cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Absence of Apparent Circadian Rhythms of Gonadotropins and Free α-Subunit in Postmenopausal Women: Evidence for Distinct Regulation Relative to Other Hormonal Rhythms:

Aging is associated with a decrease in gonadotropin levels in postmenopausal women (PMW) and is also associated with alterations in a number of circadian rhythms. The goals of this study were to determine the pres- ence of circadian rhythms of gonadotropins and glycoprotein free α-subunit (FAS) in young and old PMW. Healthy, euthyroid PMW, ages 45 to 55 years (n = 11) and 70 to 80 years (n = 11), were admitted in the morning to start a 24-h constant rou- tine of light, temperature, position, and activity. Subjects remained awake and semirecumbent for the duration of the study and were fed hourly snacks, and activity was monitored continuously. Blood was sampled every 5 min for two 8-h periods corresponding to the estimated acrophase and nadir of the temperature rhythm. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and FAS were measured in all samples and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and cortisol in 20-min serum pools. Mean LH (p < 0.001), FSH (p < 0.002), and FAS (p < 0.002) were lower in older compared with younger PMW. Day/night differ- ences in cortisol and TSH (p < 0.001) were present in all subjects. However, there were no day/night differences in LH in younger or older PMW or in FSH in younger or older PMW. There were no day/night differences in mean FAS in younger or older PMW or in FAS pulse frequency or amplitude. Thus, in controlled studies in which differences in cortisol and TSH were demonstrated, there were no day/night differences in LH, FSH, or FAS in PMW. These studies suggest that despite evidence of intact circadian rhythms of cortisol and TSH, gonadotropin secretion does not appear to follow a circadian pattern in PMW. Thus, the age- related decline in gonadotropin secretion in PMW is not associated with a damp- ening of circadian rhythmicity. The absence of day/night differences in FAS suggests that GnRH plays a more prominent role in FAS regulation than does thyrotropin-releasing hormone in PMW.
Development administration in the small developing state: a review.

Authors of recent case studies of the political and administrative practices of small developing states continue to disagree about the consequences of ‘smallness’ in promoting development. This paper reviews these arguments and attempts to clarify the issues surrounding the factor of state size and its impact on the relationship between politics and administration. The most important difficulty with providing any resolution to these arguments is the continued lack of comparative studies of administrative problems and potentials in small developing states.
Prevalence of autoimmune hematologic and non-hematologic conditions in large granular lymphocytic leukemia: exploratory analysis of a series of consecutive patients.

Large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia is a relatively rare but well-defi ned clonal lymphoproliferative disorder, typically of indolent clinical behavior and associated with certain autoimmune conditions including immune cytopenias. At our institution, we studied a series of consecutive patients with T-LGL leukemia in the outpatient setting and explored the prevalence of autoimmune hematologic and non-hematologic conditions. Th e presence of these conditions in our cohort was compared with their documented prevalence in the general population and was tested for statistical signifi cance using both χ 2 test and Fisher test for a small number of observations (95% confi dence); a p -value 0.05 was considered signifi cant. A total of 22 patients ( n 22) were diagnosed with LGL leukemia at our institution between the years 2004 and 2013. Th e vast majority of patients were originally referred to us for evaluation of asymptomatic peripheral cytopenias. Diagnosis of LGL leukemia was made according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2008 criteria including the following attributes: persistence of absolute or relative numbers of large granular lymphocytes without a clear etiology; unexplained cytopenias; aberrant T-cell antigen expression by fl ow cytometry; establishment of clonality via T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement studies; and/or demonstration of bone marrow involvement by LGL cells [1]. Th e clinicolaboratory data, peripheral blood immunophenotyping results, bone marrow morphology and fl ow cytometry, as well as TCR gene rearrangement studies at the time of diagnosis, were retrospectively reviewed. Th e majority of patients in our cohort were men (59%) and the median age was 75 years (range, 48 – 90) at the time of diagnosis. Most patients were asymptomatic at the time of presentation and had at least one peripheral blood abnormality associated with T-LGL leukemia. Leukopenia was present in 73% of cases, with a median leukocyte count of 3.4 10 9 /L (range, 1.7 – 3.9 10 9 /L); neutropenia was identifi ed in 63% of cases, with a median absolute neutrophil count of 1.1 10 9 /L (range, 0.2 – 1.7 10 9 /L). Lymphocyto
Karyotypic analysis of the gobiid fish genus Quietula Jordan and Evermann

The karyotypes of the two species of the gobiid fish genus Quietula, Q. y-cauda (Jenkins & Evermann) and Q. guaymasiae (Jenkins & Evermann), are reported for the first time. The karyotypes contained equal numbers of chromosomes (2n=42) but differed in chromosome morphology. Quietula y-cauda has 42 acrocentric chromosomes. Quietula guaymasiae has six metacentric, four submetacentric, and 32 acrocentric chromosomes. It is suggested the karyotype of Q. guaymasiae might have been derived from that of Q. y-cauda. In addition, from comparison of the species' karyotypes of the genera Quietula and Gillichthys, it is possible the karyotype of Q. y-cauda might have been derived from that of Gillichthys mirabilis.
Young children's knowledge about printed names.

