cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is sonographic surveillance of polytetrafluoroethylene-covered transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) necessary? A single centre experience comparing both types of stents

Aim To investigate whether sonographic (US) surveillance of polytetrafluoroethylene covered transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) is necessary. Materials and methods We identified 128 patients who underwent TIPS for complications of portal hypertension between January 2001 and December 2005 at a large tertiary centre. Procedural data were retrospectively analysed. US surveillance of the TIPS was performed at baseline with scheduled follow-up or whenever shunt dysfunction was suspected. Clinical and radiology reports were compared to assess US surveillance of the TIPS. Results Four hundred and twenty-six US studies were performed, with a median of three per patient (range 1–5). The median follow-up period was 378 days (range 1–1749 days). Twenty-three patients (18%) had baseline US studies performed only whereas 105 (82%) also had follow-up studies. Forty-one (32%) of 128 patients [32 (78%) Wallstent, nine (22%) Viatorr] had Doppler ultrasound abnormalities noted. Venography was performed in all 41 patients. Abnormal venography and elevated hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) was seen in 34 (82.9%) of the 41 patients [29 (85.3%) Wallstent, five (14.7%) Viatorr]. Among the 34 patients, 17 (50%) [13 (76.5%) Wallstent, four (23.5%) Viatorr] had venographic abnormalities noted at the hepatic venous end accompanied by increased HVPG. All four of the Viatorr patients had minor narrowing at the hepatic venous end and HVPG measurements that ranged 3–4 mm Hg above 12 mm Hg. Conclusion Considering the improved patency of covered stents in TIPS, US surveillance may be superfluous after the baseline study.
Random Deflections of a String on an Elastic Foundation

The paper is concerned with the problem of a taut string on a random elastic foundation subjected to random loads. The boundary value problem is transformed into an initial value problem by the method of invariant imbedding. Fokker–Planck equations for the random initial value problem are formulated and solved in some special cases. The analysis leads to a complete characterization of the random deflection function.
JOHN H. MCWHORTER , Towards a new model of creole genesis . (Studies in ethnolinguistics, 3.) New York: Lang, 1997. Pp. xiii, 199. Hb $44.95.

This is an informative and quite stimulating book, which offers a detailed look at the nature of creole genesis with particular emphasis on the emergence of Saramaccan (SM), one of the maroon creoles spoken in Suriname. McWhorter describes himself in the preface as a member of the third generation of creolists – a generation not afraid to challenge the conventional wisdom in the field, or to offer alternative theories. This book has the rather ambitious aim of proposing a “systematic account of creolization which integrates a number of the processes which creolists have identified as contributing the structural form of these languages” (10). In pursuing it, McWhorter re-examines two key areas of SM syntax – serial verb constructions and the copula system – to support his own eclectic view of creole formation. Despite the date of publication, the book is essentially the same as McWhorter's doctoral dissertation, completed in 1993. Hence it is somewhat dated, and omits mention of much recent and current work on creole genesis.
Measuring success in a pesticide risk reduction program among migrant farmworkers in Colorado

BACKGROUND: Farmworkers in the US largely consist of young undocumented Hispanics with a median education of 6 years and limited English skills. The High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety bilingual pesticide risk reduction program, which complied with the Worker Protection Standard for migrant farmworkers was evaluated. METHODS: A pretest/posttest comparison of farmworkers (n = 152) assigned to either the experimental or control group was used. Independent variables included demographics, agricultural experience, and health locus of control. Dependent variables were pesticide knowledge, safety risk perception (SRP), and safety-behavior outcomes. RESULTS: The bilingual pesticide program effectively increased farmworker's pesticide knowledge (P = 0.0001), SRP (P = 0.0001), and two (out of four) behavior outcomes. Workers with external health locus of control were less likely to adopt safety behaviors (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive decision-making process whereby farmworkers' readiness to change and permanently adopt safety behaviors was supported by the pesticide program. Our results support the need for long-term sustained bilingual, intervention programs that demonstrated effectiveness using integrative methodology.
Firing behavior and network activity of single neurons in human epileptic hypothalamic hamartoma.

