cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The motion of a spherical particle in unsteady flows at moderate Reynolds numbers

The equations governing the motion of a spherical particle proposed by previous workers are examined and compared with the results of the numerical solution of the full Navier-Stokes equations for unsteady, axisymmetric flow around a freely moving sphere initially injected into an oscillating flow and for unsteady, three-dimensional flow around a freely moving sphere interacting with a large vortex tube. As a result, we propose a modified equation of the particle motion and demonstrate its superiority to the previously proposed equations for both rectilinear and two-dimensional motion over a wide range of Reynolds number and of density ratio.
[Genetic characterization of the isolates of measles viruses in Hongkou district of Shanghai, China in 2012].

Objective To ascertain the genotype of measles viruses isolated in 2012 and genetic characterization of measles viruses in Hongkou district of Shanghai during 2000-2012.Methods Measles virus was isolated from throat swab specimens collected from suspected measles cases and 450 bp fragment of C terminus on nucleprotein (N) gene was amplified by RT-PCR.Sequence analysis was conducted to ascertain the genotype and to compare the difference of nucleotide with other measles virus strain announced by GenBank during 2000-2012.Measles virus genotype was analyzed.Epidemiological investigation was conducted.Results Phylogenetic analysis showed that 7 measles virus samples were isolated from 34 throat swab specimens with 6 of them belonged to H1 genotype,1 belonged to D8 genotype of H1 genotype.H1a appeared the main part of Shanghai measles virus.Epidemiological survey showed that D8 was an imported case,also the first case detected since 2000.Conclusion The genotype distribution of measles virus in Hongkou was identified the same as elsewhere in Shanghai.D8 was an imported case,detected for the first time since 2000.The results suggested that viral gene sequencing and genotyping should be regularly conducted at the measles laboratories in Shanghai to strengthen the networking monitoring program of the disease. Key words: Measles virus; Imported cases; D8 genotype
Syria, the Arab Uprisings, and the Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience

This paper examines the causes of the Arab uprisings with emphasis on the Syrian case, particularly in terms of political-economic elements that seems to escape most analysis of causes. We usually receive a steady explanatory diet with either generic “economic” arguments about poverty or unemployment, or with arguments about intolerance of decades of authoritarian rule. Little attention is given to the interaction between political and economic variables, and even less attention is given to the particularities of every case and their political-economic trajectories. In the Syrian case, these facile and essentially inadequate arguments often take the form of the old and tired “sectarianism” or “sectarian rule” argument, where the Alawi minority is pitted against the Sunni majority. Even more sophisticated arguments that recognize the inadequacy of the “sectarianism” narrative fail to indicate that at least half of Syrian society is itself comprised of minorities. Finally, in the Syrian case in particular, the question of Syria’s regional role and “resistance to imperialism” credentials is introduced by some to blur or mar the anti-authoritarianism protests in favor of regional and international issues that may or may not impinge on the very raison d’etre of the uprisings.
Novel Polyphosphate-Binding Proteins in Human Plasma and Platelet Releasates

Abstract 2270 Introduction: Inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) are negatively charged, linear phosphate polymers found throughout biology. PolyP is secreted in substantial amounts by activated human platelets and it also accumulates in many infectious microorganisms. We have shown that polyP is a potent hemostatic regulator, acting at multiple points in the clotting cascade; in particular, polyP triggers the contact pathway, enhances FXI activation by thrombin, accelerates factor V activation, and modulates fibrin clot structure. Since there may be other, as-yet undiscovered (patho)physiologic roles for polyP, we undertook a study to identify the major polyP-binding proteins in human plasma and in releasates from activated human platelets. Methods: PolyP was end-labeled by biotinylation, then bound to streptavidin coated onto magnetic beads (Dynabeads), polystyrene microtiter plates, or surface plasmon resonance sensorchips. PolyP-Dynabeads were exposed to plasma or to releasates from platelets activated by TRAP; the beads were then washed repeatedly, and polyP-binding proteins were eluted with 1 M LiCl. Eluted proteins were separated by 2-D gel electrophoresis and were identified by mass spectrometry. Some additional proteins known or suspected to bind to polyP were also analyzed in parallel. Binding affinities for selected proteins were quantified by microtiter plate assays or by surface plasmon resonance approaches. Results: Candidate poly-P binding proteins identified in plasma pull-downs included parvulin, factor H, complement C1q, complement C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein, C4 binding protein, and apolipoprotein E. Candidate poly-P binding proteins identified in pull-downs of platelet-releasate included platelet factor 4, multimerin, thrombospondin, and cyclophilin. High affinity binding to polyP was also quantified for thrombin, FXI, FXIa, kallikrien, histones and the isolated polyphosphate-binding domain of E. coli exopolyphosphatase. Conclusions: PolyP binds with high affinity to certain proteins that participate in the coagulation cascade as well as several additional proteins. Some of these are involved in reactions known to be modulated by polyP, but several have yet to be evaluated. Further investigation is indicated into potential roles for polyP in modulation of the complement cascade, prolyl isomerase activity, angiogenesis, and platelet responses. Disclosures: Smith: University of Illinois: Patents & Royalties. Choi: University of Illinois: Patents & Royalties. Morrissey: University of Illinois: Patents & Royalties.
A latent structural equation model of risk behaviors and pressure ulcer outcomes among people with spinal cord injury

