cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chalcogenide-Ligand Passivated CdTe Quantum Dots Can Be Treated as Core/Shell Semiconductor Nanostructures

Chalcogenide ligands (S2–, Se2–, Te2–) are attractive candidates for passivation of surfaces of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) because they can enhance interparticle or particle–adsorbate electronic coupling. Devices made with QDs in which insulating long-chain aliphatic ligands were replaced with chalcogenide ligands have exhibited improved charge transfer and transport characteristics. While these ligands enable promising device performance, their impact on the electronic structure of the QDs that they passivate is not understood. In this work, we describe significant (up to 250 meV) changes in band gap energies of CdTe QDs that occur when native aliphatic ligands are replaced with chalcogenides. These changes are dependent on the ligand and the particle size. To explain the observed changes in band gap energies, we used the single band effective mass approximation to model the ligand layer as a thin shell of Cd-chalcogenide formed by the bonding of chalcogenide ligands to partially coordinated Cd surface...
Binding of Antibiotics to Tissue Homogenates

Binding of metabolites and drugs, including antibiotics, to serum proteins has been extensively studied. This phenomenon has important biologic and therapeutic significance [1-3]. The ability of tissues to bind has also been explored, particularly with organic dyes and biologically active agents. In some instances, binding of drugs to specific sites in microorganisms can be linked closely with their mode of action. For example, the polymyxins owe their biologic activity to binding to polyphosphate groups of phospholipids in the bacterial cell membrane [4], and amphotericin B requires sterol binding sites in fungal cells [5]. Antitrypanosomal activity of acriflavine has been shown to depend upon binding of the drug to the parasite [6]. The receptor site theories of pharmacology and virology depend largely on evidence of specific combination between drug or virus and complementary structures on cell membranes. Some of these concepts of drug action were clearly visualized by Ehrlich and Morgenroth many years ago [7 p. 24]. Studies in this laboratory indicated that several antibiotics, particularly those in the polymyxin and aminoglycoside families, are inhibited by constituents of bacteriologic agar and various culture media [8]. The phenomenon appears to be related to the charge produced by free amino groups in the drugs and sulfate groups in the medium, since it can be overcome readily by addi-
Present situation and prospect of the non-ODS organic cleaning solvents

The article introduced the problems of ODS cleaning solvents.The components,physical characters,applications,cleaning performance,elimination time,advantages and disadvantages of transitional alternative ODS organic cleaning solvents were presented.Advances on physical characters,formulations and applications etc.of non-ODS organic cleaning solvents were also reviewed.Non-ODS cleaning solvents could not destroy ozonosphere,they have become ideal substitutes for ODS and transitional alternative ODS ones.
Atmospheric Response to a Midlatitude SST Front: Alongfront Winds

AbstractSatellite observations and modeling studies show that midlatitude SST fronts influence the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) and atmospheric circulation. Here, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model is used to explore the atmospheric response to a midlatitude SST front in an idealized, dry, two-dimensional configuration, with a background wind oriented in the alongfront direction.The SST front excites an alongfront wind anomaly in the free atmosphere, with peak intensity just above the MABL. This response is nearly quasigeostrophic, in contrast to the inertia–gravity wave response seen for cross-front background winds. The free-atmosphere response increases with the background wind , in contrast to previously proposed SST frontal MABL models.The MABL winds are nearly in Ekman balance. However, a cross-front wind develops in the MABL as a result of friction and rotation such that the MABL cross-front Rossby number e ≈ 0.2. The MABL vorticity balance and scaling arguments ...
Functional Presynaptic D-2 and Postsynaptic D-1 Dopamine Receptors in the Central Nervous System

Both the D-1 and D-2 dopamine (DA) receptor subtypes have been pharmacologically characterized using various biochemical, neurophysiological and behavioural studies (Stoof and Kebabian, 1984). In the central nervous system, it has been difficult to compare the relative order of pharmacological potencies for D-1 and D-2 DA receptor agonists and antagonists using functional responses under similar experimental conditions and within the same tissue.
Good Times, Bad Times, Time to Get Out Alive: Ruminations of a Retiring Critical Care Physician

Preparation for a career in critical care medicine started from the onset of my internal medicine residency during the early 1980s. Whereas I greatly enjoyed the intellectual challenges presented by patients on the general medical ward, I quickly grew to appreciate the cognitive as well as the direct hands-on skills needed to care for the most critically ill patients. The attending staff rewarded my passion by allowing me to do elective rotations in the intensive care unit, as well as offering instruction in advanced resuscitation techniques.
Perforated hollow-core waveguide devices for atomic spectroscopy with alkali vapor

A novel design for hollow-core waveguide devices suitable for atomic spectroscopy is presented. Distributed vapor delivery via etched holes overcomes alkali vapor transport challenges, resulting in strong light absorption in rubidium with excellent environmental stability.
Articles of War: Subjects and Objects Aboard the Nineteenth-Century Naval Novel

