cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Regulates Dopamine Transporter Surface Expression and Dopamine Transport Capacity

The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates the clearance of dopamine (DA) released into the extracellular space and is an important site on which psychostimulants act to produce their effects. Here, we show that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) regulates the transport capacity and intracellular trafficking of DAT. Incubation of striatal synaptosomes or epitope-tagged human DAT (hDAT) human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells with the MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitors 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(o-aminophenylmercapto) butadiene and 2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one decreased DA uptake in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Kinetic studies revealed a decrease in the capacity of transport (Vmax) but no change in Km. Immunoblotting confirmed labeling of p42 and p44 MAPK in untreated striatal synaptosomes and HEK 293 cells, consistent with constitutive MAPK activation, and the inhibitors used decreased MAPK phosphorylation. Biotinylation and confocal imaging studies showed that MAPK inhibition promoted the clathrin-associated redistribution of hDAT from the plasma membrane to the cytosol. In contrast, transient transfection of hDAT-expressing cells with constitutively active MEK increased the Vmax of DA transport without altering Km. However, only a small increase in hDAT cell surface expression was seen. These data demonstrate an involvement of the MAPK cascade in regulating DAT transport capacity in striatum and that inhibition of this cascade decreases DAT cell surface expression in HEK 293 cells. Furthermore, they highlight the potential role of MAPK as a presynaptic mechanism that regulates DA signaling.
Immunogenicity and Cross-Reactivity of 2009–2010 Inactivated Seasonal Influenza Vaccine in US Adults and Elderly

The campaign of 2009-2010 Northern Hemisphere seasonal vaccination was concurrent with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Using a hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay, we evaluated the immunogenicity and cross-reactivity of 2009-2010 inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in US adult and elderly populations. Vaccination of TIV resulted in a robust boost on the antibody response of all subjects to seasonal A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) and A/Uruguay/716/2007 (H3N2) with over 70% of recipients reaching a seroprotective titer of 40. B/Brisbane/60/2008 was the least immunogenic among the three seasonal vaccine strains with <30% of TIV recipients reaching a seroprotective titer of 40. TIV vaccination also induced a moderate boost on the pandemic specific antibody responses. Twenty-four percent of adults and 36% of elderly reached a seroprotective HAI titer of 40 or more against pandemic A/South Carolina/18/2009 (H1N1) after receiving TIV compared to 4% and 7% at the beginning of vaccination, respectively. In addition, 22% of adults and 34% of elderly showed an increase of 4-fold or more in A/South Carolina/18/2009 specific HAI titers after TIV vaccination. The pandemic specific cross-reactive antibodies strongly correlated with the post-vaccination HAI titers against the seasonal H3N2 vaccine strain in all subjects.
Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Optimal and Non-optimal Currency Areas: The Discussion between Austerity and Countercyclical Policy☆

Abstract From 2010 there is a wide debate in the academic field on the topic of economic policy. Supporters of contractionary policies have had the political power to apply them absolutely in Europe. According to supporters of this current the problem is not the current deficiency in demand but on trust referring to the confidence of financial investors, confidence that will be regain through fiscal responsibility, which means, cut in public spending and punctual payment of the public debt. It doesnt matter that the investors represent less than 5% of total population and austerity affects more than 95% of people. The results that we will see in this paper clearly show the failure of austerity measures and, therefore, surprises the persistence of its promoters defending them and even worse, keeping them operating.
Ferguson v. Florida: Rationally Understanding Competence to be Executed?

The U.S. Supreme Court addressed competency to be executed in Ford v. Wainwright, holding that execution of the insane violates the Eighth Amendment. More than 20 years later, the Court defined this standard in its landmark decision in Panetti v. Quarterman. The Panetti ruling held that an inmate's factual awareness of the reasons for his execution was not sufficient to determine his competence. The Court advised that a prisoner must have a rational understanding of the reasons for his death sentence. The Panetti Court declined to establish specific competency criteria and acknowledged that rational understanding is difficult to define. Following Ford and Panetti, lower courts have struggled to apply the standards articulated in these two landmark cases. This struggle was recently highlighted in Ferguson v. Florida (2013), a case that received substantial attention and was decided by the Florida Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit Court. Ferguson featured majority and concurring opinions that, although consistent in their ultimate conclusions, expressed differing interpretations of their application of the Panetti standard. Although the Panetti Court declined to set a national standard for competency to be executed, Ferguson v. Florida is a cautionary reminder that more tangible guidelines are necessary for consistent application of a conclusion that cannot be revised.
Depression in Multiple System Atrophy: Impact on Quality of Life and Disease Progression

