cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Gas Production by a Variety of Spirochetes

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUALE PRODUCTION DE GAS METABOLIC PER UN VARIETATE DE SPIROCHETES.—Le uso de duo differente typos de medio e le introduction de variationes in le typo de inricchimento seral o in le substantia reductori in le medio completate non afficeva appreciabilemente le capacitate del spirochetes hydrogeno-productori de elaborar ille gas. Le mesme resultatos esseva obtenite quando glucosa esseva omittite ab un del duo medios. Il esseva demonstrate in plus que un treponema productori de gas poteva esseva culturate in massa, con le possibilitate de sedimentar le cellulas per centrifugation e de resuspender los pro un essayage del production de hydrogeno in le microrespirometro de Warburg. Esseva trovate que le intensitate del production de hydrogeno esseva approximativemente equal a illo de bioxydo de carbon.
Study of low noise multichannel readout electronics for high sensitivity PET systems based on avalanche photodiode arrays

A compact, low noise, and low cost readout system based on commercially available application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) is under investigation. These front-end circuits have been used to readout a prototype detector module comprising Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) scintillation crystals coupled to avalanche photodiode (APD) arrays. A major goal for this work is to build a dedicated high performance breast imaging PET system. Characteristics of signal response, noise, pedestals and gain of the chip have been evaluated. The channels have a linear response to within 2% across a /spl plusmn/50 fC dynamic range. The circuits allow hardware adjustment of bias levels to allow gain uniformity of less than 5% for all channels within a chip and the gain performance is very stable over all channels. Initial tests of the chip when connected to a prototype APD array also showed good performance. 13% energy resolution was obtained with direct 5.9 keV X-ray interactions in an individual APD pixel. Initial performance evaluation indicates that the ASIC may serve as a foundation for front-end readout electronics for the proposed PET system.
Childhood Leukemia Mimicking Arthritis

Physicians who take care of children must consider the differential diagnosis of acute leukemia with any unexplained musculoskeletal symptom. A mild leukopenia could de the first laboratory abnormality associated with early symptoms.
Chromatic dispersion effects in analog polarization-modulated links

The effect of chromatic dispersion on a photonic link employing polarization modulation is studied analytically and experimentally. For analog polarization modulation, dispersion introduces a frequency-dependent rotation to the orientation of modulation about the center of modulation. As a result, the dispersion-limited bandwidth of the link will depend on receiver design.
Information sharing and exchange in the context of product lifecycle management: Role of standards

This paper introduces a model of the information flows in Product Life cycle Management (PLM), serving as the basis for understanding the role of standards in PLM support systems. Support of PLM requires a set of complementary and interoperable standards that cover the full range of aspects of the products' life cycle. The paper identifies a typology of standards relevant to PLM support that addresses the hierarchy of existing and evolving standards and their usage and identifies a suite of standards supporting the exchange of product, process, operations and supply chain information. A case study illustrating the use of PLM standards in a large organization is presented. The potential role of harmonization among PLM support standards is described and a proposal is made for using open standards and open source models for this important activity.
Dynamic view selection for multi-camera action recognition

For multi-camera human action recognition methods, there is often a trade-off between classification accuracy and computational efficiency. Methods that generate 3D models or query all of the cameras in the network for each target are often computationally expensive. In this paper, we present an action recognition method that operates in a multi-camera environment, but dynamically selects a single camera at a time. We learn the relative utility of a particular viewpoint compared with switching to a different available camera in the network for future classification. We cast this learning problem as a Markov Decision Process, and incorporate reinforcement learning to estimate the value of the possible view-shifts. On two benchmark multi-camera action recognition datasets, our method outperforms approaches that incorporate all available cameras in both speed and classification accuracy.
Slurry Admittance and Its Effect on Polishing

Conventional polishing process variables such as down force, platen speed, slurry flow rate, etc. tend to be both coupled together and indirect. Within this context, one might argue that the net rate of slurry admission or concomitantly, effective volume of slurry between the substrate and pad is a direct process parameter, which is affected by polishing pressure, substrate-pad relative velocity, pad wear and texture, etc. In this work, the role of slurry admittance is investigated by direct control of interference between the pad surface and the carrier retainer ring. Both fixed and dynamic implementations are investigated. Observed patterns of material removal on substrates polished with a fixed orientation are correlated and discussed.
A hybrid method employing breakdown anodization and electrophoretic deposition for superhydrophilic surfaces.

A fabrication method is developed for superhydrophilic surfaces with high capillary pressure and fast spreading speed. The fabrication method consists of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and breakd...
Opportunistic fungal infections in the critically ill.

