cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Being conscious of Marc Bekoff: Thinking of animal self-consciousness

The preceding article by Marc Bekoff reveals much about our current understanding of animal self-consciousness and its implications. It also reveals how much more there is to be said and considered. This response briefly examines animal self-consciousness from scientific, moral, and theological perspectives. As Bekoff emphasizes, self-consciousness is not one thing but many. Consequently, our moral relationship to animals is not simply one based on a graded hierarchy of abilities. Furthermore, the complexity of animal self-awareness can serve as stimulus for thinking about issues of theodicy and soteriology in a broader sense.
Changes in Optical Blood Flow and Oxygenation of Head and Neck Tumors during Chemo-Radiation Therapy

rBF, SO2 and THC in superficial neck tumor nodes of 7 patients were measured during chemo-radiation therapy period. Results suggest daily based therapy monitoring and optical methods have potential advantages for therapeutics.
Sensitive in vivo imaging of T cells using a membrane-bound Gaussia princeps luciferase

We developed a new approach to bioluminescent T cell imaging using a membrane-anchored form of the Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) enzyme, termed extGLuc, which we could stably express in both mouse and human primary T cells. In vitro, extGLuc+ cells emitted significantly higher bioluminescent signal when compared to cells expressing GLuc, Renilla luciferase (RLuc) or membrane-anchored RLuc (extRLuc). In vivo, mouse extGLuc+ T cells showed higher bioluminescent signal when compared to GLuc+ and RLuc+ T cells. Application of this imaging approach to human T cells genetically modified to express tumor-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) enabled us to show in vivo CAR-mediated T cell accumulation in tumor, T cell persistence over time and concomitant imaging of T cells and tumor cells modified to express firefly luciferase. This sensitive imaging technology has application to many in vivo cell-based studies in a wide array of mouse models.
Aggregation and fishery dynamics: Multiple time scales, times to extinction, and random environments☆

Abstract This paper is a mathematical study of the models introduced by C.W. Clark and M. Mangel to describe the tropical tuna purse seine fishery. By casting the equations into dimensionless form, it is easy to study the bifurcations of the system models and to study the dynamical behavior of the models. The dynamics are analyzed by using singular perturbation theory. A number of stochastic problems related to the dynamics of the models are formulated and solutions are obtained by using the diffusion approximation and asymptotic analysis. Finally, the question of model identification is addressed, and two methods for model identification are sketched.
Adhesive Force Characterization for MEM Logic Relays With Sub-Micron Contacting Regions

Contact adhesive force (Fa) scaling is critical for relay miniaturization, since the actuation area and/or actuation voltage must be sufficiently large to overcome the spring restoring force (Fk) in order to turn on the relay and Fk must be larger than Fa in order to turn off the relay. In this work, contact adhesive force is investigated in MEM logic relays with contact dimple regions as small as 100 nm in lateral dimension. The results indicate that van der Waals force is predominant. An adhesive force of 0.02 nN/nm2 is extracted for tungsten-to-tungsten contact. Fa reduction should be possible with contact dimple size reduction and contact surface coating.
Isolated abnormalities in high precordial leads, an infrequent sign of myocardial infarction

Abstract The electrocardiograms of 286 autopsied patients with Q waves in Leads I or aVL who had high precordial leads taken were reviewed. Twenty patients displayed QRS changes of infarction in the high precordial leads, without demonstrating any diagnostic QRS changes in the standard precordial leads. In only two instances was the electrocardiographic diagnosis supported at autopsy. It is suggested by this study that myocardial infarction is the exceptional cause for the electrocardiographic abnormalities seen only in the high precordial leads.
Biochemical and immunologic mechanisms in atopic dermatitis: New targets for emerging therapies

The immunologic and pharmacophysiologic features of atopic dermatitis have stimulated research seeking to identify relevant effector cells and mediators that characterize chronic skin inflammation. The theory that unifies the various abnormalities associated with atopic dermatitis suggests that hematopoietic cells carrying abnormal genetic expressions of atopy cause clinical disease once they infiltrate the skin and mucosa. The proposed underlying mechanism may be either abnormalities in cyclic nucleotide regulation of marrow-derived cells or allergenic overstimulation that causes secondary abnormalities. The primacy of one mechanism over the other remains unresolved, but this does not obviate their value in identifying two novel therapeutic targets: phosphodiesterase inhibition and immune-intervention alternatives to corticosteroids. New type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitors are proving promising in topical formulations, as are inhibitors of calcineurin, such as FK506 and SDZ ASM 981, an ascomycin macrolactam derivative that in early clinical research appears to offer the potency of a corticosteroid without its adverse side effects. The promising clinical trial profiles of these new topical agents may result in alternative therapies providing potent anti-inflammatory activity without the adverse effects that limit corticosteroid use.
A convexity property for the SO(2,ℂ)-double coset decomposition of SL(2,ℂ) and applications to spherical functions

