic channels, respectively, in a closed BPE configuration. The apparatus was initially evaluated employing Fe(CN)63/4− in the analytical channel coupled to weakly emissive resazurin and strongly emissive resorufin as the fluorogenic redox reporter pair. The device was then used to investigate a proton-coupled electron transfer reaction, hydroquinone (QH2) oxidation, in structures with an integrated pH modulation electrode (PME). A pH-sensitive dye, fluorescein, was co-introduced into the analytical channel to monitor PME modulation of solution pH, and its coupling to QH2 oxidation, thereby permitting changes in solution pH, and consequently QH2 oxidation rate, to be monitored directly in the analytical channel and compared to the fluorescence in the reporter channel. In addition, diffusion of OH− generated at the PME produced a spatial pH profile that was visualized via fluorescein emission, and, because the oxidation of QH2 at each BPE is strongly dependent on the local pH, via the coupled fluorogenic reaction at the opposite pole of the corresponding BPE digit in the reporter channel. Thus, BPE IDEAs support the coupling of independent redox reactions and the use of fluorescence imaging to explore a diverse set of spatially varying electrochemical phenomena realized in a variety of electrochemical geometries.
Effects of Mithramycin on Calcium Metabolism and Bone in Dogs

Mithramycin (0.1 mg/kg) was administered intravenously to eight Beagle dogs on days 0 and 7 to determine its effects on calcium and phosphorus metabolism, serum parathyroid hormone concentration, osteoclastic bone resorption, and serum biochemical and hematologic parameters. Ionized calcium concentration was paradoxically increased on day 1 and decreased on day 8 in association with an increased serum parathyroid hormone concentration. Serum phosphorus concentration was decreased on days 1 and 2. Osteoclastic bone resorption in iliac cancellous bone was significantly decreased on day 8. There were mild increases in serum alkaline phosphatase (days 1, 2, 4, 8, 9), aspartate aminotransferase (day 9), and gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (days 7, 9) activities. Platelet numbers were increased on days 7 through 13, and packed red blood cell volumes were mildly decreased. This investigation demonstrates that two doses of mithramycin can be administered safely to dogs and may inhibit bone resorption in diseases ass...
Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation of CRMP-2 enhances its interaction with CaV2.2

Abstract The axon/dendrite specification collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP-2) bidirectionally regulates N-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (CaV2.2). But how cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5)-mediated phosphorylation of CRMP-2 affects its interaction/regulation with CaV2.2 is unknown. CRMP-2-mediated enhancement of currents via CaV2.2 was not observed with a Cdk5 phospho-null CRMP-2-S522A mutant or in cells expressing an inactive Cdk5. Concomitant knockdown of endogenous CRMP2 and overexpression of CRMP2-S522A mutant refractory to knockdown phenocopied the reduction in Ca2+ influx while the Rho kinase CRMP2-T555A mutant was ineffective. Cdk5-phosphorylated CRMP-2 had increased association with CaV2.2. These results identify an important role for Cdk5 in CRMP2-mediated CaV2.2 regulation. Structured summary of protein interactions Gsk3b phosphorylates Crmp2 by phosphatase assay ( View interaction ) Crmp2 physically interacts with Cav2.2 by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation ( View interaction )
Deterministic computation of the Boltzmann transport equation with anisotropic scattering cross section

Summary form only given. We present recent work extending the conservative spectral method for the Boltzmann transport equation developed by Gamba and Tharkabhushanam. This formulation is derived from the weak form of the Boltzmann equation, which represents the collisional term as a weighted convolution in Fourier space. We have extended the method to the case of anisotropic scattering cross sections and have investigated the grazing collisions limit of the Boltzmann equation with screened Coulomb potentials. We also present new results demonstating the method's versatility by simulating collisions with Lennard-Jones and other similar intermolecular potentials.
A distributed computing tool for generating neural simulation databases

