cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the robustness of chromatographic columns in a simulated highly radiative Jovian environment

Abstract Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) is currently the most widely used analytical method for in situ investigation of organic molecules in space environments. Various types of GC column stationary phases have been, are currently, or will be used at the different solar system bodies including Mars, the Moon, Titan and comets. However, GCMS use in highly radiative environments such as Jupiter and its moons has never been explored and raises questions on the robustness of GC columns and stationary phases to extreme radiation. In this study, several types of GC columns were irradiated by high-energy electrons and protons in order to simulate the harsh conditions of a journey through Jupiter׳s radiation belts. Post-irradiation characterization shows that the three types of columns investigated, DB-5MS, CP-Chirasil-Dex CB and GS-GasPro, maintained their peak resolution and general separation performance after the radiation exposure. These results demonstrate that GCMS techniques can be applied to study the space environment of Jupiter׳s icy moons with no need for substantial radiation shielding of the columns.
Somatostatin depresses excitatory but not inhibitory neurotransmission in rat CA1 hippocampus.

Tallent, Melanie K. and George R. Siggins. Somatostatin depresses excitatory but not inhibitory neurotransmission in rat CA1 hippocampus. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3008–3018, 1997. In rat CA1 hippocampa...
Degradation of insulin by tissue extracts of normal and nephrotic rats.

Summary1. The insulin-degrading capacity of rat kidney, liver and diaphragm extracts was determined by incubating them with (a) crystalline insulin and observing blood sugar curves in intact rats following intravenous injection of the mixture and (b) I131 insulin and measuring undegraded insulin as represented by TCA precipitable radioactivity. 2. By both measurements, kidney and liver extracts from nephrotic rats were less potent than normal organ extracts in the inactivation of insulin.
Major adverse cardiovascular events with basal insulin peglispro versus comparator insulins in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis.

To identify possible differences in cardiovascular (CV) risk among different insulin therapies, we performed pre-specified meta-analyses across the clinical program for basal insulin peglispro (BIL), in patients randomized to treatment with BIL or comparator insulin [glargine (IG) or NPH]. One phase 2 (12-week) and 6 phase 3 (26 to 78-week) randomized studies of BIL compared to IG or NPH, in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, were included. The participants were diverse with respect to demographics, baseline glycemic control, and concomitant disease or medications, but treatment groups were comparable in each study. For any potential CV or neurovascular event, relevant medical information was provided to a blinded external clinical events committee (C5Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA) for adjudication. Cox regression analysis was used to compare treatment groups. The primary endpoint was a composite of adjudicated MACE+ [CV death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or hospitalization for unstable angina]. The pooled population included 5862 patients in the safety evaluation, with randomization to BIL:IG:NPH of 3578:2072:212. Mean age was 54.1 years, 27 % had type 1 diabetes, 56 % were male, and 88 % were white. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, including use of statins or other lipid-lowering drugs, were comparable between BIL and comparators. A total of 83 patients experienced at least 1 MACE+ and 70 patients experienced at least 1 MACE (CV death, MI, or stroke). Overall, there were no treatment-associated differences in time to MACE+ [hazard ratio (HR) for BIL versus comparator insulin (95 % CI): 0.82 (0.53–1.27)] or MACE [0.83 (0.51–1.33)]. In 4297 patients with type 2 diabetes, there were 71 MACE+ events [HR: 1.02 (95 % CI: 0.63–1.65), p = 0.94]. In 1565 patients with type 1 diabetes, there were only 12 MACE+ [0.24 (0.07–0.85), p = 0.027]. There were no differences in all-cause death between BIL and comparators. Sub-group analyses did not identify any sub-population with increased risk with BIL versus comparator insulins. Treatment with BIL versus comparator insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes was not associated with increased risk for major CV events in the studies analyzed.
Application of computer graphics in the design of custom orthopedic implants.

SUMMARY Implementation of newly developed computer modelling techniques and computer graphics displays and software have greatly aided the orthopedic design engineer and physician in creating a custom implant with good anatomic conformity in a short turnaround time. Further advances in computerized design and manufacturing will continue to simplify the development of custom prostheses and enlarge their niche in the joint replacement market.
Treatment of poststroke depression

Background Although our use of treatment modalities in medicine has been driven by studies demonstrating efficacy of treatment, our choice among competing treatment is often influenced by our conceptualization of the cause of the disorder. Poststroke depression may be viewed from either a social–psychological perspective or a physiological–biological perspective. These two perspectives could lead to different and sometimes mutually exclusive treatment approaches. As evidenced by the number of studies of poststroke depression, both psychological and family interventions have been proposed or utilized, although the great majority of studies have examined pharmacological treatment. Clinicians, however, who view poststroke depression as an understandable consequence of unwanted physical dependency or inadequate social support may have little enthusiasm for pharmacological approaches. It is unlikely, however, that these conceptualizations are mutually exclusive and the most pragmatic approach is probably a combination of both pharmacological treatment and psychological assistance in addressing the patient's response to stroke related impairments. In spite of increasing empirical support for the importance of pharmacological treatment in poststroke depression, there continue to be reports of patients who have not received adequate treatment or whose depression has not been treated. Patients whose depressions following stroke have not been recognized, in general, have failed to receive an assessment for poststroke depression.
Medical Specialty Encounters

