cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1696: High-dose versus low-dose fractionated ionizing radiation to enhance antigen-specific antitumor immunity

Ionizing radiation (IR) has variable effects on the solid tumor immune microenvironment. While many report additive or synergistic effects between IR and immune activating therapies, most studies utilize single fractions or hypofractionated high-dose radiation of 8 Gy or greater. For head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), 30 or more low-dose fractions of 1.8-2Gy are utilized as standard-of-care for the up-front treatment of early stage or advanced disease. Preliminary experiments from our laboratory have demonstrated that 10 fractions of 2Gy IR decreased the rate of rejection of T-cell inflamed syngeneic carcinomas in wild-type B6 mice when combined with cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) compared to CDN treatment alone (10% rejection rate with low-dose fractionated IR plus CDN vs. 50% with CDN alone). Immune suppression following IR in mice is mediated by at least galectin-1. Further, HNSCC patients treated with standard fractionated low-dose IR develop durable neutropenia. Thus, we hypothesized that low-dose fractionated IR is immunosuppressive and does not result in additive or synergistic effects when combined with cyclic dinucleotide. To test this hypothesis, we performed a time-course analysis of tumor immune infiltration and tumor-draining lymph node antigen-specific T-lymphocyte activation in three syngeneic models of carcinoma with defined tumor rejection antigens (MOC1-p15E, B16-OVA and MC38-CEA) following exposure to two different IR regimens of 8Gy x 2 fractions or 2Gy x 10 fractions. Analysis of effector immune infiltration and antigen-specific activation pre-IR and at 5, 10, and 20 days post-IR revealed consistent trends of profound immunosuppression with the low-dose fractionated IR regimen (2Gy x 10) but preserved or enhanced immune activation with the high-dose hypofractionated regimen (8Gy x 2). Galectin-1 levels will be measured from whole tumor lysates. We plan to perform nano-string RNA array analysis on irradiated tissues to serve as correlative immune analysis and also to validate this technology against well-defined immune read-outs for potential use in the clinical trial setting. We also plan to combine both IR regimens with intra-lesional CDN (20 μg x 3 injections) to determine if either IR regimen results in additive or synergistic tumor control. This work has profound implications for future pre-clinical studies and clinical trials combining IR and immune activating therapies, such as CDN or checkpoint inhibitors. Citation Format: Megan V. Morisada, Ellen C. Moore, Jay A. Friedman, James W. Hodge, James B. Mitchell, Clint T. Allen. High-dose versus low-dose fractionated ionizing radiation to enhance antigen-specific antitumor immunity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1696. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1696
The Multiconfiguration Self-Consistent Field Method

The multiconfiguration self-consistent field (MCSCF method), which consists of optimizing both the mixing of several configurations as well as the orbitals of which they are composed, would appear to be a natural extension of the one-configuration SCF method. However, owing to a number of factors the method has not received a great deal of attention until rather recently. First, as recently as a decade ago, SCF wave functions were believed to be “suffiiciently” accurate for most of the interesting properties of a chemical system. Second, the successful implementation of the single configuration SCF method was diffiicult and the implementation of the more complex MCSCF framework proved to be significantly more arduous.
Use of the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) as a pre-filter for ice nucleation measurements: effect of particle mixing state and determination of SP2 conditions to fully vaporize refractory black carbon

Abstract. Ice nucleation is a fundamental atmospheric process that impacts precipitation, cloud lifetimes, and climate. Challenges remain to identify and quantify the compositions and sources of ice-nucleating particles (INPs). Assessment of the role of black carbon (BC) as an INP is particularly important due to its anthropogenic sources and abundance at upper-tropospheric cloud levels. The role of BC as an INP, however, is unclear. This is, in part, driven by a lack of techniques that directly determine the contribution of refractory BC (rBC) to INP concentrations. One previously developed technique to measure this contribution uses the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) as a pre-filter to an online ice-nucleating particle counter. In this technique, rBC particles are selectively heated to their vaporization temperature in the SP2 cavity by a 1064 nm laser. From previous work, however, it is unclear under what SP2 conditions, if any, the original rBC particles were fully vaporized. Furthermore, previous work also left questions about the effect of the SP2 laser on the ice-nucleating properties of several INP proxies and their mixtures with rBC. To answer these questions, we sampled the exhaust of an SP2 with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and a Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber. Using Aquadag® as an rBC proxy, the effect of several SP2 instrument parameters on the size distribution and physical properties of particles in rBC SP2 exhaust were explored. We found that a high SP2 laser power (930 nW ∕ (220 nm PSL)) is required to fully vaporize a ∼ 0.76 fg rBC particle. We also found that the exhaust particle size distribution is minimally affected by the SP2 sheath-to-sample ratio; the size of the original rBC particle, however, greatly influences the size distribution of the SP2 exhaust. The effect of the SP2 laser on the ice nucleation efficiency of Snomax®, NX-illite, and Suwannee River Fulvic Acid was studied; these particles acted as proxies for biological, illite-rich mineral dust, and brown carbon INPs, respectively. The original size distribution and ice nucleation efficiency of all non-rBC proxies were unaffected by the SP2 laser. Furthermore, the ice nucleation efficiencies of all proxies were not affected when externally mixed with rBC. These proxies, however, always show a reduction in ice-nucleating ability when internally mixed with rBC. We end this work with recommendations for users who wish to use the SP2 as a pre-filter to remove large rBC particles from an aerosol stream.
The characterization of strictly parabolic spaces

