cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical evaluation and guidance for using the coulter method for counting subvisible particles in protein solutions

ABSTRACT: In this paper, we evaluate the suitability of Coulter method for detecting and quantifying subvisible particles in protein solutions and compare results with other particle-counting technologies. The effects of key instrument and operational parameters such as aperture diameter, solution conductivity, and cleaning procedures are demonstrated. Degraded and nondegraded intravenous immunoglobulin and human serum albumin were chosen as model proteins and sample types for this evaluation. Multisizer™4 was able to obtain reproducible and linear particle counts; however, customized analysis and cleaning procedures are needed depending on the protein analyzed and the sample type (degraded or nondegraded). The Coulter method consistently detected more particles than micro-flow imaging and light obscuration. The presence of translucent particles likely accounts for this observation because detection by the Coulter method does not depend on the optical properties of the particles or solution. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
Storm activity in ancient climates 2. An analysis using climate simulations and sedimentary structures

Anna M. Agustsdottir, Eric J. Barron, Karen L. Bice, Lee A. Colarusso, Janette L. Cookman, Brian A. Cosgrove, Jennifer L. De Lurio, Jan F. Dutton, Brent J. Frakes, Lawrence A. Frakes, Carmen J. Moy, Thomas D. Olszewski, Richard D. Pancost, Christopher J. Poulsen, Charles M. Ruffner, Douglas G. Sheldon, and Timothy S. White.
Faculty Members’ Expectations of Student Behavior in the Small-Group Setting

This study examined faculty members’ expectations of student behavior in three types of small group settings (student-directed, teacher-directed, and skill-based) at a single institution. Twenty-eight faculty members participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews that addressed how students should prepare for small-group sessions, what learning behaviors informants expect students to exhibit, strategies informants use to stimulate group interaction, and how informants evaluate student performance in the small group settings. Analysis of informant responses indicates small-group instructors have similar expectations of student behavior across all small-group settings. Students are expected to have good interactive skills, be well-prepared and participate in the group, and demonstrate knowledge of the material or facility with the skill taught. Given the results that indicate faculty members’ have largely undifferentiated approaches to their evaluation of student performance, efforts should be taken to help faculty hone their small group teaching skills to enhance students’ knowledge and skill acquisition in small-group teaching formats.
The Bacterial Population of an Indoor Poultry Lagoon

Abstract THE disposal of poultry manure is a serious problem of agriculture, and there is increasing economic pressure for greater efficiency in its disposal. With increasing consumption of poultry products by an increasing population, the poultry industry is having to move toward high density laying operations with 10,000 to 100,000 hens in one building not uncommon. The manure from a flock of the latter size may approximate 12 to 13 tons of manure daily (Ostrander and Hart, 1964). The oxidation pond or lagoon offers a means of disposal of this waste and has been reported to have the following advantages: (1) prevents breeding of flies and other insects in the manure, (2) permits decomposition of the manure by microbial action, (3) eliminates objectionable odors, (4) alleviates frequent cleanings, (5) presents no hindrance to efficient production of broilers or eggs, (6) disposes of the waste in a manner acceptable to public health…
Adapting product and supply chain systems under severe uncertainty

Currently, adaptation in a virtual enterprise is mostly reactive in response to variations that have already occurred. In order to remain profitable in the highly competitive global market, it is highly desirable to proactively adapt in anticipation of unplanned, but foreseeable high impact events, while still maintaining competitive product quality, cost, and lead-time. This paper approaches the problem by developing a unified model of product-supply chain systems based on networks of design-supplier pairs, and decision models of adaptation in the event of a jump based on real options theory. Application to a single component, single echelon supply chain is discussed.
Information analysis for 3D SPECT imaging of radionuclide distributions in attenuating objects

The existing communication model of SPECT studies is extended by including the attenuating medium in the communication channel. Based on the extended model two fundamental theorems are presented to demonstrate the significance of the mutual information in system design and imaging reconstruction. In addition, the authors present a mutual information formula for SPECT systems to image radionuclide distributions in attenuating objects using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) collimators, The formula is, in turn, expressed in terms of the source distribution, attenuation coefficients, and collimator parameters such as collimator thickness, hole size, septal thickness, hole shape factor, and focal length. The polyhedral collimator is employed for the authors' mutual information analysis in this report. Based on imaging surface decomposition, the analysis of the polyhedral collimator is reduced to the analysis of a single-headed collimator for planar imaging. Conventional collimators including parallel and cone beam collimators are used for the analysis of the single-headed collimator. The information loss due to attenuation is evaluated for myocardial imaging using technetium-99m and thalium-201. >
A targeted approach to the identification of candidate genes determining susceptibility to Plasmodium gallinaceum in Aedes aegypti

