cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Yeast Fms1 is a FAD-utilizing polyamine oxidase.

Abstract In this report we show that recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fms1 protein is a polyamine oxidase that binds FAD with an FAD:Fms1 stoichiometry of 1:1. Biochemical characterization of Fms1 shows that it can oxidize spermine, N1-acetylspermine, N1-acetylspermidine, and N8-acetylspermidine, but not spermidine. The products of spermine oxidation are spermidine and 3-aminopropanal. A kinetic analysis revealed that spermine, N1-acetylspermine, and N1-acetylspermidine are oxidized with similar efficiencies, while N8-acetylspermidine is a poor substrate. The data support a previous report, suggesting that Fms1 is responsible for the production of β-alanine from spermine for the synthesis of pantothenic acid.
Communicative tasks, conversational interaction and linguistic form:an empirical study of Thai

Second language acquisition (SLA) research suggests that some of the processes that occur during conversational interaction may facilitate second language learning. Carrying out communicative tasks designed to promote these processes can provide learners with the opportunity to focus on linguistic form in the context of meaning. Much of the SLA research on conversational interaction and communicative tasks has been carried out with the more commonly taught languages, such as English or Spanish. This article describes a series of communicative tasks designed for use by learners of Thai as a second or foreign language and reports on a study that tested the tasks' effectiveness at providing opportunities for learners to focus on linguistic form during conversational interaction. Finally, practical issues in the implementation of tasks in L2 classroom and research contexts are discussed.
Intelligent Control of Cylindrical Plunge Grinding

An optimization strategy is presented for intelligent control of cylindrical plunge grinding. The optimization strategy is designed to minimize cycle time while satisfying production constraints. Monotonicity analysis together with local linearization is used to simplify the non-linear optimization problem and determine the process variables for the optimal cycle. At the end of each cycle, the uncertain parameters of the process are estimated so as to provide a more accurate estimation of the optimal process variables for the subsequent cycle. The intelligent control strategy is validated both in simulation and actual grinding tests.
Retrograde closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect using muscular ventricular septal occluder: a single-center experience of a novel technique

We herein report the advantages of retrograde ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure using a muscular VSD device for perimembranous VSDs. Perimembranous VSDs are conventionally closed by an antegrade technique (arteriovenous looping technique) using a patent ductus arteriosus or asymmetric perimembranous VSD device. However, we used a symmetrical muscular VSD device in all cases described in this report. Use of the antegrade technique for the first few patients with VSD resulted in prolonged procedural and fluoroscopic times and frequent slippage of the device into the right ventricle. Subsequent use of the retrograde technique shortened the procedural time and allowed for easier closure of the perimembranous VSD. We performed retrograde closure of perimembranous VSDs using a symmetrical muscular VSD device in 130 patients. We obtained a high rate of successful deployment (88.5%) and a low rate of complications (6.0%). We also achieved shorter procedural and fluoroscopic times than those associated with the antegrade technique.
Gaussian amplitude functions that are exact solutions to the scalar Helmholtz equation

A new family of exact solutions of the scalar Helmholtz equation is presented. The 0, 0 order of this family represents a new mathematical model for the fundamental mode of a propagating Gaussian beam. The family consists of nonseparable functions in the oblate spheroidal coordinate system and can easily by transformed into a different set of solutions in the prolate spheroidal coordinate system, where the 0, 0 order is a spherical wave. This transformation consists of two substitutions in the coordinate system parameters and represents a more general method of obtaining a Gaussian beam from a spherical wave than assuming a complex point source on axis. Finally, each higher-order member of the family of solutions possesses an amplitude consisting of a finite number of higher-order terms with a zero-order term that is Gaussian.
Compressional and Shear Wave Velocities at Pressures to 10 Kilobars for Basalts from the East Pacific Rise

Summary Compressional and shear wave velocities are reported to pressures of 10 kb for 15 cores of basalt dredged from the East Pacific Rise between 8" N and 13" N latitude. The compressional wave velocities are similar to previous measurements for basalts dredged from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Shear wave velocities for the East Pacific Rise basalts show a systematic increase with increasing density. The ratio of compressional to shear wave velocity for oceanic basalt is generally between 1.80 and 1.90. Poisson's ratio at 10 kb is 0.28 for all the basalts included in this study.
Radical Productivity Improvement with One Pass to Production (OPP)

One pass to production (OPP) has the goal of reducing the product development time of cell phones from 2 years (in year 2001) to 1 day. In a culture that is geared to continuous improvement, this initiative for radical improvement is both a great opportunity and a challenge. We are in the fifth year of research collaboration of an 8 year project. Allied technologies and methodologies have continued to mature during this period, giving us a rare opportunity to pace our development process almost in synch. Balancing the long-term OPP objective with short term technology transfer to keep the project alive has been illuminating and productive. This paper will provide a technical overview of the OPP flow and briefly discuss the equally important issues of technology transfer and academic training.
126 Scrotal and Penile Reconstruction using VAC Therapy