Four experiments examined young children’s knowledge about the visual characteristics of writing, specifically personal names. Children younger than 4 years of age, even those who could read no simple words, showed some knowledge about the horizontal orientation of English names, the Latin letters that make them up, and their left-to-right directionality. Preschoolers also had some familiarity with the shapes of the letters in their own first name, especially the leftmost letter. Knowledge of the conventional capitalization pattern for English names emerged later, after a period during which children preferred names in all uppercase letters. When tested with personal names, the kind of word they know best, young children are surprisingly knowledgeable about the visual characteristics of writing.
Effective radiotherapy in palliating mammalgia associated with gynecomastia after DES therapy.

Abstract Between 1977 and 1986, 11 patients with painful gynecomastia after DES therapy were referred for palliative radiotherapy. The treatment regimens varied from 20 Gy in 5 fractions to 40 Gy in 20 fractions. All 11 patients had satisfactory pain relief on follow-up. All 7 patients who had more than 6 months follow-up had complete relief of mammalgia. The average interval between completion of radiotherapy to complete relief of mammalgia was 3.6 months. This study revealed that radiotherapy is highly effective in palliating mammalgia associated with gynecomasytia after DES therapy in prostate cancer patients.
Fixed-Point ECU Code Optimization and Verification with Model-Based Design

When implementing production software for fixed-point engine control units (ECUs) it is important to consider the code optimization and code verification strategies for the embedded algorithms. System and software engineers work together to design algorithms that satisfy the system performance requirements without significant numerical quantization results. Software engineers and suppliers in mass production environments then implement the design on an embedded system with limited memory and execution speed resources. The primary goals after design are to generate optimized code and verify that the implementation matches the original model’s functional behavior.
Effects of smoking and alcohol use on neurocognitive functioning in heavy drinking, HIV-positive men who have sex with men

High rates of cognitive impairment persist in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, despite improved health outcomes and reduced mortality through widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking are potential contributors to neurocognitive impairment in people living with HIV (PLWH), yet few studies have examined their influence concurrently. Here we investigated the effects of self-reported alcohol use and smoking on learning, memory, processing speed, verbal fluency, and executive function in 124 HIV-positive men who have sex with men [age (mean ± SD) = 42.8 ± 10.4 years], engaged with medical care. All participants were heavy drinkers. Duration of HIV infection averaged 9.9 ± 7.6 years, and 92.7% were on a stable ART regimen. Participants completed a neuropsychological battery and assessment of past 30-day substance use. Average number of drinks per drinking day (DPDD) was 5.6 ± 3.5, and 33.1% of participants were daily smokers. Rates of neurocognitive impairment were the highest in learning (50.8%), executive function (41.9%), and memory (38.0%). Multiple regression models tested DPDD and smoking status as predictors of neurocognitive performance, controlling for age and premorbid intelligence. Smoking was significantly, negatively related to verbal learning (p = .046) and processing speed (p = .001). DPDD was a significant predictor of learning (p = .047) in a model that accounted for the interaction of DPDD and smoking status. As expected, premorbid intelligence significantly predicted all neurocognitive scores (ps < .01), and older age was associated with slower processing speed (ps < .01). In conclusion, smoking appears to be associated with neurocognitive functioning deficits in PLWH beyond the effects of heavy drinking, aging, and premorbid intelligence. Smoking cessation interventions have the potential to be an important target for improving functional outcomes in heavy drinking PLWH.
Cloud forensics challenges from a service model standpoint: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS

Cloud computing is a promising and expanding technology which could replace traditional IT systems. Cloud computing resembles a giant pool of resources which contains hardware, software and related applications, which can be accessed through web-based services on a pay-per-usage model. The main features of the cloud model are accessibility, availability and scalability, and it can be subdivided into three service models: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Cloud computing continues to transform how security challenges are addressed in closed and private networks. Given the advanced functionality offered by cloud computing, network monitoring and digital forensics efforts are potentially detectable and service-interruptive, which significantly impacts the effectiveness and thoroughness of digital forensic methods. This paper presents a general view of cloud computing, which aims to highlight the security issues and vulnerabilities associated with cloud service models. The technology is mainly based on virtualization, where data is always volatile and typically stored in a de-centralized architecture located across various countries and regions. This presents forensics investigators with legal challenges, due to the nature of multi-tenancy and distributed shared resources. This paper examines the three cloud service models and discusses the security challenges and issues involved with each service model along with potential solutions for each.
Can Metabolic Profiles Be Used as a Phenotypic Readout of the Genome to Enhance Precision Medicine