Background: We report the first North American prospective natural history study of multiple system atrophy (MSA), and the effect of phenotype and autonomic failure on prognosis. Aim: To determine natural history of MSA, compare MSA-P with MSA-C and to determine predictors of outcome. Methods: 175 subjects with probable MSA, both MSA-P and MSA-C, were prospective-ly followed for 5 years in 12 centers in USA. Subjects were evaluated with a standard minimal dataset, UMSARS I (evaluation of symptoms and activities of daily living), UMSARS II (neurologi-cal motor evaluation), the Composite Autonomic Symptoms Scale (COMPASS)-select (evaluation of autonomic symptom and function). Results: Median survival from symptom onset by Kaplan-Meier analysis was 9.8 years (95% CI, 8.8-10.7) and MSA-P was not significantly different to MSAC. Subjects with an early and severe autonomic involvement at diagnosis had a worse prognosis, surviving 7.9 years (95% CI, 6.5-9.4) while subjects with late autonomic onset sur-vived a median of 10.3 years (95% CI, 9.3-11.4). At baseline MSA-P and MSA-C were not differ-ent in symptoms and function (UMSARS I), by examination (UMSARS II), or in neurologic status. Median time to death from enrollment was 1.9 years. Conclusions: Probable MSA represents late-stage disease with short survival. Natural history of MSA-P and MSA-C are similar. Early and severe autonomic failure is associated with worse prognosis. These findings provide novel insights on natural history and have implications on the design of treatment trials in that the number needed to power a study is much greater for late stage than early disease.
Which Countries Does the World Talk About? An Examination of Factors That Shape Country Presence on Twitter

This study investigates which countries were mentioned most on Twitter during 2013 and what factors—country attributes, communication and economic resources, and contexts—can explain country presence on Twitter. Tweet mentions from 210 countries were derived using full fire hose archival searches. We identify trends that differ from the patterns found in news flow literature. And the results suggest a new era of international communication via Web-based social networks. Although core and semiperiphery countries are mentioned more than periphery countries, mobile phone penetration and sociopolitical instability have reshaped the contours of country images, and only 28% of the 50 most-mentioned countries on Twitter were core countries. This study discusses the implications of evolving social media for traditional news media outlets, world politics, and international relations.
A Continuous Homologation of Esters: An Efficient Telescoped Reduction–Olefination Sequence

A continuous protocol for the two-carbon homologation of esters to α,β-unsaturated esters is described. This multireactor homologation telescopes an ester reduction, phosphonate deprotonation, and Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons olefination, thus converting a three-operation procedure into a single, uninterrupted system that eliminates the need for isolation or purification of the aldehyde intermediates. The homologated products are obtained in high yield and selectivity.
Regulation of Heat Production in Gold-Adapted Rats.∗

Summary(1). The capacity of cold-adapted and non-adapted rats to increase heat production by non-shivering regulatory means was tested. In both groups, muscular activity was blocked by curare. Only cold-adapted animals could increase heat production sufficiently to maintain body temperature as the test room was cooled. Adrenodemedullation reduced somewhat the ability of the cold-adapted rats to increase heat production, but made little change in the response of non-adapted animals. It is suggested that this regulation results from the release of adrenal and extra-adrenal epinephrine and that the increased heat production by cold-adapted animals results from an increased epinephrine sensitivity. (2). To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of non-shivering heat regulation of this magnitude. The response is augmented by adaptation to cold.
From Gene Expression to Disease Phenotypes: Network-Based Approaches to Study Complex Human Diseases

Gene expression is a fundamental biological process under tight regulation at all levels in normal cells. Its dysregulation can cause abnormal cell behaviors and result in diseases, and thus gene expression profiling and analysis have been widely used to provide the first clue about the molecular mechanisms of human diseases. Because genes and their products interact with and regulate one another, it is essential to analyze gene expression data and understand the genetics of disease in a biological network context. In this chapter, we first introduce the state-of-the-art gene expression analysis (GEA) with network integration and the joint analysis of mRNA and miRNA expression to understand disease regulatory mechanisms and then discuss how disease genes are predicted by incorporating knowledge of gene regulation and characterized in biological networks.
Application of GIS in Network Equipment Management

The telecom equipment operating on telecom networks is varied and from different vendors. There is no location information about it. Therefore, the equipment location and the areas covered are unknowable. This brings difficulties to equipment management. The solution is to adopt Geographic Information System (GIS) in the network equipment management system. GIS supports the collection, storage and display of geographic space data, and provides information inquiry and analysis by relating the geographic space data with reference data. This paper introduces a network equipment management system using GIS technologies. Its architecture, modules and management flow chart are presented. It is concluded that this system could provide more efficient management and maintenance of network equipment.
Chemical diabetes in childhood

