cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parous and Survival Rate Estimates for Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Arkansas Grand Prairie

Daily parous rates were determined over a period of 31 d for Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say adults from three locations in the eastcentral rice-growing region of Arkansas. Estimates of the average parous rate, oviposition cycle length, and survival rate per oviposition cycle were determined for mosquitoes from each site. Collections from site 1, a rural site where cattle supplied a source for mosquito blood meals, exhibited a parous rate of 32% and an engorgement rate of 97%. The average oviposition cycle was 4 d with a survival rate of 30%. Collections from site 2, a rural site with few blood hosts, exhibited a parous rate of 17% and the engorgement rate was only 2%. The average oviposition cycle and survival rate at this site could not be reliably estimated. Collections from site 3, an urban site where blood hosts were highly available but where an integrated mosquito control program was in effect, yielded a parous rate of 17% and the engorgement rate was 85%. The average oviposition cycle was 4 d with a survival rate of 17%. These data demonstrate the ability of mosquito control to reduce parous and survival rates of A. quadrimaculatus by altering the age structure of abated mosquito populations.
Thermophysical Properties of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Ionic Liquids (NEILs) Heat-Transfer Fluids

An experimental investigation was completed on nanoparticle-enhanced ionic liquid (NEIL) heat-transfer fluids (HTFs) as an alternative to conventional organic-based HTFs. These nanoparticle-based HTFs have the potential to deliver higher thermal conductivity than the base fluid without a significant increase in viscosity at elevated temperatures. The effect of nanoparticle morphology and chemistry on thermophysical properties was examined. Whisker-shaped nanomaterials were found to have the largest thermal conductivity temperature dependence and were also less likely to agglomerate in the base fluid than spherical-shaped nanomaterials.
A Dynamic Operational Scheme for Residential PV Smart Inverters

This paper presents an operational scheme for photovoltaic (PV) inverter reactive power control to accommodate higher levels and leverage efficient use of rooftop PV penetration in distribution systems. The scheme proposes three states of operation with specific operational goals for the PV inverter based on weather conditions and voltage at the interconnection point, and adapts the reactive power control strategy accordingly. In normal state with slowly changing solar irradiance, the control modulates reactive power to reduce power losses. In fluctuating state with rapidly varying solar irradiance due to intermittent passing clouds, the control dynamically changes the reactive power in order to mitigate voltage fluctuations. In contingency state in which the PV terminal voltage violates the nominal operating range, the control adjusts the PV inverter as reactive power sink or source in order to push the voltage back within the range. This paper also proposes a coordination strategy in order to switch control between the states and manage interaction between the fast PV inverter controllers, and the slow on-load tap-changer for voltage regulation. A large-scale distribution network based on the IEEE 37-node test feeder was developed in order to investigate performance of the proposed algorithm.
Assessment of Drug Therapy-Related Issues in an Outpatient Heart Failure Population and the Potential Impact of Pharmacist-Driven Intervention.

Background:The Ambulatory Cardiac Triage, Intervention, and Education (ACTIVE) infusion unit is an outpatient center that aims to provide heart failure (HF) patients with comprehensive multidisciplinary interventions.Objective:To describe the patient population served in ACTIVE and to document the prevalence of comorbidities and drug therapy-related issues (DRIs) in order to define the most effective role of a pharmacist in the unit.Methods:Patients who have been interviewed by a pharmacist in ACTIVE were included. Comprehensive medical and medication profile reviews were performed. Patient comorbidities were documented, and DRIs were classified.Results:Sixty patients were included. Most prevalent cardiac comorbidities included hypertension (73%) and hyperlipidemia (62%). Top 3 noncardiac comorbidities included chronic kidney disease (60%), diabetes (50%), and obesity (35%). The prevalence of DRI was reported as follows: (1) needs additional/alternative therapy (untreated indication [37] or suboptimal the...
Velocity-controlled LC oscillator

The essay deals with using a MC1648P chip produced by morotola company and varactors, inductances to form a circuit to realize a certain frequency range of high frequency signal. We get a velocity-controlled LC oscillator using the devides introduced above. It also explores using a SCM system formed by 89C51 SCM and TLC5615CP D/A convert chip to realize the velocity control of the varactors, to display the live concussion frequency and the peak-to-peak value.
The Aporetic Foundation of Political Freedom

