cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polyribosomal attachment to rat liver and hepatoma endoplasmic reticulum in vitro. A method for its study

A system for study and measurement of the attachment in vitro of exogenous polyribosomes to membranes has been presented. Its main features are use of low temperature, post-microsomal supernatant, pyrophosphate and citric acid to remove ribosomes from the surface of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and a method for quantitative separation of unattached from membrane-associated polyribosomes. The following were found. (1) Rough endoplasmic reticulum, from which ribosomes had been removed by treatment with pyrophosphate and citrate, bound over 50% of added polyribosomes, whereas the untreated (or control) rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum treated with pyrophosphate–citrate did not bind polyribosomes. (2) The polyribosome-binding capacity of rough endoplasmic reticulum stripped of its ribosomes decayed upon storage of the membranes at 0–4°C. The half-life of this decay was about 6 days whereas that of the polyribosome-binding capacity of hepatoma stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum was about 1.5 days. (3) Preparations of stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum after reassociation with polyribosomes in vitro were quite similar to preparations of native rough endoplasmic reticulum as viewed with the electron microscope. Evidence is presented to support the contention that association of polyribosomes with membranes was the result of polyribosomal reattachment to the membranes rather than trapping of the polyribosomes between vesicles of the membranes.
Sign Tracking, but Not Goal Tracking, is Resistant to Outcome Devaluation.

During Pavlovian conditioning, a conditioned stimulus (CS) may act as a predictor of a reward to be delivered in another location. Individuals vary widely in their propensity to engage with the CS (sign tracking) or with the site of eventual reward (goal tracking). It is often assumed that sign tracking involves the association of the CS with the motivational value of the reward, resulting in the CS acquiring incentive value independent of the outcome. However, experimental evidence for this assumption is lacking. In order to test the hypothesis that sign tracking behavior does not rely on a neural representation of the outcome, we employed a reward devaluation procedure. We trained rats on a classic Pavlovian paradigm in which a lever CS was paired with a sucrose reward, then devalued the reward by pairing sucrose with illness in the absence of the CS. We found that sign tracking behavior was enhanced, rather than diminished, following reward devaluation; thus, sign tracking is clearly independent of a representation of the outcome. In contrast, goal tracking behavior was decreased by reward devaluation. Furthermore, when we divided rats into those with high propensity to engage with the lever (sign trackers) and low propensity to engage with the lever (goal trackers), we found that nearly all of the effects of devaluation could be attributed to the goal trackers. These results show that sign tracking and goal tracking behavior may be the output of different associative structures in the brain, providing insight into the mechanisms by which reward-associated stimuli – such as drug cues – come to exert control over behavior in some individuals.
What Actually Causes Mortgage Defaults, Redefaults, and Modifications

I use new household level data to simultaneously test three competing hypothesis about the primary cause of mortgage default. I consider the potential interactions of individual unemployment spells, negative equity, and unsecured debt. Unlike past studies that were only able to control for regional unemployment rates, I find that the double trigger event of job loss and negative equity is crucial in determining default as has been widely hypothesized in the literature. In every specification considered, the interaction term between unemployment and negative equity is significant indicating that double trigger events are the culprit in generating persistent defaults as hypothesized by Foote, Gerardi, and Willen (2009). I find that a person who has negative equity and who is unemployed is 10% more likely to default than a person who has just negative equity. The negative equity alone only makes a person 1.45% more likely to default, a factor of 6 smaller than the interaction probability. Unsecured debt plays a tertiary role compared to negative equity and unemployment, and past modifications make someone 20% more likely to have defaulted at the survey date. Redefaults, which are defaults after modification, are also well predicted by an interaction between unemployment and negative equity, and modifications are best predicted by past negative equity which makes someone 8% more likely to receive a modification.
Deformable image registration for multimodal lung-cancer staging

Positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) serve as major diagnostic imaging modalities in the lung-cancer staging process. Modern scanners provide co-registered whole-body PET/CT studies, collected while the patient breathes freely, and high-resolution chest CT scans, collected under a brief patient breath hold. Unfortunately, no method exists for registering a PET/CT study into the space of a high-resolution chest CT scan. If this could be done, vital diagnostic information offered by the PET/CT study could be brought seamlessly into the procedure plan used during live cancer-staging bronchoscopy. We propose a method for the deformable registration of whole-body PET/CT data into the space of a high-resolution chest CT study. We then demonstrate its potential for procedure planning and subsequent use in multimodal image-guided bronchoscopy.
Corynebacterium diphtheriae Endocarditis: Sustained Potential of a Classical Pathogen