The past decade has witnessed considerable advancements in sequencing technologies, which have allowed comprehensive investigation of genetic variation of individuals at a moderate cost and within a reasonable time frame. Personalized disease risk and drug response predictions based on genomic sequences are a cornerstone of preventive precision medicine, and have also been successful at informing therapeutic decisions. However, genomics is limited in predicting the onset of most common diseases (i.e., cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders) because genetic information is mostly static and does not account for dynamic environmental (i.e., diet and lifestyle) or gut microbiota influences. Metabolomics, the study of a large collection of metabolites, offers the advantage to measure the functional readout of activity and phenotype encoded in the genome. Hence, combining genetic and metabolic information provides a unique opportunity to gain further insights on how the genetic program is translated into biological function through metabolites, and how alterations in the program associate with the onset of diseases. This approach has already proven very useful at diagnosing and understanding the pathogenesis of rare inherited metabolic disorders. Furthermore, metabolic profiles are influenced by the environment and the gut microbes; thus metabolomics has the potential to unravel the impact of nongenetic factors on disease onset as well as reveal early biomarkers that may improve risk assessment and diagnosis of complex diseases. Thanks to rapid improvements in technology, mass spectrometry–based metabolomics can now robustly profile a broad spectrum of metabolites at a relatively low cost (1). The concept that genetic variations can be captured at the metabolite level in a population was first demonstrated in 2008 by Gieger et al. (2). That study gave a glimpse of the usefulness of combining genetic information with metabolic traits to understand the pathogenesis of common diseases and the influence of environment. In 2015, Guo …
SUBCUTANEOUS FAT NECROSIS ASSOCIATED WITH PANCREATITIS AND PORTAL CIRRHOSIS Report of a Case

Summary 1.A case of subcutaneous fat necrosis in association with pancreatitis, portal cirrhosis and cholelithiasis, is reported. 2.The extreme rarity of this condition is commented upon. It is possible that subcutaneous fat necrosis is another cutaneous manifestation of pancreatic disease, such as livedo reticularis and the Grey-Turner sign, which might be noted more frequently if a more thorough search were made.
Paramagnetic Fe 3 + in Li Al 5 O 8 : Magnetic Field Effects in the Mössbauer Spectrum

$^{57}\mathrm{Fe}^{3+}$ M\"ossbauer absorption spectra were collected for powder specimens of ${\mathrm{LiFe}}_{x}{\mathrm{Al}}_{5\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ with $x=0.005$. The effects on the spectra of applied magnetic fields with strength less than 1 kOe are interpreted in detail. A comparison of the calculated spectra using EPR parameters to the data is made. This comparison indicates (a) that the observed resonances which are sensitive to applied magnetic fields are associated with the \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1/2-spin Kramers's doublet of the ionic ground term; (b) that for zero applied field the field-sensitive resonances are affected drastically by dipolar fields originating from neighboring nuclei. The sign of the zero-field-splitting parameter $D$ is found to be negative. The value of the ground-state hyperfine-coupling constant is ${A}_{g}=(\ensuremath{-}2.45\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03)$ mm/sec, and that of the quadrupole-coupling constant is $2P=(+0.67\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03)$ mm/sec.
The electrically evoked cortical auditory event-related potential in children with auditory brainstem implants.

Objective This study explored the feasibility of measuring electrically evoked cortical auditory event-related potentials (eERPs) in children with auditory brainstem implants (ABIs). Design Five children with unilateral ABIs ranging in age from 2.8 to 10.2 years (mean: 5.2 years) participated in this study. The stimulus was a 100-msec biphasic pulse train that was delivered to individual electrodes in a monopolar stimulation mode. Electrophysiological recordings of the onset eERP were conducted in all subjects. Results The onset eERP was recorded in four subjects who demonstrated auditory perception. These eERP responses showed variations in waveform morphology across subjects and stimulating electrode locations. No eERPs were observed in one subject who received no auditory sensation from ABI stimulation. Conclusions eERPs can be recorded in children with ABIs who develop auditory perception. The morphology of the eERP can vary across subjects and also across stimulating electrode locations within subjects.
A commonly used ecto-ATPase inhibitor, ARL-67156, blocks degradation of ADP more than the degradation of ATP in murine colon.

