cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual Boundaries An Examination of the Importance of Talking Before Touching

This study examined a woman's clearly articulated sexual boundary and its effect on college students' discrimination of when a woman wants her date to stop making sexual advances. Male and female participants listened to an audio recording of a date rape vignette and signaled when the man should stop making sexual advances. Relative to participants in the no-boundary condition, participants who heard a discussion including a sexual boundary before intimate physical contact occurred displayed significantly shorter latencies to identify the inappropriateness of the man's behavior. No significant difference was observed between male and female participants.
Direct Adaptive Decoupling Control of Nonlinear Systems Based on Neural Networks and Multiple Models

A direct adaptive decoupling controller is presented for a class of uncertain nonlinear multivariable discrete time dynamical systems. The direct adaptive decoupling controller is composed of a linear direct adaptive decoupling controller, a neural network nonlinear direct adaptive decoupling controller and a switching mechanism. The linear decoupling controller can provide boundedness of the input and output signals, and the nonlinear decoupling controller can improve performance of the system, while the switching mechanism is utilized to obtain the improved system performance and stability simultaneously. Theory analysis and simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Unexpected redwood mortality from synergies between wildfire and an emerging infectious disease

An under-examined component of global change is the alteration of disturbance regimes due to warming climates, continued species invasions, and accelerated land-use change. These drivers of global change are themselves novel ecosystem disturbances that may interact with historically occurring disturbances in complex ways. Here we use the natural experiment presented by wildfires in redwood forests impacted by an emerging infectious disease to demonstrate unexpected synergies of novel disturbance interactions. The dominant tree, coast redwood (fire resistant without negative disease impacts), experienced unexpected synergistic increases in mortality when fire and disease co-occurred. The increased mortality risk, more than fourfold at the peak of the effect, was not predictable from impacts of either disturbance alone. Changes in fire behavior associated with changes to forest fuels that occurred through disease progression overwhelmed redwood's usual resilience to wildfire. Our results demonstrate the potential for interacting disturbances to initiate novel successional trajectories and compromise ecosystem resilience.
An Evaluation of the Web Presence of a Nonprofit Organization

How can a nonprofit organization determine the strategic importance of its Web presence and what is the best methodology for doing so? This study uses a combined qualitative and quantitative approach called the Balanced Scorecard (also referred to as BSC) (Kaplan and Norton, 1992). The Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a not-for-profit organization operating in the performing arts industry and is used as a case study here.
Enriching the conceptual basis for query formulation through relationship semantics in databases

Abstract The rapid increase in end-user computing calls into question the suitability of existing database query languages (DBQLs). Because the typical DB end-user is not a DB specialist, it is essential that DBQLs use concepts that are as close as possible to those in the end-users’ cognitive mental model and adopt interface techniques that are suited to end-users’ abilities. Concept-based query languages are well suited for this. This realization has motivated further research in conceptual, or semantic, query approaches. However, the primary focus in this field has been on semantic query optimization, not on query formulation. In this study, we address ourselves to the problem of formulation of queries using concepts. We propose a concept-based query language, called the conceptual query language (CQL), which allows for the conceptual abstraction of database queries and exploits the rich semantics of data models to ease and facilitate query formulation. The CQL approach uses the relationship semantics of semantic data models to render transparent the technical complexities of existing DB query languages. Association semantics are also used to automatically construct query graphs and pseudo-natural language explanations of queries, and to generate SQL codes. A set theoretic formalism for conceptual queries is developed and used. This paper discusses the design of CQL, its expressive power, its implementation, and the strategies for CQL query processing. The implementation of a CQL prototype is briefly discussed in this paper. User experiments were carried out extensively and showed the advantage of CQL over alternative languages such as SQL.
Adjoints and Low-rank Covariance Representation

Quantitative measures of the uncertainty of Earth System estimates can be as important as the estimates themselves. Second moments of estimation errors are described by the covariance matrix, whose direct calculation is impractical when the number of degrees of freedom of the system state is large. Ensemble and reduced-state approaches to prediction and data assimilation replace full estimation error covariance matrices by low-rank approximations. The appropriateness of such approximations depends on the spectrum of the full error covariance matrix, whose calculation is also often impractical. Here we examine the situation where the error covariance is a linear transformation of a forcing error covariance. We use operator norms and adjoints to relate the appropriateness of low-rank representations to the conditioning of this transformation. The analysis is used to investigate low-rank representations of the steady-state response to random forcing of an idealized discrete-time dynamical system.
Petri nets and programming: A survey

Petri nets and related models have been used for specification, analysis, and synthesis of programs. The paper contains a survey of several literature approaches and an examination of their relationship to Petri net modeling and supervisory control. The discussion is restricted to Petri net models in the class of place/transitions nets and the supervisory control of this class of models.
From Historical to Enduring Injustice

Advocates of remedying historical injustices urge political communities to take responsibility for their past, but their arguments are ambiguous about whether all past injustices need remedy, or ju...
Discrimination between epileptic and injury-induced repetitive firing in chronic epileptic cortex.