Fournier gangrene is a rapidly progressive necrotizing soft tissue infection that often leaves patients with a large integumentary deficit to their penis and scrotum. Treatment of the skin defect has been described in a multitude of ways including split thickness skin grafting, burying the testes in the thighs, thigh flaps, and a variety of myocutaneous and fasciocutaneous flaps. Many of the previously described techniques have worked well for smaller defects and for closure of wounds but fell short of aesthetic reconstruction of sexual organs. We describe a technique using split-thickness skin grafts with suction dressings or bolster. This was employed using the VAC©(Vacuum Assisted Closure Device, KCI©). This technique creates a natural appearing scrotum that holds the testes away from the body in a physiologic manner and surfaces the penis with a seemingly natural appearance in a functional manner. The technique provides a nearly 100% graft take and greatly decreases hospital length of stay. A case report demonstrates a patient’s full recovery to his professional, social, and sexual life within six weeks of initial reconstructive treatment. Our technique provides a reliable treatment with good functional and aesthetic outcomes to a difficult problem.
Evaluating the Optimal Timing of Angiography Landmark or off the Mark

The study by Tricoci and colleagues1 in the present issue of Circulation concludes that shortening the time from hospital admission to coronary angiography was associated with fewer ischemic outcomes with no increased bleeding. Although we know that use of an early invasive strategy in patients with non–ST-segment–elevation acute coronary syndromes is associated with improved outcomes, the optimal time to perform coronary angiography in those scheduled to receive an invasive strategy is unknown. Article p 2669 The Tricoci et al1 study capitalized on the clinical data collected as part of the Superior Yield of the New Strategy of Enoxaparin, Revascularization, and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors (SYNERGY) trial2 to study this question. Because the goal of the SYNERGY trial was to compare the outcomes of patients treated with enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin, (1) patients were not randomized to different times to angiography (such as ≤6 hours, 6 to 12 hours, 12 to 18 hours, etc) after hospital arrival, and (2) some patients may have died or experienced an adverse event before receiving angiography. The authors adopted 2 different analytical strategies to address these issues: a landmark analysis3 and an inverse-probability–weighted approach.4 These 2 approaches differ in their basic assumptions and in the …
Quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry of fullerenes

The fullerenes C 60 and C 70 can be ionized by desorption from a liquid matrix upon bombardment by Cs + ions of 7 keV kinetic energy. The resulting radical cations, when activated in the ion trap by collisions with Xe target, in the presence of helium, undergo extensive dissociation by loss of multiple C 2 units. Large internal energies are deposited into these molecular ions and the dissociation efficiency is in excess of 60%
Carbon isotope variation in shrub willow (Salix spp.) ring-wood as an indicator of long-term water status, growth and survival

Abstract Quantifying interannual change in water status of woody plants using stable carbon isotopes provides insight on long-term plant ecophysiology and potential success in variable environments, including under-utilized agricultural land for biomass production and highly disturbed sites for phytoremediation applications. We analyzed δ 13 C values in annual ring-wood of four shrub willow varieties used for biomass production and phytoremediation at three sites in central New York State (U.S.A). We tested a cost-effective sampling method for estimating whole-shrub water status by comparing δ 13 C values of the plant’s largest stem against a composite sample of all stems. The largest stem showed 0.3‰ 13 C enrichment (range −0.7–1.1‰) compared to the whole-plant, making it a more sensitive indicator of water status than the composite sample. Growing season precipitation exerted a strong negative influence on wood tissue chemistry, with an average 0.26‰ 13 C depletion per 100 mm increase in precipitation. An average annual 0.28‰ 13 C enrichment was also observed with increased plant age; this pattern was consistent among all four willow varieties and across sites. Finally, increased 13 C enrichment in wood tissue was positively associated with plant size at the individual plant level, and associated negatively and more variably survival at the plot scale. These results have important implications for the design and management of biomass production and phytoremediation systems. Increased sensitivity of older plants suggests that longer rotations may experience growth limitations and/or lower survival in low-precipitation years, resulting in reduced yields of biomass crops and loss of effectiveness in phytoremediation applications.
Palaeoecology and Development of Peatlands in Indiana

Abstract The progressive development of ten Holocene peatlands in northeast Indiana was determined by analysis of macroscopic subfossils recovered from sediment cores. All of the peatlands began as extremely mineral-rich lakes or ponds after retreat of Wisconsin-age glacial ice. The oldest basal date was 13,170 radiocarbon 14C y BP. The subfossil assemblage characterizing the lake stages included Chara sp., Ceratophyllum demersum, Najas flexilis and Potamogeton spp. The transition from lake to peatland was marked by a marsh flora dominated by Nuphar sp. Nymphaea sp., and, especially, Brasenia schreberi. Evidence for the development of a fen began early in the hydrosere (in the limnic phase) and colonization of the open water by a floating fen mat brought closure to the emergent marsh. Calcicolous mosses of the family Amblystegiaceae, including Calliergon stramineum, Calliergon trifarium, Campylium polygamum, Drepanocladus aduncus and Scorpidium scorpioides, dominated the fens. During the later stages of t...
Steady State Solutions to General Competition and Cooperation Models