ABSTRACTThis essay engages the world of the nineteenth-century naval novel, considering how the ‘wooden world’ presented in such narratives came to shape a unique representational order. Taking Captain Frederick Marryat’s The King’s Own (1830) as primary evidence, it is argued that naval novels depict the man-of-war as a place where the things – and men – of the parlour and marketplace find themselves reconstituted as components of the ‘Service’. This alternate order emerges in one of the most exhilarating features of high-seas thrillers: their recurrence to dense, largely un-translated nautical terminology. Such language foregrounds the man-of-war as a purely functional assemblage of parts, inviting the subject to die and become reborn as an object of state. At one level, this project was distinctly British. At the same time, the British fixation on naval gadgetry resonates with American and French naval novels of the period, cooperating in what arguably became a transnational militarism. Such narratives...
« Maîtres chez eux ». La grève des internes de 1934 revisitée

La greve des internes a l’Hopital Notre-Dame en 1934, menee en reaction a la presence d’un medecin juif, le Dr Samuel Rabinovitch, est un des evenements les plus iconiques dans l’histoire de l’antisemitisme au Quebec. Cet article reprend les sources en archives et les commentaires des journaux de l’epoque pour arriver a une meilleure comprehension des evenements. De multiples points de vue sont examines, ceux de la communaute juive, des « autorites » canadiennes-francaises (a l’hopital, a l’Universite de Montreal et au sein de l’Eglise catholique), de la population canadienne-francaise en general et du Canada anglophone.
Parakinesia Brachialis Oscitans after an Acute Internal Capsule Infarct (P1.014)

Objective: We describe a patient with an acute lacunar stroke who developed reflexive movements of a plegic arm. Background: An involuntary reflex in which yawning is coupled to raising of a plegic arm can be seen after lesions along the pyramidal tracts are sustained. The anatomical basis is unknown. Methods: Case report. Results: A 57 year-old female with multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and hypertension presented with acute onset of left-sided hemiplegia affecting the face, arm, and leg. Brain MRI revealed an acute infarct in the posterior limb of the right internal capsule. During the next few days, the left arm remained flaccid. However, the patient frequently abducted and flexed her arm when yawning. The arm relaxed with cessation of yawning. Other limbs were not involved. She was not able to suppress the movement during yawning or reproduce it voluntarily. Conclusions: Involuntary stereotyped movements of an otherwise plegic arm while yawning was first observed in 1844 and coined “parakinesia brachialis oscitans” in 2010. The term parakinesia was used to differentiate the movements from synkinesia. The causes are diverse and include ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes, pontine tuberculoma, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ischemic strokes are most often implicated and typically involve a lenticulostriate branch of the middle cerebral artery. Lesions affecting the pyramidal tracts are the common denominator. The phenomenon may be observed acutely when the limb is flaccid or months later when spasticity develops. The leg is not involved. The anatomical basis is not clear although it has been theorized that a proprioceptive input from the anterior horn of the cervical spine during yawning may trigger a reflex involving the spinoarcheocerebellar pathway. This observation should not be mistaken as a sign of non-physiologic weakness. Disclosure: Dr. Koo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wang has nothing to disclose.
Differential transferability of EST-SSR primers developed from the diploid species Pseudoroegneria spicata, Thinopyrum bessarabicum, and Thinopyrum elongatum

Simple sequence repeat technology based on expressed sequence tag (EST-SSR) is a useful genomic tool for genome mapping, characterizing plant species relationships, elucidating genome evolution, and tracing genes on alien chromosome segments. EST-SSR primers developed from three perennial diploid species of Triticeae, Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) A. Love (having St genome), Thinopyrum bessarabicum (Savul. & Rayss) A. Love (Jb = Eb = J), and Thinopyrum elongatum (Host) D.R. Dewey (Je = Ee = E), were used to produce amplicons in these three species to (i) assess relative transferability, (ii) identify polymorphic species-specific markers, and (iii) determine genome relationships among the three species. Because of the close relationship between Jb and Je genomes, EST-SSR primers derived from Th. bessarabicum and Th. elongatum had greater transferability to each other than those derived from the St-genome P. spicata. A large number of polymorphic species- and genome-specific EST-SSR amplicons were identified that will be used for construction of genetic maps of these diploid species, and tracing economically useful genes in breeding or gene transfer programs in various species of Triticeae.
Combined Flue Gas Cleanup Process for Simultaneous Removal of SOx, NOx, and CO2—A Techno-Economic Analysis

