cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biochemical and Karyotypic Variation in Peromyscus maniculatus from Western North America

Standard karyotypic and biochemical variation was examined for 13 populations, referable to four subspecies of Peromyscus maniculatus from western United States and Baja California, Mexico. Fundamental number variation among individuals included a range of 72 to 82, and ranges for the subspecies overlapped broadly. Although genic variation was substantial (P = 20.2%, H = 0.053), estimates of fixation indices ( F ST ) indicated only moderate genetic differentiation of populations. The calculated average number of migrants exchanged between local populations ( Nm est = 3.73) suggests that moderate to high levels of gene flow are maintained. Coefficients of genetic similarity ( S = 0.973) and identity ( I = 0.995) were among the highest reported for local populations of Peromyscus . Phenetic analysis of the biochemical data failed to indicate clustering of populations on the basis of subspecific affiliation. Overlapping ranges of FN and high levels of biochemical similarity are attributed to gene flow among the populations. Morphological distinctions of the subspecies are attributed to environmental adaptations, operating within this background of genetic interchange.
Preparation of Calcium Silicate Reagent from Fly Ash and Lime in a Flow Reactor

The batch reaction between fly ash and hydrated lime in water to produce high surface area calcium silicates for flue gas desulfurization has been examined extensively. This paper examines the reac...
Examination of structure and molecular phylogenetic relationships of some graminicolous symbionts in genera Epichloe and Parepichloe

Structural and rDNA studies were con- ducted on several Asian and African fungi with affin- ity to the genus Epichloe (Balansieae; Clavicipitaceae; Hypocreales). These species were found to be epi- biotic in habit, to produce brown to black ascomata, and to be symbionts of warm-season grasses. Epichloe spp. from Europe and North America are endophytic in habit, produce yellow to orange ascomata, and are symbionts of cool-season grasses. Phylogenetic studies employing the ITS1 region of the rDNA suggest that Epichloe, as defined to include both endophytic and epibiotic species, is polyphyletic. To improve the tax- onomy in this group of symbionts, a new genus Pa- repichloe is proposed to accommodate epibiotic spe- cies.
The Production of Culture: A Prolegomenon

Peterson proposes revitalizing the sociology of culture by asking how culture is deliberately produced. Once several inhibitions to comparative analysis are overcome, numerous unexplored communalities in the production of art, science, and religion are revealed. These suggest a genetic theory of the role of culture for society.
Characterization of rabbit SP-B promoter region responsive to downregulation by tumor necrosis factor-α

Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is essential for the maintenance of biophysical properties and physiological function of pulmonary surfactant. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), an important mediator of ...
Benzo[a]pyrene Metabolism: Enzymatic and Liquid Chromatographic Analysis and Application to Human Liver, Lymphocytes, and Monocytes

Although the molecular basis for the variability in human responsiveness to the action of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) carcinogens is unknown, the initial biogical receptors for the hydrocarbons have been identified as the microsomal mixed-function oxygenases. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are initially oxygenated by this enzyme system and the metabolites formed can be further oxygenated by the same mixed-function oxygenases. Other routes of metabolism can be by hydration of the epoxide intermediates to dihydrodiols or by conjugation of the oxygenated intermediates to water-soluble products. The carcinogenic potential of the hydrocarbon may be either diminished or enhanced by these enzyme systems (1–3) and variation in the activity of these enzyme systems may be related to the variability of the carcinogenic effects in each individual. Heterogeneity in these enzymes may thus be an important factor in the heterogeneity of individuals to carcinogen susceptibility. Thus it is important to have methods to determine the profiles of these enzyme activities in individuals so that their relationship to carcinogenesis can be understood. In this chapter we present various methods for the study of PAH metabolism. Each method has its unique merits and unique deficiencies. A combination of these approaches may yield a systematic analysis with which the relationship of metabolism and carcinogen susceptibility of an individual might be assessed.
ER: Dramatological Theory and Empirical Research

Similar to the popular TV drama, ER, providing and receiving ER service may be viewed usefully as a play with distinct acts and scenes. The play often begins with an emergency telephone call or an unexpected arrival of a patient in need of emergency medial care. A theory of drama enactment in providing ER services is described in this report. Propositions of the theory are tested using data from a large-scale survey of hospital patient perceptions of events they perceive while being "actors in the play."
Coherent Multipath Direction-of-Arrival Resolution Using Compressed Sensing