We make a fine study of the SO(2,ℂ)-double coset decomposition in SL(2,ℂ) and give a full description of the intersection of the various cells with the complex crown Ξ of SL(2,ℝ)/SO(2). A non-linear convexity theorem is proved and applications to analytically continued spherical functions are given.
Si/Pd ohmic contact to n-GaP based on the solid phase regrowth principle

A Si/Pd ohmic scheme (contact resistivity ~2 × 10-4 Ω-cm2 ) annealed between 400 and 650°C has been developed for n-GaP (n~5 × 1017 cm3). The ohmic contact formation mechanism can be rationalised in terms of the solid phase regrowth (SPR) principle and the solid phase epitaxy of Si on n-GaP.
Simple approach to laser frequency stabilization

We describe a simple approach to laser frequency stabilization for the metrology subsystem for NASA's StarLight mission, a space-based separated-spacecraft stellar interferometer. The current design of the laser frequency stabilization is based on monitoring the transmitted light through a reference cavity. Currently our free-running lasers do not meet the frequency stability requirements of the mission (100 Hz/root(Hz) between 1 and 1000 Hz) because of the up to 600 m length difference in the two arms of the interferometer. We need additional three orders of magnitude reduction of the frequency noise power spectral density in that frequency regime to meet the 11 nm accuracy requirement for the metrology system. Because we need only a modest improvement in the frequency stability, we plan to use a simple transmit/reflect architecture in which the laser frequency is locked to one side of the cavity resonance peak. The frequency stabilization system measures the transmitted light portion of a Fabry-Perot cavity and compares it to a stable reference voltage to generate the feedback signal. This signal is controlling the laser frequency using the NPRO laser PZT and crystal temperature actuators, therefore keeping the transmitted light level on the photo detector constant. This is equivalent to keeping the laser frequency stable. Because this system measures the transmitted light level it is sensitive to laser power fluctuations. One remedy to this problem is to monitor the reflected light from the cavity as well and use the ratio transmitted/reflected as the sensor signal. The residual frequency noise in our system was measured with respect to a stabilized laser light that was frequency stabilized using Pound-Drever-Hall stabilization.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diagnosis and Outpatient Management of Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure causes substantial patient morbidity and mortality in the United States. Symptoms and physical findings can be helpful in diagnosis but have limited sensitivity and specificity. Objective measurement of ventricular function is essential in virtually all patients in whom a diagnosis of heart failure is suspected. Reversible causes of heart failure must be sought. Outpatient management includes education and counseling, emphasis on and assessment of compliance with diet, and pharmacologic treatment. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are the mainstay of treatment but are underused, and maximal doses are not given apparently because of concern about side effects. Diuretic therapy should be administered only as needed to manage fluid overload. Calcium channel blockers are relatively contraindicated in patients with impaired ventricular function. Patient follow-up should be guided by the results of the medical history and physical examination. Routine serial testing of ventricular function and exercise performance is discouraged.
Replacement of the Collateral Ligaments of the Canine Tarsocrural Joint: A Proposed Technique

A technique for replacement of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments of the tarsocrural joint in dogs was developed based on studies of normal anatomy and function. The medial or lateral tarsocrural joint was made unstable by removal of the respective malleolus, ligaments, and joint capsule; the component parts of the collateral ligaments were replaced using suture material to function as ligament prostheses. The technique was found to be effective in maintaining near normal joint motion and adequate joint stability in cadavers immediately following surgery, and in dogs observed for up to 39 months postoperatively. No degenerative joint disease was noted upon gross or radiographic examination.
COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS TO CFD MODELS FOR BLENDING IN A TANK USING DUAL OPPOSING JETS