The majority of research in linguistics on the discourse of medicine has focused on primary care encounters, describing the phases of a routine medical encounter, the organization of its interactional sequences, and the co-construction of its context. Recently, research has begun to describe the discourse of the specialty care encounter in medicine. In specialty care encounters, physicians and patients interactionally coconstruct a combined medical–lay expertise as the context of the encounter. Within this context, the phases of the specialty medical encounter have interactional sequences that develop, draw on, and display expertise, including establishing the reason for the visit, presenting the medical history, displaying an understanding of diagnosis, and conducting a treatment discussion.
What Is Science

Defining science is not as simple as one might think. In retrospect this is not surprising; it is difficult to define many things. We all know happiness or love or evil when we see it, but defining these concepts is difficult indeed. Even a physical entity like a duck is hard to define. The dictionary definition, “A waterbird with a broad blunt bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a waddling gait” seems unsatisfactory. This description of a few duck-like attributes does not seem to capture the essence of a duck.
Whole Human Mitochondrial DNA Sequencing

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can help in the identification of biological evidence recovered from crime scenes and human remains. Typically the hypervariable regions are targeted for sequencing; however, more discriminating profiles are obtained if the whole genome is sequenced. Different approaches exist as to how best amplify and sequence whole mtDNA from forensic specimens. Here, we describe a method based on two-round PCR, combining multiplex and simplex PCRs. This method has been used in the analysis of mitochondrial genomes from archival saliva samples applied to FTA® cards after 10 years of transportation and preservation, without special protection. It is expected that this technique can be also used for the analysis of other old biological specimens directly or with modifications related to the level of DNA degradation.
Laryngeal alveolar soft part sarcoma: A case report of a rare malignancy in an atypical location.

Abstract Laryngeal sarcoma is a rare and potentially aggressive malignancy. In this case report, we present a 23 year-old-male with four-years of progressive hoarseness who was found to have a large left paraglottic mass. A partial laryngectomy was successful at completely excising the lesion. Final pathology returned as alveolar soft part sarcoma. Alveolar soft part sarcomas of the larynx are extremely rare with only five cases published in the current literature. This article provides a case presentation with literature review of alveolar soft part sarcoma of the head and neck.
Automatic Generation of Hardware Sandboxes for Trojan Mitigation in Systems on Chip (Abstract Only)

Component based design is one of the preferred methods to tackle system complexity, and reduce costs and time-to-market. Major parts of the system design and IC production are outsourced to facilities distributed across the globe, thus opening the door for malicious Trojan insertion. Hardware Sandboxing was introduce as a means to overcome the shortcomings of traditional static Trojan mitigation methods, which use intense simulation, verification, and physical tests to detect the evidence of malicious components before system deployment. The number of test patterns needed to activate with certainty potential hidden Trojans is very large for complex IPs and SoCs with dozens of inputs, outputs, states, and memory blocks, thus limiting the effectiveness of static testing methods. The rationale is to spend less effort testing pre-deployment. Instead, guards should be built around non-trusted components to catch malicious activities and prevent potential damage. While feasibility of hardware sandboxes has been proven with case studies and real-world applications, manual design was used and no systematic method was devised to automate the design process of system-on-chips that incorporate hardware sandboxes to provide high-level of security in embedded systems. In this work, we propose a method for automatic generation of hardware sandboxes in system-on-chips. Using the interface formalism of De Alfaro and Hetzinger to capture the interactions among components, along with the properties specification language to define non-authorized actions, sandboxes are generated and made ready for inclusion in a system-on-chip design. We leverage the concepts of composition, compatibility, and refinement to optimize resources across the boundary of single component and provide minimal resource consumption. With results on benchmarks implemented in FPGA, we prove that our approach can provide high-level of security, with less resource and no increase in delay.
Comparative Analysis of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase CTX-M-65-Producing Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis Isolates from Humans, Food Animals, and Retail Chickens in the United States