Over the past decade, fungal infections have become an increasingly common source of morbidity for patients in intensive care units. Candidal infections are currently the fourth most common source of septicemia among intensive care patients, and they are responsible for the highest actual mortality rate of all bloodstream infections. Despite the clinical importance of fungal infections in care of the critically ill, little nursing literature has focused on this topic. This article outlines current trends regarding fungal illness in the critically ill, describes the infectious manifestations of candidiasis and aspergillosis, and reviews the available antifungal therapies.
Imply-Benefit-Attribute im Bereich häufig gekaufter Konsumgüter

In dieser Abhandlung wird die Frage behandelt, wie Konsumenten auf Produktmerkmale reagieren, die fur sie leicht durchschaubar nur in anderen Bereichen einen Nutzen stiften, aber keinen Nutzen im beworbenen Produkt aufweisen (z.B. echtes Gold in einer Seife, Wellnessfruchte in einer Marmelade, Diamantenstaub in einem Nagelharter). Wir bezeichnen solche Attribute als Imply-Benefit-Attribute und erortern auf Basis von Konsumentenverhaltenstheorien und elf Experimenten deren Wirkung. Das zentrale Ergebnis lautet, dass derartige Produktmerkmale eine positive Wirkung aufweisen, es sei denn, hoch involvierte Konsumenten konnten dadurch von der Verarbeitung anderer starker Kaufargumente abgelenkt werden.
Mechanisms of Channel Current Formation in Silicon P-N Junctions

The physical mechanisms of the formation of channel currents associated with reverse biased P-N junctions are studied in detail. It is demonstrated that a channel characteristic results when a site of very high carrier generation rate is connected by an inversion layer to the P-N junction. Such sites are shown to be due either to a fault associated with the field-induced junction between the inversion layer and underlying silicon, or to the breakdown of this junction.
A dielectric rod antenna driven by a pulsed power system

A dielectric rod antenna was constructed for stimulating biological tissues. The antenna consists of three sections (a conical wave launcher, a cylindrical waveguide, and a conical emitting section). The simulation of the antenna in free space was confirmed with measurements of the return loss (S11) and the transient electric field. To reach the electric field threshold for tissue stimulation, a high voltage pulsed power system was designed and constructed to drive the antenna. Central to the pulsed power system is a transformer and an oil peaking switch. The transformer is an ultrafast, dual resonance pulse transformer with a linearly integrated primary (LIP) stage. It is capable of generating pulses with rise time <50 ns. The load for the transformer was an oil-filled transmission line that was connected to the antenna. An oil peaking switch was used to switch the line to produce high voltage picosecond transients. The electric field was measured in the near field at a distance of 4 cm. A 500 ps pulse with an amplitude of 600 V/cm was recorded for a 25 kV input from the pulse transformer. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the system and so future work will be focused on increasing the voltage and the electric field in order to stimulate biological tissues.
Longitudinal Changes in Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Operation Enduring Freedom/operation Iraqi Freedom/operation New Dawn Veterans With Hazardous Alcohol Use: The Role of Avoidance Coping

Military personnel who have experienced combat trauma are at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A greater recognition of the complex array of vulnerability factors that contribute to PTSD severity has led researchers to examine other non-combat-related factors. This longitudinal study examined a number of pre-, peri-, and postdeployment factors hypothesized to contribute to PTSD symptomatology among returning Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn veterans presenting with at least subthreshold PTSD symptoms and hazardous alcohol use in a primary care setting. Purported risk factors included childhood family environment, severity of combat exposure, postdeployment social support, alcohol dependence severity, and an avoidant coping style. At baseline, postdeployment social support and avoidant coping contributed to PTSD severity. Only avoidant coping was associated with changes in PTSD symptom at 1-year follow-up. Reducing avoidant coping may deter the maintenance of PTSD among veterans with PTSD symptoms and hazardous alcohol use.
The Enlightenment: History of An Idea. By VincenzoFerrone. Translated by ElisabettaTarantino. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2015. Pp. xvi, 216. $29.95.) : Book Review

The Enlightenment was, is, and forever will be contested terrain. “Cultural and political battles of an exceptionally intense and passionate character have been fought over the last few centuries f...
Targeting cancer stem cells with dietary phytochemical - Repositioned drug combinations

The tumor microenvironment is complex with the cancer stem cell (CSC) as a member within its community. This population possesses the capacity to self-renew and to cause cellular heterogeneity of the tumor. CSCs are resistant to conventional anti-proliferative drugs. In order to be curative, it is imperative that CSCs must be eliminated by cancer therapy. A variety of dietary phytochemicals and repositioned drugs can act synergistically with conventional anti-cancer agents. In this review, we advocate the development of a novel approach, namely combination therapy by incorporating both phytochemicals and repositioned drugs to target CSCs. We cover select dietary phytochemicals (curcumin, resveratrol, EGCG, genistein) and repurposed drugs (metformin, niclosamide, thioridazine, chloroquine). Five of the eight (curcumin, resveratrol, EGCG, genistein, metformin) are listed in "The Halifax Project", that explores "the concept of a low-toxicity 'broad-spectrum' therapeutic approach that could simultaneously target many key pathways and mechanisms" [1]. For these compounds, we discuss their mechanisms of action, in which models their anti-CSC activities were identified, as well as advantages, challenges and potentials of combination therapy.
The Measurement of the Self-Concept