Research has been completed in a pilot scale, eight foot diameter tank to investigate blending, using a pump with dual opposing jets. The jets re-circulate fluids in the tank to promote blending when fluids are added to the tank. Different jet diameters and different horizontal and vertical orientations of the jets were investigated. In all, eighty five tests were performed both in a tank without internal obstructions and a tank with vertical obstructions similar to a tube bank in a heat exchanger. These obstructions provided scale models of several miles of two inch diameter, serpentine, vertical cooling coils below the liquid surface for a full scale, 1.3 million gallon, liquid radioactive waste storage tank. Two types of tests were performed. One type of test used a tracer fluid, which was homogeneously blended into solution. Data were statistically evaluated to determine blending times for solutions of different density and viscosity, and the blending times were successfully compared to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The other type of test blended solutions of different viscosity. For example, in one test a half tank of water was added to a half tank of a more viscous, concentrated salt solution. In this case, the fluid mechanics of the blending process was noted to significantly change due to stratification of fluids. CFD models for stratification were not investigated. This paper is the fourth in a series of papers resulting from this research (Leishear, et.al. [1- 4]), and this paper documents final test results, statistical analysis of the data, a comparison of experimental results to CFD models, and scale-up of the results to a full scale tank.
What is central sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea (CSA) describes a group of conditions in which cessations in air flow occur without respiratory effort. In contrast, obstructive sleep apnea patients have ongoing respiratory effort during respiratory events. However, considerable overlap exists in the pathogenesis and clinical presentation of obstructive sleep apnea and CSA. A good working knowledge of the mechanisms underlying CSA is important for optimal clinical care. In general, CSA can be classified into those with excessive drive (eg, Cheyne-Stokes breathing) versus those with inadequate drive (eg, sleep hypoventilation syndrome). One critical factor contributing to the cessation of air flow during sleep is the concept of the apnea threshold, such that a PaCO2 value below a certain level will lead to cessations in breathing. PaCO2 can fall below the chemical apnea threshold when drive is excessive (eg, robust chemosensitivity) or when hyperventilation is occurring (eg, following arousal). Another important factor is the loss of the so-called wakefulness drive to breathe, such that some rise in PaCO2 is likely to occur at the onset of sleep. A variety of factors contribute to this rise, including upper-airway collapse and diminished chemosensitivity (particularly during rapid-eye-movement sleep). In patients with low central drive, this further loss of drive at sleep onset can lead to marked hypercapnia in some cases. The treatment of CSA is also reviewed in some detail, including a role for positive airway pressure (eg, bi-level positive airway pressure in hypoventilation patients) and optimization of medical therapy (eg, in Cheyne-Stokes breathing). A paucity of research exists in this area, emphasizing the opportunities for young investigators who are interested in this field.
Reports of geomagnetic and electric work of organizations and individual investigators in the United States, 1930-31

Reports from about twenty individuals and organizations engaged in some phase of geomagnetic or geoelectric investigations have been received in response to the request of the Secretary of the Section. These interesting reports are given in full following these few notes which indicate the general scope of the investigations reported. Magnetic surveys and observatories—The Carnegie Institution of Washington and the Coast and Geodetic Survey have reported separately on their activities in these fields as they are the principal organizations in the United States compiling data for determining secular variation or obtaining registrations of daily changes in the magnetic and electric elements. Some magnetic observations are obtained by the Hydrographic Office in connection with local surveys, and plans for the investigation of the anomaly in the Gulf of Panama are reported. A magnetograph is operated at Mount Wilson for the study of correlations of magnetic and solar activity. In Canada, the Dominion Observatory reports 47 repeat-stations reoccupied during 1930 as a part of a comprehensive scheme to reoccupy about 200 stations distributed over the entire country. The Topographical Survey of Canada also reports activity especially in the determination of declination, having made 28,000 precise determinations since the beginning of the work in 1880. Many of the stations are marked as “Repeat-stations.” Both organizations maintain standard corrections to their instruments by comparison with the standards at the Observatory of the Meteorological Service at Agincourt, and, in addition, a complete intercomparison of the instruments of the Dominion Observatory was made in March 1931 at Washington with the standards of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Flame synthesis of zinc oxide nanowires