This communication concerns a case of endocarditis caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The patient was a 35-year-old male drug addict who was brought to the hospital with fever, chills, and abdominal pain. Two days after admission, blood cultures were found to be growing gram-positive rods suggestive of diphtheroids. Repeated blood cultures grew the same organism, which was identified as a nontoxigenic strain of C. diphtheriae. The patient subsequently was identified as having acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Although isolates are divided into toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains, all isolates of C. diphtheriae should be considered potentially toxigenic. Because diphtheria generally is considered only of historic interest, few laboratories perform tests to identify it and instead report all isolates as "diphtheroids" or Corynebacterium. Because all isolates are potentially toxigenic, and because there is a large reservoir of nonimmunized people, laboratories must be alert to possible serious epidemiologic situations.
Situational Analysis of the Emergence and Spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone

Purpose This study explores the effects of traditional and cultural practices on the spread of Ebola.
Slow Desorption of Phenanthrene from Silica Particles: Influence of Pore Size, Pore Water, and Aging Time

When micro-porous and meso-porous silica particles were exposed to aqueous phenanthrene solutions for various durations it was observed that sorbed-phase phenanthrene concentrations increased with aging time only for meso-porous but not micro-porous silicas. Desorption equilibrium was reached almost instantaneously for the micro-porous particles while both the rate and extent of desorption decreased with increasing aging time for the meso-porous silicas. These findings indicate that phenanthrene can be sequestered within the internal pore-space of meso-porous silicas while the internal surfaces of micro-porous silicas are not accessible to phenanthrene sorption, possibly due to the presence of physi - or chemi-sorbed water that may sterically hinder the diffusion of phenanthrene inside water-filled micro-pores. By contrast, the internal surfaces of these micro-porous silicas are accessible to phenanthrene when incorporation methods are employed which assure that pores are devoid of physi-sorbed water. Cons equently, when phenanthrene was incorporated into these particles using either supercritical CO2 or via solvent soaking, the aqueous desorption kinetics were extremely slow indicating effective sequestration of phenanthrene inside micro-porous particles. Finally, a two - compartment conceptual model is used to interpret the experimental findings and the implications for contaminant fate and transport are discussed.
Heekyoung Cho, Translation’s forgotten history. Russian literature, Japanese mediation, and the formation of modern Korean literature

If Translation’s Forgotten History didn’t exist, someone would have had to invent it. I say this because this book makes such an eloquent and convincing argument for the full integration of transla...
Personal Injury Victims as Insurance Collection Agents: ERISA Preemption of State Antisubrogation Laws

Follow this and additional works at: http://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/jlp Part of the Agency Commons, Business Organizations Law Commons, Civil Law Commons, Contracts Commons, Insurance Law Commons, Jurisprudence Commons, Labor and Employment Law Commons, Legislation Commons, Organizations Law Commons, Retirement Security Law Commons, Supreme Court of the United States Commons, Torts Commons, and the Workers' Compensation Law Commons
Noninvasive Estimation of Left Ventricular Filling Pressures

Assessment of left ventricular (LV) pressures is frequently needed in the daily care of patients with and without cardiovascular disease. Such information assumes even greater relevance in the care of unstable patients for whom the timely use of appropriate therapy can be life saving. In addition, in certain subsets of patients, such as those with acute myocardial infarction, systolic heart failure, and diastolic heart failure, useful incremental prognostic information is provided by echocardiographic estimates of filling pressures.1, 2, 3 In this chapter, I discuss the available echocardiographic methods for the assessment of LV filling pressures, with special emphasis on different subsets of patients stratified according to LV ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac rhythm, and valvular heart disease.
Incorporating ancillary services in airline passenger choice models

This paper develops a new integrated passenger choice model to explain how consumers select ancillary services in conjunction with an airline itinerary and specific fare class. We propose that consumers are either classically rational, which we term simultaneous, or boundedly rational, which we term sequential. Simultaneous consumers are modeled to choose an itinerary, a fare class, and a set of ancillary services at the same time; sequential consumers are modeled to choose an itinerary and a fare class in one phase and then choose a set of ancillary services in a second phase. The sensitivity of revenues and bookings to various ancillary fee structures with the integrated choice model are illustrated by simulations in the Passenger Origin–Destination Simulator, showing that ancillary bundling can result in buy-up or buy-down by simultaneous passengers, but that sequential passengers provide more revenue to airlines.
Negative Interest Rates: How Big a Challenge for Large Danish and Swedish Banks?