The self is typically defined as the total, essential, or particular being of a single individual or person. That is, the self involves those qualities that differentiate or distinguish that person from other persons. The study of the self has been a continuing preoccupation for both philosophy and psychology.
The interaction of children's concepts about agents and their ability to use an agent-based tutoring system

Computer-based teachable agents are a promising compliment to classroom instruction. However, little is known about how children think about these artificial agents. In this study, we investigated children's concepts about the intentionality of a software agent they had interacted with and tested whether these concepts would change in response to exposure to the agent. We also tested whether individual differences in concepts about agent intentionality would affect children's ability to learn from the agent. After repeated exposure to a teachable agent, students did not make more intentional attributions for the agent than a computer, but a general understanding of agency predicted success in learning from the agent. Understanding basic concepts about agency appears to be an important part of the successful design, implementation, and effectiveness of computer-based learning environments.
Protein turnover and sensory traits of longissimus muscle from implanted and nonimplanted heifers.

Primary bovine muscle cell culture studies were conducted to determine whether implanting heifers had a direct effect on in vitro protein synthesis and degradation and to determine the effect of implanting heifers on longissimus muscle palatability. Feedlot heifers (n = 96) were administered one of six implant regimens to characterize their effect on in vitro amino acid uptake and protein degradation. Treatments consisted of: 1) a nonimplanted control (NI/NI); 2) no implant on d 1 and Revalor-H administered on d 84 of the experiment (NI/Rev); 3) Revalor-H on d 1, but no implant given at d 84 (Rev/NI); 4) Revalor-H administered on d 1 and d 84 (Rev/Rev); 5) Revalor-IH administered on d 1 and Revalor-H at d 84 (RIH/Rev); and 6) Synovex-H given at d 1 and Revalor-H administered at d 84 (Syn/Rev). Blood and longissimus lumborum muscle were collected 20 min postmortem, and serum and muscle extracts were incubated with primary bovine muscle cells. Implant treatments had minimal effects on shear force and sensory traits; however, steaks from Rev/Rev heifers were 0.31 kg more tender (P 0.10) by any implant treatment. When primary bovine muscle cells were treated with muscle extract, amino acid uptake was greater for heifers implanted with Rev/ Rev than for the average of all other treatments (P < 0.01). The Rev/Rev implant regimen also increased (P < 0.05) amino acid uptake compared with heifers treated with RIH/Rev, Syn/Rev, NI/NI, NI/Rev, or Rev/NI. Cellular protein degradation of the muscle cell culture treated with muscle extract tended (P < 0.10) to be higher in NI/NI-treated cells compared with the average of all implant treatments. In addition, cells treated with muscle extract from heifers implanted with Rev/Rev had lower (P < 0.05) protein degradation than the NI/NI control heifers. These results indicate that anabolic implant strategies can directly affect both muscle protein synthesis and degradation via effects that seem to be more autocrine than paracrine in nature.
Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Case Specification for Verification of Software Safety Requirements in the Context of ISO 26262

This paper proposes a methodology for the derivation of test case specification for conducting verification of Software Safety Requirements (SSRs) in a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) testing environment under the context of ISO 26262 road vehicle functional safety standard. The proposed methodology consists of a two-stage logical workflow that is based on the analysis of safety mechanism instead of testing the SSRs one by one. By systematically determine the test objectives first, the workflow allows a more logical way to devise relevant test scenarios, which are executable in a HiL environment. One test scenario may cover one or more test objectives that in turn would satisfy the SSRs mapped to the safety mechanism in the first place. In addition, an application example based on a digitally controlled power inverter that drives the traction motor of a pure electric vehicle is also presented in this paper, in order to facilitate a better understanding of how the proposed workflow could be implemented to derive test cases in practice.
Brief Report: Exercise and Blood Pressure in Older Adults—An Updated Look

