cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Fast Multi-Server, Multi-Block Private Information Retrieval Protocol

Private Information Retrieval (PIR) allows users to retrieve information from a database without revealing the content of these queries to anyone. The traditional information- theoretic PIR schemes utilize multiple servers to download single data block, thus incur high communication overhead and high computation burden. In this paper, we develop an Information- theoretic multi-block PIR scheme that significantly reduce the client communication and computation overheads by download- ing multiple data blocks at a time. The design of k-safe binary matrices insures the information will not be revealed even if up to k servers collude. Our scheme has much lower overhead than the classic PIR schemes. The implementation of fast XOR operations benefits both servers and clients in reducing coding and decoding time. Our work demonstrates that multi-block PIR scheme can be optimized to simultaneously achieve low communication and computation overhead, comparable to even non-PIR systems, while maintaining a high level of privacy.
Radiation jejunitis and a choleic-acid enterolith. Report of a case.

The case history is presented of a woman who developed jejunal stricture complicated by formation of a deoxycholic acid intestinal stone. Development of this condition was attributed to radiation jejunitis following radiotherapy 20 years earlier for uterine adenocarcinoma. At that time, 4 doses of 2000 r each were given over a 4-week period. A 34-cm segment of jejunum was removed surgically and found to contain a stone 2 cm in dia consisting of 60% deoxycholic acid and 12% fatty acids. Jejunal stricture is rare following radiotherapy and a survey showed that, considering the entire digestive tract, the incidence of stricture following pelvic irradiation is not great, varying from 1.6 to 12.1% of 2696 subjects reviewed. The length of time between the end of therapy and the surgical intervention for small-intestinal symptoms averages 261/2 months in a series of 600 patients. Stasis of the intestinal flow would favor bacterial hydrolysis and metabolism of bile cholic acid to deoxycholic acid, thus setting up conditions for the development of enteroliths.
On the 'strudel and apples' theory of historiography: A reply to Chris Lorenz

Narrative philosophies of historiography and the positivist approach to the philosophy of historiography share an emphasis on analyzing the writings of historians, rather than their research and methods of inference, confirmation and justification. But neither approach to the philosophy of historiography asks the question about the relation of historiography with the evidence. There are no “facts” in historiography, distinct atomic units that need to be selected and then put together in the historian’s narrative workshop. Instead, the historian is searching for relevant evidence to infer from representations of the past that include explanations and causal relations. Since it is trivially true that all present phenomena are the effects of the past, the historian requires information theories that tell which present phenomena are likely to preserve which types of information about the past. The forging of a narrative is only the last stage in a long process of inference.
Recent Advances in Lesion Formation for Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Despite advances in ablation technology, many patients experience recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) after radiofrequency ablation. Although estimates vary, the overall 1-year drug-free success for AF ablation is estimated at 40% to 60% for a single procedure and 70% for multiple procedures.1 The cornerstone of conventional AF ablation is pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), and in clinical practice, the most common PVI technique involves creating circular radiofrequency lesions in a point-by-point fashion around the PV ostia/antra.2 However, conventional radiofrequency ablation can be difficult and time-consuming, has less than outstanding efficacy, and can be associated with potentially serious complications, such as steam pops, perforation, tamponade, and thrombus formation, which can lead to thromboembolic events. Given the limitations of conventional radiofrequency ablation, there has been ongoing development of new technologies to facilitate the safety and efficacy of lesion formation and durability. This review will summarize several recent advancements in catheter technology for AF ablation aimed at improving lesion formation (Figure 1). Figure 1. Summary of recent innovations in lesion formation. In radiofrequency ablation, the contact force (CF) between the ablation electrode and the atrial wall is a major determinant of lesion size and durability.3,4 Insufficient CF can result in inadequate lesion formation and higher rates of PV reconnection.5 However, excessive CF can result in complications, such as perforation.6 Therefore, monitoring CF would be expected to maximize ablation efficacy and improve safety. Until recent years, CF has been monitored indirectly using a combination of visual observation of catheter tip motion, tactile feedback, local electrogram attenuation, impedance monitoring, and in some laboratories, intracardiac echocardiogaphy. Although widely used, these methods are a poor surrogate for CF.4,7,8 Recently, ablation catheters that can directly measure CF have become available in the United States. A spring-coupled catheter (SmartTouch) was …
Venous hypertensive myelopathy associated with cervical spondylosis.