The malaria parasite, Plasmodium , has evolved an intricate life cycle that includes stages specific to a mosquito vector and to the vertebrate host. The mosquito midgut represents the first barrier Plasmodium parasites encounter following their ingestion with a blood meal from an infected vertebrate. Elucidation of the molecular interaction between the parasite and the mosquito could help identify novel approaches to preventing parasite development and subsequent transmission to vertebrates. We have used an integrated Bulked Segregant Analysis-Differential Display (BSA-DD) approach to target genes expressed that are in the midgut and located within two genome regions involved in determining susceptibility to P. gallinaceum in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. A total of twenty-two genes were identified and characterized, including five genes with no homologues in public sequence databases. Eight of these genes were mapped genetically to intervals on chromosome 2 that contain two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that determine susceptibility to infection by P. gallinaceum. Expression analysis revealed several expression patterns, and ten genes were specifically or preferentially expressed in the midgut of adult females. Real-time PCR quantification of expression with respect to the time of blood meal ingestion and infection status in mosquito strains permissive and refractory for malaria revealed a differential expression pattern for seven genes. These represent candidate genes that may influence the ability of the mosquito vector to support the development of Plasmodium parasites. Here we describe their isolation and discuss their putative roles in parasite-mosquito interactions and their use as potential targets in strategies designed to block transmission of malaria.
Empowering Children to Create a Caring Culture in a World of Differences.

(1993). Empowering Children to Create a Caring Culture in a World of Differences. Childhood Education: Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 66-71.
The Paradox of Women Arrested for Domestic Violence Criminal Justice Professionals and Service Providers Respond

Increasingly, women are being arrested for domestic violence charges as part of dual arrests (when their partner is also arrested) or as a result of their own actions. Could this phenomenon be explained by women's greater willingness to use violence against their abusive partners, or by a strict adherence by police and prosecutors to follow mandatoryor pro-arrest laws without examining the context of the incidents, or something else? This article explores this issue by examining one state's experience, using interview data from criminal justice professionals and service providers who deal directly with women arrested for domestic violence charges.
A Review of the Biocompatibility of Implantable Devices: Current Challenges to Overcome Foreign Body Response:

In recent years, a variety of devices (drug-eluting stents, artificial organs, biosensors, catheters, scaffolds for tissue engineering, heart valves, etc.) have been developed for implantation into patients. However, when such devices are implanted into the body, the body can react to these in a number of different ways. These reactions can result in an unexpected risk for patients. Therefore, it is important to assess and optimize the biocompatibility of implantable devices. To date, numerous strategies have been investigated to overcome body reactions induced by the implantation of devices. This review focuses on the foreign body response and the approaches that have been taken to overcome this. The biological response following device implantation and the methods for biocompatibility evaluation are summarized. Then the risks of implantable devices and the challenges to overcome these problems are introduced. Specifically, the challenges used to overcome the functional loss of glucose sensors, restenosis after stent implantation, and calcification induced by implantable devices are discussed.
An assessment of the discriminant validity of the checklist of behavior alteration techniques: A test of the item desirability bias in prospective and experienced teachers’ likelihood‐of‐use ratings

Abstract This study assessed the discriminant validity of the checklist of Behavior Alteration Techniques. Specifically, the ability of the BATs checklist procedure to discriminate between the likelihood that individual BATs would be selected and the social desirability of those same BATs was examined. The BATs checklist should discriminate between the likelihood that individual BATs would be selected and the social desirability of those same BATs because 50 years of observational studies of teacher discipline behavior suggest that teachers typically and routinely employ negative and antisocial strategies to correct student misbehavior (Burleson & Waltman, 1993). In a within‐subject, repeated measures designs, prospective teachers and experienced teachers provided likelihood‐of‐use and social appropriateness ratings to the BATs checklist in the four hypothetical situations typically employed with the BATs checklist. As predicted, likelihood‐of‐use and social appropriateness ratings were significantly corr...
Compact high-resolution 3D imaging spectrometer for discovering oases on Mars