After developing a model neuron or network, it is important to systematically explore its behavior across a wide range of parameter values or experimental conditions, or both. However, compiling a very large set of simulation runs is challenging because it typically requires both access to and expertise with high-performance computing facilities. To lower the barrier for large-scale model analysis, we have developed NeuronPM, a client/server application that creates a "screen-saver" cluster for running simulations in NEURON (Hines & Carnevale, 1997). NeuronPM provides a user-friendly way to use existing computing resources to catalog the performance of a neural simulation across a wide range of parameter values and experimental conditions. The NeuronPM client is a Windows-based screen saver, and the NeuronPM server can be hosted on any Apache/PHP/MySQL server. During idle time, the client retrieves model files and work assignments from the server, invokes NEURON to run the simulation, and returns results to the server. Administrative panels make it simple to upload model files, define the parameters and conditions to vary, and then monitor client status and work progress. NeuronPM is open-source freeware and is available for download at http://neuronpm.homeip.net. It is a useful entry-level tool for systematically analyzing complex neuron and network simulations.
Modeling the concentration-dependent permeation modes of the KcsA potassium ion channel

The potassium channel from Streptomyces lividans (KcsA) is an integral membrane protein with sequence similarity to all known potassium channels, particularly in the selectivity filter region. A recently proposed model for ion channels containing either n or $(n\ensuremath{-}1)$ single-file ions in their selectivity filters [P. H. Nelson, J. Chem. Phys. 177, 11396 (2002)] is applied to published KcsA channel ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ permeation data that exhibit a high-affinity process at low concentrations and a low-affinity process at high concentrations [M. LeMasurier et al., J. Gen. Physiol. 118, 303 (2001)]. The kinetic model is shown to provide a reasonable first-order explanation for both the high- and low-concentration permeation modes observed experimentally. The low-concentration mode $([{\mathrm{K}}^{+}]l200\mathrm{m}M)$ has a 200-mV dissociation constant of $56\mathrm{m}M$ and a conductance of 88 pS. The high-concentration mode $([{\mathrm{K}}^{+}]g200\mathrm{m}M)$ has a 200-mV dissociation constant of $1100\mathrm{m}M$ and a conductance of 500 pS. Based on the permeation model, and x-ray analysis [J. H. Morais-Cabral et al., Nature (London) 414, 37 (2001)], it is suggested that the experimentally observed ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ permeation modes correspond to an $n=3$ mechanism at high concentrations and an $n=2$ mechanism at low concentrations. The ratio of the electrical dissociation distances for the high- and low-concentration modes is 3:2, also consistent with the proposed $n=3$ and $n=2$ modes. Model predictions for ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$ channels that exhibit asymmetric current-voltage $(I\ensuremath{-}V)$ curves are presented, and further validation of the kinetic model via molecular simulation and experiment is discussed. The qualitatively distinct $I\ensuremath{-}V$ characteristics exhibited experimentally by ${\mathrm{Tl}}^{+},$ ${\mathrm{NH}}_{4}^{+},$ and ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{+}$ ions at $100\mathrm{m}M$ concentration can also be explained using the model, but more extensive experimental tests are required for quantitative validation of the model predictions.
Program readability: procedures versus comments

A 3*2 factorial experiment was performed to compare the effects of procedure format (none, internal, or external) with those of comments (absent or present) on the readability of a PL/1 program. The readability of six editions of the program, each having a different combination of these factors, was inferred from the accuracy with which students could answer questions about the program after reading it. Both extremes in readability occurred in the program editions having no procedures: without comments the procedureless program was the least readable and with comments it was the most readable. >
Overcoming the Activity of Mammary Carcinoma Suppressor Gene in Copenhagen Rats by v-H-ras Oncogene Transfer into Mammary Epithelial Cells in Situ

Abstract Susceptibility to mammary cancer in rats is genetically controlled by both susceptibility and suppressor genes. The Copenhagen (COP) rat strain is highly resistant to both spontaneous and induced mammary carcinogenesis. The resistant trait is due to the inheritance of an autosomal dominant allele termed mammary carcinoma suppressor ( mcs ) gene. To test whether the activity of mcs gene can suppress the transforming potential of an activated oncogene, we introduced v-H- ras oncogene into COP mammary epithelial cells in situ using a replication-defective retroviral vector. v-H- ras transfer caused the rapid development of mammary carcinomas at high multiplicities. Hormonal promotion further increased the penetrance of the activated ras gene. Compared with the mammary carcinoma-susceptible Wistar Furth (WF) rat strain, tumor development in the COP rat followed analogous kinetics. However, COP tumors were more differentiated and less locally invasive than were WF tumors. The possible role of the mcs gene in mammary differentiation is discussed.
Environmental Influences on Flight Activity of USDA–ARS Russian and Italian Stocks of Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) During Almond Pollination