Flue gas cleanup often requires the removal of SOx, NOx, and CO2 in separate units before being emitted into the atmosphere. This stepwise treatment process incurs significant cost and energy penalty to the electricity production. A combined adsorption process based on pressure swing adsorption (PSA) by which these impurities are removed is envisioned as an efficient means of flue gas cleanup that can be applied relatively easily. In this study, the technological and economic feasibilities of a combined separation process in which SOx, NOx, and CO2 are simultaneously removed from flue gas streams are assessed. Capital and operating costs are estimated based on sizing the equipment items and utilities needed, and the potentials for increased energy efficiency are determined in relation to the required PSA performance. The energy saving potential for the adoption of 2-bed and 4-bed PSA cycles is compared with conventional FGD, SCR, and amine scrubbing units needed to clean up flue gas in a stepwise fashion....
Optical linewidth and RF phase noise reduction of a chip-scale CPM laser using COEO multi-tone injection locking

A novel method of regenerative mode-locking using multi-tone optical injection locking of a chip-scale CPM laser is demonstrated. This technique achieves simultaneous reduction in RF phase noise (8x) and narrows the longitudinal mode by 4,000x.
Z-transform techniques in the design of Mach-Zehnder modulators

The slew rate of a Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM) may be improved by adding appropriate feedback to the classic single stage finite impulse response (FIR) configuration.
Studies of High Field Transport in a High-Quality InN Film by Ultrafast Raman Spectroscopy

Gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride, indium nitride (InN), and their alloys have long been considered as promising materials for device applications. Recently, growth of high quality InN as well as InxGa1−xN have been demonstrated. In particular, progress in the manufacturing of very high quality, single-crystal InN thin films has opened up a new challenging research avenue in the Ill-nitride semiconductors. In contrast to earlier beliefs, it has recently been found that InN has a relatively narrow bandgap, only ∼0.8 eV. Consequently, it is expected that InN has the smallest effective mass of the III-N semiconductors. As a result, very high electron mobility and a very large saturation velocity are expected. Recent single-particle Raman scattering, supported by ensemble Monte Carlo simulations suggest that steady velocities of the order of 5 × 107 cm/s can be found in high quality, single crystal wurtzite films of InN [1]. Here, we report on these calculations for the transport and properties of the non-equilibrium longitudinal optical phonons. We use a high quality, single-crystal wurtzite InN film grown on GaN and study the transport with picosecond/subpicosecond Raman spectroscopy. The built-in polarization and piezoelectric stress lead to an electric field of ∼80 kV/cm in the sample, which is oriented in the growth direction. From the Raman data [1], we can determine not only the average velocities (the drift velocity), but also the distribution function of the carriers along the field direction.
Assessment of Risk in Urban Environments Using Geo-Spatial Analysis

Geospatial technologies are focused around the acquisition, integration, analysis, visualization, management and distribution of data having an explicit spatial and temporal context (Wachter et al. 2006). These data are usually analyzed within geographic information systems (GIS). These technologies have grown to include a wide array of technologies, many of which are actively used in urban risk assessment. First, these geospatial tools and technologies are often used for the identification of “hazards” or the establishment of “risk” parameters, like height above flood stage (elevation derived through photogrammetric methods or LIDAR) and proximity to hazards (distance). Second, they can be used to actively map risk (e.g., active wildfires detected through remote sensing). Finally, these geospatial technologies can be integrative through visualization tools and models often delivered through internet-based mapping and services.
Neurocognitive Function and Quality of Life in Stable Grade 2 and 3 Glioma Patients (P6.140)

Objective: To perform neurocognitive testing and quality of life assessments in radiologically and clinically stable grade 2 and 3 glioma patients who are not receiving active treatment. Background: Neurocognitive function and quality of life are important clinical outcome measures for patients with lower grade glioma. Design/Methods: Patients completed a computerized battery of standardized neurocognitive tests using the NIH Toolbox and quality of life assessments using the FACT-BR. We acquired patient demographic information, current performance status, current anti-epileptic therapy, treatment history, extent of resection at diagnosis and recurrence, tumor location, and histologic and molecular tumor characteristics. Tumor volumes were measured on T2 FLAIR MRIs. Results: We have enrolled 19 patients – 8 patients with IDH-mutated astrocytomas; 9 with IDH-mutated, 1p19q co-deleted oligodendrogliomas; 1 IDH-wild type astrocytoma (by IHC); and 1 astrocytoma NOS (IDH unknown). Eleven had grade 2 tumors and 8 were anaplastic. All patients had previous resection (13 partial, 6 gross total), 16 had received chemotherapy, and 11 prior radiation. Median age at testing was 44 years old (range 26 – 65). As a group, patients were impaired on processing speed (mean score more than 2 SD below normal from age-corrected controls). Patients with IDH-mutated astrocytomas had higher total cognitive scores than patients with oligodendrogliomas. Older age was significantly associated with poorer age-corrected total cognition; chemotherapy with worse dimensional change; and radiation with worse social well-being FACT BR QoL scores. On imaging, larger T2 FLAIR tumor volumes at the time of testing were associated with worse processing speed and social well-being. Conclusions: The NIH Toolbox and FACT-BR are effective, accessible tools to assess neurocognitive function and quality of life in glioma patients. By correlating these assessments with patient and tumor characteristics, it may be possible to identify patients at risk for specific deficits and provide opportunity for intervention. Disclosure: Dr. Luks has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jakary has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chang has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for ASCO. Associate editor of CNS section of Cancer.net. Dr. Chang has received research support from Agios, Novartis. Dr. Nelson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Clarke has received research support from Agios, Merck, Genentech/Roche, Novartis. Dr. Oberheim Bush has nothing to disclose. Dr. Butowski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Taylor has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Optune. Dr. Taylor has received research support from Bristol-Meyer Squibb, Abbvie.
Stress Inducing Demands in Virtual Environments