Two key infrared instrument components, high resolution silicon grisms and cryogenic image slicers, are being developed at Penn State under NASA support for potential applications in future Mars missions. These new instrument components are planned to be used in a new kind of instrument called a CUBE Machine for detecting and characterizing possible organic compounds on the martian surface through spectroscopically observing martian rocks, soil, and organic matter in IR wavelengths (1-5 μm). It is a compact, robust and light-weight 3D near-IR imaging spectrometer and takes full advantage of these new instrument components to enable an order of magnitude improvement in spectral resolution and observing efficiency and also large simultaneous wavelength coverage (~1-5 μm). Due to high dispersion (n = 3.4), silicon grisms provide at least 2 times higher spectral dispersion than any commercially made grisms. These silicon grisms will be the key elements for making the instrument compact enough to fit into spacecrafts and simultaneously provide high enough spectral resolution to resolve the weak spectral features from organic materials. The reflective imaging slicers enable us to collect spectral information from the Mars surface in three dimensional form - two spatial dimensions and one spectral dimension. This unique capability obviates the need to make many scans to build up the data cube as traditional instruments such as spot scanned spectrometers, or slit scanned spectrometers, resulting in an order of magnitude increase in observing efficiency. In addition, use of the Cube Machine to produce spectral maps of a target body will result in dramatically reduced operational complexity, data processing complexity, and increased geometric fidelity of the final data. With current available large IR arrays such as 2kx2k HgCdTe arrays this new instrument will provide large simultaneous wavelength coverage at high spectral resolution. We have successfully developed silicon grisms with 1 inch in dimension and 54.7 degree in blaze angle. These grisms can provide a diffraction-limited spectral resolution of R~20,000 at 2 μm, which is already high enough for most astrobiology space mission applications. The grisms have very smooth grating facets, with typical rms roughness of ~9 nm, indicating a total integrated scattered light level less than 1% in the entire IR wavelengths to allow high precision spectroscopy. The optical design of the image slicers has been finished. The optics required to assemble a prototype image slicer is being procured.
Lethality in a murine model of pulmonary anthrax is reduced by combining nuclear transport modifier with antimicrobial therapy.

Background In the last ten years, bioterrorism has become a serious threat and challenge to public health worldwide. Pulmonary anthrax caused by airborne Bacillus anthracis spores is a life- threatening disease often refractory to antimicrobial therapy. Inhaled spores germinate into vegetative forms that elaborate an anti-phagocytic capsule along with potent exotoxins which disrupt the signaling pathways governing the innate and adaptive immune responses and cause endothelial cell dysfunction leading to vascular injury in the lung, hypoxia, hemorrhage, and death. Methods/Principal Findings Using a murine model of pulmonary anthrax disease, we showed that a nuclear transport modifier restored markers of the innate immune response in spore-infected animals. An 8-day protocol of single-dose ciprofloxacin had no significant effect on mortality (4% survival) of A/J mice lethally infected with B. anthracis Sterne. Strikingly, mice were much more likely to survive infection (52% survival) when treated with ciprofloxacin and a cell-penetrating peptide modifier of host nuclear transport, termed cSN50. In B. anthracis-infected animals treated with antibiotic alone, we detected a muted innate immune response manifested by cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-6, and chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), while the hypoxia biomarker, erythropoietin (EPO), was greatly elevated. In contrast, cSN50-treated mice receiving ciprofloxacin demonstrated a restored innate immune responsiveness and reduced EPO level. Consistent with this improvement of innate immunity response and suppression of hypoxia biomarker, surviving mice in the combination treatment group displayed minimal histopathologic signs of vascular injury and a marked reduction of anthrax bacilli in the lungs. Conclusions We demonstrate, for the first time, that regulating nuclear transport with a cell-penetrating modifier provides a cytoprotective effect, which enables the host's immune system to reduce its susceptibility to lethal B. anthracis infection. Thus, by combining a nuclear transport modifier with antimicrobial therapy we offer a novel adjunctive measure to control florid pulmonary anthrax disease.
Fibrinogen catabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus

Because there is mounting evidence that localized intravascular coagulation may contribute to tissue injury following a variety of immunologic events, including immune complex diseases, fibrinogen catabolism was studied in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus to determine factors correlating with accelerated coagulation. 125I-fibrinogen half-life in controls was 90.1+/- 11 hours and the mean SLE half-life was 60.5 +/- 12. SLE patients in complete clinical remission had normal half-lives, but patients with symptomatic clinical disease, including renal disease, had significantly reduced fibrinogen survival. Accelerated fibrinogen consumption also correlated with positive tests for anti-DNA antibodies, but not with hypocomplementemia. These observations support the hypothesis that the coagulation system is activated in patients with immune complex diseases. Further studies are required to define the role, if any, that coagulation may play in causing tissue injury.
Pelage coloration in pinnipeds: functional considerations

Pinnipeds vary in adult pelage color and pattern ranging from uniform white to black or brown and from solid coloration to subtle spotted or bold markings. Moreover, pelage color often differs by sex and age with neonates having radically different color and patterning from those of adults. We explored the functional significance of these patterns in 34 species of pinniped using comparative phylogenetic analyses. We found strong evidence to support the hypothesis of background matching on land because species in which adults or pups have white pelage live in Arctic regions and are subject to terrestrial predation. We also found evidence supporting the hypothesis of background matching at sea because spotted species forage in well-lit shallow waters on-shelf and dark pinnipeds forage in deep dark waters off-shelf. Neonates are black for species lacking terrestrial predators on islands or in caves where selection on crypsis is relaxed. Distinctive markings may be used for intraspecific communication. Sexually dichromatic pinnipeds are highly polygynous and copulate on land, suggesting a role for male coloration in contests for access to females. Functional differences in the coloration of pinnipeds and cetaceans reveal differences in underlying selection pressures, in particular those derived from pinnipeds' amphibious lifestyle.
Climate Change - Its Political Challenge to the International Community