The theory of the return to beginnings addresses the problem of whether and how political freedom can be given a foundation. As Arendt demonstrates, this problem is that of modern revolution: “where the liberation from oppression aims at least at the constitution of freedom can we speak of revolution.”1 The constitution or foundation of freedom (constitutio libertatis) is synonymous with the “constitution of a republic.”2 Machiavelli offers the first modern discussion of the project of founding political freedom, of constituting the republic as a political form, and concludes that such a project is aporetic. Political freedom has an antinomical relation to the possibility of its own founding.3 The theory of return to beginnings expresses this antinomy of political freedom: to return to a beginning is, in a strict sense, an impossible project because were such a return to occur, there would be no sense to the action of beginning. Analogously, the project of giving freedom a foundation is an impossible one in the sense that if such a foundation were possible, it would condition the possibility of freedom itself and thus negate it as free. As it functions in Machiavelli, the return to beginnings should rather be understood as figuring the experience of a radical loss of origin, the experience that nothing predetermines becoming. At the same time, this experience coincides with the emergence of effective renewals. Analogously, only the groundlessness of political freedom makes both for its radical finitude and ensures its existence and survival in and through its historical repetitions.
Peripheral Nerve Disorders in the Neonate

The diagnosis of peripheral nerve disorders in the neonate is challenging because of a wide range of conditions that can present with similar clinical features. The neonate with peripheral nerve disorders typically manifests generalized hypotonia with or without respiratory insufficiency. Diseases with lesions at various levels of the central or peripheral nervous system, as well as myriad systemic conditions, can all present with the same clinical features at birth. Neurophysiologic testing, appropriate genetic evaluation including detailed family history, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and most importantly, careful neurologic examination and observation of the clinical course will help narrow down the differential diagnosis. This review aims to introduce representative forms of peripheral nerve disorders during the newborn period. We will discuss clinical features, how to differentiate between the disease entities, and the implications of early diagnosis and prognosis.
Growing Food and Building Power: Urban Agriculture in New York City

First paragraphs: The early 20 th -century Italian social theorist and revolutionary, Antonio Gramsci, argued that in struggling for socialism, the working class pursued two strategies. The crucial, decisive clash, the frontal attack between workers and the state, Gramsci characterized as the “war of maneuver.” In contrast, he characterized the “war of position” as struggles in civil society in which the working class organizes itself and works to gain power and influence. In many ways, Kristin Reynolds’ and Nevin Cohen’s Beyond the Kale , an analysis of the grass­roots urban farming and gardening movement in New York City, describes the movement as a “war of position.” Urban gardening, in the analysis of the authors and many of their informants, is not just about growing food, but also about defining and defying the deeper structures of oppression in a race- and class-based society, and about achieving environmental justice and liberation. While for many farms and gardens the point is simply to grow nutritional food, Reynolds and Cohen focus on the activists for whom growing food is a start­ing point to dismantle oppression “at its core” (p. 14).
Industrial Districts and the Globalization of Innovation: Regions and Networks in the New Economic Space

The emergence of a new “technico-economic paradigm” [Perez (1985), Freeman (1987, 1992)] and its association with “new industrial spaces” [Scott (1988a, 1988c)] has exposed certain critical inadequacies of traditional models of regional economic growth. Theories emphasizing the static efficiency factors of regional economies elaborate an entirely proper concern for local specialization and demand-supply interdependencies, but are weakened, in an age of perpetual innovation, by their disregard for the regional bases of dynamic technological change. Export-based growth models place an appropriate stress upon external demand, and its associated local multiplier effects, as central elements in regional economic development but fail to explain either the origins of initial regional specialization or, even more importantly, how to modify or shift modes of specialization over time. Models of territorial growth based upon inter-regional movements of production factors are particularly suspect in an era when qualitative transformations in the technological bases of production serve to reinforce and compound, rather than to remove, existing assymetries between localities at the leading edge of technological change and those already far from the forefront of even the prior industrial regime. Growth strategies oriented to the in-migration of firms from elsewhere appear invalidated not only by historical experience (the generation of branch-plant economies in which extensive intra-corporate external linkages supplant, rather than reinforce, local relationships) but also by the ostensibly indigenous nature of regional high technology-based economic development34.
Retail display case merchandisings consist and price-elasticity of demand for U.S. beef and pork variety meats sold in Mexican grocery stores

Mexico imports large volumes of US red meats (products) and edible coproducts (variety meats, VM), but little is known about the distribution and fresh marketing of these VM. To quantify the offering and qualify the influence of location and socioeconomic status of clientele on the presence of VM in the retail case, supermarkets and other stores known to regularly merchandise US products were surveyed in five cities (Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Queretaro, Leon, and Guanajuato) of the three most populous regions (Central, Northern and Mid-Western) of Mexico. Frequency of US meat and co-products in retail store display cases were determined by product type and species (bovine or porcine) relative to total products displayed (i.e., the total number of packets sampled on shelves, N= 1535), and the association with location of the store (city), and socioeconomic status (level) of the clientele. For complementing the information collected in the stores, the coefficient of elasticity of demand (E ) was estimated. The total proportion of VM in the visited stores (~ 11%) was not affected by the level of their clientele (P>0.05). Retail stores in Guadalajara were the more likely to market VM (P<0.05). Elasticity of demand (E p p ) estimates supported cultural preference for porcine VM, independent of the price of meat of this species (E<1). Several U.S. VM with a history of massive exportation to Mexico (e.g., liver) were scarce or not found in the retail outlets visited, demonstrating the importance of local wet markets in Mexico to channel their supply.
Mapping Communities: Geographic and Interdisciplinary Community-Based Learning and Research