Abstract A total of 205 pyramidal tract neurons recorded extracellularly from normal and epileptic cortex were studied with respect to spontaneous and evoked activity. Clear differences could be ascertained between cells injured in normal cortex and cells injured in epileptic cortex. In epileptic cortex it was common for injury-induced repetitive firing to closely mimic burst firing which was believed to represent spontaneous epileptic activity. Distinctions between normal and epileptic cortex could be determined by two criteria: (i) stability of cell firing patterns over time under constant behavioral conditions, and (ii) stability of cell firing patterns as a function of microelectrode manipulation. It appears relevant that cells recorded from gliotic cortex appear more mechanosensitive than those recorded from normal cortex or penicillin epileptic cortex. This implication is discussed as a potential contributing factor in chronic experimental epileptic foci.
User protocols: tools for building an understanding of users

The author suggests two uses for user protocols: as litmus tests for document (and interface) decisions being made during development, and as agents for building a long-term understanding of users as actors. She also reviews the various history of usability studies and presents extent definitions of protocols. >
The design of a high-performance scalable architecture for image processing applications

The authors present the organization of an interleaved wrap-around memory system for a partitionable parallel/pipeline architecture with P pipes of L processors each. The architecture is designed to efficiently support real-time image processing and computer vision algorithms, especially those requiring global data operations. The interleaved memory system makes the architecture highly scalable in that L and P can be chosen to optimize performance for particular problems and reconfigurable in that, once L and P are fixed, problems of any size can still be mapped onto the architecture. The authors demonstrate techniques and methods for mapping computational structures to the architecture by considering the case of the 1-D butterfly network (1DBN). Since many other computational structures can be mapped to 1DBN, this gives a firm application base for the architecture. The authors also demonstrate methods for scheduling and controlling the memory system. >
Location and timing of care for colon cancer patients in the VA Health System.

Abstract Background We sought to identify colon cancer patients within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system who experienced lengthy wait times for surgery or chemotherapy. We looked specifically at the relationship between location of treatment and timing of care. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 4635 patients diagnosed with colon cancer in the VA Health System during 2002–2010 and treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy. We used VA administrative databases, including the VA Outpatient Clinic, Patient Treatment, and Fee Basis inpatient and outpatient files. Time from diagnosis to surgery and time from surgery to initiation of chemotherapy were the primary outcome measures. Results Patients who required referral to a hospital different from their home VA facility for surgery experienced delays in surgical intervention compared with patients treated at their home VA medical center. For patients referred outside of the VA system, this delay was almost 2 wk (13.5 d, P 8 wk following surgery (OR 1.69, P = 0.01). The average adjusted time from surgery to chemotherapy for these patients compared with those treated wholly within the VA system was 11.4 d ( P = 0.003). Conclusions VA patients who require treatment at multiple hospitals for colon cancer, especially those who require surgery outside of the VA system, are more likely to experience delays in care compared with patients treated at a single hospital.
The Decision-Usefulness of Nonprofit Fundraising Ratios: Some Contrary Evidence:

Prior research indicates that donors consider nonprofit organizations' historic fundraising ratios when making donation decisions. Theoretically, however, historic ratios are only pertinent to the ...
Stack filters: theory and applications

Stack filters are a large class of nonlinear filters which obey a weak superposition property called the threshold decomposition and an ordering property called the stacking property. They contain such other well-known nonlinear filters as median filters, rank-order filters, weighted median filters, weighted order statistic filters, and increasing morphological filters with flat structuring elements. In this paper, the theory of MMAE stack filtering is reviewed, and a new, fast algorithm for adaptive stack filtering is introduced. Examples showing the output of optimal stack filters are provided. >
Stimulation at dorsal and ventral electrode contacts targeted at the subthalamic nucleus has different effects on motor and emotion functions in Parkinson's disease

Motor and emotion processing depend on different fronto-basal ganglia circuits. Distinct sub-regions of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) may modulate these circuits. We evaluated whether stimulation targeted at separate territories in the STN region would differentially affect motor and emotion function. In a double-blind design, we studied twenty Parkinson's disease patients who had deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes implanted bilaterally in the STN. We stimulated either dorsal or ventral contacts of the STN electrodes on separate days in each patient and acquired behavioral measures. Dorsal contact stimulation improved motor function by reducing scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and by reducing both reaction time and reaction time variability compared to ventral contact stimulation. By contrast, ventral contact stimulation led to an increase in positive emotion compared to dorsal contact stimulation. These results support the hypothesis that different territories within the STN region implement motor and emotion functions.
Second Law and Solution Structure

