cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A report on the development of a medical device data language (MDDL) for the IEEE P1073 medical information bus (MIB)

An overview of the medical information bus (MIB) medical device data language (MDDL) architecture is given. A primary concept in the architecture reference model (ARM) is the virtual medical device, an ISO (International Standards Organization) object-oriented abstraction. Device dialogue is based on transactive messages, which embed (groups of) elemental parameters. Parameters are named active objects, which in turn embed structured attributes. Denotative semantic is defined through several transform levels, including concrete and abstract semantic and syntax, and through N orders of detail. A parse tree-structured general semantic (data) model is used as a basis for normalization. Topological analysis indicates that standardization is facilitated by leveraging external languages and building in protocols that preserve semantic invariance through composition and transform. >
Review of Steven J. Rosenstone, Forecasting Presidential Elections (published by Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 1983))

Rosenstone develops a causal model to forecast political voting. The model seems reasonable; for example, it includes information about party, key issues, the economy, war, incumbency, region, and trends over time. Standard econometric methods are then used to determine how much weight should be given to each factor. The conditions are then forecasted for each of the 50 states, and the weights are applied to give state-by-state forecasts. Aggregation across states provides forecasts of both the popular and electoral votes for presidential elections.
Children's Concepts of the Nature and Purpose of Reading in Different Instructional Settings.

This study investigated the influence that both instruction and the developmental stage of learning to read have on the reading concepts of 24 first graders randomly selected from two skill-based and two literature-based classrooms. A multi-step process providing quantitative and qualitative data was used in identifying the two skill-based and two literature-based classrooms. Controls were provided for variables known to impact children's reading concepts such as grade level, reading ability, socioeconomic status, and gender. Three measures producing quantitative and qualitative data were used to examine the children's reading concepts. Results indicated that the two groups of children were similar in some reading concepts. Both the skill-based and literature-based students exhibited a high interest in learning and knowing words and in phonics or decoding. Findings also indicated that the two groups were different. The literature group differed from the skill group in their heightened metacognitive understandings, their knowledge and use of varied reading strategies, and their view of reading as a meaning-making, language-like process. Statistically significant differences were also found for the literature group in their more frequent rejection of passages of incomprehensi ble print and in their use of a balance of cues in oral reading. Additionally, although the literature group attempted to sound out words less often, they achieved a success rate of correctly sounding out words of 53% compared to 32% by the skill group.
Efficacy of small reconstruction plates in vascularized bone graft mandibular reconstruction.

Background: Utilization of vascularized bone grafts rigidly fixated with titanium reconstruction plates is the method of choice for reconstruction of segmental mandibular defects. We hypothesized that the use of the newer 2.0-mm locking recon- struction plate (LRP) is not associated with higher rates of compli- cations when compared with larger, previously used plating sys- tems. Methods: A retrospective case series of 184 patients under- going 185 vascularized bone graft reconstruction procedures of the mandible was conducted. Results: There were 37 plate complications. There was no signifi- cant difference in complication rates for the 2 most used plate types (14.5% with the 2.0-mm LRP and 22.2% with the 2.4-mm LRP). Conclusions: Use of the smaller 2.0-mm LRP was not associ- ated with an increase in the complications of plate fracture, ex- posure, infection, or nonunion. Because of its lower profile and ease of application, the 2.0-mm LRP is our plate of choice for mandibular reconstruction. V C 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 28: 573-579, 2006
The study of religions and interfaith encounter

The varied national and international events marking the centenary of the 1893 Chicago Parliament of Religions culminating in the gathering of about seven thousand five hundred people in Chicago in 1993 have involved many academics. Their presence raises afresh the issue of the relationship between the scholarly study of religions and meetings for interfaith encounter. The scholar can be seen as a participant observer in an area of religious activity of considerable interest and importance in the contemporary world. He or she can also be an advisor and consultant in the interfaith process, helping to raise and analyse questions about the balance of participants and the style of discourse being used. Interfaith activity can both change the scholar and be changed by his or her presence in a parallel way to that of the anthropologist in the field. The scholar of religion finds considerable interest in how, at interfaith gatherings, members of religions define and articulate their religion's essence, select and use teachings and scriptural passages. The reporting of meetings at which members of different faiths share ideas and sometimes worship acts as a positive balance to negative media coverage of conflict and intolerance associated with religions. But there is a need for careful and critical examination of an interfaith confessionalism which may develop at such meetings.
Genetic aspects of human congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a common major malformation affecting 1/3000-1/4000 births, which continues to be associated with significant perinatal mortality. Much current research is focused on elucidating the genetics and pathophysiology contributing to CDH to develop more effective therapies. The latest data suggest that many cases of CDH are genetically determined and also indicate that CDH is etiologically heterogeneous. The present review will provide a brief summary of diaphragm development and model organism work most relevant to human CDH and will primarily describe important human phenotypes associated with CDH and also provide recommendations for diagnostic evaluation of a fetus or infant with CDH.
Social Amelioration through Mass Insurgency? A Reexamination of the Piven and Cloward Thesis