This article discusses the ways in which the impacts of “geographic” community-based learning and research (CBLR) transcend the boundaries of the discipline of geography and also contribute to the ...
Association of a biomarker-based frailty index with telomere length in older US adults: Findings from NHANES 1999-2002

Objectives: To study the link between frailty and cellular senescence, we examine the association of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with a recently introduced measure of subclinical frailty that is based entirely on laboratory test biomarkers (FI-LAB). Methods: This study was conducted on a random sample of 1890 Americans aged 60+. Multiple Linear Regression was used to examine the relationship between FI-LAB and LTL. Results: A statistically significant association was found between FI-LAB and LTL after adjusting for multiple covariates, indicating that higher FI-LAB scores are associated with shorter telomeres. Discussion: Our study results establish a link between subclinical frailty (FI-LAB) and cellular aging, which may help elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms giving rise to frailty.
Extracorporeal lung support for advanced lung failure: a new era in thoracic surgery and translational science

For the patients with progressively decompensating acute or acute-on-chronic respiratory failure, the first-choice treatment remains as mechanical ventilation. Despite the consistent value of mechanical ventilation, the majority of lung specialists are aware of its limitations, in particular for the patients with advanced lung failure, and inherent drawbacks that augment disease progression. More recently, the concept of allowing the lungs to 'rest and recover' has been supported by quite a few clinical studies. The pressure and volume of gas delivered to the lungs are reduced compared with mechanical ventilation. Based on recent remarkable evidence and experiences using extracorporeal lung support (ECLS) before, during and after lung transplant, there is growing interest in and expectations for the use of ECLS beyond lung transplant to encompass the entire field of pulmonary medicine. The purpose of this review article is to provide an update on evolving ECLS technologies and their effectiveness and discuss the future of ECLS for advanced lung failure as a new subspecialty in cardiothoracic surgery.
Time-Dependent Problems

The topics I will cover in the last three chapters of this book relate to time-dependent problems. Generally speaking, these will involve problems in which some classical, time-dependent interaction, such as that produced by an applied electric or magnetic field, induces transitions between states of a quantum system. I will first consider some very general features of time dependent problems and then look in detail at a spin 1/2 system in a magnetic field and a two-level atom in an optical field. The density matrix of a single quantum system will be defined and the Bloch and optical Bloch equations will be derived. After studying these “exact” problems, I will look at approximation techniques involving time dependent problems in Chap. 23, including both the sudden and adiabatic limits. Finally, I will discuss the transitions between a discrete state and a continuum of states in Chap. 24, including Fermi’s golden rule.
Good by Choice: A Tale of Two Schools

What are the positive and negative effects of voucher programs and school choice initiatives? Do Catholic schools benefit by receiving voucher students? Are public schools challenged to change by the availability of tuition vouchers? This essay provides an in-depth look at one voucher experiment in Albany, New York, and reports on changes in both the Catholic school receiving voucher students and the public school from which the students came.
Melanoma of the Ear Canal and Temporal Bone

Melanoma comprises about 5% of cutaneous malignancies and its incidence is increasing. While the external ear is a common site of melanoma for the head and neck, the ear canal, middle ear, inner ear, and cerebellopontine angle are rare sites for melanoma to occur primarily. These sites can also be involved with metastatic melanoma. This chapter discusses the evaluation and management of melanoma that affects the ear canal and temporal bone.
Distributed garbage collection for general graphs

We propose a scalable, cycle-collecting, decentralized, reference counting garbage collector with partial tracing. The algorithm is based on the Brownbridge system but uses four different types of references to label edges. Memory usage is O (log n) bits per node, where n is the number of nodes in the graph. The algorithm assumes an asynchronous network model with a reliable reordering channel. It collects garbage in O (E a ) time, where E a is the number of edges in the in- duced subgraph. The algorithm uses termination detection to manage the distributed computation, a unique identifier to break the symmetry among multiple collectors, and a transaction-based approach when multiple collectors conflict. Unlike existing algorithms, ours is not centralized, does not require barriers, does not require migration of nodes, does not require back-pointers on every edge, and is stable against concurrent mutation.
Methodological Objections, Nihilism, and (Re)Appraisal