Abstract Background Context Venous hypertensive myelopathy (VHM) results from spinal vascular malformations of arteriovenous shunting that increases spinal venous pressure, leading to congestive edema and neurologic dysfunction. There has been no report of VHM associated with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Purpose The aim of this study was to report an extremely rare case of VHM likely due to CSM. Study Design This study is a case report and review of the literature. Patient Sample The patient was a 51-year-old man with CSM exhibiting relatively rapid neurologic deterioration with an abnormal expansion of a centromedullary hyperintense lesion on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the absence of traumatic injury. Methods Neurologic examination and radiologic imaging were taken by various means. Results The patient developed a cervical radiculopathy, followed by gait disturbance and motor weakness. The MRI of the cervical spine demonstrated spinal canal stenosis due to disc bulging and flavum hypertrophy at the C5/C6 and C6/C7 levels as well as hyperintense area over the C5–C7 levels on T2-weighted images. Although decompression surgery was planned, an acute inflammatory process such as transverse myelitis or demyelinating disease other than cord compression was also considered, and the patient received intravenous steroids. His walking improved for several days. However, his symptoms then became significantly worse, and he had difficulty walking. Subsequent MRI demonstrated marked progression of the T2 hyperintense lesion over the C4–T1 vertebral levels. Flow voids were also noted on the dorsal surface of the upper cervical cord on T2-weighted MRI. His lab work, medical history, and the local enhancement on contrast-enhanced MRI indicated low probability of spinal inflammatory diseases. Therefore, the decision was made to perform anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery on two levels. Following surgery, his symptoms improved promptly. Conclusions Our case indicates that VHM could be caused by spondylotic cord compression in the absence of spinal vascular malformations. The diagnostic features for VHM are progressive deterioration of myelopathy, easing/worsening of symptoms associated with postural changes, and centromedullary hyperintensity over multiple segments and the flow voids on dorsal surface of the spinal cord on T2-weighted MRI.
Clinical application of anal sphincter electromyography.

Anal sphincter electromyography should be included in routine electromyographic examination whenever the possibility of lower sacral root involvement exists. It is useful in establishing an organic basis for enuresis in children and in determining the presence of a neurogenic bladder in both children and adults. The authors recommend use of the procedures described in the presence of spina bifida or sacral abnormalities, myelomeningocele, sacral or pelvic fractures, arachnoiditis, and possible pudendal nerve injuries.
BLE-Backscatter: Ultralow-Power IoT Nodes Compatible With Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (BLE) Smartphones and Tablets

Backscatter communication promises significant power and complexity advantages for Internet of Things devices such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and wireless sensor nodes. One perceived disadvantage of backscatter communication has been the requirement for specialized hardware such as RFID readers to receive backscatter signals. In this paper, we show how backscatter signals can be designed for compatibility with the Bluetooth 4.0 low energy (BLE) chipsets already present in billions of smart phones and tablets. We present a prototype microcontroller-based “BLE-Backscatter” tag that produces bandpass frequency-shift keying modulation at 1 Mb/s, enabling compatibility with conventional BLE advertising channels. Using a +23-dBm equivalent isotropically radiated power continuous wave (CW) carrier source, we demonstrate a range of up to 13 m between the tag and an unmodified Apple iPad Mini as well as a PC with the Nordic Semiconductor nRF51822 chipset. With the tag 1 m from the receiver, we demonstrate a range of up to 30 m between the CW carrier source and the tag. In both cases, the existing Bluetooth stack was used, with no modifications whatsoever to hardware, firmware, or software. The backscatter tag consumes only 1.56 nJ/b, over $6\times $ less than the lowest power commercial Bluetooth transmitters.
Paramount Destiny: The Gender Consequence of Constitutionalizing Public Health

Ratified in 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," including recently freed slaves. The Amendment also precluded states from denying to any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law," or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." 1 However, within the initial rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court on the Amendment, that broad language was narrowly interpreted. Instead of expanding individual citizens' rights, the initial cases only protected individual rights guaranteed under a newly designated federal citizenship, and protected the states' rights to wield their police powers through industry regulation. The Court’s first case, Slaughterhouse Cases (1873) 2 left intact new state legislation intended to clean up the New Orleans water supply. For those involved with sanitation reform, this early decision was a win. But for reformers working to earn legal equality for women, it was a loss as the second decision on the Amendment, Bradwell v. State of Illinois (1873) 3 , denied the rights of women to enter into the professions. Thus through the initial Fourteenth Amendment decisions, public health and sanitation were protected over legal parity for women.
Novel approaches to targeting MYD88 in Waldenström macroglobulinemia

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is an incurable lymphoma characterized by the accumulation of IgM-producing lymphoplasmacytic cells in the bone marrow and other organs. Although WM patients can experience prolonged remissions, the disease invariably recurs advocating for the need of novel treatments in order to achieve higher response and survival rates. The discovery of a recurrent mutation in the MYD88 gene and an increased understanding behind the biology of MYD88 signaling have provided the opportunity to developing novel agents targeting the MYD88 pathway.Areas covered: The present review focuses on potential therapies that could change the landscape of treatment of patients with WM, specifically focusing on inhibitors of the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, hematopoietic cell kinase, interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase and MYD88 assembly.Expert commentary: Novel agents such as the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib has shown to be safe and highly effect...
Outcomes following surgery for peroneal intraneural ganglion cysts