Frances Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward (1971, 1977) have argued that mass insurgency in the United States, occurring especially between 1964 and 1969, produced a series of responses by government, one of the most significant being massive expansion of welfare rolls. Using data on which they base their claim, this study examines the hypothesis that there is a positive association between social disorders and welfare caseload increases. The conclusion is that associations specified by Piven and Cloward are not supported by the data and a plausible rival hypothesis is offered to explain the massive increases in welfare caseloads.
The speech of the Armenians in procopius: Justinian's foreign policy and the transition between books 1 and 2 of the wars

The speech of the Armenian embassy to Khusrow in the opening of Book 2 of Procopius' Wars has received little scholarly attention. Historians propose that this embassy, along with those sent by the Goths and Lazi, provided Khusrow with a pretext for violating the Eternal Peace in 540. As for the speeches themselves, they have been considered formulaic set pieces, requirements of the genre in which Procopius was writing. However, Anthony Kaldellis has argued that Procopius uses the Armenians as a mouthpiece for his own criticisms of Justinian, namely that the emperor is to blame for ending the Eternal Peace and that he behaved like an oriental despot. While these literary and historical readings are not incompatible, none fully explicates the mechanics and function of the Armenians' speech.
Function of COX-2 and prostaglandins in neurological disease

Induction of COX-2 expression and enzymatic activity promotes neuronal injury in a number of models of neurological disease. Inhibition of COX-2 activity, either genetically or pharmacologically, has been shown to be neuroprotective in rodent models of stroke, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Inhibition of COX activity with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduces inflammation and amyloid accumulation in murine transgenic models of Familial Alzheimer's disease, and the use of NSAIDs decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in healthy aging populations. COX-mediated neuronal injury is presumed be due to downstream effects of one or more prostaglandin products including PGE2, PGD2, PGF2alpha, PGI2 (prostacylin) and TXA2 (thromboxane) that effect cellular changes through activation of specific prostaglandin receptor subtypes and second messenger systems. In this proceeding, we review recent data demonstrating effects of prostaglandin signaling on neuronal viability that are paradoxically protective, when taken in the context that COX-2 induces neuronal injury in the setting of excitotoxicity. Conversely, in the context of an inflammatory stimulus, the EP2 receptor enhances neuronal injury. These findings argue for an additional level of complexity in the prostaglandin response in neurological disease.
Unilateral glaucoma in Sotos syndrome (cerebral gigantism).

Abstract PURPOSE: To report a patient with unilateral glaucoma associated with Sotos syndrome. Sotos syndrome (cerebral gigantism) is a disorder of growth and development with characteristic facial changes and normal endocrine function. Ocular manifestations may also include megalocornea, iris hypoplasia, cataracts, megalophthalmos, strabismus, nystagmus, and retinal dystrophy. METHODS: Case report. A 50 year-old man with the clinical features of Sotos syndrome presented with complaints of decreased vision in the left eye. RESULTS: Ophthalmologic examination revealed bilateral megalocornea, megalophthalmos, iris hypoplasia and transillumination defects, cataracts, and unilateral glaucoma. Intraocular pressure was lowered, and visual field loss was stabilized with topical medications. CONCLUSION: Sotos syndrome patients should be examined routinely to allow for early detection and treatment of potential ocular problems, including glaucoma.
Sensitivity of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography standard cytology: 10-y review of the literature.

Abstract Background Biliary strictures present a unique diagnostic challenge to clinicians as they can be caused by both benign and malignant conditions. With the high mortalities associated with hepatopancreaticobiliary malignancies, accurate and rapid tissue diagnosis is imperative and typically done before initiation of treatment. However, the exact sensitivity of standard cytology from endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to diagnose malignancy remains unclear because of wide distribution of reported values in the literature. Furthermore, the use of radical surgery to obtain tissue when cytology is indeterminate has led to questions about the role of ERCP in patients with biliary strictures. Methods A PubMed search was conducted using the terms ERCP, cytology, and brushings. Articles reviewed were published between 2002 and 2012, had patient population with biliary stricture, and had ERCP brushing results and final pathology available for review. The cytology and pathology data were abstracted from each study, and the combined overall sensitivity was calculated. Results Sixteen studies were identified, with sensitivities ranging from 6%–64% and 99% confidence intervals (CIs) ranging from ±6% to ±32%. A combined total of 1556 patients were included, with positive ERCP cytology results in 358 cases. On final pathology, however, 861 patients were positive for malignancy. When the data were combined, we found an overall sensitivity of 41.6% ± 3.2% (99% CI) with a negative predictive value of 58.0% ± 3.2% (99% CI). Conclusions ERCP brushings suffer from low sensitivity and negative predictive value. This study questions the utility of ERCP to change the surgical management of these diseases in patients with radiographic evidence of a neoplasm or high suspicion of a malignancy.
Activity-Dependent Presynaptic Facilitation and Hebbian LTP Are Both Required and Interact during Classical Conditioning in Aplysia