This summary paper starts from the fact that activity data are now published that give positive proof of the Second Law, i.e., highly precise experimental data show forms that would not occur unless the law held. Such positive proof contrasts with the essentially negative approach that “violations of the law have not been demonstrated” or with what Bridgman emphasized as an economic law controlling chemistry, i.e., “that you can’t get something for nothing.” In view of those activity data, we intend that all our present discussion shall be consistent with the Second Law. The paper deals with precise experimental data from nonrandom solutions and with our views as to (a) how the data should be taken and (b) how thermodynamics should be applied to such solutions, both solid and liquid. It deals with effects from numerous phenomena: nonstoichiometry and superlattices in solids; solid-like structures in liquids; metastability; hysteresis; persistent lattice stresses or slow diffusion; anomalies associated with one-component equilibrium in two-component systems; EMF changes caused by metal solubility in molten salts and the resultant mixed-valence electrolytes; and exchange reactions and electronic conduction in EMF cells. Proper plots for evaluating experimental data are considered. Effects of structure on partial molal entropies and enthalpies are discussed in relation to general behavioral trends of random solutions. For example, effects of solution ordering frequently look like fine structure imposed on the trends described by regular-solution theory (with its random-solution assumption).
Mathematical Miscalculations and Monopoly Pricing Strategies

Economic models focus on prices that announce a cost for one unit. Often prices assigning a cost for multiple units are chosen. For either, any quantity can be purchased at a constant per unit price. I incorporate the experimental phenomenon of mathematical miscalculations to explain the use of both linear pricing strategies. When calculating the per unit price, an error may lead a consumer to either purchase mistakenly or not purchase a unit when she should. These two consequences distinguish the two. Furthermore, I show that announcing a price for multiple units, in certain environments, outperforms non-linear prices.
WALL LAYER MICROTURBULENCE PHENOMENOLOGICAL MODEL AND A SEMI-MARKOV PROBABILITY PREDICTIVE MODEL FOR ACTIVE CONTROL OF TURBULENT BOUNDARY LAYERS

Any effective methodology for the control of drag and noise in a turbulent flow must address the genesis of the fundamental elements of microturbulen t events. The comprehensive experimental database and numerical simulation findings of the wall layer microturbulent events has been organized into a coherent framework for engineering application to drag and noise control. In search of a practical active feedback control methodology to control microturbulent bursts, a hypothesis is advanced that the orderly occurring microturbulent events can be considered as a semi-Markov process. The Markov transitional probability equations are derived for microturbulent events. Considering the Poisson arrival rates as a representative measurable, further insights are attempted by relating the transitional probability to the experimentally obtained database on microturbulen t events using either the transitional probabilities or the spectral densities of the shear stress and wall pressure. In light of the mathematical results, the feasibility of using micro-arrays of electrodes and magnets and control algorithms based on the semi-Markov concept for the active control of turbulence is discussed.
Performance of the Livestock-Feed-Grain Sector

PERFORMANCE of the livestock-feed-grain sector for more than 30 years has been influenced by government programs. Except for dairy products and wool, the programs have been applied directly to feed grains but have been designed and operated to influence livestock as well. Harold Breimyer, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, writing in the Journal of Farm Economics in November 1954, stated: "When consumer demand for livestock products is stable .. . a program of price supports and storage (for feed grains) is unquestionably a stabilizing factor to the livestock industry." Specifically, feed price programs very materially smooth out feed-livestock variations caused by annual fluctuations in production of feed. However, he went on to say, '"They leave untouched those caused by built-in cyclicality of the livestock industry; and they intensify but shorten those caused by changes in demand" [1]. Five years later, in 1959, Mr. Breimyer wrote, "Programs to date have had some effect ... but have not achieved as much stability in hogs and other livestock as has been envisioned" [2]. In view of the price fluctuations that have occurred in both beef cattle and hogs in the past 3 years, there are some who would question whether any significant progress has been made in stabilizing livestock supplies and prices. Earlier writers have noted that the storage programs prevent the large year-to-year change in pork production that used to occur because of large, erratic fluctuations in corn production, utilization, and prices [2, 10, 11]. For example, Shepherd in the 1942 bulletin wrote: "The fluctuations in production and prices of corn ... give rise to severe fluctuations in supplies and prices of hogs. Hog production fluctuates markedly from year to year, over a range equal to about 50 percent of the average production." Further, "Changes in hog production closely follow the changes in corn production, whereas changes in beef-cattle production follow a somewhat cyclical course of their own, largely independent of corn production." These writers also noted some increase in stability of corn prices and utilization and of hog production in the postwar period into the late 1950's. The program in effect from 1933 through 1960 included acreage allotments and price supports for corn but indirectly affected other feed grains through the soil conservation and soil bank programs. Droughts in the mid-1930's and unusually large demands resulting from World War II and the Korean conflict caused periodic lifting of allotments and prevented any sustained buildup in government stocks.
Double-blind comparison of eprosartan and enalapril on cough and blood pressure in unselected hypertensive patients

