cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NONRANDOM MATING AND PRODUCTIVITY OF ADULT AND SUBADULT COOPER'S HAWKS

Abstract Among 90 independent pairings of Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) in Tucson, Arizona, fewer adult-subadult pairings and more adult-adult and subadult-subadult pairings occurred than was expected. On average, hatching occurred at nests of adult pairs five days earlier than subadult male-adult female pairs, 12 days earlier than adult male-subadult female pairs, and 19 days earlier than subadult pairs. Brood sizes were largest among adult pairs, lower among mixed-age pairs, and smallest among subadult pairs. Adult female Cooper's Hawks nested earlier and had larger broods than subadult females, but brood size did not differ between subadult females paired with adult or subadult males. Adult pairs fledged significantly more young per year than mixed-age and subadult pairs. Differences in phenology between adult and subadult Cooper's Hawks may be associated with adults being preferred as mates. Differences in productivity, however, may be more closely associated with age-related constraints on repr...
Toward a MatlabMPI Parallelized Immersed Boundary method

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on domain decomposition techniques applied to the immersed boundary method (IBM) to decrease computation time. The chapter presents the results in the context of parallel Matlab. Matlab is a high-level technical computing language and interactive environment for algorithm development, data visualization, and numerical computation that is widely used by the bioengineers. MPI, the library specification for message-passing, is a standard for a broadly based committee of implementers. Matlab MPI is a set of Matlab scripts that implements a subset of MPI and allows any Matlab program to be run on a parallel computer. The immersed boundary method (IBM), originally developed by C.S. Peskin, is a practical method of simulating fluid-structure interactions. The method combines Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions of flow and moving elastic boundaries using Dirac delta functions to distribute the force density. Incompressible Navier–Stokes and Elasticity theory can be unified by the same set of equations to get a combined model of the interaction.
Rio: I/O Sharing Between Mobile Systems

A user nowadays owns a variety of mobile systems, including smartphones, tablets, smartglasses and smartwatches, each equipped with a plethora of I/O devices, such as cameras, speakers, microphones, sensors and cellular modems. There are many interesting use cases for allowing an application running on one mobile system to access I/O devices on another system, for three fundamental reasons. (i) Mobile systems can be in different physical locations or orientations. For example, one can control a smartphone's high-resolution camera from a tablet to more easily capture a self-portrait. (ii) Mobile systems can serve different users; for example, one can play music for another user if one's smartphone can access the other system's speaker. (iii) Certain mobile systems have unique I/O devices due to their distinct form factors and targeted use cases. For example, a user can make a phone call from her tablet using the modem and SIM card in her smartphone.
Remote sensing of water tracks

Water tracks are an intrinsic part of the surficial drainage network in the foothills of the Brooks Range, Alaska. They preferentially transport water off hill slopes and represent the interplay between hydrology, vegetation, geomorphology and permafrost characteristics. This research on mapping the location of water tracks builds on previous work which demonstrated that different types of water tracks exist due to difference primarily driven by geomorphology. We used a combination method where spectral classifications, texture and topography were fed into random forests to identify the water track classes. The most accurate distributions were obtained for the organic-rich and wide water track classes. The distinct linear shapes of the water tracks could also be visualized for many of the classes, especially in areas where the water tracks were particularly discrete. The biggest challenges to mapping the water tracks were due to class imbalances and high variability within and overlapping between classes. This research presents a significant step forward in understanding periglacial landscape dynamics.
Adherence, Augmented Adherence, and Aggregation of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Adherence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to nylon fiber was found to be plasmaindependent and distinct from the processes of augmented adherence, leukocyte aggregation, and inhibition of random leukocyte migration, all of which are dependent on "activated" plasma. Nylon fibers were unable to "activate" plasma, in contrast to the complement-activating agent zymosan. Prior incubation of plasma with antiserum to the third component of complement (C3) inhibited aggregation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes by plasma incubated with zymosan, and heat-inactivation blocked augmentation of adherence by treatment of plasma with zymosan.
Mechanism of Inhibition of Gastric Secretion in the Rat Following Bile Duct Ligation.

SummaryGastric secretory activity (volume and free HCl concentration) in the pylorus ligated rat is inhibited by bile duct ligation. This is not due to removal of bile from the intestine but appears to be due to increase in level of circulating bile constituents, particularly bile salts, resulting from obstruction to the outflow of bile from the liver.
Preliminary Maneuver Analysis for the Europa Clipper Multiple-Flyby Mission