Introduction The objective of this study was to answer the typical questions from patients regarding the likely neurologic outcome and likelihood of recurrence when discussing peroneal intraneural ganglion cysts preoperatively. Methods Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent surgery for a peroneal intraneural ganglion cyst between January 1, 2000, and April 1, 2017, was performed. Postoperative neurologic outcomes and radiologic recurrences are reported. Results There were 65 patients. Average clinical follow-up was 14 months. Median dorsiflexion and eversion preoperatively were 2/5 and 4/5, respectively. Median dorsiflexion and eversion at last follow-up postoperatively were 5/5. Radiologic recurrence occurred in 6 (9%) patients, all extraneural. Discussion The data support excellent postoperative motor outcomes, despite frequent dense weakness of peroneal-innervated musculature preoperatively. The surgical approach appears to eliminate risk of intraneural recurrence and minimizes risk of extraneural recurrence. Muscle Nerve 57: 989-993, 2018.
Racial and ethnic differences in patterns of long-acting reversible contraceptive use in the United States, 2011–2015

Abstract Objective To investigate whether demographic, socioeconomic, and reproductive health characteristics affect long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) use differently by race-ethnicity. Results may inform the dialogue on racial pressure and bias in LARC promotion. Study design Data derived from the 2011–2013 and 2013–2015 National Surveys of Family Growth (NSFG). Our study sample included 9321 women aged 15–44. Logistic regression analyses predicted current LARC use (yes vs. no). We tested interaction terms between race-ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic) and covariates (for example, education, parity, poverty level) to explore whether their effects on LARC use vary by race-ethnicity. Results In the race-interactions model, data did not show that low income and education predict LARC use more strongly among Black and Hispanic women than among White women. There was just one statistically significant race-interaction: experience of unintended pregnancy (p=.014). Among Whites and Hispanics, women who reported ever experiencing an unintended pregnancy had a higher predicted probability of LARC use than those who did not. On the other hand, among Black women, the experience of unintended pregnancy was not associated with a higher predicted probability of LARC use. Conclusions With the exception of the experience of unintended pregnancy, findings from this large, nationally representative sample of women suggest similar patterns in LARC use by race-ethnicity. Implications Results from this analysis of NSFG data do not provide evidence that observed differences in LARC use by race-ethnicity represent socioeconomic disparities, and may assuage some concerns about reproductive coercion among women of color. Nevertheless, it is absolutely critical that providers use patient-centered approaches for contraceptive counseling that promote women's autonomy in their reproductive health care decision-making.
Activity-dependent plasticity of presynaptic GABAB receptors at parallel fiber synapses

Parallel fiber synapses in the cerebellum express a wide range of presynaptic receptors. However, presynaptic receptor expression at individual parallel fiber synapses is quite heterogeneous, suggesting physiological mechanisms regulate presynaptic receptor expression. We investigated changes in presynaptic GABAB receptors at parallel fiber-stellate cell synapses in acute cerebellar slices from juvenile mice. GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) is remarkably diverse at these synapses, with transmitter release at some synapses inhibited by >50% and little or no inhibition at others. GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition was significantly reduced following 4 Hz parallel fiber stimulation but not after stimulation at other frequencies. The reduction in GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition was replicated by bath application of forskolin and blocked by application of a PKA inhibitor, suggesting activation of adenylyl cyclase and PKA are required. Immunolabeling for an extracellular domain of the GABAB2 subunit revealed reduced surface expression in the molecular layer after exposure to forskolin. GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition of action potential evoked calcium transients in parallel fiber varicosities was also reduced following bath application of forskolin, confirming presynaptic receptors are responsible for the reduced EPSC inhibition. These data demonstrate that presynaptic GABAB receptor expression can be a plastic property of synapses, which may compliment other forms of synaptic plasticity. This opens the door to novel forms of receptor plasticity previously confined primarily to postsynaptic receptors.
Personal Experiences with Tribal IRBs, Hidden Hegemony of Researchers, and the Need for an Inter-cultural Approach: Views from an American Indian Researcher:

In approximately the last 20 years, the self-protection capacity of many American Indian tribes has significantly increased to include the review of research requests by a tribally based IRB. While...
Recent advances in human physiology at extreme altitude.

