cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spermatic Vessel Ligation (Fowler-Stephens Maneuver): Experimental Results with Regard to Fertility

AbstractThe effect of unilateral testicular infarction following torsion on contralateral testis spermatogenesis has been studied directly in rats and indirectly in man. Adverse effects on semen quality in humans and on testis biopsy in the experimental animal have been demonstrated.The spermatogenic function of normal contralateral testes following orchiopexy is known to be suboptimal. We studied the effects of transient testis ischemia produced by spermatic vessel ligation (the Fowler-Stephens maneuver) on spermatogenesis in the normal (contralateral) testis in mature Sprague-Dawley rats with spermatogenic activity determined in 10 days. Also, a group of prepubertal rats were operated upon and allowed to reach maturity to determine if prepubertal ischemia would result in any effect on the contralateral testis.Testis injury caused by acute ligation of the total testis blood supply does not cause morphological or spermatogenic changes in the contralateral testis. Ligation of the spermatic vessels may resu...
Why Have M&A Contracts Grown? Evidence from Twenty Years of Deals

Over 20 years, MA and reverse termination fees). New contract language also includes dispute resolution provisions (e.g., jury waivers, forum selection clauses) that are puzzling not for appearing new but in why they were ever absent. A final, notable set of changes reflect innovative deal terms, such as top-up options, which are associated with a 18-day (~30%) fall in time-to-completion and a 6% improvement in completion rates. Exploratory in nature, this paper frames a variety of questions about how an important class of highly negotiated contracts evolves over time.
Development of a Microscopic Colitis Disease Activity Index: a prospective cohort study

Objective Microscopic colitis (MC) is a common cause of chronic diarrhoea, often with additional symptoms. No validated instruments exist to assess disease activity in MC, making it difficult to compare efficacy of treatments between clinical trials. We aimed to identify clinical features that independently predicted disease severity and create a Microscopic Colitis Disease Activity Index (MCDAI). Design Patients with MC were prospectively administered a survey assessing their GI symptoms and the IBD Questionnaire (IBDQ). A single investigator also scored a physician global assessment (PGA) of disease severity on a 10-point scale. Multiple linear regression identified which symptoms best predicted the PGA. These symptoms were then combined in a weighted formula to create the MCDAI. The relationship between MCDAI and the IBDQ was investigated. Results Of the 175 patients enrolled, 13 (7.4%) did not complete the survey. The remaining 162 had a median age of 66 years (range, 57–73) and 74% were female. Several clinical features were independently associated with PGA (number of unformed stools daily, presence of nocturnal stools, abdominal pain, weight loss, faecal urgency and faecal incontinence). These parameters were combined to create the MCDAI, which strongly predicted the PGA (R 2 =0.80). A 1-unit decrease in disease activity (ΔMCDAI) was associated with a 9-unit increase in quality of life (ΔIBDQ). Conclusions The MCDAI strongly predicted the PGA and correlated with a validated measure of quality of life. Several symptoms in addition to diarrhoea are associated with disease severity in MC.
Porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct nevus: a unique case treated with CO2 laser

Porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct nevus (PEODDN) is a rare eccrine hamartoma, with treatment generally being unsatisfactory. The unique features of PEODDN presented include bilateral and facial lesions, and extensive body involvement. Management with CO2 laser was successful, and follow-up will be necessary to monitor for recurrent lesions.
Medial Femoral Condyle Microvascular Bone Transfer as a Treatment for Capitate Avascular Necrosis: Surgical Technique and Case Report

Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the capitate is a rare clinical entity for which a variety of treatment options have been described, ranging from immobilization to microvascular bone transfer. Outcomes following medial femoral condyle corticocancellous free flap reconstruction have not been reported for this specific pathology. We present the case of a 16-year-old girl with posttraumatic capitate AVN who was treated with curettage and medial femoral condyle corticocancellous vascularized bone grafting. At 18 months after surgery, the patient remains pain-free and had resumed all activities including lifeguarding by 6 months after surgery. This microsurgical technique, described previously for AVN of the scaphoid and lunate, may be applied in a similar fashion for the capitate with promising clinical results. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic V.
Description of the Structure of the Control and Automation System of a New Seamless Steel Tube Mill

Abstract The control system of the new mill is based on three levels of automation. The level 1, responsible for direct control, automation and primary information, is implemented by means of PLCs, intelligent color workstations, functional keyboards and digital direct speed control of D.C. motors. The existence of more than 17000 inputs-outputs has made it necessary to develop a very special software tool, based on sequencers, which guarantees a good diagnostics and fault detection scheme. The level 2 (Cell Controller) was developed using powerful real time computers to run the mathematical and technological models, which calculate the setups for all the productions units in the Une. They also take care of management information tasks, including : maintenance, product tracking, mill schedule, tool management, interruption follow-up, alarms, technological and operation diagnostics, quality control and communications to all the PLCs, Man Machine Interfaces, Direct Digital Controllers and the level 3 company management computer system.
Psychological license: When it is needed and how it functions.