A multiple-flyby mission to the Jovian moon Europa has been proposed. Currently known as the Europa Clipper, the primary objective of this mission would be to observe the science-rich environment of Europa. After a launch in 2021 and a 6.5-year cruise, the Europa Clipper spacecraft would orbit Jupiter’s system for a 3.5-year tour. During the Europa Clipper tour, propulsive maneuvers would be necessary to correct the spacecraft’s trajectory due to flyby dispersions. Maneuvers would be accomplished through the use of two independent propulsion systems. The bi-propellant main engine assembly performs large maneuvers, while the reaction control system thrusters handle small trajectory corrections. This paper presents the feasibility of the proposed tour by producing statistical ∆V results given by the reference trajectory and orbit determination covariance analysis. Preliminary results show that the tour’s statistical ∆V average would be approximately 4 m/s per flyby. This result is comparable to the Cassini Mission at Saturn statistical predictions prior to Saturn Orbit Insertion. However, the number of maneuvers within the typical petal orbit petal duration (i.e. approximately 14 days between Europa flybys) could present challenges to the operational schedule, including the placement of contingency maneuver opportunities. This paper describes the navigation-sensitive portions of the trajectory and offers recommendations to improve robustness.
Agent-Relativity, Reason, and Value

Analyse des arguments de S.Scheffler contre les theories imposant des contraintes de relativite de l'agent sur les decisions morales. Non consequentialisme de l'A.
Influence Factors on Grain Deformation and Refinement Mechanisms during Plastic Deformation

With the development of techniques for preparing ultrafine-grained and nanostructured materials in the past decades,the microstructures of ultrafine-grained and nanostructured materials were widely investigated due to their unique microstructures and superior properties.The influences of stacking fault energy,stain rate and deformation temperature during plastic deformation were discussion.The results show: as the stacking fault energy reduces,the dominated plastic deformation mechanism changes from dislocation slipping to mechanical twinning.It is benefit to refine grain.Increasing strain rate and reducing deformation temperature are helpful to suppress dynamic recovery and enhance flow stress,which lead to form grains with smaller sizes.
Multiple Adverse Experiences and Child Cognitive Development

During childhood and adolescence, children's social environments shape their cognitive development. Children exposed to multiple adversities in their social environment are more likely to have poorer cognitive outcomes. These findings have prompted interest among pediatric and public health communities to screen and connect youth to appropriate interventions that ameliorate the detrimental effects of adverse exposures. Such intervention efforts can be improved with a stronger conceptual understanding of the relationship between multiple adverse exposures and child cognitive development. This includes disentangling adverse exposures from other risk factors or underlying mechanisms, specifying mechanisms of action, and determining when adverse exposures are most detrimental. This review summarizes findings from the literature on each of these areas and proposes a conceptual model to guide further research and intervention.
A Study of Persistent Unilateral Middle Ear Effusion Caused by Occult Skull Base Lesions

The goal of this article is to review a series of patients with persistent unilateral middle ear effusion (MEE) and to suggest a more contemporary diagnostic algorithm. The author conducted a retrospective chart review of adults with persistent unilateral MEE and normal findings on physical and nasopharyngoscopic examinations whose MEE was eventually found to be caused by a variety of occult skull base lesions. The study population was made up of 79 patients-52 women and 27 men, aged 21 to 83 (mean: 54.8) at presentation-who had been referred to an academic tertiary care medical center between July 1, 1988, and June 30, 2008. Follow-up ranged from 9 months to 19.5 years (mean: 8.7 yr). Of this group, 50 patients (63.3%) had a malignant tumor, 26 (32.9%) had a benign tumor, and 3 (3.8%) had an internal carotid artery aneurysm. Eustachian tube occlusion had been caused by diffuse invasion in 33 patients (41.8%), by intracranial pathology in 24 (30.4%), and by extracranial-infratemporal lesions in 22 (27.8%). Nasopharyngoscopy cannot identify a variety of rare skull base lesions that cause eustachian tube compression or tissue invasion that ultimately leads to MEE. Therefore, patients with unexplained persistent unilateral MEE should undergo coronal magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography to look for any intra- or extracranial lesions before undergoing ventilation tube placement.
Coping with the burden of taste alteration, a toxicity of taxane-based chemotherapy.

e19531 Background: Taste alteration is a poorly recognized toxicity of chemotherapy, with limited research. This study examined the experience of taste alteration in female breast cancer patients treated with taxane chemotherapy. We explored the self-management coping strategies utilized by patients. Methods: A purposive sample of 25 patients currently receiving docetaxel or paclitaxel or within six months of having completed treatment was recruited. This exploratory, descriptive study utilized semi-structured interviews and patient-level data from the electronic medical record. Interview data were analyzed with the constant comparative method. Descriptive statistics were used for patient-level data. Results: Participants were 24-60 years of age, mean 46. Ten patients received docetaxel and 15 received paclitaxel. Of all side effects reported from taxanes, the most common was taste alteration (7 (70%) docetaxel patients, 3 (20%) paclitaxel patients). Taste alteration was described as a metallic taste, bad...
The Analytical Model of Country Resources, Country Image, and Foreign Direct Investment: The Country Branding Implications