Background/Objectives. Raised blood pressure is a major problem in older adults. Using a random-effects model, a recent meta-analysis reported statistically significant reductions in both resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) as a result of aerobic, resistance, and combined aerobic and resistance exercise in adults 65 years. To provide more objective information regarding this nonpharmacologic approach, this study applied more robust methods to this data. Design. Meta-analysis of 41 randomized controlled trials representing 96 groups (52 exercise; 44 control). Setting. Any location where a randomized controlled trial could be conducted. Participants. Adults 65 years. Intervention. Trials 2 weeks that included aerobic, resistance, and/or combined aerobic and resistance exercise as the intervention. Measurements. The recently developed inverse heterogeneity model (IVhet) was used to pool findings and the Doi plot was used to examine for small-study effects. Absolute and relative differences between the IVhet and random-effects model were also calculated. Data were reported using the mean difference (exercise minus control) with nonoverlapping 95% confidence intervals considered statistically significant. Results. Statistically significant reductions in resting blood pressure were found as a result of aerobic exercise (SBP, -4.7 mmHg, 95% CI, -7.7 to -1.8; DBP, -2.0 mmHg, 95% CI -3.13 to -0.9), SBP but not DBP for resistance training (SBP, -7.0 mmHg, 95% CI, -10.5 to -3.4; DBP, -1.2 mmHg, 95% CI -2.7 to 0.3), and both SBP and DBP for combined aerobic and resistance training (SBP, -5.5 mmHg, 95% CI, -8.3 to -2.7; DBP, -3.7 mmHg, 95% CI -4.8 to -2.7). Conclusions. Exclusive of changes in DBP congruent with resistance training, exercise (aerobic, resistance, and combined aerobic and resistance) reduces resting SBP and DBP in older adults. These findings have practical implications when considering exercise for the prevention and treatment of raised blood pressure in older adults.
Patient Expectation and Satisfaction with Different Prosthetic Treatment Modalities.

Purpose To investigate the relationships between gender, age, patients' perceptions about the dentists' conduct, number of adjustments, treatment type, and expectation prior to prosthetic treatment and patient satisfaction with their treatments. Materials and methods Data were integrated from four studies that measured patient expectations before treatment and satisfaction after treatment using a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. These scores were given for each of four aspects of the therapeutic outcomes: chewing, esthetics, phonetics, and comfort. Patients' perceptions about the dentists' conduct was also assessed using a Likert-scale questionnaire. The total sample size, after combining the data from all four studies, was 223 subjects. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed. The covariates entertained were gender, age, treatment type, patients' perceptions about the dentists' conduct, number of adjustments, and expectation prior to denture fabrication. Results In the entire sample, 115 (51.57%) patients were females and 108 (48.43%) were males. They ranged in age from 28 to 81 years old; the mean age was 53.2 years (SD = 11.5). Combining four treatments together, there was no significant difference between patients' expectation and satisfaction scores for all four items. There were no significant differences between expectation and satisfaction for different genders. Multivariable analysis showed that patient expectation, satisfaction and the difference (satisfaction score-expectation score) scores for all four aspects were associated with treatment type (implant treatments were favored), and expectation prior to prosthetic treatment (the higher the expectation, the higher the satisfaction) was associated with satisfaction and difference scores. Satisfaction and difference scores for chewing were associated with number of adjustments and satisfaction, and satisfaction and difference scores for phonetics and comfort were associated with how well the dentist explained the intended treatment before performing it. Conclusions Patient satisfaction was associated with treatment type (implant treatments were favored), expectations prior to prosthetic treatment (the higher the expectation, the higher the satisfaction), and how well the dentist explained the intended treatment before performing it.
Spatial thermal dose delivery in atmospheric pressure plasma jets

Author(s): Gidon, D; Graves, DB; Mesbah, A | Abstract: Atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are increasingly used in plasma medicine and materials processing applications. Reproducible and effective operation of APPJs requires regulating the cumulative effects of plasma on a target substrate in the face of variabilities and exogenous disturbances. This article investigates spatial delivery of thermal effects - thermal dose - of plasma using a kHz-excited APPJ in helium translated over a dielectric substrate. A dose metric is presented for quantifying the cumulative, nonlinear thermal effects of plasma along the translation trajectory of the APPJ. An optimization-based feedback control strategy is proposed for real-time regulation of thermal dose delivery using spatial measurements of substrate temperature. Experimental investigation reveals that feedback control is crucial for achieving spatially uniform dose delivery.
Listening Effort by Native and Nonnative Listeners Due to Noise, Reverberation, and Talker Foreign Accent During English Speech Perception

Purpose Understanding speech in complex realistic acoustic environments requires effort. In everyday listening situations, speech quality is often degraded due to adverse acoustics, such as excessi...
Digital light processing (DLP) 3D-printing technology and photoreactive polymers in fabrication of modified-release tablets

In this study, we assessed the feasibility of using digital light processing (DLP) 3D printers (3DP) in fabrication of solid oral dosage forms. The DLP technology uses a digital micromirror device (DMD) that reflects and focuses ultraviolet (UV) light on the surfaces of photoreactive materials that polymerize in a layer-by-layer fashion. Using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) as photoreactive polymers and theophylline as a model drug, we deployed a DLP printer to fabricate tablets. After optimizing various printing parameters including UV intensity and exposure time, layer thickness, and polymer concentration, we printed various types of tablets with and without perforation. We then assessed the tablets for drug content, mechanical strengths, swellability, weight variation, microscopic features, drug-polymer interactions and drug release profiles. The loading of theophylline was 1%, which was independent of tablet weights. The drug content and weight variation were within the acceptable range, as recommended by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) pictures showed tablets with distinct layers and smooth outer surfaces. The spectral scans, obtained using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), showed no chemical interactions between the drug and polymers. Similarly, drug content determined using a UV spectrophotometer was the same as that determined by a high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The extent of drug release increased with the increase in the number of perforations in the tablets. Overall, this study demonstrates that DLP 3DP can be used as a platform for fabricating oral tablets with well-defined shapes and different release profiles.
Advocacy and actions to address disparities in access to genomic health care: A report on a National Academies workshop