Abstract Differences among people in the actions they take or the opinions they express do not always reflect differences in underlying attitudes, preferences, or motivations. When people differ in the extent to which they are psychologically licensed (i.e., feel able to act without discrediting themselves), they will act differently despite having similar attitudes, preferences, and motivations. Wanting to do something is not sufficient to spur action; one must also feel licensed to do it. We show that feeling licensed can liberate people to express morally problematic attitudes that those who do not feel licensed are inhibited from expressing. We also show that feeling one lacks license can inhibit people from expressing even morally nonproblematic attitudes that those who feel licensed are comfortable expressing. This chapter explores a wide range of social phenomena in which licensing plays a role and identifies a number of variables that grant or revoke psychological license.
Quadratus Lumborum Blocks

Abstract: Quadratus lumborum (QL) block is a novel approach for managing postoperative pain in patients undergoing abdominal and hip surgeries. The QL blocks have the potential to produce sensory blockade and analgesia along the lower thoracic and lumbar regions. There is currently no general consensus on the mechanism of action of QL blockade. The subendothoracic fascial spread and direct spread to the lumbar plexus branches are the proved mechanism. The available limited literature and experiences demonstrate that QL blocks have the potential to produce sensory blockade and analgesia along the lower thoracic and lumbar regions, and can potentially be an analgesic modality for abdominal and hip surgeries.
Limitations of piggybacking codes with low substriping

The piggybacking framework for designing erasure codes for distributed storage has empirically proven to be very useful, and has been used to design codes with desirable properties, such as low repair bandwidth and complexity. However, the theoretical properties of this framework remain largely unexplored. We address this by adapting a general characterization of repair schemes (previously used for Reed-Solomon codes) to analyze piggybacking codes with low sub-striping. With this characterization, we establish a separation between piggybacking and general erasure codes, and several impossibility results for subcategories of piggybacking codes; for certain parameters, we also present explicit, optimal constructions of piggybacking codes.
Open-Skilled Sport, Sport Intensity, Executive Function, and Academic Achievement in Grade School Children

Research Findings: The present study examines connections among participation in open- and closed-skilled sports; the metabolic intensity of each sport; and executive function (EF), literacy, and m...
Why Palliative Care Shouldn't Exist.

I had finished my “presentation” of my patient, in which we had discussed Tyler’s plan for the day. Tyler was particularly medically complex, and it had taken over 30 minutes to review his treatment as a team. The most important changes to his plan that day included the following: (1) continuing to attempt intravenous placement with needle pokes in his arms and legs after multiple failed attempts; (2) initiating treatment with extremely strong antibiotics for a possible but unlikely infection, which would require frequent laboratory draws to make sure his kidneys were not damaged by this medicine; (3) sending him to the radiology suite for a special dye study to make sure that his feeding tube was working properly; and (4) checking his blood work 3 times during the day to make sure that his body’s salts and sugars stayed in balance. As I presented, my fellow physicians reviewed their individual computer screens once more to ensure all of their orders had been entered correctly, clicking through the typical alerts as they popped up. Tyler’s father had been caring for him for his entire life, splitting time at home with his wife to provide around-the-clock care for the past 7 years. Tyler had never spoken a word, had never been able to walk, took all of his food through a tube in his stomach, and wore a mask to help him breathe at all times. As we went over all of the lines, tubes, and invasive tests needed to “optimize” his medical management, his father only wanted to know how to make him comfortable and continue to support him. After morning rounds, I came back to talk to his father. Instead of reviewing each of Tyler’s medical problems, we …
OPTIMAL CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR RESIDENTIAL HVAC SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT An energy simulation program for a structure is posed in terms of optimal control theory. The interplay between building environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, and illimination (states) and inputs such as electrical energy, HVAC system duty, shades, and fresh air damper position (controls) is examined. The control algorithm is solved for representative cases with the assignment of various weights to single variables, with the effect of event scheduling, and with the simultaneous occurance of multiple variable/control changes. The “costs” in a generalized sense of resource allocation decisions of various strategies are examined as criteria of optimality.
9 – HOW ENGINEERING MATERIALS ARE STRENGTHENED AND TOUGHENED

