cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RESPONSE OF BEETLES TO GLOBAL CHANGE: THE PAST IS A CLUE TO THE FUTURE

Fossils of beetles preserved as heads, pronota, and elytra in Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene sediments are an important resource from which the historical effects of climate change and human activities on insect faunas can be examined. During the Plio-Pleistocene transition ∼2 million years ago, a diverse beetle fauna inhabited Kap Kobenhavn, northernmost Greenland. The beetle fauna inhabited a forested landscape in contrast to the polar desert of today. A significantly warmer climate also may have existed in the interior of Antarctica until Pliocene time, based on a fossil assemblage that includes fossils of beetles. During the last 2 million years of the Quaternary Period, both the northern and southern hemispheres have undergone repeated glaciations in both polar and temperate latitudes. Beetle species have responded by tracking the changing climates. Even though populations were isolated and the conditions theoretically conducive to speciation and extinction, only a few new species have been described and only a few species became extinct. Regional extinctions have been detected but these did not lead to species extinctions. Human activities during the Holocene and within historical times have produced effects in the fossil record as striking as those of climate changes. In the British Isles and Europe, clearance of old growth forests, starting in Neolithic times ∼5000 years ago, led to the reduction in habitat and the extinction or restriction of several species of beetles. Much later in the midnineteenth century, the arrival of Europeans and their cultivation practices modified the insect fauna of the American Midwest so profoundly that the event is as detectable in the fossil record as any ice age climate change. The lesson from the fossil record of insects is that with increasing human disturbance there will be more extinction of insect species.
The Gatekeepers of International Human Rights

“Lost” Causes: Agenda Vetting in Global Issue Networks and the Shaping of Human Security. By Charli Carpenter. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2014. 234 pp., $24.95 paperback (ISBN-13 978-0-8014-7604-4), $79.95 hardcover (ISBN-13 978-0-8014-4885-0). In a book that deserves widespread attention from many academic and practitioner quarters, Charli Carpenter reviews attempts to raise new issues onto the agenda of the international human rights community. Rather than looking at triumphs, however, she focuses on failures. Consider “killer robots.” We are familiar with drones, but what about “fully autonomous” war robots which would make targeting decision with no human “in the loop?” She writes (p. 88) that the US military has been seeking proposals for such weapons since at least 2005, that Israel and South Korea have deployed robots with the capacity to make autonomous targeting decisions in border areas, and that several other countries are developing such systems. Ethicists and robotics experts have noted that there is virtually no way a robot could be programmed to distinguish a true belligerent from an innocent bystander, and therefore, a case could be made that naturally the deployment of such machines should be banned by international treaty. On the other hand, and this is Carpenter's point, it takes much more than a good idea to get a consensus in the international human rights community. Noel Sharkey, a roboticist at the University of Sheffield, agitated successfully for attention to this issue within the communities of ethics and robotics, but could not personally turn this into an international human rights campaign. In his words: All I am is an academic with some access to the media and some technical expertise, but I don't see myself talking to the UN or something. I'm talking to Landmine Action, and I'd be happy to take a backseat and leave it with …
“—wie ihn uns Meister Dürer gemalt!”: Contest, Myth, and Prophecy in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Abstract Wagner introduced into the very first scene of his opera Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg a brief description of an image of David slaying Goliath. He attributed the image to Albrecht Durer. But did Durer actually produce this image? To answer the question, this essay assumes the form of a “had I but known” mystery story to explore the mythological and theological foundations of Wagner9s opera of contest, myth, and prophecy. The quest for Durer9s image is set against three contests: between Apollo and Marsyas; between the arts of music, poetry, and painting; and between composers, painters, and poets. The essay draws upon these contests to make explicit the unfolding of a drama that begins with an image in which the old King David of the harp is displaced by a young King David of the sword. The question is: who exactly is the young David?
Aero-optical subsystem design considerations for endoatmospheric interceptors

Optical seekers are an emerging subsystem for endoatmospheric defensive interceptor application because of their potential advantages in target acquisition and track. Seeker performance is degraded by the aerodynamic flow through which the signal must pass and the window that allows the signal to pass onto the optical seeker. Various optical design considerations for the aero-optical subsystem are presented to include coolants, window materials, flow fields, impacts of interaction effects, and test results.
A New Therapsid from the Permian Madumabisa Mudstone Formation (Mid-Zambezi Basin) of Southern Zambia

Citation for this article: Whitney, M. R., and C. A. Sidor. 2016. A new therapsid from the Permian Madumabisa Mudstone Formation (Mid-Zambezi Basin) of southern Zambia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1150767. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:51F41E55-39EE-4C8E-8474-547A1DC37D2C
Rubella and Cytomegalovirus: Current Concepts of Congenital and Acquired Infection

These taxonomically unrelated agents share a number of features which have made them increasingly important to the pediatrician. They are in fact the only two viruses proven to induce intrauterine infection in pregnancy and congenital defects in the fetus with some degree of regularity. Moreover, fetal infection persists for prolonged periods after birth, despite the presence of maternal antibody and the development of a specific immune response, beginning in fetal life.
Full-Scale Wrinkling Tests and Analyses of Large Diameter Corroded Pipes