Background Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) is released extracellularly as a neurotransmitter and an autocrine or paracrine mediator in numerous systems, including the gastrointestinal tract. It is rapidly degraded to active and inactive metabolites by membrane-bound enzymes. Investigators frequently use inhibitors of ATP hydrolysis such as ARL-67156 and POM-1 to suppress the catabolism of ATP and prolong its effects in pharmacological studies. Our aim was to investigate directly the effects of ARL-67156 and POM-1 on the degradation of ATP and adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) in mouse colonic muscles. Methods The degradation of ATP and ADP was evaluated by superfusing tissues with 1,N6-etheno-ATP (eATP) and 1,N6-etheno-ADP (eADP) as substrates and monitoring the decrease in substrate and increase in products (i.e., eADP, eAMP, and e-adenosine) by high-performance liquid chromatography techniques with fluorescence detection. Relaxation responses to etheno-derivatized and non-derivatized ATP and ADP were examined in isometric tension experiments. Key Results ARL-67156 inhibits the degradation of ADP but not of ATP, whereas POM-1 inhibits the degradation of ATP but not of ADP in murine colonic muscles. Consequently, ARL-67156 enhances relaxation responses to both ATP and ADP, whereas POM-1 reduces relaxation to ATP and does not affect relaxation to ADP. Conclusions & Inferences Studies that use ARL-67156 to inhibit ATP degradation in smooth muscle likely evaluate responses to accumulated ADP rather than ATP. POM-1 appears to be a more selective inhibitor of ATP degradation in the mouse colon. The choice of pharmacological tools in studies on extracellular ATP signaling may affect the interpretation of experimental data in functional studies.
Melatonin Receptors as Modulators of Methamphetamine-Mediated Behaviors

Abstract Drug-induced locomotor and reward-seeking behaviors, induced as a consequence of drugs of abuse, often display distinct variations across the 24-h day. This is especially well documented in mammals treated with the psychostimulant methamphetamine (METH), which triggers dysregulated dopamine release in the mesolimbic system. Time-dependent differences in the response magnitude suggest the involvement of physiological systems that govern circadian rhythms, which may be amenable to therapeutic targeting by agents aimed at treating addiction-related symptomatology. The pineal hormone melatonin signals the duration of the dark phase to brain and peripheral organs through the activation of MT 1 and/or MT 2 G protein–coupled receptor. MT 1 and/or MT 2 melatonin receptors appear to be necessary for the expression of METH-induced sensitization and reward behaviors, and may also play a role in determining the diurnal variations of these phenomena. Melatonin receptors may modulate these effects through downstream regulation of clock genes ( Per1 ) or processes (learning and memory) necessary for the sensitizing and reinforcing properties of METH and other drugs of abuse. MT 1 and/or MT 2 melatonin receptor activation appears to be a required mediator of METH actions. Hence, melatonin receptor antagonists may prove to be useful in attenuating METH abuse-related pathologies.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations

We are pleased to introduce this special issue of the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice on the marketing of high-technology products and innovations. The papers featured in this special issue are varied in focus, theory, methods, and implications. Prior to describing the papers in more detail, we describe the reason for the special issue.
Surface-enhanced infrared absorption studies of copper nanostructures formed by oblique-angle deposition

Abstract It is demonstrated that Cu nanostructures fashioned by oblique angle deposition (OAD) of gaseous Cu atoms onto CaF2 substrates have SEIRA enhancement factors that are close to par with Ag or Au nanostructures formed using vapor deposition at a normal deposition angle. Cu nanostructures grown at normal angle show about 5× in SEIRA enhancement of a p-nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA) monolayer and have a range of over 100 nm in particle size. Conversely, Cu nanostructures deposited by OAD show SEIRA enhancement of approximately 40× and are more uniform with approximate circular shapes averaging 25 nm and spacing less than 10 nm.
The Order of Places: Translocal Practices of the Huizhou Merchants in Late Imperial China, written by Yongtao Du, 2015 [Book Review]

Book review of: The Order of Places: Translocal Practices of the Huizhou Merchants in Late Imperial China. (Sinica Leidensia vol. 119.) By Yongtao Du. Leiden: Brill, 2015. Viii + 269 p. Ill.
Racial capitalism and punishment philosophy and practices: what really stands in the way of prison abolition

This paper explores punishment philosophy and practices in the United States from a critical criminological perspective, utilizing a racial capitalism framework to illustrate forces that impede pri...
The Case For Secure Delegation

Today's secure stream protocols, SSH and TLS, were designed for end-to-end security and do not include a role for semi-trusted third parties. As a result, users who wish to delegate some of their authority to third parties (e.g., to run SSH clients in the cloud, or to host websites on CDNs) rely on insecure workarounds such as ssh-agent forwarding and Keyless TLS. We argue that protocol designers should consider the delegation use-case explicitly, and we propose a definition of "secure" delegation: Before a principal agrees to delegate its authority, a system should provide it with secure advance notice of who will do what to whom under that authority. We developed Guardian Agent, a delegation system for the SSH protocol that, unlike ssh-agent forwarding, allows the user to control which delegate machines can run which commands on which servers. We were able to implement Guardian Agent in a way that remains fully compatible with existing SSH servers, by "handing over" a secure connection to the delegate once it has been set up. Additionally, we use this work to suggest a path for secure delegation on the Web.
Identification of Kinase-Dependent Signaling Pathways Regulated By Rap1b in Murine Platelets