The famous Riemann mapping theorem asserts that a simple connected Riemann surface is biholomorphically equivalent to the Riemann sphere ℙ1, the complex plane ℂ or the unit disc ℂ(1). No equivalent theorem exists in several variables. Already Poincare observed that the unit ball and the polydisc are not biholomorphically equivalent. Hence purely topological means will not suffice to classify complex manifolds. Here an exhaustion is used.
Self-Focusing of Rayleigh Waves: Simulation and Experiment

In earlier work [1,2] a simple idea for self-focusing of a linear array has been used for Rayleigh and Lamb waves. The self-focusing procedure automatically moves the focal region of the array towards the defect that produces the largest backscattered signal by adjusting the excitation times of the elements of the array. Experimental results demonstrate the ability to self-focus Rayleigh waves and Lamb waves on defects in thick slabs and thin sheets. The aim of this paper is to supplement the experimental results with a measurement model of the self-focusing of surface waves. A model for the surface wave generated by a single element of the linear array has been developed. The field generated by the entire array has been simulated by using superposition.
Criminal Jurisdictional Arrangements under the 1965 Agreement

The criminal jurisdictional arrangements of the 1965 agreement were aimed at eliminating one of the most serious irritants in United States-Philippine relations.1 United States Ambassador Blair called it “a fair and equitable arrangement,”2 and the Manila Times reported that it “appears so logical an arrangement that one wonders why it took so long to negotiate.”3 Perhaps the twelve years of intermittent negotiations are the best testimony to the serious and sensitive nature of the conflicts involved. Although many of these problems still exist, the new agreement provides a better basis for handling them. At the same time, however, as is the case with any new arrangement, the 1965 agreement poses potential operational problems of its own.
Crust Morphology and Infiltrability in Surface Soils from the Southeast and Midwest U.S.A

Abstract To evaluate crust morphology, formation, and the relationship between crust porosity and infiltration rate, surface horizons from 14 soil surfaces from two geographic areas within the U.S. were sampled in an aggregated state and subjected to laboratory rainfall simulation. Infiltration rates were monitored during rainfall simulation, thin sections were prepared at the end of rainfall, and aggregate and porosity characteristics of the crust and underlying soil were measured. Because the soils were disturbed, the only void types were simple and compound packing voids between primary grains and aggregates. The dominant crust morphology was a dense layer at the surface formed through aggregate breakdown under rainfall. Superposed on this disruptional crust were discontinuous zones of silt grains which were stripped of plasma. The surface crust had lower porosity and finer voids than the underlying soil. However, the porosity and aggregate measurements did not relate well to infiltration rates. This lack of relationship between crust porosity and infiltration is attributed to areas of incomplete development of the disruptional crust, possible pore plugging by plasma, and differential void continuity among the soils.
Courts and the Politics of Backlash: Marriage Equality Litigation, Then and Now

Groundbreaking decisions on same-sex marriage, particularly those from the Hawaii, Massachusetts, and California supreme courts, have generated widespread political backlash in the form of state constitutional amendments and statutes, the federal Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”), a proposed federal constitutional amendment, and more. By contrast, the first state supreme court decision to strike down a ban on interracial marriage - Perez v. Sharp, decided by the California Supreme Court in 1948 - was met with barely a political whimper, even though it made international headlines and came decades before broad public acceptance of interracial marriage. This Article identifies that puzzling difference, tells the political story of the cases, explores factors that might explain the disparity in political and public reactions, and uses the contrasting case studies to elucidate the political dynamics that surround courts today and to suggest directions for the future study of antijudicial backlash.
The American Execution Queue