Two species of animals are competing or cooperating in the same environment. Under what conditions do they coexist peacefully? Or under what conditions does either one of the two species become extinct, that is, is either one of the two species excluded by the other? We investigate this phenomena in mathematical point of view. In this paper we concentrate on coexistence solutions of the competition or cooperation model\[\left\{\begin{array}{l} \begin{array}{l}\Delta u + u(g_{1}(u) + h_{1}(v)) = 0\\\Delta v + v(g_{2}(u) + h_{2}(v)) = 0\end{array}\;\;\mbox{in}\;\;\Omega,\\u|_{\partial\Omega} = v|_{\partial\Omega} = 0. \end{array} \right.\]This system is the general model for the steady state of a competitive or cooperative interacting system depending on growth conditions for $g_{1}$, $g_{2}$, $h_{1}$ and $h_{2}$. The techniques used in this paper are elliptic theory, super-sub solutions, maximum principles, and spectrum estimates. The arguments also rely on some detailed properties of the solution of logistic equations.
Control of Laminar Separation Bubbles with Distributed Suction- Preliminary Studies

Operational requirements for modern uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) include extended loiter at high altitudes. The combination of high altitude, small size and typically low flight speeds for long endurance means that the UAV airfoil will operate in a low Reynolds number regime, where laminar separation bubbles (LSBs) are known to create airfoil performance problems. This paper describes preliminary studies into the suction distributions required to prevent or control laminar separation.
Studies on Vaccinia Virus. Determination of the Correlative Factors between the Rate of the Multiplication of the Virus in the Skin and the Histological Changes Produced.

In 1923 Levaditi and Nicolau,1 in a rather extensive report on their neurovaccine, came to the conclusion that the vaccinia virus possesses an elective affinity for tissues derived from the ectoderm as well as certain organs of endodermic origin, while it has practically no affinity for mesodermic tissue. They also determined that a proliferation of the epithelium generally occurs. Soon afterwards, Ledingham2 published a series of papers attempting to disprove Levaditi's assertion that the primary reaction against an injection of vaccinia virus is a proliferation of the epithelium. He considered vaccinia as the type of a virus whose affinities are almost solely toward cells of the mesoderm. A preeminent affinity of the vaccinia virus for epiblastic tissue did not seem consistent with the appearance of antiviral substances in the blood of an immunized animal. Ledingham concluded that the primary reaction against an injection of the virus is an accumulation of the cells of the reticulo-endothelial system and that any epithelial proliferation that may appear is of secondary importance. Ledingham agreed that there is a definite tendency on the part of the basal layer of the epithelium to proliferate, giving rise sometimes to irregular outgrowths. However, he considered such happenings to be the result of the injection of any foreign material which has to be eliminated.
147 Effects of feeding calcium hydroxide treated corn stover during backgrounding on carcass characteristics and beef quality.

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. 2016. Major: Animal Sciences. Advisor: Ryan Cox. 1 computer file (PDF); 90 pages.
The current status of childhood low-level lead toxicity.

Lead's toxicity has been recognized since antiquity, and certain themes recur during the history of its understanding. Warnings have been frequently pronounced, and frequently followed by statements that these warnings were exagerated. Childhood lead poisoning was first discovered in Brisbane, Australia in 1894. The cause, lead on the rails of the porches,was demonstrated by J.L. Gibson, and promptly derided by the business and medical communities. The first lead paint prevention act was passed in Australia in 1920. In the United States, it was believed that if a lead-poisoned child did not die, they recovered with no residua
Natural Virucidal Compounds in Foods

Many plant essential oils, extracts, and individual chemical components have been demonstrated to possess antiviral efficacy against enveloped and/or non-enveloped viruses. In general, plant antimicrobials exhibit greater antiviral efficacy against enveloped viruses than non-enveloped viruses (though not in all cases). There appear to be multiple mechanisms of antiviral action for plant antimicrobials; nevertheless, the majority of antimicrobials appear to act either directly on the virus itself (e.g., on the envelope or capsid) or during the early stages of virus replication following internalization of the virus into its host cell.
High-performance design of apache spark with RDMA and its benefits on various workloads