Using a simplified preparation of the Aplysia siphon-withdrawal reflex, we previously found that associative plasticity at synapses between sensory neurons and motor neurons contributes importantly to classical conditioning of the reflex. We have now tested the roles in that plasticity of two associative cellular mechanisms: activity-dependent enhancement of presynaptic facilitation and postsynaptically induced long-term potentiation. By perturbing molecular signaling pathways in individual neurons, we have provided the most direct evidence to date that each of these mechanisms contributes to behavioral learning. In addition, our results suggest that the two mechanisms are not independent but rather interact through retrograde signaling.
An event buffer flooding attack in DNP3 controlled SCADA systems

The DNP3 protocol is widely used in SCADA systems (particularly electrical power) as a means of communicating observed sensor state information back to a control center. Typical architectures using DNP3 have a two level hierarchy, where a specialized data aggregator receives observed state from devices within a local region, and the control center collects the aggregated state from the data aggregator. The DNP3 communications are asynchronous across the two levels; this leads to the possibility of completely filling a data aggregator's buffer of pending events, when a compromised relay sends overly many (false) events to the data aggregator. This paper investigates the attack by implementing the attack using real SCADA system hardware and software. A Discrete-Time Markov Chain (DTMC) model is developed for understanding conditions under which the attack is successful and effective. The model is validated by a Mobius simulation model and data collected on a real SCADA testbed.
The Managerial Factor and Research on Decision Making in Agricultural Marketing Firms

Ideas in this paper were originally presented at a special seminar of the NCR‐20 Regional Marketing committee. These ideas are used in an attempt to provoke thought about a broad eclectic approach to decision‐making research. It is essentially a survey paper and will serve as a good reference particularly for those with limited knowledge in the area. The paper contends that proponents of firm theory and those of business management concepts have matured from their necessary periods of self‐justification and now have much to gain by consolidating forces to tackle some important managerial problems. The opportunity exists for managerial specialists to get help from analysts in marketing structure, learning theory, information theory, managerial motivation and selection, and most other social scientists. Some suggestions are made on specific decision‐making research problem orientations and the appropriateness of given research tools.
Multiple Posttranslational Modifications of Leptospira biflexa Proteins as Revealed by Proteomic Analysis

The saprophyte Leptospira biflexa is an excellent model for studying the physiology of the medically important Leptospira genus, the pathogenic members of which are more recalcitrant to genetic manipulation and have significantly slower in vitro growth. However, relatively little is known regarding the proteome of L. biflexa, limiting its utility as a model for some studies. Therefore, we have generated a proteomic map of both soluble and membrane-associated proteins of L. biflexa during exponential growth and in stationary phase. Using these data, we identified abundantly produced proteins in each cellular fraction and quantified the transcript levels from a subset of these genes using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). These proteins should prove useful as cellular markers and as controls for gene expression studies. We also observed a significant number of L. biflexa membrane-associated proteins with multiple isoforms, each having unique isoelectric focusing points. L. biflexa cell lysates were examined for several posttranslational modifications suggested by the protein patterns. Methylation and acetylation of lysine residues were predominately observed in the proteins of the membrane-associated fraction, while phosphorylation was detected mainly among soluble proteins. These three posttranslational modification systems appear to be conserved between the free-living species L. biflexa and the pathogenic species Leptospira interrogans, suggesting an important physiological advantage despite the varied life cycles of the different species.
High performance Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets without critical elements

Abstract Scanning electron microscopy, and magnetization measurements reveal that as cast (Nd 1−x Ce x ) 2 Fe 14 B alloys contain significant amounts of α-Fe that can be dramatically reduced by annealing the alloys at 1000 °C for 3 days. The room temperature intrinsic coercivity, Hci, of (Nd 0.8 Ce 0.2 ) 2.2 Fe 14 B melt spun ribbons was found to be 11 kOe, which is ∼32–∼10% higher in comparison to that of Nd 2 Fe 14 B (Hci = 8.3 kOe), and (Nd 0.8 Ce 0.2 ) 2.0 Fe 14 B (Hci = 10 kOe), respectively. The substitution of Co for Fe in (Nd 0.8 Ce 0.2 ) 2 Fe 14−z Co z B significantly increases both T C and the maximum energy product, (BH)max. Our study shows that both Co-containing and Co-free Ce-substituted Nd 2 Fe 14 B alloys have excellent magnetic properties at room temperature and above. The experimental results also demonstrate the potential of Nd-Ce-Fe-TM-B based alloys as alternative to expensive Dy-containing high performance rare earth magnets.
Large-Eddy Simulations of Separated Supersonic Flow with Plasma Control

High-order implicit large-eddy simulations were performed for supersonic turbulent ow over a 24 compression ramp. The interaction between the turbulent ow and the corner led to a low-frequency, unsteady, shock-induced separation. A magnetically-driven plasma-based ow controller was modeled and applied to the ow to minimize the separated region and its adverse eects. The controller consisted of two streamwise separated segments pulsed 180 out of phase at a 50% duty-cycle. The results show that this controller conguration was very eective at reducing the separation while only using 80% of the power reported for previous studies.
Ethical issues in caring for tiny infants.

