cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Late Pliocene and early Pleistocene rodents from the northern Borchers Badlands (Meade County, Kansas), with comments on the Blancan-Irvingtonian boundary in the Meade Basin

Abstract New fossiliferous localities in the Borchers Badlands of southwestern Kansas add to our knowledge of rodent community change across the Plio-Pleistocene and Blancan-Irvingtonian boundaries. We report fossil rodents from ten local faunas in the Badlands that range stratigraphically from beneath the Huckleberry Ridge ash (2.10 Ma [million years ago]) to a level just beneath the Cerro Toledo B ash (1.23–1.47 Ma). The late Blancan Borchers local fauna (l.f.), includes the Meade Basin highest stratigraphic datum (HSD) for the following taxa that characterize or are found in earlier Blancan faunas: Alilepus, Geomys quinni, Sigmodon minor, and Geochelone. Borchers currently also has the HSDs for Reithrodontomys pratincola and Ondatra zibethicus /idahoensis, but the prior temporal distribution of these taxa in the Meade Basin is unknown. The stratigraphically lowest Pleistocene (Irvingtonian) l.f. in the Badlands, Nash 72, includes the lowest stratigraphic datum (LSD) for Cynomys, Reithrodontomys moorei,...
Current Pediatric Tertiary Care Admission Practices Following Adenotonsillectomy

Importance Pediatric adenotonsillectomy is a frequently performed procedure. Few studies have examined perioperative practice patterns for children undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Objective To assess current group practice patterns associated with the perioperative care of children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing at tertiary care children’s hospitals following the release of the 2011 American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) clinical practice guidelines. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional survey was distributed to the chiefs of 72 pediatric otolaryngology divisions at tertiary care children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada from March 25 to April 16, 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures Internet-based survey responses from the chiefs of pediatric otolaryngology at tertiary care children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada, who responded regarding group, rather than individual, practices. Results Of the 72 surveys sent, 48 responses (67%) were received. Twenty-one respondents (44%) reported that their group has no official admission policy for children with sleep-disordered breathing. Seventy-three percent (29 of 40) reported using some measure of obesity as a criterion for postoperative admission. The AAO-HNS polysomnography criteria for severe obstructive sleep apnea were used by 40% of respondents (16 of 40) as admission criteria, whereas 15% (6 of 40) used the American Academy of Pediatrics criteria for severe obstructive sleep apnea. Seventy-three percent (29 of 40) reported requiring a child to be asleep while breathing room air without oxygen desaturation before discharge to home. An established minimum time for observation was reported by 43 of the respondents (90%). Institution size or volume of adenotonsillectomies performed did not affect the results. Conclusions and Relevance Many tertiary care children’s hospitals in the United States do not have an official admission policy to guide adenotonsillectomy care. Even for institutions that do have an official admission policy, the policies are not universally aligned with the AAO-HNS clinical practice guidelines. These survey results demonstrate an opportunity to improve quality and safety regarding admission policy practice patterns after pediatric adenotonsillectomy.
Photonics and optoelectronics of 2D semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenides

The electronic and optical properties and the recent progress in applications of 2D semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenides with emphasis on strong excitonic effects, and spin- and valley-dependent properties are reviewed. Recent advances in the development of atomically thin layers of van der Waals bonded solids have opened up new possibilities for the exploration of 2D physics as well as for materials for applications. Among them, semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenides, MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se), have bandgaps in the near-infrared to the visible region, in contrast to the zero bandgap of graphene. In the monolayer limit, these materials have been shown to possess direct bandgaps, a property well suited for photonics and optoelectronics applications. Here, we review the electronic and optical properties and the recent progress in applications of 2D semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenides with emphasis on strong excitonic effects, and spin- and valley-dependent properties.
Hotel crimes: An unexplored victimization in the hospitality industry

The nature of hotel crimes can be generally regarded as opportunistic and convenient. The hospitality industry is particularly sensitive to criminal activities in tourist destinations. The present researchers have reviewed all reports of hotel/motel incidents in the Miami-Dade County and reported to Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) during the period of 1 January 2006–31 December 2010. A review of MDPD hotel-related incident reports (N=997) revealed patterns of hotel crimes and the effects of hotel guests’ characteristics on a variety of hotel-related victimizations. This study results indicated that a vast majority of hotel crimes were property-related; only 5 hotel-related incidents were reported to the police, which were classified as crime against person such as armed robbery or physical assault. This study also found that there were three major criminal activities carried out against hotel guests at the hotel settings – theft, burglary and car break-in. Nonetheless, the suspect’s characteristics were virtually unknown on MDPD hotel-related incident reports.
Pynchon's Intertextual Circuits

Thomas Pynchon: Allusive Parables of Power is a rich and suggestive book. Dugdale finished writing it before the appearance of Vineland and chose not to work with Gravity's Rainbow, the sole product of Pynchon's second seven years (1966–1973) as a writer, in order to concentrate on some of the fictions from Pynchon's first seven years of publication (1959–1966): "Mortality and Mercy in Vienna," "Low-lands" and "Entropy," as well as V. and The Crying of Lot 49. To anyone familiar with these texts and with the criticism devoted to them, Dugdale's book offers numerous striking and generative readings. This cornucopian richness makes the reviewer's task difficult; it can be sampled, but it cannot be summarized. I shall therefore focus on some of the more general, hence more easily summarized arguments of the book, but I emphasize that they are not more consequential than the sum of the new nuggets of information and insightful readings of individual passages that the book provides in such abundance.
World optometry: the challenges of leadership for the new millennium.