Objective: Human hypothalamic hamartomas (HH) are intrinsically epileptogenic and are associated with treatment-resistant gelastic seizures. The basic cellular mechanisms responsible for seizure onset within HH are unknown. We used intra-operative microwire recordings of single neuron activity to measure the spontaneous firing rate of neurons and the degree of functional connection between neurons within the tumor. Technique: Fourteen patients underwent transventricular endoscopic resection of HH for treatment-resistant epilepsy. Prior to surgical resection, single neuron recordings from bundled microwires (total of 9 contacts) were obtained from HH tissue. Spontaneous activity was recorded for two or three 5-minute epochs under steady-state general anesthesia. Off-line analysis included cluster analysis of single unit activity and probability analysis of firing relationships between pairs of neurons. Results: Altogether, 222 neurons were identified (mean 6 neurons per recording epoch). Cluster analysis of single neuron firing utilizing a mixture of Gaussians model identified two distinct populations on the basis of firing rate (median firing frequency 0.6 versus 15.0 spikes per second; p<10-5). Cluster analysis identified three populations determined by levels of burst-firing (median burst indices of 0.015, 0.18, and 0.39; p<10-15). Unbiased analysis of spontaneous single unit behavior showed that 51% of all possible neuron pairs within each recording epoch had a significant level of firing synchrony (p<10-15). The subgroup of neurons with higher median firing frequencies was more likely to demonstrate synchronous firing (p<10-7). Conclusions: HH tissue in-vivo contains neurons which fire spontaneously. The activity of single neurons is diverse but distributes into at least two electrophysiological phenoytpes. Functional linkage between single neurons suggests that HH neurons exist within local networks that may contribute to ictogenesis.
Cellular Localization of Rat Testicular Aromatase Activity during Development

The aromatase activity from purified testicular sources (Leydig and Sertoli cells) of immature (5- and 15-dayold) and adult rats (60-day-old) was investigated by the tritiated water release method in isolated Leydig and Sertoli cells that were morphologically and functionally characterized. Electron micrographs of Sertoli cell preparations from different ages showed no marked changes, except that tight junctions between Sertoli cells normally present in 60-day-old rats were not observed in 5-day-old and rarely found in 15-day-old animals. Leydig cells underwent ultrastructural changes along with development, such as the appearance of thicker nuclear heterochromatin and laminar-like mitochondria. The 15-day-old rat interstitial tissue possessed less than 10% of Leydig cells morphologically similar to those present in the adult, whereas the rest were probably transition cells, since they did not show typical Leydig cell structure but were able to bind [125I]iodo-hCG, as evaluated by autoradiography. The num...
Dynamic Wrinkling of Viscoelastic Membranes

Problems associated with viscoelastic membrane structures have been documented, e.g., dynamic wrinkling and its effects on fatigue analysis and on snap loading. In the proposed analysis method, the constitutive equation is approximated by a finite difference equation and embedded within a nonlinear finite element spatial discretization. Implicit temporal integration and a modified Newton-Raphson method are used within a time increment. The stress-strain hereditary relation is formally derived from thermodynamic considerations. Use of modified strain-energy and dissipation functions facilitates the description of wrinkling during the analysis. Applications are demonstrated on an inflated cylindrical cantilever and on a submerged cylindrical membrane excited by waves.
A model for periodicity coding in the auditory system

The processing of complex sounds is thought to require the analysis of both spectral and temporal features. The initial processing of temporal features is believed to take place in a monaural pathway or pathways from the cochlea to the inferior colliculus (IC). We hypothesize that temporal processing begins with enhancement of temporal features by the cochlea and by cells in the cochlear nucleus and ends with a coincidence detection mechanism in the IC.
Clementine in retrospect

Clementine was a joint U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission launched in January 1994. Its primary purpose was to test space hardware developed for the DoD. Its secondary goal was to collect data of scientific value for NASA by imaging the Moon in multiple, narrow visible and infrared passbands from lunar orbit and the asteroid 1620 Geographos during a close fly by. The images of Geographos were not obtained, but the lunar data provided by Clementine far exceeded everyone's expectations in both quality and quantity. Some reasons why Clementine could be considered faster, better, and cheaper are inherent to the Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST), the space technology group at the Naval Research Laboratory. The major innovation of this type was the close teamwork established, by design, between the NASA Science Team and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) operations team. The high quality and utility of the lunar data are a direct result of the good working relationship between these two groups-which really became a single group. This cooperation allowed the Clementine team to go from recognition after several weeks in lunar orbit that some craters in the Moon's south polar region could be in permanent shade to conducting several days later the bistatic radar probing of the Moon's polar regions which resulted in data showing that water could be present on the Moon.
A dual-band high gain resonant cavity antenna with single polarization

In this paper, we present a novel design of a dual-band high-gain resonant cavity antenna (RCA) with single polarization. For dual-band (frequency ratio: 1.92:1) operation with single polarization and directional patterns, two T-shape slots in non-radiating edges of the microstrip patch were introduced. A single layer capacitive frequency selective surface (FSS) was employed as superstrate to achieve higher gain in both bands.
Behavioral overlays for non-verbal communication expression on a humanoid robot