With the potential economic, political, and strategic values inherent in developing a favorable country image, country branding has received increasing scrutiny from both practitioners and researchers in the last decade (Anholt 1998; Dinnie 2008; Olins 2002; Popadopoulos and Heslop 2002; Sun and Paswan 2011, 2012). The country as a brand represents the intangible assets of the country, encompassing various dimensions such as politics, economics, culture, history, social psychology, and technology. Although extant studies focus on various factors relevant to country brand and country branding (Fan 2006; Florek and Conejo 2006; Loo and Davies 2006; O’Shaughnessy and O’Shaughnessy 2000), there is a lack of an organizing mechanism to connect the factors identified in the literature. This study focuses on the outcome factor of country branding foreign direct investment (FDI) and intends to clarify the associations between different antecedent factors of country branding and FDI.
Local characterization of free-field ground motion and effects of wave passage

abstract A simple model of the seismic source and of the propagation medium is used to obtain a local representation of the free-field ground motion in terms of a small number of equivalent dispersive plane waves. Numerical values for the equivalent phase velocities entering in the representation are presented for different epicentral distances and source depths. Based on the local characterization of the free-field motion, estimates of the magnitude of the effects of nonvertically incident seismic waves on the response of foundations and structures are presented.
Mathematical properties of numerical inversion for jet calibrations

Abstract Numerical inversion is a general detector calibration technique that is independent of the underlying spectrum. This procedure is formalized and important statistical properties are presented, using high energy jets at the Large Hadron Collider as an example setting. In particular, numerical inversion is inherently biased and common approximations to the calibrated jet energy tend to over-estimate the resolution. Analytic approximations to the closure and calibrated resolutions are demonstrated to effectively predict the full forms under realistic conditions. Finally, extensions of numerical inversion are presented which can reduce the inherent biases. These methods will be increasingly important to consider with degraded resolution at low jet energies due to a much higher instantaneous luminosity in the near future.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Nepantla: Gloria Anzaldúa and the Queer Fruit of Aztec Philosophy

A particular twenty-first-century understanding of the Aztec concept nepantla, one which has recently taken hold in critical education thanks to the writings of Gloria Anzaldua, does not accurately...
The Significance of Upfront Knowledge of N2 Disease in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Previous literature suggests that patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and unsuspected N2 disease (cN0, pN2) represent a distinct subgroup associated with improved overall survival compared to patients with N2 disease identified prior to resection (cN2, pN2). Retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database of patients from 2004 to 2011 with cN0 and cN2 status found to be pathologic stage III-N2 NSCLC after surgical resection. Comparison of 5-year survival of patients with unsuspected N2 disease versus those with known N2 disease after surgical resection using Kaplan–Meier analysis was made. The independent effect of unsuspected N2 disease on mortality was analyzed using multivariate analysis. A total of 3271 patients with pathologic stage III-N2 NSCLC underwent curative intent surgical resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiation. Unsuspected N2 disease was identified in 48% of patients. Patients with unsuspected N2 disease were more likely to have T1 tumors (37 vs. 32%, p < 0.001). Unsuspected N2 disease did not impact 5-year overall survival compared with known N2 when adjuvant therapy was utilized (40 vs. 37%, p = 0.167). Multivariate analysis identified older age, higher comorbidity score, and treatment with surgery alone as independent risk factors for mortality. The presence of unsuspected N2 disease was not significant in this model. The findings of this study suggest that unsuspected N2 disease is associated with equivalent 5-year survival compared to cN2 disease when adjuvant therapy is employed. These results support the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy when confronted with unsuspected N2 disease after surgical resection for stage IIIA-NSCLC.
Mathematical Creativity: Psychology, Progress and Caveats.

The aim of this paper is to provide a concise survey of advances in the study of the psychology of creativity, with an emphasis on literature that is typically not cited in mathematics education. In spite of claims that mathematical creativity is an ill-defined area of inquiry in mathematics education, the literature from psychology can serve as an illustration for steady progress on numerous fronts including well defined terminology, established links between constructs (e.g., creativity and intelligence; creativity and motivation), integrated perspectives that resolve dichotomies (e.g., process vs product), and theories that are verifiable through empirical research. Psychology can provide us with prospects to pursue well defined lines of inquiry, and absolve us from the pressure of re-inventing well known findings. Three postulates and corollaries are provided with caveats to provoke readers and to stimulate future progress.
Firearm storage and shooting experience: factors relevant to the practical capability for suicide

The capability for suicide is posited to facilitate the relatively rare transition from suicidal ideation to suicidal behavior, although the operational definition of the construct continues to evolve. The Three Step Theory proposes that capability is multifaceted and includes practical capability for suicide, defined as comfort with and access to lethal means. Empirical examinations of this construct are thus far limited. Two previous studies have examined the association between firearm storage and shooting experience and common measures of capability for suicide. This study expands the generalizability of previous findings by investigating the relationship between capability for suicide, firearm storage practices, and experience shooting a firearm in a sample of 300 American firearm owners. We found that individuals who store their firearms unsafely (loaded, in a non-secure location, or without a locking device) and who have greater experience shooting firearms have significantly higher capability for suicide. These findings extend the evidence for the construct of practical capability as it relates to firearms and highlight the need for firearm-specific means safety measures to prevent suicide.
Development of a short form to assess perceived freedom in leisure.

