cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A cultural sociology of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report

This article examines media coverage of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report in the New York Times and Washington Post. Although there is significant public and scholarly interest in these political comedy programs, little is known about what kind of influence these new media genres are having in the public sphere. Examining the different narratives that are used to report about these programs, we find four distinct types of commentary: (1) discussions about the audience for the programs, (2) narratives that treat the programs as just another official source; (3) narratives that explore the larger climate of political discourse; and (4) narratives about journalism itself. Although most of the articles about The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are positive, they do not offer a significant challenge to the semiotic distinction between news and entertainment. Furthermore, when there are criticisms of journalism, they consistently limit themselves to the symbolic pollution of television journalism. These findings suggest that the transgressive impact of new media formats is constrained by the durable power of collective meaning structures and cultural hierarchies.
Effects of subject- versus experimenter-selected reinforcers on the behavior of individuals with profound developmental disabilities.

Abstract Results from a number of studies have shown that individuals with profound developmental disabilities often show differential approach behavior to stimuli presented in a variety of formats, and that such behavior is a reasonably good predictor of reinforcement effects when these "preferred" stimuli are used subsequently in a contingent arrangement. Recent data suggest that reinforcement effects may be enhanced further by allowing individuals to select, just prior to training sessions, which (of several) preferred stimuli would be used as reinforcers, but whether this method is superior to one based on selection by a teacher or therapist has not been adequately addressed. We compared the effects of these two methods of reinforcer selection on rates of responding on a free-operant task, using stimuli previously identified as potential reinforcers. Results obtained with 4 subjects indicated little or no difference in reinforcement effects when stimuli were selected by subjects rather than experimenters. Implications of these results with respect to choice and its relation to reinforcement are discussed.
Controlling behavior experiments with BASIC on 6502-based microcomputers

A combination of high-level BASIC and transparent machine language routines forms an inexpensive (about $800), powerful, and easy-to-use microcomputer system for behavior research, based on the AIM-65. The interrupt-driven machine language routines keep track of real time, poll inputs, and are not typically modified for different experiments. Expandable machine language listings that support eight input lines and eight output lines on the AIM-65 are presented. The user-written BASIC program controls experiments and records data. BASIC programs for simple reinforcement schedules are used as examples. The software is readily transferred to other 6602-based microcomputers with BASIC.
Pursuit-evasion with acoustic sensing using one step nash equilibria

In this paper, we derive a non-zero-sum multiplayer game that models pursuit-evasion tactics in an acoustic field. Specifically, the Pursuer uses acoustic sensing to determine the location of the Evader. However, this sensing ability is corrupted by noise generated from the motion of both the Pursuer and Evader. It is argued that the dominant mechanism of sensory degrading noise from the Pursuer is a function of speed, while the noise from the Evader is a function of acceleration and speed. Depending on the set of parameters characterizing the game, the control evolution exhibits various striking and diverse qualitative features. In some cases, the strategy of choosing actions associated with one step Nash equilibria yields a limit cycle response. This confirms observations by other researchers that the temporal evolution of games need not converge to a single Nash equilibrium and opens opportunities for future analysis on making the correct choice of cost functions by determining the effects this has on the agent's ability to obtain a desired goal.
ICT diffusion in the Republic of Armenia

The Republic of Armenia, a high literacy and high poverty country, allows for a test of digital divide beliefs about the role of economic wellbeing in ownership of and skills in using information communication technology. While socioeconomic status was related to adoption and skill, the role of English language proficiency in computer skill is noteworthy.
Organic nitrogen in geomacromolecules: insights on speciation and transformation with K-edge XANES spectroscopy.

Organic nitrogen incorporated into geomacromolecules (e.g., humic substances, kerogen) represents a major reservoir of nitrogen on the earth's surface, accounting for more than 90% of the total nitrogen in soils, sediments, and aquatic environments. Its primary source is biochemical nitrogen from dead plant and animal residues (predominantly proteinaceous substances), which undergo a complex series of transformations, mediated by microbes and abiotic processes, ultimately resulting in the incorporation of the nonmineralized fraction into geomacromolecules. Simultaneously, the biochemical N is thought to be extensively altered structurally, forming more stable structures (such as heterocyclic forms), although the type of changes in chemical speciation, their timing, and mechanisms are not clear. It is important to have this knowledge because the type of N formed influences not only its reactivity and fate (e.g., the release of bioavailable N in soils) but also the physical and chemical characteristics of t...
Observations on the life history of the belted sandfish, Serranus subligarius (Serranidae)