Abstract Identifying signaling pathways regulated by Rap1b has been challenging using classical biochemical techniques. Using quantitative iTRAQ- and TiO2-based phosphoproteomics, we sought to identify protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) thrombin receptor-activated kinase cascades influenced by Rap1b in murine blood platelets. We identified a total of 1,783 phosphopeptides, and after screening for activation dependence, we found 7 phosphopeptides from 4 proteins that were >1.5-fold more abundant in WT compared to Rap1b-null mouse platelets and 5 phosphopeptides from 4 proteins were >1.5-fold more abundant in Rap1b-null. One protein that showed higher phosphorylation in activated WT platelets was Talin, which had 3 sites of increased phosphorylation: T430, S446, and S1201. The functions of these sites have yet to be determined, and the local sequences near these sites do not match any known kinase consensus sequences. Two of these sites, T430 and S446, are in close proximity to the Calpain cleavage site of Talin at Q432-Q433. We found Calpain cleavage of Talin was greater in PAR4-TRAP-activated Rap1b-null platelets compared to WT after 5 minutes of PAR4 stimulation. If phosphorylation inhibits Talin cleavage by Calpain, a possible explanation for the platelet defects seen in Rap1b-null platelets may be that cleavage of Talin reduces Talin clustering, and therefore integrin clustering, leading to reduced aggregation and reduced adhesion under shear. Other proteins identified include RhoGAP 18 (more abundant in WT) and ERK1/2 (more abundant in Rap1b-null). In conclusion, we have 1) used an unbiased proteomic approach to search for downstreams effectors of Rap1b during PAR4-mediated platelet activation, 2) identified 12 phosphopeptides from 8 unique proteins that had >1.5-fold difference in activated platelets from Rap1b-null mice versus WT mice, including Talin, RhoGAP18, and ERK1/2, and 3) identified a difference in Calpain-mediated Talin cleavage between activated plateles from Rap1b-null mice versus WT mice. These results suggest a signaling cascade from Rap1b to Talin, a known regulator of integrin activation. This work is supported by NIH Grant HL45000 and Blood Center Research Foundation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Brain-inspired computing exploiting carbon nanotube FETs and resistive RAM: Hyperdimensional computing case study

We demonstrate an end-to-end brain-inspired hyperdimensional (HD) computing nanosystem, effective for cognitive tasks such as language recognition, using heterogeneous integration of multiple emerging nanotechnologies. It uses monolithic 3D integration of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs, an emerging logic technology with significant energy-delay product (EDP) benefit vs. silicon CMOS [1]) and Resistive RAM (RRAM, an emerging memory that promises dense non-volatile and analog storage [2]). Due to their low fabrication temperature ( 20,000 sentences (6.4 million characters) per language pair. 2. One-shot learning (i.e., learning from few examples) using one text sample (∼100,000 characters) per language. 3. Resilient operation (98% accuracy) despite 78% hardware errors (circuit outputs stuck at 0 or 1). Our HD nanosystem consists of 1,952 CNFETs integrated with 224 RRAM cells.
Small and Smart: Why and How Smart City Solutions Can and Should be Adapted to the Unique Needs of Smaller Cities

Research and development on smart cities has been growing rapidly. Smart cities promise a new era of living efficiently, sustainably, and safely. The tools and technologies deployed aim to drive better public decision-making on everything from where we live to how we work. While the world is rapidly urbanizing, a substantial percentage of the population still lives in smaller and rural communities. Smart city solutions as they are defined here are process driven and not constrained by population or geographic metrics; they are the application of technology and data to improve the quality of life. Smaller communities can also be smart, and excluding or ignoring them widens inequality, limits use cases, and restrains innovation. Using South Bend, Indiana as an example, the authors examine the power and potential of smaller smart cities. They then transfer this thinking to Georgia and Georgia Tech’s initiative working with local governments across the state on smart community development. This article is one of the first of its kinds in examining smaller smart communities as models for smart living.
Complement activation and neutropenia occurring during cardiopulmonary bypass

Complement activation and pulmonary leukostasis with neutropenia occur in hemodialysis and filtration leukapheresis, with attendant pulmonary dysfunction. Wondering whether similar phenomena might attend cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), we studied 34 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass operations. As in the other extracorporeal circulation systems, neutropenia (mean 44.7% +/- 4.3% SEM of prebypass PMN count) occurred during the first half hour of bypass and then a rebound neutrophilia followed. CH50 and C3H50 fell 22% to 25% (p for CH50 less than 0.01) during bypass, but C3 conversion and C5a were not demonstrable in patient plasmas. Nonetheless, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) harvested late in bypass showed low adherence to nylon and selective chemotactic and aggregative insensitivity to C5a--functional aberrations which are seen after exposure to activated complement. Furthermore, smaller infusions of activated complement into animals produced neutropenia than were required to achieve a detectable [C5a] in the plasma. We conclude that neutropenia during CPB probably results from complement activation below the threshold of detection; complement-stimulated PMNs deserve study as possible mediators of tissue injury occurring during CPB.
The Duality of American Moral Culture

In a lecture included in his Essays, Lectures, and Orations (1848), Ralph Waldo Emerson remarked on a universal pattern of alternation, “The two parties of which divide the state, the party of Conservatism and that of Innovation, are very old, and have disputed the possession of the world ever since it was made.
In search of an algorithm to prevent acute kidney injury.