The paper describes the development of two versions of a short form to measure “perceived freedom in leisure.” These scales are based on Ellis and Witt's (1984) earlier development of five scales t...
An Examination of the Underlying Usefulness of Financial Ratios

Fifty or so years ago, the concept of the financial ratio was popularized as a means of eliminating or adjusting for the effect of firm size in cross-sectional analyses of financial statements. Since that time, financial ratios have been used in hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of research studies and even more financial analyses, but to date there has been no thorough research into the extent to which financial ratios do in fact control for size effects in cross-sectional analyses. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the extent to which the cross-sectional comparison of financial ratios is confounded by firm size. Overall, the results show that both the means and standard deviations of ratios are dependent on size and that a severe (previously unknown) confounding and biasing effect exists. As is discussed in the paper, dependence of means and standard deviations of ratios on size is likely to have serious biasing effects on OLS estimators for regressions that include financial ratios on their right-hand sides. Further, simply adding a size variable to the model will not solve the problem, because in general the ratio coefficients will vary with size when the standard deviations of the ratios depend on size. In addition, if a size variable is added to the model, the estimator for its coefficient will in general be biased.
Groucho: A Corepressor with Instructive Roles in Development

Drosophila Groucho (Gro) is the founding member of a family of metazoan corepressors. Gro mediates repression through interactions with a myriad of DNA-binding repressor proteins to direct the silencing of genes involved in many developmental processes, including neurogenesis and patterning of the main body axis, as well as receptor tyrosine kinase/Ras/MAPK, Notch, Wingless (Wg)/Wnt, and Decapentaplegic (Dpp) signaling. Gro mediates repression by multiple molecular mechanisms, depending on the regulatory context. Because Gro is a broadly expressed nuclear factor, whereas its repressor partners display restricted temporal and spatial distribution, it was presumed that this corepressor played permissive rather than instructive roles in development. However, a wide range of studies demonstrates that this is not the case. Gro can sense and integrate many cellular inputs to modulate the expression of variety of genes, making it a versatile corepressor with crucial instructive roles in development and signaling.
Silicon Substitution in Oxazine Dyes Yields Near-Infrared Azasiline Fluorophores That Absorb and Emit beyond 700 nm

Exchanging the bridging oxygen atom in rhodamine dyes with a dimethylsilyl group red-shifts their excitation and emission spectra, transforming orange fluorescent rhodamines into far-red Si-rhodamines. To study the effect of this substitution in other dye scaffolds, synthetic approaches to incorporate silicon into the bridging position of oxazine dyes were developed. The fluorescence of the compact azasiline dyes ASiFluor710 and ASiFluor730 is red-shifted by 57–83 nm from that of Oxazine 1.
Evolutionary divergence of neuroanatomical organization and related genes in chimpanzees and bonobos.

Abstract Given their close genetic relatedness to humans, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) offer an essential comparative framework for studying the evolution of uniquely human traits. These two species differ markedly in their socio-behavioral repertoires, which is reflected in neuroanatomical differences that have been reported in the literature. However, phylogenetic comparative methods have not yet been used to map the evolution of neuroanatomical traits in bonobos and chimpanzees, limiting our ability to understand which neural systems are derived in each species in relation to the last common ancestor of Pan (Pan-LCA). Here, we examine evolutionary changes in neuroanatomical traits of bonobos and chimpanzees relative to ancestral character reconstructions of the Pan-LCA using comparative datasets from hominoids. We found that bonobo brains are derived in showing reduction of whole brain and white matter volumes, with particularly striking reduction of male brain size compared to the inferred Pan-LCA value. Brain structures related to social cognition and emotional regulation, like the insular cortex and amygdala, display a mosaic pattern of evolution with certain traits changing to a greater extent in each species. Examination of potential genetic mechanisms underlying divergence of neural and social traits did not reveal clear differences in protein evolution patterns between the two species. These findings suggest that the brain anatomy of extant bonobos and chimpanzees show lineage-specific specializations and neither can be considered to more closely retain the ancestral state of Pan. Consequently, this raises questions about the extent that modern chimpanzees or bonobos may serve as referential models for the neuroanatomy of the LCA of humans and apes.
Abstract 538: Procedural Characteristics and Outcomes in Women with Hyperuricemia after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: Serum uric acid may serve as a marker of cardiovascular events and outcomes in men, but further studies are required to determine its role in women. We aimed to determine differences in...
Outcomes of Lung Transplant Recipients 70 and Over