Single-crystalline ZnO nanowires are grown directly on zinc-plated-steel substrates at high rates (microns/minute) using a flame-synthesis method, with no catalysts. The growth of the nanostructures is very sensitive to local gas-phase chemical species concentrations (O2 ,H 2 ,C O 2 ,H 2O) and temperature (800–1500 K) as measured by laser-based spontaneous Raman spectroscopy. Larger-diameter (>100 nm) hexagonal-cross-section nanowires, with [0 0 0 1] growth direction, are produced at higher temperatures; while smallerdiameter (25–40 nm) nanowires, with ½ 11 20 � growth direction, are produced at lower temperatures, and only on the fuel side of the reaction zone (with no oxygen present). Nanoribbons and other nanowire-based morphologies are also found and discussed. � 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Outsourcing via Service Competition

We consider a single buyer who wishes to outsource a fixed demand for a manufactured good or service at a fixed price to a set of potential suppliers. We examine the value of competition as a mechanism for the buyer to elicit service quality from the suppliers. We compare two approaches the buyer could use to orchestrate this competition: (1) a supplier-allocation (SA) approach, which allocates a proportion of demand to each supplier with the proportion allocated to a supplier increasing in the quality of service the supplier promises to offer, and (2) a supplier-selection (SS) approach, which allocates all demand to one supplier with the probability that a particular supplier is selected increasing in the quality of service to which the supplier commits. In both cases, suppliers incur a cost whenever they receive a positive portion of demand, with this cost increasing in the quality of service they offer and the demand they receive. The analysis reveals that (a) a buyer could indeed orchestrate a competition among potential suppliers to promote service quality, (b) under identical allocation functions, the existence of a demand-independent service cost gives a distinct advantage to SS-type competitions, in terms of higher service quality for the buyer and higher expected profit for the supplier, (c) the relative advantage of SS versus SA depends on the magnitude of demand-independent versus demand-dependent service costs, (d) in the presence of a demand-independent service cost, a buyer should limit the number of competing suppliers under SA competition but impose no such limits under SS competition, and (e) a buyer can induce suppliers to provide higher service levels by selecting an appropriate allocation function. We illustrate the impact of these results through three example applications.
A development methodology for adding map-based graphics to the theater war exercise

The Theater War Exercise (TWX) is a computer-assisted, theater level airpower employment exercise conducted by the Air Force Wargaming Center. Its primary purpose is to give senior level military officers a feel for the intricacies of high level decision-making in a combined air/land conventional warfare situation. Until recently, output from TWX consisted of a large number of tabular hard-copy reports which were difficult to understand and cumbersome to use. This paper discusses the development of a map-based graphical interface to TWX which provides a much more user-friendly interface to the information and provides a baseline for the development of new techniques for user interaction with the exercise. The methodology and toolset developed for this project are of particular interest because of their applicability to a wide variety of other wargaming and simulation systems.
A genetic link between Tbx1 and fibroblast growth factor signaling

Tbx1 haploinsufficiency causes aortic arch abnormalities in mice because of early growth and remodeling defects of the fourth pharyngeal arch arteries. The function of Tbx1 in the development of these arteries is probably cell non-autonomous, as the gene is not expressed in structural components of the artery but in the surrounding pharyngeal endoderm. We hypothesized that Tbx1 may trigger signals from the pharyngeal endoderm directed to the underlying mesenchyme. We show that the expression patterns of Fgf8 and Fgf10 , which partially overlap with Tbx1 expression pattern, are altered in Tbx1 –/– mutants. In particular, Fgf8 expression is abolished in the pharyngeal endoderm. To understand the significance of this finding for the pathogenesis of the mutant Tbx1 phenotype, we crossed Tbx1 and Fgf8 mutants. Double heterozygous Tbx1 +/– ; Fgf8 +/– mutants present with a significantly higher penetrance of aortic arch artery defects than do Tbx1 +/– ; Fgf8 +/+ mutants, while Tbx1 +/+ ; Fgf8 +/– animals are normal. We found that Fgf8 mutation increases the severity of the primary defect caused by Tbx1 haploinsufficiency, i.e. early hypoplasia of the fourth pharyngeal arch arteries, consistent with the time and location of the shared expression domain of the two genes. Hence, Tbx1 and Fgf8 interact genetically in the development of the aortic arch. Our data provide the first evidence of a genetic link between Tbx1 and FGF signaling, and the first example of a modifier of the Tbx1 haploinsufficiency phenotype. We speculate that the FGF8 locus might affect the penetrance of cardiovascular defects in individuals with chromosome 22q11 deletions involving TBX1 .
The Model Minority Myth for Noncitizen Immigration Offenses and Sentencing Outcomes