In this issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions , Brown et al. ([1][1]) present a meta-analysis of 10 trials involving combined therapy with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) plus N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and demonstrate a significant reduction in acute kidney injury (AKI) with this regimen as compared
HabEx Telescope WFE Stability Specification Derived from Coronagraph Starlight Leakage

HabEx is a space-based 4-meter diameter telescope with ultraviolet (UV), optical, and near-infrared (near-IR) imaging and spectroscopy capabilities. Three driving science goals during its five-year primary mission: 1. To seek out nearby worlds and explore their habitability.; 2. To map out nearby planetary systems and understand the diversity of the worlds they contain.; 3. To carry out observations that open up new windows on the universe from the UV through near-IR.
Making sense of sparse data with neural encoding strategies

The surface of the body is invested with populations of mechanosensory neurons and receptors which balance performance and efficiency to provide relevant input on stimuli such as touch and movement. While it might be biologically possible to generate dense arrays of sensors all over the body and take in vast amounts of information, the mechanosensory system has adapted with function, resulting in more sensors where they are needed and in sensors that extract key features of stimulus input. Such adaptations can be illustrated with touch sensation and the two-point discrimination test. In areas of the body that need fine discrimination ability—our fingertips, for example—two points touching the skin can be perceived as distinct at a very small separation distance due to a high number of mechanosensory neurons innervating the region. In areas of our skin that are not generally used to resolve fine surface features, such as the outer area of the upper arm, we may perceive similarly spaced touches as one stimulus due to lower numbers of mechanosensory neurons in the region. The touch stimulus itself is also filtered and coded as trains of action potentials that reflect relevant characteristics of the stimulus. Inspired by the biological instrumentation of mechanosensory surfaces, Mohren et al. (1) developed and implemented computational approaches that provide insight on the biology and engineering of sparse sensing from wings. Engineered, sensation-enabled structures, like evolved biological ones, have sensory systems that strike a balance between performance and cost. The choice of density and placement of sensors, the type and resolution of information captured from them, and the extent of processing of those data will impact functionality and expense of the device. The ability to obtain the requisite information for function from the minimal number of sensors optimizes the efficiency of design without sacrificing performance. To understand … [↵][1]1Email: mhale{at}uchicago.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Machine learning in oil and gas; a SWOT analysis approach

Abstract Digitalization of workflows using machine learning and advanced analytics is the new go-to strategy to add business value in the oil and gas industry. Enterprises strive to embrace these new technologies; but struggle to put their models in production, deliver tangible results and obtain favorable returns on investment. This paper reviews some of the recent developments and practices in this area and offers a SWOT analysis for strategic management and technology enablement. It is concluded that to reap the full benefits of ML in mission-critical tasks, oil and gas industry must leverage the latest technology developments, have a consistent strategic focus and build agile and collaborative teams of data scientists and domain experts.
Are Your Students Absent, Not Absent, or Present? Mindfulness and Student Performance.

The concept of mindfulness has received significant attention in recent years as the effects of ubiquitous distractions become more apparent in the workplace and in education. This study examines t...
Indications for Selective Neck Dissection: When, How, and Why

Selective neck dissection is a procedure that is primarily indicated in patients with clinically negative nodal disease in which there is a high risk of occult metastases. Others have advocated its use for patients with positive nodes, although under very specific circumstances and in combination with postoperative radiation therapy. The type of selective neck dissection performed varies according to the site of the primary, because the pattern of metastases is unique in each case. This review presents the author's philosophy on when, how, and why to employ the procedure, based on the location of primary cancers at oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, cutaneous, thyroid, and salivary gland sites.
Implementation of a status asthmaticus treatment protocol during pediatric patient transport

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chief complaints for children presenting to the emergency department (ED) and has a mortality rate of three per every million children. The Center for Disease Control reported 1.6 million ED visits nationwide for asthma exacerbations in 2013. We know delays in treatment can lead to more refractory disease and subsequently worsen outcomes. An asthma treatment protocol would standardize care, making treatment more efficient in the pre-hospital transport setting. The aim for this quality improvement (QI) project is to improve standardized care in the transport setting for pediatric …
A simple measure of pension generosity

ABSTRACTAccurately assessing the generosity of government pensions is an important policy issue. This article proposes to measure generosity by the present value of benefits workers accrue per addi...
Electron microscopy characterization of fast reactor MOX Joint Oxyde-Gaine (JOG)