The effects of a new angiotensin receptor antagonist, eprosartan (200 or 300 mg b.i.d.) and enalapril (5-20 mg u.i.d.) on cough and blood pressure were compared in a 26-week, double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, multicentre, international study involving 528 patients with hypertension. Uptitration of doses was based on clinic blood pressure measurements during the first 12 weeks, after which hydrochlorothiazide (12.5-25 mg/day) could be added. The frequency and intensity of cough was assessed by a standardised questionnaire administered at each clinic visit. The primary end-point was the incidence of persistent, dry cough not due to upper respiratory infection; change in sitting diastolic blood pressure and overall incidence of cough were secondary end-points. During the first 12 weeks of double-blind therapy, enalapril treatment was associated with a 3.45-fold higher risk of definite cough (14/261 vs 4/259, P = 0.018). Overall cough incidence (from spontaneous reports from patients, or investigator's observation) was also more frequent with enalapril, as compared to eprosartan. Both agents reduced blood pressure significantly compared to baseline, although the eprosartan-treated group had a slightly higher response rate (defined as sitting diastolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg, or at least a 10 mm Hg reduction from baseline), both at end of titration (70.3% vs 62.6%, P < 0.05) and after 26 weeks (81.7% vs 73.5%, P= 0.018). These data suggest that, in unselected hypertensive patients, eprosartan is associated with less cough and a somewhat higher responder rate than enalapril.
THE WATER-MIST FIRE SUPPRESSION EXPERIMENT: FROM STS-107 TO THE COMBUSTION INTEGRATED RACK

A description of the scientific objectives and the hardware development of the Water-Mist Fire Suppression experiment (Mist) for the STS-107 mission of the Space Shuttle and for the International Space Station is presented. The overall objective of Mist is to study the feasibility of developing fine-water-mist systems as the next generation of fire suppressants that may replace the currently used halon-based systems, which are powerful ozone-depleting agents in the stratosphere. The experiments planned for STS-107 will be conducted on the Combustion Module (CM-2) and will explore the influence of water mists on premixed flames propagating in a cylindrical tube under microgravity conditions and will evaluate the role of thermal, physical, and chemical mechanisms in the water-mist/flame interaction. The effects of droplet size and water concentration on the laminar flame speed and flame shape will be used as the measure of fire suppression efficacy. A numerical simulation of this interaction has been developed and reduced-gravity ground experiments have been conducted to obtain the preliminary data necessary to define the scientific objectives and technical issues of the spacecraft experiments. The lessons learned during the design, fabrication, testing, and integration of Mist into CM-2 are presented along with the future objectives of the Mist insert in the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Bladder Neck Obstruction in Women

Bladder neck obstruction in women is rare. The symptoms are confounding and nonspecific. The diagnosis depends on demonstrating poor uroflow, a detrusor contraction of adequate magnitude and duration, and radiographic evidence of obstruction at the vesical neck. We treated successfully 3 women with vesical neck obstruction by transurethral vesical neck incision.
Understanding Adult Age Differences in the Frequency of Problems With Friends.

We investigated characteristics of younger and older adults' friendships. Younger (N = 39) and older (N = 39) adults completed measures pertaining to a specific friend they had (i.e., contact frequency, positive friendship quality, and negative friendship quality) and their frequency of problems with friends in general. Older adults reported fewer problems with friends in general, and fewer negative friendship qualities, less frequent contact, and more positive friendship qualities with a specific friend than younger adults. Contact frequency, positive friendship quality, and negative friendship quality with a specific friend were related to frequency of problems with friends in general, but only contact frequency was a significant mediator of the relation between age and frequency of problems with friends in general. Results show that characteristics of a specific friendship relate to problems with friends in general, and that contact frequency with a specific friend mediates the relation between age and problems with friends in general. Implications are discussed.
Design and Experimental Investigation of Rotational Angle-Based Tracking Control

University of Minnesota Master of Science thesis. August 2014. Major: Mechanical Engineering. Advisor: Dr. Zongxuan Sun. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 77 pages.
A decomposition of the group algebraof a hyperoctahedral group

The descent algebra of a Coxeter group is a subalgebra of the group algebra with interesting representation theoretic properties. For instance, the natural map from the descent algebra of the symmetric group to the character ring is a surjective algebra homomorphism, so the descent algebra implicitly encodes information about the representations of the symmetric group. However, this property does not hold for other Coxeter groups. Moreover, a complete set of primitive idempotents in the descent algebra of the symmetric group leads to a decomposition of the group algebra as a direct sum of induced linear characters of centralizers of conjugacy class representatives. In this dissertation, I consider the hyperoctahedral group. When the descent algebra of a hyperoctahedral group is replaced with a generalization called the Mantaci-Reutenauer algebra, the natural map to the character ring is surjective. In 2008, Bonnafe asked whether a complete set of idempotents in the Mantaci-Reutenauer algebra could lead to a decomposition of the group algebra of the hyperoctahedral group as a direct sum of induced linear characters of centralizers. In this dissertation, I will answer this question positively and go through the construction of the idempotents, conjugacy class representatives, and linear characters required to do so.
Impact of Nonideal Resistive Synaptic Device Behaviors on Implementation of Sparse Coding Algorithm