Cross-sectional. Our purpose was to develop a latent structural model to demonstrate the relationship between factor structures of risk health behaviors and pressure ulcer (PrU) outcomes among participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). Data were collected at a large specialty hospital and analyzed at a medical university in the Southeastern USA. In total, 1871 participants with traumatic SCI of at least 1-year duration were recruited. Four latent risk behavior indicators were developed and further linked with a higher dimension which is classified as the risk dimension. A latent PrU variable was created and measured by four observable PrU-related outcomes. Latent structural equation modeling was performed to assess the relationship between the latent risk behavior and the latent PrU outcome. Several exogenous variables were also included in the structural equation model. The risk behavior dimension had a significant direct effect on the latent PrU (direct effect=0.323, P<0.01). All direct relationships between the risk behavior dimension and risk behaviors were also significant (rsmoking=0.436, rprescription compliance=0.351 and rspecific prescription misuse=0.502), except alcohol consumption (ralcohol consumption=0.087). Participants who were African American, had higher injury levels and longer time since SCI were more likely to have worse PrU outcomes. The overall findings of this study suggest the need to reduce risk behaviors to prevent adverse PrU outcomes. The risk of PrU outcomes is especially high among people who are African American, have higher level of SCI and have longer time since SCI.
Use of a Single, Independent IRB: Case Study of an NIH Funded Consortium.

Abstract In 2014, the Request for Applications from the National Institutes of Health. (NIH) for continued funding of a multi-site clinical and mechanistic research. Network, Inner City Asthma Consortium (ICAC), called for “efficient IRB review. And approval for multi-center studies” and “IRB approval within 30 days from. Submission”. These requirements were precursors to the NIH policy of single. IRB review for multi-site studies. Here we share our challenges, implementation processes, results, and recommendations, using a single, independent IRB.
Recent changes in reproductive phenology of a K-selected aquatic insect predator, Belostoma flumineum Say (Heteroptera, Belostomatidae).

The timing of critical events like mating, migration, and development has noticeably and recently shifted in many populations of diverse organisms. Here, we report a change in the breeding phenology of giant waterbugs, Belostoma flumineum Say (Heteroptera, Belostomatidae), in the northeastern United States. Waterbugs collected in 2005 and 2006 exhibited previously typical patterns of mating and reproduction: two annual reproductive peaks in which overwintered adults mated in the spring and young adults from a new generation mated in the fall. In 2012 and 2015, despite similar sampling effort, we detected no fall breeding activity in the study area. Reproductive behaviour under controlled laboratory conditions was also different between the earlier (2005 and 2006) and recent (2012 and 2015) years: waterbugs collected in recent years exhibited significant delays in reproduction (>30 days) under similar photoperiod and thermal conditions. We discuss potential causes of this dramatic change in reproductive behaviour, such as climate change, as well as possible negative impacts of the absence of fall reproduction on populations of B. flumineum in the study region.
Armrests and back support reduced biomechanical loading in the neck and upper extremities during mobile phone use.

Abstract Mobile phone use is known to be associated with musculoskeletal pain in the neck and upper extremities because of related physical risk factors, including awkward postures. A chair that provides adequate support (armrests and back support) may reduce biomechanical loading in the neck and shoulder regions. Therefore, we conducted a repeated-measures laboratory study with 20 participants (23 ± 1.9 years; 10 males) to determine whether armrests and back support during mobile phone use reduced head/neck flexion, gravitational moment, and muscle activity in the neck and shoulder regions. The results showed that the chair support (armrests and back support) reduced head/neck flexion (p
Field and Beta-Site Testing of the Dripless Bubbler Ultrasonic Scanner

The Dripless Bubbler technique [1–4] has demonstrated in both laboratory and field trials the ability to identify adhesive disbonds and quantify the metal loss due to corrosion in aircraft fuselage structures. In the latest round of field trials, this technique was successfully applied to aid in characterizing exfoliation corrosion around fasteners in thick wing skins (0.190 – 0.500 inches). In two Beta-site tests, the technique was used to identify delaminations, verify ply drop-offs and evaluate repairs in aircraft composite structures such as rudders, spoilers and flaps.
The Subprime Mortgage Mess: A Chicago Perspective