Labeled the model minority, Asian Americans have been seen as less discriminated against than other racial/ethnic minorities in the different aspects of American society. Sentencing scholarship als...
What do the statins tell us

Until the recent introduction of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins), the potential effect of cholesterol lowering on the prevention of clinical manifestations of coronary disease was a matter of debate. In trials conducted before the introduction of statins, cholesterol levels were lowered, on average, by only approximately 10%, resulting in prevention of coronary events but with no effect on total mortality rates. However, statins have been able to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by a mean of roughly 28%, significantly decreasing both relative and absolute risk levels of coronary events and total mortality. These benefits have been demonstrated not only in middle-aged men but also in women and patients aged >65 years. Aggressive cholesterol lowering has also been shown to yield larger decreases in the incidence of subsequent coronary events than angioplasty, and to reduce the occurrence of such events in patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery, which raises the question of whether these procedures should be relegated to symptom relief, with cholesterol lowering as the primary means of coronary heart disease event prevention. Statins, therefore, have unequivocally shown the importance of cholesterol lowering in the prevention of morbidity and mortality due to coronary disease. Ongoing research will elucidate the role of statin therapy in the prevention of strokes and in the treatment of patients aged >75 years, and future trials will be needed to evaluate the potential role of statins in primary prevention for younger populations who cannot control cholesterol with lifestyle changes.
A Nonargument for Small Clauses as Constituents

L'A. examine l'argument de Safir concernant l'existence de phrases avec un sujet apparemment au pluriel mais avec un accord verbal au singulier (ex : Workers angry about the pay is just the sort of situation that the ad campaign was designed to avoid). Il montre que cette apparente difference d'accord censee fournir une preuve en faveur de la constituance des petites propositions pose en fait un probleme lie a la conception purement syntaxique de l'accord, selon laquelle l'accord est une relation de controle purement formelle entre une tete et un element dans sa position de specificateur, alors que l'accord doit etre, au moins en partie, de nature semantique
Parametric studies of two-color ultrafast terahertz generation in gas plasma filaments

Summary form only given. Previous studies have demonstrated the preponderance of intense ultrafast terahertz (THz) sources based on two-color gas plasma filaments with extremely broad bandwidths in excess of 70 THz. Applications ranging from nonlinear THz materials science to broadband hyperspectral detection drive the need for such sources to be optimized for output power and spectral content. Further, it would also be useful to have a source with a sufficiently high repetition rate frequency for sensitive lock-in coherent detection methods. Previous studies have also relied on THz field detection where propagation of the pulse through ambient conditions which are known to be deleterious to the pulse fidelity through water vapor absorption, and in turn, affects spectral fidelity. It is desirable, from the perspective of practical THz sources for spectroscopy, that these sources and their associated generation mechanisms be studied for optimal generation with peak THz fields in the MV/cm range. For instance, understanding spectral content, total energy in pulse, optimal gas concentration, focusing conditions, inter-pulse phase slippage, and tunability are all parameters for consideration that affect output in these sources.In our presentation we report on strong THz pulse generation in a variety of gases (air, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) using our twocolor ultrafast pulse generation method1'2. We concentrate on kilohertz-based ultrafast generation techniques with attention to THz time domain based interferometric power spectral measurements as the gas species, pressure, and laser pulse energy are varied. We find that we can routinely produce THz pulses as short as 40 fs, μJ-level pulse energies, and having a frequency spectral bandwidth of more than 40 THz. A simple 1-D fluid model based on Maxwell's equations describing THz generation via field ionization resulting in an asymmetric transverse plasma current in the driving optical two-color field is used to simulate the results for comparison with experiment.
Advance of allochthonous salt sheets in passive margins and orogens

