cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A single‐centre study of haemostatic outcomes of joint replacement in von Willebrand disease and control patients and an analysis of the literature

Introduction Haemostatic assessments of patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) have mainly relied on subjective parameters. Aims To compare objective haemostatic outcomes of TKA/THA in VWD patients and controls without bleeding disorders. Methods We retrospectively analysed haemostatic outcomes in VWD patients undergoing TKA/THA from 1993 to 2011 and compared them with two matched controls per operation. Using one-way analysis of variance, we tested the effect of VWD on bleeding risk after TKA and THA. Results Twelve VWD patients (6 type 1, 3 type 2M, 1 each of types 2A/2B/3) undergoing 19 operations (12 TKA, 7 THA) were matched to 38 controls. One (5%) of 19 operations in VWD patients and none of the control operations met clinical criteria for major bleeding. Baseline and postoperative day 1 haemoglobin levels, postoperative blood loss, transfused red blood cells (RBCs) and mean hospitalization days were not significantly different. More VWD patients than controls received RBC transfusions [12 (63%) vs. 12 (32%)]. Only 9 (47%) VWD patients vs. 38 (100%) controls received pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. No postoperative symptomatic VTE occurred in either group. Conclusion In this largest, single-institutional study, von Willebrand factor replacement based on daily levels resulted in low frequency of major bleeding in VWD patients after TKA/THA. RBC transfusion was more frequent compared with matched controls, but other objective measures of haemostasis were similar. Lack of sufficient details in published reports precluded comparison of haemostatic outcomes.
Swimming performance of sauger (Sander canadensis) in relation to fish passage

A lack of information on the swimming abilities of sauger (Sander canadensis), a highly migratory species particularly sensitive to habitat fragmentation, may inhibit the design of effective passag...
Abstract 328: PARP inhibitors suppress growth of EGFR-mutant cancers by targeting nuclear PKM2

Poly(ADP-robose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) or ADP-ribosyltransferase diphtheria toxin-like 1 (ARTD1) is the most abundant and the best understood member of the 17 PARP family proteins. PARP1 binds to both single strand breaks (SSBs) and double-strand breaks (DSBs) and participates in the recognition, excision and repair of DNA damage. The most extensively studied role of PARP1 is its involvement in base excision repair (BER) and PARP inhibition induced-trapping of PARP1 during BER. Moreover, suppression of PARP1/2 leads to synthetic lethality in BRCA1/2-defecient tumors, indicating that PARP1-dependent BER and BRCA-dependent homologous repair pathway have overlapping and redundant functions in DNA repair. Recent studies have also pointed to a broader utility of PARP inhibitors beyond hereditary BRCA-deficient cancers. Pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2) is a glycolysis enzyme that converts phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into pyruvate. Up-regulation of PKM2 has been shown recently to be an important feature of tumorigenesis. In tumor cells, PKM2 forms a dimmer that is catalytically inactive as a glycolysis enzyme, but provides advantage for tumor progression due to Warburg effect. In this report, we demonstrated that poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) is required for nuclear retention and nuclear function of PKM2. PKM2 translocates into nucleus and binds to PAR upon EGF stimulation. PARP inhibition, or the PKM2-C/A mutant, which abolishes the PKM2/PAR interaction, suppresses the nuclear function of PKM2. In addition, PARP inhibition also diminishes the nuclear PKM2-dependent glycolysis and tumor growth. Moreover, we showed that nuclear localization of PKM2 correlates with PAR expression in EGFR-mutant human lung cancer tissues. Interestingly, PARP inhibition leads to growth suppression of some EGFR-mutant lung cancer cells, which are resistant to EGFR inhibitor. These data together support an unexpected function of PARP inhibition in tumor suppression and indicate that nuclear PKM2 may serve as a promising biomarker for the further development of PARP inhibitor-based therapies. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Nan Li, Steven H. Lin. PARP inhibitors suppress growth of EGFR-mutant cancers by targeting nuclear PKM2 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 328. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-328
The Affine Theory

This chapter is the heart of our development of geometric invariant theory in the affine case. We will begin (as indicated below) with basic properties of algebraic groups and Lie group actions. As indicated in the preface two proofs of the Hilbert–Mumford theorem are given. The first is a relatively simple Lie group oriented proof of the original characterization of the elements of the zero set of non-constant homogeneous invariants (the null cone).
Round-off error in products

LetA 1 andA 2 be floating point numbers represented in arbitrary base β and randomly chosen from a logarithmic distribution. Letr denote the round-off error $$r = fl(A_1 * A_2 ) - (A_1 * A_2 )$$ where * is floating point multiplication and wherefl(A 1*A 2) denotes the normalizedN digit computer result of forming (A 1*A 2). This paper analyzes the mean and variance of both the actual round-off error and the fraction round-off error. This analysis relies upon sharp order estimates for the digit by digit deviation of logarithmically distributed numbers from uniformly distributed numbers. This completely resolves open questions of Kaneko and Liu and of Tsao. Also included is a generalization to arbitrary base (from binary) of an important round-off theorem of Henrici.
Work satisfaction and mental pressure of social workers and workers in social services