Abstract The recognition of chemical diabetes mellitus in children has led to questions of diagnostic criteria, methodology of testing, choice of populations to study, and possible therapeutic approaches to the prevention of progression to overt (insulin-dependent) diabetes. Since the natural history of chemical diabetes in children includes spontaneous improvement as well as stability or progression of glucose intolerance, evaluation of the significance of abnormality and the effect of potential therapy is difficult. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), despite problems in interpretation and methodology, remains the only generally accepted test for chemical diabetes in children. Criteria for interpretation of the OGTT in children used by pediatric investigators are similar to the Fajans and Conn standards for adults. Application of this test to certain high-risk groups, including obese children, children with mild symptoms suggestive of hypoglycemia, and siblings of those with overt diabetes, has permitted the identification of over 200 children with this stage of diabetes. Approximately 10% have progressed to insulin dependence during 1–17 yr of observation. Data on treatment of these patients is limited to anecdotal reports or summaries of small groups of patients treated for variable periods with sulfonylurea drugs. It is not possible to recommend a therapeutic program for children with chemical diabetes, except in the case of the overweight child, where diet restriction may be as efficacious as in adults. Thus, testing of high-risk persons and attempts at treatment should only be undertaken In an investigational setting.
Early phase studies with paclitaxel/low-dose carboplatin in patients with solid tumors.

Abstract Paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) is one of the most active single agents available for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with reported response rates of 21% to 24%. Its observed radiosensitizing effect is attributed to its interruption of cell development at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, when cells are most sensitive to the killing effects of ionizing radiation. This phase I study of paclitaxel and simultaneous radiation therapy in patients with previously untreated, locally advanced inoperable stage IIIA/B NSCLC was designed to determine the maximum tolerated paclitaxel dose, to define the safety and toxicity of this combined modality, and to obtain preliminary data on its activity. Patients received a fixed dose of radiotherapy (1.8 Gy/d, 5 days a week, in shrinking-field technique, for a total dose of 59.4 Gy) and concomitant chemotherapy with a 3-hour infusion of paclitaxel once weekly on day 1, initially at a dose of 45 mg/m2, for 3 weeks. This dose remained constant during study levels 1 to 3, with the number of weeks of treatment increasing to 5 and 7 at levels 2 and 3, respectively. At dose level 4, the paclitaxel dose was increased to 55 mg/m2 over 7 weeks. Of 22 NSCLC patients who entered the study, 18 are evaluable for toxicity and response. Responses included one complete and 10 partial remissions; the other seven patients had minimal improvement. The therapy was well tolerated; no severe adverse events were associated with paclitaxel or radiotherapy. This combined modality appears to be a practicable and effective treatment for NSCLC. The maximum tolerated paclitaxel dose has not yet been reached, and dose escalation is planned.
Neurosurgery and iatrogenic transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

The Neurosurgical Society of Australasia has not recommended that recipients of dura mater grafts be actively sought out and informed, but rather that neurosurgeons should attempt to discover for individual patients whether they have received dura mater grafts.
Coffee Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: What Should We Tell Our Patients?

The association between coffee and the risk of cardiovascular disease has been studied over the past 20 years. Given the complexity of conducting large, randomized, controlled trials to prove causality, conclusions are based on case reports, retrospective studies, and small physiologic trials. Surveys determine that most physicians advise discontinuing or reducing consumption of caffeine in patients with known heart disease, yet this recommendation lacks strong supporting evidence. The following is a short review of the effects of coffee and caffeine on the cardiovascular system that aims to provide objective advice to physicians and patients based on the published literature.
Boolean Network Models of Collective Dynamics of Open and Closed Large-Scale Multi-agent Systems

This work discusses theoretical models of decentralized large-scale cyber-physical and other types of multi-agent systems (MAS). Arguably, various types of Boolean Networks are among the simplest such models enabling rigorous mathematical and computational analysis of the emerging behavior of such systems and their collective dynamics. This paper investigates determining possible asymptotic dynamics of several classes of Boolean Networks (BNs) such as Discrete Hopfield Networks, Sequential and Synchronous Dynamical Systems, and (finite, Boolean-valued) Cellular Automata. Viewing BNs as an abstraction for a broad variety of decentralized cyber-physical, computational, biological, social and socio-technical systems, similarities and differences between open and closed such systems are rigorously analyzed. Specifically, this paper addresses the problem of enumerating all possible dynamical evolutions of large-scale decentralized cyber-physical, cyber-secure and holonic systems abstracted as Boolean Networks. We establish that, in general, the problem of enumerating possible dynamics is provably computationally hard for both “open” and “closed” variants of BNs, even when all of the following restrictions simultaneously hold: (i) the local behaviors (node update rules) are very simple, monotone Boolean-valued functions; (ii) the network topology is sparse; and (iii) either there is no external environment impact on the system, or the model of the environment is of a rather simple, deterministic nature. Our results provide lower bounds on the complexity of possible behaviors of “real-world” large-scale cyber-physical, socio-technical, social and other distributed systems and infrastructures, with some far-reaching implications insofar as (un)predictability of such systems’ collective dynamics.
Anxiety levels parallel changes in inflammation over time in ovarian cancer patients