The modern death penalty presents a puzzle: law and norms heavily constrain how American jurisdictions impose death sentences, but not how they select death-sentenced inmates for executions. In this Article, I explain why this strange void persists, argue that its presence undermines equality, and offer workable institutional responses. In short, I advance a comprehensive theory of the American execution queue—the process by which death penalty jurisdictions decide which condemned inmates will actually die. My first objective is explanatory. Because executing a death-sentenced inmate now entails both significant litigation and extensive coordination among under-motivated state institutions, the process takes ten times as long as it did fifty years ago. Modern executions have become “scarce,” as American jurisdictions simply cannot kill all of their condemned offenders. Even though the state must make choices, there are no rules for choosing. Because there is little consensus around decision-making criteria, the process operates with few constraints. By the time the state must decide which condemned inmates to execute, the capacity of familiar decision-making criteria to meaningfully sort inmates by death-worthiness—things like offense conduct, blame, or future danger—has been exhausted during prior phases of the capital punishment sequence. My second objective is normative. I specify several preferred institutional design strategies, anchored to interests in legitimacy, transparency, fairness, and equality. First, jurisdictions should centralize the process by which they select death-sentenced inmates for executions; localities should have no role in setting execution dates. Second, a centralized entity should engage in administrative-law-like rulemaking in order to develop transparent, legitimate selection criteria. Third, jurisdictions should separate the power to determine execution priority from the power to schedule execution dates. By shifting to a centralized process grounded in transparent rulemaking and rational decision-making criteria, jurisdictions can curb the arbitrariness that plagues the existing system.
Food and non-food reinforcement among pregnant women.

Abstract Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) in pregnancy may be driven in part by greater motivation to eat, and studying the relative reinforcing value of food versus non-food commodities may provide insight into factors important for excessive GWG. This study was a cross-sectional examination of the relationship between women meeting the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines for GWG and the relative reinforcing value of food vs. non-food commodities during pregnancy. Two-hundred and thirty-three pregnant women (1st trimester, n = 44; 2nd trimester, n = 105; 3rd trimester, n = 84), aged 18–40, were recruited via a crowdsourcing platform and completed an online survey. Relative food reinforcement (RRVfood), relative non-food activity reinforcement (RRVactive) and relative non-food cognitively enriching activity reinforcement (RRVcognitive) were measured by a questionnaire at the point of contact. Self-reports of gestational age and weight gain during pregnancy were collected. The relationship between food and non-food reinforcement was assessed based on IOM classifications for weight gain during pregnancy. After adjustment for women's education level and parity, higher RRVfood (p = 0.036) and lower RRVcognitive (p = 0.040) responses were associated with greater GWG. Food reinforcing ratio (FRR) analysis was then conducted to systematically examine the effect of non-food behaviors on GWG when food reinforcement was accounted for. Women who gained below the IOM weight gain guidelines had significantly higher FRRcognitive than those gaining above (p = 0.013), indicating cognitively enriching activities may better compete with food among pregnant women. Interventions that help to increase the reinforcing value of cognitively enriching activities may be a new avenue to regulate eating to minimize GWG.
ERCP in Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis

Recurrent pancreatitis occurs in 10–30% of patients after an initial attack. The risk for recurrence is highest in those with alcohol and idiopathic etiologies. A careful, multitiered diagnostic evaluation should be deployed to eliminate noxious, metabolic, iatrogenic/medication, and neoplastic etiologies for pancreatitis before considering endoscopic therapy. Patients with idiopathic recurrent pancreatitis (IRAP) that are candidates for endoscopic therapy represent a select group. Either findings are later revealed on advanced, noninvasive imaging that indicate endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as a directed therapy or an etiology remains elusive after advanced imaging and empiric biliary sphincterotomy may be performed after a careful risk/benefit discussion with the patient. The literature that defines the role for diagnostic modalities such as ERCP for recurrent pancreatitis is mature. However, literature that supports therapuetic ERCP for managing non-biliary recurrent pancreatitis is largely based on heterogeneous case series and has disadvantages of variable study design, follow-up and definitions for outcomes.
Immunochemical studies relating to cholecystokinin in brain and gut.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the immunochemical studies relating to cholecystokinin in the brain and gut. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a central nervous system (CNS) peptide. It is exceptional in its high brain concentration—far exceeding the brain concentrations of other brain–gut peptides—and remarkable in its abundance and broad distribution throughout the cerebral cortex. It is further unusual in the variety of its heterogeneous molecular forms; these are distributed differently in brain and gut tissues. Both intact CCK-33 and its COOH-terminal fragments are found in the brain as well as in the gut. The chapter discusses the two discoveries that have contributed to the current surge of interest in immunochemical studies of CCK. The COOH-terminal approach is preferred for the measurement of CCK peptides in gastrin-free tissue extracts but is not applicable to the measurement of plasma CCK because of the relative abundance of gastrin peptides in plasma and their strong cross-reactivity in this assay.
Religious Conviction and Political Advocacy

Citizens in liberal democracies advocate all sorts of things for all sorts of idiosyncratic and even silly reasons and yet it is thought by many liberals that the person offering those reasons does not violate some deep principles of good “citizenship” unless the reasons either invite the label “religious” or, as with racist reasons, tend to undermine the values of liberal democracy itself. But why single out religion in this way? If democratic politics thrives on the Millian idea of the marketplace of ideas, are we to assume that only religious ideas and perhaps antidemocratic ideas lack such market value? In this essay I will raise some (perhaps naive) questions and try out some tentative and highly revisable suggestions.
Rights-protectors or rights-violators? Deconstructing teacher discrimination against LGBT students in England and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as an advocacy tool

For LGBT students in England, a curious contradiction exists between policy and practice. Within government policy, teachers have been discursively constructed as protectors and defenders of studen...
Impact of American Association of Neurological Surgeons Medical Student Interest Groups on Participation in Organized Neurosurgery, Research Productivity, and Residency Match Success.