Scientists have called attention to climate change and variability, due to man-made causes, and to the resulting physical consequences. International organizations such as the United Nations, through the various agencies, have further elaborated on these issues and have made efforts to reflect on an agenda or action to bring them into a political context.
Stem cell–based therapies for the newborn lung and brain: Possibilities and challenges

There have been substantial advances in neonatal medical care over the past 2 decades that have resulted in the increased survival of very low birth weight infants, survival that in some centers extends to 22 weeks gestational age. Despite these advances, there continues to be significant morbidity associated with extreme preterm birth that includes both short-term and long-term pulmonary and neurologic consequences. No single therapy has proven to be effective in preventing or treating either developmental lung and brain injuries in preterm infants or the hypoxic-ischemic injury that can be inflicted on the full-term brain as a result of in utero or perinatal complications. Stem cell-based therapies are emerging as a potential paradigm-shifting approach for such complex diseases with multifactorial etiologies, but a great deal of work is still required to understand the role of stem/progenitor cells in normal development and in the repair of injured tissue. This review will summarize the biology of the various stem/progenitor cells, their effects on tissue repair in experimental models of lung and brain injury, the recent advances in our understanding of their mechanism of action, and the challenges that remain to be addressed before their eventual application to clinical care.
Yolk Discolorations from Cottonseed Meal When Eggs Were Oiled Before Storage

Abstract THE recent reports of Kemmerer et al. (1960) and Frampton et al. (1961) show that the dark discolorations caused by gossypol and appearing in the yolks of stored eggs from layers fed cottonseed meal accompany an increase in the pH of the yolks. This increase in pH is enhanced by another component of cottonseed meal (halphenic acid), which also causes pink whites and salmon-colored yolks. It is common knowledge that there is a loss of CO2 from eggs during storage and that spraying their shells with oil or dipping them in oil will prevent or lessen the loss. This, in turn, should hold the yolks at a lower pH and, thus, lessen the dark discoloration. This paper reports that oiling the shells of fresh eggs does lessen the formation of dark yolk discolorations during their storage. PROCEDURE The all-mash diets were composed of 66.9 parts hegari, 8.1 mineral and vitamin …
Longer-Wavelength-Absorbing, Extended Chalcogenorhodamine Dyes

Extended rhodamines were prepared by inserting an additional fused benzene ring into the rhodamine xanthylium core. The synthesis of “bent” dyes 4-E (E = S, Se, Te) began with regioselective lithiation of the 1-position of N,N-diisopropyl 6-dimethylamino-2-naphthamide (11b) with n-BuLi/TMEDA (≥25:1 1- vs 3-lithiation) followed by addition of a dichalcogenide electrophile. The synthesis of “linear” dyes 5-E (E = S, Se, Te) began with regioselective lithiation of the 3-position of N,N-diethyl 6-dimethylamino-2-naphthamide (11a) with lithium tetramethylpiperidide (≥50:1 3- vs 1-lithiation) followed by addition of a dichalcogenide electrophile. Dyes 4-E and 5-E have absorption maxima in the 633–700 nm range. Dyes 4-E generate singlet oxygen upon irradiation while dyes 4-S and 5-S are highly fluorescent, with quantum yields for fluorescence of 0.47 and 0.18, respectively. DFT calculations were performed on the 4-E and 5-E chromophores. For the dyes 4-E, the lowest energy excitation is due solely to the HOMO–LU...
Serious Gaming for Test & Evaluation of Clean-Slate (Ab Initio) National Airspace System (NAS) Designs

Incremental approaches to air transportation system development inherit current architectural constraints, which, in turn, place hard bounds on system capacity, efficiency of performance, and complexity. To enable airspace operations of the future, a clean-slate (ab initio) airspace design(s) must be considered. This ab initio National Airspace System (NAS) must be capable of accommodating increased traffic density, a broader diversity of aircraft, and on-demand mobility. System and subsystem designs should scale to accommodate the inevitable demand for airspace services that include large numbers of autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and a paradigm shift in general aviation (e.g., personal air vehicles) in addition to more traditional aerial vehicles such as commercial jetliners and weather balloons. The complex and adaptive nature of ab initio designs for the future NAS requires new approaches to validation, adding a significant physical experimentation component to analytical and simulation tools. In addition to software modeling and simulation, the ability to exercise system solutions in a flight environment will be an essential aspect of validation. The NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Autonomy Incubator seeks to develop a flight simulation infrastructure for ab initio modeling and simulation that assumes no specific NAS architecture and models vehicle-to-vehicle behavior to examine interactions and emergent behaviors among hundreds of intelligent aerial agents exhibiting collaborative, cooperative, coordinative, selfish, and malicious behaviors. The air transportation system of the future will be a complex adaptive system (CAS) characterized by complex and sometimes unpredictable (or unpredicted) behaviors that result from temporal and spatial interactions among large numbers of participants. A CAS not only evolves with a changing environment and adapts to it, it is closely coupled to all systems that constitute the environment. Thus, the ecosystem that contains the system and other systems evolves with the CAS as well. The effects of the emerging adaptation and co-evolution are difficult to capture with only combined mathematical and computational experimentation. Therefore, an ab initio flight simulation environment must accommodate individual vehicles, groups of self-organizing vehicles, and large-scale infrastructure behavior. Inspired by Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) and Serious Gaming, the proposed ab initio simulation environment is similar to online gaming environments in which player participants interact with each other, affect their environment, and expect the simulation to persist and change regardless of any individual player's active participation.
Cytologic findings in congenital mesoblastic nephroma. A case report.