Although extensive research has documented a relationship between depression and inflammation, links between anxiety and inflammation are less well-characterized. Among ovarian cancer patients, who generally have a poor prognosis, 29%–38% have significant anxiety at diagnosis. However, little is known about the relationship of anxiety with inflammation, which often supports tumor progression in ovarian cancer. To address this issue, we examined changes in anxiety over time in ovarian cancer patients following primary treatment, and associations of anxiety with inflammation and inflammatory control. Participants ( n = 373) completed questionnaires assessing anxiety symptoms (POMS-SF anxiety subscale), and had blood draws pre-surgery, following chemotherapy (6-months), and 12-months post-diagnosis. Linear-mixed models assessed associations between changes in anxiety and changes in IL-6 and nocturnal cortisol over time, with age and cancer stage as covariates. Self-reported anxiety decreased significantly from pre-surgery ( M = 9.51, S.D. = 5.65) to 6 months ( M = 4.58, S.D. = 4.70, p p = 0.006) and nocturnal cortisol (beta = 0.092, p = 0.04) over time. These findings do not address directionality or possible causality between anxiety and inflammation. However, as elevations in both IL-6 and nocturnal cortisol have been related to shorter survival in ovarian cancer, patients with increasing anxiety during the first year following diagnosis may be at risk for more rapid disease progression. Further examination of mechanisms underlying these results is warranted.
OPIR video preprocessing and compression for on-board aerospace computing

Increasing bit-depth of new image sensors presents many challenges on resource-limited, on-board processors in aerospace. This paper provides new results, analysis, and insight with our novel methods for preprocessing with compression of an Overhead Persistent InfraRed (OPIR) image sensor on embedded processors including Xilinx Zynq-7020 and Amlogic S905.
An investigation into group 13 (Al, Ga, In) substituted (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3-BaTiO3 (NBT-BT) lead-free piezoelectrics

Abstract Ternary phase diagrams were explored for the systems (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3-BaTiO3-Bi(M)O3 M = Al, Ga, In to determine periodic trends as a function of substitution. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were measured and compared to (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3-BaTiO3 (NBT-BT). X-ray synchrotron and neutron diffraction data were collected to determine the changes in structure as a function of substitution. Data showed that most systems behave in a similar manner to the parent (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3-BaTiO3. However, two specific compositions display interesting properties: the 2% BiGaO3 (BG2) substituted sample and the 4% BiAlO3 (BA4) substituted sample. The BG2 sample undergoes an irreversible electric-field induced phase transition, as seen in NBT-BT, but has a significantly larger high-field strain. The BA4 composition has a different strain mechanism than all the other composition studied. It displays incipient piezoelectricity which results in a giant high-field strain due to a reversible phase transition. This study highlights the difficulty in trying to improve the properties of the highly disordered NBT-BT material.
Anisotropic Superexchange in β MnS

The suggestion by Keffer of an anisotropic superexchange of the Moriya type in $\ensuremath{\beta}\mathrm{MnS}$ led to the present detailed calculation. Whereas Moriya's work was confined to ions with one electron in the $3d$ shell and to cases of low symmetry, this calculation was performed for a half-filled $3d$ shell and tetrahedral symmetry. The unperturbed state was taken to consist of two ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{++}$ ions together with their common ${\mathrm{S}}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{-}}$ nearest neighbor, each in a tetrahedral crystal field. The perturbing Hamiltonian contained the electronic spin-orbit interaction and the Coulomb interaction between electrons on neighboring ions. The mechanism involved going from the ground state to an excited crystal field state on one ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{++}$ ion by the spin-orbit effect, then back to the ground state by superexchange between the Mn's. The direction of the D vector was found to be perpendicular to the plane of the three ions, and its magnitude of the order of a superexchange integral times the spin-orbit parameter over a crystal field splitting energy. The existence of the effect depends importantly upon $\ensuremath{\pi}$ overlap between the Mn and S orbitals.
Spin dynamics modeling in the AGS based on a stepwise ray-tracing method