The in-memory data processing framework, Apache Spark, has been stealing the limelight for low-latency interactive applications, iterative and batch computations. Our early experience study [17] has shown that Apache Spark can be enhanced to leverage advanced features (e.g., RDMA) on highperformance networks (e.g., InfiniBand and RoCE) to improve the performance of shuffle phase. With the fast evolving of the Apache Spark ecosystem, the Spark architecture has been changing a lot. This motivates us to investigate whether the earlier RDMA design can be adapted and further enhanced for the new Apache Spark architecture. We also aim to improve the performance for various Spark workloads (e.g., Batch, Graph, SQL). In this paper, we present a detailed design for high-performance RDMA-based Apache Spark on high-performance networks. We conduct systematic performance evaluations on three modern clusters (Chameleon, SDSC Comet, and an in-house cluster) with cutting-edge InfiniBand technologies, such as latest IB EDR (100 Gbps) network, recently introduced Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) technology for IB, etc. The evaluation results show that compared to the default Spark running with IP over InfiniBand (IPoIB), our proposed design can achieve up to 79% performance improvement for Spark RDD operation benchmarks (e.g., GroupBy, SortBy), up to 38% performance improvement for batch workloads (e.g., Sort and TeraSort in Intel HiBench), up to 46% performance improvement for graph processing workloads (e.g., PageRank), up to 32% performance improvement for SQL queries (e.g., Aggregation, Join) on varied scales (up to 1,536 cores) of bare-metal IB clusters. Performance evaluations on SR-IOV enabled IB clusters also show 37% improvement achieved by our RDMA-based design. Our RDMA-based Spark design is implemented as a pluggable module and it does not change any Spark APIs, which means that it can be combined with other existing enhanced designs for Apache Spark and Hadoop proposed in the community. To show this, we further evaluate the performance of a combined version of ‘RDMA-Spark+RDMA-HDFS’ and the numbers show that the combination can achieve the best performance with up to 82% improvement for Intel HiBench Sort and TeraSort on SDSC Comet cluster.
Extractivismo unearthed: a genealogy of a radical discourse

ABSTRACTThis article provides a genealogy of extractivismo discourse. In South America, the critical discourse of extractivismo has shifted political horizons and fomented a protracted intraleft dispute. Decades of neoliberalism unified popular movements to resist austerity and recuperate national sovereignty, but the ascendency of leftist administrations across the continent fragmented the field of radical politics. Ecuador exemplifies this internecine conflict: environmental and indigenous activists and allied intellectuals crafted the discourse of extractivismo to resist President Rafael Correa’s ‘21st century socialism’. State actors assert that oil and mining revenues will trigger economic development. But anti-extractive activists contend that ‘the extractive model’ pollutes the environment, violates collective rights, reinforces dependency on foreign capital, and undermines democracy. Drawing on 14 months of archival and ethnographic research, I recover the source discourses of extractivismo and ou...
From reactionary modernization to endogenous development: the revolution in hydroelectricity in Venezuela

For much of the twentieth century, Venezuela was regarded as one of the developing nations destined to take its place among the affluent societies of the world. The spectacular infrastructure projects sponsored by the Venezuelan government and funded with revenue from the petroleum industry were taken as evidence of progress and the impending arrival of modernity. Showcasing the technical prowess of the Venezuelan state, these projects captured the national imagination and won consent for elites by calling forth aspirations for total societal transformation. In this article, I explore the re-construction of hegemonic consent as part of one such project—a hydroelectric dam in the state of Barinas—and the survival of a vision of progress through the built environment, even after the social-economic crisis of the late twentieth century. Drawing on fieldwork in areas near the formerly incomplete project site, I account for what, at first glance, seem to be drastic shifts in local political allegiances and incongruous support for the military dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez (1948-1958) and the Bolivarian Government of Hugo Chavez. Suggesting that a high modernist vision of development is a pivot for hegemonic consent, I argue that the completion of this dam after a long hiatus has won the support of a caste of state workers and that the backing of these workers is crucial to the preservation of organized political power.
Schritt 7: Iteration und Adaption – Erfolgsmuster erkennen und adaptieren

Mit diesem alles entscheidenden Schritt treten Sie in eine Vielzahl an Lernzyklen ein, die jeweils aus folgenden Teilen bestehen.
The Impact of Environmental Regulation on Fetal Health: Evidence from the Shutdown of a Coal-Fired Power Plant Located Upwind of New Jersey

Abstract Our study examines a case where cross-border air pollution had not been effectively dealt with by a decentralized, state level policymaking, letting a coal-fired power plant located on the border between two states pollute the downwind state for years without being controlled. We find that the shutdown of the power plant, thanks to a landmark ruling by the federal government, reduces the likelihoods of having a low birth weight baby and having a preterm birth by 15 percent and 28 percent, respectively, in areas downwind of the power plant. The ruling marks the first-ever federal level regulation under the Clean Air Act that overrides state-level regulations and is directly imposed upon a single pollution source. Our empirical setting emphasizes the importance of such regulation in curbing environmental free riding induced by jurisdictional borders, where pollution cost-shifting can be aided by natural forces such as prevailing winds.
Understanding the impact of war zone experiences: a primer for civilian nurses.