For a sound field observed on a sensor array, performance of conventional high-resolution adaptive beamformers is affected dramatically in the presence of coherent multipath signals, but the directions-of-arrival (DOAs) and power levels of these arrivals can be resolved with compressed sensing (CS). When the number of multipath signals is sufficiently small, a CS approach can be used by formulating the problem as a sparse signal recovery problem. CS overcomes the difficulty of resolving coherent arrivals at an array by directly processing the sensor outputs without first estimating a sensor covariance matrix. CS is compared to the adaptive minimum-variance-distortionless-response (MVDR) spatial processor with spatial smoothing. Though spatial smoothing produces improved results by preprocessing the sensor array covariance matrix to decorrelate the coherent multipath components, it reduces the effective aperture of the array and hence reduces the resolution. An empirical study with a uniform linear array (ULA) demonstrates that CS outperforms MVDR beamformer with spatial smoothing in terms of spatial resolution and bias and variance of DOA and power estimates. Analysis of the shallow-water HF97 ocean acoustic experimental data shows that CS is able to recover the DOAs and power levels of the multipath signals with superior resolution compared to MVDR with spatial smoothing.
Video Recording of Progress as a Teaching Tool

The use of audiovisual techniques of communication adds a new dimension to the psychiatric evaluation of patient behavior.
The China model: political meritocracy and the limits of democracy

Bell’s project in The China Model is undoubtedly ambitious. In this book, the term ‘China model’ refers to a political system, as Bell describes, that is unique in China today: ‘democracy at the bo...
Naps Enhance Executive Attention in Preschool-Aged Children.

Objective Executive attention is impaired following sleep loss in school-aged children, adolescents, and adults. Whether naps improve attention relative to nap deprivation in preschool-aged children is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare executive attention in preschool children following a nap and an interval of wake. Method Sixty-nine children, 35-70 months of age, completed a Flanker task to assess executive attention following a nap and an equivalent interval of wake. Results Overall, accuracy was greater after the nap compared with the wake interval. Reaction time(s) did not differ between the nap and wake intervals. Results did not differ between children who napped consistently and those who napped inconsistently, suggesting that naps benefit executive attention of preschoolers regardless of nap habituality. Conclusions These results indicate that naps enhance attention in preschool children. As executive attention supports executive functioning and learning, nap promotion may improve early education outcomes.
ABBY: A phase 2 randomized trial of crenezumab in mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of crenezumab in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods In this phase 2 trial, 431 patients with mild to moderate AD 50 to 80 years of age were randomized 2:1 (crenezumab:placebo). Patients received low-dose subcutaneous crenezumab 300 mg or placebo every 2 weeks (n = 184) or high-dose intravenous crenezumab 15 mg/kg or placebo every 4 weeks (n = 247) for 68 weeks. Primary outcome measures were change in Alzheimer9s Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog12) and Clinical Dementia Rating–Sum of Boxes scores from baseline to week 73. Results The primary and secondary endpoints were not met. In an exploratory post hoc analysis, a reduction in decline on the ADAS-Cog12 was observed in the high-dose group. Separation from the placebo group on the ADAS-Cog12 was greatest in the milder subsets of AD patients and reached statistical significance in the group with Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 22 to 26. In both groups, there was a significant increase in CSF β-amyloid 1-42 levels that correlated with crenezumab CSF levels. The overall rate of adverse events was balanced between groups. One case of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities indicative of vasogenic edema or effusions was reported. Conclusions Although prespecified criteria for testing treatment effects were not met, these data suggest a potential treatment effect in patients with mild AD treated with high-dose crenezumab. Together with the safety profile for crenezumab, these data support the exploration of crenezumab treatment at even higher doses in patients with early AD. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT 01343966. Classification of evidence This study provides Class II evidence that, for people with AD, crenezumab does not significantly improve cognition or function at 18 months. The study is rated Class II because
Obesity, independent of diet, drives lasting effects on intestinal epithelial stem cell proliferation in mice

The intestinal epithelium plays an essential role in nutrient absorption, hormone release, and barrier function. Maintenance of the epithelium is driven by continuous cell renewal by intestinal epithelial stem cells located in the intestinal crypts. Obesity affects this process and results in changes in the size and function of the tissue. Because both the amount of food intake and the composition of the diet are contributing factors to developing and maintaining obesity, it is necessary to tease apart the separate contributions of obesity versus the type/amount of diet in driving the epithelial changes. C57BL/6J mice were fed a 60% high-fat diet versus a 10% low-fat diet for three months. A pair fed group was included (mice were fed with high-fat diet, but in equal kcal as that eaten by the low-fat diet- fed mice to keep them lean). We investigated the differences in (1) crypt-villus morphology in vivo, (2) the number and function of differentiated epithelial cell types in vivo, and (3) lasting effects on intestinal epithelial stem cell proliferation and growth in vitro. We found that high-fat diet-induced obesity, independent of the high-fat diet, increased crypt depth, villus height, the number of intestinal epithelial stem cells and goblet cells in vivo, and enhanced the size of the enterospheres developed from isolated IESCs in vitro. In addition, there is an interaction of obesity, type of diet, and availability of the diet (pair fed versus ad libitum) on protein and mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase (an enzyme of enterocytes). These results suggest that high-fat diet-induced obesity, independent of the high-fat diet, induces lasting effects on intestinal epithelial stem cell proliferation, and drives the differentiation into goblet cells, but an interaction of obesity and diet drives alterations in the function of the enterocytes. Impact statement This study investigates whether obesity or the type/amount of diet differentially alters the proliferation, differentiation, growth, and function of the intestinal epithelial tissue. Although diet-induced obesity is known to alter the growth and function of the epithelium in vivo and cause lasting effects in intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESCs) in vitro, we are the first to tease apart the separate contributions of obesity versus the type/amount of diet in these processes. We found that high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, independent of the HFD, drives lasting effects on IESC proliferation and differentiation into goblet cells, which may contribute to the growth of the epithelium. In addition, there is an interaction of obesity, type of diet, and availability of the diet (PF versus ad libitum) on the function of enterocytes. Identification of the factors driving the epithelial changes may provide new therapeutic strategies to control altered tissue growth and function associated with obesity.
Early Childhood Educational Settings and School Absenteeism for Children With Disabilities

Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 were used to examine the implications of preschool and full-day kindergarten enrollment for the subsequent school ab...
The future of neurosurgery: a call to leadership.

he previous three honored guest papers in this volumehave discussed meningiomas, neurosurgical oncology,and third circulation research. In this chapter, I will presentthree developments that seem to be important in the nextdecade of neurosurgery, along with a brief discussion of thechanging concept of leadership in neurosurgery that may beneeded to deal with these developments.The three developments are: 1) globalization, 2) thepatient safety initiative, and 3) neurosurgical neuroscience.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in blacks and whites : mortality and morbidity

Previous reports cite puzzling racial differences in several indicators of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). An extensive review of data from the National Center for Health Statistics and from population-based studies confirmed lower overall COPD but higher asthma mortality in blacks compared with whites, and lower chronic bronchitis and emphysema but similar or higher asthma prevalence in blacks compared with whites. The excess of asthma mortality and hospitalization out of proportion to the excess prevalence in blacks may be due to greater disease severity, poorer outcomes of outpatient treatment in blacks than whites, or both. Further investigations of racial differences may enhance understanding of COPD etiology and prevention. Physicians and public health organizations should vigorously strive for smoking prevention and cessation in blacks and whites.
Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiac Rehabilitation in Clinical Practice

The term diabetes mellitus refers to various conditions associated with disordered glucose metabolism and hyperglycemia. This group of conditions includes disease states caused by insulin deficiency, alteration in insulin activity, or both. Traditionally, diabetes has been broadly classified as either type 1 or type 2, primarily based on the presence or absence of endogenous insulin production. However, it is increasingly obvious that diabetes is a significantly heterogenous condition and that many individuals are not easily classified into one of these two groups. Aside from genetic and environmental effects, a large number of pancreatic conditions, drugs, infectious agents, and endocrine or metabolic conditions have been associated with the development of diabetes (1,2). Table 1 summarizes the wide variety of genetic defects, pancreatic disorders, endocrinopathies, infectious agents, and medications which may be associated with diabetes. For the purposes of this text, discussion will primarily focus on the commonly recognized features of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Although these conditions may vary considerably with respect to pathophysiology, presentation, and management options, it is important to recognize that the complications of both types are the same and may be quite severe.
Developing customer-focused new product concepts

The economic success of firms depends on their ability to identify customer needs and to profitably develop and market products that meet those needs. While new product development has always been challenging, a number of trends have emerged in recent years which have increased the stakes for firms and their new product development efforts. For example, the globalization of markets has led to intense competition among a growing number of world-class competitors. Customers around the world have become increasingly sophisticated, knowledgeable and insistent on high quality in products and services regardless of price. The rate of technological change continues to accelerate, and the growing breadth and depth of scientific and engineering knowledge is yielding many new, more powerful and cost- effective solutions to old problems. The sum effect of these trends is to make excellence in new product development an increasingly important requirement for corporate survival.
Chaotic planet formation

Our understanding of planet formation is surprisingly incomplete, so new ideas are always welcome. Computer simulations suggest that the giant planets formed together in a narrow region of our Solar System, and ended up in their present orbits after chaotic interactions. Another computer simulation proposes that the birth of one giant planet in the disk around a young star could trigger the formation of others.
Aversive learning-induced plasticity throughout the adult mammalian olfactory system: insights across development