This study investigated how simulated features in a virtual reality (VR) induce stress by means of user-focused demands in serious games. VR serious games have been used for therapeutic interventio...
The Outsized Influence of the FCPA

The current power and influence of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) is really quite remarkable when one considers the statute was largely ignored for its first twenty-five years of existence. This statute, meant to reign in corruption by United States companies doing business abroad; has generated billions of dollars in revenue for the United States government; prompted the development of law firm practice groups and law school courses; become the subject of numerous scholarly articles; and has, arguably, made anti-bribery efforts the highest of priorities for multinational corporations engaged in robust compliance efforts. Corporations, scholars, and the public would be silly to discount the importance of understanding and maintaining compliance with the FCPA and its international counterparts. And yet, might it be that prioritization of FCPA compliance is misguided in some instances? This Essay argues that governmental actors, industry leaders, corporations, and scholars must critically assess whether the current focus on FCPA compliance has created an environment where the FCPA has developed an outsized influence within corporations’ compliance efforts. This Essay asks firms to consider whether they have become so concerned with ensuring compliance with the FCPA that they sometimes fail to identify other areas of risk that are equally, and in some instances more, serious. Specifically, firms might assess whether they sometimes (i) miss when there are broader deficiencies within their compliance programs; (ii) fail to see trends across compliance areas involving diverse regulatory and legal areas; and (iii) improperly prioritize necessary revisions to their compliance programs after significant misconduct is discovered. Instead of starting with the FCPA when creating a compliance program, this Essay urges firms to assess their risks more broadly and develop compliance programs closely targeted to their risk profiles while paying careful attention not to allow the FCPA to dominate those efforts. By doing so, firms can appropriately guard against potential FCPA compliance failures while also ensuring that they properly consider and address other regulatory and legal areas of concerns.
The relationship between subtypes of repetitive behaviors and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Background Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience comorbid anxiety problems. Research suggests that anxiety symptoms are related to restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) in general, and insistence on sameness behaviors, in particular. However, the extent to which other subtypes of RRBs are related to anxiety is less clear. Method This study evaluated the relationship between anxiety symptoms and subtypes of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) using the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) in a large sample of children ages 68 months to 18 years-old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the Simons Simplex Collection (N = 2093). Results An exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor solution to the RBS-R. All four factors were significantly correlated with each other and with anxiety symptoms (ps≤0.001). A hierarchical regression controlling for age and IQ indicated that the Sameness and Self-Injury factors accounted for unique variance in anxiety. There were no interactions between IQ and any of the RRB factors in predicting anxiety. Conclusions Results suggest that researchers and clinicians should consider the role of anxiety when understanding and treating RRBs in children with ASD. High endorsement of items that load on the Sameness and Self-Injury subscales of the RBS-R might be used to identify children who are at risk for anxiety but who may not show overt symptoms.
An Auditing Imperative for Automated Hiring

The high bar of proof to demonstrate either a disparate treatment or disparate impact cause of action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, coupled with the “black box” nature of many automated hiring systems, renders the detection and redress of bias in such algorithmic systems difficult. This Article, with contributions at the intersection of administrative law, employment & labor law, and law & technology, makes the central claim that the automation of hiring both facilitates and obfuscates employment discrimination. That phenomenon and the deployment of intellectual property law as a shield against the scrutiny of automated systems combine to form an insurmountable obstacle for disparate impact claimants. To ensure against the identified “bias in, bias out” phenomenon associated with automated decision-making, I argue that the employer’s affirmative duty of care as posited by other legal scholars creates “an auditing imperative” for algorithmic hiring systems. This auditing imperative mandates both internal and external audits of automated hiring systems, as well as record-keeping initiatives for job applications. Such audit requirements have precedent in other areas of law, as they are not dissimilar to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) audits in labor law or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act audit requirements in securities law. I also propose that employers that have subjected their automated hiring platforms to external audits could receive a certification mark, “the Fair Automated Hiring Mark,” which would serve to positively distinguish them in the labor market. Labor law mechanisms such as collective bargaining could be an effective approach to combating the bias in automated hiring by establishing criteria for the data deployed in automated employment decision-making and creating standards for the protection and portability of said data. The Article concludes by noting that automated hiring, which captures a vast array of applicant data, merits greater legal oversight given the potential for “algorithmic blackballing,” a phenomenon that could continue to thwart many applicants’ future job bids.
Polygenic risk score for disability and insights into disability-related molecular mechanisms