We have now seen many objections to SCRT, both to specific arguments and consequences and to general elements of SCRT’s defense. And now that we have worked out some of the details about the holism SCRT generates and the implications it has, we are in a position to examine some large-scale theoretical questions. The first category are general objections that can be called methodological objections. They do not directly attack the specific arguments for or conclusions of SCRT, but rather question whether adopting such a radical alternative as SCRT is warranted by those arguments. We will carefully consider five methodological objections: (1) Perhaps we should retain a version of one of the more conventional theories as an idealized model, or retain it while admitting that it does not allow misrepresentation. (2) Perhaps all that has been shown is that the views I specifically attack are incorrect, and that some other theory of content can account for misrepresentation. (3) Perhaps what my arguments show is that the problem has been formulated incorrectly, and that it is something wrong with naturalism, use theories, or the representational theory of the mind. (4) Perhaps there is simply a hidden flaw in my arguments that has gone undetected. (5) SCRT’s rejection of other theories involves talk of false theories that SCRT is not entitled to, and undermine SCRT’s rejection of error.
Anthropological Research with Sex Workers: An Introduction

At 4 am on an isolated highway, Kristi turns to me and asks, “Do you mind if I rest my eyes for a minute? I haven’t slept for three days.” The brilliant red-silver of daybreak is just beginning to cast the snowy fields around us with a shimmering glow as we drive toward another town, where Kristi hopes to retrieve her belongings from a motel notorious for drug and prostitution activity. I have known Kristi for about eight hours, most of which we have spent talking about the tumultuous events she has experienced in the past week. “I’m done,” she says, crossing her forearms emphatically as we sat together in the back room of a homeless shelter, “I’m just done.” Even at this point in my research on street sex workers’ notions of risk, when I feel like I have heard everything, I have to work hard to hold back tears as she tells me about her last few days on the streets, during which was assaulted by her partner, almost raped by a client, and ignored by police officers when she tried to file complaints about both.
Convergence Improvement of Disadvantage Factors by the Use of Even Order Spherical Harmonics Approximations

The normal calculations of disadvantage factors in slab geometry are performed with the odd-order spherical harmonics approximations; however, by the use of the complementary even-order results in conjunction with these standard solutions, a more accurate answer can be quickly obtained. Since the even-order approximations give an apparent upper bound on the true answer, a combination of low odd and even-order solutions produces a counterconvergence effect which closely brackets the true disadvantage factor. In particular the theory of the P/ sub 4/ calculation is presented along with various numerical parameter studies. (auth)
The Biology of Mast Cell Secretion and Its Pharmacologic Modulation

Exocytosis is the process by which cells transfer intracellularly manufactured products into the extracellular milieu. Many cells utilize this process and its presence is, for the most part, essential to homeostasis and the ultimate survival of the organism. In some cases, however, the release of intracellular chemical contents, albeit under specific control mechanisms, may have untoward consequences to the surrounding tissues. Such is the case for mast cell or basophil secretion, which is the initial cellular event in evoking immediate hypersensitivity reactions.
Executive Insights: Global Logistics:

New developments in information technology and logistics practices are combining to offset traditional barriers to developing truly global business strategies. This article elaborates on these deve...
Exploring Biomarkers of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Pathway Activation in the Treatment of Hormone Receptor Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Receptor 2 Negative Advanced Breast Cancer

Resistance to endocrine therapy (ET) is common in patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+) advanced breast cancer (ABC). Consequently, new targeted treatment options are needed in the post-ET setting, with validated biomarkers to inform treatment decisions. Hyperactivation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is common in ABC and is implicated in resistance to ET. The most frequent mechanism of PI3K pathway activation is activating mutations or amplification of PIK3CA, which encodes the α-isoform of the catalytic subunit of PI3K. Combining buparlisib, a pan-PI3K-targeted agent, with ET demonstrated modest clinical benefits in patients with aromatase inhibitor-resistant, HR+, human epidermal growth receptor 2 negative (HER2-) ABC in two phase III trials. Importantly, greater efficacy gains were observed in individuals with PIK3CA-mutated disease versus PIK3CA-wild-type tumors. Although the challenging safety profile did not support widespread use of this treatment combination, isoform-selective PI3K inhibitors may improve tolerability. In early clinical trials, promising disease control benefits were demonstrated with the PI3K isoform-selective inhibitors alpelisib and taselisib in patients with PIK3CA-mutated HR+, HER2- ABC. Ongoing biomarker-guided phase II/III studies may provide further opportunities to identify patients most likely to benefit from treatment with PI3K inhibitors and provide insight into optimizing the therapeutic index of PI3K inhibitors. Challenges facing the implementation of routine PIK3CA mutation testing must be addressed promptly so robust and reproducible genotyping can be obtained with liquid and tumor biopsies in a timely and cost-effective manner. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The development of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors, especially those that selectively target isoforms, may be an effective strategy for overcoming endocrine therapy resistance in hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth receptor 2 negative advanced breast cancer. Early-phase studies have confirmed that patients with PIK3CA mutations respond best to PI3Kα-isoform inhibition. Ongoing phase III trials will provide further data regarding the efficacy and safety of PI3K inhibitors in patients with different biomarker profiles.
Global interoperability without global consensus, a DARPA solution via the STITCHES toolchain (Conference Presentation)