There have been recent advances in the physiology of extreme altitude, especially on the barometric pressure-altitude relationship, and pulmonary gas exchange. Until recently, the only direct measurement of barometric pressure on the summit of Mt. Everest was the value of 253 Torr obtained in October 1981. During the 1997 NOVA Everest expedition, another measurement was made with a hand-held barometer and, after calibration, the value was within approximately 1 Torr of the previous measurement. In addition, weather balloons released at approximately the same time in the vicinity of Mt. Everest gave values that agreed closely. In 1998, a large series of measurements of barometric pressure were made using a weather probe placed on the South Col of Everest (altitude 7,986 m). The mean pressure in May was 283.7 Torr which agrees well with the measurements made just above the South Col in October 1981. The new data fit closely with the Model Atmosphere Equation PB = exp (6.63268-0.1112h - 0.00149h2) where h is in km. The conclusion is that on days when the mountain is usually climbed during May and October, the summit pressure is 251–253 Torr. The inspired Po2 is therefore 43 Torr and these data clarify expected pulmonary gas exchange on the summit. Sixty-three measurements of alveolar Po2 for barometric pressures of 300 to 253 Torr from the Silver Hut and AMREE field expeditions gave a mean value for Po2 of 35 Torr. Therefore for this value the alveolar Pco2 cannot be greater than 8 Torr under steady-state, conditions when the respiratory exchange ratio (R) is 1. When R is less than 1, the alveolar Pco2 must be even lower.
Synthesis and Testing of β-Diketone Coupling Agents for Improved Durability of Epoxy Adhesion to Steel

Epoxide resins are used extensively for the adhesive bonding of metal substrates. Their poor performance in the presence of water seriously limits the use of these resins to non-critical applications. Introducing coupling agents at the metal/resin interface which are capable of chemically bonding to the surface of the substrate can markedly improve the durability of the adhesive joint. β-diketone chelators have been synthesized and evaluated as potential coupling agents for epoxy/steel adhesion. The adhesive system has been evaluated by subjecting torsional joints to shear failure after accelerated immersion testing in distilled water. The presence of an oxide layer was found to be detrimental to the effectiveness of the coupling agent. An ammonium citrate pretreatment has been developed which effectively removes or greatly reduces the oxide layer. Subsequent treatment with the β-diketone coupling agent has a beneficial effect on the durability of the adhesive system.
Changing Flow Patterns and Successive Bifurcations

Out of Sections 4.2 through 4.4 emerges a certain view of midlatitude atmospheric circulation. It is dominated by essentially axisymmetric, zonal flow — the prevailing westerlies. They represent the climatological mean of daily flow patterns. The zonal mean flow is baroclinically unstable, and cyclone waves grow on it, reaching finite amplitude and then decaying, to be replaced by new growth of instabilities.
Normative study of the administrative position in special education.

This study was the first national study of the local administrator of special education programs in the public schools of the United States. A two phased questionnaire resulted in responses from 1,066 administrators who met the established criteria. Areas of investigation were: personal characteristics, experience, the value of various college courses and methods of instruction, certification, organizational memberships and participation, conditions of employment, role in program administration and supervision, organizational characteristics, programing elements, and selected opinions concerning current problems and issues in the administration and education of exceptional children.
Subgaussian estimates in probability and harmonic analysis

We will discuss subgaussian estimates in harmonic analysis involving the non-tangential maximal function $$N_{\alpha }f$$ and the area function $$A_{\beta } f$$ of a function f on $${\mathbb {R}}^n.$$ We will first introduce subgaussian estimates in the setting of martingales; these then lead to analogous estimates for harmonic functions. Among the consequences of these are sharp $$L^p$$ inequalities $$\Vert N_{\alpha }f\Vert _p \le C_p \Vert A_{\beta }f\Vert _p$$ ; here $$C_p= O(\sqrt{p})$$ as $$p \rightarrow \infty $$ and this order is sharp. The subgaussian estimates produce Laws of the Iterated Logarithm (LILs) involving the non-tangential maximal function and area function. These ideas are also applied to lacunary series of more general functions to yield LILs.
Setting and Diffusing the Cyanide Bomb in Plant Defense

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a potent inhibitor of cytochrome c oxidase, a conserved component of the respiratory electron transport chain in all aerobic life. Thus, HCN is well suited to serve as a broad-spectrum chemical defense, and indeed it plays such a role in many interactions between plants and
Event Selection and Categorization

The exploration of Higgs boson pair production in the Open image in new window decay channel requires the experimental capability to identify and reconstruct several different types of final state objects and to use them for the selection of signal-like events. This in turn requires the reconstruction of the Open image in new window and Open image in new window decays and the usage of their properties to identify the specific signature of signal events and to reject background ones. These selections and techniques globally constitute the “analysis strategy”, the backbone of the Open image in new window search to which this chapter is devoted. After introducing the experimental challenges of the Open image in new window decay channel, the discussion focuses on the experimental signature of the signal processes under study and on the main background sources, and on the analysis strategy developed. The analysis strategy description is structured in four main parts, corresponding to trigger requirements, object preselections, event categorization, and definition of the signal regions.
Economic Activity in Gaudium et Spes: Opening to the World or Theological Vocation?