The AGS provides a polarized proton beam to RHIC. The beam is accelerated in the AGS from Gγ = 4.5 to Gγ = 45.5 and the polarization transmission is critical to the RHIC spin program. In the recent years, various systems were implemented to improve the AGS polarization transmission. These upgrades include the double partial snakes configuration and the tune jumps system. However, 100 % polarization transmission through the AGS acceleration cycle is not yet reached. The current efficiency of the polarization transmission is estimated to be around 85 % in typical running conditions. Understanding the sources of depolarization in the AGS is critical to improve the AGS polarized proton performances. The complexity of beam and spin dynamics, which is in part due to the specialized Siberian snake magnets, drove a strong interest for original methods of simulations. For that, the Zgoubi code, capable of direct particle and spin tracking through field maps, was here used to model the AGS. A model of the AGS using the Zgoubi code was developed and interfaced with the current system through a simple command: the AgsFromSnapRampCmd. Interfacing with the machine control system allows for fast modelization using actual machine parameters. Those developments allowed the model to realistically reproduce the optics of the AGS along the acceleration ramp. Additional developments on the Zgoubi code, as well as on post-processing and pre-processing tools, granted long term multiturn beam tracking capabilities: the tracking of realistic beams along the complete AGS acceleration cycle. Beam multiturn tracking simulations in the AGS, using realistic beam and machine parameters, provided a unique insight into the mechanisms behind the evolution of the beam emittance and polarization during the acceleration cycle. Post-processing softwares were developed to allow the representation of the relevant quantities from the Zgoubi simulations data. The Zgoubi simulations proved particularly useful to better understand the polarization losses through horizontal intrinsic spin resonances The Zgoubi model as well as the tools developed were also used for some direct applications. For instance, some beam experiment simulations allowed an accurate estimation of the expected polarization gains from machine changes. In particular, the simulations that involved involved the tune jumps system provided an accurate estimation of polarization gains and the optimum settings that would improve the performance of the AGS.
The Future of PPAR Research

Over two decades following their initial discovery, novel functions of PPARs are still being discovered, and new insights into their mechanism of action continue to be elucidated. These receptors continue to present important pharmacological targets for the treatment of a variety of diseases. However, multiple variables involved in PPAR activation and significant therapeutic as well as toxicological profile differences observed among PPAR agonists present major challenges to researchers in the field. Despite these challenges, significant efforts to discover and develop safer and more effective PPAR modulators, as therapeutic agents to treat a myriad of diseases and conditions, are underway.
Combating Money Laundering: Round One

This chapter discusses the first two Levin-led investigations at PSI, both focused on money laundering. The first examines laundering money through U.S. banks catering to wealthy individuals. Using a Citibank Private Bank case study, the investigation profiles four world leaders or family members with millions in deposits: Raul Salinas, brother to the then President of Mexico; Omar Bongo, then President of Gabon; the sons of General Sani Abacha, the then recently deceased President of Nigeria; and Asif Ali Zardari, husband to former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The second, correspondent banking inquiry presents ten case studies of foreign banks using U.S. accounts to move suspect funds. The chapter culminates with enactment of Levin-led anti-money laundering legislation in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
High Conformational Variability in the GluK2 Kainate Receptor Ligand-Binding Domain.

Summary The kainate family of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) mediates pre- and postsynaptic neurotransmission. Previously computed conformational potentials of mean force (PMFs) for iGluR ligand-binding domains (LBDs) revealed subtype-dependent conformational differences between α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) iGluR subfamilies. Here we report PMFs for the kainate receptor GluK2 in apo and glutamate-bound states. Apo and glutamate-bound GluK2 LBDs preferentially access closed-cleft conformations. Apo GluK2 exhibits a surprisingly high degree of conformational flexibility, accessing open and closed states. Comparing across iGluR subtypes, these results are similar to glycine-binding GluN1 and GluN3A NMDA subunits and differ from glutamate-binding GluA2 and GluN2A subunits. To test the contribution of cross-lobe interactions on closed-cleft LBD stability, we computed PMFs for two GluK2 mutants, D462A and D656S. D462A, but not D656S, weakens closed-cleft conformations of the glutamate-bound LBD. Theoretical Boltzmann-weighted small-angle X-ray scattering profiles improve agreement with experimental results compared with calculations from the LBD crystal structure alone.
Lonely visions of anxious objects

ABSTRACTIn much of his work, Benjamin details perennial exclusions, inequities and vulnerabilities to violence not as sudden eruptions, but as repeatable scripts. Indeed, foundational to his formul...
Generalized Polynomial Chaos Expansion Approach for Uncertainty Quantification in Small Satellite Orbital Debris Problems

This paper demonstrates the use of generalized polynomial chaos expansion for the propagation of uncertainties present in various dynamical models. Specifically, a sampling based non-intrusive approach using pseudospectral stochastic collocation is employed to obtain the coefficients required for the generalized polynomial chaos expansion. Various recently developed quadrature techniques are employed within the generalized polynomial chaos expansion framework in order to illustrate their efficacy. In addition to that, the paper also provides an efficient numerical quadrature technique to be used as a sampling technique in stochastic collocation to quantify the uncertainties which are governed by different distribution functions. Results are presented for the orbital motion of a 2U CubeSat subject to initial condition uncertainty and drag related parametric uncertainty demonstrating the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed technique. Further, stochastic sensitivity analysis is performed to gain insight into the impact of uncertain variables on the evolution of the quantities of interest.
Through display measurement of signal intensity transfer function and noise for thermal systems