Interoperability between systems is normally created through highly coupled interfaces and exchanges hardcoded into multiple systems' core software. Open architecture standards attempt to solve interoperability by a common programming interface but these open architectures suffer from the same manual programming need when interfacing with systems outside of the same open architecture standard and often between different versions of the same standard. The drive to a common standard can work for stable technology but military systems are constantly upgrading to new global and regional threats and are continually diverging away from standard practices. The STITCHES toolchain provides two overarching and automatically generated functions: translation of messages and control of data flow. STITCHES' translation function is created by a novel use of graph and category theory via a graph-based data base where messages are transformed to other semantically equivalent messages and the STITCHES compiler translates between two system messages by traversing the graph then optimizing the final transform. Data flow control is achieved by implementing routing functions, data synchronization, source and destination isolation, and several other types of data control via both stateless and statefull transports. Both of these STITCHES functions are implemented by a custom domain specific language tailored to interoperability. The result is large and small system of systems implemented on the scale of minutes to hours vs months to years which has been routinely demonstrated within the DARPA SoSITE program.
Neurochondrin neurological autoimmunity.

Objectives To describe the neurologic spectrum and treatment outcomes for neurochondrin-IgG positive cases identified serologically in the Mayo Clinic Neuroimmunology Laboratory. Methods Archived serum and CSF specimens previously scored positive for IgGs that stained mouse hippocampal tissue in a nonuniform synaptic pattern by immunofluorescence assay (89 among 616,025 screened, 1993–2019) were reevaluated. Antibody characterization experiments revealed specificity for neurochondrin, confirmed by recombinant protein assays. Results IgG in serum (9) or CSF (4) from 8 patients yielded identical neuron-restricted CNS patterns, most pronounced in hippocampus (stratum lucidum in particular), cerebellum (Purkinje cells and molecular layer), and amygdala. All were neurochondrin-IgG positive. Five were women; median symptom onset age was 43 years (range, 30–69). Of 7 with clinical data, 6 presented with rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia, brainstem signs, or both; 1 had isolated unexplained psychosis 1 year prior. Five of 6 had cerebellar signs, 4 with additional brainstem symptoms or signs (eye movement abnormalities, 3; dysphagia, 2; nausea and vomiting, 1). One patient with brainstem signs (vocal cord paralysis and VII nerve palsy) had accompanying myelopathy (longitudinally extensive abnormality on MRI; aquaporin-4-IgG and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG negative). The 7th patient had small fiber neuropathy only. Just 1 of 7 had contemporaneous cancer (uterine). Six patients with ataxia or brainstem signs received immunotherapy, but just 1 remained ambulatory. At last follow-up, 5 had MRI evidence of severe cerebellar atrophy. Conclusion In our series, neurochondrin autoimmunity was usually accompanied by a nonparaneoplastic rapidly progressive rhombencephalitis with poor neurologic outcomes. Other phenotypes and occasional paraneoplastic causes may occur.
Learning from Criminals: Active Offender Research for Criminology

Active offender research relies on the collection of data from noninstitutionalized criminals and has made significant contributions to our understanding of the etiology of serious crime. This revi...
The Role of Post-Translational Modifications in the Phase Transitions of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

Advances in genomics and proteomics have revealed eukaryotic proteomes to be highly abundant in intrinsically disordered proteins that are susceptible to diverse post-translational modifications. Intrinsically disordered regions are critical to the liquid–liquid phase separation that facilitates specialized cellular functions. Here, we discuss how post-translational modifications of intrinsically disordered protein segments can regulate the molecular condensation of macromolecules into functional phase-separated complexes.
Statistical sources for broadband shock-associated noise using the Navier-Stokes equations.

A decomposition of the Navier-Stokes equations is used to identify the equivalent source term for broadband shock-associated noise (BBSAN). An analytical closed-form model to predict BBSAN is developed using an acoustic analogy based on the Navier-Stokes equations. The field-variables are decomposed into the base flow, aerodynamic fluctuations, and acoustic fluctuations. The spectral densities of fluctuating acoustic quantities are obtained by convolving the vector Green's function with the source terms involving the two-point cross-correlation of the aerodynamic quantities. The scaling of the source term with the off-design parameter β = ( | M j 2 − M d 2 | ) 1 / 2 is compared with experimental results. The base flow is obtained using a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solution, while the fluctuating statistical quantities are obtained using theoretical and experimental results. This paper identifies the equivalent source of BBSAN based on the scaling analysis and the physical mechanism of shock-associated noise. The identified source term resides within the Navier-Stokes equations without further rearrangement and correlates very highly with BBSAN. Predictions for BBSAN are made at multiple observer angles and nozzle pressure ratios using the identified source term, and these predictions compare favorably with the experimental results. Finally, identification of the source locations in the jet exhaust responsible for BBSAN at different Strouhal numbers is performed.
Percutaneous radiologically guided gastrostomy tubes: Procedural description and biomechanical comparison in a canine model.