This chapter considers materials that are employed in mechanically functional engineering applications. Those materials that achieve commercial status have necessarily passed a tough development ordeal whose hurdles include fulfillment of stringent mechanical property specifications (e.g., tensile strength, elongation, toughness); development of reproducible processing and fabrication methods (e.g., casting, mechanical forming, joining); extensive testing to ensure reliable operation in components and structures; and competitive pricing. The surviving materials are typically, but a fraction of potential candidates that for one reason or the other were discarded and did not see commercialization. It is the fate of each material to have a combination of both desirable as well as undesirable properties. The driving force to continually improve them is to capture, retain, and extend their commercial usage. For mechanical properties this poses different challenges depending on the material involved. Ductile materials like metals are already tough and also moderately stiff and hard; the primary task is to harden, strengthen, and protect them from environmental damage. At the other extreme, ceramics are very stiff, hard, and strong and must be toughened. Among these extremes are polymeric materials that are neither stiff, hard, strong, nor tough; however, they are light, cheap, and easily shaped. High stiffness, strength, and toughness then become the generic goals that are set for all materials. How closely properties converge to these universal ideals depends on the particular material in question. In general, remarkable advances have been and continue to be made in all material classes.
Extenics in Higher Dimensions

Prof. Florentin Smarandache, during his research period in the Summer of 2012 at the Research Institute of Extenics and Innovation Methods, from Guangdong University of Technology, in Guangzhou, China, has introduced the Linear and Non-Linear Attraction Point Principle and the Network of Attraction Curves, he has generalized the 1D Extension Distance and the 1D Dependent Function to 2D, 3D, and in general to n-D Spaces, and he generalized Qiao-Xing Li’s and Xing-Sen Li’s definitions of the Location Value of a Point and the Dependent Function of a Point on a Single Finite Interval from one dimension (1D) to 2D, 3D, and in general n-D spaces. He used the Extenics, together with Victor Vladareanu, Mihai Liviu Smarandache, Tudor Paroiu, and Stefan Vladuţescu, in 2D and 3D spaces in technology, philosophy, and information theory. Extenics is the science of solving contradictory problems in many fields set up by Prof. Cai Wen in 1983.
Wallerian degeneration of peripheral nerve. Age-dependent loss of nerve lipids.

The age-dependent loss of the major peripheral nerve lipids (cholesterol, phospholipid, and total galactolipid) was quantitated over a period of 9 weeks of Wallerian degeneration induced by surgical transection of rabbit sciatic nerves in animals of several ages. Proportionate losses of these lipids were determined by calculating the content of each lipid on a per nerve and on a per gram fresh weight basis remaining after a given period of Wallerian degeneration as a percent of original normal values at several times following surgery. The proportionate loss of each lipid from the distal stump was the most prompt and the most complete in nerves transected at 2 weeks of age, and the least in nerves transected at 20 weeks of age. The prompter clearance of these lipids from younger than older degenerating nerve gives convincing evidence that the suggestion from light-microscopic studies of faster clearance of neural debris in younger than in older animals is correct. A possible relationship between these biochemical findings and the phenomenon of greater functional recovery from peripheral nerve injury in younger than in older subjects is discussed.
Conservative management following clinical complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: Contemporary outcomes of a multi-institutional prospective cohort study.

4522Background: Neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical cystectomy (RC) is the gold standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). High morbidity and mortal...
The exemplar enigma: New venture image formation in an emergent organizational category

Abstract We examine the process of organizational image formation for new ventures entering an emerging organizational category. An emerging organizational category is usually initiated by a pioneering venture that adopts a new organizational form. If that venture garners early recognition, it serves as an exemplar, attracting other ventures to enter the emerging category. Those ventures then have to formulate an image that both accounts for and competes with that of the category exemplar. This article describes how ventures form their images in the face of this tension. We examine this tension using qualitative data from eight new U.S. venture accelerators entering the emergent venture accelerator category, which revealed that image formation in an emerging organizational category involves three basic considerations: (1) emulation, (2) experimentation, and (3) divergence. Through emulation, organizations observe and rely on the exemplar in order to capture legitimacy. Through experimentation, organizations consider who they are beyond the exemplar and how they might change. Through divergence, organizations definitively claim and establish a unique image. From this, a conceptual framework is proposed in which organizational and contextual factors influence image formation actions and decisions.
Real-Time Power Outage Detection System using Social Sensing and Neural Networks

With the omnipresence of big data, social sensing has become a valuable technique for information retrieval and event detection. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on using social sensing as a platform to detect critical events and emergency situations such as natural disasters, criminal activities, and power outages. In this paper, we focus on detecting real-time power outages using social sensing by investigating different predictive models, preprocessing techniques and feature extraction methods. The investigation shows that multi-layer perception neural network outperforms other popular predictive models. The paper proposes a real-time situational-awareness mechanism to detect the ongoing power outages and extract useful information for power outage management. In the proposed framework, for temporal analysis, a modified approach of Kleinberg’s burst detection algorithm is proposed to ensure the prompt detection of power outages. This study paves the way for future investigation and innovation in efficient real-time event detection using social sensing.
Exploring Alternative Octane Specification Methods for Improved Gasoline Knock Resistance in Spark-Ignition Engines