This research details the application of non-verbal communication display behaviors to an autonomous humanoid robot, including the use of proxemics, which to date has been seldom explored in the field of human-robot interaction. In order to allow the robot to communicate information non-verbally while simultaneously fulfilling its existing instrumental behavior, a "behavioral overlay" model that encodes this data onto the robot's pre-existing motor expression is developed and presented. The state of the robot's system of internal emotions and motivational drives is used as the principal data source for non-verbal expression, but in order for the robot to display this information in a natural and nuanced fashion, an additional para-emotional framework has been developed to support the individuality of the robot's interpersonal relationships with humans and of the robot itself. An implementation on the Sony QRIO is described which overlays QRIO's existing EGO architecture and situated schema-based behaviors with a mechanism for communicating this framework through modalities that encompass posture, gesture and the management of interpersonal distance.
Performance characteristics of cellular systems with different link adaptation strategies

In this paper, the theoretical performance of cellular systems with different types of link adaptation is analyzed. A general link and system performance analysis framework is developed to enable the system-level performance characteristics of the various link adaptation strategies to be studied and compared. More specifically, this framework is used to compare the downlink performance of fully loaded cellular systems with fixed power and modulation/coding, adaptive modulation/coding (AMC), adaptive power allocation (APA) with system-level AMC, and water-filling (WF). Performance is studied first for idealized methods, and then for cases where some practical constraints are imposed. Finally, a hybrid link adaptation scheme is introduced and studied. The hybrid scheme is shown to overcome most of the performance loss caused by the practical constraints. Moreover, the hybrid scheme, as opposed to WF, enables the system to be tuned to meet the most important performance objective for the system under consideration, such as coverage reliability, capacity, or data rate distribution. The algorithms and the framework presented in this paper can be used to improve the link adaptation performance of modern cellular systems such as HSDPA.
Echocardiographic diagnosis of single coronary artery in double-outlet right ventricle

Abstract In summary, we report the echocardiographic diagnosis of the combination single coronary artery and DORV, initially recognizing this coronary artery variation by imaging in the subcostal coronal axis. This combination occurs in approximately 11% of patients with DORV, and raises important issues regarding coronary artery transfer in an arterial switch repair.
Exploiting avian vision with aircraft lighting to reduce bird strikes

Summary 1. Bird–aircraft collisions (bird strikes) represent a substantial safety concern and financial burden to civil aviation world-wide. Despite an increase in the rate of damaging bird strikes, necessary steps to develop a mitigation method outside of the airport environment have not been empirically tested. 2. We assessed whether use of aircraft lighting might enhance detection of and reaction to the approach of an aircraft in flight by Canada geese Branta canadensis Linnaeus, a species responsible for a high rate of damaging bird strikes. We used a novel approach by estimating the visibility to the goose visual system of a standard radio-controlled (RC) aircraft (standard aircraft) exhibiting either a 2-Hz alternating pulse of two lights, or lights off; and another RC aircraft designed to mimic a raptor (predator model). We then exposed wing-clipped Canada geese to the approach of each aircraft and quantified behavioural responses to respective treatments. 3. Estimates of chromatic and achromatic contrasts indicated that the standard aircraft with lights on was more salient to the visual system of the Canada goose than with lights off or the predator model. 4. At individual and group levels, quicker alert responses were observed to the standard aircraft with lights compared with the lights off and predator model. Goose groups showed similar responses to approaches by the standard aircraft and the predator model, suggesting use of antipredator behaviour to avoid the aircraft. 5. Synthesis and applications. Understanding animal sensory ecology and associated behaviours can aid the development of methods exploiting certain behaviours to reduce negative human– wildlife interactions. For example, reducing the frequency of bird strikes requires the integration of wildlife management efforts within and outside of the airport environment that target species resource use and response to disturbance, with mitigation techniques focused on the aircraft. Moreover, the design of aircraft lighting systems to enhance detection and avoidance by birds is contingent upon understanding avian visual ecology and behaviour. Based on spectral sensitivity in Canada geese, aircraft-mounted lights that peak in the ultraviolet ⁄ violet range (380–400 nm) are likely to produce the maximal behavioural effect.
The Poetic Turn in Postmodern Anthropology: The Poetry of Paul Friedrich