Negative policy interest rates have prevailed for some years in Denmark and are a more recent development in Sweden. Among other potential side effects, negative rates could weaken banks' profitability by reducing net interest income, their main source of earnings. However, an analysis of financial statements at the country rather than the consolidated group level shows that bank margins have been broadly stable. At least to date, lower interest income was offset by reductions in wholesale funding costs and higher fee income. Nonetheless, the impacts on bank health and lending from negative interest rates will need to continue to be monitored closely.
Sites Contributing to TRPA1 Activation by the Anesthetic Propofol Identified by Photoaffinity Labeling

In addition to inducing anesthesia, propofol activates a key component of the pain pathway, the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 ion channel (TRPA1). Recent mutagenesis studies suggested a potential activation site within the transmembrane domain, near the A-967079 cavity. However, mutagenesis cannot distinguish between protein-based and ligand-based mechanisms, nor can this site explain the complex modulation by propofol. Thus more direct approaches are required to reveal potentially druggable binding sites. Here we apply photoaffinity labeling using a propofol derivative, meta-azipropofol, for direct identification of binding sites in mouse TRPA1. We confirm that meta-azipropofol activates TRPA1 like the parent anesthetic, and identify two photolabeled residues (V954 and E969) in the S6 helix. In combination with docking to closed and open state models of TRPA1, photoaffinity labeling suggested that the A-967079 cavity is a positive modulatory site for propofol. Further, the photoaffinity labeling of E969 indicated pore block as a likely mechanism for propofol inhibition at high concentrations. The direct identification of drug-binding sites clarifies the molecular mechanisms of important TRPA1 agonists, and will facilitate drug design efforts to modulate TRPA1.
Improving Scalability in Thermally Resilient Hybrid Photonic-Electronic NoCs

Hybrid photonic-electronic networks-on-chip (HPENoCs) harness the strengths of both photonic and electronic links to meet the stringent demands of bandwidth, power, and latency of many-core systems. Microring resonators (MRRs), fundamental components in on-chip photonic networks, are highly sensitive to thermal variations, which may lead to erroneous optical transmission. Previously, we proposed a thermal-aware fault-tolerant routing technique (TAFT) to address this problem. In this paper, we examine and evaluate the scalability of TAFT as the NoC size grows. Organizing the NoC into different size clusters is a crucial part of TAFT scalability. Given the same number of cores, different cluster sizes can have up to 45% latency difference. The latency, throughput and power consumption are all dependent on cluster size, under similar traffic patterns. Simulation results also show that as the traffic pattern degrades, revising cluster size can yield up to 56% latency improvement.
Site Suitability and Modeling

Site selection means finding the location that meets a specific condition or criteria. In ArcGIS, you can use different techniques and tools to find the most suitable site for a particular purpose. One of the straightforward procedures that can be used in GIS is modeling. Modeling helps to generalize or simplify an environmental setting and its processes. For example, to find suitable land for a certain purpose such as irrigation or residential building, you have to apply criteria in your analysis to evaluate where the land is most suitable for that particular use. Understanding the main input functions of the suitability modeling guarantees a successful model. The most important elements of the model progression are the following: 1. What is the problem that demands solving? 2. Define a well-articulated criteria for the analysis 3. Gather the necessary data to solve the problem 4. Select the GIS tool needed for the model 5. Create the model to diagram the activity flow
The Transition from Military Nurse to Nurse Faculty: A Descriptive Study

Aim The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe the transition from military nurse to nurse faculty. Background There is a global shortage of qualified nurse faculty. Recruitment of retiring or separating military nurses is a viable solution. Methods Content and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews of former military nurses (N=13) was undertaken. Results The transition from military nurse to nurse faculty includes acknowledgment of the reality of academic culture, appreciation of the journey to bridge the gap, and culmination of a new identity. Leadership skills acquired during military service proved instrumental to a successful transition. Conclusions Recognizing this transition and the strengths these nurses offer provides evidence for focused orientation programs to increase recruitment and retention of these faculty.
A between-class overlapping coherence-based algorithm in KNN classification

This paper proposes an improved KNN algorithm to overcome the class overlapping problem when the class distribution is skewed. Different from the conventional KNN algorithm, it not only finds out the k nearest neighbors of each sample (even the test object itself) in the training dataset, but also the neighbors of the unknown test object. Then the validity value of a data point is computed based on the label of the data and the labels of its k nearest neighbors. A classifier is designed to assign the unknown test object to a class membership based on the proposed validity ratings equations. A numerical analysis provides a detailed example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm. The improved KNN algorithm is compared with the conventional KNN and the modified KNN algorithm on the real world wine data with the increasing number of k from 1 to 20. The experimental results show that the proposed improved KNN algorithm outperforms the conventional KNN and the modified KNN algorithm. In addition, classification accuracy of KNN algorithm and our algorithm in terms of various combinations of k-value and k-fold cross validation are compared. It is found that while the classification accuracy of the conventional KNN algorithm has changed drastically, our algorithm remains constantly high over the k values. Additionally, the conventional KNN algorithm has shown a declining trend when k is large, i.e. k = 20, while our algorithm remains stable.
Developing minority nurse leaders: The anchor and the rope.