The sparse coding is an unsupervised algorithm that can efficiently extract the features from the input dataset. However, the learning accuracy can be potentially hampered by several limiting factors of the resistive synaptic device behaviors, including the nonlinearity and device variations in weight update, and the read noise, limited ON/OFF weight ratio and array parasitics in weighted sum. This book chapter employs device-algorithm co-design methodologies to quantify and mitigate the impact of these nonideal properties on the learning accuracy at the system level. It is observed that the realistic device behaviors in the weight update are tolerable, while those in the weighted sum are detrimental to the accuracy. The strategies to mitigate this accuracy loss include (1) multiple cells as a synapse to alleviate the impact of device variations, (2) a dummy column at minimum conductance to eliminate the off-state current, and (3) selector and larger array wire width to reduce IR drop along interconnects.
Foundation for the Accreditation of Hematopoietic Cell Therapy (FAHCT) response to FDA (Docket No. 97N-0068)

We believe the proposed model is appropriate to our current state of knowledge and recognize that FDA regulations will evolved as the field evolves. We thank you for the opportunity to work with FDA as its regulatory strategy is developed in the near future.
Dendritic cells as potential mediators of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of the central nervous system in a MHC class II-deficient mouse model.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection of the central nervous system (CNS) in a rare, but deadly form of TB affecting immune-compromised individuals. Due to the HIV-AIDS epidemic this population has recently increased, however the pathway by which Mtb gains access to the CNS is poorly understood. Our work seeks to understand the potential ability of dendritic cells to traffic Mtb to the CNS. Preliminarily, we established the importance of mycobacterium infected dendritic cells to the formation of nervous system infection in MHC class II-deficient mice. In this model we used bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDC) from a dendritic cell reporter mouse strain (CD11c-eYFP). These cells increased the dissemination of Mtb 6020 to the brain by one log compared to Mtb 6020 alone, though the systemic infection remained the same. When GM-CSF BMDCs were infected with tdTomato H37Rv Mtb and injected IV into MHC class II-deficient mice CFU was detected in the brain, cervical lymph nodes and lung with no Mtb observed in the liver and superficial lymph nodes. After infection with tdTomato Mtb, BMDCs matured using GM-CSF or FLT3 had increased expression of CD11c, eYFP, CD40 and CD86 as detected by flow cytometry. These immunocompromised mice, whose phenotype reflects aspects of immunodeficiency seen in human populations, have a predisposition to CNS infection when BMDCs are directly infected with mycobacterium, suggesting the ability of dendritic cells to facilitate the movement of Mtb across the BBB or choroid plexus to initiate infection. These data support the use of MHC class II-deficient mice as a model for future work.
Effect of Length on the Dynamics of Wall Tethered Polymers in Shear Flow

We study the configuration and wall collision process of a wall tethered polymer in shear flow using a Brownian dynamics technique. We develop scalings based on the flow strength and polymer length to explain the nonequilibrium polymer dimensions and wall collision rates along the polymer backbone. Our simulation results corroborate this theory and collapse under these scalings. For the first time, previous experiments conducted with DNA molecules showing the strong dependence of polymer dimensions on length are successfully compared with simulations. Our results highlight the connection between the tumbling of a free polymer and the collision process of a tethered polymer. We successfully describe the chain collisions as a Poisson-like process, where we observe that a minimum number of wall collisions is experienced by the segment located at approximately 3/4 the distance along the polymer backbone from the tethering point. Our bead–spring model captures all the essential physics. Hydrodynamic and exclud...
COMPLETELY FLUOROLESS PARA-HISIAN PACING IN A PREGNANT PATIENT WITH PAROXYSMAL AV BLOCK

His bundle and para-Hisian pacing have been demonstrated to have lower rates of ventricular dyssynchrony over time, making them ideal for use in younger patients. Implantation of cardiac devices is challenging in the pregnant patient due to risk of radiation exposure. We present a unique case of
Hands-Free Maneuvers of Robotic Vehicles via Human Intentions Understanding Using Wearable Sensing

Intelligent robotic vehicles are more and more fully automated, without steering wheels, gas/brake pedals, or gearshifts. However, allowing the human driver to step in and maneuver the robotic vehicle under specific driving requirements is a necessary issue that should be considered. To this end, we propose a wearable-sensing-based hands-free maneuver intention understanding approach to assist the human to naturally operate the robotic vehicle without physical contact. The human intentions are interpreted and modeled based on the fuzzy control using the forearm postures and muscle activities information detected by a wearable sensory system, which incorporates electromyography (EMG) sensors and inertial measurement unit (IMU). Based on the maneuver intention understanding model, the human can flexibly, intuitively, and conveniently control diverse vehicle maneuvers only using his intention expressions. This approach was implemented by a series of experiments in the practical situations on a lab-based 1/10 robotic vehicle research platform. Experimental results and evaluations demonstrated that, by taking advantage of the nonphysical contact and natural handleability of this approach, the robotic vehicle was successfully and effectively maneuvered to finish the driving tasks with considerable accuracy and robustness in human-robotic vehicle interaction.
Muntiacus reevesi (Reeves’ muntjac)