Experiences, such as sensory learning, are known to induce plasticity in mammalian sensory systems. In recent years aversive olfactory learning-induced plasticity has been identified at all stages of the adult olfactory pathway; however, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be identified. Much of the work regarding mechanisms of olfactory associative learning comes from neonates, a time point before which the brain or olfactory system is fully developed. In addition, pups and adults often express different behavioral outcomes when subjected to the same olfactory aversive conditioning paradigm, making it difficult to directly attribute pup mechanisms of plasticity to adults. Despite the differences, there is evidence of similarities between pups and adults in terms of learning-induced changes in the olfactory system, suggesting at least some conserved mechanisms. Identifying these conserved mechanisms of plasticity would dramatically increase our understanding of how the brain is able to alter encoding and consolidation of salient olfactory information even at the earliest stages following aversive learning. The focus of this review is to systematically examine literature regarding olfactory associative learning across developmental stages and search for similarities in order to build testable hypotheses that will inform future studies of aversive learning-induced sensory plasticity in adults.
Gastric squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenosquamous carcinoma, clinical features and outcomes of rare clinical entities: a National Cancer Database (NCDB) analysis

Background: Gastric squamous cell carcinoma (GSCC) and gastric adenosquamous carcinoma (GASC) comprise less than 2% of gastric cancers. The current knowledge about clinical presentation, treatment modalities and outcomes of GSCC and GASC is limited. The aim of this study is to characterize the clinicopathological features, treatment modalities, and outcomes of GSCC and GASC in comparison to gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) in National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods: Patients with GSCC, GASC and GAC between 2004 and 2013 were identified using ICD-O-3 histology and topography codes 8070/3, 8560/3, 8140/3 and C16.0-9. Univariate, and multivariate analysis were performed, and Kaplan-Meier curves was used to compare survival based on histological subtype. Results: A total of 61,215 patients were identified, 836 (1.4%) GSCC, 327 (0.5%) GASC, 60,052 (98.1%) GAC between 2004 and 2013, in which 77.4% was Caucasian and 68.7% was male, 46.6% of tumors were in gastric cardia and 13.7% in gastric antrum. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 11.2%, 14.1%, 8.9% vs. 2.9%, 11.9%, 9.5% for GSCC, GASC, GAC. Surgery was performed in 26.0%, 54.4%, 45.2% of GSCC, GASC, GAC. Radiotherapy was administered in 48.1%, 37.6%, 31.6% of GSCC, GASC, GAC. Median overall survival was 8.9, 9.9 and 13.2 months for GSCC, GASC, GAC. On multivariate analysis squamous cell (HR =1.14; 95% CI, 1.06–1.24, P=0.001) and adenosquamous cell histology (HR =1.52; 95% CI, 1.35–1.73, P<0.001) was associated with worse survival compared to adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: GSCC and GASC have poorer survival outcomes compared to GAC. Less patients with GSCC received surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, more patients with GSCC received radiation therapy.
Oxidative phenol-arene and phenol-phenol cross-coupling using periodic acid

Abstract A simple, metal-free protocol for unsymmetrical biaryl coupling using H5IO6 is reported. H5IO6 was evaluated for a novel application in the oxidative cross-coupling of phenol-arene, phenol-phenol, and phenol-naphthol compounds. In this work, most of the couplings were completed within 30 min at ambient temperature. 30 coupling products were conveniently obtained using only 0.5 equivalent of H5IO6 in HFIP. A mechanism by which the transformation occurs is proposed.
POSE.3C: Prediction-Based Opportunistic Sensing Using Distributed Classification, Clustering, and Control in Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

This paper presents a distributed algorithm, called prediction-based opportunistic sensing using distributed classification, clustering, and control (POSE.3C), for self adaptation of sensor networks for energy management. The underlying 3C network autonomy concept enables utilization of the target classification information to form dynamic clusters around the predicted target position via selection of sensor nodes with the highest energies and maximum geometric diversity. Furthermore, the nodes can probabilistically control their heterogeneous devices to track targets of interest and minimize energy consumption in a completely distributed manner. Theoretical properties of the POSE.3C network are established and derived in terms of the network lifetime and missed detection characteristics. The algorithm is validated through extensive simulations that demonstrate a significant increase in the network lifetime as compared to other network control approaches, while providing high tracking accuracy and low missed detection rates.
A Novel DC Link Energy Shaping Process for Minimizing the Transient Frequency Variations in Microgrids

The transient energy margin of large-scale power-electronic-interfaced microgrid is very limited. Typically, this margin is stored in the rotor of synchronous generators which acts as a low pass filter for power system disturbances. In microgrid, the transient frequency ride through (TFRT) capability becomes very limited or marginal. Thus, the system stability is induced under small disturbance conditions, which results in large frequency deviation upon any load change or source on/off switching. This paper proposes a novel method to suppress the frequency variation by controlling the energy stored in multiple dc link capacitors based on the instantaneous energy mismatch between the supply and the demand. The Energy Shaping Process (ESP) proposed here aims to control the magnitude and the insertion time of the released energy from multiple coordinated dc links such that the frequency nadir and the rate of change of frequency (RoCoF) are both minimized. The ESP considers the sign of the energy mismatch, the sign of the frequency variation, and the sign of frequency variation’s derivative. ESP provides flexible virtual inertia. The results show that ESP is very efficient in suppressing the energy mismatch, as well as, the frequency variation during transient events, which leads to stable and reliable microgrid operation.
Changes in the Volatile Composition of Fresh Pork Sausage with Natural Antioxidants During Long-Term Frozen Storage