As the United States continues to fight the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of personnel deployed to war zones and transitioning back to the home front increases. After nine years of intensive experience, military nurses have learned much about the needs of wounded warriors in critical care settings and in acute phases of recovery. Several articles have been published about the lessons learned and skill sets needed by military nurses in critical care settings. The unique nature of the volunteer military, along with the deployment of reservists and contractors to war zones, has created a sub-population of individuals who have transitioned or are transitioning back into their civilian world. Nurses involved in primary care and emergency nursing can learn much from the experiences of those nurses who have worked with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), alcohol abuse and substance abuse as ineffective coping mechanisms and risks of suicide. The purpose of this article is to share some of the lessons learned by military and veterans administration healthcare workers with civilian nurses. Language: en
Women in Geoscience: An interview with Emily Fischer

1. What made you decide to be a geoscientist?I’ve always been fascinated by the atmosphere. Hurricane Bob hit the state of Rhode Island when I was 11 years old, and I was awestruck. I called our lo...
Arterial Wall Imaging in Pediatric Stroke.

Background and Purpose— Arteriopathy is common in childhood arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and predicts stroke recurrence. Currently available vascular imaging techniques mainly image the arterial lumen rather than the vessel wall and have a limited ability to differentiate among common arteriopathies. We aimed to investigate the value of a magnetic resonance imaging-based technique, namely noninvasive arterial wall imaging (AWI), for distinguishing among arteriopathy subtypes in a consecutive cohort of children presenting with AIS. Methods— Children with confirmed AIS and magnetic resonance angiography underwent 3-Tesla AWI including T1-weighted 2-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery fast spin echo sequences pre- and post-gadolinium contrast. AWI characteristics, including wall enhancement, wall thickening, and luminal stenosis, were documented for all. Results— Twenty-six children with AIS had AWI. Of these, 9 (35%) had AWI enhancement. AWI enhancement was associated with anterior circulation magnetic resonance angiography abnormality and cortical infarction in 8 of 9 (89%) children and normal magnetic resonance angiography with posterior circulation subcortical infarction in 1 (1 of 9; 11%) child. AWI enhancement was not seen in 17 (65%), 10 (59%) of whom had an abnormal magnetic resonance angiography. Distinct patterns of pre- and postcontrast signal abnormality were demonstrated in the vessel wall in the region of interest in children with transient cerebral arteriopathy, arterial dissection, primary central nervous system angiitis, dissecting aneurysm, and cardioembolic stroke. Conclusions— AWI is a noninvasive, high-resolution magnetic resonance AWI technique, which can be successfully used in children presenting with AIS. Patterns of AWI enhancement are recognizable and associated with specific AIS pathogeneses. Further studies are required to assess the additional diagnostic utility of AWI over routine vascular imaging techniques, in childhood AIS.
The Impact Of Taxes And Regulation On The Use Of Tobacco Products By Teenagers

This morning I’d like to discuss the issue of using cigarette excise taxes to reduce smoking among youth, and then share some very preliminary results from a new study of the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes in a sample of 9th graders in the United States Times have certainly changed regarding attitudes on taxation as a public health policy tool to control tobacco use. In the late 1970’s, when I first began work in this field, I heard an anecdote about the testimony of a teen before a U.S. Congressional committee: when asked if raising the excise tax so that the price of cigarettes were $1.00 per pack would deter him from smoking, the teen answered no, he would just steal the additional money for cigarettes from his mother. When asked a similar question as part of the recently released IOM report on adolescent tobacco use, a teen said that a $0.50 per pack increase would have no effect, but that a $2.00 per pack increase would, in her opinion, really cut into teenage smoking. I conclude from this example that even the teenagers in the U.S. have moved from denying that prices and taxes have much effect on their smoking behavior to speculating about the size of the effect.
Evidence for Increase in Rates of Depression in North America and Western Europe in Recent Decades

In the early 1970s, a number of observers hypothesized that there had been an increase in depression in the United States (Klerman 1979). This hypothesis was based on a number of observations: 1. The younger age of patients diagnosed as depressives (Klerman 1979) 2. The disappearance of involutional melancholia in clinical settings (Weissman and Myers 1978) 3. The attention given to depression in the lay press, particulary by women’s magazines 4. Increase in depression in reports from treatment settings 5. Increase in suicide attemps and death by suicide by younger persons 6. Increased attention to childhood depression
High-rate electroreduction of carbon monoxide to multi-carbon products