The World Council of Optometry has developed a mission and organizational strategies to improve the delivery of eye and vision care around the world, as well as to advance the profession of optometry. Its growth over the past several years is a tribute to the early pioneers in international optometry who unselfishly volunteered their time and expertise to improving the profession and eye and vision care. It also underscores the continued spirit of global volunteerism that energizes the recent leaders who have sustained this growth. Over the past decades, optometry has seen the steady growth of its educational infrastructure, scope of practice, and professional image. It has faced adversity and seized opportunities. Throughout, the overarching raison d'etre has been optometry's responsiveness to the public health needs of society. The future growth of optometry within the global health community will depend on expanding this professional growth at an international level, and forging durable strategic alliances that address the significant prevention of blindness imperatives of our generation.
The General Strike of 1926

The General Strike of 1926, which was described by contemporaries as “the greatest tragedy in the public, social and economic life of this country for the past century,” commenced on 4 May, after negotiations to resolve a dispute between coal owners and coal miners over wages and hours broke down. Britons awoke on Tuesday, 4 May to an eerie and unprecedented silence. “A breathless feeling of intense quietness” prevailed, observed one Londoner, “such as comes before a thunderstorm.” For, much to the surprise of the government and even of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), workers responded to the strike call with nearperfect solidarity. Public transport in London and other cities ceased almost completely: of the London Underground’s 315 trains, 15 of them ran, and those only for short trips; all 4000 buses run by the London General Omnibus Company remained in their yards. The railroads halted and the docks sat idle. Starting around 8:00 A.M. commuters began their treks to work; on bicycles, on foot, in pony carts and traps, and in the backseats of tens of thousands of private automobiles, Britons made their way to their places of employment. “The first thing in the morning we stand at the window & watch the traffic in Southampton Row,” Virginia Woolf recounted in her diary. “This is incessant. Everyone is bicycling; motor cars are huddled up with extra people.
Unmasking PTEN's nuclear functions

PTEN is arguably the second most commonly lost tumor suppressor in human cancer behind only p53. Frequent genetic inactivation of Pten due to mutations, deletions, and transcriptional silencing occ...
Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 regulates the directional migration of lymphatic endothelial cells in response to fluid shear stress

The endothelial cells that line blood and lymphatic vessels undergo complex, collective migration and rearrangement processes during embryonic development, and are known to be exquisitely responsive to fluid flow. At present, the molecular mechanisms by which endothelial cells sense fluid flow remain incompletely understood. Here, we report that both the G-protein-coupled receptor sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) and its ligand sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) are required for collective upstream migration of human lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells in an in vitro setting. These findings are consistent with a model in which signalling via S1P and S1PR1 are integral components in the response of lymphatic endothelial cells to the stimulus provided by fluid flow.
COBE observations and results

This paper summarizes the results from the COBE satellite mission. Nine years have passed since the launch of COBE and six years since the announcement of the discovery of cosmic microwave background anisotropies by the COBE DMR instrument. This is still a relatively short time to look back and understand the implications of COBE and the anisotropy discovery; however, this 3K Cosmology Conference provides some context. The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite has made a major contribution to the field of cosmology and has help create the confidence and high level of interest that propels the field today. Two major CMB observations, the thermal spectrum of the CMB and the CMB anisotropies, plus a host of other observations and conclusions are the basis and a major but not exclusive portion of the legacy of COBE. The recent detection and observation of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) are also part of COBE’s major contribution to cosmology.
Characterization of self-heating and current-carrying capacity of intercalation doped graphene-nanoribbon interconnects

As VLSI technology node scales down beyond 14 nm, the current carrying capacity of metal interconnects decreases rapidly and will not meet the increasing circuit performance driven current density requirements. FeCl 3 intercalation doped multilayer (ML-) graphene-nanoribbon (GNR) interconnect has been recently demonstrated to surpass nanoscale Cu interconnects, in terms of performance, reliability, and energy-efficiency. Doped ML-GNRs, unlike conventional metals (such as Cu) do not exhibit any gradual time-dependent degradation of resistance due to electromigration. In the DC current stress/breakdown tests, doped ML-GNR breakdown showed a strong dependency on GNR temperature induced by self-heating, indicating that the major breakdown mechanism is self-heating induced thermal decomposition. A detailed self-heating model is developed and calibrated with experimental measurements on doped ML-GNR interconnects to explain the thermally activated breakdown of such interconnects. Moreover, ML-GNR thinning by thermal decomposition was observed near the breakdown, which started from the top-most GNR layer. Overall, our doped ML-GNR interconnect shows excellent current carrying capacity (>200 MA/cm2), w.r.t. Cu (<5 MA/cm2), indicating their feasibility as likely replacement for Cu in next-generation ICs.
Opportunistic Accountability: State–Society Bargaining Over Shared Interests:

Conflicting preferences between the state and society underpin most accountability mechanisms by providing a credible way for society to impose costs on the state. Adapting a classic bargaining framework, we argue that broader conditions can support state–society bargaining. Policies that both the state and society value can also enhance society’s negotiating power, provided society has a relatively lower valuation and is more patient than the state. By threatening to sabotage their own interests but hurt the impatient state even more, citizens can compel the state to deliver broader policy benefits. We illustrate this logic with the case of polio vaccination in northern Nigeria, where entire communities have resisted the vaccine as a strategy to bargain for more desired services. To resolve and preempt noncompliance, the Nigerian government has enhanced service delivery in other areas, demonstrating the opportunity for improved accountability in the presence of shared-interest policies.
Shotgun proteomic analysis of 1500 laser captured microdissected cells from breast tumor tissue using a short stack SDS-PAGE/in-gel digestion and LC-MS/MS

LB-378 Background: Proteomic evaluation of clinical samples has enormous potential to decipher the complex molecular events underlying neoplastic transformation. The development of assays for the analysis of tissue is often confounded by the presence of multiple cell types within the sample as well as the small size of most biopsy tissue. In addition, tumor may be present only focally within the biopsy. The use of laser capture microdissection (LCM) allows for the isolation of a nearly pure cell population from heterogeneous tissues, markedly enhancing the specificity of subsequent analyses. Unfortunately, the number of cells typically dissected by LCM usually limits proteome coverage to primarily abundant proteins, severely compromising biomarker discovery potential achievable by standard proteomic platforms. We present here an improved technique for facilitating sample clean-up and analysis of small numbers of cells isolated by LCM utilizing a short-stack SDS-PAGE and tandem mass spectrometry. Methods: Cells from human breast tumors were LCM-acquired (Arcturus Pix Cell II) from a frozen tissue section. Proteins were isolated from LCM-acquired cells by boiling the thermoplastic membrane in SDS sample loading buffer and then run into a 10-20% Tricine precast gel approximately 1.5-2 cm, followed by in-gel trypsin digestion and peptide extraction. The peptides resulting from approximately 4000 cells were fractionated first by strong cation exchange (SCX) chromatography and each fraction was subsequently analyzed by reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) on a Thermo LTQ ion trap instrument. Data were searched against the UniRef100 human database using the SEQUEST algorithm. False positive rates were estimated using reverse database searching. >Results: Cells collected from breast tumor tissue using LCM were analyzed using LC-MS-MS. One dimensional analysis using only reversed-phase separation of the LCM digests identified 1650 peptides and a total of 230 proteins identified by 2 or more unique peptides. Fractionation using SCX prior to LC-MS-MS, identified 7813 peptides and 1071 proteins with at least two peptide hits from an equivalent of ~800 cells. False positive rates for these data at both the protein and peptide level were well below 3 and 1%, respectively. Based on function, the identified proteins cover a wide range of biological functions as well as distribution within cells. >Discussion: These results demonstrate that a surprisingly large number of proteins can be identified in shotgun analyses of lysates prepared from as few as 1500 LCM-acquired cells and highlight the potential feasibility of this approach to in-depth proteomic analysis of human tumor samples.
An Uncertain Privilege: Why the Common Interest Doctrine Does Not Work and How Uniformity Can Fix it

The common interest doctrine provides an exception to the general rule that a client waives the attorney-client privilege by communicating previously privileged information to a third party. The doctrine permits represented parties who share a common legal interest to exchange privileged information in a confidential manner for the purpose of obtaining legal advice without waiving the attorney-client privilege. The purpose of the doctrine, like that of the underlying attorney-client privilege, is two-fold – to encourage the free flow of information and to enhance the quality of legal advice. Courts reason that the privilege’s positive effect on the quality of legal advice benefits society by promoting justice.Its divergent recognition and application across jurisdictions, however, have prevented the common interest doctrine from achieving the goals it shares with the attorney-client privilege. Only a handful of state and federal jurisdictions have affirmatively adopted the common interest doctrine. Moreover, those jurisdictions that have recognized the common interest doctrine have not applied it uniformly. This lack of uniformity results in uncertainty concerning the doctrine’s reach and function. Such uncertainty may discourage parties from sharing information with others similarly situated for fear of waiving the attorney-client privilege. As the United States Supreme Court noted, “An uncertain privilege, or one which purports to be certain but results in widely varying applications by the courts, is little better than no privilege at all.” Until parties can rely on a consistent, uniformly applied common interest doctrine, the goals of the attorney-client privilege will remain unfulfilled.In this Article, I propose the adoption of a uniform common interest doctrine across jurisdictions. A well-defined doctrine would clarify current uncertainty concerning the application of the attorney-client privilege and encourage information-sharing without risking waiver of the privilege. Thus, a uniform common interest doctrine would promote the uninhibited communication of the quality of legal advice given. Therefore, a uniformly adopted and clearly defined common interest doctrine can achieve the currently unattainable goals of the attorney-client privilege.
Evaluation of Direct Drive Capsule Fill-Tube Assembly Survivability in Support of the 100 GBar Campaign