Abstract The composition and crystal structure of the “Joint Oxyde Gaine” (JOG) has been investigated by means of electron microscopy. Microstructural characterization reveals a highly heterogeneous porous structure with inclusions containing both fission products and cladding components. Major fission products detected, other than Cs and Mo, are Te, I, Zr and Ba. The layer is composed by sub-micrometric crystallites. The diffraction data refinement, together with chemical mapping, confirms the presence of Cs2MoO4, which is the major component of the JOG. However, combinatorial analyses reveal that other non-stoichiometric phases are possible, highlighting the complex nature of the crystalline structure of the JOG. Fe is found in metallic Pd-rich precipitates with structure compatible with the tetragonal structure of FePd alloy. Cr is found in different locations of the JOG, in oxide form, but no structural data could be obtained due to local beam sensitization of the sample in those areas.
Accounting for Teacher Labor Markets and Student Segregation in Analyses of Teacher Quality Gaps

Studies show that historically underserved students are disproportionately assigned to less qualified and effective teachers, leading to a “teacher quality gap.” Past analyses decompose this gap to...
LB-005 Unruptured arteriovenous malformation intervention rate is inversely correlated with ruptured AVM discharge incidence

Introduction The 2013 ARUBA trial concluded that medical management alone is superior to medical management with interventional therapy for patients with unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations. Objective To analyze AVM treatment and epidemiologic response to the ARUBA trial. Methods National Inpatient Sample was reviewed from 2003 to 2017, ruptured and unruptured AVMs were identified (rAVM, uAVM). Periods before and after ARUBA defined as 2010–2013 and 2014–2017. Multivariable logistic regression identified correlates to intervention likelihood. Yearly intervention rate (YIR, #interventions/#AVM discharges) and yearly rAVM incidence (YRR, #rAVM/#AVM discharges) were calculated. Segmented regression (SR) identified significant change-points and fitted segmented linear models for YIR and YRR. Average annual percent change (AAPC) was estimated as the weighted sum of segmented model slopes. Pearson coefficients (PC) examined correlation between YIR and YRR. RStudio performed statistics. Results 90,296 AVM discharges were identified from 2010–2017. AVM discharges were seen at smaller, non-academic hospitals following ARUBA (p Conclusion Following ARUBA, there has been a stark decrease in interventions for uAVMs. Nationwide rAVM discharge incidence is inversely correlated with uAVM intervention rate. Less uAVM interventions may lead to a substantial increase in AVM rupture incidence. Disclosures D. McCarthy: None. E. Luther: None. B. Gross: None. R. Starke: None.
Traditional and Nontraditional Internships in Government.

Traditional and nontraditional methods for training technical writers-editors within the federal government are discussed. It is concluded that cooperative education that combines work experience with classroom instruction provides an excellent method for locating and training competent and reliable young professionals.
Coronavirus infection of the central nervous system: animal models in the time of COVID-19

Naturally occurring coronaviral infections have been studied for several decades in the context of companion and production animals, and central nervous system involvement is a common finding, particularly in cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). These companion and production animal coronaviruses have many similarities to recent human pandemic-associated coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19). Neurological involvement is being increasingly recognized as an important clinical presentation in human COVID-19 patients, often associated with para-infectious processes, and potentially with direct infection within the CNS. Recent breakthroughs in the treatment of coronaviral infections in cats, including neurological FIP, have utilized antiviral drugs similar to those currently in human COVID-19 clinical trials. Differences in specific coronavirus and host factors are reflected in major variations in incidence and mechanisms of CNS coronaviral infection and pathology between species; however, broad lessons relating to treatment of coronavirus infection present within the CNS may be informative across species.
A meta-analysis framework to assess the role of units in describing nanoparticle toxicity

Abstract Despite ample research on nanoparticles, their environmental toxicity is still debatable. The lack of consensus is due in part to the challenge of comparing studies because of variability in parameters like test organism, test medium, and duration of experiment. However, the unit used to compare the toxicology of nanoparticles is one variable that experimentalists can control. Traditionally, mass per volume is the most common unit used to make comparisons, but there is growing evidence that alternative units such as surface area per volume or particles per volume may provide a better and more mechanistic measure of toxicity. Herein, we propose and test a meta-analytic framework to study the effect of units on nanotoxicology using data from the NanoE-Tox database, a freely available database containing 1518 toxicology values from 224 published articles of which 42 records met our basic inclusion criteria. These data were augmented with more recent data published over the past five years as archived by the Web of Science citation index. An additional 27 records from 1676 papers met the inclusion criteria and were also included in the analysis. The meta-analysis framework measures the degree of heterogeneity for each of three units (grams/L, particles/L, surface area/L) grouped by the type of test organism, particle chemistry, and manner in which a nanoparticle's size was measured (e.g., nominal particle size reported by the manufacturer vs. measurement of size for particles suspended in the liquid medium used in a subsequent toxicity experiment). The result of the meta-analysis reveals that surface area per volume reduces the heterogeneity in the Ag crustacean subgroup when nanoparticle size was measured in the test medium, and the ZnO crustacean subgroup when nanoparticle size was measured out the test medium and may therefore be a more appropriate estimate of the toxicity of soluble nanoparticles. No subgroups in our analysis showed a reduction in heterogeneity for particles per volume in either soluble or insoluble nanoparticles. The lack of conclusion on insoluble nanoparticles was not due to a limitation of our meta-analysis but rather highlights a critical deficiency in the primary literature. The majority of published studies fail to report common measures of error that are essential for further analysis (i.e. error of the measured nanoparticle size and/or interoperable error of the measured half-maximal concentration of the toxic endpoint). If future nanotoxicity studies report such error, as they should, then the framework of our meta-analysis could be used more broadly to provide a simple, statistically rigorous way to assess the role of units on the toxicity of nanoparticles.
Magnetic hysteresis in the first order adiabatic phase transition of mesoscopic-size Type I superconductors