Purpose Lung transplant (LTx) in older adults has been gaining attention as average life expectancy continues to rise. Long-term survival of LTx recipients ≥70 is worse than in younger recipients, but the question remains: Is advanced age (≥70 years) reason to withhold life-prolonging treatment if a patient's risk profile is otherwise acceptable? Methods We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who underwent LTx between 2012 and 2016. Patients were divided into groups according to age: Group A ( Results Of the 375 patients who underwent LTx during the study period, 221 (59%) were in Group A, 109 (29%) were in Group B, and 45 (12%) were in Group C. Group C was mostly men (37/45 [82%]; p=0.003) and had the highest mean serum creatinine at listing (p=0.02). Compared with Group A, Group C had better forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1; p Conclusion LTx in patients over 70 can have acceptable clinical outcomes. 1- and 3-year survival were comparable between patients ages 65-69 and ≥70, but survival significantly decreased in patients over 65. Age of 70 or older should not be an absolute contraindication to LTx if the patient's risk profile is otherwise acceptable.
Comparing predictive measures and model functions for estimating plant biomass: lessons from a sagebrush–rabbitbrush community

Biologists often use predictive models to estimate plant biomass non-destructively. These models take many forms and employ a variety of predictor measures; however, it is frequently unclear which models produce the most accurate predictions. Here, I asked how model accuracy differed among model functions and predictor measures for estimating plant aboveground biomass and whether there were general trends associated with the amount of variability in the predictor measures. In a sagebrush–rabbitbrush meadow in Colorado, USA, I measured the aboveground biomass and corresponding predictor measures (height, cover, and volume) of 50 forb and shrub species representing 19 plant families. I applied four model functions (simple linear, second-degree polynomial, exponential, and power) to each predictor measure for every species, calculated the accuracy of predicted values using cross-validation, and then compared accuracy across model functions and predictors. I found that choice of predictor measure and model function had an interactive effect on model accuracy. Plant cover and volume were more accurate predictors than height and had high accuracy when fitted with simple linear, polynomial, or power regression, but not an exponential function. Cover and height were more accurate predictors when there was greater variability in these measures. This study indicates that accurate predictive models of forb and shrub biomass can frequently be easily obtained using simple linear regression and cover or volume data. Curvilinear functions can have greater predictive accuracy for some species, but not as many as may be expected based on the prevalence of allometric models in the literature.
Induced corpora lutea in the postpartum beef cow. II. Effects of treatment with progestogen and gonadotropins.

Seventy-three multiparous beef cows (21 to 35 d postpartum) were used in an experiment with a 2 X 4 factorial design to test the effects of pretreatment with norgestomet and preovulatory gonadotropic stimulation on the life span of corpora lutea induced by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Cows were implanted subcutaneously for 9 d with norgestomet (3 mg; 35 cows) or sham-implanted (38 cows). HCG (1,000 IU) was administered in to all cows 36 h (time = 0) after implant removal. Each cow received one of the following treatments: (1) pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG; 750 IU) in a single subcutaneous injection 48 h prior to hCG (-48 h); (2) follicle stimulation hormone (FHS-P) in saline (10 mg) in a series of four subcutaneous injections (2.5 mg/injection) at -48, -36, -24 and -12 h; (3) FSH-P in 5% beeswax-sesame oil (10 mg) administered as in 2; or (4) saline, administered as in 2. Samples of serum taken at the time of implantation, at the time of implant removal and daily on d 5 to 20 after administration of hCG were assayed for progesterone. Samples taken at 12-h intervals from -48 to +12 h were assayed for estradiol-17 beta. Cows were observed for estrus at 6-h intervals from 24 to 60 h after implant removal and twice daily until d 22. Seventy-one percent of the cows (25/35) were in standing estrus from 29 to 60 h after removal of a norgestomet implant, compared to 16% of the sham-implanted cows (six of 38). As determined by progesterone in serum and by palpation of the ovaries, 88% of the cows (64/73) formed corpora lutea in response to hCG, with a tendency (P less than or equal to .10) for a positive effect of pretreatment with norgestomet (94 vs 82%). The life span of corpora lutea was longer (P less than or equal to .01) in cows treated with norgestomet (19.6 d) than in sham-implanted cows (13.4 d). Level of function of the induced corpora lutea as indicated by the pattern of daily concentrations of progesterone in serum was increased by pretreatment with either norgestomet (P less than .01) or gonadotropin (P less than .05), but there was no interaction of these treatments. The mean level of estrogen before ovulation was increased (P less than .01) by pretreatment with norgestomet or any regimen of gonadotropin, and, again, there was no significant interaction. Pretreatment with progestogen was associated with a higher pattern of concentration of estrogen over time (P less than .01).
Der theologische Antichiliasmus

The motive for writing the article is the perception, on the ground of Christian theology, of the challenge of chiliasm trying to embed eternal things (salvation) in history, especially when it is hidden in the programs of socio-political movements. The aim of the article is to show that Christian theology has always been against chiliasm. This goal was achieved by referring to the thoughts of St. Augustine, Luther and Paul Althaus - theologians representing three different historical periods. The arguments against chiliasm taken from these theologians are of anthropological nature (the implementation of the Kingdom of God exceeds the human capacity) and indicate the importance of structures (state, church) in ensuring stability and durability on earth.
Establishing repeatability and ruggedness of chiral separations in micellar electrokinetic chromatography mass spectrometry: Combined use of covalently bonded capillary column and molecular micelles.