AbstractCapsule fill-tube target assemblies (CFTAs) for direct drive have been demonstrated in the past for Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) cryogenic layering studies, evolving and building upon successful deliveries for the National Ignition Facility [Saito et al., Fusion Sci. Tech., Vol. 55, p. 337 (2009); Johal et al., Fusion Sci. Tech., Vol. 55, p. 331 (2009); Saito et al., Fusion Sci. Tech., Vol. 59, p. 271 (2011); Moreno et al., Fusion Sci. Tech., Vol. 59, p. 46 (2011); and Rice et al., High Power Laser Sci. Eng., Vol. 5, p. 7 (2017)]. The current 100 Gigabar (GBar) Campaign requires tighter specifications over prior CFTA work in terms of robustness and reduced fill-tube diameter and glue spot size, which impact the survivability of the CFTA. To tackle these challenges, General Atomics and LLE are developing a direct-drive CFTA that survives all fabrication activities, from assembly and qualification testing to transport, cryogenic layering, and target chamber insertion at the Omega Laser Faci...
Intra-cardiac extension of a Wilms’ tumor

Wilms᾿ tumor, or renal nephroblastoma, is the commonest malignant renal tumor in children and young adults. Intravascular and intracardiac extension of this tumor is a very rare and challenging clinical entity. The case is reported of a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with nephroblastoma, in whom the tumor involved the inferior vena cava and the right atrium. The successful multimodal surgical management consisted of combined, synchronous surgical resection of both renal and intracardiac tumors. The boy had an uneventful postoperative course and recovery, followed by relapse-free living. Intra-cardiac extension of Wilm’s tumor poses a surgical challenge where the favorable outcome is provided only by the combined and well-coordinated, skilled multidisciplinary care of pediatric surgeons and pediatric cardiac surgeons.
The Black–Scholes–Merton Model

This chapter presents the seminal Black–Scholes–Merton (BSM) model for pricing options. Since this chapter is a special case of the material contained in Sect. 2.7 in the fundamental theorems Chap. 2, the presentation will be brief.
Advertising in the Professions: A Literature Review and Future Prospects

Although advertising by professionals may not become the next major marketing phenomenon, it has increased steadily over the past several years and is becoming increasingly common. In the climate of competitiveness that professionals will inhabit in the 1980s, there will be many opportunities for communications and marketing professionals and for advertising agencies to serve the professions. This paper reviews the literature and takes the position that professional communication and advertising skills can play a major and creative role in giving the public a clearer understanding of the individual professions. At the same time they can help individual firms profit and grow.
Anaerobic methane oxidation by a methanogen-sulfate reducer consortium: geochemical evidence and biochemical considerations

During the last twenty years, studies employing geochemical models, radiotracers, naturally occurring stable isotopes, and sample incubations have provided compelling evidence in support of anaerobic methane oxidation (Table 1). The first evidence came from geochemical models which show that “concave up” methane concentration profiles observed in many marine sediments can only be accounted for by consumption of methane in anoxic depth intervals. The models have been corroborated by radiotracer experiments which show that 14CH4 is converted to 14CO2 in anoxic systems. Distributions of naturally occurring stable isotopes provide further evidence of methane oxidation. The presence of 2H- and 13C-enriched CH4 is consistent with kinetic fractionation arising from methane consumption, while the presence of 13C-depleted CO2 implies oxidation of an isotopically “light” substrate (methane). Finally, time-series incubations have shown methane concentration decreases in contained anoxic samples. Given the independent nature of these approaches, the number of investigators, and the wide range of study sites, it is clear that methane is consumed in anoxic environments.
Parallel methods for large-scale applications in computational electromagnetics and materials science