The aging of pipeline infrastructures has increased concern for the integrity of pipelines exhibiting non-perforating wall loss and settlement induced bending. While pressure based guidelines exist which allow pipeline operators to define operational margins of safety against rupture (e.g.; ANSI/ASME B31-G and RSTRENG (Battelle, 1989)), reliable procedures for the prediction of wrinkling in degraded pipes subjected to combined loading are virtually non-existent. This paper describes full-scale testing and finite element investigations performed in support of the development of accurate wrinkling prediction procedures for the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The procedures are applicable to corroded pipes subjected to combined loading such as longitudinal bending, internal pressure, and axial compression.During the test program, full-scale 48-inch diameter sections of the trans-Alaska pipeline were subjected to internal pressure and loads designed to simulate longitudinal bending from settlement, axial compression from the transport of hot oil, and the axial restraint present in buried pipe. Load magnitudes were designed based on normal and maximum operating conditions. Corrosion in the pipe section is simulated by mechanically reducing the wall thickness of the pipe. The size and depth of the thinned region is defined prior to each test, and attempts to bound the dimensions of depth, axial length, and hoop length for the general corrosion observed in-service.The analytical program utilizes finite element analyses that include the nonlinear anisotropic material behavior of the pipe steel through use of a multilinear kinematic hardening plasticity model. As in the tests, corrosion is simulated in the analyses by a section of reduced wall thickness, and loads and boundary constraints applied to the numerical model exactly emulate those applied in the full-scale tests.Verification of the model accuracy is established through a critical comparison of the simulated pipe structural behavior and the full-scale tests. Results of the comparisons show good correlation with measurements of the pipe curvature, deflections, and moment capacity at wrinkling. The validated analysis procedure is subsequently used to conduct parameter studies, the results of which complete a database of wrinkling conditions for a variety of corrosion sizes and loading conditions.Copyright © 1998 by ASME
Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction spectral resolution considerations for security screening applications

Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) is a very effective method for explosive and narcotic threat detection in baggage screening. The XRD profiles arise from the molecular interference when X-rays are coherently scattered by a substance. The accurate identification of the target material depends on the ability to detect and resolve the peaks present in the coherent scatter profiles. A high-energy resolution High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector is therefore generally used in such type of systems. To evaluate the suitability of cost-effective room-temperature semiconductor detectors for next-generation baggage screening systems, an assessment of the minimal requirements for the system resolution is required. In this study a hybrid Monte Carlo code has been modified to account for the molecular interference function that gives rise to the coherent scatter signature. A model for a realistic response function for Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors is then used to convolve the spectral output. This simulation tool is then used to assess the system design features and their influence on spectral resolution.
Lectotypification of Adiantopsis alata (Pteridaceae) and Descriptions of New Palmate Species in the Guiana Shield

Abstract Adiantopsis alata was described by Prantl in 1883 and was distinguished from A. radiata based on the presence of large adaxial carinae along the stipes. Morphological and molecular analyses of specimens meeting this general description reveal four distinct species, with one endemic to eastern Brazil and three others restricted to the Guiana Shield. The syntypes for A. alata represent two different species, one from Brazil and the other from Guyana. Here, we designate a Brazilian syntype as the lectotype for A. alata and describe and illustrate three new palmate species from the Guiana Shield with adaxial carinae along their stipes: A. aurea, A. hickeyi, and A. scalariformis. A distribution map for the new species and a key to all ten palmate members of Adiantopsis are provided.
Exome Sequencing identifies Carbamazepine responsive Episodic Dystonia and Hallucination due to Pyruvate Dehydrogenase E2 mutation (P2.228)

OBJECTIVE: To extend the reported phenotype and provide treatment information for pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) dihydrolipomide acetyltransferase (E2) deficiency caused by alterations in DLAT gene. BACKGROUND: PDH E2 deficiency is a very rare condition with only 4 reported cases of E2 deficiency caused by alterations in DLAT gene. DESIGN: A 15-year-old girl with mild developmental delay presented with paroxysmal episodes of left lower extremity weakness and stiffening for the last 8 years. An MRI/MRS of the brain revealed bilateral T2 hyperintensities in the basal ganglia, decreased NAA peak and a small lactate peak at presentation and similar findings eight years later without any progression. EEG, EMG, nerve conductions studies, routine metabolic studies, and analysis for GLUT1 and PRRT2 gene mutations were negative. Over the years the patient was considered to have “paroxysmal kinesiogenic dyskinesia” for which she was treated with carbamazepine, which controlled her episodic dystonia. Exome sequencing was then performed through Ambry’s clinical diagnostic exome assay using genomic DNA isolated from whole blood of patient, her brothers and their parents. RESULTS: Exome sequencing identified homozygous mutations in the DLAT (PDHC E2) gene suggesting the diagnosis of pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 deficiency. Both parents and one brother were heterozygous carriers and another brother was homozygous normal. Her parents refused treatment with the ketogenic diet. When carbamazepine was weaned off due to parental concerns of side effects, within few weeks, patient developed hallucinations. Parents reported resolution of symptoms after carbamazepine was restarted. CONCLUSIONS: PDH E2 deficiecy has a strikingly different presentation from the common forms of PDH deficiency which are due to E1 mutations. All 4 reported cases of PDH E2 deficiency and our patient share the features of episodic dystonia and intellectual disability. Our patients also had hallucinations and her dystonia and hallucinations responded to low dose carbamazepine. Study Supported by: Disclosure: Dr. Rashid has nothing to disclose. Dr. Harper-Shankie has nothing to disclose. Dr. Serajee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Huq has nothing to disclose.
Red Spinach Extract Increases Ventilatory Threshold during Graded Exercise Testing