Differences in flight activity and in the percentages of pollen foragers between commercially managed honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), of two stocks (USDA–ARS Russian, n = 41 colonies; and Italian, n = 43 colonies) were evaluated in an almond, Prunus dulcis (Miller) D. A. Webb, orchard in Kern Co., CA, during February and March 2002. Flight activity was measured by taking 1-min counts of bees exiting colonies on each of 9 d. Flight activity was best predicted with a model containing the effects of colony size (populations of adult bees and sealed brood), temperature, time of day, the interaction of adult bee population with temperature, and the interaction of adult bee population with time of day. Flight increased linearly with adult bee and brood population, had a quadratic relationship with temperature (increasing, but less so at higher temperatures), and had a quadratic relationship with time of day (decreasing, but less so at later times). Larger colonies had more response to changing temperatures and less response to different times of day than small colonies. Bee type had no direct influence on flight activity at any given colony size, temperature, or time of observation or when evaluated using a reduced data set retaining 34 Italian colonies and 32 Russian colonies whose mean sizes were equal. Overall, however, Russian colonies were less populous by about one-fourth and so fielded on average 71% of the foragers that Italian colonies did. Pollen collection was measured by capturing returning foragers on 4 d. The percentages of foragers with pollen were not different for the bee types.
Complexity and spectacle: three American landscapes of the 1980s

AbstractDuring the 1980s, American landscape architectural practice renewed its interest in design, opposing—at least in part—the rational analysis that had prevailed during the previous decade. Accompanying this return was an interest in complexity using new materials, forms inspired by contemporary art practices, and involved patterns of planting and paving that at times bordered on the spectacle. Three landscapes stand out as notable, and yet representative, of the state of American landscape architecture thirty years back. George Hargreaves / SWA Group's energetic Harlequin Plaza in Englewood, Colorado, from 1982, demonstrated the impact of postmodern art practices on landscape design and signaled a new direction for designing the office landscape. Peter Walker's 1989 IBM landscapes in Solana, Texas, displayed an understanding and adoption of ideas drawn from minimalist sculpture. Dan Kiley's 1988 NCNB Plaza in Tampa, Florida, relied on an almost mannerist complexity of structure, planting, and form. ...
Emergence, Supervenience, and Realization

In the first section of this paper, I articulate Jaegwon Kim's argument against emergent down ward causation. In the second section, I canvas four responses to Kim's argument and argue that each fails. In the third section, I show that emergent downward causation does not, contra Kim, entail overdetermination. I argue that supervenience of emergent upon base properties is not sufficient for nomological causal relationsbetween emergent and base properties. What sustains Kim's argument is rather the claim that emergent properties realized by base properties can have no causal powers distinct from those base properties. I argue that this is false.
Microhabitat Conditions in Wyoming’s Sage-Grouse Core Areas: Effects on Nest Site Selection and Success

The purpose of our study was to identify microhabitat characteristics of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest site selection and survival to determine the quality of sage-grouse habitat in 5 regions of central and southwest Wyoming associated with Wyoming's Core Area Policy. Wyoming's Core Area Policy was enacted in 2008 to reduce human disturbance near the greatest densities of sage-grouse. Our analyses aimed to assess sage-grouse nest selection and success at multiple micro-spatial scales. We obtained microhabitat data from 928 sage-grouse nest locations and 819 random microhabitat locations from 2008-2014. Nest success was estimated from 924 nests with survival data. Sage-grouse selected nests with greater sagebrush cover and height, visual obstruction, and number of small gaps between shrubs (gap size ≥0.5 m and <1.0 m), while selecting for less bare ground and rock. With the exception of more small gaps between shrubs, we did not find any differences in availability of these microhabitat characteristics between locations within and outside of Core Areas. In addition, we found little supporting evidence that sage-grouse were selecting different nest sites in Core Areas relative to areas outside of Core. The Kaplan-Meier nest success estimate for a 27-day incubation period was 42.0% (95% CI: 38.4-45.9%). Risk of nest failure was negatively associated with greater rock and more medium-sized gaps between shrubs (gap size ≥2.0 m and <3.0 m). Within our study areas, Wyoming's Core Areas did not have differing microhabitat quality compared to outside of Core Areas. The close proximity of our locations within and outside of Core Areas likely explained our lack of finding differences in microhabitat quality among locations within these landscapes. However, the Core Area Policy is most likely to conserve high quality habitat at larger spatial scales, which over decades may have cascading effects on microhabitat quality available between areas within and outside of Core Areas.
Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Vesicles and Micelles by Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers with Double Thermoresponsivity