Abstract Background In the United States, access to genomic risk assessment, testing, and follow up care is most easily obtained by those who have sufficient financial, educational, and social resources. Multiple barriers limit the ability of populations without those resources to benefit from health care that integrates genomics in assessment of disease risk, diagnosis, and targeted treatment. Purpose To summarize barriers and potential actions to reduce genomic health care disparities. Method Summarize authors' views on discussions at a workshop hosted by the National Academy of Medicine. Discussion Barriers include access to health care providers that utilize genomics, genetic literacy of providers and patients, and absence of evidence of gene variants importance in ancestrally diverse underserved populations. Conclusion Engagement between underserved communities, health care providers, and policy makers is an essential component to raise awareness and seek solutions to barriers in access to genomic health care for all populations.
Calculating the polarization lifetime from the Thomas-Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi equation

It was observed at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider that the polarization of the stored beam decays by 0.17 to 3% per hour. This effect could not be simulated up to now since the simulation time for an exact calculation exceeded the computer capacity. To solve this problem the action of the whole arc was considered as one element acting on the spin and not, as before, each optical element in the arc individually (called lattice independent integration). In addition to former simulations the coupling of synchrotron and betatron motions in the beam interaction regions and their action on the polarization were taken into account (called addition of longitudinal dynamics). It is shown that with these two changes the action on the polarization life time can be explained.
Beyond cohomological assignments

Abstract Let a torus T act in a Hamiltonian fashion on a compact symplectic manifold ( M , ω ) . The assignment ring A T ( M ) is an extension of the equivariant cohomology ring H T ( M ) ; it is modeled on the GKM description of the equivariant cohomology of a GKM space. We show that A T ( M ) is a finitely generated S ( t ⁎ ) -module, and give a criterion guaranteeing that a given set of assignments generates (alternatively, is a basis for) this module. We define two new types of assignments, delta classes and bridge classes, and show that if the torus T is 2-dimensional, then all assignments of sufficiently high degree are generated by cohomological, delta, and bridge classes. In particular, if M is 6-dimensional, then we can find a basis of such classes.
Friday sermons and the complexities of standardization in the late Ottoman Empire

This study aims to examine the nature and success of Ottoman modernization in the realm of religious practice by studying the central state’s attempts to standardize Friday sermons, or the hutbe. T...
Efficient methods for hierarchical multi-omic feature extraction and visualisation

A single DNA alignment file can be resource intensive to visualise at arbitrary scale given current visualisation systems. We address this limitation by integrating a parallel out-of-core feature extraction algorithm with a disk based hierarchical data store that is several orders of magnitude faster for visualisation tasks. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, we designed a high-performance web application that serves translated data to an interactive client. We incorporate novel visualisation of these data features, while allowing user-specified resolution and response. Unlike per-read techniques which can run out of memory when displaying large scale genomic variations, our data structure returns a controllable representation of that region, making the technique ideally suited for visualisation of multiple large data sets. We describe our open-source feature extraction framework and web-based visualization while comparing the performance to current systems.
Characterizing Practice Effects in Performance-Based Tests Administered to Users of Unilateral Lower Limb Prostheses: A Preliminary Study.

Background Performance-based tests are viewed as a gold standard for measuring physical capability. Practice effects, however, may threaten their predictive, discriminative, and evaluative applications. Despite these potential consequences, practice effects have received limited attention in users of lower limb prostheses (LLP). Objective To perform an initial characterization of the occurrence, time-course, and magnitude of practice effects in three performance-based tests administered to users of LLP. Design Secondary analysis of data from a multisite repeated-measures study. Setting Outpatient clinic and research laboratory. Participants Convenience sample of established ambulatory users of unilateral transtibial and transfemoral prostheses (n = 60). Intervention Not applicable. Main outcome measures Practice effects were identified as significant changes in slope of participants' cumulative trial-by-trial records. The occurrence, time-course, and magnitude of practice effects were computed for the Timed Up and Go (TUG), Four Square Step Test (FSST), and the 10-m Walk Test (10mWT). Results Across tests, practice effects were observed in 45% to 76% of participants. The proportion of participants with practice effects (ie, occurrence) was significantly greater for the FSST than the 10mWT (P = .008). The median number of trials (ie, time-course) required for participants to reach a consistent level of performance was not significantly different between tests (FSST: 4 trials, TUG: 4 trials; 10mWT: 3.5 trials; P = .481). Practice effect magnitude (ie, difference between the mean of trials during the plateau and best performance over the first two trials) was significantly greater than zero for the FSST (1.6 s; 16%) and TUG (1.4 s; 13%) (P Conclusion Results indicate that the FSST, TUG, and 10mWT were susceptible to practice effects in this sample of users of LLP. Practice effects may obscure significant differences in walking and balance ability, and thereby, in the absence of modifications, limit the use of these tests for making individual patient clinical decisions and analyzing group-level data.
Photothermal effect and cytotoxicity of CuS nanoflowers deposited over folic acid conjugated nanographene oxide.