The biology of Serranus subligarius, a typical inhabitant of low limestone reef outcroppings and artificial reefs from North Carolina to Florida and in the northern Gulf of Mexico, was studied on inshore jetties in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from February 1974 to April 1975. The length-weight relationship was expressed by the equation W = 0.000006L3.431. Growth was greatest in the first year (43.5 mm SL) and declined in the remaining three years of life (17.3, 10.5, and 7.1, respectively). In individuals larger than 40 mm SL, gammaridean and caprellid amphipods were the most numerous food items but crabs, shrimp, and fishes were the most important food items by weight. In individuals less than 40 mm SL, copepods were the most numerous food item, but gammaridean amphipods and shrimp were the most important items by weight. Two incidents of cannibalism were recorded. The ovotestis of the belted sandfish is composed of two lobes which are broadly united posteriorly, with the testicular tissue restricted to a broad band encircling the posterior region of the gonad. Age-group 1 fish are functional synchronous hermaphrodites. Testicular tissue matures in the fall or winter of a fish's first year (all specimens examined histologically, including those from the nonspawning season, contained flagellated spermatozoa) while ovarian tissue matures in the following spring. Spawning season in 1974 extended from late April or early May to September. Crossfertilization is the usual reproductive mode, although individuals are capable of selffertilization.
Material Biographies: Saharan Trade and the Lives of Objects in Fourteenth and Fifteenth-Century West Africa

This article explores the lives of several copper alloy vessels (bowls, basins, and ewers), made in Egypt and England, that were carried across the Sahara just before the dawn of the European age of exploration, and that eventually found their way to central Ghana. It considers how and why prestige metal goods, some of them produced for specific individuals, became trade commodities that traveled thousands of kilometers, ending up in Akan communities where they were given new meanings. In thinking about material things and the mutability of meaning, the article attempts to address how we might understand these trade items as discursive “objects of knowledge” connecting peoples living in different times and different places. Resume: Cet article explore l’itineraire de plusieurs recipients en alliage de cuivre (bols, cuvettes et aiguieres) fabriques en Egypte et en Angleterre et transportes a travers le Sahara jusqu’au centre du Ghana, leur destination finale, juste avant le debut de l’ere des explorations europeennes. Comment et pourquoi de luxueux objets en metal, certains fabriques pour l’usage prive d’individus particuliers, voyagerent sur plusieurs milliers de kilometres, et atterrirent dans des communautes Akan qui leur attribuerent de nouvelles significations? En reflechissant a la materialite des objets et a la mutabilite du sens, cet article propose de considerer ces pieces comme “objets de connaissance,” des sortes de “textes” permettant de mettre en relation des personnes vivant a des epoques differentes et dans des endroits eloignes.
A NEW METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETECTION OF PLATELET AGGREGATES IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL INSUFFICIENCY

Abstract A new method for the quantitative determination of platelet aggregates has been developed which uses a platelet-count ratio technique. The specificity and validity of the method were demonstrated by in-vitro experiments with adenosine-diphosphate-induced platelet aggregates and in-vivo experiments with the induction of platelet aggregates in rabbits by thrombin infusions. This technique was applied to the study of normal subjects and patients with arterial insufficiency. The mean platelet-aggregate ratios were significantly lower (P
On accelerating the convergence of nonlinear iterative algorithms

Abstract The underlying theory of vector sequence extrapolation methods for linear and nonlinear problems is examined. It is shown that nonlinearity limits savings in total number of iterations to 50% for strongly nonlinear problems when linear-based extrapolation methods are used. In support of this conclusion, convergence behaviors of solutions of Burgers' equation and an interacting boundary layer problem are examined. Supporting evidence from the work of previous researchers is also presented. A possible means of circumventing this limitation by including nonlinear terms in the extrapolation is suggested. Results of this method for a scalar model problem and a solution to Burgers' equation are given, showing that the 50% limitation can be circumvented.
The genus Platychara from the Western Hemisphere

Abstract The systematics of four species belonging to the genus Platychara (Charophyta) from the Western Hemisphere is discussed. Three of the species, as defined herein, occur in Cretaceous and Paleocene rocks from Mexico through South America. The type species, P. compressa (Peck and Reker) Grambast, also of Cretaceous and Paleocene age, is herein restricted to deposits north of Mexico. These latter restrictions geographically separate P. compressa and P. perlata as presently defined but the relationship between these two species is still uncertain. A new species, P. grambastii , is proposed for specimens from Maestrichtian sediments in Jamaica.
Synthesis of carrier-free tritium-labeled queen bee pheromone.