ABSTRACT We sequenced the genomes of 10 Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis isolates containing bla CTX-M-65 obtained from chicken, cattle, and human sources collected between 2012 and 2015 in the United States through routine National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) surveillance and product sampling programs. We also completely assembled the plasmids from four of the isolates. All isolates had a D87Y mutation in the gyrA gene and harbored between 7 and 10 resistance genes [ aph(4)-Ia , aac(3)-IVa , aph(3 ′ )-Ic , bla CTX-M-65 , fosA3 , floR , dfrA14 , sul1 , tetA , aadA1 ] located in two distinct sites of a megaplasmid (∼316 to 323 kb) similar to that described in a bla CTX-M-65 -positive S . Infantis isolate from a patient in Italy. High-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (hqSNP) analysis revealed that all U.S. isolates were closely related, separated by only 1 to 38 pairwise high-quality SNPs, indicating a high likelihood that strains from humans, chickens, and cattle recently evolved from a common ancestor. The U.S. isolates were genetically similar to the bla CTX-M-65 -positive S . Infantis isolate from Italy, with a separation of 34 to 47 SNPs. This is the first report of the bla CTX-M-65 gene and the pESI (plasmid for emerging S . Infantis)-like megaplasmid from S . Infantis in the United States, and it illustrates the importance of applying a global One Health human and animal perspective to combat antimicrobial resistance.
In Conversation with Marit Melhuus and Benedicte Bull About Life and Death in Mexico. House of Literature, September 26, 2013

In this conversation between Prof. Marit Melhuus and Prof. Benedicte Bull (University of Oslo), Columbia University professor Claudio Lomnitz reflects on his long-standing work on ‘life and death’ in his native Mexico. Lomnitz offers his views on the vexed relationship between history and anthropology, on his role as a well-known public intellectual in Mexico, and on Mexican intellectual traditions and Mexican nationalism.
Ultraviolet B Irradiation Causes Stimulator of Interferon Genes-Dependent Production of Protective Type I Interferon in Mouse Skin by Recruited Inflammatory Monocytes.

Objective Photosensitivity is common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, although the mechanisms linking ultraviolet (UV) light to flares are not well understood. We undertook this study to determine whether repetitive UVB exposure could induce type I interferon (IFN) production in normal mouse skin, and to investigate the roles of inflammatory monocytes and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) in type I IFN production and development of UVB irradiation–induced inflammation. Methods Mice were irradiated with UVB at 100 mJ/cm2 for 5 days, and cutaneous manifestations were examined by messenger RNA expression of inflammatory and type I IFN response genes, histology, and flow cytometry. Inflammatory monocyte and PDC depletion experiments were performed in CCR2–diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR)–transgenic mice and blood dendritic cell antigen 2–DTR–transgenic mice. The roles of type I IFN and of the adaptor protein stimulator of IFN genes (STING) in UVB irradiation–induced inflammation were investigated using IFN-α/β/ω receptor (IFNAR)–knockout mice and STING-knockout mice. Results Repeated UVB irradiation stimulated an inflammatory cell infiltrate and induction of type I IFN and proinflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, the type I IFN response was independent of PDCs but dependent on inflammatory monocytes, which were recruited following UVB irradiation. The adaptor protein STING was necessary for both type I IFN and proinflammatory cytokine expression in the skin. UVB-irradiated IFNAR-knockout mice showed increased levels of proinflammatory genes and more severe inflammation by histology, suggesting a protective role for type I IFN. Conclusion In wild-type mice, repeated doses of UVB irradiation induce monocyte-dependent and PDC-independent expression of type I IFN together with expression of other proinflammatory cytokines. Induction is dependent on the adaptor protein STING. Surprisingly, studies using IFNAR-deficient mice revealed that type I IFN protects against UVB irradiation–induced skin inflammation, in part by attenuating proinflammatory cytokine expression and limiting tissue damage.
Risk of Pancreatitis Following Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Eluxadoline.

Background & Aims The Food and Drug Administration approved eluxadoline for the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome despite cases of pancreatitis in early stage trials. We investigated the frequency of pancreatitis attributed to eluxadoline in postmarketing surveillance. Methods We extracted reports on eluxadoline submitted to the Federal Adverse Event Reporting System from January through September 2016. We collected data on patient age and sex, event date, reporting entity (consumer, physician, pharmacist, legal worker, or other), medications, dosages, presumed role in the event (coinciding, primary, or secondary suspect), treatment indication, and outcome (death, life threatening, hospitalization, disability, or other).We compared data for eluxadoline with data from antidiarrheals, oxycodone, and rifaximin using the κ 2 test, Kruskal–Wallis rank test, and analysis of variance; findings with P Results Pancreatitis accounted for 16.4% of the 597 reports of adverse events linked to eluxadoline; 53 cases required hospitalization. Pancreatitis was listed as treatment complication of other agents in significantly lower proportions of cases (loperamide, 0.3%; diphenoxylate, 0.4%; oxycodone, 0.2%; rifaximin, 0.5%), with 75% of these submissions not considering the agent as causal. Conclusions In an analysis of reports on eluxadoline submitted to the Federal Adverse Event Reporting System, we confirmed a previously reported risk of pancreatitis associated with eluxadoline. The need for hospitalization in at least half of these instances and a recent report of 2 fatalities should prompt reassessments of the agent's risk-benefit ratio.
Influence of Cocaine-Related Images and Alcohol Administration on Inhibitory Control in Cocaine Users.