Allochthonous salt sheets advance in four ways: (1) extrusive advance, (2) open-toed advance, (3) thrust advance, and (4) salt-wing intrusion. These mechanisms are determined primarily by the geometry and thickness of the roof that overlies the advancing sheet. An extrusive sheet spreads without a roof or with a roof of negligible mechanical strength. An open-toed sheet is partially covered by a mechanically significant roof but has an extrusive toe. An overthrusting sheet advances along a thrust fault at its leading edge, carrying its roof with it. A salt wing intrudes from the flank of a diapir into a shallower salt layer.Extrusive, open-toed, and overthrusting salt sheets are found in both passive margins and orogens. A sheet typically evolves through two or more of these mechanisms. Three lineages, or evolutionary paths, are common. Plug-fed extrusions emanate from the top of a salt dome or salt wall. Plug-fed thrusts form the base of the hanging wall of thrust faults that are rooted in the tops of salt domes or salt walls. Finally, source-fed thrusts initiate as thrust faults rooted in the autochthonous salt layer. Source-fed thrusts form the largest individual salt sheets, some covering thousands of square kilometers. Salt-wing intrusions form only under special circumstances, so they are not part of the three major lineages. These intrusions are restricted to compressionally inverted basins containing multiple salt layers and are known only in the Zechstein salt basin.
Crosstalk between CXCR4/Stromal Derived Factor-1 and VLA-4/VCAM-1 Pathways Regulates Neutrophil Retention in the Bone Marrow

Neutrophil retention in and release from the bone marrow is a critical process that remains incompletely understood. Previous work has implicated the CXCR4/stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) chemokine axis in the marrow retention of neutrophils, yet the adhesion pathways responsible for this retention are unknown. Because α 4 β 1 integrin (VLA-4) and its ligand VCAM-1 play a central role in the interactions of hematopoietic stem cells, lymphocytes, and developing neutrophils in the marrow, we investigated whether this integrin might be involved in marrow neutrophil retention and release. In this study, we show that VLA-4 is expressed on murine marrow neutrophils and decreases with maturation, whereas blockade of this integrin leads to the release of marrow neutrophils. Marrow neutrophils adhere via VLA-4 to VCAM-1, which is expressed on marrow endothelium and stroma, and inhibition of VCAM-1 causes release of marrow neutrophils. Furthermore, SDF-1 (CXCL12) signaling through neutrophil CXCR4 augments VLA-4 adhesion to VCAM-1 in vitro, an effect that is blocked by preincubation with pertussis toxin. In vivo blockade of both CXCR4 and α 4 causes synergistic release of marrow neutrophils, showing that cross-talk between CXCR4 and VLA-4 modulates marrow retention of these cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the VLA-4/VCAM adhesion pathway is critical in the retention and maturation-controlled release of neutrophils from the marrow, while providing an important link between the CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling axis and the adhesion events that govern this process.
Combining elicited imitation and fluency features for oral proficiency measurement

The automatic grading of oral language tests has been the subject of much research in recent years. Several obstacles lie in the way of achieving this goal. Recent work suggests a testing technique called elicited imitation (EI) that can serve to accurately approximate global oral proficiency. This testing methodology, however, does not incorporate some fundamental aspects of language, such as fluency. Other work has suggested another testing technique, simulated speech (SS), as a supplement or an alternative to EI that can provide automated fluency metrics. In this work, we investigate a combination of fluency features extracted from SS tests and EI test scores as a means to more accurately predict oral language proficiency. Using machine learning and statistical modeling, we identify which features automatically extracted from SS tests best predicted hand-scored SS test results, and demonstrate the benefit of adding EI scores to these models. Results indicate that the combination of EI and fluency features do indeed more effectively predict hand-scored SS test scores. We finally discuss implications of this work for future automated oral testing scenarios.
The Whole Is Other Than the Sum of the Parts.

The article by Liu et al. is a welcome contribution to the literature in which authors evaluate the biomechanical changes of adjacent segments of an instrumented fusion in the spine. It extends our analysis of the importance of realignment in the cervical spine. To date, a considerable amount of clinical and experimental data suggest that fixation of a spinal segment has the potential to provoke compensatory movements in the adjacent segments, thus changing the local biomechanics and, with that, changing the intradiscal forces that may result in faster disc and motion segment
Decay of Hf 181