Aim(s) The purpose of the study was to explore the role of ethnic nursing organizations (ENOs) in developing their members for leadership. Background In an increasingly diverse world, it is important to the health of the population for nurse leaders to be equally diverse. Method(s) This was a qualitative study using content analysis methods. Fifteen nurses, 3 males and 12 females, with membership in one of three ENOs were identified by purposive sampling and interviewed. Findings Initial categories identified were: racism-isolation, sources of motivation, community, education, leadership, mentoring, diversity of mentors, connection, "cheerleading", opportunities and entering the organization. The data was further reviewed and three major themes emerged: Connection, achievement (accomplishments and successes), and racism and isolation. Discussion and recommendations This study identified the important role of the ENOS in developing nurse leaders. In addition, it highlighted the importance of mentors in developing nurse leaders, from the ENOs and other nursing organizations. The study participants indicate that the ENOs provide comfort and community, when facing racism and isolation. Conclusions Information from this study can help to develop creative ways to draw diverse nurses into leadership roles.
Securing the Broker Pattern.

We consider how to add security to the Broker distribution pattern. We do so by examining how systems using Broker are secured in practice, and by then revising the pattern to reflect this knowledge. The results are presented as a new pattern, Secure Broker. This paper serves as a model to illustrate how a pattern can be made secure by adding specific functions.
Impact of toxicant exposures on ovarian gap junctions

Ovarian gap junctions function to provide intercellular communication between ovarian cell types and are critical for proper ovarian function. Connexons are communication channels that are comprised of connexin (CX) proteins. Connexins can be regulated through endocrine signals, thus have dynamic expression throughout the estrous cycle. Not surprisingly, ovarian function is negatively affected in mouse models deficient in Cx genes; loss of Gja4 impairs folliculogenesis while ovaries devoid of Gja1 have reductions in oocyte growth. Chemicals that negatively affect ovarian function, termed ovotoxicants, can directly target Cx mRNA or protein abundance. Endocrine disrupting chemicals, medicinal drugs, pesticides, industrial chemicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, recreational drugs and dietary components can affect Cx levels and/or function. Also, aging and obesity can impact ovarian Cx's. This review highlights what is currently known about ovotoxicant exposures that impact ovarian gap junction function as well as identifies the many gaps in our knowledge in this area of ovarian biology.
Ultrasonography for the Confirmation of Endotracheal Tube Intubation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study objective Intubation is routinely performed in the emergency department, and rapid, accurate confirmation is essential to avoid potentially serious adverse outcomes. The number of studies assessing ultrasonography for the verification of endotracheal tube placement has expanded rapidly in recent years. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the sensitivity and specificity of transtracheal ultrasonography for the verification of endotracheal tube location. Methods PubMed, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Scopus, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database, the Cochrane databases, and bibliographies of selected articles were assessed for all prospective and randomized controlled trials evaluating the accuracy of transtracheal ultrasonography for identifying endotracheal tube location. Data were dual extracted into a predefined worksheet and quality analysis was performed with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies–2 tool. Data were summarized and a meta-analysis was performed with subgroup analyses by location, specialty, experience, transducer type, and technique. Time to confirmation was assessed as a secondary outcome. Results This systematic review identified 17 studies (n=1,595 patients). Overall, transtracheal ultrasonography was 98.7% sensitive (95% confidence interval [CI] 97.8% to 99.2%) and 97.1% specific (95% CI 92.4% to 99.0%), with a positive likelihood ratio of 34.4 (95% CI 12.7 to 93.1) and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.01 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.02). Subgroup analyses did not demonstrate a significant difference by location, provider specialty, provider experience, transducer type, or technique. Mean time to confirmation was 13.0 seconds. Conclusion Transtracheal sonography is rapid to perform, with an acceptable degree of sensitivity and specificity for the confirmation of endotracheal intubation. Ultrasonography is a valuable adjunct and should be considered when quantitative capnography is unavailable or unreliable.
Longevity and Complication Rates of Ultrasound Guided Versus Traditional Peripheral Intravenous Catheters in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract Background Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines are frequently used in patients with difficult access. We have previously reported on the longevity and complication rates of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines, but there are limited data comparing outcomes of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines to traditionally placed peripheral intravenous lines in children. The aim of this study was to compare the longevity and complication rates of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines to traditionally placed intravenous lines in a pediatric population. Methods This study analyzed 300 ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines and 552 traditionally placed intravenous lines using patient records to determine the reason and timing for intravenous line removal. A t-test was used to compare overall mean survival times, and a log-rank test was used to compare Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Complication rates were compared using a chi-squared test. Results The survival times of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines (mean = 73 hours, SD = 68 hours) were significantly longer than those of traditionally placed intravenous lines (mean = 38 hours, SD = 29.4 hours), t(559) = 8.51, P Conclusions Our data suggests that ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines are a viable option for children, including those with a history of difficult access. Survival times were longer for ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines versus traditionally placed intravenous lines, and complication rates of the ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous lines and traditionally placed intravenous lines were similar.
Greasing the receptor.