Different octane specification methods were evaluated under rising ethanol blending volumes by adopting a refinery economics model to represent a region in the U.S.. It was demonstrated that the traditional octane specification methods, such as the Anti-knock Index (AKI) used in the U.S., or the Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON) used in the EU, can lead to counterintuitive drop in octane sensitivity with increased availability of ethanol. This is undesirable for modern gasoline engines that require fuels with high RON and low MON, but it is a consequence of how a refinery reformulates the gasoline blendstock, resulting in more naphtha being used in the final composition. The use of a new specification method based on octane index (OI), with engine constant K = -1, internalizes the diminishing role that MON plays in modern engines, thus ensures that the desirable anti-knock quality is being met either through higher RON and/or higher sensitivity. Initial assessment suggests a potential engine efficiency benefit (~ 1.5%) to be gained simply by switching from an AKI-based specification method to an equivalent OI-based method.
Antibiotic Perturbation of Gut Microbiota Dysregulates Osteoimmune Cross Talk in Postpubertal Skeletal Development

Commensal gut microbiota-host immune responses are experimentally delineated via gnotobiotic animal models or alternatively by antibiotic perturbation of gut microbiota. Osteoimmunology investigations in germ-free mice, revealing that gut microbiota immunomodulatory actions critically regulate physiologic skeletal development, highlight that antibiotic perturbation of gut microbiota may dysregulate normal osteoimmunological processes. We investigated the impact of antibiotic disruption of gut microbiota on osteoimmune response effects in postpubertal skeletal development. Sex-matched C57BL/6T mice were administered broad-spectrum antibiotics or vehicle-control from the age of 6 to 12 weeks. Antibiotic alterations in gut bacterial composition and skeletal morphology were sex dependent. Antibiotics did not influence osteoblastogenesis or endochondral bone formation, but notably enhanced osteoclastogenesis. Unchanged Tnf or Ccl3 expression in marrow and elevated tumor necrosis factor-α and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 in serum indicated that the pro-osteoclastic effects of the antibiotics are driven by increased systemic inflammation. Antibiotic-induced broad changes in adaptive and innate immune cells in mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen demonstrated that the perturbation of gut microbiota drives a state of dysbiotic hyperimmune response at secondary lymphoid tissues draining local gut and systemic circulation. Antibiotics up-regulated the myeloid-derived suppressor cells, immature myeloid progenitor cells known for immunosuppressive properties in pathophysiologic inflammatory conditions. Myeloid-derived suppressor cell-mediated immunosuppression can be antigen specific. Therefore, antibiotic-induced broad suppression of major histocompatibility complex class II antigen presentation genes in bone marrow discerns that antibiotic perturbation of gut microbiota dysregulates critical osteoimmune cross talk.
Connecting Mueller and Jones tensors for describing nonlinear optical conversion of unpolarized light

A method is demonstrated enabling polarization analysis of second harmonic generation (SHG) and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) measurements of tissue samples driven by partially or wholly depolarized light. Partial depolarization routinely arises in tissue imaging, but is incompatible with standard Jones tensor formulations for polarization analysis of SHG. A more general Mueller tensor mathematical framework supports compatibility with partially or wholly depolarized incident light, but at the expense of significant increase in unknown parameter and additional mathematical complexity. In this work, the Mueller tensor can be cast in terms of the simpler and more intuitive Jones tensor, greatly reducing the number of potentially unique parameters (from 64 in the general Mueller tensor to as few as 2 in SHG of collagen). Using this architecture, local-frame tensor elements in thick, partially depolarizing tissues were recoverable with no substantial increase in mathematical complexity relative to conventional polarizationdependent nonlinear optical imaging. These results provide a relatively simple but mathematically rigorous framework for integrating partial depolarization effects in biological imaging, supporting polarization analyses in broad classes of samples that were otherwise limited to thin tissue sections.
Does the Survey Method Affect the Net Promoter Score

The extensively debated Net Promoter Score (NPS) originated in consumer marketing to measure brand loyalty. It has become a ubiquitous method to assess user sentiment across many industries, products, and services. NPS has the widely touted tagline of “the one number you need to grow.” NPS is typically collected in 2 ways—via in-app intercept surveys within the actual product/application or as part of a large email campaign. NPS collected via email campaigns consistently produces lower scores than via in-app intercept method. Case Studies outlining these differences are discussed.
Exceptional Points of Degeneracy induced in Uniform and Periodic Coupled Systems