Background Alcohol use and impulsivity, including decreased inhibitory control, predict poor treatment outcomes for individuals with cocaine use disorders. This study sought to determine the effects of alcohol administration on inhibitory control following cocaine-related and neutral cues on the Attentional Bias-Behavioral Activation (ABBA) task in cocaine users. We hypothesized that the proportion of inhibitory failures would increase following cocaine, compared to neutral, cues. We further hypothesized that there would be an interaction between alcohol administration and task version, such that alcohol would impair inhibitory control following cocaine, but not neutral cues. Methods Fifty current cocaine users completed this mixed-model, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study over 2 experimental sessions. The ABBA task was completed following alcohol administration (0.0 and 0.65 g/kg). Subject-rated drug effect and physiological measures were collected prior to and after alcohol administration. Results Proportion of inhibitory failures was increased following cocaine-related cues compared to neutral cues independent of alcohol dose. Alcohol administration also produced prototypical subject-rated drug effects. Conclusions A better understanding of the relationship between alcohol consumption and inhibitory control in cocaine users could direct the development of interventions to decrease the risk of relapse in individuals who drink and display impaired inhibitory control.
Effects of Sedentary Aging and Lifelong Exercise on Left Ventricular Systolic Function.

ABSTRACTPurposeThe current study examined whether age-related changes in left ventricular (LV) longitudinal systolic function is an adaptation to a more sedentary lifestyle and can be preserved by lifelong exercise training.MethodsA cross-sectional examination of 18 sedentary young (37 ± 6 yr), 29 s
Cross-Calibration of the GPS Constellation CXD Proton Data with GOES EPS

Accurate proton flux measurements of the near Earth environment are essential to the understanding of many phenomena which have a direct impact on our lives. Currently there is only a small set of satellites capable of performing these measurements which makes certain studies and analyses difficult. This paper details the capabilities of the Combined X-ray Dosimeter (CXD), flown on 21 satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation, as it relates to proton measurements. We present a cross-calibration of the CXD with the Energetic Particle Sensor (EPS) onboard the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). By utilizing Solar Energetic Particle Events (SEPEs) when both sets of satellites were operational we have orders of magnitude in flux and energy to compare against. Robust statistical analyses show that the CXD and GOES flux calculations are similar and that for proton energies > 30 MeV the CXD fluxes are on average within 20% of EPS. Although the CXD has a response to protons as low as 6 MeV the sensitivity at energies below 20 MeV is reduced and so flux comparisons of these are generally worse. Integral flux values > 10 MeV are typically within 40% of EPS. These calibrated CXD data sets will give researchers capabilities to study solar proton access to the inner magnetosphere down to L ~ 4 near the equatorial plane at high temporal cadence.
Rhizofiltration of Lead Contaminated Soil by Helianthus annuus amended with Bacillus megaterium and EDTA

Heavy metal contamination causes numerous adverse effects to public health and the environment. Sources of heavy metal contamination are widespread, especially in urban environments. Certain plants such as sunflower (Helianthus annuus) have been shown to sequester heavy metals in their root systems, thus filtering contaminants such as lead (Pb) from soil, a process termed rhizofiltration.In the present study, Bacillus megaterium was applied to the root system of sunflowers growing in Pb-contaminated soil and the efficiency of rhizofiltration was examined.Lead levels in the rhizosphere of the Bacillus megaterium and EDTA amended plants were almost 100 mg/kg soil higher than those without treatment, suggesting the amendment may have been effective in augmenting lead sequestration.In order to further elucidate these lead-sequestering communities, preliminary phylogenetic assays were conducted on the soil with and without the presence of the plant. Although complete coverage of the community phylogeny was not possible, there was evidence indicating that the rhizosphere may have induced changes in the composition of the bacterial community. These studies offer simple methods for enhancing bioremediation in agriculture.
Laguerre-Gaussian and beamlet array as second generation laser heater profiles