Two animals have been studied through the courtesy of the Catskill Game Farm, Catskill, New York, USA. The preparations shown were made from cultures of skin biopsies. Identification of the sex chromosomes is tentative. A pronounced secondary constriction is often seen in the largest autosome.
Temporal Patterns of Seedling Emergence and Early Survival of Great Basin Perennial Plant Species

We seeded Agropyron cristatum and 16 native Great Basin perennial species on Bromus tectorum -dominated sites to compare temporal patterns of seedling emergence and early survival among species. To indicate variability between sites and between years, plots were planted on 2 sites in western Utah in autumn 1994, and plantings were repeated near 1 site in autumn 1995. Two sites included burned and unburned seedbed treatments. We monitored seedling emergence and survival from early winter until July of the 1st year. Four seasonal patterns of emergence were evident, indicating considerable potential for different seasonal patterns of precipitation to favor recruitment of difference species. Emergence of all shrubs, except Ephedra nevadensis , began in February and essentially ended by April. Seedlings of Ephedra nevadensis and of the grasses Agropyron and Pseudoroegneria spicata emerged over an extended period from February through June. Most other grasses and the 2 forbs began emerging in April and continued into June. Pleuraphis jamesii emergence did not begin until May. Although many seedlings of the 3 chenopod shrubs emerged, none survived, suggesting their episodic recruitment is more a function of survival than of emergence. Survival of 2 Chrysothamnus species was also low. Pseudoroegneria and Agropyron had the highest numbers of seedlings surviving on the moister site, followed by Elymus elymoides and Stipa comata . Survival of Agropyron , but not the native Elymus , was more depressed on the drier of the 2 sites planted in 1994. Stipa, Oryzopsis hymenoides , Pleuraphis , and Ephedra survived as well on the drier site as on the moister site, or better. On the 1995 planting sites Bromus was greatly reduced by the burn treatment, and, in contrast to the effect of burn treatments on the 1994 site, survival of all species except Oryzopsis and Ephedra was higher on burned than on unburned treatments. Overall, Stipa, Oryzopsis , and Pleuraphis had low emergence but consistently higher survival.
Paul Ricoeur: The Just as Ingredient in the Good

Jean Paul Gustave Ricoeur was born on February 27, 1913, at Valence, France. Little is known of his mother, Florentine Favre, who died when he was just seven months old. His father, Jules, was a teacher of English at the local lycee until he was mobilized for French military service in World War I. Jules Ricoeur was killed in the Battle of the Marne on September 26, 1915. Paul Ricoeur and his older sister Alice were thereafter reared by their paternal grandparents in Rennes. The senior Ricoeurs were devout Protestants who reared the children in a strict atmosphere of Bible study, church attendance, and reading.1
Improving perfusion defect detection with respiratory motion correction in cardiac SPECT at standard and reduced doses

In cardiac SPECT perfusion imaging, respiratory motion can cause non-uniform blurring in the reconstructed myocardium. We investigate the potential benefit of respiratory correction with respiratory-binned acquisitions, both at standard dose and at reduced dose, for defect detection and for left ventricular (LV) wall resolution. We applied two reconstruction methods for respiratory motion correction: post-reconstruction motion correction (PMC) and motion-compensated reconstruction (MCR), and compared with reconstruction without motion correction (Non-MC). We quantified the presence of perfusion defects in reconstructed images by using the total perfusion deficit (TPD) scores and conducted receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) studies using TPD. We quantified the LV spatial resolution by using the FWHM of its cross-sectional intensity profile. The values in the area-under-the-ROC-curve (AUC) achieved by MCR, PMC, and Non-MC at standard dose were 0.835, 0.830, and 0.798, respectively. Similar AUC improvements were also obtained by MCR and PMC over Non-MC at 50%, 25%, and 12.5% of full dose. Improvements in LV resolution were also observed with motion correction. Respiratory-binned acquisitions can improve perfusion-defect detection accuracy over traditional reconstruction both at standard dose and at reduced dose. Motion correction may contribute to achieving further dose reduction while maintaining the diagnostic accuracy of traditional acquisitions.
Building Blocks for Mental Health: How Do I Best Manage My Team?