We present a mesoscopic simulation study of doubly thermoresponsive self-assemblies, revealing previously unknown dynamic behavior and proving experimental hypotheses. By explicitly modeling internal energy as a degree of freedom of coarse-grained particles, we simulated the thermally induced self-assembly process triggered by the evolution of temperature over time and space. We found that both external and intrinsic factors are responsible for altering the assembly pathway of thermoresponsive micelles and hence determining the final aggregate morphology. We identified a frequency regime where thermoresponsive unilamellar vesicles can sustain repeated heating–cooling cycles in a thermal loading test, and we quantified the collapse probability and half-life of the vesicles under frequencies that cause vesicle destruction. Two molecular movement modes dominate, namely flip and slip, in thermoresponsive bilayer membranes during the inversion of composition. We demonstrated that doubly thermoresponsive micell...
The Equilibrium Spreading Tension of Pulmonary Surfactant

Monomolecular films at an air/water interface coexist at the equilibrium spreading tension (γe) with the bulk phase from which they form. For individual phospholipids, γe is single-valued, and separates conditions at which hydrated vesicles adsorb from tensions at which overcompressed monolayers collapse. With pulmonary surfactant, isotherms show that monolayers compressed on the surface of bubbles coexist with the three-dimensional collapsed phase over a range of surface tensions. γe therefore represents a range rather than a single value of surface tension. Between the upper and lower ends of this range, rates of collapse for spread and adsorbed films decrease substantially. Changes during adsorption across this narrow region of coexistence between the two- and three-dimensional structures at least partially explain how alveolar films of pulmonary surfactant become resistant to collapse.
Transient thermal lensing in ZnGeP 2 OPO material

Recently, moderate-to-high-average-power laser light in the 3-5-µm-wavelength atmospheric transmission windows has been generated by using optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) pumped by 2-µm solid-state lasers.1 Currently, the most attractive nonlinear materials for these OPOs are ZnGeP2 and AgGaSe2.
Why Retail Clinics Do Not Substitute for Emergency Department Visits and What This Means for Value-Based Care

Annals of Emergency Medicine - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since mardi 15 novembre 2016
Fastfood Elastic Net: Combining Variable Selection with Kernel Expansion Approximations

As the complexity of a prediction problem grows, simple linear approaches tend to fail which has led to the development of algorithms to make complicated, nonlinear problems solvable both quickly and inexpensively. Fastfood, one of such algorithms, has been shown to generate reliable models, but its current state does not offer feature selection that is useful in solving a wide array of complex real-world problems that spans from cancer prediction to financial analysis.
‘She’s not There’—Shallow Focus on Privacy, Surveillance, and Emerging Techno-Mediated Modes of Being in Spike Jonze’s Her

As tomorrow’s Bluetooth device moves from innovation to necessity, the ever-eliding line of human/machine intimacy and the attendant loss of privacy continues to grow more intriguing and threatening. Ethical notions of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybernetic threats to the human indwelling of being have been a topic of mythic, literary, and filmic inquiry from ancient global creation myths to tomorrow’s multiplex film. Hollywood has expressed AI anxiety regarding the disappearing dividing line between human and machine and sinister hegemonic monitoring from Clarke‘s & Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) to Ex Machina (Garland 2015). Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) explores this anxiety by presenting its hero “falling in love” with his new operating system. Along the way, an analysis has ensued regarding the Snowden document dump revealing the massive bulk collection of US citizen phone records, Obama’s resulting USA Freedom Act and subsequent attempts by the CIA and FBI to undermine that protection. This chapter consults the so-called Turing Test, Asimov’s “The Three Laws of Robotics,” and current privacy concerns in order to analyze how the stylized contrast of deep and shallow focus illustrated in Jonze’s Her speaks to issues of identity and surveillance. The chapter concludes seeking to recover and define what it means to be human according to Her.
Targeting Redox Metabolism For Cancer Therapy: From The Bench To The Bedside