Background In 2014, the Young Neurosurgeons Committee under the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) began allowing medical schools to create AANS Medical Student Chapters. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of these chapters on participation in organized neurosurgery, research productivity, and residency match success. Methods Chapter membership and activity data were collected and analyzed from 2014–2019 annual reports. Results The number of chapters increased rapidly during 2014–2019 from 12 to 121. The mean number of chapter members attending the AANS annual meeting trended upward during 2014–2019, from 1.25 to 1.67. Neurosurgery-related abstracts submitted, abstracts accepted, and publications authored by chapters have fluctuated with yearly means of 1.96, 1.76, and 9.29, respectively. Chapters from top 20 medical schools generally attended the annual meeting in greater numbers (2017–2018: 3.00 vs. 1.32, P = 0.076; 2018–2019: 2.92 vs. 1.43, P = 0.025), submitted more abstracts (2017–2018: 4.20 vs. 1.10, P = 0.021; 2018–2019: 4.09 vs. 1.87, P = 0.066), and had more abstracts accepted (2017–2018: 3.00 vs. 1.05, P = 0.043; 2018–2019: 3.63 vs. 1.81, P = 0.09). Chapters with high residency match success had a higher number of publications (11.4 vs. 3.3, P = 0.03) and twice the number of members attending the annual meeting (1.9 vs. 0.9, P = 0.01). Conclusions Since their inception, AANS Medical Student Chapters have demonstrated substantial research productivity and involvement in organized neurosurgery. Furthermore, there is an association between higher chapter activity, manifested by publications and annual meeting attendance, and increased residency match success.
Prasugrel Versus Ticagrelor in Patients With CYP2C19 Loss-of-Function Genotypes: Results of a Randomized Pharmacodynamic Study in a Feasibility Investigation of Rapid Genetic Testing.

Summary The feasibility of rapid genetic testing in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the comparison of the pharmacodynamic effects of prasugrel versus ticagrelor among carriers of cytochrome P450 2C19 loss-of-function alleles treated with PCI has been poorly explored. Rapid genetic testing using the Spartan assay was shown to be feasible and provides results in a timely fashion in a real-world setting of patients undergoing coronary angiography (n = 781). Among patients (n = 223, 28.5%), carriers of at least 1 loss-of-function allele treated with PCI (n = 65), prasugrel, and ticagrelor achieve similar levels of platelet inhibition. (A Pharmacodynamic Study Comparing Prasugrel Versus Ticagrelor in Patients Undergoing PCI With CYP2C19 Loss-of-function [ NCT02065479 ])
Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia

This case demonstrates how high density mapping in sinus rhythm can be utilized to identify channels of slow propagation in patchy scar. The areas of slow propagation were then quickly examined with entrainment maneuvers during hemodynamically unstable VT to confirm the isthmus sites.
A comparison of machine learning algorithms for diabetes prediction

Abstract Diabetes is a disease that has no permanent cure; hence early detection is required. Data mining, machine learning (ML) algorithms, and Neural Network (NN) methods are used in diabetes prediction in our research. We used the Pima Indian Diabetes (PID) dataset for our research, collected from the UCI Machine Learning Repository. The dataset contains information about 768 patients and their corresponding nine unique attributes. We used seven ML algorithms on the dataset to predict diabetes. We found that the model with Logistic Regression (LR) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) works well on diabetes prediction. We built the NN model with a different hidden layer with various epochs and observed the NN with two hidden layers provided 88.6% accuracy.
Findings from a survey of finishing-barn management benchmarks with South Dakota pork producers

ABSTRACT Objective Our objective was to conduct an external review of management benchmarks for growing/finishing pig barns. Materials and Methods An external review of 23 finishing barns in South Dakota was conducted to understand the variability of common production practices among finishing barns in the Midwest, compared, where possible, to management benchmarks. The barn survey included quantitative and qualitative measurements, including pig well-being, pig space, feeder pan coverage score and feeder space, water flow and quality, pig floor space, air temperature variation, feed particle size and lysine concentration, and manure composition. Results and Discussion Eighty-one percent of barns had 650 μm. Lysine concentration in 13 feed samples (59%) were >10% different from expected. Feeder pan coverage scores were approximately 40% coverage. Well (groundwater) water had a greater amount of total dissolved solids in comparison to rural (or municipal) water (P Implications and Applications Variation exists between Midwest-based finishing barns. Based on this survey, producers need to pay additional attention to feeder adjustment, feed particle size, space per pig, and water flow rate.
Visible Body Human Anatomy Atlas: Innovative Anatomy Learning

Visible Body Human Anatomy Atlas is a subscription-based learning tool for health science students and clinicians to build and strengthen knowledge of human anatomy. This app contains thousands of 3D models of gross anatomy and microanatomy, cadaver lab simulations, comparisons to diagnostic imaging, quizzes, and patient education videos. Here we explore the app’s strengths and weaknesses through discussion of its features and usability.
Exploring social networks relative to various types of exercise self-efficacy within CrossFit participants

According to Self-Efficacy Theory (SET; Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215), social networks and support are impo...
Aortic Size and Clinical Care Pathways Before Type A Aortic Dissection.