The microbunching instability is known to be detrimental to x-ray free electron laser performance. At the Linear Coherent Light Source, the microbunching instability is suppressed with a laser heater, which increases the uncorrelated energy spread of e-beam in the injector. While the current system has been shown to improve x-ray brightness, other laser architectures could further enhance performance. In this study, we model the interaction between a laser and e-beam with arbitrary transverse profiles and examine the effect of various laser designs on the energy distribution of the electrons after the injector and laser heater, as well as their ability to suppress microbunching instability. This simulation incorporates random transverse jitter in order to reproduce physically representative operation of the Linac Coherent Light Source. We compare Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian modes, and explore composite beams in the form of an array of Gaussian beamlets. We conclude that the Gaussian laser profile is highly susceptible to e-beam ellipticity and random transverse jitter. The Laguerre-Gaussian profile, a mathematically ideal solution to suppressing microbunching, is less susceptible to these effects and can provide effective suppression even with a distorted e-beam, though performance can be improved by increasing stabilization. The array of beamlets presents a solution that produces consistent and smooth energy distributions with significantly less variance in heating than the Laguerre-Gaussian profile.
Elite polarization, party extremity, and affective polarization

Abstract Elites in the U.S. have become increasingly polarized over the past several decades. More recently, the degree to which partisans view the opposing party more negatively than their own — a phenomenon called affective, or social, polarization — has increased. How does elite polarization inform affective polarization? We argue that partisans respond to increasing levels of elite polarization by expressing higher levels of affective polarization, i.e. more negative evaluations of the opposing party relative to their own. Motivated reasoning further encourages partisans to blame the opposing party more than their own. Results from surveys collected from 1978 through 2016 provide strong support for our theory. We further find that increasing levels of political interest magnify the relationship between elite and affective polarization. These results produce important implications for the health of democratic systems experiencing high levels of elite polarization.
Nanoparticle-Mediated Acoustic Cavitation Enables High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation Without Tissue Heating

While thermal ablation of various solid tumors has been demonstrated using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), the therapeutic outcomes of this technique are still unsatisfactory because of common recurrence of thermally ablated cancers and treatment side effects due to the high ultrasound intensity and acoustic pressure requirements. More precise ablation of tumors can be achieved by generating cavitating bubbles in the tissue using shorter pulses with higher acoustic pressures, which induce mechanical damage rather than thermal. However, it has remained as a challenge to safely deliver the acoustic pressures required for mechanical ablation of solid tumors. Here, we report a method to achieve mechanical ablation at lower acoustic pressures by utilizing phospholipid-stabilized hydrophobic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (PL-hMSN). The PL-hMSNs act as seeds for nucleation of cavitation events and thus significantly reduce the peak negative pressures and spatial-average temporal-average HIFU intensities needed to achieve mechanical ablation. Substantial mechanical damage was observed in the red blood cell or tumor spheroid containing tissue mimicking phantoms at PL-hMSN concentrations as low as 10 μg mL-1, after only 5 s of HIFU treatment with peak negative pressures ∼11 MPa and duty cycles ∼0.01%. Even the application of HIFU (peak negative pressure of 16.8 MPa and duty cycle of 0.017%) for 1 min in the presence of PL-hMSN (200 μg mL-1) did not cause any detectable temperature increase in tissue-mimicking phantoms. In addition, the mechanical effects of cavitation promoted by PL-hMSNs were observed up to 0.5 mm from the center of the cavitation events. This method may thus also improve delivery of therapeutics or nanoparticles to tumor environments with limited macromolecular transport.
The morphology of first-person object forms of directional verbs in ASL

There is an ongoing debate about whether there exists a grammatical distinction between first-person and non-first person in signed languages, namely American Sign Language (ASL). The debate has been based largely on different analyses of pointing signs but minimally on the person-marking of directional verbs for object. We present an analysis of 95 unique first-person object forms of directional verbs from a combination of elicited and naturalistic data. We test the hypothesis that there is a default first-person object location at the center of the chest. Although we report evidence consistent with that hypothesis, we also find that some first-person verb forms are irregular with respect to the following dimensions of morphological properties in which they are lexically specified for: (1) final place of articulation; (2) height; (3) facing; and (4) body contact. Furthermore, a handful of directional verbs do not have first-person object forms. We interpret the findings to constitute evidence for the distinction between first-person and non-first person in ASL.
Presenting the Virtual World