In the early years of perinatal medicine and heroic programs of saving premature infants, we have witnessed “halfway” technology practiced in an environment of morally simplistic ethics, law, and policy. These practices have led to troubling outcomes. The lessons learned during this difficult phase of perinatal health care now yield to a period characterized by more advanced research, more appropriately applied technology, more sensitive and sensible public policy, and more responsible ethics.
Update on the Holantarctic Sphagnum ×falcatulum s.l. (Sphagnaceae) complex: S. irritans is associated with the allo-diploid plants

The Holantarctic Sphagnum ×falcatulum s.l. is a cryptic species complex comprised of the allo-allo-triploid S. ×falcatulum s.s. and its immediate progenitors: the haploid (S. cuspidatum) and an unnamed allo-diploid species. The Holantarctic distributions of the members of this complex are presently unclear. Prior genetic study has shown that (1) amphi-Pacific S. ×falcatulum s.s. is the most widespread Sphagna in the Holantarctic, (2) S. cuspidatum is present in Queensland, Australia, and (3) the allo-diploid plants occur on South Island, New Zealand. Using genetic and morphological analyses, we document the occurrence of S. ×falcatulum s.s. on mainland Australia and on North Island, New Zealand as well as the occurrence of the allo-diploid plants on Chatham Island, New Zealand. The allo-diploid plants on South Island and those on Chatham Island are found to be closely related and the Chatham Island population appears to have been established by long distance dispersal. It is concluded that the type of S. ...
Data clustering using an advanced PSO variant

This paper proposes an advanced PSO variant using Subtractive Clustering methodology for data clustering. The implementation of this algorithm will be used to provide fast, efficient and appropriate solution for any complex clustering problem. This algorithm addresses the basic challenges faced with the existing PSO based clustering techniques i.e. preknowledge of initial cluster centers, dead unit problem, premature convergence to local optima, stagnation problem, etc. The proposed algorithm proved that the use of Subtractive Clustering methodology at the start of any PSO approach can improve the clustering process by suggesting good initial cluster centers and number of clusters in advance and then fasten the further clustering with the use of adaptive inertia weight factor and boundary restriction strategy. The performance of proposed algorithm is tested against well know clustering techniques over three datasets, where the results showed a better or comparable performance with respect to accuracy of clustering and convergence rate.
The gendering effects of co-authorship in criminology & criminal justice research

Historically, research from various fields has indicated that females are underrepresented in academic papers. Not only are females less likely to publish relative to males, but they are also less likely to be sole-, co-, and first-authors in journal publications. While this gender discrepancy has become smaller in recent decades, males are still disproportionately represented in academic papers. The current study reviews author characteristics of articles published in the top fifteen criminology/criminal justice journals over a forty-year period (1974–2014). Among the 11,348 articles in the study, results indicated that while female sole- and first-authorship increased throughout the study period, 26.6% of sole-authors were female while 32% were first-authors and composed 33.3% of all co-authors. Further, females were less likely to be sole- and first-authors, less likely to have co-authors, and more likely to publish with other female co-authors.
Surgical Release of the Carpal Tunnel

This chapter details the steps in surgical release of the carpel tunnel. From the palmar side, the transverse carpal ligament is reached, and it is slowly released until full opening of the carpal tunnel. Indications, essential steps, postoperative care, and sample operative dictation are included.
Canonical Finite-Volume Algorithms

As we have seen in Sect. 3.8, the response functions and the various thermodynamic coefficients are expressed as correlation functions of the type: $$\begin{aligned} {\mathcal T}\big ( \partial ^{\alpha _1} G_1(h) \, \partial ^{\alpha _2} G_2(h) \ldots \big ) \; , \quad h \in {\mathcal A}_d \; , \end{aligned}$$ (5.1) and variations of it, such as the Kubo formula treated in Sect. 7.1. In this Chapter, we use the previously introduced auxiliary algebras and propose a canonical finite-volume algorithm for computing the above correlation functions. Our main goals for the Chapter are to integrate the algorithm in a broader context and then to summarize for the reader the concrete steps of the algorithm, as applied to disordered homogeneous solids. The error estimates are the subjects of the following Chapters.
Bakan’s Bi-Polar Constructs: Agency and Communion