Late life disability is a highly devastating condition affecting 20% or more of persons aged 65 years and older in the USA; it is an important determinant of acute medical and long-term care costs which represent a growing burden on national economies. Disability is a multifactorial trait that contributes substantially to decline of health/wellbeing. Accordingly, gaining insights into the genetics of disability could help in identifying molecular mechanisms of this devastating condition and age-related processes contributing to a large fraction of specific geriatric conditions, concordantly with geroscience. We performed a genome-wide association study of disability in a sample of 24,068 subjects from five studies with 12,550 disabled individuals. We identified 30 promising disability-associated polymorphisms in 19 loci at p < 10-4; four of them attained suggestive significance, p < 10-5. In contrast, polygenic risk scores aggregating effects of minor alleles of independent SNPs that were adversely or beneficially associated with disability showed highly significant associations in meta-analysis, p = 3.13 × 10-45 and p = 5.60 × 10-23, respectively, and were replicated in each study. The analysis of genetic pathways, related diseases, and biological functions supported the connections of genes for the identified SNPs with disabling and age-related conditions primarily through oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammatory response, and ciliary signaling. We identified musculoskeletal system development, maintenance, and regeneration as important components of gene functions. The beneficial and adverse gene sets may be differently implicated in the development of musculoskeletal-related disability with the beneficial set characterized, e.g., by regulation of chondrocyte proliferation and bone formation, and the adverse set by inflammation and bone loss.
Influence of gravity wave temperature anomalies and their vertical gradients on cirrus clouds in the tropical tropopause layer ??? a satellite-based view

Abstract. Negative temperature perturbations ( T′ ) from gravity waves are known to be favorable to tropical tropopause layer (TTL) clouds, and recent studies have further suggested a possible role of d T ′ / d z in facilitating TTL cloud formation and maintenance. With a focus on exploring the influence of d T ′ / d z on TTL clouds, this study utilizes radio occultation temperature retrievals and cloud layers from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) to understand how gravity wave perturbations modulate cloud occurrence in the tropics. Cloud populations were evaluated in four phases corresponding to positive or negative T′ and d T ′ / d z . We find that 55 % of TTL clouds are found where T′ and d T ′ / d z are both negative. Regions of frequent convection are associated with higher cloud populations in the warm phase T ′ > 0 . We show that the partitioning of cloud population among wave phases exhibits dependence on background relative humidity. In the phase where T′ and d T ′ / d z are both negative, the mean cloud effective radius is the smallest of all four phases, but the differences are small. It is shown that the strongest mean negative T′ anomaly is centered on the cloud top, resulting in positive d T ′ / d z above the cloud top and negative d T ′ / d z below. This negative T′ anomaly propagates downward with time, characteristic of upward propagating gravity waves. Negative (positive) T′ anomalies are associated with increased (decreased) probability of being occupied by clouds. The magnitude of T′ correlates with the increase or decrease in cloud occurrence, giving evidence that the wave amplitude influences the probability of cloud occurrence. While the decrease in cloud occurrence in the warm phase is centered on the altitude of T′ maxima, we show that the increase in cloud occurrence around T′ minima occurs below the minima in height, indicating that cloud formation or maintenance is facilitated mainly inside negative d T ′ / d z . Together with existing studies, our results suggest that the cold phase of gravity waves is favorable to TTL clouds mainly through the region where d T ′ / d z is negative.
Sampling and summarizing transmission trees with multi-strain infections.

Motivation The combination of genomic and epidemiological data holds the potential to enable accurate pathogen transmission history inference. However, the inference of outbreak transmission histories remains challenging due to various factors such as within-host pathogen diversity and multi-strain infections. Current computational methods ignore within-host diversity and/or multi-strain infections, often failing to accurately infer the transmission history. Thus, there is a need for efficient computational methods for transmission tree inference that accommodate the complexities of real data. Results We formulate the direct transmission inference (DTI) problem for inferring transmission trees that support multi-strain infections given a timed phylogeny and additional epidemiological data. We establish hardness for the decision and counting version of the DTI problem. We introduce Transmission Tree Uniform Sampler (TiTUS), a method that uses SATISFIABILITY to almost uniformly sample from the space of transmission trees. We introduce criteria that prioritize parsimonious transmission trees that we subsequently summarize using a novel consensus tree approach. We demonstrate TiTUS's ability to accurately reconstruct transmission trees on simulated data as well as a documented HIV transmission chain. Availability and implementation https://github.com/elkebir-group/TiTUS. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A Circularly Polarized Loop Yagi Array With a Parallel-Plate Driven Element