Components of the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway induce a favourable conformation in the proteinaceous murine norovirus receptor (CD300lf) that facilitates virus entry.
Effect of Structure on the Spin-Spin Interactions of Tethered Dicyanomethyl Diradicals.

Stable organic radicals with switchable spin states have attracted attention for a variety of applications, but a fundamental understanding of how radical structure effects the weak bonding interactions between organic radicals is limited. To evaluate the effect of chemical structure on the strength and nature of such spin interactions, a series of 14 tethered aryl dicyanomethyl diradicals were synthesized, and the structure and thermodynamic properties of the diradicals were investigated. These studies indicate that the nature of the dimer and the equilibrium thermodynamic parameters of the diradical-dimer equilibria are highly sensitive to the attachment point of the linker, the length of the linker, and the substituents on the radical itself. Values of the intramolecular Ka vary from as small as 5 to as high as 105 depending on these variables. An X-ray crystal structure for a linked ortho-substituted diradical shows that the diradical forms an intramolecular sigma dimer in the crystalline state with an elongated C-C bond (1.637 A). Subtle changes to the radical structure influences the nature of the spin interactions, as fixing the dimethylamino substituent on the radical into a ring to make a julolidine-derived diradical leads to the weakest bonding interaction observed (Δ Gbonding = 1 kcal mol-1) and changes the spin-paired species from a sigma dimer to a diradical pimer. This work has implications for the design of stimuli-responsive materials that can reversibly switch between the dramatically different properties of closed-shell species and the unique properties of diradicals.
Matrix metalloproteinase-12 as an endogenous resolution promoting factor following myocardial infarction

Following myocardial infarction (MI), timely resolution of inflammation promotes wound healing and scar formation while limiting excessive tissue damage. Resolution promoting factors (RPFs) are agents that blunt leukocyte trafficking and inflammation, promote necrotic and apoptotic cell clearance, and stimulate scar formation. Previously identified RPFs include mediators derived from lipids (resolvins, lipoxins, protectins, and maresins), proteins (glucocorticoids, annexin A1, galectin 1, and melanocortins), or gases (CO, H2S, and NO). Matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12; macrophage elastase) has shown promising RPF qualities in a variety of disease states. We review here the evidence that MMP-12 may serve as a novel RPF with potential therapeutic efficacy in the setting of MI.
Signal Integration by Shadow Enhancers and Enhancer Duplications Varies across the Drosophila Embryo

Transcription of developmental genes is controlled by multiple enhancers. Frequently, more than one enhancer can activate transcription from the same promoter in the same cells. How is regulatory information from multiple enhancers combined to determine the overall expression output? We measure nascent transcription driven by a pair of shadow enhancers, each enhancer of the pair separately, and each duplicated, using live imaging in Drosophila embryos. This set of constructs allows us to quantify the input-output function describing signal integration by two enhancers. We show that signal integration performed by these shadow enhancers and duplications varies across the expression pattern, implying that how their activities are combined depends on the transcriptional regulators bound to the enhancers in different parts of the embryo. Characterizing signal integration by multiple enhancers is a critical step in developing conceptual and computational models of gene expression at the locus level, where multiple enhancers control transcription together.
Model-based analysis of arterial pulse signals for tracking changes in arterial wall parameters: a pilot study

Arterial wall parameters (i.e., radius and viscoelasticity) are prognostic markers for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but their current monitoring systems are too complex for home use. Our objective was to investigate whether model-based analysis of arterial pulse signals allows tracking changes in arterial wall parameters using a microfluidic-based tactile sensor. The sensor was used to measure an arterial pulse signal. A data-processing algorithm was utilized to process the measured pulse signal to obtain the radius waveform and its first-order and second-order derivatives, and extract their key features. A dynamic system model of the arterial wall and a hemodynamic model of the blood flow were developed to interpret the extracted key features for estimating arterial wall parameters, with no need of calibration. Changes in arterial wall parameters were introduced to healthy subjects ( $$n=5$$ ) by moderate exercise. The estimated values were compared between pre-exercise and post-exercise for significant difference ( $$p<0.05$$ ). The estimated changes in the radius, elasticity and viscosity were consistent with the findings in the literature (between pre-exercise and 1 min post-exercise: − 11% ± 4%, 55% ± 38% and 28% ± 11% at the radial artery; − 7% ± 3%, 36% ± 28% and 16% ± 8% at the carotid artery). The model-based analysis allows tracking changes in arterial wall parameters using a microfluidic-based tactile sensor. This study shows the potential of developing a solution to at-home monitoring of the cardiovascular system for early detection, timely intervention and treatment assessment of CVD.
Financial Reform - Literature Review on Theory and the Experiences of Developing Countries: The Case of Egypt