In this article, I survey the state of the mortgage loan transfer system, the legal rules that govern it, and the widening gap between those rules and the practices in the secondary mortgage market just prior to the 2008 crisis. The review includes some empirical assessment of the extent of errors and execution problems; the damage done by "robo-signing;" the Mortgage Electronic Registration System ("MERS") and note delivery practices; and the extent to which courts will prevent or reverse foreclosure sales based on those errors and problems. I then examine why existing legal structures, for both paper-based and electronic transfers, are not working, and the extent to which they have failed, I also identify the key consumer and investor protection values and interests (finality, transparency, fraud protection, and so forth) that must be addressed by the law governing secondary market transfers of home loans. I conclude by outlining options for reforming the mortgage loan transfer system, including the use of a single document merging the note and mortgage, and a structure for the registration of a single authoritative electronic version of the mortgage/note and of all changes in parties to, and terms of, the transaction. Professor of Law, Valparaiso Law School. Special thanks to Whitney Dickison, Christopher Erickson and Anne Zygaldo for their invaluable assistance with the MERS foreclosure record survey and with additional legal research.
Is There a Solution to the Problem of Lawyer Stress? The Law School Perspective

Terry J. Coogan, a former partner at a large law firm in Chicago where he averaged eighty hours a week, said he felt like Sisyphus. "There wasn't enough I could do to stay in place," Coogan said. "I was looking for an opportunity to get out. I got pushed out, but it turned out to be a good thing," Coogan recalls. Presently, as in-house counsel for a small, closely held company, Coogan averages just forty-five hours a week and says "a prayer of thanksgiving every day that I don't have to deal with that pressure."The stress and pressure that Mr. Coogan felt apparently are not unusual. In their article, Lawyer Distress: Alcohol-Related Problems and Other Psychological Concerns Among a Sample of Practicing Lawyers, Connie J.A. Beck, Bruce D. Sales, and G. Andrew H. Benjamin conclude that "an alarming percentage of newly practicing lawyers are reporting a variety of significant psychological distress symptoms well beyond that expected in a normal population." In layman's terms, an ever-increasing number of attorneys are experiencing symptoms of lawyer burnout due to too much stress. The article also indicates that for many lawyers these psychological distress levels remain high throughout their careers. Noting that at least one researcher found lawyers to regularly use alcohol as a coping mechanism to reduce stress, the authors also looked at the lifetime likelihood of alcohol problems in their own sample study. They found that approximately seventy percent of the lawyers sampled were likely to develop alcohol problems over their lifetime. The purpose of this commentary on the Beck, Sales, and Benjamin study is to focus on a significant subset of the legal community - the private law firm practitioners - and offer a few observations and suggestions. While stress is certainly a pervasive problem within the legal profession, it may be most acute in the law firm setting because of the emphasis on maximizing billable hours or increasing cash flow and file closings in firms that depend largely on contingency fees. Although a multi-pronged approach to dealing with this problem is suggested, our attention is devoted ultimately to the legal academy, where one author presently resides as a faculty member/administrator and from which the other graduated shortly after completing work on this article.
Book Review: “Do You Have a Band?”: Poetry and Punk Rock in New York City by Daniel Kane

“Do You Have a Band?”: Poetry and Punk Rock in New York City , by Daniel Kane. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017. 296 pp. One of the twentieth century’s paradigmatic stagings of the volatile comity between poetry and music, Langston Hughes’s 1926 “The Weary Blues” opens like
A novel computational complete deconvolution method using RNA-seq data

The cell type composition of many biological tissues varies widely across samples. Such sample heterogeneity hampers efforts to probe the role of each cell type in the tissue microenvironment. Current approaches that address this issue have drawbacks. Cell sorting or single-cell based experimental techniques disrupt in situ interactions and alter physiological status of cells in tissues. Computational methods are flexible and promising; but they often estimate either sample-specific proportions of each cell type or cell-type-specific gene expression profiles, not both, by requiring the other as input. We introduce a computational Complete Deconvolution method that can estimate both sample-specific proportions of each cell type and cell-type-specific gene expression profiles simultaneously using bulk RNA-Seq data only (CDSeq). We assessed our method9s performance using several synthetic and experimental mixtures of varied but known cell-type composition and compared its performance to the performance of two state-of-the-art deconvolution methods on the same mixtures. The results showed CDSeq can estimate both sample-specific proportions of each component cell type and cell-type-specific gene expression profiles with high accuracy. CDSeq holds promise for computationally deciphering complex mixtures of cell types, each with differing expression profiles, using RNA-seq data measured in bulk tissue.
“The Books of the Office of My Charge”: A Case Study on the English Translation of a New Orleans Spanish Colonial Judicial Record