Carbon monoxide electrolysis has previously been reported to yield enhanced multi-carbon (C2+) Faradaic efficiencies of up to ~55%, but only at low reaction rates. This is due to the low solubility of CO in aqueous electrolytes and operation in batch-type reactors. Here, we present a high-performance CO flow electrolyser with a well controlled electrode–electrolyte interface that can reach total current densities of up to 1 A cm–2, together with improved C2+ selectivities. Computational transport modelling and isotopic C18O reduction experiments suggest that the enhanced activity is due to a higher surface pH under CO reduction conditions, which facilitates the production of acetate. At optimal operating conditions, we achieve a C2+ Faradaic efficiency of ~91% with a C2+ partial current density over 630 mA cm–2. Further investigations show that maintaining an efficient triple-phase boundary at the electrode–electrolyte interface is the most critical challenge in achieving a stable CO/CO2 electrolysis process at high rates. The low solubility of CO in aqueous electrolytes limits the implementation of CO electrolysers, since low current densities are typically achieved despite the fact that they deliver rather high Faradaic efficiencies to multi-carbon products. Now, Jiao and co-workers report a CO flow electrolyser with a well-controlled electrode–electrolyte interface that can achieve multi-carbon Faradaic efficiencies of 91% with a partial current density of 630 mA cm–2.
Secret Plots: The False Endings of Dickens's Novels

Oliver Twist does not find wealth and family and live happily ever after. Amy Dorrit and Arthur Clennam never escape the workhouse. And Eugene Wrayburn does not revive to marry Lizzie Hexam and sta...
The systematics of galaxy morphology in the comprehensive de Vaucouleurs revised Hubble-Sandage classification system: application to the EFIGI sample

This paper is the third which examines galaxy morphology from the point of view of comprehensive de Vaucouleurs revised Hubble-Sandage (CVRHS) classification, a variation on the original de Vaucouleurs classification volume that accounts for finer details of galactic structure, including lenses, nuclear structures, embedded disks, boxy and disky components, and other features. The classification is applied to the EFIGI sample, a well-defined set of nearby galaxies which were previously examined by Baillard et al. and de Lapparent et al. The survey is focussed on statistics of features, and brings attention to exceptional examples of some morphologies, such as skewed bars, blue bar ansae, bar-outer pseudoring misalignment, extremely elongated inner SB rings, outer rings and lenses, and other features that are likely relevant to galactic secular evolution and internal dynamics. The possibility of using these classifications as a training set for automated classification algorithms is also discussed.
Temporal patterns of adoption of mariculture innovation globally

Mariculture—farming seafood in the ocean—has been expanding in many countries and has the potential to be a critical component of a sustainable global food system. However, it has developed inconsistently across the globe, with minimal development in some regions, while in others intensive growth threatens sustainability. There is no overall understanding of trajectories of mariculture development around the world. We analyse mariculture development trends at the country level, drawing on diffusion of innovation theory. We show that most countries follow predictable patterns of development that are associated with key economic and governance indicators, such as regulatory quality. We also show that production of some taxa (for example, molluscs) is more strongly associated with stable production over time, as is growing a diversity of species. Taken together, our results suggest that enabling policies may unlock mariculture growth opportunities and that strategies that emphasize production of a diversity of species could contribute to a more stable mariculture industry. Further, by assessing each country’s trajectory of mariculture development in relation to its production potential, we consider the limits and opportunities for future mariculture growth and its contribution to sustainable food systems. Seafood farming in the ocean has developed over decades following innovation diffusion S-shaped curves. Some countries have underdeveloped potential and, in others, current overproduction can become more sustainable.
Ex vivo expansion of regulatory T cells from abdominal aortic aneurysm patients inhibits aneurysm in humanized murine model.

Abstract Objective Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic inflammatory disease. Studies of human aneurysm tissue demonstrate dense inflammatory cell infiltrates with CD4+ T cells predominating. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in inhibiting pro-inflammatory T cell proliferation, therefore, limiting collateral tissue destruction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ex vivo augmentation of human Tregs attenuates aneurysm formation in humanized murine model of AAA. Methods Circulating Treg population in AAA patients and age- and gender-matched controls were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry. To create humanized murine model of AAA, irradiated Rag1-deficient (Rag1-/-) mice, without mature T lymphocytes, at 7 weeks of age were given 5 × 106 of human CD4+ T cells intraperitoneally. Then the mice underwent CaCl2 aneurysm induction. Aortic diameters were measured before and at 6 weeks after aneurysm induction. Aortic tissue was collected for histology and protein extraction. Verhoeff-Van Gieson stain was used for staining elastic fiber. CD4+ T cells in the aortic tissue were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results In human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the proportion of Tregs are decreased in AAA patients compared with matched control patients with significant vascular disease. We first validated the role of Tregs in the CaCl2 model of AAA. To determine the role of human T cells in AAA formation, Rag1-/- mice, resistant to CaCl2-aneurysm induction, were transplanted with human CD4+ T cells. Human CD4+ T cells were able to drive aneurysm formation in Rag1-/- mice. We show that ex vivo augmentation of human Tregs by interleukin-2 resulted in decreased aneurysm progression. Conclusions These data suggest that the ex vivo expansion of human Tregs may be a potential therapeutic strategy for inhibiting progression of AAA.
Chapter 11 – Smiling