This chapter offers building blocks for the promotion of mental health at work and suggestions on how to recruit, deploy, and manage employees to minimize the contribution that your own style, history, workplace, and team make to known stressors. The reflection suggests an approach to get to know your colleagues better.
Role of RIG-I-like receptors in innate immune sensing of Coxsackievirus B3 and encephalomyocarditis virus in murine macrophages and fibroblasts

Viral infections are sensed by pattern recognition receptors that trigger an innate immune response through the expression of interferons (IFNs) and other cytokines. Most RNA viruses are sensed by the RIG-I like receptors (RLR)s. The contributions of these receptors to sensing viruses of the Picornaviridae family were investigated. Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), picornaviruses of the Cardiovirus and Enterovirus genera, are detected by both MDA5 and RIG-I in bone marrow derived macrophages. In macrophages from wild type mice, type I IFN is produced early after infection; IFNbeta synthesis is reduced in the absence of each sensor, while IFNbeta production is reduced in the absence of MDA5. EMCV and CVB3 do not replicate in murine macrophages, and their detection is different in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), in which the viruses replicate to high titers. In MEFs RIG-I was essential for the expression of type I IFNs but contributes to increased yields of CVB3, while MDA5 inhibited CVB3 replication but in an IFN independent manner. These observations demonstrate that innate sensing of similar viruses by RLRs depends upon the cell type.
Planning for Street Trees and Human–Nature Relations: Lessons from 600 Years of Street Tree Planting in Paris

Planting rectilinear regularly spaced and low-diversity rows of trees along sidewalks is the dominant streetscaping practice in Western cities. Street trees provide shade, pleasant pedestrian envir...
Sleep and Stroke: New Updates on Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Assessment, and Treatment.

This review aims to discuss the most recent data on sleep disorders and stroke, highlighting relevant findings for the practicing neurologist or health providers who encounter patients with sleep disorders and stroke. Sleep apnea and abnormal sleep duration have the strongest association with stroke risk. Possible mechanisms include non-dipping of blood pressure during sleep, hypoxemia, or reoxygenation leading to sympathetic activation, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and impaired cerebral hemodynamics. Treatment studies suggest that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep apnea could improve primary prevention of stroke, but data is equivocal for secondary prevention. However, CPAP could improve functional outcomes after stroke. Sleep disorders present an opportunity to improve stroke risk and functional outcomes. However, new strategies are needed to determine the patients at high-risk who would most likely benefit from targeted care. Novel methods for phenotyping sleep disorders could provide personalized stroke care to improve clinical outcomes and public health strategies.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) occurring in Agent Orange exposed individuals carry a mutational spectrum similar to that of de novo MDS.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) include a group of clonal hematopoietic disorders characterized by blood cytopenias, dysplastic hematopoietic differentiation, and a risk of progression to acute mye...
New functional identity of the essential inner membrane protein YejM: the cardiolipin translocator is also a metalloenzyme

Abstract Recent recurrent outbreaks of Gram-negative bacteria show the critical need to target essential bacterial mechanisms to fight the increase of antibiotic resistance. Pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria have developed several strategies to protect themselves against the host immune response and antibiotics. One strategy is to remodel the outer membrane where several genes are involved. yejM was discovered as an essential gene in E. coli and S. typhimurium that plays a critical role in their virulence by changing the outer membrane permeability by translocating and increasing the cardiolipin lipid concentration. How the inner membrane protein YejM with its periplasmic domain acts as a cardiolipin translocator remains unknown. Despite overwhelming structural similarity of the periplasmic domains of two YejM homologues with hydrolases like arylsulfatases, no enzymatic activity has been reported for YejM. Our studies reveal an intact active site with bound metal ions in the structure of YejM periplasmic domain. Furthermore, we show that YejM has a phosphatase activity that is dependent on the presence of magnesium ions and is linked to its cardiolipin translocation properties. Understanding the molecular mechanism by which YejM is involved in OM remodeling will help to identify a new drug target in the fight against the increased antibiotic resistance.
Descriptive Analysis of Extubations Performed in an Emergency Department-based Intensive Care Unit.

Introduction Extubation of appropriate patients in the emergency department (ED) may be a strategy to avoid preventable or short-stay intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and could allow for increased ventilator and ICU bed availability when demand outweighs supply. Extubation is infrequently performed in the ED, and a paucity of outcome data exists. Our objective was to descriptively analyze characteristics and outcomes of patients extubated in an ED-ICU setting. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study at an academic medical center in the United States. Adult ED patients extubated in the ED-ICU from 2015-2019 were retrospectively included and analyzed. Results We identified 202 patients extubated in the ED-ICU; 42% were female and median age was 60.86 years. Locations of endotracheal intubation included the ED (68.3%), outside hospital ED (23.8%), and emergency medical services/prehospital (7.9%). Intubations were performed for airway protection (30.2%), esophagogastroduodenoscopy (27.7%), intoxication/ingestion (17.3%), respiratory failure (13.9%), seizure (7.4%), and other (3.5%). The median interval from ED arrival to extubation was 9.0 hours (interquartile range 6.2-13.6). One patient (0.5%) required unplanned re-intubation within 24 hours of extubation. The attending emergency physician (EP) at the time of extubation was not critical care fellowship trained in the majority (55.9%) of cases. Sixty patients (29.7%) were extubated compassionately; 80% of these died in the ED-ICU, 18.3% were admitted to medical-surgical units, and 1.7% were admitted to intensive care. Of the remaining patients extubated in the ED-ICU (n = 142, 70.3%), zero died in the ED-ICU, 61.3% were admitted to medical-surgical units, 9.9% were admitted to intensive care, and 28.2% were discharged home from the ED-ICU. Conclusion Select ED patients were safely extubated in an ED-ICU by EPs. Only 7.4% required ICU admission, whereas if ED extubation had not been pursued most or all patients would have required ICU admission. Extubation by EPs of appropriately screened patients may help decrease ICU utilization, including when demand for ventilators or ICU beds is greater than supply. Future research is needed to prospectively study patients appropriate for ED extubation.
Temperature Dependence of High Frequency Irreversible Electroporation Evaluated in a 3D Tumor Model