Keynes (1937), Tobin (1965) and their followers believe that financial repression reflects on higher savings, investment and economic growth through monetary expansion and by lowering interest rates. Financial liberalization theorists (such as McKinnon and Shaw 1973) contested this position, emphasising the need for a determined interest rate, in order to ensure better intermediation and a more effective allocation of financial resources, especially in developing countries. The experience of Egypt — which has followed a financial reform program as part of its economic reform since the 1990’s supports the view that financial development contributes to the momentum of economic growth.
Macrohistory of the legal transformations in Iran from the reception of Turk-Mongolian law to the inception of legal modernization

Two major transformations in the constitutional history of the Islamic Middle East are examined with reference to Iran. Two snapshots sketch the consequences of the reception, respectively, of the Turko-Mongolian since the first half of the fifteenth century, marked the reconciliation of Turko-Mongolian and Islamic law, and of the legal framework of the international system of modern nation-states in the nineteenth century. The turning point from the Turko-Mongolian to the modern legal transplantation is the collapse of the last Turko-Mongolian empire in world history – that of Nāder Shah (1736-1747). It was followed by half a century of internecine tribal warfare from which Iran emerged as a state forced to adopt Western law in the century-long course of its defensive modernization against imperialist pressure that resulted in the inception of legal modernization. Se analizan dos grandes transformaciones de la historia constitucional del Medio Oriente islamico, con referencia a Iran. Dos radiografias bosquejan las consecuencias de la recepcion, respectivamente, de los turco-mongoles a partir de la primera mitad del siglo XV –marcando la reconciliacion del derecho turco-mongol e islamico– y del marco juridico para el sistema internacional de los modernos Estados-nacion en el siglo XIX. El punto de inflexion del trasplante turco-mongol al derecho moderno es la caida del ultimo Imperio Turco-Mongol de Nāder Shah (1736-1747). Siguio medio siglo de guerras internas entre tribus, de las cuales emergio Iran como un Estado obligado a adoptar el derecho occidental en el curso de un siglo de su modernizacion defensiva contra las presiones imperialistas, lo cual dio como resultado el comienzo de la modernizacion juridica. Available from: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl/0000-0000-0000-1069
Assessment of the Independent and Synergistic Effects of Fluid Overload and Acute Kidney Injury on Outcomes of Critically Ill Children.

OBJECTIVES Evaluate the independent and synergistic associations of fluid overload and acute kidney injury with outcome in critically ill pediatric patients. DESIGN Secondary analysis of the Acute Kidney Injury in Children Expected by Renal Angina and Urinary Biomarkers (NCT01735162) prospective observational study. SETTING Single-center quaternary level PICU. PATIENTS One-hundred forty-nine children 3 months to 25 years old with predicted PICU length of stay greater than 48 hours, and an indwelling urinary catheter enrolled (September 2012 to March 2014). Acute kidney injury (defined by creatinine or urine output on day 3) and fluid overload (≥ 20% on day 3) were used as outcome variables and risk factors for ICU endpoints assessed at 28 days. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Acute kidney injury and fluid overload occurred in 19.4% and 24.2% respectively. Both acute kidney injury and fluid overload were associated with longer ICU length of stay but neither maintained significance after multivariate regression. Delineation into unique fluid overload/acute kidney injury classifications demonstrated that fluid overload patients experienced a longer ICU and hospital length of stay and higher rate of mortality compared with fluid overload patients, regardless of acute kidney injury status. Fluid overload/acute kidney injury patients had increased odds of death (p = 0.013). After correction for severity of illness, ICU length of stay remained significantly longer in fluid overload/acute kidney injury patients compared with patients without both classifications (17.4; 95% CI, 11.0-23.7 vs 8.8; 95% CI, 7.3-10.9; p = 0.05). Correction of acute kidney injury classification for net fluid balance led to acute kidney injury class switching in 29 patients and strengthened the association with increased mechanical ventilation and ICU length of stay on bivariate analysis, but reduced the increased risk conferred by fluid overload for mortality. CONCLUSIONS The current study suggests the effects of significant fluid accumulation may be delineable from the effects of acute kidney injury. Concurrent fluid overload and acute kidney injury significantly worsen outcome. Correction of acute kidney injury assessment for net fluid balance may refine diagnosis and unmask acute kidney injury associated with deleterious downstream sequelae. The unique effects of fluid overload and acute kidney injury on outcome in critically ill patients warrant further study.
Upper Bound on LoRa Smart Metering Uplink Rate