Exceptional points of degeneracy (EPDs) are points in parameters space of a waveguide system where two or more eigenmode coalesce into a single degenerate eigenmode. EPDs are obtained in electromagnetic structures through proper engineering to one or more system parameters such as dielectric constant, structural dimensions, coupling coefficients, etc. At EPD, the matrix describing the evolution of the system (i.e. the system matrix in uniform waveguides or the transmission matrix in periodic waveguides) is defective which means it is either similar to a Jordan matrix or to a matrix containing a Jordan block. Such condition is achieved either through the involvement of gain and loss in parity-time (PT-) symmetric structures, or via periodicity in the system, for example. Moreover, uniform coupled waveguide can exhibit EPDs in their dispersion diagram by properly coupling evanescent modes to propagating modes, without the need to resort to loss and/or gain.
Prescription Patterns and Risk Factors for Prolonged Opioid Dependence in Elective Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in a Military Population

Background:Limited data are available regarding excessive opioid prescribing in the perioperative period after routine orthopaedic procedures in US military personnel.Purpose:To examine the demogra...
Women’s and Men’s Reactions to Receiving Unsolicited Genital Images from Men

Recently, mounting anecdotal reports - mostly by heterosexual women on Internet-based dating platforms - have drawn attention to the frequency of men sending unsolicited photos of their own genitals (i.e., "dick pics"). While initial research has documented that the sending of unsolicited nude pictures is fairly common, with generally similar underlying motivations for sending solicited and unsolicited images, understanding recipients' experiences has social-behavioral research, clinical, and potentially legal implications. In a U.S. sample of 2,045 women of all sexual identities and 298 gay/bisexual men, we found that among those who had ever received a "dick pic", nearly all (91%) had also received an unsolicited "dick pic." Women of all sexual identities predominantly experienced negative responses to these unsolicited nude images, with only a minority selecting any positive or neutral/ambivalent reactions. Additionally, women who experienced more unsolicited advances from men in the last year were more likely to select multiple negative reactions, and younger (vs. older) women selected more negative and neutral/ambivalent responses. Conversely, gay and bisexual men responded positively, with few choosing any negative or neutral/ambivalent responses. Findings highlight gendered dynamics of unsolicited sexting and misaligned reactions to male senders, raising questions about sexual harassment in the digital age.
Oxidation of Cytochrome 605 Is the Rate-Limiting Step when Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum Respires Aerobically on Soluble Iron.

ABSTRACT Proteins that oxidize extracellular substrates in Gram-positive bacteria are poorly understood. Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum is an actinobacterium that respires aerobically on extracellular ferrous ions at pH 1.5. In situ absorbance measurements were conducted on turbid suspensions of intact Fm. acidiphilum using an integrating cavity absorption meter designed for that purpose. Initial velocity kinetic studies monitored the appearance of product ferric ions in the presence of catalytic quantities of cells. Cell-catalyzed iron oxidation obeyed the Michaelis-Menten equation with Km and Vmax values of 71 μM and 0.29 fmol/min/cell, respectively. Limited-turnover kinetic studies were conducted with higher concentrations of cells to detect and monitor changes in the absorbance properties of cellular redox proteins when the cells were exposed to limited quantities of soluble reduced iron. A single a-type cytochrome with reduced absorbance peaks at 448 and 605 nm was the only redox-active chromophore that was visible as the cells respired aerobically on iron. The reduced cytochrome 605 exhibited mathematical and correlational properties that were consistent with the hypothesis that oxidation of the cytochrome constituted the rate-limiting step in the aerobic respiratory process, with a turnover number of 35 ± 2 s−1. Genomic and proteomic analyses showed that Fm. acidiphilum could and did express only two a-type heme copper terminal oxidases. Cytochrome 605 was associated with the terminal oxidase gene that is located between nucleotides 31,090 and 33,039, inclusive, in the annotated circular genome of this bacterium. IMPORTANCE The identities and functions of proteins involved in aerobic respiration on extracellular ferrous ions at acidic pH are poorly understood in the four phyla of Gram-positive eukaryotes and archaea where such activities occur. In situ absorbance measurements were conducted on Fm. acidiphilum as it respired on extracellular iron using an integrating cavity absorption meter that permitted accurate optical measurements in turbid suspensions of the intact bacterium under physiological conditions. The significance of these measurements is that they permitted a direct spectrophotometric examination of the extents and rates of biological electron transfer events in situ under noninvasive physiological conditions without disrupting the complexity of the live cellular environment. One thing is certain: one way to understand how a protein functions in an intact organism is to actually observe that protein as it functions in the intact organism. This paper provides an example of just such an observation.
Comparing perceptions of professionalism by pharmacy students, faculty, and staff during didactic education.