Herein, we present the rational synthesis of a multimode photothermal agent, NGO–FA–CuS, for the advancement of photothermal therapy of cancer. The hierarchical architecture created in NGO–FA–CuS was attained by the covalent conjugation of folic acid (FA) to nanographene oxide (NGO) through amide bonding, followed by the hydrothermal deposition of CuS nanoflowers. In this approach, instead of mere mixing or deposition, FA was covalently bonded to NGO, which helped in retaining their intrinsic properties after binding and allowed to access them in the resulting hybrid nanostructure. In this specifically designed photothermal agent, NGO–FA–CuS, each component has an explicit task, i.e., NGO, FA and CuS act as the quencher, cancer cell-targeting moiety and photothermal transduction agent, respectively. Prior to the grafting of FA molecules and the deposition of CuS nanoflowers, sulfonic acid groups were introduced into NGO to provide stability under physiological conditions. Under irradiation using a 980 nm laser, NGO–FA–CuS was able to attain a temperature of 63.1 °C within 5 min, which is far beyond the survival temperature for cancer cells. Therefore, the resulting temperature recorded for NGO–FA–CuS was sufficient to induce hyperthermia in cancer cells to cause their death. When coming into contact with cancer cells, NGO–FA–CuS can cause a rapid increase in the temperature of their nucleus, destroy the genetic substances, and ultimately lead to exhaustive apoptosis under illumination using a near-infrared (NIR) laser. An excellent photothermal efficiency of 46.2% under illumination using a 980 nm laser and outstanding cytotoxicity against HeLa, SKOV3 and KB cells were attained with NGO–FA–CuS. Moreover, NGO–FA–CuS displays exceptional persistent photo-stability without photo-corrosiveness. The photothermal effect of NGO–FA–CuS was found to be dependent on its concentration and the power density of the laser source. It was found that its cytotoxicity toward cancer cells was enhanced with an increase in the concentration of NGO–FA–CuS and the incubation period.
Openness, country size and government

Abstract This paper shows that smaller countries have a larger share of public consumption in GDP, and are also more open to trade. These empirical observations are consistent with recent theoretical models explaining country formation and break up, and may account for the observed positive empirical relationship between trade openness and government size.
The Mouths of the Mississippi River

The total expenditures for the improvement of the navigable channels at the mouths of the Mississippi River, plus funds now on hand, amount to approximately $30 000 000., Only a few features of thi...
Elevated glucose increases genomic instability by inhibiting nucleotide excision repair.

We investigated potential mechanisms by which elevated glucose may promote genomic instability. Gene expression studies, protein measurements, mass spectroscopic analyses, and functional assays revealed that elevated glucose inhibited the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, promoted DNA strand breaks, and increased levels of the DNA glycation adduct N 2 -(1-carboxyethyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine (CEdG). Glycation stress in NER-competent cells yielded single-strand breaks accompanied by ATR activation, γH2AX induction, and enhanced non-homologous end-joining and homology-directed repair. In NER-deficient cells, glycation stress activated ATM/ATR/H2AX, consistent with double-strand break formation. Elevated glucose inhibited DNA repair by attenuating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α-mediated transcription of NER genes via enhanced 2-ketoglutarate-dependent prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) activity. PHD inhibition enhanced transcription of NER genes and facilitated CEdG repair. These results are consistent with a role for hyperglycemia in promoting genomic instability as a potential mechanism for increasing cancer risk in metabolic disease. Because of the pleiotropic functions of many NER genes beyond DNA repair, these results may have broader implications for cellular pathophysiology.
Predication of Dairy Milk Production Using Machine Learning Techniques

This paper proposes an automated model based on the machine learning (ML) technique to predict cows’ dairy milk production. For predicting milk production, the factors which are considered are the health condition (HC) of cows, feed intake capacity (FIC), and expected relative milk yield (ERMY). Based on the deviations between the observed and the average values, the cow’s health condition is determined. The Artificial Butterfly Optimization (ABO) algorithm is used to estimate the Woods parameters. The objective function of ABO minimizes the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the average daily milk yield for each farm. Finally, artificial neural network (ANN) model was applied based on the variables: HC, FIC, and ERMY and the other parameters like age at calving, the month of calving, the days in milk after calving, and the lactation number. The experimental results show that the proposed ANN-ABO algorithm attains the highest accuracy than the ANN-GA, ANN, and SVM algorithms.
Language, Usage and Cognition