Heloise Hulse Cruzat and Laura Louise Porteous spent decades of their lives feeding the quill and ink symbols scratched onto eighteenth century Spanish and French colonial judicial records to their...
Modulating the tumor microenvironment to enhance efficacy of PARP inhibitors.

e14715Background: PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have demonstrated activity in HR deficient tumors through synthetic lethality. However, their clinical efficacy has not been highly promising, with respons...
Implementable Ethics for Autonomous Vehicles

As agents moving through an environment that includes a range of other road users – from pedestrians and cyclists to other human or automated drivers – automated vehicles continuously interact with the humans around them. The nature of these interactions is a result of the programming in the vehicle and the priorities placed there by the programmers. Just as human drivers display a range of driving styles and preferences, automated vehicles represent a broad canvas on which the designers can craft the response to different driving scenarios.
In-situ observation of damage in unidirectional CMC laminates under tension

Abstract We observe microscopic damage progression in un-notched unidirectional SiC–SiC ceramic matrix composite laminates loaded monotonically in tension. In situ tensile testing was conducted in air at room temperature and combined with X-ray tomography imaging. The unidirectional specimens tested were novel double-reduced dogbones designed to develop matrix cracks in the synchrotron field of view. Multiple matrix cracks that rapidly traversed the section of each specimen were observed through the volume until the specimens broke into two pieces. The details of each matrix crack were tracked at each stress increment to better understand how the cracks evolve under load. One of the unidirectional specimens contains a matrix crack that displays a sharp 90° turn along the fiber direction in its final crack path. Fiber breaks were observed and several fibers in the unidirectional specimen showed multiple breaks. Fiber break opening was measured for each fiber break and the average fiber break opening for each stress increment is reported. The location and pullout distance of fiber breaks surrounding a matrix crack, as well as matrix crack spacing, are of modeling interest and are reported.
White matter hyperintensity-associated structural disconnection, resting state functional connectivity, and cognitive control in older adults

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are linked to cognitive control; however, the structural and functional mechanisms are largely unknown. We investigated the relationship between WMH-associated disruptions of structural connectivity, resting state functional connectivity (RSFC), and cognitive control in older adults. Fifty-eight cognitively-healthy older adults completed cognitive control tasks, structural MRI, and resting state fMRI scans. We estimated inferred, WMH-related disruptions in structural connectivity between pairs of subcortical and cortical regions by overlaying each participant9s WMH mask on a normative tractogram dataset. For region-pairs in which structural disconnection was associated with cognitive control, we calculated RSFC between nodes in those same regions. WMH-related structural disconnection and RSFC in the cognitive control network and default mode network were both associated with poorer cognitive inhibition. These regionally-specific, WMH-related structural and functional changes were more strongly associated with cognitive inhibition compared to standard rating of WMH burden. Our findings highlight the role of circuit-level disruptions to the cognitive control network and default mode network that are related to WMH and impact cognitive control in aging.
Additive manufacturing of natural biopolymers and composites for bone tissue engineering

Through the development of additive manufacturing (AM), significant progress has been made in the field of biomedical devices and bone tissue engineering. AM allows for the fabrication of site-specific implants with tailorable porosity and controlled chemistry through the utilization of innovative materials. With the development of composite scaffolds, valiant efforts have been made in relation to the biosignificance of synthetic bone grafting materials. This paradigm shift is only made possible by the discovery of new and novel compounds for scaffold preparation. There is a growing clinical interest regarding natural polymers in order to generate novel properties and functionalities in biomaterial applications. Through 3D printing (3DP) and AM techniques, natural polymer incorporation into bioceramic-based scaffolds and hydrogels has allowed for the advanced treatment of bone ailments and defects through the creation of novel, functionalized composite surfaces. Naturally sourced polymers including chitosan, alginate, collagen, gelatin, cellulose, hyaluronate, silk, fibrinogen, and starch show great potential in the biomedical field due to their inherent biocompatibility, bioactivity, and bioresorbability. This review paper will introduce these natural biopolymers alongside their traditional biomedical applications followed by traditional processing techniques of these biopolymers in conjunction with calcium phosphate in the manufacturing of scaffolds that can be used in the bone tissue engineering field. The final section of the review focuses on the advancement of AM of natural polymers with an emphasis on their applications as scaffolds and hydrogels also for utilization in the bone tissue engineering field.
The Professional Learning Needs of School Principals

The purpose of this qualitative research was to identify the preparation needs of principals through the lens of school superintendents in the southeastern United States. This research was based on...
Electrostatic Energy Harvesting from Human Interactions with Smart Paper Electronics