Background: We examined the acute effect of a red spinach extract (RSE) (1000 mg dose; ~90 mg nitrate (NO 3 - )) on performance markers during graded exercise testing (GXT). Methods: For this randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled, crossover study, 15 recreationally-active participants (aged 23.1 ± 3.3 years; BMI: 27.2 ± 3.7 kg/m²) reported >2 h post-prandial and performed GXT 65⁻75 min post-RSE or PBO ingestion. Blood samples were collected at baseline (BL), pre-GXT (65⁻75 min post-ingestion; PRE), and immediately post-GXT (POST). GXT commenced with continuous analysis of expired gases. Results: Plasma concentrations of NO 3 - increased PRE (+447 ± 294%; p 0.05). No effect on circulating nitrite (NO 2 - ) was observed with RSE (+3.3 ± 7.5%, +7.7 ± 11.8% PRE and POST, respectively; p > 0.05) or PBO (-0.5 ± 7.9%, -0.2 ± 8.1% PRE and POST, respectively; p > 0.05). When compared to PBO, there was a moderate effect of RSE on plasma NO 2 - at PRE (g = 0.50 [-0.26, 1.24] and POST g = 0.71 [-0.05, 1.48]). During GXT, VO₂ at the ventilatory threshold was significantly higher with RSE compared to PBO (+6.1 ± 7.3%; p 0.05) and maximal aerobic power (i.e., VO₂ peak; -0.8 ± 5.6%; p > 0.05) were non-significantly lower with RSE. Conclusions: RSE as a nutritional supplement may elicit an ergogenic response by delaying the ventilatory threshold.
Word, language, and thought – a new linguistic model*

AbstractThis article proposes a new account of the general architecture of language, based on the word and on the processual unity of Saussurean parole and langue in the dynamical cognitive reality of language. Language is process, usage, text, and a capacity, a competence. A literary example, from Felix Feneon, is offered. It is argued that words have properties affecting every substructure in language and additionally constitute the threshold between language and thought.
The Dimensionality, Type, and Structure of Political Ideology on the Political Party Level in the Arab World

The aim of this research is to uncover the dimensionality of political ideology on the political parties’ level in the Arab World. It tests the polarization thesis claiming that Arab politics is driven by a uni-dimensional political conflict between Islamists and Secularists. This research empirically assesses whether the church versus state cleavage has been the dominant political conflict in the region following the Arab Spring. This research utilizes quantitative content analyses of party manifestos in order to construct a new data set for measuring party positions in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco on thirty politically relevant issues. From this data, multi-dimensional scaling is applied, generating a graphical configuration of the dimensionality, type, and structuration of political ideology on the party level in the Middle East. Findings indicate that political ideology on the party level in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco is multi-dimensional. Two broad statistically independent dimensions, political economic and cultural, organize party positions in the immediate elections following the Arab Spring. This finding does not lend support to the polarization thesis claiming that the conflict over the role of Islam is the only and main component driving electoral competition in the region. This research contributes to the ongoing debate concerning the dimensionality of political ideology. It demonstrates that the dominant and simplistic uni-dimensional model is insufficient in describing real political content in Western, as well as non-Western, contexts. Further, this study concludes that Islam is no longer the dominant topic of political parties across the Middle East. On the contrary, issues of pure economics, political administration, democracy, and welfare dominate the political discourse in the region. Findings of this study open new horizons to the development of more refined empirical analyses in the study of ideology in the Middle East.
Quantum Mechanical Treatments in Electrode Kinetics

In recent years, electrochemical charge transfer processes have received considerable theoretical attention at the quantum mechanical level. These quantal treatments are pivotal in understanding underlying processes of technological importance, such as electrode kinetics, electrocatalysis, corrosion, energy transduction, solar energy conversion, and electron transfer in biological systems. A quantum mechanical formalism of electron transfer (ET) at a metal electrode to an activated ion (e.g., ) in solution was originated by Gurney. This approach was later named molecular theory and was further developed by Butler, Gerischer, Christov, and Bockris and co-workers, and later by Schmickler, Ovchinnikov and Benderskii, Halley and Hautman, and Khan and Zhou. Recently, Rose and Benjamin and Xia and Berkowitz used a molecular dynamics approach to compute the free energy functions and thereby the free energy of activation for the outer sphere ET reactions at electrodes. Straus, Colhoun, and Voth also used molecular dynamics to simulate the potential energy functions for the ET transfer reactions at electrodes using the Anderson–Newns Hamiltonian approach.
High Nuclearity Bimetallic Rhodium-Palladium Carbonyl Cluster Complexes. Synthesis and Characterization of Rh6(CO)16[Pd(PBut3)]3 and Rh6(CO)16[Pd(PBut3)]4