Abstract Although micellar electrokinetic chromatography-mass spectrometry (MEKC-MS) using bare silica capillary filled with molecular micelles is an advantageous hyphenated technique for chiral analysis, it is still in the developmental stage. This is mainly because of the lower repeatability of retention time and peak area associated with the difficulty in controlling electroosmotic flow on bare silica capillaries. Besides the lower robustness and electrospray erosion of the fused-silica capillary tip, the lifetime is limited for 10–15 runs per capillary column. We have tested a new MEKC-MS method to eradicate this problem using a covalently bonded 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane-sulfonic acid (AMPS) column filled with free floating molecular micelles, polysodium N-undecenoxy carbonyl-L-leucinate (poly-L-SUCL). Simultaneous enantiomeric separations and MS/MS detection of three β-blockers [atenolol (ATEN), metoprolol (METO) and, pindolol (PINDO)] was achieved within 25 min with improved column lifetime of at least 45–50 runs. Excellent repeatability of retention time was observed for β-blockers, as evidenced by the relative standard deviation of less than 2% and 3% for intra-capillary and inter-capillary column, respectively. The linear calibration range of both β-blockers was simultaneously established using enantiomers of PINDO as an internal standard. The limit of detection and the lower limit of quantitation were 0.2 μg/mL and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively, for both ATEN and METO. Acceptable recovery of the enantiomeric content of the commercial METO tablet (98-99.5%) and ATEN tablet (89-92.5%) were obtained with adequate system suitability for the precision of peak area (≤10% RSD) under optimum conditions. The developed MEKC-MS approach was extended, which provided broader repeatibility of chiral separation to a panel of primary, secondary and tertiary amines as well as one anionic chiral compound.
Ibrutinib treatment inhibits breast cancer progression and metastasis by inducing conversion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells to dendritic cells.

Ibrutinib is a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) and interleukin-2-inducible kinase (ITK) inhibitor used for treating chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and other cancers. Although ibrutinib is known to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cell growth in vitro, its impact on the treatment and metastasis of breast cancer is unclear. Using an orthotopic mouse breast cancer model, we show that ibrutinib inhibits the progression and metastasis of breast cancer. Ibrutinib inhibited proliferation of cancer cells in vitro, and Ibrutinib-treated mice displayed significantly lower tumour burdens and metastasis compared to controls. Furthermore, the spleens and tumours from Ibrutinib-treated mice contained more mature DCs and lower numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which promote disease progression and are linked to poor prognosis. We also confirmed that ex vivo treatment of MDSCs with ibrutinib switched their phenotype to mature DCs and significantly enhanced MHCII expression. Further, ibrutinib treatment promoted T cell proliferation and effector functions leading to the induction of antitumour TH1 and CTL immune responses. Ibrutinib inhibits tumour development and metastasis in breast cancer by promoting the development of mature DCs from MDSCs and hence could be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer.
Microarthropod abundance and community structure along a chronosequence within the Tanana River floodplain, Alaska

We investigated abundance and community structure of soil microarthropods in three stages of a primary successional chronosequence along the Tanana River in interior Alaska: early-successional alde...
Study of Different Deep Learning Approach with Explainable AI for Screening Patients with COVID-19 Symptoms: Using CT Scan and Chest X-ray Image Dataset

The outbreak of COVID-19 disease caused more than 100,000 deaths so far in the USA alone. It is necessary to conduct an initial screening of patients with the symptoms of COVID-19 disease to control the spread of the disease. However, it is becoming laborious to conduct the tests with the available testing kits due to the growing number of patients. Some studies proposed CT scan or chest X-ray images as an alternative solution. Therefore, it is essential to use every available resource, instead of either a CT scan or chest X-ray to conduct a large number of tests simultaneously. As a result, this study aims to develop a deep learning-based model that can detect COVID-19 patients with better accuracy both on CT scan and chest X-ray image dataset. In this work, eight different deep learning approaches such as VGG16, InceptionResNetV2, ResNet50, DenseNet201, VGG19, MobilenetV2, NasNetMobile, and ResNet15V2 have been tested on two dataset-one dataset includes 400 CT scan images, and another dataset includes 400 chest X-ray images studied. Besides, Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) is used to explain the model's interpretability. Using LIME, test results demonstrate that it is conceivable to interpret top features that should have worked to build a trust AI framework to distinguish between patients with COVID-19 symptoms with other patients.
Crime distortion within the NYPD: a potential method for estimating crime misclassification within CompStat statistics

Since the advent of CompStat in 1994, the NYPD contends that felony crimes have decreased throughout NYC, specifically within the seven-major felony index crime categories. Previous work from Etern...
Determining Efficacy of Intervention in the Limitation of Opioid and Benzodiazepine Co-Prescription.