Typical thermal system performance measurements include measurements from a sensor’s digital or analog output while system performance characterizations are based upon measurements from those outputs while characterizing the performance of the display separately. This can be a improper assumption because additional signal processing could occur between the sensor test port and the display. Recent research has focused on the characterization of thermal system displays for better model fidelity. The next evolution in this research is to introduce a means for characterizing thermal system signal intensity transfer (SITF) and three dimensional noise (3DN) performance for systems that have a display as well as a known digital output. This correspondence presents an attempted means to characterize the SITF and 3DN performance for a thermal system when only using a display as the output.
A Study of Southwestern Archaeology: by Stephen H. Lekson, University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, UT, 2018, 480 pp., Appendix, Notes, References Cited, $34.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781607816416

Steve Lekson’s A Study of Southwestern Archaeology is a substantial, often cheeky, critique of the biases at the foundation of Puebloan archaeology. Reflecting on a nearly 50-year career, which wit...
Quantification and homogenization of image noise between two CT scanner models

Feedback from radiologists indicated that differences in image appearance and noise impeded reading of post-contrast computed tomography (CT) scans from an updated CT scanner that was recently added to a fleet of existing scanners from the same vendor, despite using identically named reconstruction algorithms. The goals of this work were to quantify and possibly standardize image quality on the new and an existing scanner using phantom images. Three months of daily quality control images were analyzed to determine the mean CT number and noise magnitude in a water phantom. Next, subtraction images from the uniformity section of an American College of Radiology CT phantom were used to generate noise power spectra for both scanners. Then, a semi-anthropomorphic liver phantom was imaged with both scanners in triplicate using identical body protocols to quantify differences CT number and noise magnitude. Finally, the scanner dependence of CT number and noise magnitude on material attenuation was quantified using a multi-energy CT phantom with 15 material inserts. Significant differences between scanners were determined using a paired or Welch's t test as appropriate. In daily quality control images, the new scanner exhibited slightly higher CT number (0.697 vs. 0.412, P < 0.001, n = 85) and slightly lower noise magnitude (4.85 vs. 4.94, P < 0.001, n = 85). Measured NPS was not significantly different between the existing and new scanners. Interestingly, it was observed that the noise magnitude from the new scanner increased with increasing material attenuation in both the liver (P = 0.008) and multi-energy (P < 0.001) phantoms. Using an alternate reconstruction algorithm with the new scanner eliminated this deviation at high material attenuations. While standard noise evaluation in a water phantom was unable to discern differences between the scanners, more comprehensive testing with higher attenuation materials allowed for the characterization and homogenization of image quality.
Stabilization, Immobilization, and Transportation

Sports participation is a significant part of the world’s culture, and with such a large proportion of the world’s population participating in sports, sports-related injuries are inevitable. In the United States, there are increasing trends in sports participation over the last 5–10 years. As sports participation increases, the need for sports medicine physicians has increased as well. It has become much more common to have sports medicine providers on site for competitions, either on the field or in the arena. The benefit of having on-site providers is the rapid recognition of and initial management of injuries. This involves recognition of potential life- or limb-threatening injuries, immediate stabilization, and transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility for definitive treatment if needed. In this chapter, we discuss the stabilization, immobilization, and transport of sports-related traumatic injuries as well as basic tenets of reduction and splinting for fractures and dislocations.
EARLY SPORT SPECIALIZATION IN YOUNG FEMALE FIGURE SKATERS

BACKGROUND:Understanding the association between sport specialization in young athletes and injury continues to be an important goal of sports medicine specialists. However, studies focused on fema...
Epidemiological analysis of chickenpox in Hengyang from 2005 to 2007

Objective To analyze the epidemic situation of chickenpox in Hengyang,Hunan province and provide a scientific basis for effective prevention and control of the disease.Methods Descriptive epidemiologieal method was used to analyze the data of chickenpox activity in Hengyang from 2005 to 2007.Results Between 2005 and 2007,1048 cases of chickenpox were confirmed and no one died.The morbidity showed an increasing trend year by year.Most of the cases were seen in students.A total of 20 outbreaks were reported during the period,and the peak incidence appeared in May and November.All the events took place in rural schools.Conclusion Emphases should be put on strengthening rural schools'health management to prevent and control chickenpox effectively. Key words: Chickenpox; Epidemiology; Analysis
Shared control between human driver and machine based on game theoretical model predictive control framework