Publisher Summary This chapter explains that faces and facial expressions are recognized from birth and can be remembered for years. Movements of the face are especially important for conveying different emotions. Despite the importance of smiling and other facial activities for social communication, the control of facial expression has been one of the least studied topics in motor control. Facial expressions have been described in terms of the emotions they convey, their detailed physical appearance, and their underlying electromyographic activity. Electromyography has shown that an emotional expression can be achieved with one or more muscles and that expressions can have short or long durations. Mixed expressions such as a “brave smile” are characterized by simultaneous activity of muscles that are usually involved in different, often conflicting, expressions. Imagining emotional states can produce subtle activity in the associated facial muscles. Facial expressions appear to be genetically determined, as shown by the fact that they are displayed universally, almost always in the same emotional contexts, and in adults as well as infants, including newborns and infants who are both deaf and blind.
Imaging transcranial Doppler ultrasound to measure middle cerebral artery blood flow: the importance of measuring vessel diameter

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is commonly inferred from blood velocity measurements in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), using nonimaging, transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). However, both blood vel...
Ocean Optimism: Moving Beyond the Obituaries in Marine Conservation

While the ocean has suffered many losses, there is increasing evidence that important progress is being made in marine conservation. Examples include striking recoveries of once-threatened species, increasing rates of protection of marine habitats, more sustainably managed fisheries and aquaculture, reductions in some forms of pollution, accelerating restoration of degraded habitats, and use of the ocean and its habitats to sequester carbon and provide clean energy. Many of these achievements have multiple benefits, including improved human well-being. Moreover, better understanding of how to implement conservation strategies effectively, new technologies and databases, increased integration of the natural and social sciences, and use of indigenous knowledge promise continued progress. Enormous challenges remain, and there is no single solution; successful efforts typically are neither quick nor cheap and require trust and collaboration. Nevertheless, a greater focus on solutions and successes will help them to become the norm rather than the exception.
Hip Disarticulation for Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Frequency, Outcome, and Risk Factors

Abstract Background Currently, the largest available series of hip disarticulation (HD) procedures performed for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) includes only 6 patients. Given the lack of data on this dreadful outcome, we sought to determine the frequency of and risk factors for HD performed for a primary diagnosis of PJI. Methods The National Inpatient Sample from 1998 to 2016 was used to estimate the annual incidences of HD associated with PJI, elective primary total joint arthroplasty (control group 1), and other surgical procedures associated with PJI (control group 2) using National Inpatient Sample trend weights. Results One-hundred forty-eight HDs for PJI, 2,378,313 primary total joint arthroplasty controls, and 51,580 PJI controls were identified. Median length-of-stay (11 days), proportion of patients with ≥5 comorbidities (22.8%), and median hospital costs ($25,895.60) were all greater for patients with HD compared with both control groups. The weighted frequency of HD hospitalizations increased by 366%, whereas the frequency of cases in control groups 1 and 2 increased by 93% and 310%, respectively, during the same timeframe. Upon multivariable logistic regression, age Conclusion While the overall frequency of lower extremity amputations may be decreasing, our study documents an alarming increase in the frequency of HD for PJI during the study period. Patients under age 65 years without private insurance were at significantly higher risk of HD among patients with PJI.
Serendipity in the search for “morning-after pills” led to clomiphene for the induction of ovulation

The approval of the oral contraceptive on June 23, 1960, by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), changed society forever. For the first time, a pill designed and tested by men, supported by influential women, allowed women to control their fertility. For the first time, the FDA approved a medicine to be taken by humans without a disease. The chance discovery of a new group of medicines called nonsteroidal antiestrogens, created an opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry. These compounds were shown to be postcoital antifertility agents in rats and mice. In the 1960s, the development of a "morning-after pill" would have had an enormous market. Numerous companies focused discovery efforts to evaluate the development of their patented nonsteroidal antiestrogens: Merrell (clomiphene), Upjohn (U-11,100A), and ICI Pharmaceutical Division (ICI46,474). However, the antifertility effects of antiestrogens in rats and mice does not mean that the new medicine would be an antifertility agent in women. In this case, clomiphene did exactly the opposite of what it was predicted to prevent. Clomiphene became the first medicine to induce ovulation in subfertile women. This article describes the twists and turns of drug discovery and development over the past half century. The conclusion emphasizes the evolution of drug development over decades, based on fashions in medical research and discoveries in clinical pharmacology. As a result, new uses for old molecules, that started life as "nonsteroidal antiestrogens," have revolutionized women's health as members of the new group of medicines called selective estrogen receptor modulators.
Role of uncertainty in the durability of composite material systems