In most parallel algorithms for scientific applications, domain decomposition constitutes an important first step that greatly influences subsequent inter-processor communication patterns. This in turn affects the overall performance of the application itself. Space filling curves (SFCs) are a popular tool to partition multidimensional data across processors because of their ability to preserve data locality while incurring little computational overhead. Despite their wide usage, the efficiency of SFCs for parallel data partitioning has always been empirically justified due to the challenge that a rigorous analysis poses. The first part of this thesis presents such a formal analysis of SFCs. The second part highlights their use in the construction of compressed octrees - a hierarchical tree data structure that forms the basis of an efficient parallel algorithm for the fast multipole algorithm (FMM). FMM offers the only linear time numerical solution of the n-body problem encountered in various areas of scientific research. The motivation for our renewed interest in the FMM is due to a recently invented numerical formulation based on accelerated Cartesian expansions (ACE), that generalizes this method to include a far larger class of potentials than originally designed for. We present runtime and scaling results of a parallel ACE-based FMM implementation on two different parallel architectures. Finally, an efficient parallel algorithm to analyze time series three dimensional atom probe (3DAP) microscopy data is presented. Analysis of such data is used to characterize properties of material samples. Due to recent advances in microscopy, typical sizes of 3DAP data sets are as large as ∼ 108−9 atoms. Faced with such enormous volumes of data, the challenge has shifted to the design of algorithms that can analyze such large data sets and yield clustering information of the various atomic species present therein. A novel algorithm for this purpose will be described and its performance results on the BlueGene/L discussed.
Interpreting Conversion: Hermeneutic Training in François Mauriac's Le Noeud de vipères

This article considers the formative strategies of Francois Mauriac’s 1932 novel, Le Noeud de viperes (Vipers’ Tangle), in light of contemporary Mauriac criticism. According to his most adamant cri...
Item Response Theory

Item response theory (IRT) methods are alternatives to classical test theory (CTT) approaches to scale construction, analysis, and scoring. A differentiating feature of IRT modeling is the estimation of a mathematical function that relates individual differences on a continuous latent variable to the propensity to respond to a scale item (e.g., respond correctly to a multiple-choice aptitude item, or respond in category 3 on a five-point ordered rating scale). Commonly applied IRT models appropriate for dichotomous and polytomous item response data are described. Assumptions underlying these models and interpretation of indices derived from model parameters are presented. Finally, popular applications of IRT models, such as computerized adaptive testing, are summarized. Keywords: measurement in psychology; psychometric testing; methodology
Mechanically Flexible Conductors for Stretchable and Wearable E-Skin and E-Textile Devices

Considerable progress in materials development and device integration for mechanically bendable and stretchable optoelectronics will broaden the application of "Internet-of-Things" concepts to a myriad of new applications. When addressing the needs associated with the human body, such as the detection of mechanical functions, monitoring of health parameters, and integration with human tissues, optoelectronic devices, interconnects/circuits enabling their functions, and the core passive components from which the whole system is built must sustain different degrees of mechanical stresses. Herein, the basic characteristics and performance of several of these devices are reported, particularly focusing on the conducting element constituting them. Among these devices, strain sensors of different types, energy storage elements, and power/energy storage and generators are included. Specifically, the advances during the past 3 years are reported, wherein mechanically flexible conducting elements are fabricated from (0D, 1D, and 2D) conducting nanomaterials from metals (e.g., Au nanoparticles, Ag flakes, Cu nanowires), carbon nanotubes/nanofibers, 2D conductors (e.g., graphene, MoS2 ), metal oxides (e.g., Zn nanorods), and conducting polymers (e.g., poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrene sulfonate), polyaniline) in combination with passive fibrotic and elastomeric materials enabling, after integration, the so-called electronic skins and electronic textiles.
Suppression of iron uptake deficiency in Escherichia coli K-12 by loss of two major outer membrane proteins.

Abstract A novel iron uptake system was observed in pseudorevertants of Escherichia , coli strains defective in ferrienterochelin transport. The new system is unique in that it is an active transport system that does not utilize any known siderophore. Acquisition of the new uptake system occurs concomitantly with the loss of two major outer membrane proteins (b and c) believed to function as structural components of transmembrane pores.
A Color Vision Circuit for Non-Image-Forming Vision in the Primate Retina

Melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) synchronize our biological clocks with the external light/dark cycle [1]. In addition to photoentrainment, they mediate the effects of light experience as a central modulator of mood, learning, and health [2]. This makes a complete account of the circuity responsible for ipRGCs' light responses essential to understanding their diverse roles in our well-being. Considerable progress has been made in understanding ipRGCs' melanopsin-mediated responses in rodents [3-5]. However, in primates, ipRGCs also have a rare blue-OFF response mediated by an unknown short-wavelength-sensitive (S)-cone circuit [6]. Identifying this S-cone circuit is particularly important because ipRGCs mediate many of the wide-ranging effects of short-wavelength light on human biology. These effects are often attributed to melanopsin, but there is evidence for an S-cone contribution as well [7, 8]. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the S-OFF response is mediated by the S-ON pathway through inhibitory input from an undiscovered S-cone amacrine cell. Using serial electron microscopy in the macaque retina, we reconstructed the neurons and synapses of the S-cone connectome, revealing a novel inhibitory interneuron, an amacrine cell, receiving excitatory glutamatergic input exclusively from S-ON bipolar cells. This S-cone amacrine cell makes highly selective inhibitory synapses onto ipRGCs, resulting in a blue-OFF response. Identification of the S-cone amacrine cell provides the missing component of an evolutionarily ancient circuit using spectral information for non-image forming visual functions.
Atherosclerosis and thrombosis heart failure