These two collections of poems by Paul Friedrich are important not only as poetry but because they tell us that anthropology in the postmodern world has taken a "poetic turn," manifest both in the writing of poetry and in an interest in "poetics" -in the form and functions of discourse and rhetoric.' This turn to poetics is also a "turning away" from formal linguistics and modern logic as the dominant models of discourse, for it acknowledges figurative synthesis as the previously constituted ground of all analysis and as the enabling discourse that analysis can neither fully explicate nor transcend. As Friedrich says:
Renal ischemia reperfusion inhibits VEGF expression and induces ADAMTS-1, a novel VEGF inhibitor

Reductions in vascular density occur following acute ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury that may predispose the development of chronic kidney disease. The mechanisms mediating vascular loss are not clear but may relate to the lack of effective vascular repair responses. To determine the regulation of the VEGF/VEGFR pathway following I/R injury, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to bilateral renal ischemia (45 min) and allowed to recover for 1, 3, 7, and 35 days. VEGF mRNA expression was repressed by greater than 50% of control values up to 3 days postischemia, while VEGF protein was repressed for up to 7 days postischemia. The renal mRNA expression of receptors was not altered postischemia; however, VEGFR1 (flt-1) protein was transiently reduced in kidney while soluble flt-1 was elevated in plasma at 7 days following injury. Microarray analysis of angiogenesis-related genes identified the enhanced expression of a number of genes, among these was ADAMTS-1 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif-1), a secreted VEGF inhibitor. The altered expression of ADAMTS-1 was confirmed using RT-PCR and Western blot analysis; immunofluorescence localized its expression to proximal tubules following I/R injury. Other genes identified using microarray included aminopeptidase N, Smad-1, and Id-3 and their localization was also examined using immunohistochemistry. In summary, the data indicate no clear pattern of anti-angiogenic gene expression following renal I/R injury. However, the studies do suggest an overall inhibition of the VEGF pathway during the early injury and repair phase of renal ischemia that may contribute to an overall reduction in renal microvascular density.
LONG-TERM DYNAMICS OF A GRASSLAND RODENT COMMUNITY

We examined long-term (1978–1999) population fluctuations and their influence on community structure in 6 species of rodents that are syntopic in old-field habitat in northeastern Kansas. Populations of all species fluctuated severalfold in abundance, with Sigmodon hispidus, Peromyscus maniculatus, and Reithrodontomys megalotis exhibiting annual cycles. Multiannual periodicities were evident for Microtus ochrogaster, P. maniculatus (3.5–4 years), and P. leucopus (7 years). Only Synaptomys cooperi lacked a discernable pattern in its abundance. Monthly abundances of 6 of 15 species-pairs positively covaried, suggesting similar responses to long-term environmental variation. In addition, several species-pairs showed time-lagged cross-correlations that indicate regular annual cycles, which were out of phase. Because of this variation in population dynamics within and among community members, the structure of this community varied considerably over time, indicating a nonequilibrial community. However, when looking at the community as a whole, 2 reoccurring long-term patterns in community structure emerge: an annual and a 3.5-year cycle. Annual cycles in community structure occurred because 3 of the 6 species showed annual cycles, whereas the 3.5-year cycle in community structure was probably due to the overwhelming influence of fluctuations in abundance of the numerically dominant prairie vole.
The Social Cost of the Tobacco Program

With the use of the traditional welfare tools of consumers' and producers' surplus, a complete accounting of welfare gains and losses for flue-cured tobacco has been made. An aspect of the flue-cured tobacco market has been the strong monopoly position of the U. S. in world trade. The price increasing feature of the tobacco program has provided the U. S. with a monopoly rent from foreign sales—part of which offsets the traditional welfare losses associated with price support programs. Some evidence on the cost of restricting one input is presented. Though the social cost of the program has been small, the longer run implications are that transferring income to tobacco producers will become more costly in terms of lost producer and consumer surplus.
Using Packages to Apply Advanced Models

In the first seven chapters of this book, we have treated R like a traditional statistical software program and reviewed how it can perform data management, report simple statistics, and estimate a variety of regression models. In the remainder of this book, though, we turn to the added flexibility that R offers—both in terms of programming capacity that is available for the user as well as providing additional applied tools through packages. In this chapter, we focus on how loading additional batches of code from user-written packages can add functionality that many software programs will not allow. Although we have used packages for a variety of purposes in the previous seven chapters (including car, gmodels, and lattice, to name a few), here we will highlight packages that enable unique methods. While the CRAN website lists numerous packages that users may install at any given time, we will focus on four particular packages to illustrate the kinds of functionality that can be added.
Two Functional Equations with Integral Arguments

(1931). Two Functional Equations with Integral Arguments. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 154-157.
Electrophoretic deposition of thermites onto micro-engineered electrodes prepared by direct-ink writing.