Pre-rigor meat was formulated into fresh pork sausages with a combination of synthetic antioxidants (butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and propyl gallate) or the same synthetic antioxidants in combination with rosemary (R, 1500, 2000, 2500 mg/kg) and green tea (G, 100, 200, 300 mg/kg). Sausages were stored frozen (-20°C) for 15, 90, or 180 d followed by refrigerated storage (3 ± 1°C). The volatile compounds from these sausages were identified using solid phase microextraction (SPME), gas chromatography coupled with a mass selective detector (GC-MSD), and OSME-gas chromatography-olfactometry (GCO-OSME). Fifty-five aroma compounds were identified from the headspace of pork sausage where spice-derived volatiles such as terpenes (α-pinene, α-thujene) and terpenoids (isopulegol, 1,8-cineole) were the most abundant compounds in the headspace of the fresh product (0 d). Aldehydes (heptanal, 2-heptenal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal) and alcohols (1-octen-3-ol, 1-penten-3-ol) characteristic of lipid degradation and microbial metabolites (methanethiol, 3-methylbutanoic acid, acetoin) were associated with more intense odorants as the product neared the end of shelf life at 14 d of refrigerated storage. Incorporation of R resulted in lower levels of hexanal (cut grass) and 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom) across all frozen storage periods. After 180 d of frozen storage, higher levels of G contained lower concentrations of ethanol (alcoholic), 3-methylbutanoic acid (sweaty), and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn). As R and G concentration increased in the sausage, there were greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of terpenes and less (P < 0.05) acetic acid throughout refrigerated storage. Incorporation of R resulted in less (P < 0.05) 2,4-decadienal (oxidized ginger-nutmeg), and methanethiol (sulfur) following 90 d of freezing. After 180 d frozen storage, higher levels of G led to less (P < 0.05) 3-methyl-1-butanol and methyl isovalerate (spoiled fruit). Enhanced protection by natural plant extract combinations was observed, especially beyond 90 d of frozen storage where oxidation associated aroma-impact volatiles were reduced in sausages with higher rosemary and/or green tea extract concentrations.
Linking local sustainability policies to health outcomes: An analysis of the urban sustainability-health nexus

Sustainable cities are assumed to be healthier, but the relationship between sustainability policies and health outcomes is conspicuously overlooked in the empirical literature. We investigate this...
Does Scheduling a Postdischarge Visit with a Primary Care Physician Increase Rates of Follow-up and Decrease Readmissions?

BACKGROUND Driven in part by Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, hospitals are focusing on improving the transition from inpatient to outpatient care with particular emphasis on early follow-up with a primary care physician (PCP). OBJECTIVE To assess whether the implementation of a scheduling assistance program changes rates of PCP follow-up or readmissions. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING An urban tertiary care center PATIENTS: A total of 20,918 adult patients hospitalized and discharged home between September 2008 and October 2015. INTERVENTION A postdischarge appointment service to facilitate early PCP follow-up. MAIN MEASURES Primary outcomes were rates of follow-up visits with a PCP within seven days of discharge and hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. Our first analysis assessed differences in outcomes among patients with and without the use of the service. In a second analysis, we exploited the fact that the service was not available on weekends and conducted an instrumental variable analysis that used the interaction between the intervention and day of the week of admission. RESULTS In our multivariable analysis, use of the appointment service was associated with much higher rates of PCP follow-up (+31.9 percentage points, 95% CI: 30.2, 33.6; P < .01) and a decrease in readmission (-3.8 percentage points, 95% CI: -5.2, -2.4; P < .01). In the instrumental variable analysis, use of the service also increased the likelihood of a PCP follow-up visit (33.4 percentage points, 95% CI: 7.9, 58.9; P = .01) but had no significant impact on readmissions (-2.5 percentage points, 95% CI: -22.0, 17.0; P = .80). CONCLUSIONS The postdischarge appointment service resulted in a substantial increase in timely PCP followup, but its impact on the readmission rate was less clear.
Training partner selection and quality assurance in restorative justice for the criminal justice setting

Restorative justice (RJ) conferences may be used as an alternative to or in conjunction with conventional criminal justice system responses. They may yield benefits for victims, offenders, and effe...
The Chemistry of Quantum Spin Liquids