A case of conventional congenital mesoblastic nephroma is presented. The characteristic cytologic findings were scant cellularity, a clean background and a predominant cell population consisting of naked spindle cells arranged singly or in tight, cohesive fragments. Also present were isolated epithelial structures ― e.g., tubules and glomeruli. They represented native renal structures that were entrapped by the tumor as it grew. These tubular and glomerular structures may be mistaken for the epithelial component of Wilms' tumor. The cytologic differences between congenital mesoblastic nephroma and Wilms' tumor are discussed
Modeling Musical Complexity: Commentary on Eerola (2016)

In his paper, “Expectancy violation and information-theoretic models of melodic complexity,” Eerola compares a number of models that correlate musical features of monophonic melodies with participant ratings of perceived melodic complexity. He finds that fairly strong results can be achieved using several different approaches to modeling perceived melodic complexity. The data used in this study are gathered from several previously published studies that use widely different types of melodies, including isochronous folk melodies, isochronous 12-tone rows, and rhythmically complex African folk melodies. This commentary first briefly reviews the article’s method and main findings, then suggests a rethinking of the theoretical framework of the study. Finally, some of the methodological issues of the study are discussed.
Big Graph Analytics: Models, Platforms and Optimizations

Big graphs are finding increasing applications in many science and engineering domains, such as computational biology, cybermanufacturing and social media. Graphs provide a very flexible mathematical abstraction for describing relationships between entities in complex systems. Real world graphs are characterized by high connectivity and high irregularity. Such non-uniform characteristics increase the mismatch between the vertex centric parallel computation model and the computer hardware resources. Another problem with the vertex-centric computation model is that it treats vertices symmetrically and this uniform assumption breaks when graphs exhibit high irregularity and graph algorithms reveal non-uniform workloads. In this keynote, I will advocate a fundamental revisit of graph computation models and promotes a methodical framework for support high performance graph parallel abstractions that are resource aware, composable and programmable. I will discuss a suite of graph optimization techniques that explore workload characteristics of graph algorithms and irregularity hidden in graph structures. I will conclude the talk by presenting some interesting research problems and unique opportunities for big graph analytics.
A learning algorithm for string assembly

We present a supervised learning approach to DNA shotgun sequencing. The oracle (supervisor) is a set of already-sequenced DNA strands; the output of the learning process is a domain-specific algorithm for sequence assembly. Our goal is to learn a fast algorithm for a given problem domain. Our approach is to begin with a parameterized form of a sequencing algorithm and to then learn the optimal parameter values, numerical and combinatorial, for the given domain of interest. We present experimental results using DNA strings from H. pylori and humans, and compare the results from real DNA with results obtained from random strings. Our experiments demonstrate that considerable gains in speed can be achieved without significant loss in accuracy. Further, the resulting algorithms learned on different input domains are distinct, illustrating the value of developing domain specific algorithms. We also present experimental results on the applicability of the algorithms learned on one domain to the other domains. These results have implications for the sequencing of new DNA-strings given already sequenced DNA-strings.
Submicron BiCMOS well design for optimum circuit performance

The optimization of a submicron BiCMOS well design is described. The use of buried layers, a thin intrinsic epi layer, and a double n-well implant creates steeply graded well profiles which result in improved circuit performance due to lower diode capacitance. High contact resistance to the buried n+ layer is avoided by using a novel polysilicon plug contact process which also eliminates lateral n+ diffusion, enabling the base-to-collector design rule to be shrunk by more than 25%. >
Local Economic Impacts of Coal Mining in the United States 1870 to 1970

This article expands upon the current “resource curse” literature by using newly collected county data, spanning over a century, to capture the short- and long-run effects of coal mining activity. It provides evidence that increased levels of coal production had positive net impacts on county-level population and manufacturing activity over an initial ten-year span, which become negative over the subsequent decades. The results provide evidence that any existence of a “resource curse” on local areas due to coal mining is a long-run phenomenon, and in the short run there are potential net benefits.
Amphiphilic Copolymers Capable of Concomitant Release of HNO and Small Molecule Organics