This work combines electrophoretic deposition (EPD) with direct-ink writing (DIW) to prepare thin films of Al/CuO thermites onto patterned two- and three-dimensional silver electrodes. DIW was used to write the electrodes using a silver nanoparticle ink, and EPD was performed in a subsequent step to deposit the thermite onto the conductive electrodes. Unlike conventional lithographic techniques, DIW is a low-cost and versatile alternative to print fine-featured electrodes, and adds the benefit of printing self-supported three-dimensional structures. EPD provides a method for depositing the composite thermite only onto the conductive electrodes, and with controlled thicknesses, which provides fine spatial and mass control, respectively. EPD has previously been shown to produce well-mixed thermite composites which can pack to reasonably high densities without the need for any postprocessing. Homogeneous mixing is particularly important in reactive composities, where good mixing can enhance the reaction kine...
Some Habits of Earwigs.

The presence of an earwig arouses in the average man and more so in the average woman, a strong feeling of disgust, possibly suggested by its sleek, sinuous body and by its secretive and nocturnal habits. At any rate, the feeling is almost universal and seemingly instinctive. Yet earwigs inflict no personal injury upon man, contrary to popular imagination and ancient superstition. A study of their habits reveals many qualities which are usually regarded by man as virtues, and still others which, if not so classified, are at least humanly interesting.
Participation of adrenal cortex in alterations in carbohydrate metabolism produced by epinephrine.

Summary1. The subcutaneous injection of epinephrine (0.02 mg/100 g body weight) into fasted adrenalectomized rats is followed by a twofold greater loss of muscle glycogen than in intact rats, and by little or no increase in liver glycogen. Consequently; there is a sixfold greater disappearance of carbohydrate from the body that is not accounted for by the accumulation of glucose or lactic acid in the body fluids. 2. The injection of large quantities of adrenal cortical extract, prior to and during the period of epinephrine action, brings about a restoration of the carbohydrate balance to that found in intact rats.
Student perspectives on using egocentric video recorded by smart glasses to assess communicative and clinical skills with standardised patients

Introduction This exploratory study evaluated student perceptions of their ability to self- and peer assess (i) interpersonal communication skills and (ii) clinical procedures (a head and neck examination) during standardised patient (SP) interactions recorded by Google Glass compared to a static camera. Methods Students compared the Google Glass and static camera recordings using an instrument consisting of 20 Likert-type items and four open- and closed-text items. The Likert-type items asked students to rate how effectively they could assess specific aspects of interpersonal communication and a head and neck examination in these two different types of recordings. The interpersonal communication items included verbal, paraverbal and non-verbal subscales. The open- and closed-text items asked students to report on more globally the differences between the two types of recordings. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted for all survey items. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to determine qualitative emergent themes from the open-text questions. Results Students found the Glass videos more effective for assessing verbal (t22 = 2.091, P = 0.048) and paraverbal communication skills (t22 = 3.304, P = 0.003), whilst they reported that the static camera video was more effective for assessing non-verbal communication skills (t22 = -2.132, P = 0.044). Four principle themes emerged from the students' open-text responses comparing Glass to static camera recordings for self- and peer assessment: (1) first-person perspective, (2) assessment of non-verbal communication, (3) audiovisual experience and (4) student operation of Glass. Discussion and conclusion Our findings suggest that students perceive that Google Glass is a valuable tool for facilitating self- and peer assessment of SP examinations because of students' perceived ability to emphasise and illustrate communicative and clinical activities from a first-person perspective.
Kirschner wire pin site infection in hand and wrist fractures: incidence rate and risk factors:

Kirschner wires are widely used for skeletal fixation of unstable fractures, but the pin tracks create a potential pathway through the skin and into the bone for bacteria to cause an infection. We ...
Parameter Optimization for Exoskeleton Control System Using Sobol Sequences

The focus of this paper is the control system of an exoskeleton that performs sit-to-stand motion. In previous publications it was shown that during such motion an exoskeleton can be modeled as a four bar serial mechanisms. That allows to simplify the control system design, which has been shown in the literature. This work provides further development of one of the existing approaches in designing control systems for exoskeletons performing sit-to-stand motion. In the paper a method for parameter optimization of the regulator is presented. The method is based on a multi stage procedure and combines the use of Sobol sequences with a nonlinear numerical optimization techniques. The results of the optimization and their analysis are presented. Relative advantages of using different objective functions are discussed.
Crowdsourcing Cooperation for Better Clinical Outcomes

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; United Nation, 2014 [9]) establishes that all of us are entitled to medical care. This is easier said than done, especially when combined with the dominant justice and equity theme of the declaration. We may disagree if equity of medical care is realistic; however, most of us agree that it is a worthy goal. In this paper, I will present a new platform that facilitates cooperation in the sharing of medical knowledge that can address health equity challenges.
Cross-layer resilience: are high-level techniques always better?