The use of the LoRa PHY and LoRaWAN MAC layer as a wireless communication standard for IoT devices has seen growth over the last few years, with long range, low power, and low cost being the driving force. LoRa is viewed as an alternative to higher power and commercial communication standards used for IoT applications. LoRa is now beginning to see use in low data rate, long range devices for consumer smart metering and demand response applications. Smart meters measure local electrical attributes such as power factor and instantaneous, RMS, and peak voltage, current, and power (real and reactive). These attributes are sampled and transmitted to an electric utility as uplink messages at the highest possible rate to allow the utility to maintain the closest approximation to the realtime state of an electric grid. Smart meters can also measure line frequency and detect voltage sags and current faults, which can be used to predict an impending outage. LoRa transceivers embedded within residential smart meters send uplink messages to local, utility operated neighborhood concentrators that are connected to a WAN and ultimately connect back to a utility's LAN. Concentrators serve as message gateways that copy a received LoRa Wanuplink payload into a MQTT publish message that is sent to a utility's application server. Steady state requires the service rate µ of the combined concentrator and application server to exceed the uplink arrival rate λ. In this paper we derive an upper bound on the measurement uplink rate for LoRaWAnsmart metering infrastructure such that the ratio $\rho = \lambda/\mu$ , or utilization factor, is maintained under 1, based on LoRaWAnpacket time-on-air (ToA) and expected packet delay Dp incurred from the combined concentrator and application server expected service rate, and the concentrator expected packet arrival rate.
Fault Mechanism of Fiber Optical Current Transformer Based on Signal Processing Method

The fiber optical current transformer (FOCT) with sine wave modulation has been widely used in the DC transmission project, while its fault rate is much higher than that of an electromagnetic current transformer, which seriously threatens the safe operation of power grid. In order to investigate the fault mechanism of FOCT, the output signal model of the FOCT photodetector is established, and its basic methods of modulation and demodulation are analyzed to explore the influencing factors of the signal processing method used in the calculation of measured current. It is found that the reduction of the second harmonic component in the photodetector output is the root cause of FOCT fault, and the optical path, modulation signal amplitude, and measured current are important factors affecting the second harmonic component. The influencing law of three factors on the second harmonic component is calculated by simulation and the characteristic differences between them are given. Finally, the fault simulation test of FOCT light intensity and a modulation circuit were carried out in the laboratory, and the results verify the correctness of theoretical analysis. The research in this paper provides reference for fault analysis and reliability improvement of FOCT.
Neurology®'s commitment to address gender bias in neurology journals.

Systemic, institutional, and organizational barriers and unconscious biases have led to the underrepresentation of women in the medical profession, particularly in academic medicine. Women comprise 40% of faculty in US departments of neurology and only 31% of faculty at the top-ranked programs.1,2 The proportion of women who are full professors among US programs is 21%, and 14% at among top-ranked programs.1,2 In the European Union, 24% of university professors are women.3 In 2018, only 14 women chaired one of the 129 neurology departments in the United States.4 Women are underrepresented in the most visible academic leadership positions, including editorial boards of medical journals. In a cross-sectional study published in this issue of Neurology® , Mariotto et al.5 found that, in 247 neurology journals, only 12% of editors-in-chief, 23% of associate editors, and 21% of editorial board members were women.
A Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative for Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

Many published accounts have shown that quality improvement (QI) initiatives within medical practice settings can increase vaccination rates. Project ECHO is a telementoring platform that uses video conferencing technology to educate and support healthcare professionals through case-based learning and brief lectures. This manuscript explores the results of a learning collaborative focused on combining QI and Project ECHO to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates within pediatric practices. Methods The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recruited 3 AAP chapters that then recruited individual pediatricians and their practices for participation. Participants responded to surveys regarding chapter and pediatrician experience and satisfaction. Impact on HPV immunization rates (HPV initiation, series completion, and missed opportunities to vaccinate during visits) was measured using practice reports of chart reviews to AAP's data aggregator, which produced run charts. Results Thirty-four pediatricians within 8 practices completed the project; 1 practice withdrew. Physicians self-reported increased confidence in communicating with vaccine-hesitant families and implementing QI activities. We analyzed practice run charts utilizing QI run chart rules and found nonrandom change towards improvement for aggregate missed opportunities to vaccinate but not for HPV vaccine initiation or series completion. Conclusions An HPV QI learning collaborative improved participant confidence in HPV vaccine communication and QI skills and decreased missed opportunities to vaccinate. Future projects should consider a more extended project period or more frequent data collection to reduce data variability to make it easier to spot nonrandom changes.
Introducing PathQuery, Google's Graph Query Language