Quantum spin liquids are an exciting playground for exotic physical phenomena and emergent many-body quantum states. The realization and discovery of quantum spin liquid candidate materials and associated phenomena lie at the intersection of solid-state chemistry, condensed matter physics and materials science and engineering. In this review, we provide the current status of the crystal chemistry, synthetic techniques, physical properties, and research methods in the field of quantum spin liquids. We also highlight a number of specific quantum spin liquid candidate materials and their structure-property relationships, elucidating their fascinating behavior and connecting it to the intricacies of their structures. Furthermore, we share our thoughts on defects and their inevitable presence in materials, of which quantum spin liquids are no exception, which can complicate the interpretation of characterization of these materials, and urge the community to extend their attention to materials preparation and data analysis, cognizant of the impact of defects. This review was written with the intention of providing guidance on improving the materials design and growth of quantum spin liquids, and painting a picture of the beauty of the underlying chemistry of this exciting class of materials.
A Large-scale Bi-objective Optimization of Solid Rocket Motors Using Innovization

Many design optimization problems from practice involve a large number of variables. In handling such problems, optimization algorithms, in general, suffer from the well-known ”curse of dimensionality” issue. One of the ways to alleviate the issue somewhat is to use problem information to update the optimization algorithm so that more meaningful solutions are evolved quickly. In this paper, we consider a solid rocket motor design problem involving hundreds of integer variables and two conflicting objectives – minimize the error in matching developed thrust with a desired time-dependent thrust profile and simultaneously minimize the unburnt residue of propellant at the end of the burning process. The evaluation of both objectives involve a detailed burn simulation from the core to the shell of the rocket. After finding a set of trade-off solutions using an evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithm, we use two learning-based optimization methods (akin to the concept of innovization) to find similar set of solutions using a fraction of the overall solution evaluations. The proposed methods are applied to seven different thrust profiles. Besides solving the large-scale problem quicker, a by-product of our approach is that learnt innovized principles stay as new and innovative knowledge for solving the solid rocket design problem, a matter which is extremely useful to the practitioners.
Novel Therapeutic Approach for Excitatory/Inhibitory Imbalance in Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance, defined as the balance between excitation and inhibition of synaptic activity in a neuronal network, accounts in part for the normal functioning of the brain, c...
Designing Ranking Systems for Hotels on Travel Search Engines by Mining User-Generated and Crowdsourced Content

User-generated content on social media platforms and product search engines is changing the way consumers shop for goods online. However, current product search engines fail to effectively leverage information created across diverse social media platforms. Moreover, current ranking algorithms in these product search engines tend to induce consumers to focus on one single product characteristic dimension (e.g., price, star rating). This approach largely ignores consumers' multidimensional preferences for products. In this paper, we propose to generate a ranking system that recommends products that provide, on average, the best value for the consumer's money. The key idea is that products that provide a higher surplus should be ranked higher on the screen in response to consumer queries. We use a unique data set of U.S. hotel reservations made over a three-month period through Travelocity, which we supplement with data from various social media sources using techniques from text mining, image classification, social geotagging, human annotations, and geomapping. We propose a random coefficient hybrid structural model, taking into consideration the two sources of consumer heterogeneity the different travel occasions and different hotel characteristics introduce. Based on the estimates from the model, we infer the economic impact of various location and service characteristics of hotels. We then propose a new hotel ranking system based on the average utility gain a consumer receives from staying in a particular hotel. By doing so, we can provide customers with the “best-value” hotels early on. Our user studies, using ranking comparisons from several thousand users, validate the superiority of our ranking system relative to existing systems on several travel search engines. On a broader note, this paper illustrates how social media can be mined and incorporated into a demand estimation model in order to generate a new ranking system in product search engines. We thus highlight the tight linkages between user behavior on social media and search engines. Our interdisciplinary approach provides several insights for using machine learning techniques in economics and marketing research.
Features of a rare peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumour arising from the thoracic spine in a juvenile canine patient

Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumours are rare tumours in juveniles. The current patient was a paraplegic 8-month-old Scottish deerhound with a suspected pulmonary mass. Radiographically, there was a large extrapleural mass within the mid-left hemithorax. On MRI, the mass was mainly hyperintense on T2-weighted images, isointense on T1-weighted images and was heterogeneously strongly contrast enhancing with a multilobulated appearance, spinal cord compression, paraspinal musculature invasion and intrathoracic extension. Those changes were confirmed on post-mortem, and the mass diagnosed based on immunohistochemistry.
Use of angioembolization in pediatric polytrauma patients: WITH BLUNT SPLENIC INJURYAngioembolization in Pediatric Blunt Splenic Injury.