Patients with aortic enlargement are recommended to undergo serial imaging and clinical follow-up until they reach surgical thresholds. This study aimed to identify aortic diameter and care of patients with aortic imaging before aortic dissection (AD). In a retrospective cohort of AD patients, we evaluated previous imaging results in addition to ordering providers and indications. Imaging was stratified as >1 or 1 year before AD (1,317 ± 1,017 days), the mean ascending aortic diameter was 4.2 ± 0.4 cm. In conclusion, in a series of patients with aortic imaging before AD, the aortic size was far short of surgical thresholds in 94% of the group. In >50%, imaging was last performed >1 year before dissection.
Predictors of inpatient morbidity and mortality in adult spinal deformity surgery.

This nationwide study identifies ASD surgical risk factors for morbidity/mortality. NIS discharges from 2001 to 2010 aged 25+ with scoliosis diagnoses, 4+ levels fused, and procedural codes for anterior and/or posterior thoracic and/or lumbar spinal fusion and refusion were included. Demographics, comorbidities and procedure-related complications were determined for each subgroup (degenerative, congenital, idiopathic, other). Multivariate analysis reported as [OR (95 % CI)]. 11,982 discharges were identified. Morbidity, excluding device-related, and mortality rates were 50.81 and 0.28 %, respectively. Certain comorbidities were associated with increased morbidity/mortality: congestive heart failure (CHF) [1.62 (1.42–1.84)] [5.67 (3.30–9.73)], coagulopathy [3.52 (3.22–3.85)] [2.32 (1.44–3.76)], electrolyte imbalance [2.65 (2.52–2.79)] [4.63 (3.15–6.81)], pulmonary circulation disorders [9.45 (7.45–11.99)] [8.94 (4.43–18.03)], renal failure [1.29 (1.13–1.47)] [5.51 (2.57–11.82)], and pathologic weight loss [2.38 (2.01–2.81)] [7.28 (4.36–12.14)]. Chronic pulmonary disease was associated with higher morbidity [1.08 (1.02–1.14)]; liver disease was linked to increased mortality [36.09 (16.16–80.59)]. 9+ level fusions had increased morbidity vs 4–8 level fusions [1.69 (1.61–1.78)] and refusions [1.08 (1.02–1.14)]. Idiopathic scoliosis was associated with decreased morbidity vs all other subgroups [0.85 (0.80–0.91)]. Age >65 was associated with increased morbidity and mortality vs 25–64 group [1.09 (1.05–1.14)] [3.49 (2.31–5.29)]. Females had increased morbidity [1.18 (1.13–1.23)] and decreased mortality [0.30 (0.21–0.44)]. Mean comorbidity index (0.55) and age (64.38) for degenerative cohort were higher vs all other subgroups (P 65 was associated with increased morbidity/mortality, while females were associated with increased morbidity but decreased mortality. Idiopathic scoliosis had decreased morbidity. Degenerative ASD cases had higher comorbidity indices, potentially due to older age. This study is clinically useful for patient education, surgical decision-making, and optimizing patient outcomes.
ERROR DETECTION AND DATA-SMOOTHING BASED ON LOCAL PROCEDURES

An algorithm is presented which is able to locate isolated bad points and correct them without contaminating the rest of the good data. This work has been greatly influenced and motivated by what is currently done in the manual loft. It is not within the scope of this work to handle small random errors characteristic of a noisy system, and it is therefore assumed that the bad points are isolated and relatively few when compared with the total number of points. Motivated by the desire to imitate the loftsman a visual experiment was conducted to determine what is considered smooth data. This criterion is used to determine how much the data should be smoothed and to prove that this method produces such data. The method utimately converges to a set of points that lies on the polynomial that interpolates the first and last points; however convergence to such a set is definitely not the purpose of our algorithm. The proof of convergence is necessary to demonstrate that oscillation does not take place and that in a finite number of steps the method produces a set as smooth as desired.
Abstract 084: Activation Of Trpv1-expressing Renal Sensory Nerves With N-oleoyldopamine Attenuates High Fat Diet-induced Impairment In Renal Function