The reaction of Rh4(CO)12 with Pd(PBu t 3)2 yielded the high nuclearity bimetallic hexarhodium-tripalladium cluster complex Rh6(CO)16[Pd(PBu t 3)]3, 10, in 11% yield. Compound 10 was converted to the hexarhodium-tetrapalladium cluster Rh6(CO)16[Pd(PBu t 3)]4, 11, in 62% yield by reaction with an additional quantity of Pd(PBu t 3)2. Both compounds were characterized crystallographically. Structurally, both compounds consist of an octahedral cluster of six rhodium atoms with sixteen carbonyl ligands analogous to that of the known compound Rh6(CO)16. Compound 10 also contains three Pd(PBu t 3) groups that bridge three Rh–Rh bonds along edges of the Rh6 octahedron to give an overall D3 symmetry to the Rh6Pd3 cluster. Compound 11 contains four edge bridging Pd(PBu t 3) groups distributed across the Rh6 octahedron to give an overall D2d symmetry to the Rh6Pd4 cluster. Each Rh–Pd connection in both compounds contains a bridging carbonyl ligand that helps to stabilize the bond between the Pd(PBu t 3) groups and the Rh atoms. Both compounds can be regarded as Pd(PBu t 3) adducts of Rh6(CO)16.
Pure Global Externalities: International Efficiency and Equity

The pollution issue raises the familiar problem of social goods and the prisoner’s dilemma that follows. There, the supply of the social good, if left to individual choice, will fall short of the optimal level, since each actor will allow only for own internal benefits. In the case of social bads, the damage-generating activity will be over-extended, since the individual actor will allow only for internal damage cost, while disregarding the external cost imposed outside and on others. Hence there arises a similar need for a cooperative solution, with a twofold concern for securing an efficient and equitable outcome.
Experimental Study of Blowdown Event in a PWR-Type Small Modular Reactor

AbstractAs one of the future directions of nuclear energy development, small modular reactor (SMR) designs meet the demands of safety, sustainability, and efficiency by eliminating circulating pump...
Emerging Trends in Metformin Prescribing in the United States from 2000 to 2015.

Metformin (MET) is used as first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus but has been shown to have pleiotropic effects that have expanded its use to various conditions. Limited current data exist regarding unconventional use within various patient populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate US FDA-approved and off-label MET utilization in the US from 2000 to 2015. We performed a retrospective analysis of outpatient MET prescribing in the US from 2000 to 2015. Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) administered by the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality were analyzed. Demographic characteristics, including age, sex, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, and region, were analyzed using the MEPS Household Component (HC). Prescription rates were defined as the annual number of MET prescriptions divided by the corresponding population estimate. Population denominators were derived using the MEPS HC. The MEPS estimates US populations based on sampled persons in the target population (civilian, non-institutionalized) for an entire year. MET prescribing is represented by population per 1000 persons. We determined if changes of MET prescribing were uniform across five age groups: 65 years (1.7 per 1000 persons to 20.6 per 1000 persons, and 2.3 per 1000 persons to 18.7 per 1000 persons, respectively). While off-label MET increased across all age groups from 2000 to 2015, a tenfold increase (< 1.0 to 10.6) was seen in adults aged 30–49 years of age. Overall, MET use has substantially increased within the past 15 years, which was mainly driven by older adults. Our study highlights the emerging prevalence of MET use in both FDA-approved and off-label indications.
A novel fungal fruiting structure formed by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius in grape berries.

Sour rot, is a pre-harvest disease that affects many grape varieties. Sour rot symptoms include initial berry cracking and breakdown of berry tissue. This is a disease complex with many filamentous fungi and bacteria involved, but is usually initiated by Aspergillus niger or Aspergillus carbonarius. Usually, by the time one sees the rot there are many other organisms involved and it is difficult to attribute the disease to one species. In this study two species of Aspergillus were shown to produce a previously unknown fruiting structure in infected berries. The nodulous morphology, bearing conidia, suggests them to be an 'everted polymorphic stroma'. This structure forms freely inside the berry pulp and assumes multiple shapes and sizes, sometimes sclerotium-like in form. It is composed of a mass of vegetative hyphae with or without tissue of the host containing spores or fruiting bodies bearing spores. Artificially inoculated berries placed in soil in winter showed the possible overwintering function of the fruiting body. Inoculated berry clusters on standing vines produced fruiting structures within 21 d post inoculation when wounds were made at veraison or after (July-September). Histological studies confirmed that the fruiting structure was indeed fungal tissue.
Reaction of Electrons with DNA: Radiation Damage to Radiosensitization