This paper addresses the shared control strategy between human driver an machine for lateral control tasks - lane keeping and ostacle avoidance. In this work, the shared control is studied based on game theoretical approach of distributed model predictive control (DMPC). Two game frameworks - noncooperative game and cooperative games are investigated, and then realistic driving situation is studied. Shared control strategy for fully mixed driving authority is proposed considering collision probability based on TTC (time to collision) and tracking error. Also, game transition between different game frameworks is studied considering driving situation. Simulations for cooperative driving and inter-game transition driving were conducted using Matlab/Simulik, and the simulation results show that the control authority is shared continuously by the proposed shared control strategy based on collision probability, and realistic driving with game transition is studied and analyzed from the simulation results.
Revisiting the impression management model: the mediating role of net benefits, the moderating role of communication competence, and the importance of mutual-face concern

This manuscript reports the results of an empirical study that used the impression management model (IMM) to examine likelihood of channel use (among face-to-face, phone, and texting) in parent–chi...
Primary Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practice Related to Lung Cancer Screening in Five High-Risk Communities in New York City.

Racial/ethnic minorities face stark inequalities in lung cancer incidence, treatment, survival, and mortality compared with US born non-Hispanic Whites. Lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is effective at reducing lung cancer mortality in high-risk current and former smokers and is recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This study sought to assess primary care providers’ (PCPs’) knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practice related to LCS and the recent USPSTF guidelines in five high-risk immigrant communities in New York City. We surveyed 83 eligible PCPs between December 2016 and January 2018 through surveys sent by mail, email, and fax, administered by phone or in person. The survey included questions about providers’ clinical practice, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to LCS and the USPSTF guidelines. Information about patient demographics, PCPs’ training background, and practice type were also collected. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported that they did not have established guidelines for LCS at their practice, and 52% expressed that “vague” screening criteria influenced their referral processes for LCS. Barriers to LCS with LDCT included concerns that LDCT is not covered by insurance, patients’ fears of screening results, and patients’ concerns regarding radiation exposure. Targeted educational interventions for both PCPs and patients may increase access to recommended LCS, especially for populations at disproportionate risk for lung cancer.
Leibniz and “The Liar”

Concern for logical problems of self-reference originated with the Liar Riddle (pseudomenos) of the Greek dialectician Eubulides of Megara (ca. 440–ca. 380 BC), who included it in his register of seven paradoxes. On his telling, it posed the puzzle: “Does the person who says ‘I am lying’ actually lie?” (Also: “Does the witness who declares ‘I am perjuring myself’ thereby perjure himself?”) (See Aristotle, Sophistical Refutations, 180a35; Nicomachaean Ethics, 1146a71. Or again: Si dicis te mentiri verumque dicis, mentiris (Cicero, Academica, II, 30, 96; and compare, De divinatione, II, 11). On the history of the paradox, see N. Rescher, Paradoxes (Chicago: Open Court, 2001), and R. Sorensen, A Brief History of the Paradox (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005). Not only the ancients considered this paradox but the medieval schoolmen examined it as well. (Thus, John Buridan (ca. 1280–1350) analyzed the Liar in the eleventh sophism treated in Chap. 8 of his Sophismata.) An English translation and commentary are given in G. E. Hughes, John Buridan in Self-Reference (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982).) The problem that arises here can be posed via the following dilemma:
The role of gender ideology in consumers’ reception of ads featuring stay-at-home dads

The number of men choosing to stay at home to be the primary caregivers for their children is on the rise. Historically, advertising has reflected, reinforced and hastened the pace of societal chan...
The ultraviolet finiteness \mathcal{N} = 8 supergravity

We study counterterms (CT’s), candidates for UV divergences in the four-dimensional $ \mathcal{N} = 8 $ supergravity. They have been constructed long ago in the Lorentz covariant on shell superspace and recently in the chiral light-cone (LC) superspace. We prove that all of these CT’s are ruled out since they are not available in the real LC super-space. This implies the perturbative UV finiteness of d =4 $ \mathcal{N} = 8 $ supergravity under the assumption that supersymmetry and continuous E 7(7) symmetry are anomaly-free. The proof, based on the chiral nature of CT’s in the LC superspace, is a generalization of the perturbative F-term non-renormalization theorem for $ \mathcal{N} = 8 $ supergravity.
Racismo Religioso no Brasil: Comunicação além do Secularismo

Este estudo e uma revisao teorica para desconstruir certas suposicoes em publicacoes sobre raca e religiao. A primeira secao explica o contexto socio-politico em que a violencia contra religioes de matriz africana ocorre no Brasil, especialmente durante a presidencia de Michel Temer. A segunda secao usa um quadro interdisciplinar para conduzir uma revisao de literatura sobre raca e religiao no Brasil. As ultimas secoes oferecem sugestoes para melhorar a pesquisa sobre racismo religioso em Comunicacao. Tendo em vista a onda conservadora atual ao redor do mundo, comunicadores deveriam refletir sobre o nosso papel na luta por justica social, e imaginar formas melhores de faze-lo.
Challenges and opportunities of age diverse universities: Perspectives from admissions and career services.