Part I of Gaudium et Spes puts forward a dramatic tension between the secularity of the economy, as one important dimension of “the world,” and the theological vocation of humankind to transform the world through labor. This chapter will explore this tension between the secularity of economic activity and that activity’s theological dimension, and examine how the teaching of Gaudium et Spes both affirmed and challenged the initiatives of Catholic groups devoted to social activism in the economic sphere at the time of the council, such as Catholic Action and labor unions. It will also consider how this tension has played out in the decades since the council.
Interventions to Reduce Drug Use Among Methamphetamine Users at Risk for HIV

This paper reports on the results of a study comparing two behavioral treatments for methamphetamine users. The outcome was the effectiveness of the interventions in reducing meth use. The interventions were contingency management (CM) and contingency management plus strengths-based case management (CM/SBCM). CM/SBCM was found to be associated with attending more sessions for people who reported being in a couple. Also, participants who earned more money in the first part of the study were more likely to have more clean urinalysis in the second part of the study. Latent class analysis identified a class of participants who were in a couple, without sexual abuse history, and less meth use at baseline. This class tended to have more clean urinalysis in the CM/SBCM intervention. These results indicate that incentive-based interventions with case management may be useful for helping meth users reduce their drug use.
Pediatric Sinusitis and Adenoiditis

The symptoms of chronic adenoiditis and chronic rhinosinusitis in the pediatric population are very similar. Endoscopic evaluation and computed tomography (CT) scan of the sinus are helpful and recommended to decipher these two disease processes. Nasal endoscopy showing adenoid inflammation and drainage without inflammation or obstruction of the ostiomeatal complex is more consistent with chronic adenoiditis. Multiple theories have been used to describe the correlation between adenoid and sinusitis including adenoid hypertrophy, adenoid bacterial reservoir, and adenoid biofilms. Medical management of chronic adenoiditis includes nasal saline irrigation, nasal steroid sprays, and antibiotics. Adenoidectomy alone leads to a greater than 50% improvement in sinonasal symptoms, and should be considered the first-line surgical intervention.
Monitoring Dynamics of Large Membrane Proteins by 19F Paramagnetic Longitudinal Relaxation: Domain Movement in a Glutamate Transporter Homolog

Abstract In proteins where conformational changes are functionally important, the number of accessible states and their dynamics are often difficult to establish. Here we describe a novel 19F-NMR spectroscopy approach to probe dynamics of large membrane proteins. We labeled a glutamate transporter homologue with a 19F probe via cysteine chemistry and with a Ni2+ ion via chelation by a di-histidine motif. We used distance-dependent enhancement of the longitudinal relaxation of 19F nuclei by the paramagnetic metal to assign the observed resonances. We identified two outward- and one inward-facing states of the transporter, in which the substrate-binding site is near the extracellular and intracellular solutions, respectively. We then resolved the structure of the unanticipated second outward-facing state by Cryo-EM. Finally, we showed that the rates of the conformational exchange are accessible from measurements of the metal-enhanced longitudinal relaxation of 19F nuclei.
Principles and the Development of Sedation in Dentistry

Anesthesia was discovered by a Hartford, CT dentist, Horace Wells, in 1844. His use of nitrous oxide revolutionized the practice of dentistry by permitting the painless extraction of teeth. Another dentist, William T.G. Morton, introduced anesthesia to the medical community with a successful demonstration of sulfuric ether in 1846. The advent of intravenous drugs further enabled dentists to perform painless surgical procedures. Eventually, newer sedative agents allowed for the provision of dental procedures of longer duration. This progressive evolution has culminated in what is now termed “moderate sedation.” Moderate sedation reduces stress and anxiety, creates a comfortable and cooperative patient, maintains consciousness, and improves access to care.
In Vitro-to-In Vivo Extrapolation of Transporter Inhibition Data for Drugs Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2018.

A systematic analysis of the inhibition transporter data available in New Drug Applications of drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 (N = 42) was performed. In vitro-to-in vivo predictions using basic models were available for the nine transporters currently recommended for evaluation. Overall, 29 parents and 16 metabolites showed in vitro inhibition of at least one transporter, with the largest number of drugs found to be inhibitors of P-gp followed by BCRP. The most represented therapeutic areas were oncology drugs and anti-infective agents, each comprising 31%. Among drugs with prediction values greater than the FDA recommended cutoffs and further evaluated in vivo, 56% showed positive clinical interactions (area under the concentration-time curve ratio (AUCRs) ≥ 1.25). Although all the observed or simulated inhibitions were weak (AUCRs < 2), seven of the nine interactions (involving five drugs) resulted in labeling recommendations. Interestingly, more than half of the drugs with predictions greater than the cutoffs had no further evaluations, highlighting that current basic models represent a useful, simple first step to evaluate the clinical relevance of in vitro findings, but that multiple other factors are considered when deciding the need for clinical studies. Four drugs had prediction values less than the cutoffs but had clinical evaluations or physiologically-based pharmacokinetic simulations available. Consistent with the predictions, all of them were confirmed not to inhibit these transporters in vivo (AUCRs of 0.94-1.09). Overall, based on the clinical evaluations available, drugs approved in 2018 were found to have a relatively limited impact on drug transporters, with all victim AUCRs < 2.
“A Serious Human Discourse”: Charles H. Long and the Challenge of Elliptical Thinking: Ellipsis … The Collected Writings of Charles H. Long, by Charles H. Long, London, Bloomsbury, 2018, 456 pp., £130 (hardback), ISBN:978-1-3500-3263-7