A short synthesis of [4,5-3H2] (E)-9-oxo-2-decenoic acid (ODA), a high-specific-activity tritium-containing isotopomer of the queen bee pheromone, is described. Catalytic tritiation of the ketal of ethyl 9-oxo-4-decenoate introduces tritium into two positions, one of which is completely unactivated. Subsequent transformation by selenation, oxidation, and hydrolysis affords the labeled 9-ODA at >60 Ci/mmol. The material is suitable for biochemical studies of binding and catabolism in ovarian, antennal, and other target tissues.
CW optical-optical double-resonance excitations of 39K2 Rydberg states

Abstract One 1 Δ g state, one 1 Π g state, and several 1 Σ g + states of 39 K 2 in the energy region 28 522–30 050 cm −1 have been observed by cw optical-optical double-resonance (OODR) fluorescence excitation techniques. Absolute vibrational numberings of the 1 Δ g state, the 1 Π g state, and one of the 1 Σ g + states have been assigned and major molecular constants for these three states have been determined.
Maxwell's demon. (II) A quantum-theoretic exorcism

In Part II of this two-part paper we prove that Maxwell's demon is unable to accomplish his task of sorting air molecules into swift and slow because in air in a thermodynamic equilibrium state there are no such molecules. The proof is based on the principles of a uni0ed quantum theory of mechanics and thermodynamics. The key idea of the uni0ed theory is that von Neumann's concept of a homogeneous ensemble of identical systems, identically prepared, is valid not only for a density operatorequal to a projector (every member of the ensemble is assigned the same projector, � i = | i �� i| = � 2 ,o r the same wave function i as any other member) but also for a density operator that is not a projector (every member of the ensemble is assigned the same density operator, � ?� 2 ,a s any other member). So, the latter ensemble is not a statistical mixture of projectors. The broadening of the validity of the homogeneous ensemble is consistent with the quantum-theoretic postulates about observables, measurement results, and value of any observable. In the context of the uni0ed theory, among the many novel results is the theorem that each molecule of a system in a thermodynamic equilibrium state has zero value of momentum, that is, each molecule is at a standstill and, therefore, there are no molecules to be sorted as swift and slow. Said di6erently, if Maxwell were cognizant of quantum theory, he would not have conceived of the idea of the demon. It is noteworthy that the zero value of momentum is not the result of averaging over di6erent momenta of many molecules. Under the speci0ed conditions, it is the quantum-theoretic value of the momentum of any one molecule, and the same result is valid even if the system consists of only one molecule. c
Genome-wide siRNA screen reveals coupling between mitotic apoptosis and adaptation

The antimitotic anti-cancer drugs, including taxol, perturb spindle dynamics, and induce prolonged, spindle checkpoint-dependent mitotic arrest in cancer cells. These cells then either undergo apoptosis triggered by the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway or exit mitosis without proper cell division in an adaptation pathway. Using a genome-wide small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen in taxol-treated HeLa cells, we systematically identify components of the mitotic apoptosis and adaptation pathways. We show that the Mad2 inhibitor p31comet actively promotes mitotic adaptation through cyclin B1 degradation and has a minor separate function in suppressing apoptosis. Conversely, the pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family member, Noxa, is a critical initiator of mitotic cell death. Unexpectedly, the upstream components of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 contribute to mitotic adaption. Our results reveal crosstalk between the apoptosis and adaptation pathways during mitotic arrest.
Examining Smoking Dependence Motives among African American Light Smokers.

Introduction Despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day, African American smokers have greater difficulty quitting compared to Caucasian smokers. Further elucidating the impact of smoking motivations on smoking behavior would contribute to understanding the factors that maintain smoking.
Indomethacin reverses decreased hippocampal cell proliferation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Diabetes in humans and animals is accompanied by chronic low-grade inflammation, which could be a possible mediator of developing neuropathology and neurobehavioral deficits. The objective of the present study determined if decreasing inflammation could reverse diabetes-induced decreases in hippocampal cell proliferation, one aspect of hippocampal neurogenesis. C57BL/6J mice were made diabetic by administering streptozotocin (STZ; 195 mg/kg). STZ mice or vehicle controls received chronic treatment with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin (2 mg/kg for 14 days). Levels of glucose, corticosterone and cytokines were measured from plasma, cell proliferation was measured using BrdU incorporation in the hippocampus and TNF-αR1 and TNF-αR2 mRNA was measured using real-time PCR. STZ-induced diabetes increased plasma levels of glucose and corticosterone and decreased body weight. Cell proliferation in the hippocampus was reduced in diabetic mice by 50 %. The decreased level of cell proliferation was reversed by chronic treatment with indomethacin without changes to corticosterone and glucose levels. Plasma TNF-α levels increased in diabetic mice and were normalized by indomethacin treatment whereas IL-1 and IL-6 levels were unchanged by diabetes or indomethacin. In contrast, plasma levels of the cytokines IL-10 and IFN-gamma decreased in diabetic mice and were not affected by indomethacin treatment. STZ-induced diabetes decreased hippocampal expression of TNF-αR2 but not TNF-αR1 mRNA. Indomethacin ameliorated the effects of STZ on hippocampal neurogenesis independent of corticosterone and glycemic control, possibly by mediating the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α. Inflammation is a potential novel pharmacological target for alleviating neurobehavioral complications arising from diabetes.
The Audience within the Object The Implied Teacher in Composition Textbook Advertisements