Smart devices are quickly becoming ubiquitous with the rise of portable biosensors and the internet of things. There exists particular interest in enhancing common objects to have smart capabilities and finding inexpensive solutions for diagnostic tools. One such example is transforming paper items into interactive devices and point-of-care analytic products. Due to the lightweight, flexible, and cost-efficient qualities of paper, unobtrusively powering these devices remains an outstanding problem. In this paper, we demonstrate an electrostatic human-touch powered energy harvesting system, integrated with flexible painted conductive electrodes on paper. This system harvests 8.5 nJ of energy and reaches a voltage of 1.3 V on a 10 nF energy storage capacitor. This technology not only provides a method of powering paper-based products with routine human gestures but can also detect human touch for input communication to sensors.
Data in Motion: Sports as a site for expansive learning

Sports and technology are often pitted as being at odds with one another. While there are several educational activities that make reference to sports we seldom see sports used as an authentic cont...
A new genus with six new species of Edrotini (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae) from the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Vizcainyxgen. nov., and six new species (V. andrewsisp. nov., V. australissp. nov., V. brownisp. nov., V. clarkisp. nov., V. insularissp. nov., V. peninsularissp. nov.) in the tribe Edrotini are described from Baja California and Baja California Sur, Mexico. Three of the six species occur on islands: two are island endemics and the third is found both on islands and the adjacent mainland. A key to the species and distribution map are provided.
Petechiae, Purpura, and a Pandemic: A Recipe for Scurvy

This case report presents the case of a 28-year-old man who developed scurvy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Scurvy is a disease resulting from a nutritional deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). It is a rare condition, whose signs and symptoms can vary from patient to patient. The treatment is vitamin C supplementation, which is often followed by a swift recovery. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of scurvy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article highlights a rare acquired bleeding disorder, which may manifest more commonly during a pandemic due to food scarcity or stay-at-home mandates in those already at risk.
The mechanisms of action of lithium in bipolar disorder

Abstract Lithium has mood stabilization, neuroprotective, and antisuicidal effects. However, the mechanism of lithium remains unclear. The genetic basis for lithium treatment response in bipolar disorder is likely through upregulating and/or downregulating specific genes in neurons and other cells. The regulation of gene expression is believed through intracellular pathways in which calcium level and glycogen synthase kinase-3 are key elements. Modulation of enzymes and proteins of lithium can affect neuronal shapes and dendritic spines, release of neurotransmitters, production of cytokines, regulation of circadian rhythm, and reduction of oxidative burden. These functions are essential for cell survival, neuroplasticity, and prevention of cell death. However, most of these benefits more likely occur in lithium responders. Changes in brain volumes and neuronal connectivity and functional differences between lithium-treated and nonlithium-treated patients and between lithium responders and lithium nonresponders support the neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of lithium.
Neither Skin Sutures nor Foam Dressing Use Affect Tracheostomy Complication Rates.

Abstract Background Tracheostomy is commonly used for managing the airway of trauma patients. Complications are common and result in increased length of stays and treatment cost. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the utilization of skin sutures or foam barrier dressings affect tracheostomy complication rates. Materials and methods This is a single-center retrospective review of patients who underwent a tracheostomy by the trauma service between January 2014 and December 2017. Collected variables included demographics, patient history, treatment variables, complications, and outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were constructed to identify significant predictors for the development of complications. Results A total of 268 patients were included. The median age was 43.5 y, 221 (82.5%) patients were men, and the median BMI was 28 (IQR 24.6, 32.2). Most (87.3%) of the procedures were performed in the operating room and 82.5% were open. Skin sutures were used in 46.3% and 53.4% had a foam barrier dressing placed. Current smoking [OR 8.1 (95% CI 1.5, 43.6)] and BMI [OR 1.1 (95% CI 1.03, 1.2)] significantly increased the risk of developing pressure necrosis. Use of sutures or foam dressings was not associated with pressure necrosis, bleeding, or surgical site infection. There were no unexpected tracheostomy decannulations regardless of the use of skin sutures. Conclusions Suturing the tracheostomy or applying a foam barrier dressing was not associated with overall complications or decannulation rates. Based on our data, we suggest that skin sutures may be safely abandoned.
High Temperature Insulation Materials for DC Cable Insulation — Part III: Degradation and Surface Breakdown

The first two parts in this series gave full analysis and discussion of five high temperature insulation materials, i.e. PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PEEK, and PI over aspects of space charge behavior, conduction property as well as partial discharge, respectively. In this part, the degradation and surface breakdown properties are investigated and the related mechanism is discussed. The results showed that due to stable formation of C-F structures, PTFE and FEP melted locally during arc erosion test, with no carbon element being precipitated. At 25 °C, PI showed the best surface anti-arc erosion property among ETFE, PEEK and PI. However, compared with other samples, the arc withstand property of PI can be much more influenced at higher temperature and in case of surface contamination. Compared with the results measured at 25 °C, the surface flashover voltage decreased for all samples when measured at 150 °C, which can be explained by the expansion of “analogous ineffective region”. FEP has the highest surface flashover voltage at both 25 °C and 150 °C, which is due to higher surface roughness. The content of this paper provides a reference for aging characterization and evaluation of high temperature materials for DC cable and circuit board insulation.
Bank Failure and Credit Ratings