Renal injury occurs in obesity. Accumulating evidence indicates that activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) protects tissues from injury albeit the mechanisms are largely unknown. We test the hypothesis that high fat diet (HFD) intake impairs afferent renal nerves expressing TRPV1 channels, leading to increased renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), decreased renal function, and hypertension, and that chronic activation of TRPV1 positive afferent renal nerves attenuates HFD-induced impairment. N-oleoyldopamine (OLDA, 1 ng/kg, daily), a selective TRPV1 agonist, was administrated intrathecally (T8-L3) via a indwelled catheter to chronically activate TRPV1 positive afferent renal nerves in rats fed a HFD or normal fat diet (Con) for 8 weeks. HFD decreased renal TRPV1 expression and afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA, Con: 133±8, Con+OLDA: 127±15, HFD: 84±5, HFD+OLDA: 115±7, p
CRITIQUE - OF “POTENTIAL NITRATE LEVELS IN EDIBLE PLANT PARTS”

ABSTRACT Lorenz has studied nitrate accumulation in a large number of vegetable crops as related to source and rate of nitrogen fertilizer application, cultivar, plant age, and plant part. His results are in good agreement with those reported in the literature on these topics. Although not researched by Lorenz, I have referred to information on other topics relating to the “nitrate problem, ” including the role of nitrate reductase in controlling nitrate accumulation in spinach; the development of fertilization programs for minimal nitrate accumulation, consistent with high yields and quality in spinach and radish; and brief comments on postharvest conversions, and processing effects on nitrate and nitrite contents of vegetables. The results of Lorenz and others support the view that although some vegetables may accumulate substantial concentrations of nitrate, procedures are available to successfully limit nitrate accumulation or prevent ingestion of nitrates.
The algorithmic process: an introduction to problem solving

The algorithmic process :an introduction to problem solving , The algorithmic process :an introduction to problem solving , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
Guaranteed Rank Minimization via Singular Value Projection

Minimizing the rank of a matrix subject to affine constraints is a fundamental problem with many important applications in machine learning and statistics. In this paper we propose a simple and fast algorithm SVP (Singular Value Projection) for rank minimization under affine constraints (ARMP) and show that SVP recovers the minimum rank solution for affine constraints that satisfy a restricted isometry property (RIP). Our method guarantees geometric convergence rate even in the presence of noise and requires strictly weaker assumptions on the RIP constants than the existing methods. We also introduce a Newton-step for our SVP framework to speed-up the convergence with substantial empirical gains. Next, we address a practically important application of ARMP - the problem of low-rank matrix completion, for which the defining affine constraints do not directly obey RIP, hence the guarantees of SVP do not hold. However, we provide partial progress towards a proof of exact recovery for our algorithm by showing a more restricted isometry property and observe empirically that our algorithm recovers low-rank incoherent matrices from an almost optimal number of uniformly sampled entries. We also demonstrate empirically that our algorithms outperform existing methods, such as those of [5, 18, 14], for ARMP and the matrix completion problem by an order of magnitude and are also more robust to noise and sampling schemes. In particular, results show that our SVP-Newton method is significantly robust to noise and performs impressively on a more realistic power-law sampling scheme for the matrix completion problem.
Conditional Analysis of an Internal Boundary Layer

Data from a convective internal boundary layer (IBL) are analyzed by focusing on the instantaneousstructure of the top of the IBL instead of the time-average structure.A conditional averaging technique is developed todiscriminate between air from above the IBL and air from below the IBL , which alternately invade some instrument levels due tosubstantial variation of the top of the convective IBL.Sensitivity to the conditional sampling criteria is examined. Inside the IBL , buoyant and mechanicalproduction and dissipation dominate the turbulent kinetic energy budget.The horizontal advection and turbulent transport terms are smaller, but not negligible. The inferred pressure correlation term is negligible.Above the IBL , buoyant production and dissipation, although weak,dominate the turbulent kinetic energy budget. Shear generation andturbulent transport are smaller but significant.
16 - Quantum-Beat, Level-Crossing, and Anticrossing Spectroscopy

This chapter describes the quantum beats, level-crossing spectroscopy, and anticrossing spectroscopy. Quantum-beat, level-crossing, and anticrossing spectroscopy are inherently doppler-free ways of obtaining precise spectroscopic information about excited states. Quantum-beat and level-crossing spectroscopy are coherent in the sense that it is necessary to create a coherent superposition of states to observe a signal. This chapter also describes quantum-beat spectroscopy, and then shows the way it is related to the Hanle effect, the zero-field level crossing of Zeeman levels. While the Hanle effect was observed long ago, high-field level crossings were not observed until much more recently. In contrast to these methods, anticrossing spectroscopy is incoherent; only population differences are required to observe anticrossing signals, just as in RF spectroscopy.
Examining Biases and White Privilege: Classroom Teaching Strategies That Promote Cultural Competence

This article will discuss in-depth how a variety of effective classroom teaching strategies have been employed to assist White counseling trainees in developing a non-racist White racial identity (i.e., by examining biases and exploring privilege) thereby increasing cultural competence. Specifically, this article will address the utility of implementing classroom teaching strategies that promote both cognitive understanding and affective processing of biases and White privilege for White trainees. It will outline the efficacy of specific didactic (e.g., lecture, videos, discussions, readings) and experiential (e.g., small group interviews, journaling, autobiographies, modeling) in creating a non-racist White racial identity, thereby promoting cultural competence.
Coping with the Suffering of Ambiguous Loss