Abstract The risk of heart failure is increased in patients with atherosclerotic diseases, as coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction are well-known as major predecessors of heart failure. Here, we review the conventional clinical approaches to address the issues with atherosclerotic plaques. We will also highlight the problem associated with current clinical approaches. We, finally, review the current nanotechnology-based progresses in prevention of atherosclerosis progress and disruption. Atherosclerosis and thrombosis, if remains undetected and untreated, are the most common cause of heart failure through stroke and cardiomyopathy. Therefore, the field urgently needs development of new techniques for robust and reliable techniques/approaches for both early detection and treatment of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. This chapter is focused on reviewing the recent development of nanomedicine in both early diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
Surgeon choice in management of pediatric abdominal trauma.

Abstract Background No guidelines exist for management of hemodynamically stable children with suspected hollow viscus injury. We sought to determine factors contributing to surgeon management of these patients. Methods Surgeon members of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and American Pediatric Surgical Association completed a survey on 3 blunt abdominal injury scenarios: (1) isolated, (2) with multisystem injury, and (3) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a penetrating injury scenario. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with initial management of observation vs. operation for blunt injury and observation vs. local wound exploration versus laparoscopy for penetrating injury. Results Of 394 surgeons (response rate 22.3%), 50.3% were pediatric surgeons. For scenarios 1–3, 32.2%, 49.3%, and 60.7% of surgeons chose operation over observation, respectively. Compared to isolated blunt injury, surgeons were more likely to choose operation for patients with multisystem injury (aOR 2.20, 95%CI: 1.78–2.72) or TBI (aOR 3.60, 95%CI: 2.79–4.66). Pediatric surgeons were less likely to choose operation (aOR 0.32, 95%CI: 0.22–0.44). For penetrating injury, 39.1%, 29.5%, and 31.5% of surgeons chose observation, local wound exploration, and laparoscopy, respectively. Conclusions Large variation exists in management of hemodynamically stable children with suspected hollow viscus injury. Although patient injury characteristics account for some variation, surgeon factors such as type of surgeon also play a role. Evidence-based practice guidelines should be developed to standardize care. Type of Study Cross-Sectional Survey. Level of Evidence N/A
An Alternative Tibial Osteotomy Technique.

Abstract Introduction The anterior approach to a tibial osteotomy commonly employs a small incision and multiple drill holes followed by completion with an osteotome. Potential complications are damage to the anterior tibial periosteum and posterior neurovascular structures. Materials and Methods We describe an alternative method using two small incisions, which avoids elevation of the anterior tibial periosteum and directs the osteotome away from posterior neurovascular structures. Results This technique has been successfully performed on 15 consecutive tibias, with no neurovascular complications or skin healing issues. Conclusion This tibial osteotomy technique can be performed quickly and safely using a minimally invasive approach as an alternative to the traditional anterior approach. How to cite this article Iobst C. An Alternative Tibial Osteotomy Technique. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2020;15(1):47–49.
Perceived willpower self-efficacy fluctuates dynamically with affect and distress intolerance

Abstract People may experience subjective shifts in their self-efficacy for exerting willpower over time and based on context, and people who struggle with self-control may be particularly vulnerable to willpower self-efficacy fluctuations. Across four samples (college students without borderline features: n = 49; borderline features group: n = 50; current smokers: n = 61; chronic dieters: n = 92), participants completed one week of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) where momentary self-efficacy for willpower, positive affect, negative affect, tiredness, and distress intolerance were assessed randomly seven times per day. Results revealed that higher willpower self-efficacy was associated with lower negative affect and greater positive affect, and, lower willpower self-efficacy predicted subsequent distress intolerance via time-lagged analyses for the borderline features group.
Procedural control of the bureaucracy, peer review, and epistemic drift

Regulatory peer review—in which independent scientists comment on the technical underpinnings of proposed regulations—is a recently pursued form of political control of the bureaucracy. This article situates regulatory peer review in the context of both the history of technical advice to government and the principal-agent perspective often used to explain the presence of administrative procedures. Much of the academic discussion of attempts to influence bureaucratic decision making has utilized principal-agent theory. We introduce two novel concepts to accommodate regulatory peer review into the principal-agent framework. The first is ‘‘technocracy’’ where the preferences of technical experts displace public preferences. The second is ‘‘epistemic drift,’’ a change in embodied knowledge that contributes to departures from the policy intentions of an enacting coalition of policy makers. In addition to introducing these concepts, we argue that regulatory peer review is more complex than other administrative procedures and that its efficacy critically depends on the details of its implementation. We hypothesize that regulatory peer review will cause nongovernmental participants in regulatory conflicts to devote more effort to creating research and other epistemic resources. But we also hypothesize that, just as courts have become more politicized with their role in regulatory policy, peer review and regulatory science will become increasingly politicized as well.
The Etiology of Intraoperative Arrhythmias