Abstract Working in the social sphere is a profession that involves intensive social interaction with clients. The aim of this paper is to describe work satisfaction in the research group of social workers and workers in social services from the South Bohemian region (N = 227). This is established by the means of a standardized Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS, Spector) and an evaluation of pressure of work by means of a Meister questionnaire. The research aim is also to test the relationships of dependent variables within the job positions and the scope of employment in this group of employees. The results show the research group is ambivalent from the aspect of work satisfaction, which means they are medium satisfied (56.1% of the research group). Total dissatisfaction has been identified in less than 5% of employees and satisfaction has been identified distinctly less than in the whole of the Czech population. The employees especially showed their satisfaction in the area of relationships at the workplace, communication and the scope of employment. Dissatisfaction was shown in possibilities for career development, evaluation of their work, and administrative stress. Less than 5% of the respondents mentioned high work stress, but despite this the group evaluated their working conditions rather negatively. The total pressure of work of most respondents conforms to the category 2, whereas temporary affection of subjective state and productivity can regularly occur. 17.4% of the research group reach the levels that increase the limit of mental pressure of work. A statistically significantly higher rate of pressure of work in the social workers compared to the workers in social services has also been proved. Generally satisfaction has been influenced by the trend of understanding social work as an obligation and support from the working collective, while negatives are connected with pay grades and work benefits.
Gender, violence and representation in three Algerian women's films

This article focuses on a feminist aesthetics of violence that distinguishes Algerian women filmmakers’ treatment of violence from that of earlier male filmmakers. Such feminist aesthetics reveal h...
A synthesizable time-based LDO using digital standard cells and analog pass transistor

A fully synthesizable analog-like loop filter for a Low-Dropout regulator using only digital standard cells is proposed. To accommodate this, various blocks such as comparator, time-to-digital converter and charge-pumps are developed using only standard cells. The fabricated prototype in 0.13μm process occupying 0.0875mm2 provides 15mA current with minimum quiescent current of 140μA and load transient response of less than 600ns.
Differential effects of withdrawal from intermittent and continuous nicotine exposure on reward deficit and somatic aspects of nicotine withdrawal and expression of α4β2* nAChRs in Wistar male rats.

Abstract Background Chronic nicotine exposure produces neuroadaptations in brain reward systems and α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the corticolimbic brain areas. We previously demonstrated opposite effects of nicotine exposure delivered by self-administration or pumps on brain reward thresholds that can be attributed to the different temporal pattern and contingency of nicotine exposure. We investigated the effects of these two factors on reward thresholds and somatic signs during nicotine withdrawal, and on nAChRs binding in corticolimbic brain areas. Methods The intracranial self-stimulation procedure was used to assess reward thresholds in rats prepared with pumps delivering various doses of nicotine continuously or intermittently. Separate group of rats were randomly exposed to nicotine via pumps (non-contingent) or nicotine self-administration (contingent) to determine [125I]-epibatidine binding at α4β2* nAChRs. Results Withdrawal from continuous non-contingent nicotine exposure led to significant elevations in thresholds and increases in somatic signs in rats, while there was no significant effect of withdrawal from intermittent non-contingent nicotine exposure at the same doses. nAChRs were upregulated during withdrawal from continuous non-contingent nicotine exposure. α4β2* nAChRs were upregulated in the ventral tegmental area and prelimbic cortex during withdrawal from non-contingent intermittent exposure and in the nucleus accumbens during withdrawal from contingent intermittent nicotine exposure to the same dose. Conclusions During non-contingent nicotine exposure, the temporal pattern of nicotine delivery differentially affected thresholds and somatic signs of withdrawal. Upregulation of α4β2* nAChRs was brain site-specific and depended on both temporal pattern and contingency of nicotine exposure.
Supporting Math Problem Solving Coaching for Young Students: A Case for Weak Learning Companion

Solving challenging non-routine math problems often invites students to ride an “emotional roller coaster” to experience rich sets of emotions including confusion, frustration, surprise and joy. If done right, it stimulates young students’ curiosity and interest in math and cultivate perseverance and resilience with long-term impact. Effective coaching needs to resolve an instance of “assistance dilemma [1]: making real time decisions on the right type of supports, be it cognitive, meta-cognitive or social, at the right time in order to maximize students’ exposure to “productive struggles” while minimize unproductive ones. Though this ideal model of coaching is possible one-on-one basis, it is often not realistic in a regular classroom with high student-to-teacher ratio. In this thesis, I plan to explore a weak form of learning companion that can actively monitor students behavior to assist teacher to decide who to help and provides non-cognitive supports when teacher is not available.
Patient and Family Tools to Aid in Education and Decision-Making About Oncofertility