Introduction Multiplying the effects of central nervous system and respiratory depression, benzodiazepines are involved in 30 percent of opioid overdoses. The mortality rate in co-administration of both medications is 10 times higher than those taking only opioids. The medication labels even contain direct instructions or "black box" labels warning against their use in conjunction. However, opioids and benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed together by providers, regardless of these contraindications. The purpose of this manuscript was to bring further attention to the opioid crisis and to study the effect of a simple and cost-effective intervention in reducing the co-administration of benzodiazepines and opioids. Methods A didactic clinical presentation along with handouts outlining the epidemiology of co-administration of benzodiazepines and opioids, side effects of each medication class, alternatives to consider prior to initiating therapy, guidelines on how to avoid medication misuse, recommendations for when to taper medications, and examples of how to taper these medications was made to attendings and residents of one family medicine clinic in a small, midwestern community. The number of patients co-prescribed these medications at this clinic was determined by searching the electronic medical record, the intervention was given, and three months later the number was measured again for comparison. Results The intervention did not result in a significant decrease in those co-prescribed benzodiazepines and opioids. Conclusions This study opens the door to future studies investigating longer time frames, decreases in dosages, and patients appropriately prescribed these medications. Alternative interventions such as medical record notifications and more frequent education sessions provide direction for continued research in an effort to impact the epidemic our country is facing with the use of opioids, benzodiazepines and other prescription pain medications.
Mode Conversion in Cylindrical Waveguides Using Metasurfaces

A general method to convert between azimuthally-invariant TM 0n cylindrical waveguide modes using metasurfaces is presented. Mode conversion is achieved by a metasurface comprising cascaded electric impedance sheets that vary radially. The metasurface is described by a modal scattering matrix that relates the incident and reflected modes on both sides of the metasurface. The sheets’ impedance profiles of the metasurface are designed to realize stipulated modal scattering matrix entries. As an example, a mode splitter that divides the power of an incident TM 01 mode evenly between TM 01 and TM 02 modes is reported at 10 GHz. The method presented can be used to design metasurfaces that arbitrarily transform wavefronts in both amplitude and phase.
Teaching methods that foster self-efficacy belief: Perceptions of collegiate musicians from the United States:

Self-efficacy belief is a strong predictor of successful performance. Developmental differences in the acquisition of self-beliefs have been attributed to myriad individual and contextual factors, ...
Determinants of German and Japanese Exports: A Comparative Study

This study investigates the determinants of German and Japanese exports in a comparative fashion. By estimating an autoregressive distributed lag model for each country, we find that the income elasticity of Japanese exports is three times as large as that of Germany’s exports. This relative insensitivity to external demand explains why Germany has maintained its export growth whereas Japanese exports started to stagnate after the global financial crisis. Because Germany adopted the euro in 1999, it was able to maintain large trade surpluses. If Germany had instead kept the Deutsche Mark (DM), the DM would have appreciated owing to the Central Bank of Germany’s consistent preference for a tight monetary policy, and Germany’s trade surpluses would have dissipated. A sharp increase in Japanese foreign direct investment after 2011 has also played a role in reducing Japanese exports after the global financial crisis.
Neural network is heterogeneous: Phase matters more.

We find a heterogeneity in both complex and real valued neural networks with the insight from wave optics, claiming a much more important role of phase in the weight matrix than its amplitude counterpart. In complex-valued neural networks, we show that among different types of pruning, the weight matrix with only phase information preserved achieves the best accuracy, which holds robustly under various depths and widths. The conclusion can be generalized to real-valued neural networks, where signs take the place of phases. These inspiring findings enrich the techniques of network pruning and binary computation.
Transcatheter stenting of the systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt: A 7-year experience from a single tertiary center.