Computers are pervasive in society because advances in integrated circuit (IC) technology have enabled increased performance and reduced costs. In many critical applications, the ICs need to continue to operate correctly in spite of manufacturing defects, as well as failures during operation due to wearout or external disturbances. Although thorough testing of the ICs is part of the manufacturing cycle, some defects may escape the screening; during operation, interconnects may wear out due to electromigration and transistors could degrade (for example, due to negative bias temperature instability (NBTI)). This could result in incorrect results produced by the circuits. Errors can also be produced during operation due to crosstalk, voltage droops (which lead to increased delays in critical paths), single event upsets due to external radiation, etc. Therefore, systems comprising the ICs need to be designed to be resilient, i.e., detect and correct errors due to failures.
Doppler Measurement of Uterine Blood Flow in the First Trimester of Normal and Complicated Pregnancies

The technique of doppler ultrasound has revolutionized our understanding of the changes in uteroplacental blood flow impedance that occur in human pregnancy. Several reports in the last few years have examined the use of doppler ultrasound to detect blood velocity changes in maternal (Campbell et al., 1983), umbilical (Trudinger et al., 1986), and fetal vessels (Griffin et al., 1984). Both pulsed (Erskine and Ritchie, 1985) and continuous wave doppler (Trudinger et al., 1985) have been used to study the flow velocity waveforms in normal and abnormal pregnancies. These studies have concentrated on the latter half of pregnancy, in an attempt to assess the potential clinical value of this non invasive test for the screening and subsequent management of high risk pregnancies.
Reentrant equilibrium disordering in nanoparticle–polymer mixtures

A large body of experimental work has established that athermal colloid/polymer mixtures undergo a sequence of transitions from a disordered fluid state to a colloidal crystal to a second disordered phase with increasing polymer concentration. These transitions are driven by polymer-mediated interparticle attraction, which is a function of both the polymer density and size. It has been posited that the disordered state at high polymer density is a consequence of strong interparticle attractions that kinetically inhibit the formation of the colloidal crystal, i.e., the formation of a non-equilibrium gel phase interferes with crystallization. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory on polymers and nanoparticles (NPs) of comparable size and show that the crystal-disordered phase coexistence at high polymer density for sufficiently long chains corresponds to an equilibrium thermodynamic phase transition. While the crystal is, indeed, stabilized at intermediate polymer density by polymer-induced intercolloid attractions, it is destabilized at higher densities because long chains lose significant configurational entropy when they are forced to occupy all of the crystal voids. Our results are in quantitative agreement with existing experimental data and show that, at least in the nanoparticle limit of sufficiently small colloidal particles, the crystal phase only has a modest range of thermodynamic stability. Polymers need to be the right length if they are to hold NPs into a crystal structure, shows research from scientists in the USA. Sanat Kumar from Columbia University and colleagues explain why small particles suspended in a solution, known as a colloid, become ordered then disordered when a polymer is added. The particles in a colloid are usually free to move around, but the addition of a polymer causes them to form a crystal-like structure. Adding more polymer returns the colloid to a disordered state. Kumar et al. use molecular dynamic simulations and density functional theory to show that this occurs because, while the crystal is stabilized at intermediate polymer density by polymer-induced nanoparticle attraction, it is destabilized at higher densities when the longer polymer chains can’t fit in the gaps between the particles.
Almond: The Architecture of an Open, Crowdsourced, Privacy-Preserving, Programmable Virtual Assistant

This paper presents the architecture of Almond, an open, crowdsourced, privacy-preserving and programmable virtual assistant for online services and the Internet of Things (IoT). Included in Almond is Thingpedia, a crowdsourced public knowledge base of natural language interfaces and open APIs. Our proposal addresses four challenges in virtual assistant technology: generality, interoperability, privacy, and usability. Generality is addressed by crowdsourcing Thingpedia, while interoperability is provided by ThingTalk, a high-level domain-specific language that connects multiple devices or services via open APIs. For privacy, user credentials and user data are managed by our open-source ThingSystem, which can be run on personal phones or home servers. Finally, we address usability by providing a natural language interface, whose capability can be extended via training with the help of a menu-driven interface. We have created a fully working prototype, and crowdsourced a set of 187 functions across 45 different kinds of devices. Almond is the first virtual assistant that lets users specify trigger-action tasks in natural language. Despite the lack of real usage data, our experiment suggests that Almond can understand about 40% of the complex tasks when uttered by a user familiar with its capability.
Kant on the original synthesis of understanding and sensibility