Abstract Introduction The objectives were to describe pharmacy students' perceptions of professionalism and to compare students and faculty/staff perceptions of professionalism during the didactic years at Touro University California College of Pharmacy in California (TUC COP). Methods A two-part online survey was administered to the TUC COP faculty/staff and first-year (P1) and second-professional year (P2) students in May 2016. The first part of the survey collected demographic information, assessment of faculty/staff and students' overall opinions on behavior and conduct displayed by P1 and P2 students, students' responses about the average of missed lectures per month, and the average number of days of late arrival to lecture per week. The second part assessed professionalism perceptions responses to 20 scenarios using a 4-point Likert rating. Results The study included 37 (88.4%) faculty/staff and 181 (96.4%) P1 and P2 students, for a 98% response rate. Of the faculty/staff, 59.5% perceived the students' overall behaviors and conduct as acceptable whereas 35.3% of students perceived the overall behavior of P1 and P2 students as acceptable, with the majority of students self-reporting missing on average fewer than five lectures per month (65.2%) and arriving late to lecture fewer than one day each week (71.8%). There were statistically significant differences between faculty/staff and students' responses in 9 of the 20 scenarios. Conclusions Differences in responses between faculty/staff and students regarding what is considered professional suggest that there is a gap in professionalism perceptions that should be addressed during didactic years.
Distrust, panic and denial ... or hope?

How, in this pandemic, is the issue of trust versus mistrust emerging from a different dynamic than the development model that shapes psychoanalytic understanding? How is the panic we are encounter...
Soft Matter Mechanics and the Mechanisms Underpinning the Infrared Vision of Snakes

Summary Pit-bearing snakes (vipers, pythons, and boas) have the extraordinary ability to “see” and accurately locate their prey and predators in total darkness. These animals use the infrared radiation emanating from objects that are warmer relative to the background environment to form a thermal image. Although enormous progress has been made to identify the key physiological features that enable the infrared vision of these snakes and a few other animals, the precise thermoelectric transduction mechanism that mediates the conversion of infrared heat to processable electrical signals has remained elusive. In this work, we quantitatively outline how cells in the snake's pit membrane organ act as apparent pyroelectric materials and convert infrared radiation into electrical signals. Despite the exceptional simplicity of our proposed mechanism and model, we are able to explain many central experimental results pertaining to the transduction process.
Association between electrolyte levels at presentation and hematoma expansion and outcome in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: A systematic review.

Abstract Purpose To assess the association between specific electrolyte levels (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) on presentation and hematoma expansion (HE) and outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement recommendations. Three databases were searched (Pubmed, Scopus, and Cochrane). Risk of bias was computed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tool. Results 18 full-text articles were included in this systematic review including 10,385 ICH patients. Hypocalcemia was associated with worse short-term outcome in four studies, and two other studies were neutral. All studies investigating HE in hypocalcemia (n = 5) reported an association between low calcium level and HE. Hyponatremia (Na Conclusion This review suggests a significant association between hypocalcemia, hyponatremia and, of lesser degree, hypomagnesemia on admission and HE or worse outcome in ICH.
Machine Learning-Based Target Classification for MMW Radar in Autonomous Driving

Millimeter-wave (MMW) radar sensors are considered key components of autonomous vehicles. Because of the performance degeneration of cameras and lidars under inclement weather conditions, robust autonomy must rely on radar sensors to perform target detection and classification. Unlike basic target classifier methods in literature that make use of target velocity, the proposed approach is far more comprehensive and can be applied to targets with zero-Doppler. Depending on the radar type and target range, this paper presents four target classification models based on four different types of radar data: statistical RCS, distributed (time-domain) RCS, range-azimuth angle radar images and 3D radar images. The classification models are implemented by machine learning approaches artificial neural network (ANN) and convolutional neural network (CNN) with a comprehensive simulated dataset. Good classification accuracies are demonstrated, and the proposed model is validated with measured data. Different radar target classification approaches are compared, which clearly reveals the trade-off between classification performance and system complexity. The proposed radar target classification methods can be applied effectively to both static and dynamic targets, at near or far ranges, using traditional or imaging radars, resulting in improved safety for autonomous vehicles in a wide variety of complex environments.
Neutrino-nucleon DIS from holographic QCD: PDFs of sea and valence quarks, form factors, and structure functions of the proton