A few examples of loop yagi arrays capable of generating circular polarization have appeared in the literature. However, each design has one or more major disadvantages, such as extremely narrow bandwidth or fabrication challenges. It is shown here that a loop yagi array can be driven using an element consisting of two parallel plates with the feed point located on a wire bridging the plates. The array produces circular polarization over a 2% bandwidth, should be relatively easy to build, and is mechanically robust.
Impella support versus intra-aortic balloon pump in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock: A meta-analysis

Abstract Background Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMICS) is associated with high mortality rates. Data has shown that intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support does not provide a survival benefit over optimal medical therapy in AMICS. Despite lack of supportive evidence, IABP is still commonly used in these clinical situations. The Impella percutaneous ventricular assist device (PVAD) (Abiomed, Denver, MA) rapidly deploys superior mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with AMICS. However, the safety and efficacy of Impella in AMICS is a matter of ongoing investigation, and its role in AMICS management is not yet fully established. Methods The databases of Pubmed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central databases were searched from inception to March 2020. Relevant randomized trials and observational studies comparing Impella versus IABP in AMICS were identified and a meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model. The efficacy endpoint of interest was short-term mortality (defined as in-hospital or 30-day mortality). The safety endpoints of interest were major bleeding, limb complications, stroke and hemolysis. Results A total of 2 randomized trials and 5 observational studies with 3921 patients were included. No difference in short-term mortality between the two groups [RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.87–1.33, P = 0.49] was found. For safety endpoints, Impella was associated with significantly higher incidence of major bleeding [RR: 2.03, 95% CI 1.56–2.64, P Conclusion Impella support in AMICS patients was associated with a significantly increased risk of bleeding, limb complications and hemolysis without an improved short-term survival advantage compared with IABP.
From the Neuroscience of Individual Variability to Climate Change.

Years of basic neuroscience on the modulation of the small circuits found in the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) have led us to study the effects of temperature on the motor patterns produced by the STG. While the impetus for this work was the study of individual variability in the parameters determining intrinsic and synaptic conductances, we are confronting substantial fluctuations in the stability of the networks to extreme temperature; these may correlate with changes in ocean temperature. Interestingly, when studied under control conditions, these wild-caught animals appear to be unchanged, but it is only when challenged by extreme temperatures that we reveal the consequences of warming oceans.
The social pragmatics of two forms of directive speech in Biblical Hebrew

This paper compares two common forms of directive speech in Biblical Hebrew: 1) the imperative-imperative chain and 2) the imperative-weqatal chain. The two chains differ significantly in terms of communicative focus and social pragmatic function. The pragmatic functions of the Imv-Imv chain strongly express the speaker's will, i.e., they give commands, encouragement, blessings, permission, requests, and invitations. The functions of the Imv-wQ chain, in contrast, focus communicative attention on the components, procedure, or details of the task that the speaker desires. Thus, the Imv-wQ chain functions to give instructions and propose plans. Social inferiors do not use the Imv-wQ chain with superiors. The interaction of these social parameters accounts for the data, while the factor of temporal sequentiality is irrelevant.
Intersections of Rational Parametrized Plane Curves

In this paper, we introduce and compare three different methods of computing the intersections of rational parametrized plane curves. The common approach of these methods is to apply the $\mu$-basis of the plane curves, and avoid of computing the implicit equations of the curves, which increase the computation efficiency.
Effects of the Young Adolescent Sleep Smart Program on sleep hygiene practices, sleep health efficacy, and behavioral well-being.

Objectives Using a social learning model, the aim of the Sleep Smart Program was to primarily improve sleep health behaviors and secondarily improve academic performance and behavioral well-being.
AGEs induce oxidative stress and activate protein kinase C-βII in neonatal mesangial cells

Increased activation of specific protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms and increased nonenzymatic glycation of intracellular and extracellular proteins [the accumulation of advanced glycation end product...
Weaving Identities: Construction of Dress and Self in a Highland Guatemala Town

Weaving Identities: Construction of Dress and Self in. Highland Guatemala Town. Carol Hendrickson. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995. 245 pp.
Trends in Revision Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Professional Baseball Pitchers