Adolescent and young adult patients diagnosed with cancer often respond by focusing more on immediate treatment needs, and not the potential consequences of late or long-term effects. However, addressing fertility preservation prior to the initiation of cancer treatment can help reduce the number of cancer survivors who experience infertility-related distress. Research has consistently shown that cancer patients and survivors desire to have their risks to fertility and preservation options disclosed even if they choose not to pursue fertility preservation options. Decision making in fertility preservation among cancer patients is complex and intricate, and tools to assist the healthcare professional or researcher in assessing the patient’s values and understanding of fertility are limited. Decisions about fertility preservation may be considered to have three components: risk appraisal, information integration, and long-term consideration. This chapter covers the criteria and framework for creating a patient decision aid and provides examples of currently available oncofertility-related educational materials and decision aids.
EXAFS study of mercury(II) sorption to Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxides: II. Effects of chloride and sulfate

Common complexing ligands such as chloride and sulfate can significantly impact the sorption of Hg(II) to particle surfaces in aqueous environmental systems. To examine the effects of these ligands on Hg(II) sorption to mineral sorbents, macroscopic Hg(II) uptake measurements were conducted at pH 6 and [Hg]i = 0.5 mM on goethite (α-FeOOH), γ -alumina (γ -Al2O3), and bayerite (β-Al(OH)3 )i n the presence of chloride or sulfate, and the sorption products were characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The presence of chloride resulted in reduced uptake of Hg(II) on all three substrates over the Cl − concentration ([Cl − ]) range 10 −5 to 10 −2 M, lowering Hg surface coverages on goethite, γ -alumina, and bayerite from 0.42 to 0.07 µmol/m 2 , 0.06 to 0.006 µmol/m 2 ,a nd 0.55 to 0.39 µmol/m 2 ([Cl − ]= 10 −5 to 10 −3 M only), respectively. This reduction in Hg(II) uptake is primarily a result of the formation of stable, nonsorbing aqueous HgCl2 complexes in solution, limiting the amount of free Hg(II) available to sorb. At higher [Cl − ] beam reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(I) was observed, resulting in the possible formation of aqueous Hg2Cl2 species and the precipitation of calomel, Hg2Cl2(s). The presence of sulfate caused enhanced Hg(II) uptake over the sulfate concentration ([SO 2− 4 ]) range 10 −5 to 0.9 M, increasing Hg surface coverages on goethite, γ -alumina, and bayerite from 0.39 to 0.45 µmol/m 2 , 0.11 to 0.38 µmol/m 2 , and 0.36 to 3.33 µmol/m 2 , respectively. This effect is likely due to the direct sorption or accumulation of sulfate ions at the substrate interface, effectively reducing the positive surface charge that electrostatically inhibits Hg(II) sorption. Spectroscopic evidence for ternary surface complexation was observed in isolated cases, specifically in the Hg–goethite–sulfate system at high [SO 2−
Somatic Embryogenesis in Magnolia Spp.

The genus Magnolia comprises approximately 80 species, which are distributed mainly in two distinct temperate and tropical regions of the world, the eastern Americas and eastern Asia. The majority are native to eastern Asia, from Manchuria, Korea and Japan, south through China and the eastern Himalayas to Java and Malacca in Malaysia (Gardiner, 1989). In the Americas, magnolias are found from southern Canada south through the eastern United States, the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America to Venezuela. Magnolias are divided into two subgenera: Yulania and Magnolia. Members of the subgenus Yulania flower before or concurrently with the appearance of leaves, and all plants in this subgenus are deciduous. In subgenus Magnolia, flowering is subsequent to leaf appearance, although both deciduous and evergreen species are members of this subgenus. American and Asiatic species are found in both subgenera.
Approximate Zero-Power Describing Function Valid at All Frequencies

(1968). Approximate Zero-Power Describing Function Valid at All Frequencies. Nuclear Science and Engineering: Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 271-273.
Functional Difference Equations

In this chapter we consider functional difference equations that we apply to all types of Volterra difference equations. Our general theorems will require the construction of suitable Lyapunov functionals, a task that is difficult but possible. As we have seen in Chapter 1, the concept of resolvent can only apply to linear Volterra difference systems. The theorems on functional difference equations will enable us to qualitatively analyze the theory of boundedness, uniform ultimate boundedness, and stability of solutions of vectors and scalar s Volterra difference equations. We extend and prove parallel theorems regarding functional difference equations with finite or infinite delay, and provide many applications. In addition, we will point out the need of more research in delay difference equations. In the second part of the chapter, we state and prove theorems that guide us on how to systematically construct suitable Lyapunov functionals for a specific nonlinear Volterra difference equation. We end the chapter with open problems. Most of the results of this chapter can be found in [37, 38, 128, 133, 135, 141, 147, 181], and [182].
Floquet-Bloch Analysis for Distributed Feedback Quantum Cascade Lasers With a Non-Rectangular Top-Metal Grating Profile