Literary criticism of the last decade has developed a new emphasis: the study of a work's reader alongside the more traditional study of literary texts. Some critics have suggested that literary works imply and project an audience. Drawing upon this body of criticism, as well as upon social commentary and advertising theory, this article attempts to demonstrate how composition textbook advertisements suggest, project, and perhaps even create an audience. Examining a series of composition textbook advertisements from 1982 to 1987 in addition to a number of works of art, this article proposes four different audience-related elements of the ad-object: context (the extrinsic circumstances that the advertisement connotes); genre (the kind of text or object the advertisement masquerades as); borrowings (the sources that the ad-object draws upon); and reflexivity (the image of the viewer mirrored by the advertisement). Each of these, while not entirely discrete, serves to imply and project certain features of th...
Adaptive Monte Carlo Simulation for Time-Variant Reliability Analysis of Brittle Structures

An efficient simulation-based methodology for estimating the time-dependent reliability of a brittle structural system is presented. In the proposed method, a branch-and-bound method is used to identify the most probable failure sequence of a system. This defines the initial failure domain to start the simulation. As the simulation progresses, the initial failure domain is refined adaptively to incorporate information about the other possible dominant failure sequences, to estimate the true failure probability of the system. The simulation is continued until there is a convergence in the failure probability estimate.
Pediatric nurses' use of behaviors to make medication administration decisions in infants recovering from surgery.

Although behavioral observation is recommended as the primary pain assessment for the nonverbal postsurgical child, little is known about clinicians' use of observation in their medication administration decisions. Eight infants were videotaped after surgery and segments of the videotapes were categorized as medication inactive or medication active (assumed to relieve pain) based on the usual duration of infants' analgesics. Nurses (N = 50) viewed these segments, and mean percent agreement with the pharmacologic categorization was 54%. Agreement was high for medication active segments and low for medication inactive ones. Nurses reported using the pain behaviors described in the literature as well as other infant characteristics in their decision making. Infant behaviors observed in the medication inactive snippets were not suggestive enough of the presence of pain to result in the nurses choosing to medicate. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 21: 3–13, 1998
Treating tobacco use disorder in pregnant women in medication-assisted treatment for an opioid use disorder: a systematic review.

Abstract Smoking is associated with adverse effects on pregnancy and fetal development, yet 88–95% of pregnant women in medication-assisted treatment for an opioid use disorder smoke cigarettes. This review summarizes existing knowledge about smoking cessation treatments for pregnant women on buprenorphine or methadone, the two forms of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder indicated for prenatal use. We performed a systematic review of the literature using indexed terms and key words to capture the concepts of smoking, pregnancy, and opioid substitution and found that only three studies met search criteria. Contingency management, an incentive based treatment, was the most promising intervention: 31% of participants achieved abstinence within the 12-week study period, compared to 0% in a non-contingent behavior incentive group and a group receiving usual care. Two studies of brief behavioral interventions resulted in reductions in smoking but not cessation. Given the growing number of pregnant women in medication-assisted treatment for an opioid use disorder and the negative consequences of smoking on pregnancy, further research is needed to develop and test effective cessation strategies for this group.
Novel tuning application for coupled resonator filter tuning

This paper describes a novel software application that provides a method by which coupled-resonator filters may be tuned with little or no experience. The value of each resonator and coupling is displayed relative to a target value. The filter is properly tuned simply by adjusting each resonator and coupling such that the displayed value equals the target value.
Impact Factor and Optical Engineering

Impact factor has become an important metric for eval-uating scientiﬁc journals in that it describes how oftenresearchers cite material from a journal in their research andpublications.Forthoseofyouwhoarenotfamiliarwithimpactfactor, Wikipedia uses the Thomson Reuters deﬁnition:In a given year, the impact factor of a journal is theaverage number of citations received per paper pub-lished in that journal during the two preceding years.For example, if a journal has an impact factor of 3in 2008, then its papers published in 2006 and 2007received 3 citations each on average. The 2008 impactfactor of a journal would be calculated as follows:A
MANAGING RETALIATION: DRUG ROBBERY AND INFORMAL SANCTION THREATS*

The notion that informal sanction threats influence criminal decision-making is perhaps the most important contribution to neoclassical theory in the past 15 years. Notably absent from this contribution is an examination of the ways in which the risk of victim retaliation—arguably, the ultimate informal sanction—mediates the process. The present article addresses this gap, examining how active drug robbers (individuals who take money and drugs from dealers by force or threat of force) perceive and respond to the risk of victim retaliation in real-life settings and circumstances. The data's theoretical implications for deterrence and violence contagions are explored. Data were drawn from in-depth interviews with 25 currently active drug robbers recruited from the streets of St. Louis, Missouri.
Morality and Luck