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I propose a novel interpretation of the role of the understanding in generating the unity of space and time. On the account I propose, we must distinguish between the unity that belongs to determinate spaces and times – which is a result of category-guided synthesis and which is Kant’s primary focus in §26 of the B-Deduction, including the famous B160–1n – and the unity that belongs to space and time themselves as all-encompassing structures. Non-conceptualist readers of Kant have argued that this latter unity cannot be the product of categorial synthesis. While they are correct that this unity is not the product of any particular act of category-guided synthesis, I argue that conceptualists are right to nevertheless attribute this unity to the understanding. I argue that it is a result of what we can think of as the ‘original’ synthesis of understanding and sensibility themselves – it is a synthesis, moreover, in which the whole is logically prior to the parts.
Urea Biosynthesis in a Surviving Amphibian Liver Cube Preparation

Abstract The biosynthesis of urea in vitro was maintained at a constant rate for 48 hours in a surviving amphibian liver cube system. The maintenance of constant oxygen consumption and protein synthesis during this time indicated that the majority of cells remained viable. A direct correlation between the rate of fixation of 14CO2 and ammonia into urea and the levels of carbamyl phosphate synthetase in vitro was similar to observations made in the metamorphosing amphibian in vivo.
Mass and energy capture from stellar winds for magnetized and unmagnetized planets: implications for atmospheric erosion and habitability

The extent to which a magnetosphere protects its planetary atmosphere from stellar wind ablation depends upon how well it prevents plasma from entering and how well it traps otherwise escaping plasma. We focus on the entering, and provide a simple formalism for estimating upper limits on mass and energy capture, the latter of which determines maximum mass loss rates. Our approach quantifies a competition between two effects: a sufficiently strong planetary magnetic field deflects incoming plasma, but also increases the mass loading cross section when the wind and planetary fields are oriented for magnetic reconnection. The rate of mass loading can be larger for a magnetized versus an unmagnetized planet even if the rate of energy loading is correspondingly less. We find this to be the case for Earth's history since the lunar forming impact-- the likely start of the geodynamo. However, polar focusing can increase the local energy flux beyond that without a magnetosphere for a strong enough planetary field and weak enough wind, and we find that this may be the case for Earth's future. The future protective role of Earth's magnetic field would then depend on its ability to trap outgoing plasma. Generally, the competition between increased collection area and reduced inflow speed from a magnetosphere is likely essential in determining the net protective role of planetary fields and its importance in sustaining habitability. The competing effects may also help explain why current ion loss rates from Mars, Venus and Earth are similar.
Thoracic Infections in Immunocompromised Patients

The purpose of this review is to summarize the imaging findings of thoracic infections occurring in immunocompromised patients. Lung infection remains one of the most common complications in immunocompromised patients and is one of the major contributors to morbidity and mortality. Imaging examinations are frequently performed in immunocompromised patients suspected of having chest infection. This review primarily illustrates the CT findings of lung infection. Early detection is important because these patients can rapidly develop fulminant disease. The imaging findings of a variety of pulmonary infections have been described, and it is well recognized that there is significant overlap of imaging findings across a variety of infections. However, the presence or absence of certain findings can favor one type of infection over another, especially when clinical factors are taken into consideration. Radiologists play a central role in identifying chest infections in immunocompromised patients. Knowledge of the association between specific infections and specific types of immunodeficiency can aid the radiologist in providing a focused differential diagnosis. Furthermore, knowledge of noninfectious complications such as drug reaction or neoplasm can help guide patient management.
Applicability of EU multilingual resources: A case study of the translation into English of legal vocabulary in the judicial context of Spain

Vocabulary is often considered one of the most difficult aspects of translating legal texts, and finding reliable textual supports is often a challenge too. This study presents the results of an experiment to use, as often as possible, multilingual EU resources with versions in Spanish and English as textual supports for a large sample of vocabulary that warranted research when the author was involved in translating into English a voluminous text of judgment summaries produced by the Supreme Court of Spain. In the majority of cases it was indeed possible to find high quality translations in EUR-Lex (Access to European Law) and IATE (InterActive Terminology for Europe), signaling, on the one hand, significant legal language overlap possibilities between the EU and Spain and, on the other, great potential for employing the former’s linguistic resources in the translation of the latter’s legal texts. Moreover, this study analyzes the results with an eye to linking the different types of vocabulary items that were searched to the different types of textual supports they were found in, to see how different kinds of supports (a collection of texts and their translations, such as EUR-Lex, or a multilingual terminological resource, such as IATE) might pair well with different kinds of vocabulary items. In this way the study also addresses some of the different opinions surrounding using online collections of texts and their translations (i.e. multilingual corpora) vs. multilingual terminological
Afghanistan Environmental Degradation