This paper concerns itself with a presentation of Bakan’s bi-polar constructs—agency and communion—and the Inventory purporting to measure these. Agency is seen as individualism, separation, selfishness, alienation, mastery, denial, masculine and a correlate of dysfunction. Communion is viewed as alterocentric, participation, community, mystery, affirmation of feeling, feminine and the mitigator of agency. Differential response to the Inventory by well-differentiated groups reflects on the credibility of Bakan’s key theoretical assumption that the behavioral correlates of unmitigated agency were worthy of the psychologist’s concern.
The Concept of Fascism in Colonial India: M.N. Roy and The Problem of Freedom

M.N. Roy was an Indian-born, widely-travelled activist and intellectual who moved over the course of his life from roles in anti-colonial resistance, militant organizing, Communist and Comintern circles, to what has been termed ‘radical humanism.’ In narratives of the same, as well as in those of the transnational 1920s and 30s and interwar cosmopolitanism, he and intellectuals like him are invoked in order to shape narratives around interconnectedness and parallel modernities that marked the twentieth century. Roy’s own political thought, however, as laid out in one text in particular, lends itself to an alternate reading of his life and moment: one in which resistance is not framed against European empire and with national sovereignty in mind; rather, The Problem Of Freedom (1945) sets up the road ahead for India against the threat of fascism. Roy in this text uses fascism as a concept to warn of the threat to come for the post-independence nation-state. Using Reinhart Koselleck’s framework for conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte), this paper examines the historic, psychoanalytic, and propagandistic elements of this text in order to question some of the key assumptions for how global history and intellectual history are written.
Neuropathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus infection

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain a common end-organ manifestation of viral infection. Subclinical and mild symptoms lead to neurocognitive and behavioral abnormalities. These are associated, in part, with viral penetrance and persistence in the central nervous system. Infections of peripheral blood monocytes, macrophages, and microglia are the primary drivers of neuroinflammation and neuronal impairments. While current antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced the incidence of HIV-associated dementia, milder forms of HAND continue. Depression, comorbid conditions such as infectious liver disease, drugs of abuse, antiretroviral drugs themselves, age-related neurodegenerative diseases, gastrointestinal maladies, and concurrent social and economic issues can make accurate diagnosis of HAND challenging. Increased life expectancy as a result of ART clearly creates this variety of comorbid conditions that often blur the link between the virus and disease. With the discovery of novel biomarkers, neuropsychologic testing, and imaging techniques to better diagnose HAND, the emergence of brain-penetrant ART, adjunctive therapies, longer life expectancy, and better understanding of disease pathogenesis, disease elimination is perhaps a realistic possibility. This review focuses on HIV-associated disease pathobiology with an eye towards changing trends in the face of widespread availability of ART.
SV40 and the Lung

Subsequent to its identification as an inadvertent contaminant of early poliovirus vaccines and in view of its potential to induce a number of tumors in animal models, simian virus 40 (SV40) has become among the most studied animal viruses. Studies of SV40’s molecular biology have led to important discoveries in viral-induced carcinogenesis, but the actual role for SV40 in the causation of human disease remains a complex and highly debated topic. The inadvertent exposure to SV40 through contaminated vaccine lots, affecting millions of people in the United States alone, has sparked one of the most elaborate, contentious, and controversial debates in contemporary oncologic research. It is the purpose of this chapter to review the capacity of the virus to infect humans and to cause disease, particularly in the lung and its serosal membrane, the pleura.
Towards Optimal Compression of Meteorological Data: A Case Study of Using Interval-Motivated Overestimators in Global Optimization

The existing image and data compression techniques try to minimize the mean square deviation between the original data f(x, y, z) and the compressed-decompressed data f(x, y, z). In many practical situations, reconstruction that only guaranteed mean square error over the data set is unacceptable.
Intergroup Conflict 2020

The pervasiveness, persistence, and petrifying scope of intergroup conflict have fueled substantial scholarly interest in intergroup conflict across the social and biological sciences. Here we outline five questions that we hope students of intergroup conflict will undertake to research in years to come: (a) When and why do people engage in, and publicly display, blatant forms of intergroup hostility? (b) How do different moral motives shape individual behavior in intergroup conflict? (c) How do intragroup processes influence intergroup processes and vice versa? (d) How does the changing nature of “groups” influence intergroup conflict and its resolution? And (e) how will global challenges shape intergroup relations in the 21st century? Although it is unimaginable that the problem of intergroup conflict will be eradicated, we hope that addressing these questions will help us understand how to manage intergroup conflicts and their harmful consequences better.
Examining toxic trace element exposure in American alligators.