Abstract A virtual reality experience is nothing if it is not a representation of some idea or entity. Chapter 6 focuses on issues of representation (what to render) and on the technical and artistic issues in realizing the representations (how to render). Together they comprise how the virtual world is presented. When it comes to representation there are numerous choices and concepts that must be considered. These issues range from the degree of verisimilitude (how closely the virtual world does or does not resemble the real world) to whether the information is conveyed in a qualitative or quantitative way, to how best to map the information to sensory forms. The chapter addresses the ideas of semiotics and other representational techniques. Through it all, it is critical to ensure that the human participant can understand and interpret the representations, and, thus, the experience. Throughout the chapter the focus is on how these ideas are applied primarily in virtual reality applications, though other media are considered, particularly with respect to what we can learn from other media and how to transfer techniques to VR. These ideas of representation are broken out by sense: visual, sonic, haptic, vestibular, olfactory, and gustation. The chapter continues by addressing how these representations can be manifested as signals that are presented to the user by output devices. Rendering is the process of taking these conceptual works and generating the images (visual, sonic, haptic, etc.) that are presented to the participant. Each sense is addressed because each has its own considerations regarding how to compute the desired sensory images and how humans perceive them. Rendering is addressed from both a technical perspective (e.g., How can I be sure the images are created fast enough?) and an artistic perspective (e.g., What must I do to ensure the images look how I want them to look?). In general, the rendering section covers practical issues that VR designers and consumers must address.
Measurement of the production cross section for W + γ in the electron channel in √s = 1.8 TeV $\bar{p}$p collisions

The production cross section times decay branching ratio for W{sub +{gamma}} in the electron decay channel in {radical}s = 1.8 TeV {bar p}-p collisions has been measured using W {yields} e{gamma} data sample obtained from the CDF 1988--1989 Tevatron collider run. For photons in the central region ({vert_bar}{eta}{sub {gamma}}{vert_bar} 0.7, eight electron W{sub {gamma}} candidates were observed. From these events, the production cross section times decay branching ratio for the electron sample was measured to be a {sigma} {center_dot} B(W{sub {gamma}}){sub exp} = 17.0{sub {minus}13.4}{sup +13.6}(stat. + syst.)pb. The W{sub {gamma}} cross section is sensitive to the anomalous couplings of the W boson. Using the W{sub {gamma}} cross section measurement, the absence of an excess of large E{sub T} photons accompanying the production of a W boson enables one to obtain direct limits on anomalous WW{sub {gamma}} couplings. The experimental limits on the anomalous couplings was measured to be {minus}7.2 < {Delta}{kappa} < +7.7 ({lambda} = 0) and {minus}3.5 < {lambda} < +3.4 ({Delta}{kappa} = 0) at 95% CL. These experimental limits impose contraints on possible internal structure ofmore » the W boson with compositeness scale sensitivity {Lambda}{sub W} {ge} 1 TeV for saturation of unitarity, corresponding to probing a distance scale of order L{sub W} {le} 2.0 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} fm. The experimental limits on anomalous WW{sub {gamma}} couplings place bounds on the higher-order electromagnetic moments of the W boson -- the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments and the W boson mean-squared charge radius. The experimental results presented in this thesis are in good agreement with Standard Model expectations.« less
Evidence maps: a tool to guide research agenda setting

A surprisingly huge proportion of medical research still shows poor quality in design, conduct and analysis, leading to far from optimal robustness of findings and validity of conclusions. Research waste remains a problem caused by a number of reasons. Asking the wrong research questions and ignoring the existing evidence are possible preventable ones. Evidence maps are tools that may aid in guiding clinical investigators and help in agenda setting of future research. In this article, we explain how they serve such a goal and outline the steps required to build effective evidence maps.
The social creation of action and inaction: From concepts to goals to behaviors

Abstract This chapter presents a model of the cognitive, motivational, and behavioral implications of the concepts of action and inaction. The action or inaction nature of a behavior is a judgment, a subjective and variable construal, made by the actor or an observer based on concepts of action and inaction. In other literatures, action and inaction concepts entail affirming or negating of any behavior, but we posit that they are best defined in terms of level of effort and intentionality. People define action as more intentional and effortful than inaction and consequently establish default evaluations of action as more positive than inaction. In this chapter, we discuss how action and inaction are set as goals, how these goals differ from active and inactive means, and how these goals are implemented and considered complete. The chapter integrates disparate work on general action biases, action and inaction goals, and process models of goals. We describe specific principles that guide goal systems containing action and inaction goals, and the principles summarizing action-goal dominance at the stages of goal setting, implementation, and monitoring/completion.
Standardized Use of the Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation in LVAD Patients.

Abstract Background Increased psychosocial risk portends poor outcomes following heart transplantation. The Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT) is a validated, psychosocial risk assessment tool that helps stratify candidates for transplantation. We assessed the impact of psychosocial factors as measured by the SIPAT on clinical outcomes following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation at our institution. Methods and Results A total of 115 individuals (mean age: 57 years, 75.6% men) who underwent LVAD implantation, for either bridge-to-transplant (63%) or destination therapy, from 2014 to 2016 were included for analysis. Correlations between SIPAT scores, baseline characteristics, and post-LVAD outcomes were assessed through a retrospective correlational design. At 1 year post-LVAD, the higher risk SIPAT group had more emergency department visits, urgent clinic visits, and readmissions in univariate analysis (rate ratio 1.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–2.7, P = .035]). After multivariate analysis, this association retained near-statistical significance (rate ratio 1.6 [95% CI 1.0–2.8, P = .051]). There was also a trend toward more device-associated infections (rate ratio 2.1 [95% CI 0.96–4.4, P = .064]). There was no difference in incidence of other adverse events or 1-year mortality between the 2 groups. Conclusions Higher psychosocial risk per SIPAT in patients undergoing LVAD implantation is associated with more emergency room visits, urgent visits and readmissions over 1 year, but not LVAD-related complications or mortality. Use of the SIPAT tool may help identify patients at higher risk for hospitalization and/or urgent care beyond traditional factors, but should not preclude LVAD implantation.
Fabrication and measurement of 3D printed retroreflective fibers