The environmental degradation of Afghanistan is extreme and includes ground- and surface-water degradation, diminution and contamination, soil salinization from irrigation, soil erosion from watershed and range mismanagement, deforestation, and dearbification wherein shrubs are uprooted, biodiversity reduction and habitat loss, widespread desertification, urban and industrial pollution, and the residuals of warfare. Each of these problems has now been recognized and described, with new efforts implemented to solve many of these problems.
Teaching with Technology and Interactive Media to Promote Creativity and Arts-based Learning in Young Children

Providing many and varied opportunities for young children to engage in creative experiences is a vital role of early childhood teachers. This chapter describes how technology and interactive media may be used as a vehicle for nurturing children’s creativity and as a means for arts-based teaching and learning. Key ideas from early childhood theories are shared, as they align with recommendations for developmentally-appropriate practice. Technology-based teaching strategies for the creative arts are described, along with technology tools and materials that are needed to plan developmentally-appropriate and effective creative activities. Additionally, interdisciplinary creative experiences through technology and the arts are offered.
The Effect of Credit Default Swaps on Risk Shifting

We study the effect of credit default swaps (CDS) on a firm's risk shifting. Because CDS provides insurance against default, bondholders become indifferent whether a firm defaults and likely reduce monitoring efforts. Moreover, CDS strengthens bondholders' bargaining power, potentially leading to higher default rates. Therefore, managers of financially distressed firms have more incentives to, and find it easier to take on excessive risk. Controlling for the possibility of reverse causality that CDS trading may arise in anticipation of risk shifting, and selection bias, we find empirical evidence that CDS trading causes financially distressed firms to engage in more risk shifting.
Demographic, Social, and Behavioral Determinants of Lung Cancer Perceived Risk and Worries in a National Sample of American Adults; Does Lung Cancer Risk Matter?

Background: Perceived risk and worries of developing cancer are important constructs for cancer prevention. Many studies have investigated the relationship between health behaviors and subjective risk perception. However, factors correlated with lung cancer risk perception and worries in individuals more susceptible to lung cancer have rarely been investigated. Objective: To determine demographic, social, and behavioral determinants of cancer perceived risk and worries and to explore heterogeneities in these associations by the level of lung cancer risk in a nationally representative sample of American adults. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, data came from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2017, which included a 2277 representative sample of American adults. Smoking status, cancer perceived risk, cancer worries, age, gender, race, education, income, and insurance status were measured. We ran structural equation models (SEMs) for data analysis. Results: “Ever smoker” status was associated with higher cancer perceived risk (b = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.05–0.44, p = 0.013) and worries (b = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.18–0.50, p < 0.001), suggesting that “ever smokers” experience higher levels of cancer perceived risk and worries regarding cancer, compared to “never smokers”. Other factors that correlate with cancer perceived risk and worries were race, age, income, and insurance status. Blacks demonstrated less cancer perceived risk and worry (b = −0.98, 95% CI = −1.37–0.60, p < 0.001) in both low and high risk lung cancer groups. However, the effects of social determinants (income and insurance status) and age were observed in low but not high risk group. Conclusions: Determinants of cancer perceived risk and worries vary in individuals depending on the level of lung cancer risk. These differences should be considered in clinical practice and policy makings with the goal of improving participation rates in lung cancer screening programs.
The effect of dose escalation for large squamous cell carcinomas of the anal canal: A National Cancer Database study.

791Background: Chemoradiation allows for organ preservation in patients with anal cancer, but patients with large tumors (T3/T4) continue to have high rates of locoregional recurrence. With conform...
Bone histology for skeletal age-at-death estimation

Abstract Skeletally based histologic methods provide reliable and accurate age-at-death estimates, which are an essential aspect of the anthropologist’s biological profile. Though often applied as an alternative approach to age estimation when gross morphological markers are absent or damaged, bone histology works best as an integrated part of age-at-death assessment rather than a mere alternative to traditional gross analysis. Based on the tenets and theories of bone biology, current histologic methods provide a nuanced approach by which to accurately age skeletal remains. The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of established and commonly employed methods for estimating age histologically. The chapter aims to contextualize these methods within the framework of skeletal biological theory, which is integral to proper application and interpretation of histological results. Finally, a brief summary of current research and a case study of histological aging to illustrate the utility of such methods in a contemporary forensic setting are provided.