Language demonstrates structure while also showing considerable variation at all levels: languages differ from one another while still being shaped by the same principles; utterances within a language differ from one another while exhibiting the same structural patterns; languages change over time, but in fairly regular ways. This book focuses on the dynamic processes that create languages and give them their structure and variance. It outlines a theory of language that addresses the nature of grammar, taking into account its variance and gradience, and seeks explanation in terms of the recurrent processes that operate in language use. The evidence is based on the study of large corpora of spoken and written language, what we know about how languages change, as well as the results of experiments with language users. The result is an integrated theory of language use and language change which has implications for cognitive processing and language evolution.
Recent Developments in Business Cycle Theory: News, Expectations and Demand Shocks

This paper surveys some recent work in the theory of business cycles, which emphasizes the role of public news and consumer expectations as driving forces behind short-run aggregate fluctuations. The paper uses a simple two period model to introduce and discuss three issues regarding this class of models: (1) what is the role of nominal rigidities, (2) what are the testable implications of these models, (3) what are their implications for monetary policy.
Compact Radio Sources in Quasars and Galactic Nuclei

Compact radio sources are associated with quasars, and with the nuclei of galaxies, particularly active galaxies such as N and Seyfert type, but including elliptical and spiral galaxies as well. Their radio luminosity ranges from ∼ 1039–40 ergs/sec in nearby galaxies to ∼ 1046 ergs/sec in the large red shift quasars (assuming of course that their red shifts are cosmological). Compact sources are not rare or unusual, but because they become self absorbed at longer wavelengths, they are very weak below the cutoff frequency, and do not appear in most radio catalogues which are based on long wavelength surveys. More than half of the sources found in short wavelength surveys are compact. Also a number of extended sources contain weak compact sources at their center.
Electrochemical Sensing of Nitroaromatic Explosives

Electrochemical devices are uniquely qualified for meeting the portability, speed, cost and power demands of field detection of nitroaromatic explosives. The inherent redox activity of these compounds makes them ideal candidates for electrochemical detection. The coupling of modern electrochemical detection principles with recent advances in microelectronics and microfabrication has led to powerful, compact and ‘user-friendly‘ explosive detection devices. Recent activity in our laboratory has led to disposable sensor strips, submersible sensors (on a cable or underwater-vehicle platforms), a voltammetric flow detector, and amperometric detectors for microchip (‘Lab-on-Chip’) devices for on-site electrochemical measurements of organic and inorganic explosives. The unique features of such electrochemical monitoring systems make them particularly attractive for addressing related security and environmental problems.
Information Systems Security

Given the strategic dependence on information and information technology by individuals, workgroups (teams), organizations, industries, nations, and society overall, it is imperative that the integrity of that information is maintained in all three states – during transmission, during storage, and during processing. Information (and information systems) security management is the process of ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information whenever and wherever it is transmitted, stored, and processed (sometimes called the “CIA Triad”). While perfect security is desirable, it is unfortunately unattainable. There are numerous active and passive threats to the security of information, as well as responses to these threats that must be adopted by individuals, teams, and organizations. Various technical and behavioral controls are used to counter these threats, but this article will focus on the behavioral controls. Threats characteristics and threat examples are discussed below, as are the responses to such threats. Research findings support the importance of both internal and external threats, with internal threats demonstrating the greatest negative impact in most cases. Factors that contribute to individual compliance with security policies will be discussed, along with some discussion of the intentional violation of security protocols and policies by malicious individuals. Keywords: information security threats; behavioral security research; insider abuse; compliance; assurance; deterrence theory; protection motivation theory
Youthful Offender Designations and Sentencing in the New York Criminal Courts

Under New York criminal law, 16- through 18-year-old offenders are tried in adult courts and are subject to the full range of penal sanctions as well as the stigma of criminal conviction and the loss of civil rights flowing from conviction. Within this seemingly harsh context, New York's “Youthful Offender Statute” provides a means to mitigate the negative consequences of a criminal conviction for “deserving” youth. A youthful offender finding sets aside a criminal conviction, results in lighter penalties, and yields other civil and legal advantages. This paper explores the influence of race/ethnicity, sex, and the age of offenders on the likelihood of a youthful offender finding and on the sentences received by adolescents so adjudicated compared to those receiving adult criminal convictions. Net of certain legal and contextual factors, the analysis reveals racial, ethnic, gender, and age disparities in the disposition of older adolescents in the New York courts. The patterns of bias vary, however, by where the disposition occurs and the type of decision under consideration.
HETEROCYCLIC ANIONS OF ASTROBIOLOGICAL INTEREST