Summary We have seen how ionic mechanisms cause the genesis of the cardiac AP, which is then propagated over the specialized conduction system of the heart. Alterations in impulse generation, impulse propagation, or both can produce arrhythmias. Changes in the physiologic or metabolic status of the patient, and concurrent drug administration (including anesthetics) can increase or decrease the incidence of arrhythmias. Many arrhythmias are a result of interventions originally intended to help the patient. If a rhythm disturbance persists, and all likely inciting or aggravating factors that are amenable to modification have been corrected, specific therapy may be indicated. Before proceeding with specific therapy, four questions should be answered. First, is this arrhythmia detrimental because it fails to produce a coordinated, regular myocardial contraction required for the maintenance of perfusion pressure and cardiac output? Second, is the rhythm an “escape” rhythm and bradycardia caused by the failure of higher pacemakers or a failure of conduction? Third, is the rhythm a tachycardia and likely to contribute to myocardial ischemia? Lastly, is this rhythm likely to degenerate into, or precipitate, dangerous arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation? Answering these questions will allow one to decide whether or not to institute drug or electrical (pacing, DC cardioversion/defibrillation) therapy. In order to choose the best treatment, it is imperative that the clinician be familiar with the underlying mechanisms and possible etiologies for the arrhythmias.
Retrospective analysis of 222 oral food challenges with a single dose in acute food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome

Background The method of performing oral food challenge (OFC) in acute food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) has not been systematically studied. Therefore, there is a certain variability in the choice of the various centers. Methods Since 2011, we have been performing OFC for acute FPIES with a single dose of culprit food, a full serving size for age. In case of atypical FPIES (skin prick test, SPT, positive), we applied this protocol only if the description of previous adverse reactions was compatible with that of a classic acute FPIES, if other IgE-mediated food allergies were absent, and if the mean diameter of the wheal evoked by the SPT with the challenged food was ≤5 mm. We have retrospectively analyzed 222 OFCs from 2011 to 2020. The grading of reactions was carried out according to the International Consensus Guidelines on FPIES of 2017. Results Forty-eight of 222 OFC (21.6%) failed. The mild reactions were 22 of 48 (45.8%), the moderate ones 22 of 48 (45.8%), and the severe ones 4 of 48 (8.4%) failed OFCs. The tested food processing (in the case of cow milk and chicken egg) did affect neither probability nor severity of the reaction. Patients with positive SPT for the tested food presented four times more severe reactions (2 of 9 failed OFC, 22.2%) than patients with negative SPT (2 of 39 failed OFC, 5.1%) (P = .316). Conclusions The administration of a single dose in a full serving size for age appears to be a sufficiently safe method for OFC for acute FPIES, with the benefit of saving time. In patients with positive SPT for the tested food, it may be prudent to start with a smaller dose carrying on, in the absence of adverse reactions, with the administration of the full dose after a 4-hour observation.
Postoperative PET/CT for detection of early recurrence (ER) after surgery for squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the oral cavity (OC).

6060Background: Patients with ER after surgery and prior to postoperative radiation (RT) for SCC of the OC have aggressive biology and poor prognosis. After the introduction of a PET/CT simulator i...
Chapter 10 Pulsed Electrochemical Detection of Carbohydrates at Gold Electrodes Following Liquid Chromatographic Separation

Publisher Summary This chapter describes pulsed electrochemical detection (PED) of carbohydrates at gold (Au) electrodes following liquid chromatographic separation. PED technology has been developed to achieve the highly sensitive and reproducible detection of alditols, monosaccharides, and oligosaccharides at Au electrodes. Sensitivity of PED at Au electrodes is maximized under conditions of high alkalinity, and pH > 12 is commonly recommended. Whereas all carbohydrates yield a PED response, only aldoses (reducing sugars) can be detected selectively as a result of the judicious choice of detection potential within PED waveforms. The analytic impact of liquid chromatography (LC)-PED can be appreciated on the basis of the recognition that (1) carbohydrates are polar compounds and, therefore, are not easily separated by gas chromatography and (2) these compounds are aliphatic without conjugated bonding and, therefore, are not easily detected by conventional photometric or fluorometric techniques without a priori derivatizations to attach chromophoric functional groups. In addition, the use of pellicular polymeric ion-exchange phases has been most popular to achieve separations in LC-PED because their stability at pH extremes is most consistent with use of highly alkaline mobile phases required for maximum sensitivity in PED at Au electrodes.
How Import Competition Affects Displaced Workers in the U.S.