Abstract This paper is a chapter invited by the editor of a book to be published by Elsevier in 2020. The title of the book is “Durability of Composite Systems,” and the editor is Prof. Kenneth Reifsnider, N.A.E., University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX. In stating the outline of this book, Prof. Reifsnider wrote: “Composite materials have sparked a modern revolution in which they have become functional material systems, engineered to serve multifunctional purposes as diverse as energy conversion, osteopathic reconstruction, and aerospace structural performance. While these and many other types of engineered material systems have dramatically different functional and performance requirements, the question of their durability is central to their success. However, the precepts and conceptual requirements needed to achieve and maintain durability for all of these composite systems are also rapidly changing and disperse in the literature. The present book meets the challenge of defining these precepts and requirements from first principles to applications in a diverse selection of technical fields, selected to form a corpus of concepts and methodologies that define the field of durability in composite material systems as a modern discipline. That discipline includes not only the classical rigor of mechanics, physics, and chemistry, but also the critical elements of thermodynamics, data analytics, and statistical uncertainty quantification as well as other requirements of the modern subject. The presentation of the book is intended to be a comprehensive summary of the field, presented in an instructional context, i.e., suitable not only as a reference but also as a tool for learning and teaching.” There are 14 chapters in this book, and this chapter is Chapter 2 entitled “Role of uncertainty in the durability of composite material systems.” The synopsis of the chapter states that “this chapter has the responsibility of addressing broadly and precisely the role of complexity reflected in uncertainty in the subject of durability of material systems.”
Shock Severity and Hospital Mortality In Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients Treated With Targeted Temperature Management.

BACKGROUND Shock in patients resuscitated after out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is associated with an increased risk of mortality. We sought to determine the associations between lactate level, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and vasopressor/inotrope doses with mortality. METHODS Retrospective cohort study of adult patients with OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology treated with targeted temperature management (TTM) between December 2005 and September 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of hospital death. RESULTS Among 268 included patients, the median age was 64 (55, 71.8) years, including 27% females. OHCA was witnessed in 89%, OHCA rhythm was shockable in 87%, and bystander CPR was provided in 64%. Vasopressors were required during the first 24 h in 60%. Hospital mortality occurred in 104 (38.8%) patients. Higher initial lactate, peak Vasoactive-Inotropic Score (VIS), and lower mean 24-h MAP were associated with higher hospital mortality (all P < 0.001). After multivariable regression, both higher initial lactate (adjusted OR 1.15 per 1 mmol/L higher, 95% CI 1.00-1.31, P = 0.03) and higher peak VIS (adjusted OR 1.20 per 10 units higher, 95% CI 1.10-1.54, P = 0.003) were associated with higher hospital mortality, but mMAP was not (P = 0.92). However, patients with a mMAP < 70 mm Hg remained at higher risk of hospital mortality after multivariable adjustment (adjusted OR 9.30, 95% CI 1.39-62.02, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS In patients treated with TTM after OHCA, greater shock severity, as reflected by higher lactate levels, mMAP < 70 mmHg, and higher vasopressor requirements during the first 24 h was associated with an increased rate of hospital mortality.
Models for Teaching Information Literacy: A Comparative Review of the Top Six Models

Information literacy is a necessary prerequisite for achieving educational, occupational, economic and personal goals in society. It has also become an essential skill to achieve individual goals. Many models have been designed for developing these crucial skills but few published scholarly studies have explored their effectiveness and none have compared them. The present paper reviewed the literature to select the most commonly used models for teaching information literacy, and analysed the reported strengths and weaknesses of the top six models. The top six models are the Information Search Process, the Big6 information skills, the Seven Pillars of Information Literacy, the Pathways to Knowledge, the PLUS model, and the Seven Faces of Information Literacy. The Information Search Process knowledge model stood out as the most useful prescriptive model especially through its ability across disciplines, beginning at the elementary educational level and extensively university level. The paper also highlights the values of integrating information literacy into curriculum development to enhance students’ learning experience and to develop skills and abilities necessary for the rapidly changing information environment of the twenty-first century.
A dangerous liaison? Harnessing Weber to illuminate the relationship of democracy and charisma in the Philippines and India:

Democratic elections in the Philippines and India in 2019 yielded a paradoxical result: the strengthening of the political hegemony of personalities partial to authoritarian rule. An examination of...
You Are Not My Customer

I argue that it is degrading (and therefore insulting) for university administrators to refer to students as “customers” or “consumers” and to refer to instructors as “vendors” or “service-providers.” There is nothing inherently wrong with economic analysis, much less with economics as an academic discipline; nor is there anything objectionable per se about commerce or the commercialization of (mere) things; but economic terminology must not be allowed to encroach on institutions, practices, or relationships (such as the teacher-student relationship) that have special meaning and value.