For over fifty years, Charles H. Long has made critical contributions to the academic study of religion and the humanities. The publication of Ellipsis … The Collected Writings of Charles H. Long b...
Rotational excitation of simple polar molecules by H2 and electrons in diffuse clouds

Context. Emission from strongly-polar molecules could be a probe of physical conditions in diffuse molecular gas. Aims. We wish to provide basic information needed to interpret emission from molecules having higher dipole moments than CO, originating in diffuse clouds where the density is relatively low and the temperature and electron fraction are relatively high compared to dark clouds. Methods. Parameter studies in LVG models are used to show how the low-lying rotational transitions of common polar molecules HCO, HCN and CS vary with number density, column density and electron fraction; with molecular properties such as the charge state and permanent dipole moment; and with observational details such as the transition that is observed. Physically-based models are used to check the parameter studies and provide a basis for relating the few extant observations. Results. Parameter studies of LVG radiative transfer models show that lines of polar molecules are uniformly brighter for ions, for lower J-values and for higher dipole moments. Excitation by electrons is more important for J = 1−0 lines and contributes rather less to the brightness of CS J = 2−1 lines. If abundances are like those seen in absorption, the HCO J = 1−0 line will be the brightest line after CO, followed by HCN (1–0) and CS (2–1). Because of the very weak rotational excitation in diffuse clouds, emission brightnesses and molecular column densities retain a nearly-linear proportionality under fixed physical conditions, even when transitions are quite optically thick; this implies that changes in relative intensities among different species can be used to infer changes in their relative abundances.
Comparison of 2018 AHA-ACC Multi-Society Cholesterol Guidelines with 2013 ACC-AHA Cholesterol Guidelines

The 2018 American Heart Association (AHA)–American College of Cardiology (ACC) Multi-Society Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol provides an evidence-based update on the recommendations for lipid and lipoprotein management for the prevention of clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that were given in the 2013 ACC–AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults. The 2018 Guideline also includes management recommendations for a variety of special populations, information on key laboratory issues impacting on lipid management, comments on the cost effectiveness of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, and identifies strategies that impact on adherence and implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy. This chapter compares the recommendations given in the two guideline documents and provides a foundation for the reader to incorporate the most current evidence-based recommendations for the management of lipid disorders into daily practice.
Intradural extramedullary capillary hemangioma of the cauda equina: case report of a rare spinal tumor.

INTRODUCTION Intradural extramedullary capillary hemangiomas of the cauda equina are exceedingly rare, with only 20 previous cases reported. In the adult population, these tumors are rare and can arise in the central and peripheral nervous systems from the dura or spinal nerve roots. Intradural capillary hemangiomas of the cauda equina can yield symptoms such as lower extremity weakness, pain, and bladder and bowel dysfunction. The clinical symptomology and surgical management of this rare spinal lesion are reviewed in this case report. CASE PRESENTATION A 50-year-old male presented with progressive bilateral lower extremity weakness for 2 years, with recent bladder and bowel dysfunction. On physical exam, strength was symmetrically impaired in both lower extremities. Pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine demonstrated a gadolinium-enhanced intradural lesion at the L4 level. Laminectomy was performed and the lesion was resected. Histopathological analysis determined that the tumor demonstrated features consistent with a capillary hemangioma. DISCUSSION Clinically, patients with capillary hemangiomas of the cauda equina present with space-occupying compressive deficits, including progressive low back and lower extremity pain, motor deficits, paresthesias, sensory loss, and bowel and bladder dysfunction. Acute presentation can transpire following a hemorrhagic episode, although this is more associated with cavernous rather than capillary hemangiomas. Our patient demonstrated non-acute, progressive weakness, and late-onset bladder and bowel dysfunction. This report demonstrates that this rare lesion should be included in the differential diagnosis of cauda equina lesions.
COVID-19 and Cushing Disease: A Protective or a Deadly Combination?