Thomas Nagel recognizes that it is commonly believed that people can neither be held morally responsible nor morally assessed for what is beyond their control. Yet he is convinced that although such a belief may be intuitively plausible, upon reflection we find that we do make moral assessments of persons in a large number of cases in which such assessments depend on factors not under their control. Of such factors he says: ‘Wherea significant aspect of what someone does depends on factors beyond his control, yet we continue to treat him in that respect as an object of moral judgment, itcan be called moral luck’ (p. 26).
Studies of defects and limits of solid solubility in SPE grown In and Sb implanted silicon

Transmission electron microscopy (plan-view as well as cross-section) and high-resolution Rutherford backscattering and channeling techniques have been combined to investigate residual defects and substitutional concentrations of In and Sb in and orientations of ion implanted silicon layers after solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) growth at 475 to 600/sup 0/C. The maximum concentrations of Sb and In in substitutional sites were found to be, respectively, 1.3 x 10/sup 21/ and 5.0 x 10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/, exceeding the respective retrograde maxima by factors of 18 and 60. These results provide direct evidence of solute trapping and metastable alloying under solid-phase growth conditions. Accumulation of solute at the crystalline-amorphous interface was observed only for indium above a certain interfacial concentration. At still higher interfacial concentrations, the planar interface was observed to become unstable and SPE growth was retarded.
An evaluation of state firearm regulations and homicide and suicide death rates.

Objective: To determine if any of five different state gun laws were associated with firearm mortality: (1) "shall issue" laws permitting an individual to carry a concealed weapon unless restricted by another statute; (2) a minimum age of 21 years for handgun purchase; (3) a minimum age of 21 years for private handgun possession; (4) one gun a month laws which restrict handgun purchase frequency; and (5) junk gun laws which ban the sale of certain cheaply constructed handguns. Design: A cross sectional time series study of firearm mortality from 1979 to 1998. Setting: All 50 states and the District of Columbia. Subjects: All residents of the United States. Main outcome measures: Firearm homicides, all homicides, firearm suicides, and all suicides. Results: When a "shall issue" law was present, the rate of firearm homicides was greater, RR 1.11 (95% confidence interval 0.99 to 1.24), than when the law was not present, as was the rate of all homicides, RR 1.08 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.17), although this was not statistically significant. No law was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the rates of firearm homicides or total homicides. No law was associated with a statistically significant change in firearm suicide rates. Conclusion: A "shall issue" law that eliminates most restrictions on carrying a concealed weapon may be associated with increased firearm homicide rates. No law was associated with a statistically significant reduction in firearm homicide or suicide rates.
It’s a long, long walk: accessibility to hospitals, maternity and integrated health centers in Niger

ease of access to health care is of great importance in any country but particularly in countries such as niger where restricted access can put people at risk of mortality from diseases such as measles, meningitis, polio, pneumonia and malaria. this paper analyzes the physical access of populations to health facilities within niger with an emphasis on the effect of seasonal conditions and the implications of these conditions in terms of availability of adequate health services, provision of drugs and vaccinations. the majority of the transport within niger is pedestrian, thus the paper emphasizes access by those walking to facilities for care. further analysis compared the change in accessibility for vehicular travel since public health workers do travel by vehicle when carrying out vaccination campaigns and related proactive health care activities. the majority of the roads in niger are non-paved (90%). six districts, mainly in the region of tahoua lack medical facilities. patient to health facility ratios were best in agadez with 7000 people served per health facility. during the dry season 39% of the population was within 1-hours walk to a health center, with the percentage decreasing to 24% during the wet season. further analyses revealed that vaccination rates were strongly correlated with distance. children living in clusters within 1-hour of a health center had 1.88 times higher odds of complete vaccination by age 1-year compared to children living in clusters further from a health center (p < 0.05). three key geographic areas were highlighted where access to health centers took greater than 4 h walk during the wet and dry season. access for more than 730,000 people can be improved in these areas with the addition of 17 health facilities to the current total of 504 during the dry season (260,000 during the wet season). this study highlights critical areas in niger where health services/facilities are lacking. a second finding is that population served by health facilities will be severely overestimated if assessments are solely conducted during the dry season. mapped outputs can be used for future decision making processes and analysis.
Why Parents Drive Children to School: Implications for Safe Routes to School Programs