The decay of ${\mathrm{Hf}}^{181}$ to ${\mathrm{Ta}}^{181}$ was studied by angular correlation measurements ($133K\ensuremath{-}482\ensuremath{\gamma}$, $133\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}482\ensuremath{\gamma}$, and $133\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}482K$, energies being given in kev), conversion coefficient measurements [${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{K}(133)=0.50\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{K}(136)=1.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{K}(346)=0.038\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.007$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{K}(482)=0.023\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002$], $\frac{K}{L}$ ratios, and coincidence measurements. The weak 137-kev transition, first observed by Mihelich, was placed in the decay by delayed coincidence measurements. The spin assignments are in excellent agreement with the calculations of Nilsson on the strong-coupling model. Comparison of $K\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ correlation coefficients in the Hf${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ sources fails to show any after effects of $K$-hole formation on the correlation coefficients. The discrepancy between the $\frac{E2}{M1}$ ratio obtained from $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ correlation measurements and conversion coefficient measurements in the 482-kev transition is discussed in terms of the improved finite nuclear size corrections to $M1$ conversion coefficients described by Church and Weneser.
A Metrics-Driven Approach to the Automatic Acquisition of Software Engineering Knowledge

The goal of the Partial Metrics Project is to develop a quantitative basis within which to describe the development of software modules using the stepwise refinement of pseudocode.
Radar Signal Processing for Elderly Fall Detection: The future for in-home monitoring

Radar is considered an important technology for health monitoring and fall detection in elderly assisted living due to a number of attributes not shared by other sensing modalities. In this article, we describe the signal processing algorithms and techniques involved in elderly fall detection using radar. A human?s radar signal returns differ in their Doppler characteristics, depending on the nature of the human gross motor activities. These signals are nonstationary in nature, inviting time-frequency analysis in both its linear and bilinear aspects, to play a fundamental role in motion identification, including fall features determination and classification. This article employs real fall data to demonstrate the success of existing detection algorithms as well as to report on some of the challenges facing technology developments for fall detection.
Coronary artery disease in women: a risk-factor analysis.

BACKGROUND Risk factor modification is important in preventing coronary artery disease; however, risk factors for coronary artery disease have been studied mostly in men, not women. OBJECTIVE To examine risk factors for coronary artery disease in women. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of all adult women who underwent their first-ever cardiac catheterization at our institution in 1983. Risk factors in women with angiographic evidence of coronary atherosclerosis were compared with risk factors in women without angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease. RESULTS Risk factors identified included age, diabetes melli-tus, hypertension for more than 5 years, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and familial coronary artery disease. CONCLUSIONS Risk factors for coronary artery disease in women are similar to those of men.
Role of histo-blood group antigens in primate enteric calicivirus infections

Human noroviruses (NoV) are associated with large proportion of non-bacterial diarrhea outbreaks together with > 50% of food-associated diarrheas. The function of histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) in pathogenesis of virus infection was implicated. Until recently however, due to lack of a robust animal and in vitro models of human NoV infection, only the partial knowledge concerning the virus pathogenesis (receptor, co-receptor and target cell) and absence of viable vaccine candidates were the frequently referenced attributes of this acute diarrheal illness. Recently, a novel group of enteric caliciviruses (CV) of rhesus macaque host origin was discovered and described. The new genus within the family Caliciviridae was identified: Rhesus Enteric CV, i.e., "Recovirus" (ReCV). ReCVs are genetically and biologically close relatives of human NoVs, exhibit similar genetic and biological features and are capable of being propagated in cell culture. ReCVs cause symptomatic disease (diarrhea and fever) in experimentally inoculated macaques. Formulation and evaluation of efficient NoV vaccine might take several years. As suggested by recent studies, inhibition of HBGAs or HBGA-based antivirals could meanwhile be exploited as vaccine alternatives. The purpose of this minireview is to provide the guidance in respect to newly available primate model of enteric CV infection and its similarities with human NoV in utilizing the HBGAs as potential virus co-receptors to indirectly address the unresolved questions of NoV pathogenesis and immunity.
Epidemiology of High School Sports-Related Injuries Resulting in Medical Disqualification 2005-2006 Through 2013-2014 Academic Years

Background:Although rare, season- or career-ending injuries in young athletes are concerning because they can result in time lost from sport participation and school, social costs, and economic costs of medical care.Purpose:To describe rates and patterns of medically disqualifying (MDQ) injuries among United States high school athletes overall and by sport, sex, type of athletic activity, and mechanism.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiological study.Methods:Sports-related injury data on high school athletes were collected during the 2005-2006 through 2013-2014 academic years from a large national sample of United States high schools via High School Reporting Information Online (RIO). MDQ injuries were defined as season- or career-ending injuries.Results:From 2005-2006 through 2013-2014, High School RIO captured 59,862 total injuries including 3599 MDQ injuries (6.0% of all injuries). Most MDQ injuries (60.4%) occurred in competition. Football had the highest injury rate (26.5 per 100,000 athlete-exposures)...
Histologic evaluation of the luteal phase in women following follicle aspiration for oocyte retrieval