Abstract Toxic trace element exposure occurs through release of the ubiquitous and naturally occurring elements arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg). The unique environmental conditions of the wetland ecosystems along the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States lead to the accumulation of Hg which is greater than in most other ecosystems in the country. There are also point sources of As, Cd, and Pb in this region. To effectively monitor trace element concentrations, and consequently the potential human exposure, accessible local sentinel species are needed. In this study, concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Hg and six other trace elements (Al, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo) were examined in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from seven wetland sites in South Carolina and Florida and assessed for their utility as a sentinel species for human trace element exposure. Alligators were chosen as a potential sentinel as they share a common exposure with the local human population through their aquatic diet, and they are directly consumed commercially and through recreation hunting in this region. Sex was significantly related to the concentration of Zn, Mo, and Al, but not As, Pb, Hg, Cd, Se, or Cu. Site specific differences in element concentrations were observed for As, Pb, Hg, Cd, Se, Zn, and Mo. Size/age was significantly related to the element Hg and Pb concentrations observed. The observed concentration ranges for the four toxic elements, As (6–156 ng/g), Cd (0.3–1.3 ng/g), Pb (3–4872 ng/g), and Hg (39–2765 ng/g), were comparable to those previously reported in diverse human populations. In this region alligators are hunted recreationally and consumed by the local community, making them a vehicle of direct human toxic element exposure. We propose that the similarity in As, Cd, Pb, and Hg concentrations between alligators observed in this study and humans underscores how alligators can serve as a useful sentinel species for toxic element exposure.
Brain and liver intracellular compartmental redox states in hypoxia, hypocapnia and hypercapnia.

This paper gives an account of our experiences with the substrate ratio technique for calculating cytoplasmic and mitochondrial NAD+/NADH2 changes in brain and liver in several metabolic states. The NAD redox system is especially suitable for studies on oxygen availability since it occurs in both the cytoplasm and the mitochondria; this makes it possible to distinguish changes in the NAD+/NADH2 ratio in the two compartments. NAD exists in cells in both free and bound forms. Krebs (1967) and Krebs and Veech (1969) recommend that, on thermodynamic grounds, only the free nucleotide concentrations should be used in calculating redox ratios.
Longitudinal relations among economic deprivation, work volition, and academic satisfaction: a psychology of working perspective

Using the Psychology of Working Theory as a guide, the goal of this study was to examine the longitudinal relations of economic deprivation to work volition and work volition to academic satisfaction among college students. We sampled 1508 students and surveyed them at three time points over a 6-month period. We found that economic deprivation partially predicted work volition over time, and work volition consistently predicted academic satisfaction over time. These results have theoretical implications as well as relevance to personnel working with economically marginalized college students.
Starved snails move slowly through resource-rich environments

![Graphic][1] In nature, animals have to cope with constantly changing landscapes due to shifts in land use and the developing climate crisis. Changing landscapes can affect the resources available to animals and may alter how they move through their environment to find and eat food. While
Aptamer-switching optical bioassay for citrulline detection at the point-of-care

Researchers have found that decreased levels of circulating citrulline could be an indicator of intestinal failure. Typically, this amino acid, which is produced by the intestinal mucosa cells, circulates in the blood at a physiological level of ∼40 μM. The current methodology for measuring this level involves the use of bulky equipment, such as mass spectroscopy and analysis at a central laboratory, which can delay diagnosis. Therefore, the current detection method is unsuited for routine monitoring at a doctor’s office. Our research group proposes the development of a point-of-care (POC) device to overcome this issue. The proposed device utilizes surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with a specifically designed aptamer, capable of binding to citrulline, conjugated to colloidal gold nanoparticles. The assay is then embedded within a vertical flow paper-fluidic platform as a deliverable at the POC, and a handheld Raman spectrometer (638-nm excitation) was used to interrogate the sample. Results showed good dynamic range and specificity with an average 73% decrease in SERS signal intensity with increasing concentrations of citrulline (0 to 50 μM) in phosphate-buffered saline compared to its controls: glycine, glutamine, histidine, and valine, which showed less than 10% average decrease in the presence of 200 μM of each analyte. Further, the limit of detection (LOD) within a chip was determined to be 0.56 μM, whereas the LOD across chips was below 10 μM.
Dynamic Task Offloading in Multi-Agent Mobile Edge Computing Networks

Mobile edge computing allows resource-constrained mobile devices to offload their computationally-intensive tasks to powerful devices at the edge of the network. Designing an optimal offloading strategy for deciding whether to execute a task locally or at an edge device has attracted much attention recently. The existing literature focuses mostly on settings with a single mobile device or a single edge device, making the results unsuitable for real-world situations. This paper considers a setting consisting of multiple non-cooperative mobile devices and multiple edge devices, and aims to design offloading policies that minimize the task drop rate as well as the execution delay without requiring information about the dynamics of the environment such as channel models and task arrival rates at mobile devices. This non-cooperative resource allocation problem is only partially observable to each mobile device. We propose a method to mitigate the partial observability and then apply a deep reinforcement learning-based policy that progressively learns the dynamics of the environment as well as the long-term consequences of decisions. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly reduces the task drop rate compared to existing offloading policies, while minimizing energy and computation cost of each mobile device.
Meprin-β activity modulates the β-catalytic subunit of protein kinase A in ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury.