Problem: Rates of walking and bicycling to school have declined sharply in recent decades, and federal and state governments have committed funds to reverse these trends. To increase rates of walking and biking to school will require understanding why many parents choose to drive their children to school and how well existing programs, like Safe Routes to School, work. Purpose: We aimed to understand why many parents choose to drive their children even short distances to school, and what implications this has for programs to increase walking and biking to school. Methods: We used data from a telephone survey to explore why parents drive their children to school. Results and conclusions: We found that 75% of parents driving their children less than 2 miles to school said they did this for convenience and to save time. Nearly half of parents driving their children less than 2 miles did not allow their child to walk to school without adult supervision. Accompanying a child on a walk to school greatly increas...
Ischemic Injury Enhances Dendritic Cell Immunogenicity via TLR4 and NF-κB Activation

Ischemic (isc) injury during the course of transplantation enhances the immunogenicity of allografts and thus results in poorer graft outcome. Given the central role of dendritic cells (DCs) in mounting alloimmune responses, activation of donor DCs by ischemia may have a primary function in the increased immunogenicity of isc allografts. In this study, we sought to investigate the effect of ischemia on DC activity in vitro. Following induction of ischemia, bone marrow-derived DCs were shown to augment allogeneic T cell proliferation as well as the IFN-γ response. Isc DCs produced greater levels of IL-6, and isc insult was concurrent with NF-κB activation. TLR4 ligation was also shown to occur in isc DCs, most likely in response to the endogenous ligand heat shock protein 70, which was found to be elevated in DCs following isc injury, and lack of TLR4 abrogated the observed effects of isc DCs. As compared with control DCs, isc DCs injected into the footpads of mice demonstrated enhanced migration, which was concomitant with increased recipient T cell activity. Moreover, isc DCs underwent a greater degree of apoptosis in the lymph nodes of injected mice, which may further demonstrate enhanced immunogenicity of isc DCs. We thus show that isc injury of DCs enhances DC function, augments the allogeneic T cell response, and occurs via ligation of TLR4, followed by activation of NF-κB. These data may serve to identify novel therapeutic targets to attenuate graft immunogenicity following ischemia.
BRCA2-positive spinal intramedullary ovarian metastatic disease: case report.

Abstract Background Context Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women, but advances in treatment have led to longer survival among these patients. Tied to these advances and increased survival, however, have been new patterns of metastatic spread. Purpose The authors discuss the management and surgical decision making in patients with intramedullary ovarian metastatic disease using a case illustration and relevant literature. Study Design/Setting A case report was used. Methods The authors describe a case of a 59-year-old woman with Breast Cancer gene (BRCA) 2-positive ovarian cancer who developed progressive myelopathy from a T10 to T11 intramedullary metastatic lesion. Results The patient underwent a standard open T10–T11 laminectomy for intramedullary tumor resection. Intraoperative ultrasound was used to direct the dural opening over the lesion. After a posterior midline myelotomy, microsurgical dissection revealed the intramedullary tumor with a discolored fibrous capsule, which was carefully dissected off of the spinal tracts, and a gross total resection was achieved. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging at 6 months demonstrated no evidence of residual or recurrent intramedullary tumor. The patient underwent adjuvant external beam radiation to the thoracic spine but succumbed to her primary disease 1 year after surgery. Conclusion Although central nervous system involvement of ovarian cancer confers a poor prognosis, patients presenting with a solitary lesion and neurologic deficit may benefit from surgical resection followed by steroids and radiation therapy, especially when tissue diagnosis is necessary.
Studies of Mesoscale Models Parameterized by Molecular Models for Interface Failure in Epoxy Molding Compounds

Deeper understanding of material failure must include consideration of contributions from the molecular and atomistic scales from which a more complete root cause picture may be constructed. The current study, supported by an international consortium effort (NanoInterface) [1], reports efforts to bridge the gap between molecular models and macroscale models by use of a mesoscale discrete particle method. Both the initial stress-strain curve and the latter part of the stress strain curve has been developed for perfect (flat) interfaces as well as simulated rough interfaces, using a saw-tooth configuration.
Anisotropic Li intercalation in a LixFePO4 nano-particle: a spectral smoothed boundary phase-field model

A spectral smoothed boundary phase-field model is implemented to study lithium (Li) intercalation in a LixFePO4 nano-particle immersed in a Li+ rich electrolyte. It takes into account different physical processes on the particle surface, such as heterogeneous nucleation, Li flux and stress-free boundary conditions. We show the nucleation and growth of plate-like Li-rich crystallites along the (010) plane due to the high Li mobility along [001]. Since such plate-like crystallites, which are nucleated from (001) surfaces, align their phase boundaries along the (101) habit planes, a LixFePO4 nano-particle with prominent (010) and (001) surface facets and the longest axis length along [100] is proposed to exhibit great mechanical stability.
Beyond Optimal Sequencing: Defining Part Orientation and Worker Allocation in Assembly