Additive manufacturing enables new fiber preform geometries to be built that were either impossible or extremely difficult with traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. Additionally fiber thermal drawing is undergoing an explosion of interest due to new materials and fiber functions. We fabricate a retroreflective fiber that possesses a complex cross-section and material combination not achievable with other textile fiber fabrication methods such melt extrusion. This is the first such 3D-printing-derived fiber to demonstrate optical scattering properties with a non-circular, non-convex cross-section.
A desintegração da mente social

Trumpism in the United States, like other populist eruptions around the world, demonstrates that fundamental values bequeathed by the Enlightenment are far less secure in the West than has been assumed. Esteem for rationality and objective knowledge and respect for individual liberty has been weakened by the dissolution of society into intransigent factions. The forsaking of core principles that have for many generations served as a common ground for Western civilization has fragmented Western society into seemingly irreconcilable camps, no longer subject to a shared communal mind. How can it happen that a society governed by a long-established shared social mind, summarily splinters into very unlike-minded camps clearly under the sway of discrepant principles? Is the disintegration of ideas and the dissolution of mind an inevitable consequence of proliferating mental content, perhaps even built-in intellectual entropy? Guided by Peirce’s semiotics and philosophy of mind, and using the Trump-provoked shake-up in US social and political life as an illustrative example of a profound cultural schism, I will consider some possible structural causes of increasing sectarianism and will explore the semiotic conditions that would account for the disintegration of a social mind.
The effect of predation risk on cash holdings: Empirical evidence from the U.S. property‐liability insurance industry

Corporate cash holdings play a significant role in the U.S. property‐liability insurance industry yet the topic of insurer cash holdings policy has largely been overlooked by prior empirical research. While a number of studies have investigated firm‐specific factors related to cash holdings in the insurance industry, prior research has not examined how market concentration and potential predation risk impact cash holdings. We propose a new measure of market concentration and provide evidence in support of the predation risk theory. Specifically, we show that insurers exposed to more concentrated markets tend to hold more cash. Furthermore, the relation between market concentration and cash holdings is influenced by access to internal capital. While unaffiliated insurers without access to internal capital hold greater levels of cash in more concentrated markets, group insurers with access to internal capital do not hold greater levels of cash to mitigate predation risk.
Playing with Lynching: Fandom Violence and the Black Athletic Body:

This article traces the parallel development of lynching culture and the fandom surrounding the black athletic body. While only recently have fan studies scholars started to theorize the relationsh...
An interprofessional early childhood training program: speech-language pathology and music therapy student outcomes and reflections.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) and Music Therapists (MT) frequently work together in a wide variety of healthcare settings. This collaboration has tremendous potential for providing effective c...
Endoscopic gastric body plication for the treatment of obesity: technical success and safety of a novel technique (with video).

Background and Aims Primary obesity surgery endoluminal (POSE) is a primary endoscopic bariatric therapy focusing on gastric remodeling. The original POSE procedure involved placement of full-thickness plications in the fundus. Here we aim to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel POSE procedure that involves plications of only the gastric body to reduce the width and length of the stomach. Methods This was a pilot study of patients who underwent a distal POSE procedure with gastric body plications for the treatment of obesity. Outcomes included technical success rate, serious adverse event (AE) rate, and efficacy of this novel POSE procedure at inducing weight loss and improving obesity-related comorbidities. Results Ten patients (6 women, age 52 ± 20 years) underwent a distal POSE procedure. Baseline body mass index was 38.1 ± 6.2 kg/m2. The technical success rate was 100%. An average of 21 ± 4 plications were placed per case (6 ± 2 for distal belt, 10 ± 3 for suspenders, 4 ± 2 for proximal belt, and 3 ± 1 for fillers). The gastroesophageal junction was pulled distally by 3.0 ± 1.6 cm. The gastric body was shortened by 11.0 ± 5.1 cm, representing a 59% reduction. The serious AE rate was 0%. At 6 months, patients experienced 15.0% ± 7.1% total weight loss (TWL). All patients achieved at least 5% TWL, and 8 patients (80%) achieved at least 25% excess weight loss. Hypertension, diabetes, GERD, and obstructive sleep apnea improved after the procedure. Conclusions This novel POSE procedure, focusing on gastric body plication and sparing the fundus, is technically feasible and appears to be safe and effective for the treatment of obesity.
Gröbner Bases of Convex Neural Code Ideals (Research)