Objective To describe the novel placement of percutaneous radiologically guided gastrostomy (PRG) tubes in a canine cadaveric model and to biomechanically compare PRG and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube constructs. Study design Descriptive and biomechanical experimental study. Animals Fifteen large breed (>25 kg) canine cadavers. Methods Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes, low-profile PRG tubes, and standard PRG tubes were each placed in five canine cadavers. Body wall and stomach (with attached gastrostomy tube constructs) were harvested and biomechanically tested. Data regarding the maximal load to failure and procedure time were statistically analyzed. Results Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and PRG tube placement was successful in all cadavers with no procedure-related complications. Gastrostomy tube placement time was longer for the PEG group vs the low-profile PRG (P = .005) and standard PRG (P = .037) groups. Peak construct strength was lower for the PEG group vs the low-profile PRG (P = .002) and standard PRG (P = .010) groups. The site of failure varied among groups. Conclusion Percutaneous radiologically guided gastrostomy tubes were successfully placed in all cases with shorter placement time and greater peak construct strength compared with PEG tubes. Clinical significance Due to the increased load to failure as well as decreased placement time recorded for PRG tubes relative to PEG tubes, PRG tubes may be considered as an alternative minimally invasive gastrostomy option in large breed canine patients. Further evaluation in clinical animals is required. Results of this work were presented at the 2019 American College of Veterinary Surgeons Surgery Summit; October 16-19, 2019; Las Vegas, Nevada.
Are electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistor the transducer of choice for biosensor applications?

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are highly promising candidates for chemical and biological sensing applications. Many organic semiconductor compounds are solution-processable at low temperatures on a variety of substrates, which allows for cost-effective fabrication methods, leading to smart (disposable) sensor tags in the field of health-, food- and environmental monitoring. Concerning the detection of ions or biological molecules in aqueous solutions, a water-stable operation of OFET sensor elements is crucial. Thus low voltage operation is a prerequisite. In this context electrolyte-gated OFETs (EGOFETs) seem to be the transducing devices of choice. Yet, many EGOFETs suffer from bias stress induced degradation of the organic semiconductor. In this contribution we will therefore benchmark EGOFETs as the transducing devices against other state of the art devices such as classical CMOS FETs implemented in an electrolyte-gated sensor configuration.
What is the ideal combination antiemetic regimen

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and post-discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV) are frequent unpleasant complaints that patients and clinicians report after surgery. PONV and PDNV have been associated with postoperative complications and hospital discharge delays. Despite the extensive evidence describing the use of several regimens in different surgical populations, the ideal regimen has not been established. Several antiemetic drugs have been evaluated in more than 1000 clinical controlled trials for management of this complex emetogenic pathway, including the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT3) receptor antagonists, dopamine receptor antagonists, neurokinin-type receptor antagonists, antihistaminics, anticholinergics, and corticosteroids, with the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists being the most commonly used for PONV prophylaxis. Because of the complex emetogenic pathway and multifactorial etiology of PONV, a multimodal approach using two or more drugs that act at different neuro-receptor sites is suggested in patients with one or more risk factors to successfully address PONV and reduce its incidence. Nevertheless, the most studied regimens in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are the combination of serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonists with dexamethasone or dopamine receptor antagonists (droperidol). Therefore, the safest and more effective combination regimen appears to be the use of serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist antiemetic drugs with dexamethasone.
Framework for understanding the patterns of student difficulties in quantum mechanics

A review article that synthesizes many documented patterns of student thinking in quantum mechanics.
Ensemble average and nearest particle statistics in disperse multiphase flows

A relation between the ensemble average and the nearest particle statistics is derived. The relation accounts for interactions among all the particles, not only the nearest one, and can be used to study long-range particle interactions without the difficulty of a divergent integral. As an example, this relation is applied to calculate the particle sedimentation velocity to the first order of the particle volume fraction. Using the relation, an important particle–fluid–particle stress is introduced for general multiphase flows.
Intangible Returns, Accruals, and Return Reversal: A Multiperiod Examination of the Accrual Anomaly