Abstract Background/Purpose We sought to analyze the use of angioembolization (AE) after pediatric splenic injuries at adult and pediatric trauma centers (ATCs/PTCs). Methods The National Trauma Data Bank (2010–2015) was queried for patients ( Results 14,027 encounters met inclusion criteria. 514 (3.7%) patients underwent AE. When compared to PTCs, patients were older, had a higher ISS, and more often presented in shock at ATCs (p Conclusions AE was associated with improved splenic salvage at ATCs in select patients but appeared overutilized when compared to outcomes at PTCs. PTCs accomplished a higher splenic salvage rate with a lower AE utilization. Level of evidence III – Retrospective cohort study.
Characterizing subtypes and neural correlates of receptive aprosodia in acute right hemisphere stroke

Abstract Introduction Speakers naturally produce prosodic variations depending on their emotional state. Receptive prosody has several processing stages. We aimed to conduct lesion-symptom mapping to determine whether damage (core infarct or hypoperfusion) to specific brain areas was associated with receptive aprosodia or with impairment at different processing stages in individuals with acute right hemisphere stroke. We also aimed to determine whether different subtypes of receptive aprosodia exist that are characterized by distinctive behavioral performance patterns. Methods Twenty patients with receptive aprosodia following right hemisphere ischemic stroke were enrolled within five days of stroke; clinical imaging was acquired. Participants completed tests of receptive emotional prosody, and tests of each stage of prosodic processing (Stage 1: acoustic analysis; Stage 2: analyzing abstract representations of acoustic characteristics that convey emotion; Stage 3: semantic processing). Emotional facial recognition was also assessed. LASSO regression was used to identify predictors of performance on each behavioral task. Predictors entered into each model included 14 right hemisphere regions, hypoperfusion in four vascular territories as measured using FLAIR hyperintense vessel ratings, lesion volume, age, and education. A k-medoid cluster analysis was used to identify different subtypes of receptive aprosodia based on performance on the behavioral tasks. Results Impaired receptive emotional prosody and impaired emotional facial expression recognition were both predicted by greater percent damage to the caudate. The k-medoid cluster analysis identified three different subtypes of aprosodia. One group was primarily impaired on Stage 1 processing and primarily had frontotemporal lesions. The second group had a domain-general emotion recognition impairment and maximal lesion overlap in subcortical areas. Finally, the third group was characterized by a Stage 2 processing deficit and had lesion overlap in posterior regions. Conclusions Subcortical structures, particularly the caudate, play an important role in emotional prosody comprehension. Receptive aprosodia can result from impairments at different processing stages.
Brief Overview of Immunosuppressive Regimens in Animal Models for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation

The development of vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) and its clinical need has led to the need for more animal models to study and perform the research required to further this specialty in terms of functional recovery and immunomodulatory improvements. Most of the research currently being done in the VCA is to improve the safety profile of such procedures, in particular with the need to improve immunosuppressive regimens. Much of the animal models are reported in individual series in the literature but there has not been a review as such of these models. Here we present a compilation of the animal models reported in the literature thus far in VCA. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed for any studies which involved the use of animal models in various aspects of VCA research. The models were organized according to the type of VCA transplant, whether they were orthotopic or heterotopic, immunosuppressive regimen each study used and investigation purpose. Twenty-two facial transplant models were reported, 3 abdominal wall transplants, 4 penile transplantations, 21 uterus transplantations, 13 hindlimb transplantations and 4 myocutaneous flap transplantation animal models were reported. Primates, swine, rats, mice, rabbits, sheep and dog animal models in VCA were also reported. The most used immunosuppressive drugs are calcineurin inhibitor such as cyclosporin A and tacrolimus in these VCA animal models. They can significantly suppress lymphocyte function by blocking the phosphatase activity of calcineurin of lymphocytes. They are sometimes used combined with mycophenolate mofetil or steroids or antilymphocyte serum. The review of existing animal models will allow further research to be focused in other areas of VCA where there is a current paucity of literature. The immunosuppressive regimens used in each animal model can also be reviewed to determine which regimen works in which type of animal model which will save time and resources for future research.
Random Selection Might Just be Indomitable

Mutation Testing offers a powerful approach to assessing unit test set quality; however, software developers may be reluctant to embrace the technique due to the tremendous number of mutants it generates, including redundant and equivalent mutants. Recent research indicates that redundant mutants affect a test engineer’s work effort only slightly, whereas equivalent mutants have a direct linear impact. Moreover, the time invested analyzing equivalent mutants produces no unit tests. Dominator mutants seek to address the redundancy problem, but they require the identification of all subsumption relationships, which implicitly identifies all equivalent mutants. This research study shows that, when equally informed, random selection can perform as well as dominator mutants.
Therapeutic Strategies for Mutant SPAST-Based Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

Mutations of the SPAST gene that encodes the microtubule-severing enzyme called spastin are the chief cause of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. Growing evidence indicates that pathogenic mutations functionally compromise the spastin protein and endow it with toxic gain-of-function properties. With each of these two factors potentially relevant to disease etiology, the present article discusses possible therapeutic strategies that may ameliorate symptoms in patients suffering from SPAST-based Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, which is usually termed SPG4-HSP.
Corporate Responsibility in a COVID-19 World