A detailed description of a numerical model based on the Floquet-Bloch approach for designing distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers with a non-rectangular top-metal grating profile is presented. The numerical methods resulting in efficient numerical calculations and allowing for the accounting of over thirty partial waves are discussed. The practical examples show that a change in grating shape can change the coupling coefficient and surface loss by over a factor of two and should, therefore, be carefully controlled in quantum cascade laser design and fabrication.
Projecting Reductions in Vehicle Kilometers Traveled from New Bicycle Facilities

This paper presents a simple method for projecting the impact of new bicycle facilities on vehicle kilometers traveled. Our method starts with existing short-duration bicycle counts on or near the facility corridor, then applies six adjustment factors to project reductions in vehicle kilometers traveled. We examine the feasibility of measuring each factor and the range of their potential values.
Using inkjet 3D printing to create contrast-enhanced textured physical phantoms for CT

Anthropomorphic phantoms can serve as anatomically structured tools for assessing clinical computed tomography (CT) imaging systems. The aim of this project is to create highly customized 3D inkjet-printed, contrast-enhanced physical liver phantoms for use in improving CT imaging system analysis. The capability of using voxelized print to create physical phantoms with texture was previously presented by our lab. Building on that technology, we show the feasibility of producing iodine enhanced liver phantoms with varying textures, at resolutions higher than clinical CT using inkjetprinting. We use a desktop inkjet-printer, with custom inks to print these paper phantoms. Sodium bromide (NaBr) ink is used to represent unenhanced tissue, and potassium iodide (KI) represents contrast-enhanced tissue. We have shown the feasibility of using 3D inkjet-printing to create unique, contrast-enhanced liver phantoms for use in CT. In the future, we plan to expand our methods and tools to create tissue-equivalent physical phantoms for other anatomical structures in the abdominal region.
Under Construction: Alternative Spaces of Discourse at the National Library of Israel (Critical Essay)

A new building for the National Library of Israel (NLI), scheduled for completion in 2021, is the culmination of a two-decade process of institutional transformation. Formerly known as the Jewish National and University Library, the NLI has historically served simultaneously as Israel's official state repository, as the Hebrew University's central library, and as a “library of the Jewish people.” Like other national libraries around the world, including elsewhere in the Middle East, the National Library of Israel has had to grapple with accelerated changes in management of library collections due to the proliferation of digital media. More fundamental, however, have been changes in the cultural expectations about how libraries should function. Since 1998, the NLI has sought to expand its mission to promote not only scholarship but also cultural “discourse” among Israel's diverse constituencies. The architectural design of NLI's new edifice was intended, therefore, to do more than house the functional requirements of a modern library. It was commissioned to express through its design the significance of the transformed institution for the Israeli public. Towards that goal, a highly publicized competition for the NLI's design was held in 2012. The original two-stage competition ended in controversy after the architect endorsed by the jurors was dismissed. Yet a review of designs submitted by four Israeli architects in that first competition shows how public spaces, affiliated with public institutions, are expected to foster public discourse in Israel. Whether that discourse is cultural or political, contentious or contradictory, these alternative designs for the NLI illustrate common themes based upon specific environmental tropes, familiar across a broad spectrum of Israeli society.
Round table: arguments against using multiparametric prostate MRI protocols

Biparametric MRI (bpMRI), which uses only T2-weighted imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging, continues to gain support for the detection of prostate cancer, as this imaging technique offers many benefits over traditional mpMRI. However, the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) v2.1 document released in 2019 emphasized that mpMRI is still preferred over bpMRI in most clinical scenarios. As one article in a series of four providing arguments for and against using mpMRI and bpMRI protocols, this paper provides arguments against using mpMRI. Within this article, we discuss recent data suggesting equivalent performance between bpMRI and mpMRI in the detection of prostate cancer. The limited utility of dynamic contrast enhancement in the evaluation of prostate cancer according to the PI-RADS v2.1 document is also reviewed. Finally, we detail the large financial and time costs, legal and logistical issues, and potential for patient harm that must be considered with the administration of contrast.
Topologically correct synthetic reconstruction of pathogen social behavior found in deep tissue sites