We introduce PathQuery, a graph query language developed to scale with Google's query and data volumes as well as its internal developer community. PathQuery supports flexible and declarative semantics. We have found that this enables query developers to think in a naturally "graphy" design space and to avoid the additional cognitive effort of coordinating numerous joins and subqueries often required to express an equivalent query in a relational space. Despite its traversal-oriented syntactic style, PathQuery has a foundation on a custom variant of relational algebra -- the exposition of which we presently defer -- allowing for the application of both common and novel optimizations. We believe that PathQuery has withstood a "test of time" at Google, under both large scale and low latency requirements. We thus share herein a language design that admits a rigorous declarative semantics, has scaled well in practice, and provides a natural syntax for graph traversals while also admitting complex graph patterns.
The Impact of Housing Programs on Unsheltered Homeless Population: An Agent-Based Approach

This article presents an Agent-Based Modeling approach to simulate the cascading effect that community-based health care services and two temporary housing programs would have on the unsheltered homeless population in Los Angeles. Our model overcomes the challenge that traditional research using aggregated data isn’t sufficient to provide satisfying explanations. We incorporate micro, meso, and macro level components, to uncover the step-by-step changes introduced by integrated program that synchronizes health services and housing programs, including the feedback loop between homeless population and the socio-economic environment they live in. Using key policy levers, we explore the impact of various policies on the unsheltered homeless population. Particularly, we assess the Rapid Re-Housing program, which is one important component of the Housing-First policy, as well as the transitional housing program, which especially aims to support chronically unsheltered homeless people through an aggregate program that conflates the temporary housing and supportive services. To achieve our objective, we use sensitivity analysis to estimate the impact of the number of social workers, effectiveness of policy level, and community-based special care services for mentally ill homeless on macroscopic phenomena. We also conduct two scenario analyses to evaluate two major temporary housing programs on unsheltered homeless. The regression result based on simulation data suggests that the Rapid Re-Housing program is neither effective nor efficient in reducing unsheltered homeless. However, the result illuminates that social workers play vital roles in building relationship with unsheltered homeless people and facilitating chronical unsheltered homeless to receive needed treatment and to be stabilized by housing programs.
Restoring the sense of touch with electrical stimulation of the nerve and brain

Abstract Though prosthetic limbs controlled with brain–machine interfaces have the potential to confer to patients with tetraplegia the ability to physically interact with the world and regain a level of independence, the dexterity of prosthetic hands is severely limited without sensory feedback. Current brain–machine interfaces can decode motor intent from the brain remarkably well, but movements of brain-controlled anthropomorphic limbs remain slow and clumsy, in part due to this lack of somatosensory feedback. Accordingly, efforts are underway to restore tactile sensation to improve the dexterity of prosthetic limbs. Restoration of touch can also promote embodiment, the integration of the limb into the user’s sense of self. Electrical stimulation of somatosensory cortex evokes sensations of touch and can be used to convey information about interactions with objects, but our ability to shape the artificial percept is impeded by an inadequate understanding of the features of stimulation that affect sensation. To date, attempts to restore the sense of touch through intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) used either arbitrary mappings between touched objects and stimulation patterns, which took months to interpret and use, or monotonic mappings between contact force and stimulation amplitude, which led to improved performance. However, even with this feedback, dexterity does not match that of our native hands. Recent results from sensory restoration through nerve stimulation suggest that more natural feedback is associated with better performance in functional tasks. To achieve ever more naturalistic ICMS-based feedback requires that we develop our understanding of how ICMS parameters such as pulse charge, pulse patterning, and stimulation location shape the evoked sensations.
PacBio sequencing output increased through uniform and directional fivefold concatenation.

Advances in sequencing technology have allowed researchers to sequence DNA with greater ease and at decreasing costs. Main developments have focused on either sequencing many short sequences or fewer large sequences. Methods for sequencing mid-sized sequences of 600–5,000 bp are currently less efficient. For example, the PacBio Sequel I system yields ~ 100,000–300,000 reads with an accuracy per base pair of 90–99%. We sought to sequence several DNA populations of ~ 870 bp in length with a sequencing accuracy of 99% and to the greatest depth possible. We optimised a simple, robust method to concatenate genes of ~ 870 bp five times and then sequenced the resulting DNA of ~ 5,000 bp by PacBioSMRT long-read sequencing. Our method improved upon previously published concatenation attempts, leading to a greater sequencing depth, high-quality reads and limited sample preparation at little expense. We applied this efficient concatenation protocol to sequence nine DNA populations from a protein engineering study. The improved method is accompanied by a simple and user-friendly analysis pipeline, DeCatCounter, to sequence medium-length sequences efficiently at one-fifth of the cost.