Assembly Sequence planning is a tedious but crucial task in manufacturing a product. A good assembly plan will lead to minimum wasted time and maximum capacity of resources. Typically, research in Automated Assembly Planning and Assembly Sequence Planning (AAP and ASP) only define the sequence that the parts should be assembled with no information for specifying additional details to make the plan complete and optimal. In this paper we introduce a post-processing step (after the sequence of parts has been found) with focus on optimal part orientation and worker allocation. The paper has two main sections: the first section uses Dijkstra’s algorithm to obtain part orientation with minimum assembly cost. For the second part of the paper, a novel approach is proposed based on a line balancing technique to find the minimum number of workers needed to achieve the minimum make-span time. These necessary details in AAP give real time feedback to designers to analyze their design with production and assembly line information.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Hybrid Photonic−Plasmonic Crystal Nanocavities

We propose a hybrid optical nanocavity consisting of photonic crystals coupled to a metal surface with a nanoscale air gap between. The hybridization of photonic crystal modes and surface plasmons across the gap forms hybrid cavity modes, which are highly confined in the low-loss air gap region. Deep subwavelength mode volume and high quality factor are demonstrated at telecommunication wavelength, resulting in an extremely large Q/Vm ratio of 60 000 λ−3. This new type of high-Q/Vm broad-band hybrid nanocavity opens up opportunities for various applications in enhanced light−matter interactions.
Hemodynamic responses to dopamine infusion at controlled normal and low cardiac output states in the anesthetized dog.

In order to isolate the renal and pulmonary vascular effects of dopamine, we employed a dog preparation utilizing fixed venous return in order to control cardiac output at either a normal or low flow state. Dopamine infusion was carried out at doses of 8 and 16 μg/Kg./min. Heart rate, mean systemic arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and renal blood flow were measured. Changes in mean systemic arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and renal blood flow were not significant at either doses of dopamine. There was a dose-related increase in heart rate, most significant with a dose of 16 μg/Kg./min. and low cardiac output. No evidence was found to substantiate the existence of a specific dopaminergic receptor in the renal vasculature when cardiac output was controlled.
49. Impact of atrial fibrillation on platelet-predominate gene expression

Platelets retain cytoplasmic mRNA and are capable of protein biosynthesis upon stimulation. We hypothesized that changes in flow hemodynamics, and extracel- lular matrix stimulation induced by non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) may impact platelet RNA content and therefore platelet activity in patients with this dysrhythmia. Expression of platelet predominate genes was assessed in consecutive NVAF patients before and 3–4 months after catheter ablation of pulmonary veins (CAPV). Results were compared to age and gender matched normal sinus rhythm (NSR) controls. RNA from isolated platelets were reverse-transcribed (Invitrogen), assayed against 22 genes (TaqMan) using real-time qPCR, and expressed as mean cycle threshold (ΔCt) (ABI Prism 7700 Sequence Detection System) using beta-2-microglobulin as endogenous control. All evaluated genes, except cathepsin A gene (CTSA), showed lower expression (higher ΔCt) in 103 NVAF patients compared to 55 NSR controls. At least 2-fold lower expression was found in 12 genes. Within this group, expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein acid labile subunit gene (IGFALS) was more than 16th fold lower (more than four cycles; 17.0 ± 2.8 vs 12.5 ± 3.8, p
The healing power of painful memories.

Our body's epithelia are barriers that interface with the terrestrial environment and routinely experience inflammation. Although a vast majority of these inflammatory reactions resolve, they imprint the tissue with a memory. Cells of the immune system are traditionally thought to be the bearers of this memory, allowing them to react faster to subsequent inflammatory pressures ( 1 , 2 ). Yet, barrier tissues are composites of epithelial, mesenchymal, nervous, vascular, and immunological networks working in unison to sustain optimal function in health and disease. The question of whether tissue-resident cells, distinct from the immune system, are entrained in response to a perturbation remains to be addressed.
Robust classification of city roadway objects for traffic related applications

The increasing prevalence of video data, particularly from traffic and surveillance cameras, is accompanied by a growing need for improved object detection, tracking, and classification techniques. In order to encourage development in this area, the AI City Challenge, sponsored by IEEE Smart World and NVIDIA, cultivated a competitive environment in which teams from all over the world sought to demonstrate the effectiveness of their models after training and testing on a common dataset of 114,766 unique traffic camera keyframes. Models were constructed for two distinct purposes; track 1 designs addressed object detection, localization and classification, while track 2 designs aimed to produce novel approaches towards traffic related application development. Careful tuning of the Darknet framework's YOLO (You Only Look Once) architecture allowed us to achieve 2nd place scores in track 1 of the competition. Our model was able to achieve inference beyond 50 frames per second (FPS) when performing on the NVIDIA DGX-1's Tesla P100 GPU and up to 37 FPS on a NVIDIA GTX 1070 GPU. However, the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 edge device had a lackluster 2 FPS inference speed. To produce truly competitive automated traffic control systems, either more preferment edge device hardware or revolutionary neural network architectures are required. While our track 2 model approach demonstrated that it is reasonable to obtain useful traffic related metrics without the use of the region proposal networks and classification methods utilized in other models typically associated with traffic control systems.
International Emergency Medicine