Background: Manifestations of Cushing disease, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity are risk factors for severe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease. A potential for severe COVID-19 disease might be hypothesized in Cushing disease patients. We present a finding of asymptomatic COVID-19 positive nasopharyngeal PCR test in an untreated Cushing disease patient. Case: A 19 year old female presented in January 2020 reporting amenorrhea and cushingoid facies. Her last menstrual period was two years ago. Low energy, fatigue, easy bruising and dark stretch marks on her legs, axillae and flanks were reported. Physical exam showed blood pressure 123/83 mmHg, pulse 89 bpm, BMI 20.80 kg/m². She had a cushingoid appearance with fullness in the face, neck and supraclavicular area, mild proptosis, pink cheeks and a few faint lavender striae on the inner thighs and flanks. Test results relevant to or supporting a diagnosis of Cushing disease included the following: 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test: AM cortisol 23.9 ug/dl (6.7-22.6 ug/dl). Random 1019 hrs AM ACTH was 32 pg/ml (l47 pg/ml), cortisol 6.5 ug/dl (4-22ug/dl). Repeat 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test: AM cortisol was 36.5 ug/dl (4-22 ug/dl), Dexamethasone 249.2 ng/dl (140-295 expected post 1 mg DXA the night before). 24 hr urine free cortisol was 391.4 (l=45.0 ug/d). Other endocrine labs were within normal limits. Left sided hypoenhancing lesion (2mmx2mmx2mm) consistent with pituitary microadenoma was seen on pituitary MRI. Inferior petrosal sinus sampling supported the presence of central disease and left pituitary location, concordant with the MRI. The time course from first clinical presentation to surgery was impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic temporarily halting elective surgical treatments and her access to care. At August, 2020 pre-op evaluation, the COVID-19 nasopharyngeal PCR was positive. Surgery was rescheduled. She denied symptoms of COVID-19 but recalled community exposure, including known COVID-19 positive contacts, while working as a waitress. Discussion: Increased susceptibility to and increased severity of COVID-19 manifestations might be feared in Cushing disease patients due to Cushing disease-associated immunosuppression, hyperglycemia, hypertension, obesity and venous thromboembolism. In contrast, randomized control trials have shown glucocorticoids, at doses sufficient to produce iatrogenic Cushing syndrome, may improve mortality in COVID-19 patients. Although asymptomatic COVID-19 infection is known to occur in young adults, the finding of asymptomatic COVID-19 positive test in a young woman with untreated Cushing disease also raises the possibility that endogenous hypercortisolism confers a similar benefit against severe manifestations of COVID-19 infection.
Identifying and Tracking SARS-CoV-2 Variants - A Challenge and an Opportunity.

Identifying and Tracking SARS-CoV-2 Variants Funding designated for increasing understanding of SARS-CoV-2 variants could be used in ways that would help guide the current pandemic response and yie...
College Capital and Constraint Agency: First-Generation Immigrant English Language Learners’ College Success:

Background/ContextLanguage-minoritized and emergent-bilingual (EB) students have historically and frequently been underexamined in the context of research on minoritized students’ pathways in highe...
Nonlinear Vacuum Electron-Photon Interactions at Relativistic Intensities

The physics of laser-electron interactions changes dramatically at relativistic intensities, where the transverse momentum of the charge in the laser wave, as measured in electron units, exceeds unity. Three fundamental vacuum processes are know to occur in this regime: relativistic ponderomotive scattering,1 ultrahigh intensity Compton backscattering,2,3 and nonlinear Kapitza-Dirac scattering.4,5
Dissipative Quantum Dynamics in Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics

Of fundamental importance in quantum optics has been the investigation of the radiative coupling of a collection of atoms to the field of a resonant cavity1. Within this context we are conducting a research program to investigate the interaction of optically prepared two-state atoms with the fields of high finesse optical cavities. With regard to our specific observations, we have employed a sodium atomic beam apparatus to make direct spectroscopic measurements of the normal-mode splitting for the coupled oscillator system formed by the collective atomic polarization of N two-state atoms and a single mode of a resonator of finesse of approximately 2x104 . At the transition wavelength of 589 nm (3, S1/2 F=2, mF=2→3 P3/2, mF=3 and for one of our spherical mirror standing-wave cavities, the relevant parameters for the system are as follows: transverse atomic decay rate ϒ⊥=2πX5X106/S, cavity damping rate K/ ϒ⊥= 0.18, and single-atom coupling coefficient g./ϒ⊥ = 0.2
Phenylethylamine Metabolism by Postmortem Human Brain and Liver Preparations

In vivo and in vitro animal studies have elucidated in some detail the biochemical pathways involved in the central and peripheral biosynthesis and degradation of phenylethylamine (PEA) (Figs. 1 and la; ref. 1–4 and work therein cited). Human studies of the metabolism of this amine are few and mostly deal with the measurement of PEA and of its main metabolite, phenylacetic acid in urine, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (4–6). Several investigators have suggested that the observed changes in the peripheral levels of these substances in a number of neuropsychiatrie conditions may reflect variations in central PEA neuroactivity. On this rather weak evidence, it has been hypothesized that alterations in the brain PEA metabolism play a role in the pathophysiology of these disorders (1, 2,7). This communication presents the first evidence showing that in vitro human brain and liver preparations p-hydroxylate, N-methylate and N-acetylate PEA. It also reports on qualitative interspecie differences in the metabolism of PEA by these tissues. These preliminary results should encourage further research leading to the elucidation of the possible role of the “PEA metabolic pathway” in central mechanisms.
Transmission Gear Design