This review article provides a concise overview of electron involvement in DNA radiation damage. The review begins with the various states of radiation-produced electrons: Secondary electrons (SE), low energy electrons (LEE), electrons at near zero kinetic energy in water (quasi-free electrons, (e-qf)) electrons in the process of solvation in water (presolvated electrons, e-pre), and fully solvated electrons (e-aq). A current summary of the structure of e-aq, and its reactions with DNA-model systems is presented. Theoretical works on reduction potentials of DNA-bases were found to be in agreement with experiments. This review points out the proposed role of LEE-induced frank DNA-strand breaks in ion-beam irradiated DNA. The final section presents radiation-produced electron-mediated site-specific formation of oxidative neutral aminyl radicals from azidonucleosides and the evidence of radiosensitization provided by these aminyl radicals in azidonucleoside-incorporated breast cancer cells.
Effect of Ultrasound Frequency and Treatment Duration on Antibiotic Elution from Polymethylmethacrylate Bone Cement.

Introduction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect ofultrasound frequency and treatment duration on antibiotic-impregnatedpolymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) antibiotic elution rates andmechanical strength.Methods.xTwo batches of PMMA were prepared: one with five gramsof vancomycin powder and one without. Each batch was dividedinto two frequency groups: kHz and MHz. Each frequency groupwas divided into two duration groups: two minutes and ten minutes.Elution samples were measured daily using flow injection analysis.After one week of elution, ultrasound treatments were done daily untileach group’s average concentration fell below those of non-ultrasoundcontrol groups. After elution testing, compression testing determinedmechanical properties. Paired t-tests were used to compare dailyelution amounts to baseline values. Univariate ANOVAs were used totest for effects of both frequency and treatment duration on antibioticelution amounts and on mechanical properties.Results. All ultrasound treatments resulted in significant increasesin antibiotic elution. Frequency and duration had significant effects ofincreasing antibiotic elution (p < 0.001). The kHz group produced significantlygreater antibiotic elution than the MHz group (p < 0.001).The 10-minute duration produced significantly greater antibioticelution than the two-minute duration (both p < 0.001). Frequencyand duration did not have significant effects on yield stress (p = 0.841and p = 0.179, respectively). Frequency had a significant effect (p =0.024) on modulus, but duration did not (p = 0.136).Conclusions. Ultrasound frequency and treatment duration significantlyaffect antibiotic elution from PMMA which may be helpful fortreatment of periprosthetic joint infections during revision arthroplasty.Kans J Med 2019;12(2):45-49.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of Hairs in Comedones

Comedones are acne lesions which develop in association with hair follicles and sebaceous glands (pilosebaceous units). An earlier study by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that a comedo consists of five main components: keratinized cells, hairs, sebum, bacteria, and yeasts (Wilborn et al. 1978). Each component, with the exception of hairs, has been studied in detail. Of the microorganisms in comedones, there is general agreement that Corynebacterium acnes and Pityrosporum ovale are the predominant bacteria and yeasts, respectively (Montes and Wilborn 1970, 1978, Marples et al, 1973, Ganor and Sacks 1969).
Metropolitan context and immigrant rights experiences: DACA awareness and support in Houston

This paper examines how metropolitan contexts of reception shaped immigrants’ experiences of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Drawing on interviews with 32 DACA applicants...
Closed incision negative pressure wound therapy may decrease wound complications in major lower extremity amputations

Abstract Objective Wound complications after major lower extremity amputations (LEAs) are a cause of significant morbidity in vascular surgery patients. Recent publications have demonstrated the efficacy of the closed incision negative pressure dressing at preventing surgical site infections (SSIs); however, there are few data on its use in major LEAs. This study sought to assess if closed incision negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) would decrease the risk of complications as compared with a standard dressing in patients with peripheral vascular disease undergoing major LEA. Methods Fifty-four consecutive patient limbs with a history of peripheral arterial disease underwent below-knee or above-knee amputations. This was a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database from January 2018 to December 2019, and it included 23 amputations in the NPWT group and 31 amputations in the standard dressing group. NPWT using the PREVENA system was applied intraoperatively at the discretion of the operating surgeon and removed 5 to 7 days postoperatively. The standard group received a nonadherent dressing with an overlying compression dressing. Amputation incisions were assessed and wound complications were recorded. Student's t-test and two-sample proportion z-test were used for statistical analysis. A P value of less than .05 was considered statistically significant. Results For comorbidities, there was a higher incidence of tobacco use in the NPWT as compared with the standard group (44% vs 13%; P = .011), as well as trends toward increased prior amputations, anemia, hyperlipidemia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder in the NPWT group. For risk factors, there were more dirty wounds in the NPWT as compared with the standard group (52% vs 26%; P = .046). For outcomes, there were fewer wound complications in the NPWT as compared with the standard group (13% vs 39%; P = .037). The types of wound-related complications in the NPWT group included one wound dehiscence with a deep SSI, one superficial SSI, and one incision line necrosis. In the standard group, there were four wound dehiscences with deep SSI, three superficial SSIs, four incision line necroses, and one stump hematoma. The rates of perioperative mortality and amputation revision did not differ significantly between the NPWT and the standard groups (3% vs 4% and 4.3% vs 10%, respectively). Conclusions Closed incision NPWT may decrease the incidence of wound complications in vascular patients undergoing major LEA. This held true even among a population that was potentially at higher risk. This therapy may be considered for use in lower extremity major amputations.
Abstract A13: Mammalian EAK-7 activates alternative mTOR signaling to regulate cell proliferation and migration