This chapter addresses a particular kind of suffering—that of having a family member go physically missing. There is no official proof of being either dead or alive. Remaining family members are immobilized by the confusion, but many live a quality life despite the pain of no closure. The goal here is to provide a better understanding of ambiguous loss, its unique kind of suffering, and the surprising resilience that often emerges despite unanswered questions. Intervention guidelines, now tested for cross-cultural application, are provided.
Emergent Features in Visual Display Design for Two Types of Failure Detection Tasks

Visual display design for dynamic systems may be helped by exploiting emergent features that allow subjects to easily distinguish different states of the system. Three different types of displays were compared--two object displays and one separated display--each in a version that had a salient emergent feature that distinguished normal and failed states and in a version that did not have such an emergent feature. Subjects monitored for global and local failures simultaneously, which presented demands similar to integrated and separated tasks, respectively. Displays with salient emergent features supported superior global failure detection and may also have helped local failure detection. An object display with a salient emergent feature supported both types of failures better than or at least as well as the other displays. This advantage was attributed to the fact that the display had a salient emergent feature rather than to the fact that it was an object display. This research shows that emergent features can be effectively exploited to support tasks involving both integration of information and attention to individual data sources.
Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Ions Using CW Laser Excitation

We review the field of lifetime measurements on ions using fast beams selectively excited by fixed frequency and tunable CW lasers. These experiments involve the sampling of fluorescent intensities as a function of the separation between the selective excitation region and the detection region. Three variations of the FIBLAS (Fast Ion Beam-Laser Spectroscopy) technique are described. Two of these methods are time-of-flight measurements employing either crossed or collinear beam geometries. The third method, which is new, also uses the collinear beam arrangement but avoids any mechanical motion of either the excitation or detection regions in contrast to the other FIBLAS methods. All three methods are capable of determining excited state lifetimes to 1% or better.
Expansion of host cellular niche can drive adaptation of a zoonotic malaria parasite to humans

The macaque malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi has recently emerged as an important zoonosis in Southeast Asia. Infections are typically mild but can cause severe disease, achieving parasite densities similar to fatal Plasmodium falciparum infections. Here we show that a primate-adapted P. knowlesi parasite proliferates poorly in human blood due to a strong preference for young red blood cells (RBCs). We establish a continuous in vitro culture system by using human blood enriched for young cells. Mathematical modelling predicts that parasite adaptation for invasion of older RBCs is a likely mechanism leading to high parasite densities in clinical infections. Consistent with this model, we find that P. knowlesi can adapt to invade a wider age range of RBCs, resulting in proliferation in normal human blood. Such cellular niche expansion may increase pathogenesis in humans and will be a key feature to monitor as P. knowlesi emerges in human populations.
BUGINNINGS: identifying the origins of a bug

Information about the origins of a bug can be useful for many applications, such as the computation of defect age and fault-proneness of code components. Although there exists an extensive body of research that has investigated the applications of bug-fix information, the computation of bug-origin information and its applications have largely been ignored--the only known approach for identifying bug origins has limitations. In this paper, we present a new approach for identifying bug-introducing code changes. The key innovation of our approach is that it analyzes the effects of bug-fix code changes on program dependences and, based on these effects, identifies the bug-introducing version. Thus, unlike the existing approach, which is text-based, our technique partially takes into account semantics of code changes. This can make it not only more accurate, but also applicable to a wider class of bug-fix code changes.To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of our technique, we performed a preliminary empirical evaluation. Our results indicate that technique can be more effective than the text-based approach, and has an acceptable computational cost, be potentially useful in practice.
Thermochemical synthesis and characterization of nanostructured chromium suicide and silicon carbide composite materials

Nanostructured chromium suicide/silicon carbide in the form of composite powders have been synthesized from water-soluble precursors by a spray-dry and thermal conversion process. Two materials compositions were investigated to provide insight into the relation between the initial precursor composition and the composition of the synthesized nanostructured materials. The multiphase materials that were produced contain (i) cubic β-SiC and hexagonal Cr5−xSi3−yCx+y(Cr5Si3Cx). A systematic study of the chemical and structured nature of these materials during and after processing was carried out using thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry analysis. The calculated average grain size is around 20–80 nm. Microstructure observation using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electronmicroscopy revealed a distribution of nanoparticles with dimensions in the range 10–100 nm. This is in agreement with the precalculation from an analysis of X-ray line broadening.
New calculus for the treatment of optical systems. VIII. Electromagnetic theory