Background Systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt (SPS) dysfunction can be deleterious in shunt dependent patients and traditionally have undergone surgical revision. Data on transcatheter stenting of SPS is limited. We sought to evaluate feasibility, safety and outcomes of stenting SPS. Methods Retrospective review of all patients who underwent transcatheter SPS stenting from 1/2006 to 12/2013. Results Of 229 surgically implanted SPS, 25 transcatheter stent interventions were performed in 22 patients. The majority had pulmonary atresia (n = 9) or HLHS (n = 10). Their median age was 4 ms (range 10 days to 4 years) and median weight 4.9 kg (range 3–14). Nine had a central and 15 had a BT shunt with a median shunt size of 3.75 mm (range 3–6). The interval from shunt placement to intervention was 1.9 ms (range 4 days–3.8 years). The indication for intervention was increasing cyanosis in10 patients and delaying final repair in 9. Two patients were on ECMO at the time of intervention. The median shunt diameter increased from 2.3 to 4.1 mm and oxygen saturation from 72 to 85% (P < 0.001). No intra-procedural complications were encountered. One patient died from aspiration (autopsy demonstrated a patent shunt), 13 progressed to repair or next stage, 6 remain palliated with shunts as they are deemed unfit for the next stage and 2 are awaiting surgery. Conclusions Stenting of systemic to pulmonary artery shunt is a safe and effective procedure and avoids surgical re-intervention. It can be performed both as a rescue procedure in patients with acute shunt occlusion and as an elective procedure to palliate patients not yet suitable for subsequent corrective or staged repair. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The use of β-lactams in the synthesis of spermine and spermidine alkaloids : Total synthesis of homaline

Abstract The optically active plant product homaline ( 6 ) has been synthesized in a convergent sequence starting with β-phenyl-β-alanine and putrescine ( 14 ) The key transformation in this sequence is the ring expansion by transamidation of a functionalized chiral β-lactam precursor
Neither intraocular grafts of retinal cell homogenates nor live non-retinal neurons produce behavioral recovery in rats with light-damaged retinas

Previously we have observed that fetal retinal cells grafted to the subretinal space of blind rats produced a functional recovery as determined by testing the visual inhibition of the startle response. Following those studies, we performed experiments to test whether the injection itself, cell by-products, or unrelated neural cells could also produce an effect. Visual function was tested by examining the inhibitory effect of a brief light flash (300 lx) on the acoustic startle response to an immediately following intense noise burst in light blinded Fischer 344 rats. Animals were tested before and after grafts of fetal retinal cell homogenates, dissociated perinatal cerebellar cells, and sham injections in the subretinal space. Behavioral testing continued every 2 wk for 14 wk after the graft. In the pretests, the light flash inhibited the startle response, maximal at intervals of 40-70 ms with recovery thereafter. In contrast, after exposure for 4 wk to fluorescent light (300 lx) and a rest in a normal 12/12 h light/dark environment the rats showed reflex facilitation to the light, maximal at an interval of 110 ms, followed by a late period of reflex inhibition. The light flash had no effect on other rats that had been blinded by bilateral enucleation. Light blinded animals receiving either cerebellar grafts or retinal cell homogenates were no different in performance from their sham injected control animals. The present data suggest that neither subretinal injections of neural cells nor non-specific neurochemical factors are able to elicit a positive behavioral response in visually impaired animals.
Why we need risk innovation

If emerging technologies such as nanotechnology are to reach their full potential we need to radically change our approach to risk, argues Andrew D. Maynard.
Sources of Constraint on Network Equilibrium

We agree with the authors' key point that the standard trait approach to personality does not provide a method for understanding the causal structure of personality. Furthermore, their new technique for visualizing structure shows promise. However, although genetic analyses are important, we think that they are, by themselves, inadequate as a source of information/constraint for understanding causal structure. Close attention must also be paid to the biological systems that they influence, the structure of social situations and the dynamics of the interactions among them. We outline one possible approach to these issues. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Standardized versus pharmacist-monitored individualized parenteral nutrition in low-birth-weight infants

The clinical contribution and cost effectiveness of pharmacist involvement in peripheral-vein total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in a neonatal intensive-care unit was studied. Fourteen neonates who received a standardized TPN solution without pharmacist monitoring (Group 1) were compared with 14 neonates who received an individualized TPN solution with pharmacist monitoring (Group 2). Infants were excluded from the study if they received oral feeding, or TPN for less than five days, or were fluid-restricted. No significant difference in mean gestational age, birth weight, gestational size, age at initiation of therapy, duration of therapy, or daily amount of fluid administered was found between the two groups. The mean weight gain in Group 1 (4.9 g/day) was significantly less than in Group 2 (11.8 g/day) (p less than 0.02). The amount of protein provided to Group 2 (2.2 g/kg/day) was significantly greater than to Group 1 (1.9 g/kg/day) (p less than 0.01). The number of calories provided per day was greater for Group 2 (63 kcal/kg/day) than for Group 1 (53 kcal/kg/day) (p less than 0.001). When only those infants who received lipids were analyzed, Group 2 received significantly more lipid (2.0 g/kg/day) than group 1 (1.5 g/kg/day) (p less than 0.001). The mean daily cost was greater for Group 2; however, when cost was related to efficacy, Group-2 cost per gram of weight gain was lower than Group-1 cost. Pharmacist monitoring of an individualized program of TPN in neonates provided a greater mean daily weight gain, allowed a greater amount of nutrients to be provided, and was cost effective compared with the use of a standardized solution without pharmacist monitoring.