What possible role does emergency medicine play in the international arena? This paper will discuss the numerous ways that the emergency medicine physician can contribute to international medicine. Emergency medicine physicians are well suited to work in international medicine for a variety of reasons. They have a broad knowledge of almost all aspects of medicine, excellent clinical skills, and work well under pressure. Our specialty and colleagues should remember that one does not necessarily have to go to remote corners of the world to make a difference.
Transient Expression and Stable Transformation of Maize Using Microprojectiles

High-velocity microprojectiles provide a direct means of introducing DNA into plant cells (Klein et al., 1987, 1988a, 1988b; Wang et al., 1988). In principle, this method could be used to introduce DNA into any accessible plant tissue, although the majority of DNA transfer seems to occur in the exposed cells on the surface of the tissue. This article describes progress in transient gene expression in intact plant tissues and in obtaining stably transformed maize plants.
Introduction to the Institute

Refrigeration systems for food preservation and air conditioning play prominent roles in our everyday lives. Because of the new developments in technology, low temperature and cryogenic heat transfer found important applications as diverse as in aerospace, sensors, cryobiology, cryosurgery, and cryoelectronics. All presently-available superconducting materials must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures for their operation. In recent years, environmental aspects have been an important issue in designing and development of low-temperature refrigeration systems.
Regeneration of Plants from Single Cells of Cereals and Grasses

A variety of novel methods have been developed in recent years for the genetic modification of plant cells. These include the techniques of protoplast and cytoplast fusion, uptake of cell organelles, and molecular techniques involving the uptake and integration of foreign DNA. Each of these aspects is adequately-covered elsewhere in this volume.
The Limited Case for Permitting SME Procurement Preferences in the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement

This is a chapter in the forthcoming book, Sue Arrowsmith & Robert D. Anderson, The WTO Regime on Government Procurement: Challenge and Reform (Cambridge University Press, 2011). The chapter puts under scrutiny public procurement policies designed to benefit SMEs per se, as small or medium sized enterprises, and to evaluate whether the GPA (and hence possibly other trade agreements liberalizing procurement markets) should be more accommodating to these policies, even though these policies might restrict international trade. The chapter also evaluates whether the GPA should be more accommodating to policies designed to benefit firms controlled by individuals who belong to historically disadvantaged groups. Contrary to the standard argument that SME procurement policies are trade protectionist, there are cases in which they enhance competition and reduce procurement costs, though the conditions for these benefits are narrow and depend on proper institutional design. The economic merits of SME preference policies complement the noneconomic policy justifications for procurement preference policies to support firms owned and controlled by historically disadvantaged individuals, or HDIs. Any agreement to liberalize procurement markets should deal with the reality that some states have longstanding policies supporting firms owned and controlled by historically disadvantaged individuals, rooted in the constitutional orders of those states. Substantial noneconomic rationales, grounded in notions of social justice and human rights, support these programmes, but the domain of these rationales as they are currently understood is limited to domestic societies. This limitation affects all negotiations to liberalize trade across national borders, in that states (or their leaders) do not hold the view that they have obligations to support the programmes of other states in the area of social justice. I argue that all WTO members should have an equal opportunity to implement noneconomic policies having to do with promoting justice within their borders for their citizens. The GPA, at least by default or implicitly, currently gives only powerful WTO members the ability to employ SME and HDI policies. The GPA should accommodate SME and HDI policies for purposes of creating a level playing field between large market and small market WTO members. Particularly as to procurement preference policies to benefit HDIs, the GPA should accommodate HDI friendly policies to respect values of social justice and human rights that well-ordered domestic societies are required to respect. The weakness of the GPA to accommodate SME and HDI policies likely offers insights on why the GPA has had difficulties becoming a multilateral WTO agreement.
Machine Learning-based Pre-discharge Prediction of Hospital Readmission

In this paper, we describe the application of data mining techniques in relation to an important clinical care quality indicator: the prediction of hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. We retrieved six months of encounter data between dates April through September, 2017, from five inpatient hospitals in a large US metropolitan area. Each encounter includes both administrative and clinical data. We utilized a feature reduction technique to replace thousands of clinical features with a much smaller number of proxy features. The dimensionally reduced dataset was then used in the development, training and evaluation of numerous readmission predictive models. Using standard implementation techniques, our model can function within the hospital EHR from where the data was sourced, in real- time, for all patients, prior to discharge. Model performance of the best performing model compares favorably to existing comparable pre-discharge, all-patient predictive model studies.