We discuss unpolarized neutrino- and anti-neutrino-nucleon deep inelastic scattering using a chiral doublet of baryonic sources with explicit symmetry breaking, in a slice of ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}$ with both a hard and soft wall. We explicitly derive the direct and transition form factors for the vector and axial-vector currents for the holographic dual of a proton and neutron. We use them to derive the $s$-channel structure functions for neutrino and antineutrino scattering on a proton and neutron in bulk. The $t$-channel contributions stemming from the Pomeron and Reggeon exchanges are also evaluated explicitly. The pertinent even and odd structure functions in the limit of large and small parton momentum fraction $x$ are given. The results allow for the extraction of the nonperturbative parton distribution functions carried by the sea and valence quarks both at large-$x$ and small-$x$ regimes. Our holographic parton distribution function (PDF) sets compare well with the Les Houches accord PDF (LHAPDF) and the coordinated theoretical-experiment project on QCD (CTEQ) PDF sets in the large-$x$ and small-$x$ regimes in the intermediate range of ${Q}^{2}l10\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{2}$.
Analytical and Experimental Study of Multilayer Dielectric Rod Waveguides

This article presents a comprehensive study of the design and performance of a multilayer dielectric rod waveguide (MDRW) with a rectangular cross section. The design is comprised of a high permittivity core encased by a low permittivity cladding. A mathematical model is proposed to predict the fundamental mode cutoff frequency in terms of the core dimensions and the core and cladding permittivity. The model is useful for design purposes and it offers an excellent match to full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation results. The MDRW performance is measured for the extended Ku -band (10–18 GHz) considering straight and bent waveguides with different radius of curvatures. The particular multilayer configuration shows a 16.7% and 24% extension of the 1 dB low-band cutoff frequency for a $10\times10$ mm2 and $20\times20$ mm2 cladding area, respectively, when compared to a single layer dielectric rod waveguide (DRW) design of the same core dimensions. MDRW bends also exhibit a significant reduction of the 1 dB low-band cutoff frequency from 20% to 40% when compared to single-layer designs, for the different radius of curvature bends.
One Parameter Semigroups in Two Complex Variables.

For self maps of the disk, it can be shown that under the right conditions one can embed a discrete iteration of the map into a continuous semigroup. In this article we extend these results to two complex variables for maps of the unit ball into itself under some restricted conditions.
Ascertainment of Patient Suicides by Veterans Affairs Facilities and Associations With Veteran, Clinical, and Suicide Characteristics.

Objectives. To evaluate the sensitivity of health care facility documentation of suicide deaths among US veterans with recent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care and assess variation in ident...
Optimization of a suite of flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) microsatellite markers for understanding the population genetics of introduced populations in the northeast United States.

Objective Flathead catfish are rapidly expanding into nonnative waterways throughout the United States. Once established, flathead catfish may cause disruptions to the local ecosystem through consumption and competition with native fishes, including species of conservation concern. Flathead catfish often become a popular sport fish in their introduced range, and so management strategies must frequently balance the need to protect native and naturalized fauna while meeting the desire to maintain or enhance fisheries. However, there are currently few tools available to inform management of invasive flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris). We describe a suite of microsatellite loci that can be used to characterize population structure, predict invasion history, and assess potential mitigation strategies for flathead catfish. Results Our panel of 13 microsatellite loci were polymorphic and appear to be informative for population genetic studies of flathead catfish. We found moderate levels of diversity in four nonnative collections of flathead catfish in the Pennsylvania and Maryland sections of the Susquehanna River and the Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania. Analyses suggested patterns of genetic differentiation within- and among-rivers, highlighting the utility of this marker panel for understanding the structure and assessing the degree of connectivity among flathead catfish populations.
Plant-based menthol cigarettes? Food industry trends and farm-to-pack cigarette advertising.