Relative to normal cells, cancer cells have been shown to demonstrate fundamental differences in oxidative metabolism leading to increased steady-state levels of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Alterations in cancer cell oxidative metabolism in turn lead to disruptions in many redox sensitive signaling and gene expression pathways that impact cell growth, differentiation, genomic instability, and cancer progression. Cancer cells adapt to this altered metabolic state by activating many signaling and gene expression pathways that allow them to survive and continue to progress to malignancy, but preclude normal cellular differentiated function. The Free Radical Theory of Cancer originally proposed in the late 1970’s predicted that this fundamental defect in cancer cell oxidative metabolism would represent an “Achilles heel” that could be exploited for cancer therapy. Implementation of this approach clinically has required a significant body of basic science work to clarify the redox biochemistry defining these metabolic frailties and compounds that can be utilized to target these processes. The current lecture will address several basic science and clinical approaches to targeting oxidative metabolism for the purpose of improving cancer therapy.
Policy Attributes, Legislative Entrepreneurs, and Agenda Setting in the Diffusion of Innovations

While the diffusion of policy innovations has been studied extensively at the enactment stage, relatively less attention has been paid to the earlier stages of the process (Karch 2007). In particular, we know relatively little about factors that influence the agenda-setting stage, in which the actions of individual “legislative entrepreneurs” (Mintrom 1997; Wawro 2000) are more important than the institutional, political, and spatial factors that are highly relevant at the enactment stage. In this paper, I argue that patterns in legislative entrepreneurship should be influenced by political and institutional factors, such as expertise and electoral self-interest, but also by five policy attributes, the characteristics associated with Everett Rogers’ typology of innovation attributes. I examine patterns of bill sponsorship across 45 state legislatures in the area of criminal justice policy, looking at innovative policies adopted and considered between 1993 and 2004. I find that policy attributes do not directly influence the likelihood of legislative entrepreneurship, but that policy attributes condition the relationship between legislative specialization and entrepreneurship.
Software verification techniques

The software tools provided with complex test systems need to meet high quality standards. This paper will define an organized, thorough verification process and the developnent of some verification tools to support the same.
Processed Meats and Poultry

The products covered in this chapter are red meats that are processed primarily for the purpose of shelf-life extension and also for flavor enhancement. Specifically, modified-atmosphere-packaged (MAP) and vacuum-packaged (VP) meats are covered along with products such as wieners and sausages.
Spin Hamiltonians and Theoretical Models

The enormous variety and range of solid-state magnetic information is conveniently summarized by spin Hamiltonians that typically involve adjustable parameters. Although Heisenberg exchange in magnetic insulators affords an increasingly complete theoretical model for localized moments, spin Hamiltonians and their parameters are generally phenomenological in nature and may not correspond to realistic pictures of the electronic structure. Theoretical models in principle reconcile such accurate, but partial descriptions and provide consistent microscopic parameters. As illustrated with several examples, magnetic resonance methods in low-dimensional solids are particularly effective in probing the dynamics, dimensionality, and location of spins or charge carriers, the internal structure of excitations, and the ground-state charge transfer. The resulting spin Hamiltonians for paramagnetic semiconductors and conductors are unconventional because optical and electric excitations are inextricably linked to magnetic properties.
Preparing future health professionals via reflective pedagogy: a qualitative instrumental case study

ABSTRACTSimulation activities prepare students for situations and populations that they may encounter as health care professionals working in teams. The current project aimed to interpret students’...
Projected estimates of cancer in Canada in 2020