I use the Displaced Worker Survey and bilateral trade data to assess the impact of import competition from low-wage countries on displaced workers' unemployment duration and re-employment wages. While low-wage imports have almost no effect on unemployment duration for workers displaced from an industry with the average length of the quality ladder, I find that a ten percentage point increase in low-wage imports leads to a 5.6 week longer jobless spell duration for workers displaced from an industry with a short quality ladder. Similarly, a ten percentage point increase in low-wage imports leads to a 7.2 percent decline in re-employment wages for workers displaced from an average ladder industry, but it leads to an 11.3 percent decline in re-employment wages for workers displaced from a short ladder industry. I show evidence that greater low-wage imports raise the likelihood of sectoral relocation upon re-employment, leading to loss of sector specific human capital.
The 5′-Untranslated Region of the FMR1 Message Facilitates Translation by Internal Ribosome Entry

Abstract Fragile X syndrome, the leading heritable form of mental impairment, is generally caused by large expansions of a CGG repeat in the promoter region of the FMR1 gene followed by transcriptional silencing. However, there is growing evidence that translation of the FMR1 message is also impaired, presumably because of the expanded CGG element in the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the FMR1 message. To study the properties of the FMR1 5′-UTR, deletions were generated within a normal 5′-UTR with 16 CGG repeats for both monocistronic and dicistronic (luciferase) reporter constructs. Transient transfection experiments revealed a ∼20-nucleotide region upstream of the CGG repeat element that functions as an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). The normal CGG element itself does not appear to influence the efficiency of IRES-mediated stimulation of downstream reporter activity (∼18-fold over controls). Additional controls indicate that the enhanced activity of the downstream reporter is not due to readthrough from the upstream cistron, nor is it due to translation of cryptic monocistronic transcripts. The role of the FMR1 IRES element is not known at present; however, by analogy to other IRES-containing mRNAs expressed in neurons, the FMR1IRES element may help to promote translation in dendrites.
Relationship of Malic Enzyme Activity to Fatty Acid Synthesis and the Pathways of Glucose Catabolism in Developing Rat Liver

The rates of fatty acid synthesis and the activity of several enzymes involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism were determined in livers from fetal, suckling, weanling and maternal rats. An estimate of the proportion of glucose catabolized via the pentose phosphate cycle and the Embden-Meyerhoff pathway was made using 14C-and 3H-labeled glu cose. The contribution of pentose phosphate cycle-generated reducing equivalents to fatty acid synthesis was assessed using glucose-3-3H. Devel opmental changes in the activity of hepatic malic enzyme were not related to developmental changes in the rate of fatty acid synthesis as might be expected if this enzyme functioned to provide NADPH for fatty acid syn thesis. Malic enzyme activity did not correlate with pentose phosphate cycle activity or with utilization for fatty acid synthesis of NADPH gen erated via this pathway. J. Nutr. 110: 90-99, 1980.
Canonical Perturbation Theory

A basic method of solving nonlinear dynamical problems is by perturbation from known, integrable solutions. Given these, we seek “the integrable solutions” to a “nearby” system by expanding in the small parameter ∈ by which the two systems differ. For example, if the nearby system is slightly nonlinear, then the linearized motion may be obtained directly, and the nonlinear perturbation found as a series solution.
A semantic approach for building pervasive spaces

Large and pervasive sensing, communications, and computing infrastructures are enabling the realization of pervasive spaces. Enabling such spaces, however, encompasses a set of challenges. First, programming each application such that it connects to each sensor and it interprets the data being sensed requires a concentration of expertise that is rarely available. Second, achieving a wise and fair usage of the infrastructures is impossible with current approaches due to their lack of awareness of domain and application semantics. This paper summarizes a PhD dissertation that focuses on designing and implementing a middleware that addresses these challenges and overcomes the limitations of previous approaches by featuring a distributed streaming architecture and by being aware of the semantics of the space and applications. Namely, we focus on (i) the design and implementation of the overall system architecture and its underlying programming and execution model, (ii) a set of mechanisms to provide the right level of abstraction to applications, and (iii) a set of mechanisms that are able to protect privacy due to the inclusion of semantics in the middleware.
The synthesis of dihydrotremetone

Abstract Racemic dihydrotremetone (2-isopropyl-2,3-dihydro-5-acetylbenzofuran, II), structurally equivalent to one of the hydrogenation products of tremetone, the major ketone constituent of Eupatorium urticaefolium, has been synthesized. The synthetic sequence involved: salicylaldehyde(ClCH2COMe, KOH) → 2-acetylbenzofuran (V)(MeMgI) → 2-(2′-benzofuryl)-2-propanol (VI) (H2O) → 2-isopropenylbenzofuran (VII)(H2  Pd/C) → 2-isopropylbenzofuran (VIII)(H2  Pd/C) → 2-isopropyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran (X)((F3CCO)2O HOAc) → II. This synthesis confirms the structure of tremetone as 2-isopropenyl-2,3-dihydro-5-acetylbenzofuran (III), a conclusion previously reached by degradative reactions of tremetone.