Electroporation is a bioelectric phenomenon used to deliver target molecules into cells in vitro and irreversible electroporation (IRE) is an emerging cancer therapy used to treat inoperable tumors in situ. These phenomena are generally considered to be non-thermal in nature. In this study, a 3D tumor model was used to investigate the correlation between temperature and the effectiveness of standard clinical IRE and high frequency (H-FIRE) protocols. It was found for human glioblastoma cells that in the range of 2 to 37 °C the H-FIRE lethal electric field threshold value, which describes the minimum electric field to cause cell death, is highly dependent on temperature. Increasing the initial temperature from 2 to 37 °C resulted in a significant decrease in lethal electric field threshold from 1168 to 507 V/cm and a 139% increase in ablation size for H-FIRE burst treatments. Standard clinical protocol IRE treatments resulted in a decrease in lethal threshold from 485 to 453 V/cm and a 7% increase in ablation size over the same temperature range. Similar results were found for pancreatic cancer cells which indicate that tissue temperature may be a significant factor affecting H-FIRE ablation size and treatment planning in vivo while lower temperatures may be useful in maintaining cell viability for transfection applications.
Case 16-2020: A 47-Year-Old Woman With Recurrent Melanoma and Pulmonary Nodules

A Woman with Recurrent Melanoma and Pulmonary Nodules An asymptomatic 47-year-old woman with a history of recurrent melanoma presented to the hospital after routine quarterly surveillance imaging, ...
A new genus and species of pigeon (Aves, Columbidae) from the Kingdom of Tonga, with an evaluation of hindlimb osteology of columbids from Oceania.

The region from New Guinea through Oceania sustains the world’s most diverse set of columbids. We describe osteological characters of the hindlimb (femur, tibiotarsus, tarsometatarsus) that divide the Papuan-Oceanic pigeons and doves into three groups based on functional morphology: “arboreal” (Hemiphaga, Ducula, Ptilinopus, Drepanoptila, Gymnophaps), “intermediate” (Columba, Macropygia, Reinwardtoena), and “terrestrial” (Gallicolumba [includes Alopecoenas], Trugon, Microgoura, Goura, Chalcophaps, Geopelia, Henicophaps, Caloenas, Didunculus, Otidiphaps). The arboreal and terrestrial groups are each distinctive osteologically, especially in the tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus, which are short relative to the femur in the arboreal group, and long relative to the femur in the terrestrial group. The intermediate pigeons are more similar to arboreal than to terrestrial pigeons, but nonetheless fit in neither group. To estimate the phylogenetic relationships among or within these three groups is somewhat tentative using hindlimb osteology alone, although all five genera of arboreal pigeons have independent molecular evidence of relatedness, as do most of the genera of terrestrial pigeons. Using the hindlimb and other osteological data as a framework, we describe a new extinct genus and species of pigeon, Tongoenas burleyi, from Holocene archaeological and Pleistocene paleontological sites on six islands (Foa, Lifuka, `Uiha, Ha`afeva, Tongatapu, and `Eua) in the Kingdom of Tonga. Tongoenas was a large-sized member of the “arboreal” pigeon group, with osteological characters that relate it to Ducula, Gymnophaps, and Hemiphaga (generally canopy frugivores) rather than with the “terrestrial” pigeons (more ground-dwelling and granivorous) such as Gallicolumba, Trugon, Microgoura, Goura, etc. (others listed above). Among volant columbids, living or extinct, only the species of Goura (from New Guinea) are larger than Tongoenas. From most of the same prehistoric sites, we also report new material of the nearly as large, extinct pigeon Ducula shutleri Worthy & Burley, recently described from islands in the Vava`u Group of Tonga. Thus, D. shutleri also was widespread in Tonga before human impact. The prehistoric anthropogenic loss in Tonga of Tongoenas burleyi, Ducula shutleri, and other columbids undoubtedly had a negative impact on the dispersal regimes of Tongan forest trees. At first human contact about 2850 years ago, at least nine species of columbids in six genera inhabited the Tongan islands, where only four species in three genera exist today.