ABSTRACT: Prior studies employ a two-period empirical model and interpret the negative association between accruals in period one and returns in period two as evidence that investors misprice the information contained in accruals. In contrast to prior studies, I employ a three-period log-linear model decomposed from a firm’s book-to-market ratio and show that investors do not misprice the information contained in accruals. My study shows that in the four-year period prior to accrual recognition, equity prices tend to be driven disproportionately by intangible returns, or returns not explained by accounting measures. Accordingly, the relation between prior period intangible returns and future period returns subsumes the relation between current period accruals and future returns. In addition, I link the accrual anomaly and the value/growth anomaly to a common economic mechanism (intangible returns) and show that a strong negative relation between external financing activities and future returns is not subs...
Factors predictive of 90-day mortality after surgical resection for oral cavity cancer: Development of a recursive partitioning analysis for risk stratification

BACKGROUND Factors that influence postoperative mortality (POM) have been identified, but a predictive model to guide clinicians treating oral cavity cancer (OCC) has not been well established. METHODS Patients with OCC undergoing upfront surgical resection were included. Primary outcome was 90-day POM (90dPOM). RESULTS 33 845 were identified using the National Cancer Database. Rate of 90dPOM was 3.2%. Predictors of higher 90dPOM include older age, higher comorbidity scores, nonprivate insurance, lower income, treatment in an academic facility, higher T- and N-classification, radical excision, and presence of positive margins. On RPA, two high-risk (90dPOM > 10%) patient subsets were identified: patients ≥80 years of age with T3-4 disease and patients <80 years, with any comorbidity and T3-4, N2-3 disease. CONCLUSIONS We identified a subset of patients in this cohort who are at high risk for 90dPOM. These patients may warrant additional perioperative and postoperative monitoring in addition to better preoperative assessment and screening.
Numerical Methods of Statistics: Numerical Integration and Monte Carlo Methods

Introduction The juxtaposition of these two topics may appear strange to many readers. Upon further reflection, the common thread of spreading points in space may become apparent. My point in combining these topics is to emphasize that this thread is not weak. Monte Carlo should be viewed as just another way to compute an integral; numerical integration should be viewed as just another way to sample points in space. Great gains can be made by exploiting the strengths of one approach when the other is floundering. Only with the willingness to adjust one's viewpoint and use these tools in combination can the full array of techniques be brought to bear on a difficult problem. Tools such as Riemann sums and Simpson's rule characterize the set of tools known as fixed quadrature or simply quadrature . A viewpoint of these methods as a discretization of the continuous problem of integration is indeed naive. The points are spread in a fixed way in space, with the number of points set in advance. Most of these methods employ a weighting scheme, so that the points (abscissas) where a function is to be evaluated have varying importance. For estimating an integral by evaluating a function at N points in one dimension, the error converges to zero at a rate of O ( N −2 ) or better, depending on the smoothness of the function. In higher dimensions, however, this rate slows considerably. Assessing the accuracy of quadrature methods is extremely difficult, and most assessments are quite naive.
Serum IGF-1 levels influence susceptibility to multistage carcinogenesis in mouse skin

4497 Calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to inhibit epithelial carcinogenesis however, the exact mechanism remains unknown. This method of dietary restriction reduces many circulating proteins, including IGF-1. Previous studies conducted in our lab identified a relationship between elevated IGF-1 and enhanced chemically induced skin tumorigenesis. In the present study, we examined the role of circulating IGF-1 in multistage carcinogenesis of the skin. Liver IGF-1 deficient (LID) mice, which have a 75% reduction in serum IGF-1, and wildtype littermates were treated using the two-stage skin carcinogenesis protocol. A total of 176 female mice (88 LID and 88 wildtype) were initiated with 100 nmol DMBA, divided into three treatment groups (acetone, 6.8 nmol TPA, and 13.6 nmol TPA), and treated topically, twice weekly, for 23 weeks. Significant inhibition of skin tumorigenesis was observed in both LID TPA treatment groups, with a 68% decrease in tumor multiplicity in the 6.8 nmol TPA treatment group and a 55% decrease in tumor multiplicity in the 13.6 nmol TPA treatment group, with respect to wildtype littermates. No papillomas developed in either acetone treated group. Tumor latency was also increased in both LID TPA treatment groups. These findings indicate that serum IGF-1 levels can significantly effect susceptibility to chemically induced tumorigenesis in mouse skin. Further investigation using epidermal extracts from both LID and wildtype littermates revealed differential activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway both in the presence and absence of TPA treatment. These data suggest reduced serum IGF-1 levels decrease signaling through the Akt/mTOR pathway, providing a potential mechanistic explanation for the inhibitory effect of reduced serum IGF-1 levels on skin tumorigenesis. Additional mechanistic data will be presented which further explores the differential response to TPA treatment observed in LID and wildytpe littermates. The current data support the hypothesis that reduced IGF-1 levels, that occur as a result of CR may explain, at least in part, the ability of this dietary manipulation to inhibit skin tumorigenesis.
A Combining Mechanism for Parallel Computers