Abstract Within deep tissue sites, extracellular bacterial pathogens often replicate in clusters that are surrounded by immune cells. Disease is modulated by interbacterial interactions as well as bacterial-host cell interactions resulting in microbial growth, phagocytic attack and secretion of host antimicrobial factors. To overcome the limited ability to manipulate these infection sites, we established a system for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Yptb) growth in microfluidics-driven microdroplets that regenerates microbial social behavior in tissues. Chemical generation of nitric oxide (NO) in the absence of immune cells was sufficient to reconstruct microbial social behavior, as witnessed by expression of the NO-inactivating protein Hmp on the extreme periphery of microcolonies, mimicking spatial regulation in tissues. Similarly, activated macrophages that expressed inducible NO synthase (iNOS) drove peripheral expression of Hmp, allowing regeneration of social behavior observed in tissues. These results argue that topologically correct microbial tissue growth and associated social behavior can be reconstructed in culture.
War Powers Abrogation

The United States’ peacetime security is based entirely on its all-volunteer armed forces. These volunteers, split equally between full- and part-time servicemembers, risk not only their health and safety but also their economic stability, as they are frequently called away from home for training or active duty. These duties also interfere with the demands of employers, creditors, and government agencies—which can result in job losses and financial hardships, among other costs. As a result, the federal government has long used its constitutional war powers to enact legislation that protect servicemembers from many of these hardships. These statutes provide employment leave and anti-discrimination protection, tax relief, and special procedural rights that lessen the burden of military service to ensure that the United States has a sufficient number of well-trained soldiers. Despite these statutes’ importance to national security, their applicability to state entities is in doubt. Using the Supreme Court’s fluctuating state sovereign immunity jurisprudence, many state employers have invoked sovereign immunity to bar servicemembers’ private claims for monetary relief. More often than not, courts have sided with the states and dismissed servicemembers’ federal claims for want of jurisdiction. However, these decisions are based on erroneous interpretations of the Court’s state sovereign immunity jurisprudence. Under current law, the federal government’s ability to subject states to individual suits is analyzed from a historical perspective, one that asks whether the states, in ratifying the Constitution, believed that they retained immunity in a given area. Based on misinterpretations of Court doctrine and a refusal to apply the required historical analysis, many courts have held that states are immune from claims filed under federal war powers legislation. This Article provides the first comprehensive historical analysis of the constitutional balance of war powers between the federal and state governments. This analysis unequivocally shows that the plan of the Constitution was to provide the federal government with virtually all war powers. Moreover, the Constitution requires that the very limited war powers left to the states must be entirely under the control of the federal government. As a result of this history, the federal government has constitutional authority to subject states to suit via “war powers abrogation.”
In-situ Observations of Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing Using High-Speed X-ray Imaging

In laser-based directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing, interactions among the laser beam, particle flow, and melt pool influence the properties of the solidified final part. Two separate DED systems, one with high powder flow rates to represent industrial-scale DED processing and the other with low powder flow rates for individual particle tracking, were synchronized with the high-speed imaging setup at the Advanced Photon Source in Argonne National Laboratory. In-situ x-ray imaging of the DED process using both systems highlighted the influence of powder flow rates. Increased powder flow rates resulted in less laser absorption into the melt pool, leading to a transition from a keyhole mode to a melt pool without a keyhole but with surface fluctuations due to powder flow. Increased velocities of particles during powder flow resulted in a decrease in particle melting times and a greater propensity for porosity formation. Overall, better understanding of the interactions that occur during various scales of the DED process will enable flexibility, control, and new materials development in DED-based additive manufacturing.
You Could Do It Better! Consumer Negative Responses toward Moral Crisis in the Fashion Industry

Crisis events regarding fashion business strategies and processes have raised moral concerns from individuals and the society. The goal of this study is to understand different types of moral crisis that have happened in the fashion industry (i.e., moral crisis in supply-chain management vs. moral crisis in public relations) and to identify consumers’ responses, which consequently influence behavioral intentions (i.e., negative word of mouth, patronage cessation). Findings revealed that affective and cognitive responses due to the crisis event led to negative word of mouth in social media and patronage cessation behaviors. Importantly, we found that the effects of consumers’ responses could be distinct according to different types of moral crisis. This study suggests practical implications for fashion brands that they can create back-up strategies for reacting by understanding consumer responses and behaviors due to a moral crisis.
Higher plant mitochondrial DNA expression - 2. Influence of nuclear background on the transcription of a mitochondrial open reading frame, ORF25

Mitochondria are semi autonomous organelles, with their own genome and transcription/translation systems. Although the regulation of mitochondrial gene expression is fairly well characterized in the animal system, little is known about these processes in plants. We have been studying the expression of ORF25, a mitochondrial open reading frame, in normal male-fertile maize. In all the N lines that we have examined, the ORF25 transcript pattern is similar, except for that in B37N. We have compared ORF25 transcription patterns between B73N and B37N: B73N has one major transcript of 2,300 nucleotides and two minor transcripts of 3,400 and 1,600 nucleotides, while B37N has a single transcript, 3,400 bases long. The ORF25 reading frame and 5' flanking regions have been analyzed by restriction mapping and found to be identical in these lines. Interestingly, the F1 progeny from reciprocal crosses between B73N and B37N have ORF25 transcript patterns identical to B73N. This suggests that the process of mitochondrial transcription is influenced by nuclear factors in normal cytoplasm. This factor(s) appears to be dominant in B73N and the F1 progeny. S1 nuclease analyses have revealed that identical fragments are protected in B73N and the F1 hybrids, indicating that the ORF25 transcripts in the F1 progeny are identical on the 5' ends to those of the parent B73N. This nuclear regulation may be at the level of initiation of transcription or processing of the mtRNA.
Increase greenhouse production with spectral-shifting and unidirectional light-extracting photonics