Purpose To determine the frequency of revision elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction in professional baseball pitchers. Methods Data were collected on 271 professional baseball pitchers who underwent primary UCL reconstruction. Each player was evaluated retrospectively for occurrence of revision UCL reconstructive surgery to treat failed primary reconstruction. Data on players who underwent revision UCL reconstruction were compiled to determine total surgical revision incidence and revision rate by year. The incidence of early revision was analyzed for trends. Average career length after primary UCL reconstruction was calculated and compared with that of players who underwent revision surgery. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess risk factors for revision including handedness, pitching role, and age at the time of primary reconstruction. Results Between 1974 and 2014, the annual incidence of primary UCL reconstructions among professional pitchers increased, while the proportion of cases being revised per year decreased. Of the 271 pitchers included in the study, 40 (15%) required at least 1 revision procedure during their playing career. Three cases required a second UCL revision reconstruction. The average time from primary surgery to revision was 5.2 ± 3.2 years (range, 1–13 years). The average length of career following primary reconstruction for all players was 4.9 ± 4.3 years (range, 0–22 years). The average length of career following revision UCL reconstruction was 2.5 ± 2.4 years (range, 0–8 years). No risk factors for needing revision UCL reconstruction were identified. Conclusions The incidence of primary UCL reconstructions among professional pitchers is increasing; however, the rate of primary reconstructions requiring revision is decreasing. Explanations for the decreased revision rate may include improved surgical technique and improved rehabilitation protocols. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Patch dynamics of a native grass in relation to the spread of invasive smooth brome (Bromus inermis)

The effects of invasive species on the patch dynamics (establishment, growth, and local extinction) of native species are not well studied, owing to the need for relatively fine-scale data on the distribution of species. Within the prairie pothole region of the United States and Canada, the grass, Bromus inermis (smooth brome) has become established by invading disturbed prairies, and through repeated introductions for soil retention and animal graze. In this study, the impact of smooth brome on the patch dynamics of a dominant native grass species, Spartina pectinata (prairie cordgrass), was assessed using fine-scale (sub-meter) mapping of the distribution of cordgrass and brome in three prairie fragments from 2000 to 2006. Using GIS spatial analyses, we determined that cordgrass patch growth was two times greater in areas not invaded by smooth brome versus areas that were heavily infested with smooth brome. Among sites and time periods, there was a consistent significant negative relationship between the amount of smooth brome surrounding a patch of cordgrass and the growth of that cordgrass patch. The probability of establishment of a new patch of cordgrass averaged 1.3 times higher in areas of low brome coverage ( 75%). Conversely, existing cordgrass patches were 7.8 times more likely to go extinct in areas of high than low brome coverage. This is one of only a few field studies to provide evidence of the negative impact of smooth brome on native flora and hopefully will serve as justification for the development of a formal management plan to limit the distribution of this species in tallgrass prairie ecosystems.
Mafia and the Italian state: The historical roots of the current crisis

The American public was surprised that a right-wing coalition, incorporating a neofascist party, won the March 1994 elections. This conservative alliance, spearheaded by Berlusconi, a businessman inexperienced in politics named Prime Minister in May 1994, cleverly used his media empire to build a mass movement in barely three months. Yet the results were not entirely unexpected to observers of Italian politics who knew the extent of popular dissatisfaction with the clientelism and corruption of existing Italian politics (della Porta). Citizens were so eager to be rid of the ruling political class, tainted by charges of corruption and association with the Mafia, that they willingly voted for right wing candidates, most of whom were newcomers to politics (Cowell, 1993a:10). In the last three years, 6000 businessmen and members of Parliament have been investigated for corruption by a fearless team of federal prosecutors, known as the mani puliti (clean hands) conducting an investigation
The End of the Democratic Transition? Analyzing the Quality of Democracy Model in Post-Communism

The problem addressed in this article is the adequacy of the recently developed quality of democracy model in analyzing post-communist democracies in the context of their recent accession into the European Union. In order to provide some clarification of this question, the conceptual framework is utilized in light of past and recent political developments in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania. Several procedural and substantive dimensions of the model are examined, particularly participation and competition, accountability, governance, rule of law, corruption and aspects of popular legitimacy. The main conclusion is that while the model proves its ability to understand some of the specific dynamics and peculiarities of these cases, it is less successful in showing how democratic legitimacy becomes institutionalized.
Acidity and Power: The Politics of Natural Wine in Nineteenth-Century Germany

This article examines the origins of the natural-wine movement in Germany—the first of its kind in Europe—by exploring the crucial technological and social developments which prompted the use of derided “artificial” winemaking techniques. The forgotten social reformer Ludwig Gall, once known to as the “savoir of the small vintner,” helped to relieve the unreliable dependency of winegrowers on nature by perfecting a deacidification technique which allowed for pleasant wines in any vintage. While Gall's technique became an important part of the road out of impoverishment for many winegrowers in the Mosel River Valley, it had the additional effect of challenging the static nature of the wine trade and the monopolies and economic efficiencies of large landowners. By outlining the initial uses of Gall's technique and the opposition to it, this article reveals the formative debates in the ongoing controversy over the definition of natural wine. In turn, the concepts of “artificial” and “natural” are shown to be...
Evolutionary sexology: the hypothesis of song and sex