Is it the responsibility of companies to create value for shareholders alone or for all stakeholders? Can corporations behave responsibly in the Covid-19 era? If so, what does that look like? First, companies must take care of their own, viewing employees as assets, not liabilities. The reputations of those that have not taken this approach are suffering considerable damage. Next, companies must turn their attention to how core customers are affected by the pandemic and find ways to acknowledge this impact without exploiting the tragedy. They should also consider going above and beyond, finding more direct financial means by which to support their customers, from extending loyalty programs to relaxing terms of payment. Finally, companies must support their broader communities as much as possible. If they want to be remembered after this crisis for their responsible actions, companies and other large institutions, like hospitals and universities, will not be well served by a short-term financial focus. If ever there was a time to concentrate on the long-term and to think about the opportunity that comes from a crisis, that time is now.
The phenotypic landscape of essential human genes

Understanding the basis for cellular growth, proliferation, and function requires determining the contributions of essential genes to diverse cellular processes. Here, we combined pooled CRISPR/Cas9-based functional screening of 5,072 fitness-conferring genes in human cells with microscopy-based visualization of DNA, DNA damage, actin, and microtubules. Analysis of >31 million individual cells revealed measurable phenotypes for >90% of genes. Using multi-dimensional clustering based on hundreds of quantitative phenotypic parameters, we identified co-functional genes across diverse cellular activities, revealing novel gene functions and associations. Pooled live-cell screening of [~]450,000 cell division events for 239 genes further identified functional contributions to chromosome segregation. Our work creates a resource for the phenotypic analysis of core cellular processes and defines the functional landscape of essential human genes.
Influence of areas 17, 18, and 19 on receptive-field properties of neurons in the cat's posteromedial lateral suprasylvian visual cortex.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the influence of areas 17, 18, and 19 on receptive-field properties of neurons in the cat's posteromedial lateral suprasylvian visual cortex. Besides extrastriate areas 18 and 19, ten extrastriate visual cortical areas are identified on the basis of pathway tracing and electrophysiological mapping studies. The posteromedial lateral suprasylvian (PMLS) visual area is the large and best studied of these extrastriate visual cortical areas. One of the features of PMLS cortex that makes it extremely useful for understanding how visual information is integrated in the brain is that it is the target of several parallel visual pathways. A second pathway to PMLS cortex arises from the superior colliculus and passes through the thalamus to PMLS cortex. The thalamic nuclei involved in this pathway are the lateral posterior nucleus (LP), the posterior nucleus of Rioch (PN), and the C layers of the dorsal lateral geniculate body (dLGB). Temporal frequency sensitivity of responses to the optimal spatial frequency also has been tested for many PMLS cells.
The Rhizobium nodulation gene nodO encodes a Ca2(+)-binding protein that is exported without N-terminal cleavage and is homologous to haemolysin and related proteins.

Abstract Nodulation and host-specific recognition of legumes such as peas and Vicia spp. are encoded by the nodulation (nod) genes of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae. One of these genes, nodO, has been shown to encode an exported protein that contains a multiple tandem repeat of a nine amino acid domain. This domain was found to be homologous to repeated sequences in a group of bacterial exported proteins that includes haemolysin, cyclolysin, leukotoxin and two proteases. These proteins are secreted by a mechanism that does not involve an N-terminal signal peptide. The NodO protein is present in the growth medium of Rhizobium bacteria induced for nod gene expression, and partial protein sequencing of the purified protein showed that there is no N-terminal cleavage of the exported protein. It has been suggested that the internally repeated domain of haemolysin may be involved in Ca2(+)-mediated binding to erythrocytes and we show that the NodO protein can bind 45Ca2+. It is proposed that the NodO protein may interact directly with plant root cells in a Ca2(+)-dependent way, thereby mediating an early stage in the recognition that occurs between Rhizobium and its host legume.
Atrial electrical remodeling by rapid pacing in the isolated rabbit heart: effects of Ca++ and K+ channel blockade.

Introduction: Electrical remodeling describes atrial electrophysiologic changes that occur following atrial fibrillation. The mechanism(s) responsible for this phenomenon is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of rapid atrial pacing on atrial action potential duration, conduction time and refractoriness in the isolated rabbit heart. The effects of Ca++ and K+ blockade in this model were also studied.
Three types of higher-order MoM basis functions automatically satisfying current continuity conditions

This paper presents our investigations aimed at improving the orthogonality properties of polynomial higher-order hierarchical basis functions leading to better conditioned MoM matrices and more stable solutions, in both volume integral equation (VIE) modeling and surface integral equation (SIE) modeling. Three different types of polynomial basis functions are implemented in the large-domain Galerkin SIE method, enabling cross-validation of the results and comparison of numerical properties of the three sets of basis functions. We show that by combining the simple 2D power functions of parametric coordinates in accordance to ultraspherical and Chebyshev polynomials, and modifying them so that the current-continuity condition across the quadrilateral edges is automatically satisfied, higher-order polynomial MoM basis functions are obtained that have much better orthogonality properties.