As more complex organic molecules are detected in the interstellar medium, the importance of heterocyclic molecules to astrobiology and the origin of life has become evident. 2-Aminothiazole and 2-aminooxazole have recently been suggested as important nucleotide precursors, highlighting azoles as potential prebiotic molecules. This study explores the gas-phase chemistry of three deprotonated azoles: oxazole, thiazole, and isothiazole. For the first time, their gas-phase acidities are experimentally determined with bracketing and H/D exchange techniques, and their reactivity is characterized with several detected interstellar neutral molecules (N{sub 2}O, O{sub 2}, CO, OCS, CO{sub 2}, and SO{sub 2}) and other reactive species (CS{sub 2}, CH{sub 3}Cl, (CH{sub 3}){sub 3}CCl, and (CH{sub 3}){sub 3}CBr). Rate constants and branching fractions for these reactions are experimentally measured using a modified commercial ion trap mass spectrometer whose kinetic data are in good accord with those of a flowing afterglow apparatus reported here. Last, we have examined the fragmentation patterns of these deprotonated azoles to elucidate their destruction mechanisms in high-energy environments. All experimental data are supported and complemented by electronic structure calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2(full)/aug-cc-pVDZ levels of theory.
Acute hypoglycemia results in reduced cortical neuronal injury in the developing IUGR rat.

Hypoglycemia (HG) is common in intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) neonates. In normally grown (NG) neonatal rats, acute HG causes neuronal injury in the brain; the cerebral cortex is more vulnerable than the hippocampus (HPC). We hypothesized that the IUGR brain is less vulnerable to HG-induced injury while preserving regional variation in vulnerability. We induced IUGR via bilateral uterine artery ligation on gestational day 19 (term 22 d) rats. On postnatal day 14, insulin-induced HG of equivalent severity and duration (blood glucose < 40 mg/dl for 240 min) was produced in IUGR and NG (IUGR/HG and NG/HG). Neuronal injury in the cortex and HPC was quantified 6–72 h later using Fluoro-Jade B (FJB) histochemistry. The mRNA expression of monocarboxylate transporters, MCT1 and MCT2, and glucose transporters, GLUT1 and GLUT3, was determined using quantitative PCR. There were fewer FJB-positive (FJB+) cells in the cortex of IUGR/HG; no difference was observed in FJB+ cells in HPC. Core body temperature was lower in IUGR/HG compared with NG/HG. MCT2 expression was increased in the IUGR cortex. HG-induced neuronal injury is decreased in the cortex of the developing IUGR brain. Adaptations including systemic hypothermia and enhanced delivery of alternative substrates via MCT2 might protect against HG-induced neuronal injury in IUGR.
Purification and composition of colonic epithelial mucin.

Summary Colonic mucin was purified from homogenized scrapings of rat colonic epithelial cells using gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. High molecular weight water-soluble mucin was separated from low molecular weight proteins by gel exclusion chromatography on Sepharose 4B, and was further separated into two major mucin fractions and several non-mucin fractions on DEAE-cellulose. Fraction IV, the major mucin, was a sulphated glycoprotein with 62% carbohydrate by weight, and high concentrations of serine and threonine. A more acidic mucin, fraction V, had similar composition. Approx. 85% of the sialic acid of fractions IV and V were removed after incubation with Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase. Blood group A but not group H activity was present in fractions III, IV, and V. Ultracentrifugation experiments showed that fraction IV migrated as a single peak, whereas fraction V contained two components. Our study indicates that colonic mucin consists of at least two closely related acidic high molecular weight glycoproteins which can be separated from non-mucin contaminants by ion-exchange chromatography.
The political consequences of electoral laws in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract This article revisits Arend Lijphart's (1990) re-analysis of Douglas Rae's The Political Consequences of Electoral Laws (1971) using data from Latin America and the Caribbean. The findings of this study concur with much of Lijphart's analysis. However, contrary to Lijphart, a positive relationship was found between disproportionality and multipartism for PR systems. Particularly well supported were Lijphart's finding of (1) an inverse relationship between district magnitude and disproportionality and (2) a strong relationship between electoral formula and disproportionality. The article demonstrates the applicability of a portion of Anglo-European theory to party systems in a region with democratic histories and economic profiles which are radically different from those of the systems upon which Rae and Lijphart based their findings.
Reversal of the preference reversal phenomenon

The widely replicated preference reversal phenomenon (PRP) violates most theories of decision under risk. People exhibiting PRP choose a safe bet (with a large chance of a small gain) over a long shot (with a small chance of a larger gain). But, when bidding to buy or sell each bet, they bid more for the long shot. Surprisingly, in Experiment 1, a new opposite reversal pattern (NPRP) was found: Safe bets typically received larger bids than long shots and reversals were far more frequent when the long shot was chosen. In Experiment 2, NPRP was found for $100 expected value bets, but PRP occurred for bets with $3 expected values. The task characteristics apparently necessary to produce NPRP are (1) bids in the form of maximum buying prices, (2) possibility of loss in bidding, but not in choice, and (3) large payoffs. It is argued that wealth effects predicted by expected utility theory are too small to explain NPRP. Instead, it is hypothesized that a contingent decision process underlies the shift in reveral patterns and that aspiration levels exert increased influence in bidding to buy when payoffs are large.