Increasing crop yields is the most sustainable approach toward the escalating food demand. Promoting crop production using genetic and ecological engineering such as reducing photorespirations, and accelerating recovery from photoprotections, is emerging yet debatable for its wide public acceptance. Alternatively, managing light quantity (intensity) and quality (spectrum) provides a promising and secure venue for improving crop yield, but comes with costs. For example, increasingly adopted supplementary electric lighting, consumed nearly 6 TWh of electricity in 2017 in the United States alone. Meanwhile, not every spectral component of sunlight contributes equally to photosynthesis. Recently have spectral-shifting materials been introduced to convert impinging sunlight into an optimized spectrum for photosynthesis. However, a fundamental optics challenge remains unaddressed: the majority of the internally generated photons are trapped inside the material, leading to seemingly encouraging but inconsistent results. Exploiting a photonic microstructure that is simple to manufacture, we demonstrate a spectral-shifting and unidirectional light extracting film that converts the least effective photosynthetic components of sunlight (green light) into the most effective (red) light with an internal quantum efficiency of 90% and a total external quantum efficiency of 43.8%. More importantly, this film breaks the propagation symmetry of light and extracts most of the otherwise trapped light unidirectionally into free space, rendering an easily adaptable greenhouse envelope material. Using leafy green lettuce as model crops, the micro-photonic film allows us to harvest > 20% more aboveground biomass of lettuce both indoor and outdoor. As we demonstrate experimentally, the photonic thin film can serve as greenhouse envelopes to provide more effective photosynthetic light than that of direct sunlight, opening the door for “red-colored” greenhouses and other protected environments with substantially augmented crop yields.
Single stage risk-reducing breast and gynecologic surgery for hereditary predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing single-stage breast and gynecologic surgery for either breast cancer or a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC). Methods: All patients with documented genetic testing undergoing single-stage breast and gynecologic extirpative surgery for breast cancer or an HBOC syndrome with or without immediate breast reconstruction were included. Perioperative outcomes including intraoperative, Results: Forty-three patients underwent single-stage surgery between September 2015 and July 2020 at a single academic tertiary referral hospital. Most patients underwent combined surgery for breast cancer (81.3%) and concurrent gynecologic prophylaxis (97.7%). Median patient age was 48 years and median BMI was 26.8 kg/m2. There were 33 patients (76.7%) with a pathogenic genetic mutation, the most common of which was BRCA1 (41.9%). All breast surgeries were mastectomies, 90.7% of which were bilateral; 48.8% included axillary lymph node dissection. The majority (88.4%) of breast extirpative procedures were followed by immediate reconstruction. The gynecological procedures were most commonly performed via conventional laparoscopy (55.8%): Fifty-eight percent of patients underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) and 37.5% underwent BSO alone. Median total operative time was 459.5 minutes (74-818 min). Median length of hospital stay was four days (1-14 d), and median estimated blood loss was 25cc (25-200 cc). The only intraoperative complication was a breast reconstructive flap failure that required vascular reanastomosis. Overall, 34.8% of patients had a complication. Complications during the first 30 post-operative days included four readmissions for reoperation, one venous thromboembolism (VTE), two transfusions, and nine complications of breast surgery (three hematomas, three wound dehiscences, and three surgical site infections). Six of these patients required reoperation Download : Download high-res image (91KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Single-stage breast and risk-reducing gynecologic surgeries are associated with similar complication rates to multi-stage surgeries with the benefit of providing the patient with a single recovery period. Further studies are encouraged to motivate multi-disciplinary collaboration with the ultimate goal of shorter overall recovery time for patients with breast cancer or an HBOC syndrome.
Machine Learning for Functional Group Identification in Vibrational Spectroscopy: A Pedagogical Lab for Undergraduate Chemistry Students