Nematode EAK-7 (enhancer-of-akt-1-7) regulates dauer formation and controls life span; however, the function of the human ortholog mammalian EAK-7 (mEAK-7) is unknown. We report that mEAK-7 activates an alternative mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in human cells, in which mEAK-7 interacts with mTOR at the lysosome to facilitate S6K2 activation and 4E-BP1 repression. Despite interacting with mTOR and mammalian lethal with SEC13 protein 8 (mLST8), mEAK-7 does not interact with other mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) or mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2) components; however, it is essential for mTOR signaling at the lysosome. This phenomenon is distinguished by S6 and 4E-BP1 activity in response to nutrient stimulation. Conventional S6K1 phosphorylation is uncoupled from S6 phosphorylation in response to mEAK-7 knockdown. mEAK-7 recruits mTOR to the lysosome, a crucial compartment for mTOR activation. Loss of mEAK-7 results in a marked decrease in lysosomal localization of mTOR, whereas overexpression of mEAK-7 results in enhanced lysosomal localization of mTOR. Deletion of the carboxyl terminus of mEAK-7 significantly decreases mTOR interaction. mEAK-7 knockdown decreases cell proliferation and migration, whereas overexpression of mEAK-7 enhances these cellular effects. Constitutively activated S6K rescues mTOR signaling in mEAK-7–knocked down cells. Thus, mEAK-7 activates an alternative mTOR signaling pathway through S6K2 and 4E-BP1 to regulate cell proliferation and migration. Citation Format: Joe T. Nguyen, Connor Ray, Alexandra L Fox, Daniela B Mendonca, Jin Koo Kim, Paul H. Krebsbach. Mammalian EAK-7 activates alternative mTOR signaling to regulate cell proliferation and migration [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting PI3K/mTOR Signaling; 2018 Nov 30-Dec 8; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(10_Suppl):Abstract nr A13.
Image-guided surgery in otolaryngology: A review of current applications and future directions in head and neck surgery

Image-guided surgery (IGS) has become a widely adopted technology in otolaryngology. Since its introduction nearly three decades ago, IGS technology has developed rapidly and improved real-time intraoperative visualization for a diverse array of clinical indications. As usability, accessibility, and clinical experiences with IGS increase, its potential applications as an adjunct in many surgical procedures continue to expand. Here, we describe the basic components of IGS and review both the current state and future directions of IGS in otolaryngology, with attention to current challenges to its application in surgery of the nonrigid upper aerodigestive tract.
“I’m Not Saying It Was Aliens”: An Archaeological and Philosophical Analysis of a Conspiracy Theory

This chapter draws upon the archaeological and philosophical literature to offer an analysis and diagnosis of the popular ‘ancient aliens’ theory. First, we argue that ancient aliens theory is a form of conspiracy theory. Second, we argue that it differs from other familiar conspiracy theories because it does distinctive (and distinctively problematic) ideological work. Third, we argue that ancient aliens theory is a form of non-contextualized inquiry that sacrifices the very thing that makes archaeological research successful, and does so for the sake of popular accessibility. Rather than merely dismissing ancient aliens as ‘pseudoarchaeology’ on demarcationist grounds, we offer a more complicated account of how the theory works, and what ideological work it does.
In Situ Fabrication and Perfusion of Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel Microphysiological System.

Human tissue-engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) that exhibit vasoactivity can be used to test drug toxicity, modulate pro-inflammatory cytokines, and model disease states in vitro. We developed a novel device to fabricate arteriole-scale human endothelialized TEBVs in situ with smaller volumes and higher throughput than previously reported. Both primary and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cells can be used. Four collagen TEBVs with 600μm inner diameter and 2.9 mm outer diameter are fabricated by pipetting a solution of collagen and medial cells into a three-layer acrylic mold. After gelation, the TEBVs are released from the mold and dehydrated. After suturing the TEBVs in place and changing the mold parts to form a perfusion chamber, the TEBVs are endothelialized in situ, and then media is perfused through the lumen. By removing 90% of the water after gelation, the TEBVs become mechanically strong enough for perfusion at the physiological shear stress of 0.4 Pa within 24 h of fabrication and maintain function for at least 5 weeks.
Introduction to Markov Processes

In many ways, continuous time is a more natural setting than discrete time for the study of random time evolutions. Fortunately, there is a close connection between the two settings, particularly in the case of Markovian time evolutions. In this chapter, we build on much of what was done for Markov sequences in Chapter 26 in order to develop the basic theory of Markov processes. Our main goal in doing so is to prepare the way for the final two chapters in which two of the most important classes of Markov processes are studied.
Linking Library Records to Bibliographic Databases:: An Analysis of Common Data Elements in BIOSIS, Agricola, and the OPAC