We demonstrate concomitant release of HNO and small molecule organics from amphiphilic poly(norbornene)-based copolymers. This key function was achieved by incorporation of thermally labile oxazine units within random and block copolymer architectures. Upon thermolysis, we observed generation of HNO and release of a small molecule conjugate. Importantly, the release kinetics of HNO and a UV-active small molecule (4-nitroaniline) were found to be 1:1, signifying an ability to monitor HNO production indirectly, or to simultaneously release organic therapeutics (e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) along with HNO. To our knowledge, these are the first reported polymeric materials demonstrating HNO release from covalently attached HNO donors.
Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia

Abstract Herpes zoster (shingles) is caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) from dorsal sensory or cranial nerve ganglia. The characteristic unilateral dermatomal vesicular rash of herpes zoster heals within 2 to 4 weeks and is accompanied by pain in the majority of patients. Older age is associated with an increased risk of herpes zoster because of an age-associated decline in VZV-specific cell-mediated immunity. Antiviral therapy reduces the duration of viral shedding, hastens rash healing, and decreases the duration of pain. The supplementation of antiviral therapy with opioids or corticosteroids may provide additional pain relief in herpes zoster patients with moderate to severe acute pain. Peripheral, sympathetic, and epidural nerve blocks with local anesthetics and/or corticosteroids appear to relieve acute pain in patients with herpes zoster, but their role in preventing PHN is uncertain. Postherpetic neuralgia refers to pain that continues after healing of the herpes zoster rash. This peripheral neuropathic pain condition causes substantial distress and disability and can last for years. Risk factors for PHN in patients with herpes zoster include older age, more intense acute pain, more severe rash, and a prodrome of dermatomal pain before the rash appears. The efficacy of gabapentin, high concentration capsaicin patch, lidocaine patch 5%, pregabalin, tramadol, tricyclic antidepressants, and opioid analgesics provide an evidence-based approach to treatment. Combination therapy with opioids-gabapentin, nortriptyline-gabapentin, opioid-nortriptyline may be more effective than either drug alone.
Equations of the Second Kind

In this chapter we consider integral equations of the second kind (FK2 and VK2), with both kernel k(x, s) and free term f(x) continuous on the interval [a, b], and assume that λ is a regular value of the kernel. As we know, the solution o(x) is not unique when λ is an eigenvalue of the kernel. We present some basic facts about these equations in this chapter, and different methods of obtaining numerical solutions of these and other equations are discussed in this and subsequent chapters.
The formation and characterization of large twin related domains

Abstract The enhanced properties of grain boundary engineered metals are a result of their unique microstructures, which contain large clusters of twinned grains, called twin related domains. These large twin related domains in grain boundary engineered Ni were found to form through recrystallization. Orientation mapping showed that sparse nucleation and multiple twinning resulted in twin related domains containing hundreds of grains connected together in complex morphologies. A correlation was found between the size of the twin related domains and the overall twin boundary fraction. The same correlation was also observed in Cu and a Ni superalloy, showing that this is a general observation for grain boundary engineered microstructures. This finding can be understood through the topology of the twin related domains and an accompanying scaling relation is provided. The crystal orientations contained within each twin related domain were observed to depend on both the spatial correlation of twinning variants and the degree of branching in the twin boundary network. The results suggest a natural way of quantifying grain boundary engineered microstructures and provide a step toward making a closer connection between processing, microstructure, and performance.
Simultaneous Platelet P2Y12 and P2Y1 ADP Receptor Blockade Are Two Better Than One

Human platelets possess 3 purinergic receptors (P2Y12, P2Y1, and P2X1), which collectively orchestrate key steps leading to platelet activation and aggregation (Figure). Until now, the selective blockade of the platelet P2Y12 ADP receptor, combined with the inhibition of thromboxane production by aspirin, has remained the backbone of pharmacotherapy for patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome or undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.1 Figure. The investigational modified diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) derivative, GLS-409, in the context of major classes of currently approved antiplatelet therapies and their respective pharmacologic targets. COX indicates cyclooxygenase; F, fibrinogen; GP, glycoprotein; PAR, protease-activated receptor; and T, thrombin. See accompanying article on page 501 Despite significant progress in the attenuation of excess platelet activity in these high-risk settings, percutaneous coronary intervention–related thrombotic complications, including stent thrombosis, and severe bleeding continue to be major sources of morbidity and mortality. Early after acute coronary syndrome, patients may …
Genetic dissection of SLE pathogenesis. Sle1 on murine chromosome 1 leads to a selective loss of tolerance to H2A/H2B/DNA subnucleosomes.