Automotive gear design is an area of engineering that has been in a continual state of development from engineering art to engineering based on physics for several decades. The need to perform the same basic functions—of multiplying torque or speed, transmitting torque between axes, and reversing direction—but at ever higher efficiency, lower mass and space, lower noise, and higher durability requires constant development in materials, design methods, and manufacturing methods. The contemporary design and analysis tools are system-based programs that continue to increase the complexity and interface connections of the gearset being designed and analyzed. All of the analysis tools require that the geometry of the gear teeth be accurately modeled to correspond to the manufacturing process that will make the part. This chapter discusses gear arrangements, basic terminology, gear geometry, and gear design considerations. Modern manual transmissions use multiple sets of parallel axis gears to provide different gear ratios. Most automatic transmissions have used planetary gears for this function. Planetary gears have also been used in manual transmissions, such as the Ford Model T more than 100 years ago. Spur gears dominated early transmissions; however, today, helical gears are almost exclusively used in transmissions to transmit power to the wheels. Keywords: gear; ratio; stress; involute; noise
Infiltration in two parallel soil columns

[1] The parallel column or stream tube approach appears convenient to simulate large-scale water flow in the vadose zone. A disadvantage is that this purely one-dimensional modeling approach does not consider interaction between columns. For greater lengths or smaller widths of columns, lateral flow between columns might be large enough to render the approach invalid. Guidance is needed to select the dimensions of columns for a particular application and to quantify the associated error. A benchmark two-dimensional analytical solution was derived for the water content resulting from infiltration in a medium composed of two parallel columns with a uniform initial soil pressure head. Vertical and horizontal flow was assumed to be driven by gravitational and capillary forces, respectively, and the Richards equation was linearized by a judicious choice of hydraulic functions. Expressions were also derived for the horizontal flux and the relative error for the total amount of water in the column when applying the stream tube concept. The solutions were applied for three illustrative soil materials. The relative error was larger for the soil with the finer texture, although the lateral flux rapidly diminished away from the interface because of the low soil water diffusivity. Differences in the saturated hydraulic conductivity between columns proved far more important for errors than differences in retention parameters. The error is inversely related to column width. Depending on the contrast in hydraulic properties, column width should be several multiples of column length. The relative error due to column length is mitigated because of normalization with increasing amounts of water. In addition to being a benchmark for the stream tube approach, the solutions may also be useful for independent deterministic simulations and the verification of numerical schemes.
Eisenhower: The Public Relations President

Dwight D. Eisenhower had an illustrious career that has been well documented. Despite the vast literature on him, however, Pam Parry has managed to find an underexplored area. She argues convincing...
A guide to the use of theoretical models of the solar nebula for the interpretation of the meteoritic record

Attempts to derive a theoretical framework for the interpretation of the meteoritic record have been frustrated by our incomplete understanding of the fundamental processes that controlled the evolution of the primitive solar nebula. Nevertheless, it is possible to develop qualitative models of the nebula that illuminate its dynamic character, as well as the roles of some key parameters. These models draw on the growing body of observational data on the properties of disks around young, solar-type stars, and are constructed by applying the results of known solutions of protostellar collapse problems; making simple assumptions about the radial variations of nebular variables; and imposing the integral constraints demanded by conservation of mass, angular momentum, and energy. The models so constructed are heuristic, rather than predictive; they are intended to help us think about the nebula in realistic ways, but they cannot provide a definitive description of conditions in the nebula.
Paired-Duplication Signatures Mark Cryptic Inversions and Other Complex Structural Variation

Copy-number variants (CNVs) have been the predominant focus of genetic studies of structural variation, and chromosomal microarray (CMA) for genome-wide CNV detection is the recommended first-tier genetic diagnostic screen in neurodevelopmental disorders. We compared CNVs observed by CMA to the structural variation detected by whole-genome large-insert sequencing in 259 individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the Simons Simplex Collection. These analyses revealed a diverse landscape of complex duplications in the human genome. One remarkably common class of complex rearrangement, which we term dupINVdup, involves two closely located duplications ("paired duplications") that flank the breakpoints of an inversion. This complex variant class is cryptic to CMA, but we observed it in 8.1% of all subjects. We also detected other paired-duplication signatures and duplication-mediated complex rearrangements in 15.8% of all ASD subjects. Breakpoint analysis showed that the predominant mechanism of formation of these complex duplication-associated variants was microhomology-mediated repair. On the basis of the striking prevalence of dupINVdups in this cohort, we explored the landscape of all inversion variation among the 235 highest-quality libraries and found abundant complexity among these variants: only 39.3% of inversions were canonical, or simple, inversions without additional rearrangement. Collectively, these findings indicate that dupINVdups, as well as other complex duplication-associated rearrangements, represent relatively common sources of genomic variation that is cryptic to population-based microarray and low-depth whole-genome sequencing. They also suggest that paired-duplication signatures detected by CMA warrant further scrutiny in genetic diagnostic testing given that they might mark complex rearrangements of potential clinical relevance.