Dairy-free milk, vegan eggs, meatless burgers and…plant-based cigarettes? While the proliferation of plant-based products is most commonly associated with food and beverages,1 2 Winston’s new packaging and advertising—highlighting ‘100% plant-based menthol’ (figure 1) and ‘farm to pack’ (figure 2) cigarettes—suggest that the tobacco industry is tapped into some of today’s most popular food trends. These marketing strategies are well aligned with the tobacco industry’s history of using language and imagery that communicate reduced health risks and environmental sustainability,3–5 as well as its long-standing connections to the food industry.6 7 Figure 1 Advertisement for Winston’s menthol cigarettes as seen in the October 2020 issue of Rolling Stone . The term ‘plant-based’ appears three times: in the headline, copy and image of the cigarette pack. The pack is placed next to an image of mint leaves growing in dirt. Unlike a warning written with black font on white background, small letters in white font overlaid on a textured background indicate that the product does not present a reduced risk of harm (lower right corner) (adapted from Trinkets & Trash (https://www.trinketsandtrash.org/detail.php?artifactid=15469)). Figure 2 Screenshot from Winston’s website advertising their ‘100% plant-based menthol’ cigarettes next to the phrase ‘consider …
Arterial Stiffening Moderates the Relationship Between Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus and White Matter Hyperintensity Burden in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background: Cerebrovascular dysfunction has been proposed as a possible mechanism underlying cognitive impairment in the context of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of cerebrovascular disease, such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), is often observed in DM, the vascular dynamics underlying this pathology remain unclear. Thus, we assessed the independent and combined effects of DM status and different vascular hemodynamic measures (i.e., systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure and pulse pressure index [PPi]) on WMH burden in cognitively unimpaired (CU) older adults and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: 559 older adults (mean age: 72.4 years) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were categorized into those with diabetes (DM+; CU = 43, MCI = 34) or without diabetes (DM-; CU = 279; MCI = 203). Participants underwent BP assessment, from which all vascular hemodynamic measures were derived. T2-FLAIR MRI was used to quantify WMH burden. Hierarchical linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, intracranial volume, CSF amyloid, and APOE e4 status, examined the independent and interactive effects of DM status and each vascular hemodynamic measure on total WMH burden. Results: The presence of DM (p = 0.046), but not PPi values (p = 0.299), was independently associated with greater WMH burden overall after adjusting for covariates. Analyses stratified by cognitive status revealed a significant DM status x PPi interaction within the MCI group (p = 0.001) such that higher PPi values predicted greater WMH burden in the DM + but not DM- group. No significant interactions were observed in the CU group (all ps > 0.05). Discussion: Results indicate that higher PPi values are positively associated with WMH burden in diabetic older adults with MCI, but not their non-diabetic or CU counterparts. Our findings suggest that arterial stiffening and reduced vascular compliance may have a role in development of cerebrovascular pathology within the context of DM in individuals at risk for future cognitive decline. Given the specificity of these findings to MCI, future exploration of the sensitivity of earlier brain markers of vascular insufficiency (i.e., prior to macrostructural white matter changes) to the effects of DM and arterial stiffness/reduced vascular compliance in CU individuals is warranted.
Componential Investigations of Human Intelligence

For the past several years, I have been using a set of procedures that I call “componential analysis” to investigate performance in a variety of reasoning tasks: analogies, linear syllogisms, categorical syllogisms, classification problems, and series completion problems. The goal of componential analysis is to identify the component mental operations underlying a series of related information processing tasks, and to discover the organization of these component operations in terms of their relationships both to each other and to higher-order constellations of mental abilities. From a psychometric point of view, componential analysis may be viewed as a detailed algorithm for construct validation - the effort to elaborate the inferred traits (in our case, mental operations) determining test behavior (Campbell, 1960). From an information processing point of view, componential analysis may be viewed as a set of procedures for discovering the identity and organization of a set of elementary information processes (Newell & Simon, 1972).
Compiling Control Structures

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction while Statement if Statement do-while Statement Range Checking of Numerical Constants Handling Backslash-Quote in a String Handling Backslash-Quote with JavaCC (Optional) Univeral Blocks in JavaCC (Optional) Handling Strings that Span Lines Handling Strings that Span Lines using JavaCC (Optional) SPECIAL_TOKEN Block in JavaCC (Optional) Error Recovery Error Recovery in JavaCC (Optional) Specifications for S4 Problems
Reactions of large molecules proceeding through an intermediate complex: I. Theory

Abstract We have investigated the application of an R -matrix type theory to reactions of large molecules which proceed through an intermediate complex. We derive the dependence of the R -matrix parameters, γ λ n , on the transformation matrices between the normal modes of the reactant, complex and product species. We then develop a hybrid quantum mechanical—statistical theory and derive the expressions for the product vibrational distributions in terms of the R -matrix parameters. Finally we discuss the contributions of several types of terms of these vibrational distributions.
Models for distributed systems specification

A new model for distributed systems based on a systemic point of view is studied. This model adopts an open view of the system thus allowing a modular specification of a system.
A memory-efficient algorithm to obtain splicing graphs and de novo expression estimates from de Bruijn graphs of RNA-seq data

Because of the low quality and large size of population sequence data, calling population structural variations (SVs) genotypes is still a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose an SVM-based approach for genotyping deletion and insertion polymorphisms with population sequence reads. The key idea of our approach is combining multiple sources of information contained in sequence data in calling genotypes. Results on both simulated and real data suggest that our approach works well.
Cavity QED for quantum logic, wavefunction synthesis, and atomic localization

Summary form only given. The strong coupling of an atom to the field of a high-finesse optical cavity can be exploited to achieve conditional dynamics at the single photon level, synthesize arbitrary quantum states of the intracavity field, and trap and localize atoms via continuous quantum measurement.