In subhuman mammalian species, lovemaps are homogeneous and are more or less biorobotically fixed, whereas in the human species they are emancipated from biorobotism and are personalized, idiosyncratic, and heterogenous-as, for example, in the paraphilias. The evolutionary sexological hypothesis described herein proposes that emancipation of all of the biorobotic mindbrain maps, the mating map included, was essential for, and coincident with the evolution of the human speechmap from the songmap. Accordingly the first human language was a love song rather than a howl of warning. The bare essentials of sexuoerotic arousal and response are in three categories: haptoerotic (cutaneous), morphoerotic (visual), and gnomoerotic (narrative).
Developing a Freshman Seminar: Challenges and Opportunities:

The development and implementation of an award-winning freshman course, Management 101, Freshman Seminar: The Ecology of Business, presented the College of Business at Montana State University with...
Introducing Arabic language patient education materials in Jordan

Abstract Objectives To describe the development and introduction of patient education materials in a primary care setting in Jordan. Methods During the 2003–2004 academic year, the authors collaborated to produce more than 25 Arabic language written patient education materials designed to conform to cultural and social norms and expectations. Results Patient education materials were frequently shared with friends and family members. Readability of materials was judged to be excellent when materials were presented at approximately a sixth grade reading level. Conclusions Patient education materials are greatly needed in Jordan. A thorough understanding of the culture facilitates alignment of the health message with social norms and establishment of credibility with the target audience. The materials developed were well received by patients and physicians. Practice implications The routine integration of patient education into all medical consultations in Jordan is an important goal. Practice based research will be vital in identifying and eliminating barriers to the introduction of patient education in the clinical setting.
Emerging Research: A View From One Research Center

The Health Management Research Center at the University of Michigan has assembled a database on health risks, medical care costs, an in some cases, productivity measures for over 2,000,000 individuals. For employees of its corporate consortium members, the database contains seven to eighteen years of data. Working with this data, the research team has observed a number of emerging trends. These trends have been stable in this data set for a number of years, but some of them are yet to be subjected to rigorous external peer review. The trends are summarized below. 1) Annual participation rates of 20% to 30% in Health Risk Appraisal are typical; over 10 years, 80% participate at least once, 60% at least twice and 40% at least three times. 2) Among the employers in the data base, excess risk factors account for 21% to 31% of medical care costs, with a mean of 25%. 3) Medical care costs increase as the number risk factors and age increase. As risk factors increase, medical costs increase; as risk factors decrease, medical care costs decrease. The mean cost increase per risk factor increased ($350) may be more than double the mean cost decrease per risk factor decreased ($150). 4) Cost savings greatest among those who participate in programs multiple times. 5) Absenteeism seems to be higher and other measures of productivity lower for those with health risk factors. 6) Programs designed to keep healthy people healthy in addition to reducing the risks of those with multiple risks will probably provide the greatest return to the employers. 7) Best results may be achieved by focusing efforts on employees who have clusters of risk factors associated with low perceived health status. 8) A corporate wellness score which combines risk factor levels and participation rates may provide a "corporate wellness score" which can be used to compare health status across employer. 9) Increased use of longitudinal data sets, fuzzy cut points for data categories and data mining techniques may allow breakthroughs in future analysis efforts.
Vascular Endothelial Junction-associated Molecule, a Novel Member of the Immunoglobulin Superfamily, Is Localized to Intercellular Boundaries of Endothelial Cells *

During the process of lymphocyte homing to secondary lymphoid organs, such as lymph nodes and tonsils, lymphocytes interact with and cross a specialized microvasculature, known as high endothelial venules. There is a great deal of information available about the first steps in the homing cascade, but molecular understanding of lymphocyte transmigration through the intercellular junctions of high endothelial venules is lacking. In analyzing expressed sequence tags from a cDNA library prepared from human tonsillar high endothelial cells, we have identified a cDNA encoding a novel member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. The protein, which we have termed VE-JAM ("vascular endothelial junction-associated molecule"), contains two extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains, a transmembrane domain, and a relatively short cytoplasmic tail. VE-JAM is prominently expressed on high endothelial venules but is also present on the endothelia of other vessels. Strikingly, it is highly localized to the intercellular boundaries of high endothelial cells. VE-JAM is most homologous to a recently identified molecule known as Junctional Adhesion Molecule, which is concentrated at the intercellular boundaries of both epithelial and endothelial cells. Because the Junctional Adhesion Molecule has been strongly implicated in the processes of neutrophil and monocyte transendothelial migration, an analogous function of VE-JAM during lymphocyte homing is plausible.
Increase in Blood Lipids of Fasted Mice

SummaryOn fasting, 3-months-old, male, albino mice show increased blood phospholipid and total lipid values.