This study explores the role of credit ratings in predicting a bank failure in recent financial crisis. Both logistic regression and Cox proportion model confirm that credit ratings can predict the probability of bank failure, but only two quarters prior to bank failure, relatively sluggish compared to stock market returns, loan-loss provision and leverage variables. There is suspicion on the delay rating adjustment as the result of inflated credit ratings, issuers shop for favorable ratings, and window dressing by the bank managers. The Insight from these findings provides relevant implications to investors and regulators to utilize credit ratings as an alternative early warning system to prevent investment loss or social destruction in a subsequent bank run or contagion effect.
Book Review, Julien Chaisse , China's International Investment Strategy: Bilateral, Regional, and Global Law and Policy, Oxford University Press, 2019, 560 pp, ISBN 9780198827450

In this book, Professor Julien Chaisse, a renowned scholar in the field of international economic law and China-expert, focuses on one of the countries which are proactively (re)shaping our understanding of the international order: the People’s Republic of China (PRC or China). This edited book presents, in a comprehensive, accurate and organized manner, the gradual definition of the China’s investment strategy. This book’s scope includes reflections on the international investment regime, taxation, national economic reforms, mediation, competition law and anti-monopoly law, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), corruption, and the highly-debated China’s Belt and Road initiative (BRI) (object of another book edited by Professor Chaisse). Most of the leading legal scholars and professionals who contributed to the book are based in Asia and working on a daily basis on issues relating to China. This diverse group succeeded in offering different, relevant and innovative contributions. The question that the book attempts to answer is whether China is aligned with the dogmas of international investment and trade law. China’s involvement in the global context is in partial contradiction with the national situation, which formed the basis for many commentators’ critical views of China’s accession to the WTO as a risk to the multilateral trading system in the long term. Did this accession lead to free trade or the end of market-based reform of the national economy? Environmental protection or market domination of the environmental industry? Aid for development or aid for resources?
Associations of Lifetime Nonmedical Opioid, Methamphetamine, and Kratom Use within a Nationally Representative US Sample.

Co-use of non-medical opioids (NMO) and methamphetamine is increasing. So too is the use of the psychoactive botanical "kratom," including among people with NMO and methamphetamine use histories. We assessed characteristics associated with respondent groups who reported lifetime methamphetamine and/or kratom use within a nationally representative US sample using 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data from respondents reporting lifetime NMO use (diverted prescription opioids, heroin). Weighted prevalence estimates for demographic, mental health, and substance use outcomes were determined. Logistic regression examined associations between group membership and outcomes. Among this sample of respondents with lifetime NMO use, 67.6% (95% CI = 65.6-69.4%) reported only NMO use; 4.6% (3.9-5.4%) reported NMO+Kratom; 24.7% (22.7-26.7%) reported NMO+Methamphetamine; and 3.2% (2.5-3.9%) reported NMO+Methamphetamine+Kratom. Compared to those in the NMO-only group, the NMO+Kratom group was more likely to report past-year serious mental illness (SMI; OR = 2.27), suicidality (OR = 1.89), and past-month psychological distress (OR = 1.88). The NMO+Methamphetamine+Kratom group was more likely to report past-year SMI (OR = 2.65), past-month psychological distress (OR = 2.06), and unmet mental health needs (OR = 2.03); increased odds for drug injection, opioid withdrawal, and perceived treatment need also emerged. Risk factors were observed for all groups but were greatest among those reporting use of all three substances.
PROPOSED LOAD EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR U. S. AIR FORCE

The University of New Mexico Civil Engineering Research Facility (CERF) has developed a means of evaluating the load-carrying characteristics of airfield pavements. The system is based on a nondestructive wave propagation technique and is presently being utilized by the USAF in their airfield evaluation program in conjunction with conventional CBR analyses. The technique involves the steady-state vibration of a pavement section and measurement of wave propagation characteristics for each material layer. Elastic moduli computed from propagation velocities are input to a nonlinear finite element computer code capable of calculating the stresses, strains, and deflections induced in the pavement by single-wheel or multiple-wheel landing gear configurations of any aircraft in the code library. Strains for each layer are then compared with failure criteria, which results in an estimate of the predicted pavement life.
Intergenerational Family Transfers in Social Context