BACKGROUND: Cancer projections to the current year help in policy development, planning of programs and allocation of resources. We sought to provide an overview of the expected incidence and mortality of cancer in Canada in 2020 in follow-up to the Canadian Cancer Statistics 2019 report. METHODS: We obtained incidence data from the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System (1984–1991) and Canadian Cancer Registry (1992–2015). Mortality data (1984–2015) were obtained from the Canadian Vital Statistics — Death Database. All databases are maintained by Statistics Canada. Cancer incidence and mortality counts and age-standardized rates were projected to 2020 for 23 cancer types by sex and geographic region (provinces and territories) for all ages combined. RESULTS: An estimated 225 800 new cancer cases and 83 300 cancer deaths are expected in Canada in 2020. The most commonly diagnosed cancers are expected to be lung overall (29 800), breast in females (27 400) and prostate in males (23 300). Lung cancer is also expected to be the leading cause of cancer death, accounting for 25.5% of all cancer deaths, followed by colorectal (11.6%), pancreatic (6.4%) and breast (6.1%) cancers. Incidence and mortality rates will be generally higher in the eastern provinces than in the western provinces. INTERPRETATION: The number of cancer cases and deaths remains high in Canada and, owing to the growing and aging population, is expected to continue to increase. Although progress has been made in reducing deaths for most major cancers (breast, prostate and lung), there has been limited progress for pancreatic cancer, which is expected to be the third leading cause of cancer death in Canada in 2020. Additional efforts to improve uptake of existing programs, as well as to advance research, prevention, screening and treatment, are needed to address the cancer burden in Canada.
Sedative effects and pharmacokinetics of detomidine when administered intravenously and intravaginally as a gel in alpacas.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the sedative effects and pharmacokinetics of detomidine gel administered intravaginally to alpacas in comparison with intravenously (IV) administered detomidine. Study design Randomized, crossover, blinded experiment. Animals A group of six healthy adult female Huacaya alpacas (70.3 ± 7.9 kg). Methods Alpacas were studied on two occasions separated by ≥5 days. Treatments were IV detomidine hydrochloride (70 μg kg−1; treatment DET–IV) or detomidine gel (200 μg kg−1; treatment DET–VAG) administered intravaginally. Sedation and heart rate (HR) were evaluated at intervals for 240 minutes. Venous blood was collected at intervals for 360 minutes after treatment for analysis of detomidine, carboxydetomidine and hydroxydetomidine using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Measured variables were compared between treatments and over time using mixed model analysis. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error of the mean, and a p value of Results Onset of sedation was faster in treatment DET–IV (1.6 ± 0.2 minutes) than in treatment DET–VAG (13.0 ± 2.5 minutes). Time to maximum sedation was shorter in treatment DET–IV (8.3 ± 1.3 minutes) than in treatment DET–VAG (25 ± 4 minutes). Duration of sedation was not different between treatments. There was a significant linear relationship between sedation score and plasma detomidine concentration. HR was less than baseline for 60 and 125 minutes for treatments DET–IV and DET–VAG, respectively. The maximal decrease in HR occurred at 15 minutes for both treatments. The mean maximum plasma concentration of detomidine, time to maximum concentration and bioavailability for treatment DET–VAG were 39.6 ng mL−1, 19.9 minutes and 20%, respectively. Conclusions and clinical relevance Detomidine administration at the doses studied resulted in moderate sedation when administered IV or intravaginally to alpacas.
Acute thrombotic manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 infection: Experience at a large New York City health care system.

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel coronavirus that has typically resulted in upper respiratory symptoms. However, we have encountered acute arterial and venous thrombotic events after COVID-19 infection. Managing acute thrombotic events from the novel virus has presented unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our study, we have highlighted the unique treatment required for these patients and discussed the role of anticoagulation for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods The data from 21 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 disease and acute venous or arterial thrombosis were collected. The demographics, comorbidities, home medications, laboratory markers, and outcomes were analyzed. The primary postoperative outcome of interest was mortality, and the secondary outcomes were primary patency and morbidity. To assess for significance, a univariate analysis was performed using the Pearson χ 2 and Fisher exact tests for categorical variables and the Student t test for continuous variables. Results A total of 21 patients with acute thrombotic events met our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most cases were acute arterial events (76.2%), with the remainder venous cases (23.8%). The average age for all patients was 64.6 years, and 52.4% were male. The most prevalent comorbidity in the group was hypertension (81.0%). Several markers were markedly abnormal in both arterial and venous cases, including an elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (8.8) and D-dimer level (4.9 μg/mL). Operative intervention included percutaneous angiography in 25.00% of patients and open surgical embolectomy in 23.8%. Most of the patients who had undergone arterial intervention had developed a postoperative complication (53.9%) compared with a 0% complication rate after venous interventions. Acute kidney injury on admission was a factor in 75.0% of those who died vs 18.2% in the survivors (P = .04). Conclusions We have described our experience in the epicenter of the pandemic of 21 patients who had experienced major thrombotic events from infection with COVID-19. The findings from our cohort have highlighted the need for increased awareness of the vascular manifestations of COVID-19 and the important role of anticoagulation for these patients. More data are urgently needed to optimize treatment and prevent further vascular complications of COVID-19 infections.
Treatment for Pulmonary Embolism: Anticoagulation Selection and Duration