Techniques from the branch of artificial intelligence known as machine learning (ML) have been applied to a wide range of problems in chemistry. Nonetheless, there are very few examples of pedagogical activities to introduce ML to chemistry students in the chemistry education literature. Here we report a computational activity that introduces undergraduate physical chemistry students to ML in the context of vibrational spectroscopy. In the first part of the activity, students use ML binary classification algorithms to distinguish between carbonyl-containing and noncarbonyl-containing molecules on the basis of their infrared absorption spectra. In the second part of the activity, students test modifications to this basic analysis including different analysis parameters, different ML algorithms, and different test data sets. In a final extension of the activity, students implement a multiclass classification to predict whether carbonyl-containing molecules contain a ketone, a carboxylic acid, or another carbonyl group. This activity is designed to introduce students both to the basic workflow of a ML classification analysis and to some of the ways in which ML analyses can fail. We provide a comprehensive handout for the activity, including theoretical background and a detailed protocol, as well as data sets and code to implement the exercise in Python or Mathematica. This activity is designed as a standalone exercise for physical chemistry lab classes but can also be integrated with courses or modules on vibrational spectroscopy and computational chemistry. On the basis of student surveys, we conclude that this activity was successful in introducing students to applications of ML in chemistry.
Tsvetaeva and Czechia: A Relationship of Reciprocal Guardianship

Abstract When Marina Tsvetaeva lived in exile in villages surrounding Prague (1922-25) and in Paris (1925-39), she wrote extensively in verse and correspondence on her personal and emotional relationship to Czechia. Scholars have demonstrated how Tsvetaeva created a Czechia through poetry that could serve as a second or surrogate homeland; this article will show that she also imagined Czechia as a personified figure who could actively participate in that relationship. Theoretical reflections on experiences of exile provide many ways for displaced people to attempt to re-create a center of identity and alleviate the devastating loss of their homeland. In Tsvetaeva’s case, creating a poetic Czechia capable of mutual engagement allows a dynamic of guardianship or protection to develop. First, while Tsvetaeva lived in Czechoslovakia, this imagined Czechia served as her protector from the destruction of identity posed by exile as seen in the lyric ‘The Prague Knight’ (‘Пражский рыцарь’). Then, while living in France, Tsvetaeva turned to serve as Czechia’s protector from destruction at the hands of Nazi occupation as seen in the cycle ‘Poems to Czechia’ (‘Стихи к Чехии’). In our own time, concerns of mass displacement and lost centers of belonging are more and more urgently prescient.
Fanged fan fiction: Variations on "Twilight," "True Blood," and "The Vampire Diaries," by Maria Lindgren Leavenworth and Malin Isaksson

Review of Maria Lindgren Leavenworth and Malin Isaksson. Fanged fan fiction: Variations on "Twilight," "True Blood," and "The Vampire Diaries." Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013, paperback, $40.00 (236p), ISBN 978-0-7864-7044-0.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT INTUSSUSCEPTION—A SURGICAL CONDITION

THE gradual increase in the employment of hydrostatic pressure reduction of intussusception with the use of the barium enema has resulted in a gratifying decrease in the number of laparotomies performed. It can also be expected, on the basis of past experience, to result in a decrease of the number of resections required, since some resections have been done on bowel mistakenly thought to be non-viable (and non-viable bowel will not be reduced by hydrostatic pressure properly performed), and in other instances resection has been required for bowel traumatized by the manual reduction itself. The other advantages of hydrostatic pressure reduction are familiar. If the possibility of intussusception is merely entertained, the diagnosis can be made with certainty and the treatment instituted at the same time by barium enema. When immediate operation is the standard treatment for intussusception there may be an understandable tendency to delay operation until the clinical diagnosis has been made unequivocally. Specific lesions causing intussusception, such as polyps, Meckel9s diverticula, etc., are not in themselves significant and occur in only 5 or 6% of cases of intussusception. Intussusceptions of long duration may still be totally reducible and, in any case, in practically all of them the intussusceptum is reduced around to the cecum so that if operation is required a right lower quadrant exposure is sufficient and one is spared the necessity of manipulating the bowel around from the left colon to the right colon. Finally, it has been shown in a number of series that, in children who have operative reductions of intussusception, there is a significant incidence of late mechanical intestinal obstruction due to adhesions resulting from the intra-abdominal manipulation.
Rhizome splitting: a new micropropagation technique to increase in vitro propagule yield in Alstroemeria

The growth of in vitro Alstroemeria hybrids was investigated through morphological studies. Hybrids maintained the same sympodial growth described in wild species. Rhizome tip internodes were extremely short, axillary buds were very close to each other and not lined up. Rhizome halves, that were produced by cutting the rhizome with a horizontal or vertical longitudinal cut, could regenerate a new rhizome. With this new technique, propagule production increased up to 194% and 213% in Alstroemeria ‘Sweet Laura’ and Alstroemeria ‘A30’, respectively, over a period of 12 weeks. In vitro plants produced with the split technique had greater fresh weight than the control. Plants produced with the split technique rooted and flowered regularly and were true-to-type.
Neural Network Strategies for Solving Synthesis Problems in Non-conflilct Cases in Distributed Expert Systems

In this paper, two neural network mechanisms for synthesis of solutions in non-conflict cases in distributed expert systems (DESs) are proposed. The ideas are: inputs of the neural network are different solutions for the same problem from different expert systems in DESs; outputs of the neural network are the final solutions for the problem after combining different solutions which should be the same as the human experts' final solutions. The first point is to set up the architecture of the neural network and train the neural network by adjusting weights of links to match the outputs of the neural network against the human experts' solutions for all patterns. The second point is that the neural network mechanism proposed in this paper can accommodate the variable number of inputs and outputs without changing neural network architecture.
Antineoplastic principles in plants: recent developments in the field.