Meprin metalloproteases have been implicated in the progression of kidney injury. Previous work from our group has shown that meprins proteolytically process the catalytic subunit of protein kinase...
Leveraging Actinide Hydrolysis Chemistry for Targeted Th and U Separations using Amidoxime-Functionalized Poly(HIPE)s

Polymerized high internal phase emulsions (poly(HIPE)s) are porous polymer monoliths whose synthesis can easily be tailored to allow incorporation of functional units. In this work, nitrile containing poly(HIPE)s have been prepared with either acrylonitrile (AN) or 4-cyanostyrene (4CS) comonomers. Post-synthetic modification of these nitrile-containing poly(HIPE)s yields their corresponding amidoximated analogues, which were studied for actinide uptake. These amidoxime-functionalized, porous polymers were shown to adsorb 95 % Th4+ species from aqueous solution within 30 minutes. In contrast to other amidoxime containing polymers the uptake of UO2 2+ in these poly(HIPE)s is lower under similar conditions. A critical analysis of actinide separations and high-energy X-ray scattering data provides insight into the polymers' selectivity, enabled by the uptake of multinuclear Th clusters.
Outcomes of Obese Patients Bridged to Heart Transplantation with a Left Ventricular Assist Device.

The current study aims to investigate the impact of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation on weight loss and functional status in obese patients bridged to transplantation (BTT). The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried to identify patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 who underwent LVAD implantation as BTT from 2008 to 2018. Patients were divided into three groups based the World Health Organization classification of obesity: obesity class I (BMI, 30.0-34.9 kg/m2), obesity class II (BMI, 35-39.9 kg/m2), and obesity class III (BMI, >40 kg/m2). Patients with incomplete data on BMI were excluded. The primary outcome was a change in BMI while listed. Secondary outcomes included a change in functional status after LVAD implantation and posttransplant morbidity and survival. Out of 14,191 patients who had an LVAD while listed within the study period, 5,354 (37.7%) had a BMI ≥30 kg/m2. Obesity was classified as class I in 3,909 (73%), class II in 1,275 (23.8%), and class III in 170 (3.2%) patients. Among patients with complete data on BMI, 18.9% (n = 394) reported a change in BMI, leading to an improvement in their obesity class, and this was similar for all obesity classes (22% [n = 331], 50% [n = 111], and 60% [n = 43] for classes I, II, and III, respectively). All groups reported an improvement in functional status (65% vs. 62% and 61% for classes I, II, and III, respectively). Posttransplant survival was not significantly different between obese groups (p = 0.787). Compared with classes I and II, the incidence of thrombosis (p = 0.0006) and device malfunction (p = 0.036) was significantly higher in the class III group. About one out of every five obese patients listed for heart transplantation with an LVAD loses weight, leading to a change in their BMI class. Most patients reported a significant improvement in their functional status. Among those successfully BTT, posttransplant survival was similar.
The effects of venture capital, R&D and technology on the IPO underpricing: Evidence from China

Research Question: This study is a preliminary attempt to investigate the effects of technology and RD thus, this research aims to fill this gap. Idea: High-tech firms experience higher IPO underpricing. Venture capital can help to reduce the high-technology IPOs’ underpricing by reducing the uncertainty associated with tech-IPOs. IPOs with higher R&D expenditure experience higher IPO underpricing. Venture capital can help release the uncertainty faced by IPOs with high R&D and reduce the underpricing of such IPOs. Data: The data represent all IPOs in China’s A-share market from SSE and SZSE for the 2013–2018 period. Our sample includes a total of 997 IPOs, excluding financial company IPOs and IPOs without integrated data. Method/Tools: We apply a cross-product residual centering approach to explore the relationships among factors. Findings: We find that venture-backing IPOs experience less underpricing, technology requirement increases IPO underpricing, and R&D expenditure helps to reduce tech-IPO underpricing. The striking observation that has emerged from the data is that IPO underpricing caused by technology requirement can be moderated by the participation of venture capital. The finding highlights that strengthening the supervision role of venture capital in the invested company and improving the R&D information disclosure level in a technology company can effectively reduce the degree of IPO underpricing. Contributions: Our research focuses on all IPOs from China’s A-share market, indicating an expanded sample size. More importantly, this study offers new insights by illustrating the interaction effect between R&D and technology on IPO underpricing as a means of explaining the moderation influence of venture capitalists on IPO underpricing.
Macroscopic materials assembled from nanoparticle superlattices