One of the hallmarks of SLE is the loss of tolerance to chromatin. The genes and mechanisms that trigger this loss of tolerance remain unknown. Our genetic studies in the NZM2410 lupus strain have implicated genomic intervals on chromosomes 1 (Sle1), 4 (Sle2), and 7 (Sle3) as conferring strong lupus susceptibility. Interestingly, B6 mice that are congenic for Sle1 (B6.NZMc1) have elevated IgG antichromatin Abs. This study explores the antinuclear antibody fine specificities and underlying cellular defects in these mice. On the B6 background, Sle1 by itself is sufficient to generate a robust, spontaneous antichromatin Ab response, staining Hep-2 nuclei homogeneously, and reacting primarily with H2A/H2B/DNA subnucleosomes. This targeted immune response peaks at 7-9 mo of age, affects both sexes with equally high penetrance (> 75%), and interestingly, does not "spread" to other subnucleosomal chromatin components. Sle1 also leads to an expanded pool of histone-reactive T cells, which may have a role in driving the anti-H2A/H2B/DNA B cells. However, these mice do not exhibit any generalized immunological defects or quantitative aberrations in lymphocyte apoptosis. We hypothesize that Sle1 may lead to the presentation of chromatin in an immunogenic fashion, or directly impact tolerance of chromatin-specific B cells.
Brief of Amici Curiae Constitutional Law Scholars in Support of Respondents in Trump V. Hawaii, 17-965

The brief, filed on behalf of seven constitutional law scholars in Trump v. Hawaii (the “Travel Ban 3.0” case), explains why the Bill of Rights constrains federal power over immigration no less than other types of federal power. From the summary of the argument of the brief: “The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution, not just to protect individual rights, but also to impose structural constraints on the federal government. These constraints sharply curb the powers granted in the unamended Constitution.... Thus, Petitioners' claim of nearly unlimited authority over immigration that is immune from judicial review has it backwards. No federal power can override the Bill of Rights. To the contrary, the Bill of Rights limits federal power in every sphere, including immigration. “The Establishment Clause was originally understood as preventing federal regulation of religion in order to preserve state autonomy in this sphere. Prior to the enactment of the Fourteenth Amendment, a State could establish a state religion, favor some religions over others, or adopt a policy of nondiscrimination.... “The authority of the States in the domain of religion has now been curtailed by the Fourteenth Amendment and its application of the Bill of Rights to the States. But the constraints the Establishment Clause imposes on the federal government remain in their original form: The federal government can neither establish a national religion, nor engage in discrimination based on religious animus.... “The [travel ban] Proclamation, motivated by bias against Muslims, violates the Establishment Clause by disfavoring adherents of a particular minority religion. And because the Establishment Clause is a general structural limitation on the power of the federal government, the Proclamation cannot be enforced even against foreign nationals abroad.”
The Molecular Biology of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) of the Genus Pneumovirus

The genus Pneumovirus of the family Paramyxoviridae contains pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), turkey rhinotracheitis virus (TRT), and the respiratory syncytial viruses of humans (RSV), cattle (BRSV), goats, and sheep (Kingsbury et al., 1978; Mclntosh and Chanock, 1985; Stott and Taylor, 1985; Spraker et al., 1986; Collins and Gough, 1988). Like other members of the paramyxovirus family, pneumoviruses are pleomorphic, enveloped, cytoplasmic viruses that contain a single strand of negative-sense genomic RNA (vRNA).
An algebraic approach to the generalized Whitehead group

The notions of simple homotopy theory and Whitehead torsion have generalizations in the theory of transformation groups. One does not have to consider free actions. A geometric description of a generalized Whitehead group was given by Illman. The approach resembles that of Cohen. An algebraic approach was pursued by Rothenberg. This approach has been developed only under certain assumptions. In this paper we generalize the approach to give an algebraic description of the generalized Whitehead group for a finite group. In particular we put no restrictions on the component structure of the action and we do not assume that H fixed point components are 1-connected. We prove that our and Illman's approach lead to the same group.
Fundamentals of microfabrication

MEMS technology and applications have grown at a tremendous pace, while structural dimensions have grown smaller and smaller, reaching down even to the molecular level. With this movement have come new types of applications and rapid advances in the technologies and techniques needed to fabricate the increasingly miniature devices that are literally changing our world.A bestseller in its first edition, Fundamentals of Microfabrication, Second Edition reflects the many developments in methods, materials, and applications that have emerged recently. Renowned author Marc Madou has added exercise sets to each chapter, thus answering the need for a textbook in this field.Fundamentals of Microfabrication, Second Edition offers unique, in-depth coverage of the science of miniaturization, its methods, and materials. From the fundamentals of lithography through bonding and packaging to quantum structures and molecular engineering, it provides the background, tools, and directions you need to confidently choose fabrication methods and materials for a particular miniaturization problem.New in the Second EditionRevised chapters that reflect the many recent advances in the fieldUpdated and enhanced discussions of topics including DNA arrays, microfluidics, micromolding techniques, and nanotechnology In-depth coverage of bio-MEMs, RF-MEMs, high-temperature, and optical MEMs.Many more links to the WebProblem sets in each chapter
Gender achievement gaps among Chinese middle school students and the role of teachers’ gender