Universities are experiencing shifts in age distributions of students, with fewer younger students and an increase in the number of people mid-life and beyond seeking education and job training. Th...
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps: Inflammation and Biomaterial Preconditioning for Tissue Engineering

Tissue injury initiates a tissue repair program, characterized by acute inflammation and recruitment of immune cells, dominated by neutrophils. Neutrophils prevent infection in the injured tissue t...
A 35-year-old mystery solved: a facile synthetic route and structural confirmation of tetrachlorobis(diethyl ether)tungsten(IV).

The true identity of the diethyl ether adduct of tungsten(IV) chloride, WCl4(Et2O)x, has been in doubt since 1985. Initially postulated as the bis-adduct, WCl4(Et2O)2, questions arose when elemental analyses were more in line with a mono-ether adduct, viz. WCl4(Et2O). It was proposed that this was due to the thermal instability of the bis-adduct. Here, we report the room-tem­per­ature X-ray crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface characteristics of trans-tetra­chlor­ido­bis­(diethyl ether)tungsten(IV), trans-WCl4(Et2O)2 or trans-[WCl4(C4H10O)2]. The com­pound crystallizes, with half of the mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit, in the centrosymmetric space group P21/n. The W—O distance is 2.070 (2) A, while the W—Cl distances are 2.3586 (10) and 2.3554 (10) A.
Ingrown Toenail Management

Ingrown toenails are a common condition in general medicine and dermatology, and they occur when the nail curves inward and pierces the nail fold. Symptoms include pain in the affected toe, erythema and edema. The diagnosis is made clinically and, if left untreated, ingrown toenails can lead to infections and even cellulitis and osteomyelitis. Conservative treatments involve clipping on the spicule and topical antibiotics. However, the mainstay of treatment is matricectomy to reduce the recurrence rate. The risk of ingrown toenail development can be reduced by wearing proper footwear, keeping toenails cut straight and overall foot hygiene. Ingrown toenails can affect various patient populations but are more prevalent in males, young adolescents and pregnant patients. Risk factors include obesity, diabetes, improper toenail clipping and improper footwear. This review explores the clinical manifestations of ingrown toenails, along with their diagnosis and treatment, providing a concise review for physicians to accurately identify and effectively treat patients with ingrown toenails or their resultant complications.
Modeling and Simulation of an Electric Vehicle with Independent Rear Motors to Estimate the Fuel Economy during EPA Drive Cycles

The “Car of the Future” project converted a 2015 rear-wheel drive (RWD) Subaru BRZ into a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) with an intermediate milestone of a battery electric vehicle (BEV). BEV architecture required removal of the conventional powertrain components, such as internal combustion engine, transmission and differential, introduced an electric axle and battery. This intermediate BEV step provided a point at which the vehicle could be evaluated in its all electric operation with the absence of what was once critical components including its original powertrain and powertrain electronics. This step also ensures the electric components are working properly before more complexity is added to the system in building HEV. In our previous work, BEV Vehicle Technical Specifications (VTS) or requirements were developed and an electric axle was appropriately sized and selected to meet these requirements. After selecting the electrical axle with independent rear motors that will meet BEV performance requirements, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy rating of the BEV should be assessed. This paper presents a drive cycle analysis of the BEV vehicle using the EPA Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) and Highway Fuel Economy Test (HWFET) drive cycles by means of dynamic modeling and simulation. In this study, the power required at the wheels, the efficiency of each motor and the energy required at the selected electrical axle were determined. In addition, the city, highway and combined miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) fuel economy were determined.
Complex Interactions Between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1, Sex, and Osteopontin Influence Viral Replication and Leukocyte Proportions in Tissues

It is becoming increasingly clear that several aspects of HIV pathogenesis differ by sex, a variable known to influence the extent and breadth of immune responses in health and disease that should be included in research designs. Our prior studies using cultured human macrophages showed that the cytokine-like factor osteopontin (OPN) stimulates HIV replication. To test whether OPN has the same positive impact at the level of tissues, we used a humanized mice model of low-level chronic HIV infection and inhibition of OPN RNA and protein expression with targeted aptamers. Necropsy was performed more than four months later. Interestingly, while HIV viral load in plasma showed no significant differences, reduced expression of OPN in the spleen, lung, and liver differentially affected the tissue burden of HIV RNA, as well as the proportion of leukocytes in female and male mice. The findings collectively demonstrate the potential for complex interactions between host factors like OPN and sex to influence different facets of HIV tissue-level pathogenesis.