Myriad new information resources are available to contemporary library users. While print remains the foundation of most collections, libraries are also beginning to provide access to an array of bibliographic, numeric, and full-text databases. As more and more information is produced in electronic form and presented at computer workstations, the library catalog is being given an expanded role. The expanded catalog will play a crucial part in organizing information in electronic libraries, and in providing navigational assistance to library users. Like the traditional card catalog, the expanded catalog will not only lead to specific items or groups of sources, but also will provide connections to related materials. These connections will uses standard data elements to link the results of a search in one database with related material in another. For example, links will show local library holdings of sources in citation databases. Cornell University's Mann Library serves the College of Agriculture and Life...
Planar Laser Imaging of Scattering and Fluorescence of Zooplankton Feeding in Layers of Phytoplankton in situ

Abstract : We intend to quantify the biological, physical, and chemical dynamics that structure marine planktonic ecosystems. Observations of the organisms and their environment on the spatial and temporal scales that characterize their interactions, combined with models of the dominant dynamics, will lead to improved understanding of the dynamics, structure, and function of planktonic ecosystems. Our objectives in this work are to 1) visualize and quantify herbivorous copepod feeding in the laboratory, and 2) to apply these methods in the field to observe the dynamics of copepod feeding in situ. In particular we intend to test the "feeding sorties" hypothesis vs. the "in situ feeding" hypothesis regarding the location and timing of copepod feeding and vertical migration. Previous attempts to quantify copepod feeding have either been indirect (measuring the phytoplankton concentration before and after copepods were introduced to a sample), or direct (measuring the gut fluorescence of individual copepods feeding on phytoplankton). The disadvantage of the first method is that we obtain little information about the activities of individual copepods, and how their feeding might change in time. The second method is destructive, and generates only one data point per individual copepod, rendering it ineffective for generating time series of feeding activity. To obviate these problems, we use a planar laser imaging fluorometer (PLIF) system for quantifying copepod gut fluorescence and feeding. A green (532 nanometer) laser is used to stimulate the fluorescence of chlorophyll-a ingested by copepods. The fluoresced red (680 nanometer) light is imaged by a very sensitive CCD camera. We also designed and built a second bi-spectral PLIF system that images both the fluorescence from chlorophyll-a, and the green light scattered from particles (including copepods) in the imaging plane.
A Review of “A Balm for Gilead: Meditations on Spirituality and the Healing Arts”

This book intends to enrich the spirituality of health care professionals. Daniel Sulmasy is a Franciscan friar and practicing physician at the University of Chicago who shares his own personal sto...
Interventricular septal motion and left ventricular function after coronary bypass surgery: evaluation with echocardiography and radionuclide angiography.

To evaluate interventricular septal motion and left ventricular function after coronary bypass graft surgery, 40 patients were studied early postoperatively and serially for up to 16 months with echocardiography and radionuclide angiography. Early after operation mean left septal excursion decreased significantly from 4.6 ± 0.4 (standard error) to 0.8 ± 0.6 mm ( P P −1 ( P It is concluded that (1) echocardiographically detected abnormal septal movement is frequent early after coronary bypass graft operations; (2) both decreased myocardial contraction in the septum and increased anterior movement of the whole heart contribute to this abnormality; (3) the abnormalities in septal movement decrease during late follow-up in many patients but persist in some patients; and (4) posterior wall function tends to increase early after operation and therefore overall left ventricular function remains normal.
Observations of layer growth in synthetic zeolites by field emission scanning electron microscopy

Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) has been used to image the crystal growth-induced surface features of synthetic zeolites. The capability of FE-SEM to image layers of nanometer scale thickness in zeolites A, X, and Silicalite has been demonstrated by comparing atomic force microscope (AFM) and FE-SEM images of their surface topography. Layers on the {100} faces of zeolite A, {111} faces of zeolite X, and {100} and {010} faces of Silicalite with AFM measured thickness of ∼1.2, ∼1.5, ∼1–2, and ∼1–2 nm, respectively were successfully imaged by FE-SEM using crystals coated with thin Cr films. Also, FE-SEM could discern layers on the uncoated crystals but the resulting images were characterized by much poorer topographic contrast. In addition, layers on the {110} zeolite A surfaces hitherto not reported have been imaged by FE-SEM. The presence of growth terraces on the {110} faces has been related to the high ratio of the rate of surface nucleation to the rate of lateral propagation of layers occurring on these surfaces near the end of crystallization. The FE-SEM images of layers on the basal planes of cylindrical zeolite L crystals have been also acquired and also discussed in context with the previously hypothesized spiral growth mechanism on these surfaces.
Disorder-induced interference in exciton decay dynamics