We present results and conjectures on the connection between the convexity of a neural code and the canonical form of its ideal. The connection is established through properties of the Grobner basis of the neural ideal and the uniqueness of its reduced form. An efficient algorithm for identifying neural codes with unique reduced Grobner bases is introduced.
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide/vasoactive intestinal peptide [Part 1]: biology, pharmacology, and new insights into their cellular basis of action/signaling which are providing new therapeutic targets.

Purpose of review To discuss recent advances of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)/pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) receptors in pharmacology, cell biology, and intracellular signaling in cancer. Recent findings Recent studies provide new insights into the pharmacology, cell biology of the VIP/PACAP system and show they play important roles in a number of human cancers, as well as in tumor growth/differentiation and are providing an increased understanding of their signaling cascade that is suggesting new treatment targets/approaches. Summary Recent insights from studies of VIP/PACAP and their receptors in both central nervous system disorders and inflammatory disorders suggest possible new treatment approaches. Elucidation of the exact roles of VIP/PACAP in these disorders and development of new therapeutic approaches involving these peptides have been limited by lack of specific pharmacological tools, and exact signaling mechanisms involved, mediating their effects. Reviewed here are recent insights from the elucidation of structural basis for VIP/PACAP receptor activation as well as the signaling cascades mediating their cellular effects (using results primarily from the study of their effects in cancer) that will likely lead to novel targets and treatment approaches in these diseases.
A deep reinforcement learning approach to seat inventory control for airline revenue management

Commercial airlines use revenue management systems to maximize their revenue by making real-time decisions on the booking limits of different fare classes offered in each of its scheduled flights. Traditional approaches—such as mathematical programming, dynamic programming, and heuristic rule-based decision models—heavily rely on external mathematical models of demand and passenger arrival, choice, and cancelation, making their performance sensitive to the accuracy of these model estimates. Moreover, many of these approaches scale poorly with increase in problem dimensionality. Additionally, they lack the ability to explore and “directly” learn the true market dynamics from interactions with passengers and adapt to changes in market conditions on their own. To overcome these limitations, this research uses deep reinforcement learning (DRL), a model-free decision-making framework, for finding the optimal policy of the seat inventory control problem. The DRL framework employs a deep neural network to approximate the expected optimal revenues for all possible state-action combinations, allowing it to handle the large state space of the problem. Multiple fare classes with stochastic demand, passenger arrivals, and booking cancelations have been considered in the problem. An air travel market simulator was developed based on the market dynamics and passenger behavior for training and testing the agent. The results demonstrate that the DRL agent is capable of learning the optimal airline revenue management policy through interactions with the market, matching the performance of exact dynamic programming methods. The revenue generated by the agent in different simulated market scenarios was found to be close to the maximum possible flight revenues and surpass that produced by the expected marginal seat revenue-b (EMSRb) method.
Financial Covenants and Fire Sales: Fractures in the Leveraged Loan Market

Financial institutions constitute an increasingly important cornerstone of capital markets, yet research at the intersection of asset management contracts and asset pricing is sparse. In this paper, I study the externalities of Collateralized Loan Obligation (CLO) contracts on asset prices. The trading behavior of CLO managers generates price pressure for distressed loans around bankruptcy defaults, introducing fire sale risk. This behavior is driven mainly by covenant considerations. CLOs operating closest to their capital constraints experience significantly lower cumulative returns relative to unconstrained CLOs. Hence, this work demonstrates how CLO covenants interact with managerial incentives in the provision of credit.
Anorectal suppositories

A review of the therapeutic uses of anorectal suppositories is given. The major local effects of suppositories are production of defecation, topical therapy, and relief of pain. Systemic actions are possible from drugs that can be absorbed through the rectal mucosa.
Open Source: Technology and Policy

From the Internet's infrastructure to operating systems like GNU/Linux, the open source movement comprises some of the greatest accomplishments in computing over the past quarter century. Its story embraces technological advances, unprecedented global collaboration, and remarkable tools for facilitating distributed development. The evolution of the Internet enabled an enormous expansion of open development, allowing developers to exchange information and ideas without regard to constraints of space, time, or national boundary. The movement has had widespread impact on education and government, as well as historic cultural and commercial repercussions. Part I discusses key open source applications, platforms, and technologies used in open development. Part II explores social issues ranging from demographics and psychology to legal and economic matters. Part III discusses the Free Software Foundation, open source in the public sector (government and education), and future prospects.