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Parenteral and oral anticoagulant therapies have emerged as the mainstay of therapeutic treatment options for the management of PE. The introduction of direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has revolutionized inpatient and outpatient management of VTE, where historically options were limited to parenteral agents and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Current day parenteral options include intravenous unfractionated heparin, intravenous direct thrombin inhibitors, subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin, and subcutaneous fondaparinux. Oral anticoagulation options include DOACs and VKAs. Select patient populations at high risk for clinical failure or hemorrhagic events, including morbidly obese, frail, elderly, or severe kidney dysfunction require further investigation into the optimal anticoagulant therapy that balances safety and effectiveness. Anticoagulant choice in these high-risk populations is based on limited data and agent specific pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Furthermore, duration of therapeutic anticoagulation should be individualized for each patient and should include initial and periodic assessment of the presence of transient or persistent risk factors for recurrent VTE. This chapter provides essential information and guidance on the practical management of anticoagulant options for patient-centered approach to treatment and secondary prevention of PE.
Steatotic livers for transplantation: improving utilization of a prevalent resource through organ repair

Abstract Liver transplantation provides the only definitive cure for end-stage liver disease. However, the supply of donor organs falls significantly short of demand, resulting in high patient mortality on the waitlist. The supply gap has worsened in recent years due to increasing demand as more patients with cirrhosis from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are listed for transplant. In addition, as the prevalence of obesity increases, more organ donors are found to have steatotic livers at the time of donation resulting in lower utilization of these donated organs due to an increased risk of graft dysfunction and graft loss with transplantation of steatotic livers. Recent advances and increased adoption of machine perfusion technology as a method to test organ viability prior to transplant have improved organ utilization and access to liver transplantation. Machine perfusion also provides a valuable platform for drug delivery, thereby expanding the potential for graft rehabilitation in the ex vivo setting prior to transplantation.
Uncertainty quantification in the radiogenomics modeling of EGFR amplification in glioblastoma.

Radiogenomics uses machine-learning (ML) to directly connect the morphologic and physiological appearance of tumors on clinical imaging with underlying genomic features. Despite extensive growth in the area of radiogenomics across many cancers, and its potential role in advancing clinical decision making, no published studies have directly addressed uncertainty in these model predictions. We developed a radiogenomics ML model to quantify uncertainty using transductive Gaussian Processes (GP) and a unique dataset of 95 image-localized biopsies with spatially matched MRI from 25 untreated Glioblastoma (GBM) patients. The model generated predictions for regional EGFR amplification status (a common and important target in GBM) to resolve the intratumoral genetic heterogeneity across each individual tumor—a key factor for future personalized therapeutic paradigms. The model used probability distributions for each sample prediction to quantify uncertainty, and used transductive learning to reduce the overall uncertainty. We compared predictive accuracy and uncertainty of the transductive learning GP model against a standard GP model using leave-one-patient-out cross validation. Additionally, we used a separate dataset containing 24 image-localized biopsies from 7 high-grade glioma patients to validate the model. Predictive uncertainty informed the likelihood of achieving an accurate sample prediction. When stratifying predictions based on uncertainty, we observed substantially higher performance in the group cohort (75% accuracy, n = 95) and amongst sample predictions with the lowest uncertainty (83% accuracy, n = 72) compared to predictions with higher uncertainty (48% accuracy, n = 23), due largely to data interpolation (rather than extrapolation). On the separate validation set, our model achieved 78% accuracy amongst the sample predictions with lowest uncertainty. We present a novel approach to quantify radiogenomics uncertainty to enhance model performance and clinical interpretability. This should help integrate more reliable radiogenomics models for improved medical decision-making.
Dynamic Antenna Array Design for Scene Classification Through Fourier-Domain Filtering