The preceding seven papers of this series present a systematic procedure for computing the effect of an optical system on the state of polarization of the light that passes through it. The M-matrices discussed in the first six papers represent the over-all effect of an optical system; the N-matrices described in Paper VII are essentially path derivatives of the M-matrices and represent the local optical properties at a given point along the light-path.In this paper we suppose that the medium is an anisotropic crystal and note that the description of the local optical properties by the N-matrices must be closely related to the description of the local properties by the dielectric and gyration tensors that are employed in standard crystal optics. We find the exact relation between the N-matrix and the above-mentioned tensors. It is shown how one can compute the dielectric and gyration tensors from a knowledge of the N-matrices for several different directions of the light-path in the crystal. It is also shown how one can compute the N-matrix for any given light direction from a knowledge of the dielectric and gyration tensors; the computation entails finding the square root of a two-by-two complex matrix.Taken together, the eight papers of this series present a compact and systematic procedure for the solution of problems in crystal optics. The N-matrices have the advantage that circular birefringence and circular dichroism are treated in the same framework used for linear birefringence and linear dichroism.
Do coping skills mediate the relationship between cognitive–behavioral therapy and reductions in gambling in pathological gamblers?

Aims Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) is useful for treating substance abusers, and recent data suggest it is also efficacious for pathological gamblers. CBT is purported to exert its beneficial effects by altering coping skills, but data supporting coping changes as the mechanism of action are mixed. This study examined whether coping skills acquisition mediated the effects of CBT on decreasing gambling in pathological gamblers. Design Participants were assigned randomly to CBT plus referral to Gamblers Anonymous (GA) or to GA referral alone. Setting Out-patient clinic. Participants A total of 127 pathological gamblers. Measurements Participants completed the Coping Strategies Scale (CSS) before treatment and 2 months later; indices of gambling behavior and problems were administered pretreatment and at months 2 and 12. Findings Overall, CSS scores increased for participants in both conditions, but those receiving CBT evidenced larger increases than those in the GA condition (P < 0.05), and they also reduced gambling more substantially between pretreatment and month 2. Changes in CSS scores mediated the relationship between treatment assignment and gambling outcomes from pretreatment to month 2, but little evidence of mediation occurred for the long-term follow-ups. Conclusions CBT's beneficial effects in decreasing gambling may be related partly to changes in coping responses, and improvements in coping are associated with long-term changes in gambling. However, relationships between coping skills and gambling behavior are fairly strong, regardless of treatment received.
The Invention of Thanksgiving: A ritual ofAmerican nationality

Thanksgiving was 'invented' in its present form at the end of the 19th century. Through the consummation of a sacred meal, a diverse collection of immigrants become the descendants of the Pilgrims....
Amodal Completion and Vernier Acuity: Evidence of ‘Top-But-Not-Very-Far-Down’ Processes?

Vernier thresholds were measured by means of a forced-choice paradigm for physically separated bars that were perceived either as separate or as amodally completed behind an occluder. The finding that thresholds were not reduced (improved) with amodal completion argues against an early neural code for amodal completion that is equivalent to physical completion of the vernier bars (ie neural propagation/interpolation) and limits the stage at which amodal representations could arise via bottom-up processes to neural sites located centrally with respect to those involved in position coding. An alternative explanation is also considered, that this result reflects the activity of top-down processes that mediate amodal completion by imposing grouping/organizational constraints upon earlier representations of position. In support of this proposition it was found that when tested by means of a non-forced-choice paradigm without feedback, observers demonstrated a reduced tendency to report the presence of a vernier offset when the bars were perceived as amodally completed (ie a shift in response bias occurred). This separability of vernier acuity and response bias suggests the existence of 'top-but-not-very-far-down' grouping processes whose influence does not extend to early representations of relative position.
Biotin-triggered release of poly(ethylene glycol)-avidin from biotinylated polyethylenimine enhances in vitro gene expression.

Covalently poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-ylated polyethylenimine (PEI)/pDNA complexes display prolonged blood circulation profiles compared with PEI/pDNA complexes, but such PEGylated particles may n...
Trace element and strontium isotope characteristics of volcanic rocks from Isla Tortuga: a young seamount in the Gulf of California

Abstract Isla Tortuga is a small isolated central volcano which is located near an actively spreading trough in the Gulf of California. The basalt lavas from Tortuga which have the highest Mg/Fe and Ni contents have trace element abundances and ratios and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr which are similar to those of mid-ocean ridge tholeiite. The major element, rare earth element and Sr abundances of fractionated tholeiite (low Mg/Fe) and tholeiitic andesite of Tortuga are consistent with an origin by closed-system fractional crystallization. This hypothesis is not supported by K, Na, Rb and Ba abundances in the lavas nor by their variable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (0.7024–0.7035). It is proposed that the apparent decoupling of light rare earth elements, other incompatible trace elements and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr is due to contamination of some Tortuga magmas while they are fractionated in a high-level crustal magma chamber. The mantle source of least-contaminated, high Mg/Fe basalt lavas of Tortuga is similar, although not identical to the source of normal mid-ocean ridge tholeiite; significant differences exist. The reasons for these differences are not yet known.