Nanoparticle assembly has been proposed as an ideal means to program the hierarchical organization of a material by using a selection of nanoscale components to build the entire material from the bottom up. Multiscale structural control is highly desirable because chemical composition, nanoscale ordering, microstructure and macroscopic form all affect physical properties1,2. However, the chemical interactions that typically dictate nanoparticle ordering3–5 do not inherently provide any means to manipulate structure at larger length scales6–9. Nanoparticle-based materials development therefore requires processing strategies to tailor micro- and macrostructure without sacrificing their self-assembled nanoscale arrangements. Here we demonstrate methods to rapidly assemble gram-scale quantities of faceted nanoparticle superlattice crystallites that can be further shaped into macroscopic objects in a manner analogous to the sintering of bulk solids. The key advance of this method is that the chemical interactions that govern nanoparticle assembly remain active during the subsequent processing steps, which enables the local nanoscale ordering of the particles to be preserved as the macroscopic materials are formed. The nano- and microstructure of the bulk solids can be tuned as a function of the size, chemical makeup and crystallographic symmetry of the superlattice crystallites, and the micro- and macrostructures can be controlled via subsequent processing steps. This work therefore provides a versatile method to simultaneously control structural organization across the molecular to macroscopic length scales. Polymer-covered inorganic nanoparticles are designed to self-assemble into micrometre-sized superlattice crystallites that can subsequently be built into freestanding centimetre-scale solids with hierarchical order across seven orders of magnitude.
Associations of Cardiac Mechanics With Exercise Capacity: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Abstract Background Lower exercise capacity, as measured by 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), is associated with incident heart failure (HF). Among those without HF, the associations of measures of cardiac function with 6MWD are unclear, and may provide insight regarding the risk of incident HF. Objectives The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between cardiac function and exercise capacity. Methods This study evaluated the associations of cardiac mechanics with 6MWD in the sixth examination of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Echocardiography (2-dimensional, Doppler, and speckle-tracking) was performed at rest and after passive leg raise to evaluate functional reserve after intravascular volume challenge. Results Of 2,096 participants without HF (mean age 73 years, 48% men, 58% non-White), individuals with lower (worse) left atrial (LA) reservoir strain were older and had higher blood pressure. Lower resting LA reservoir strain (β coefficient per SD decrease: −5.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −8.8 to −1.3 m; p = 0.009), inability to augment LA reservoir strain after passive leg raise (β coefficient per SD decrease: −5.8; 95% CI: −9.1 to −2.5 m; p Conclusions Among individuals without HF, worse biatrial function, lack of LA functional reserve, and worse LV diastolic function were associated with reduced submaximal exercise capacity. Therapies aimed to improve these functional domains may increase exercise capacity and prevent HF.
Cumulative Creep-Fatigue Damage Evolution in an Austenitic Stainless Steel

A model of cumulative creep-fatigue damage has been developed which is based on the use of damage curve equations to describe the evolution of creep-fatigue damage for four basic creep-fatigue cycle types. These cycle types correspond to the four fundamental cycles of the Strain Range Partitioning Life Prediction approach of Manson, Halford, and Hirschberg. A concept referred to as Damage Coupling is introduced to analytically account for the differences in the nature of the damage introduced by each cycle type. For application of this model, the cumulative creep-fatigue damage behavior of type 316 stainless steel at 816 C has been experimentally established for the two-level loading cases involving fatigue and creep-fatigue, in various permutations. The tests were conducted such that the lower life (high strain) cycling was applied first, for a controlled number of cycles, and the higher life (lower strain) cycling was conducted at the second level, to failure. The proposed model correlated the majority of the observed cumulative creep-fatigue data.
Direct liquid introduction micro-liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry coupling : Optimization of droplet desolvation and instrumental parameters for high sensitivity

Abstract Direct coupling of microbore liquid chromatography to mass spectrometry via the Direct Liquid Introduction interface allows the mass spectrometer to be adapted to the eluent, rather than the other (usual) way that uses an external splitter to limit the liquid chromatograph eluent flow entering the mass spectrometer. We have examined a new design of desolvation chamber that achieves internal splitting with solute enrichment. This device, combined with the micro-bore column, permits utilization of the entire injected sample and therefore provides high-sensitivity liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry. The greater ease and reproducibility in the tuning of the mass spectrometer, together with the stability of the chemical ionization conditions over a period of 1 day, permits quantitative measurements. Examples of the analysis of corticosteroids ast the low-nanogram level in equine plasma and urine are presented.
Substitution reactions of platinum(IV) complexes: The synthesis and properties of trans-dithiocyanato-bis-(ethylenediamine)platinum(IV) salts

Substitution reactions of trans-Pt(en)2Cl22+ with several different reagents are reported A description is given of what is believed to be the first synthesis of trans-Pt(en)2(SCN)22+ salts. The properties and possible structure of this complex are discussed.