In a multiprocessor computer communication among the components may be based either on a simple router, which delivers messages point-to-point like a mail service, or on a more elaborate combining network that, in return for a greater investment in hardware, can combine messages to the same address prior to delivery. This paper describes a mechanism for recirculating messages in a simple router so that the added functionality of a combining network, for arbitrary access patterns, can be achieved by it with reasonable efficiency. The method brings together the messages with the same destination address in more than one stage, and at a set of components that is determined by a hash function and decreases in number at each stage.
Proton relaxation studies in H2OD2O mixtures: The binding of manganese(II) to bovine serum albumin

Abstract We have used the direct method for determining longitudinal relaxation times of water protons in H2OD2O mixtures. The relaxation time of pure water (2.7 sec) increases to 9.0 sec in 10% H2O-90% D2O mixture. This larger relaxation time enables us to use the direct method to accurately determine relaxation rate enhancements due to paramagnetic metal ions. The binding parameters for the interaction of manganese(II) to bovine serum albumin determined by this method are in excellent agreement with those determined earlier using pulsed methods.
Effects of triazoles on fungi: V. Response by a naturally tolerant species,Mucor rouxii

Abstract The responses of Mucor rouxii to propiconazole, and in some cases etaconazole, with respect to lipid metabolism were compared with those of Aspergillus ochraceus and Rhizopus stolonifer which exhibit higehr sensitivity to this triazole by factors of 50 and 10, respectively. Propiconazole inhibited the C-14 demethylation of lanosterol in each of the species tested, which resulted in a dose-related decrease in ergosterol and increase in C-14 methyl sterols. The principal C-14 methyl sterol that accumulated with inhibitor treatment was 24-methylene dihydrolanosterol. The tolerance of M. rouxii could not be explained by reduced inhibitor uptake, alteration of the inhibitor binding site, or detoxification through metabolism since C-14 methyl sterols accumulated in mycelium treated with 2.0 μg/ml propiconazole, a concentration 40 times less than that required for 50% growth inhibition and at which no growth inhibition was detected in this species, and one that gave over 50% inhibition of A. ochraceus . Other alterations in lipid metabolism that accompany treatment with sterol inhibitors in relatively sensitive species, i.e., accumulation of free fatty acids and increase in linoleic acid (C 18:2 ), were not observed in M. rouxii or R. stolonifer , but they were found in A. ochraceus . The results of this study suggest that the quantitative and perhaps the qualitative nature of the requirement for sterols may be different in M. rouxii , and perhaps other tolerant Mucorales, than in the more sensitive fungi.
Equine proliferative enteropathy – a review of recent developments

Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is a disease of foals caused by the obligate intracellular organism Lawsonia intracellularis. This emerging disease affects mainly weanling foals and causes fever, lethargy, peripheral oedema, diarrhoea, colic and weight loss. The diagnosis of EPE may be challenging and relies on the presence of hypoproteinaemia, thickening of segments of the small intestinal wall observed upon abdominal ultrasonography, positive serology and molecular detection of L. intracellularis in faeces. Although the clinical entity, diagnostic approach and treatment of EPE are well established and described, the epidemiology for this disease has remained largely unaddressed. This article focuses on new developments in the field of EPE, including epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
An H/sub /spl infin// bounded fault detection filter

In practical fault detection filter applications, a key issue is sensitivity to system disturbances and sensor noise. In this paper, a stabilizing fault detection filter gain is found that bounds the H/sub /spl infin// norm of the transfer matrix from system disturbances and sensor noise to the residual.
The Well Women of Scripture Revisited

This paper will underscore the importance of careful interpretation of biblical narratives through a brief discussion of the narratives of biblical “well women.” For over a century biblical narratives were pounded with a major frontal attack from the formidable arsenal of the historical critical method. In the last half of the 20 century, however, a new attitude regarding these narratives emerged as a result of more sophisticated attention paid to Hebrew narrative writing. Various voices urging this posture have included James Muhlenberg, Brevard Childs, Phylis Trible, J. P. Fokkelman, Meir Steinberg, and Robert Alter. Their accumulated contribution forced recognition of the distinctive literary features found consistently within biblical narratives. They suggested that the oft-noted narrative characteristics, such as word and phrase repetition, conversation inclusion and length, among other details, are significant for correct interpretation rather than merely evidence of numerous redactors.1 As a result, long-standing interpretations of biblical narratives may need to be adjusted. For example: the understanding of biblical patriarchy. Many modern feminist writers exhibit a powerful revulsion against OT patriarchy. This patriarchal system, they argue extensively, is the