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses primarily on the transfer of resources that are explicitly conceptualized as exemplifying costs to the sending generation and benefits to the receiving generation. Intergenerational transfers need to be understood within the context of national and international political economies. Most Western governments have sought to reduce their commitment to their elderly populations and shift more responsibility to older individuals and their families. Under pressures of globalization and the expansion of free market trade, the role of government in providing for its most vulnerable citizens has weakened. In most modern, highly developed nations, economic transfers between generations are far more likely to flow downward from parents to children than in the reverse direction. Two related models of reciprocal exchange have been used to describe the interdependence of generations in less developed nations: the mutual aid model and the corporate-group model. The mutual aid model emphasizes the functional unity of the family and specifies that intergenerational transfers are isomorphic with the needs and resources of each generation. A corporate model of transfers emphasizes the power of the household head to strategically allocate resources where they will produce the best benefit.
"Protein Un-Design": Evolutionary Origins of Native DNA-Binding Architectures in Unfolded Polypeptides

We seek to test the hypothesis that the evolutionary origins of globular proteins, however exquisite in their structural organization, lie within the conformational repertoire of unstructured polyp...
Measures of Powerlessness in Simple Games

Consider a simple game with n players. Let ψi be the Shapley–Shubik power index for player i. Then 1-ψi measures his powerlessness. We break down this powerlessness into two components – a `quixote index' Q i (which measures how much of a `quixote' i is), and a `follower index' F i (which measures how much of a `follower' he is). Formulae, properties, and axiomatizations for Q and F are given. Examples are also supplied.
Mapping the magnetic and crystal structure in cobalt nanowires

Using off-axis electron holography under Lorentz microscopy conditions to experimentally determine the magnetization distribution in individual cobalt (Co) nanowires, and scanning precession-electron diffraction to obtain their crystalline orientation phase map, allowed us to directly visualize with high accuracy the effect of crystallographic texture on the magnetization of nanowires. The influence of grain boundaries and disorientations on the magnetic structure is correlated on the basis of micromagnetic analysis in order to establish the detailed relationship between magnetic and crystalline structure. This approach demonstrates the applicability of the method employed and provides further understanding on the effect of crystalline structure on magnetic properties at the nanometric scale.
Nutritional modulation of cardiotoxicity and anti-cancer efficacy related to doxorubicin chemotherapy by glutamine and n-3 PUFAs (123.8)

Doxorubicin (DOX) has been one of the most effective antitumor agents against a broad spectrum of malignancies. However, DOX-induced cardiotoxicity forms the major factor limiting the dose escalati...
Locus of the Action of Serum and the Role of Lysozyme in the Serum Bactericidal Reaction

The mechanism of the lethal action of human serum on a rough strain of Escherichia coli was investigated by use of serum with and without lysozyme, in medium of low and high osmotic pressure, with cells radioactively labeled in the peptidoglycan polymer, and by electron microscopy. The results suggested that there are two separate components in the bacterial cell wall that afford structural support for the cell. Lysozyme attacked one of these, the peptidoglycan polymer. Serum damaged the other, which is probably the peripherally located lipopolysaccharide-phospholipid complex. The cell wall damage caused by lysozyme-free serum promptly resulted in cell death under usual conditions. In plasmolyzed cells, however, the wall damage was not lethal, presumably because the membrane of the plasmolyzed cell was protected from secondary lethal changes which otherwise occur.
Approximate reasoning mechanismc internal, external, and hybrid

We suggest an input-output system point of view of the mechanism in generalized modus ponens (GMP). The antecedent and consequent in the premise are treated as an input-output pair. The other premise and the conclusion are treated as another pair. It is suggested that the two pairs are related to each other in the sense that they are generated by the same system. With the input-output system aspect, we propose to categorize the previous approximate reasoning mechanism to be either internal or external. More insights of the internal and external mechanism are explored. In addition, a new hybrid mechanism is introduced for the GMP. We suggest a way to justify that one pair is reasoned based purely on the other. This is through the comparison of the truth values of the two pairs. The hybrid mechanism preempts that the truth value of one input-output pair, which also can be viewed as a fuzzy inference, should be identical to the other. This is coined as the Principle of Equal Truth Value (PETV). Some GMP performance, which people would often expect in a realistic GMP but is never rigorously guaranteed in other mechanism, is a natural consequence of the hybrid mechanism. Another interesting result of the hybrid mechanism is that it not only indicates what can be achieved, but also what can not be done in the reasoning. This appears to be more aligned with human experiencec If the basis of reasoning (in the GMP, it is Premise 2) is too far away from the occurrence (i.e., Premise 1), then there is nothing one can say about the consequence (i.e., Conclusion) due to the occurrence.
Caching documents with active properties