We present a new approach to the classification of scenes in the microwave and millimeter-wave bands that leverages a novel dynamic antenna array concept to capture distinct features in the spatial frequency information of the scene. The spatial frequency information of a scene is obtained through its Fourier transform, and by sampling a subset of this information, key features can be extracted and used for image classification. We demonstrate that a dynamic antenna array can synthesize spatial frequency filters, and that scene classification can be accomplished using the filtered signals without full image reconstruction. We develop a new dynamic antenna array concept using only two antennas to generate a ring-shaped spatial frequency filter and explore the use of this concept for the classification of ground scenes. Natural ground scenes tend to have smoother spatial frequency signals, while, in contrast, features such as buildings and roadways result in sharp broadband spatial frequency responses. Using this design, we demonstrate the ability to classify between two classes of ground scenes: those with man-made structures (buildings, roads, etc.) and those without (natural scenes). We demonstrate the ability of the spatial filters synthesized by the proposed dynamic antenna array to achieve a classification accuracy of 0.971 with an empirical true positive rate of 0.982. The method is broadly applicable to microwave and millimeter-wave sensing at any range.
Analysis of spatial and temporal changes of RUSLE-K soil erodibility factor in semi-arid areas in two different periods by conditional simulation

Soil erosion is the most important soil degradation process threatening semi-arid and arid areas. In this study, the change in the RUSLE-K soil erodibility values due to changed climatic conditions...
Understanding Conversational and Expressive Style in a Multimodal Embodied Conversational Agent

Embodied conversational agents have changed the ways we can interact with machines. However, these systems often do not meet users’ expectations. A limitation is that the agents are monotonic in behavior and do not adapt to an interlocutor. We present SIVA (a Socially Intelligent Virtual Agent), an expressive, embodied conversational agent that can recognize human behavior during open-ended conversations and automatically align its responses to the conversational and expressive style of the other party. SIVA leverages multimodal inputs to produce rich and perceptually valid responses (lip syncing and facial expressions) during the conversation. We conducted a user study (N=30) in which participants rated SIVA as being more empathetic and believable than the control (agent without style matching). Based on almost 10 hours of interaction, participants who preferred interpersonal involvement evaluated SIVA as significantly more animate than the participants who valued consideration and independence.
Advanced Monitoring System for Large Structural Systems

The concept of a health monitoring system for civil structural systems is continuously evolving as a result of new requirements and the development of new sensor technologies. The area of structural health monitoring is still rather underdeveloped, and there is a lack of consensus on what needs to be monitored and how it can be implemented. The goal of a health monitoring system is to be able to provide advance notice of impending failures, and if possible provide objective data on preventive maintenance and retrofit requirements. In this article the authors have enumerated the general requirements of a successful health monitoring system for bridges, and have provided a real life example of a bridge monitoring system, that the authors are in the process of implementing.
Knotted Surfaces and Their Diagrams

Diagrams of knotted surfaces Moving knotted surfaces Braid theory in dimension four Combinatorics of knotted surface diagrams The fundamental group and the Seifert algorithm Algebraic structures related to knotted surface diagrams Bibliography Index.
A Simple biophysically plausible model for long time constants in single neurons

Recent work in computational neuroscience and cognitive psychology suggests that a set of cells that decay exponentially could be used to support memory for the time at which events took place. Analytically and through simulations on a biophysical model of an individual neuron, we demonstrate that exponentially decaying firing with a range of time constants up to minutes could be implemented using a simple combination of well-known neural mechanisms. In particular, we consider firing supported by calcium-controlled cation current. When the amount of calcium leaving the cell during an interspike interval is larger than the calcium influx during a spike, the overall decay in calcium concentration can be exponential, resulting in exponential decay of the firing rate. The time constant of the decay can be several orders of magnitude larger than the time constant of calcium clearance, and it could be controlled externally via a variety of biologically plausible ways. The ability to flexibly and rapidly control time constants could enable working memory of temporal history to be generalized to other variables in computing spatial and ordinal representations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
New bounds on the (n, k, d) storage systems with exact repair

The exact-repair problem for distributed storage systems is considered. Characterizing the optimal storage-vs-repair bandwidth tradeoff for such systems remains an open problem for more than four storage nodes. A new family of information theoretic bounds is provided for the storage-vs-repair bandwidth tradeoff for all (n, k, d) systems. The proposed bound readily recovers Tian's result for the (4, 3, 3) system, and hence suffices for exact characterization for this system. In addition, the bound improves upon the existing bounds for the (5, 4, 4) system. More generally, it is shown that this bound characterizes the optimal boundary of the exact repair tradeoff for all distributed storage systems, with (n, k, d) = (n, n−1; n−1) when β ≤ 2α/k.