Coherent nonlinear spectroscopy is particularly well suited to the study of relaxation in these systems because of the well understood spectroscopic "footprints" that are associated with specific interactions and systems. Experiments are performed on a narrow (42 /spl Aring/) single MBE grown GaAs quantum well with 250-/spl Aring/ Al/sub 0.3/Ga/sub 0.7/As barriers. Based on photoluminescence (PL) and phased-locked epitaxy (PLE) measurements, excitons in this system are localized in potentials corresponding to average monolayer thickness of either 15 or 16 monolayers.
ISOTHERMAL COMPRESSION OF MOLTEN FE2SIO4

Isothermal compressions of molten Fe2SiO4 have been measured between 1.0 and 5.5 GPa in a piston-cylinder apparatus by observing sinking and floating of ruby and garnet buoyancy markers of known composition and density. For liquid Fe2SiO4, (dρ/dP)1773K is 0.080 g cm−3 GPa−1 in the pressure range investigated. The static compression sink/float density measurements, when combined with the 105 Pa reference density from Shiraishi et al. [1978], yield a third order Birch-Murnaghan bulk modulus for molten Fe2SiO4 of K1773K=24.4 GPa with a pressure derivative dK/dP=10.1.
The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World (2nd ed.). by Alan Downs

Clinical psychologist Alan Downs, PhD describes the lifelong journey of homosexual men in Western society using a three-stage model in the book The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Ga...
The unconfined compression of a poroelastic annular cylindrical disk

The analytical solution to the problem of a saturated annular poroelastic disk subjected to unconfined compression in the case when the fluid and solid constituents of the poroelastic medium are both compressible is recorded. Infinitesimal deformations and transverse isotropy are assumed. The algebraic complexity of the problem stems from the need to have the solution to the problem for three different sets of boundary drainage conditions on fluid flow or no flow through the inner and outer boundaries of the annular disk. The analytical solution demonstrates the effects of the assumptions of isotropy versus transverse isotropy and compressibility versus incompressibility of the poroelastic constituents. The advantages of this solution are that they provide insight into the nature of the elastic response and fluid flow of soft tissues versus hard tissues and saturated swampy soils versus saturated rocks and as an analytical tool to analyze unconfined compression experiments performed on these materials.
Does Familiarity Breed Trust? The Implications of Repeated Ties for Contractual Choice in Alliances

Exploring the factors that explain the choice of governance structures in interfirm alliances, this study challenges the use of a singular emphasis on transaction costs. Such an approach erroneously treats each transaction as independent and ignores the role of interfirm trust that emerges from repeated alliances between the same partners. Comprehensive multiindustry data on alliances made between 1970 and 1989 support the importance of such trust. Although support emerged for the transaction cost claim that alliances that encompass shared research and development are likely to be equity based, there is also strong evidence that repeated alliances between two partners are less likely than other alliances to be organized using equity.
Thumbsucking in an autistic child overcome by overcorrection

Abstract An overcorrection procedure was employed to suppress thumbsucking in a twenty-four-month-old autistic child. The procedure involved holding the child's hands down to his side for 30 sec on each occurence of thumbsucking. Thumbsucking was reduced from a rate of 200 instances in a two-hour period to 0 over 13 sessions. The suppression of thumbsucking has been maintained for fourteen months. The suppression generalized to a ward setting where the intervention was never made.
Axillary-femoral bypass graft: a problem-based learning model in applied Gross Anatomy

Extra-anatomic arterial bypass grafts provide an exciting opportunity to teach gross anatomy. We describe a study of axillobifemoral bypass grafts and how a simulation of this procedure can be used in a modified problem-based learning exercise for first-year medical students. The axillobifemoral bypass exercise adds a new clinical perspective to the traditional approach to review the gross anatomy of the axillary region, the anterolateral thoracoabdominal wall, and the anterior thigh and femoral triangle. This clinically relevant problem challenges students to devise a surgical approach to the axillary and femoral arteries. Students become active participants because they must discover the anatomical details of the axilla, femoral triangle, and thoracoabdominal wall, from shoulder to groin. Important nerves and blood vessels have to be identified in relation to anatomical landmarks. In addition, students must decide which structures can be cut and/or ligated, keeping in mind the functional consequences of these actions. Finally, the exercise provides an opportunity to integrate functional concepts of collateral circulation, hemodynamics, and relevant biomechanics with anatomical structures. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Grain boundaries in hybrid two-dimensional materials

Abstract In two-dimensional (2D) materials, bisector grain boundaries (GBs) are energetically favorable as they allow perfect match of neighbor grains. We demonstrate here a contrasting behavior for GBs in hybrid 2D materials, which tend to be non-bisector and obey a universal law to optimally match the heterogeneous grains: the ratio of cosines of the rotation angles of two neighbor grains equals the ratio of constituent׳s lattice parameters, reminiscent of Snell׳s law for light refraction. Details of the optimal GB structures are further formulated in terms of tilt angle, lattice mismatch strain and deviation angle from the bisector line, in good agreement with comprehensive numerical analyses. The ground state structures of the GBs manifest as a series of laterally misaligned bisector segments, which are verified by intensive first-principle calculations. Our findings not only provide a general guidance for exploring GBs in various hybrid 2D materials but also serve as an important stepping stone for understanding mechanical and electronic behaviors in these 2D nanoscale patchworks.