Caching in the Placeless Documents system poses new challenges because users can attach active properties to documents. Active properties can modify the document's content as seen by a user. Thus, the caching mechanisms must take into account that a document's content not only depends on when the document was last modified, but also on the set of personal and universal properties attached to the document and the information on which these properties depend. Interestingly, active properties can be used to help caches manage their contents by notifying them of events that affect cache consistency, by providing caches with document-specific verifiers to further check on a document's consistency, and by returning information that can aid in decisions of which documents to cache.
Serum ferritin levels in West Nile encephalitis

ABSTRACT West Nile encephalitis (WNE) presents clinically as aseptic meningitis, meningoencephalitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis. Non-specific laboratory findings, e.g., leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, accompany WNE. Lymphopenia is marked and prolonged with WNE. Three patients with WNE were found to have elevated serum ferritin levels. Severity seemed to be directly related to serum ferritin levels. Although preliminary, the results suggested that serum ferritin levels > 500 ng/mL (normal range 5–187 ng/mL) occur late with WNE, and not in a control group of patients with viral meningitis or encephalitis.
The Effect of Divorce Experience on Religious Involvement: Implications for Later Health Lifestyle.

The divorce-stress adjustment perspective defines divorce not as a single event, but as a process with effects that linger even after remarriage. Previous studies based on the divorce-stress adjustment perspective looked at divorce as a stressful process and analyzed how divorce can negatively affect health outcomes after the actual divorce has taken place. This perspective is a combination of various elements of stress frameworks that has been dominating the literatures on divorce. However, the popularity of the stress framework resulted in less attention to studying divorce as an active or passive choice that some individuals make in their life course and the life event influences their social behaviors in later life, which could provide another possible explanation why divorce can negatively influence health even after remarriage.
Portfolios in Stochastic Local Search: Efficiently Computing Most Probable Explanations in Bayesian Networks

Portfolio methods support the combination of different algorithms and heuristics, including stochastic local search (SLS) heuristics, and have been identified as a promising approach to solve computationally hard problems. While successful in experiments, theoretical foundations and analytical results for portfolio-based SLS heuristics are less developed. This article aims to improve the understanding of the role of portfolios of heuristics in SLS. We emphasize the problem of computing most probable explanations (MPEs) in Bayesian networks (BNs). Algorithmically, we discuss a portfolio-based SLS algorithm for MPE computation, Stochastic Greedy Search (SGS). SGS supports the integration of different initialization operators (or initialization heuristics) and different search operators (greedy and noisy heuristics), thereby enabling new analytical and experimental results. Analytically, we introduce a novel Markov chain model tailored to portfolio-based SLS algorithms including SGS, thereby enabling us to analytically form expected hitting time results that explain empirical run time results. For a specific BN, we show the benefit of using a homogenous initialization portfolio. To further illustrate the portfolio approach, we consider novel additive search heuristics for handling determinism in the form of zero entries in conditional probability tables in BNs. Our additive approach adds rather than multiplies probabilities when computing the utility of an explanation. We motivate the additive measure by studying the dramatic impact of zero entries in conditional probability tables on the number of zero-probability explanations, which again complicates the search process. We consider the relationship between MAXSAT and MPE, and show that additive utility (or gain) is a generalization, to the probabilistic setting, of MAXSAT utility (or gain) used in the celebrated GSAT and WalkSAT algorithms and their descendants. Utilizing our Markov chain framework, we show that expected hitting time is a rational function--i.e. a ratio of two polynomials--of the probability of applying an additive search operator. Experimentally, we report on synthetically generated BNs as well as BNs from applications, and compare SGS's performance to that of Hugin, which performs BN inference by compilation to and propagation in clique trees. On synthetic networks, SGS speeds up computation by approximately two orders of magnitude compared to Hugin. In application networks, our approach is highly competitive in Bayesian networks with a high degree of determinism. In addition to showing that stochastic local search can be competitive with clique tree clustering, our empirical results provide an improved understanding of the circumstances under which portfolio-based SLS outperforms clique tree clustering and vice versa.
Anesthesiological and intensive care considerations in children undergoing extensive cerebral excision procedure for congenital epileptogenic lesions

Introduction Epilepsy is a relatively common condition in childhood with a generally favorable prognosis of the affected population. Nevertheless, a significant minority of the treated children do not respond to the medical treatment so that surgical treatment is necessary. While minor surgical procedures have a negligible incidence of mortality, major ones may carry a significant risk of perioperative complications. The leading cause of mortality is represented by hemorrhagic derangements after high intraoperative and postoperative blood loss, mostly in very young patients. Therefore, restoration of euvolemia, detection and correction of related bleeding disorders represent the major concern for pediatric neuroanesthesiologists and intensivists throughout the perioperative period. The present report is focused on the anesthesia and intensive care management of the surgical epileptic patient.