Abstract Based on a nationally representative data of middle school students from China, this paper intends to document gender performance gaps among middle school students in China and the role of teachers. gender in either reducing or perpetuating such gaps. We find substantial gender academic achievement gaps in favor of girls in all of the three main subject areas, although the sizes of the gaps are substantially smaller in math than in literacy. Exploiting the fact that middle school students in China are randomly assigned to classes, we then examine the impact of student-teacher gender match not only on academic performance, but also on students. self-perceived ability in each subject area and self-perceived interactions with the teacher teaching that subject. Our results suggest that teacher gender has little impact on boys. In contrast, having a female teacher noticeably improves girls. self-reported student-teacher interactions, self-perceived ability, and academic performance, although the effect is only robust and persists over time in the subject of math.
The Role of Human Resources in Retirement Systems: A New Area for Research

A retirement crisis looms in the US and the rest of the world. Major shortfalls are anticipated in public pension programs due to an aging populace and the shift to defined contribution programs. A...
Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) behavior in an active narrow seaport

The Galveston Ship Channel (GSC) is a narrow, congested waterway that supports large-scale shipping, commercial fishing, dolphin tourism, and recreation. Human activity and common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) converge in the GSC with potentially negative consequences on the dolphins. Elevated land-based tracking and behavioral observation of dolphins and vessels were conducted along the GSC in June-August 2013 using a digital theodolite. Positional information was used to calculate dolphin movement patterns and proximity to vessels. Log-likelihood ratio and Chi-square contingency tests were used to assess behavioral states, and generalized additive models were used to analyze movement patterns (i.e., swimming speed, reorientation rate, and linearity) relative to endogenous and exogenous factors and vessel presence. Dolphins regularly use the GSC to forage (57% of observed behavioral states) and socialize (27%), and it is not a travel corridor for accessing other favorable sites (traveling = 5%). Dolphin behavior varied significantly based on time of day, group size, calf presence, and general boat presence. When boats were present, the proportion of time dolphins spent socializing and foraging was significantly less than expected by chance. Swimming speeds increased significantly in the presence of small recreational boats, dolphin-watching tour boats, shrimp trawlers, and when tour boats and shrimp trawlers were both present. Reorientation rate increased significantly in the presence of tour boats and trawlers. Dolphin behavioral responses to vessel presence may result in decreased energy consumption due to disrupted foraging activity. Without proper management, the observed behavioral changes may be detrimental to individuals within this population in the short term, with potential long-term consequences to health and survivorship.
Polarizationmultiplexing based duplex radio-over-fiber link for millimeterwave signal transmission to a ring of multiple radio access units

A radio-over-fiber (RoF) distributed antenna system (DAS) architecture is proposed, where millimeter wave (mm-wave) signals are transmitted to four different radio access units (RAUs) arranged in a ring topology. The proposed architecture transmits duplex data of 128 Mb/s to each RAU in both downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) directions. The radio frequency (RF) signals are transmitted by polarization multiplexing a multi-wavelength source. Millimeter-wave signals at a frequency of 25 GHz are generated at each RAU using remote heterodyne detection. The proposed architecture provides increased coverage while maintaining good bit error rate (BER) results.
Tarkovsky screens Hemingway: Andrei Tarkovsky’s first student film, The Killers (1956)

ABSTRACTPart of a special issue devoted to the centenary of the Film Institute VGIK, this article discusses Andrei Tarkovsky’s first student film The Killers (1956), based on Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Th...
Analysis of Sensory Properties in Foods: A Special Issue

The sensory properties of foods are the most important reason people eat the foods they eat. What those properties are and how we best measure those properties are critical to understanding food and eating behavior. Appearance, flavor, texture, and even the sounds of food can impart a desire to eat or cause us to dismiss the food as unappetizing, stale, or even inappropriate from a cultural standpoint. This special issue focuses on how sensory properties, including consumer perceptions, are measured, the specific sensory properties of various foods, which properties might be most important in certain situations, and how consumers use sensory attributes and consumer information to make decisions about what they believe about food and what they will eat.
A Cognitive Architecture for Verifiable System Ethics via Explainable Autonomy

Immersing autonomous technologies into our technical and social infrastructures has profound implications and hence requires instilling confidence in their behavior to avoid potential harm. In this paper, we present Cogent, an interactive coherence-driven agent specification and simulation platform and demonstrate its use in ethical decision-making. To advance the theory, methodology, and applications of autonomous system verification, Cogent leverages a cognitive model to bear on the challenges of reasoning about trust, ethics, and intentions. The underlying strategy of the cognitive model is based on the concept of a connectionist, interactive activation model that implements the theory of coherence. To illustrate the practical utility of Cogent, we explore a machine ethics case study.