Publisher Summary Recent developments in the field of antineoplastic principles in plants can be summarized in terms of specific compounds that have been isolated, certain generalizations that can be made, and fringe benefits in phytochemistry. This chapter discusses such recent progress in this field. For this purpose, the chapter restricts its discussion by defining the limits by “plants” meant those that are commonly called higher plants and ferns or, more properly, spermatophytes (phanerogams) and pteridophytes. The chapter excludes lower forms of plants, except in a few cases where appropriate substances obtained from these forms serve to contribute to the discussion. Antineoplastic activity discussed implies activity in experimental tumors only. The chapter has adopted such restriction, as it has a certain advantage— namely, that all the screening results reported have been obtained under generally uniform experimental procedures. From the chapter, it is apparent that one of the main hopes originally held for this work is being realized— namely, that higher plants are yielding chemical compounds of a wide variety of types: alkaloids, sesquiterpene lactones, saponins, digitaloid glycosides, quinones, and proteins among others, active against many different experimental tumor systems. Furthermore, most of these compounds would have been inaccessible until their isolation from natural sources, because not only would there be no particular reason for attempted synthesis but also many of them could be synthesized only with severe difficulty. As these compounds are subjected to extensive pharmacological testing designed to select out those that have clinical promise, most of them are eliminated as is to be expected. However, a sufficient proportion of them passes the criteria and reaches the level of clinical trial as to justify the large effort involved in the whole process.
Myelinated nerves of the rat kidney. A light and electron microscopic autoradiographic study.

Nerve bundles with myelinated and unmyelinated axons were observed in three areas of the kidney: the corticomedullary region, the loose connective tissue around the arteries, and the subepithelial connective tissue of the calyces. In the corticomedullary region, the nerve bundles appear at the outer strip of the outer zone of the medulla. The electron microscope reveals a close relationship between the unmyelinated and myelinated component of the bundle. The results of light and electron microscopic autoradiography for the localization of exogenous tritiated norepinephrine are consistent with the unmyelinated component being adrenergic. Physiological information indicates that afferent renal nerves are myelinated ones of the same diameter as those found in this study. These results are in keeping with a close functional relationship in the kidney between the myelinated, possibly afferent, renal innervation and sympathetic unmyelinated efferent system.
Psychotherapy, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind.

Neuroscience is founded on a philosophy of mind known as identity theory. This paper reviews identity theory, essential human features that cannot be understood using identity theory, and an update...
Pesticide residue analysis of water and sediments: potential problems and some philosophy.

The analysis of water and sediments for residues of pesticides has occupied many research workers throughout the world. This present paper will not attempt to review this voluminous amount of work, but will instead discuss the underlying theoretical and philosophical concepts on how-to and how-not-to analyze water and sediments for pesticide residues. The first point that must be clarified is what is meant by “water.” There are many liquids that are referred to as water: drinking water, rainwater, fresh water, salt water, sea water, and even some beer and rice wine. All of the above are impure forms of water. As I will use the term in this paper, “water” is pure H2O, a substance that is difficult to prepare in the pure state. We think of distilled water as “pure” water but studies have shown that such need not be the case Bevenue et al. 1971 b). When we discuss the analysis of pesticide residues in water it is important to remember to define the quality of water under study since this markedly affects the approach to problem solution.
The Effects of Shape Coding and Mirror Imaging of Control Knobs

On machines that have two operator workstations, there is sometimes a question of the optimum arrangement of controls. The controls at both workstations can be either mirror imaged or arranged in a left-to-right sequence. This experiment was performed to investigate the sequential arrangement of controls on a dual workstation roof bolter, a machine used in underground coal mining. The use of shape coded control knobs was also investigated to determine their relative advantage with each arrangement. The results indicated that there was no clear stereotype for the arrangement of controls. Shape coded knobs were somewhat helpful during learning. Language: en
An experiment in Internet-based, human-assisted robotics

Describes an experimental exploration in Internet-based control of robots. The motivation of this work is that Internet communications can be exploited to achieve greater productivity from machines with local intelligence. Local intelligent systems contact human experts to solicit advice when a problem facing the machine is beyond its cognitive capabilities. This topic is explored in the context of a robot performing a sample domestic task (sorting laundry). An experimental system was constructed that has limited autonomous competence, but which proved to be significantly more productive through the use of occasional Internet-based human supervision.