Macroscopic and mesoscopic-size Type I superconductors exhibit a first order phase transition in H–T space. For specimens undergoing an adiabatic phase transition, the latent heat is supplied or absorbed by the normal regime. This process, the magneto-caloric effect, proceeds isentropically and for macroscopic-size specimens, through an intermediate state of superconductive and normal phase domains. For mesoscopic-size specimens, the intermediate state is precluded in view the specimen dimension and the range of coherence are commensurate. John Bardeen proposed the appearance of magnetic hysteresis prior to phase nucleation for the phase transition to proceed isentropically. This paper shows Bardeen’s magnetic hysteresis is a consequence of positive interphase boundary surface energy.
The work-family interface and polygamy in Africa: A demands-resources perspective

Work-family (WF) research in Africa has just begun to address unique elements of work and family relationships on this continent. In this paper, the relationships between family demands and resourc...
Gaussian conditionally Markov sequences: Modeling and characterization

Abstract The conditionally Markov (CM) sequence is a natural generalization of the Markov sequence based on conditioning. There are several classes of CM sequences (including the class of reciprocal sequences), which are more capable than Markov sequences to model a wide variety of random problems. This paper studies basic problems of CM sequences and discusses their application. It characterizes (stationary/nonstationary) nonsingular Gaussian CM sequences and presents their simple yet complete recursive dynamic models. Application of CM sequences to trajectory modeling with destination/waypoint information (e.g., in air/ground transportation, surveillance, and human–computer interaction) is discussed.
Sleep in the Elderly

Sleep complaints are highly prevalent in older adults, and typically present to the primary care clinician. They are associated with potentially catastrophic consequences, such as injuries from falls and motor vehicle accidents. Typical changes in sleep associated with age include delayed sleep onset, frequent awakenings, and a phase shift to earlier sleep and earlier awakening. Some primary sleep disorders are more common in older adults, such as restless legs syndrome and sleep-disordered breathing. In most cases, the cause of sleep complaints is multifactorial, involving primary sleep disorders, comorbid medical and psychiatric illnesses, and the effects of medications and polypharmacy. Whenever possible, treatment of insomnia in older adults should include treatment of contributing factors, adjustment of current medications, and non-pharmacologic measures, such as exercise. Medications to treat insomnia should be selected and used judiciously, utilizing the lowest effective doses. The evaluation and treatment of sleep disturbances requires special considerations in the growing population of individuals with dementia. When sleep complaints are successfully addressed, there is often an increase in quality of life, both for the patient and family members/caregivers.
Science and the evolving electronic cigarette.

Abstract Objective Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) have continued to gain popularity among the general public since their introduction in 2003. While all ECIGs work by heating a liquid solution into an aerosol that is then inhaled by the user, there are differences in engineering characteristics and appearance of the devices as well as how the liquid is stored and heated, its nicotine concentration, its ratio of propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin, and the flavorants added to the liquid. Some of the research areas previously examined with ECIGs include aerosol toxicant yield, user puffing behavior, physiological effects, subjective effects, abuse liability, and effects on smoking cessation. Conclusion Much of this work used earlier device models that delivered very little nicotine to the user, and additional research needs to be conducted using consistent and reliable devices, assays, and methodologies in order to gain a clearer understanding of ECIGs and their implications for individual and public health. Furthermore, the effects that ECIGs have on smoking cessation and among vulnerable populations must be addressed empirically.
Consequences of the Shockley-Read-Hall Statistics for the Small Signal DLTS Response from Insulator-Semiconductor Interface Traps

Publisher Summary When investigating semiconductor-insulator interface states in MIS structures by various modifications of deep-level-transient spectroscopy (DLTS), it is mostly supposed that the measured DLTS signal is only due to the emission of carriers from the interface traps. However, in many cases the capture of carriers may accompany or even prevail over the emission and the previous assumption may lead to incorrect results. The chapter discusses the consequences of the Shockley-Read-Hall stastics for the small-signal DLTS response from insulator-semiconductor interface traps.