The luteal phase was evaluated by endometrial biopsy (EMB) 11 to 13days after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or initiation of the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge (hCG/LH) in 25 stimulated patients not undergoing embryo transfer (ET). Luteal phase defect (LPD) was defined as an EMB>2days out-of-phase when compared with the onset of subsequent menses. Nineteen women (76%) had LPDs ranging from 3 to 7days. Mean estradiol (E 2 ) on day of hCG/LH was significantly ( P 2 levels in two groups of patients with out-of-phase EMBs (687±251, 941±366, respectively). These findings are further evidence of the importance of optimal follicular development to subsequent endometrial maturation.
B-type natriuretic peptide: biomarker of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn?

Objective We assessed the utility of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in the prediction of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) requirement. Methods This prospective study involved neonates (gestational age ≥ 34 weeks) with PPHN and confirmatory echocardiographic findings. Plasma BNP was assayed once within 12 hours of meeting criteria for iNO requirements and twice every 24 to 48 hours thereafter. Results Infants requiring iNO (n = 14) had higher first BNP levels compared with others (n = 5) (455.5 ± 350.6 vs. 30.1 ± 25.3 ng/dL, p Conclusion BNP had excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value for iNO requirement and above 30 ng/dl maybe a useful prognostic biomarker in PPHN.
Advances in the treatment and control of tissue-dwelling helminth parasites.

Helminthiasis, once considered as a disease of minor importance as compared to other parasitic diseases caused by various microbes, viruses and protozoans, is now ranked among the major tropical diseases of man responsible for ravaging the health of millions of people around the world. The disease is caused by the invasion of the gastrointestinal system, blood circulation, musculature and other organs of the human body by a wide variety of parasites belonging to the class nematodes (roundworms), trematodes (flatworms or flukes) and cestodes (tapeworms). The impact of these infestations on the health of man may range from mild gastrointestinal or physiological disorders to serious clinical complications leading to high rate of morbidity and mortality among the population with no proper medical attention. The presence of helminths in the domestic animals causes substancial economic losses thereby hampering the socioeconomic growth of the agro- und dairy-based regions of the world.
Bladder functional changes resulting from lipomyelomeningocele repair.

AbstractFrom 1986 to 1991, 12 boys and 23 girls underwent surgery for lipomyelomeningOcele removal. Of these patients 29 were 15 months old or younger (average age 3 months), while 6 were 4.5 to 19 years old (average age 10 years). Preoperative and postoperative urodynamic studies, including external urethral sphincter electromyography, were done on everyone. All 29 infants had a cutaneous lesion overlying the lower back and 14 had an abnormal neurological examination. Preoperative urodynamic studies were abnormal in 11 patients, consisting of an upper motor neuron lesion in 6, and a mixed upper and lower motor neuron lesion in 5. Postoperatively, 10 of 14 children with an abnormal neurological examination improved, while 9 of 11 with abnormal lower urinary tract function normalized. In 1 of 18 children (6%) with normal preoperative urodynamic studies detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia developed postoperatively.In all 6 older children urinary incontinence developed, and this led to the diagnosis. Everyone had...
Rights, Reflection, and Reciprocity: Implications of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate for Tolerance and the Political Process

Contentious battles over state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts suggest a fundamental refashioning of the “culture war” clashes in American politics. Conservatives — particularly religious conservatives — have come to champion a politics of rights, using “liberal weapons” (rights) to win battles or at least stave off loses. This raises important questions about the long-run effects of making rights claims. Does rights claiming lead to balkanization and reinforce group boundaries or is rights claiming an education in the democratic process that promotes tolerance? Drawing on evidence from an experimental design, we find that exposure to rights claims made by clergy regarding exemptions from participation in same-sex ceremonies acts as a prime to boost tolerance of selected least-liked groups, an effect particularly potent for evangelical Protestants.
HAMS: High-Affinity Mass Spectrometry Screening. A High-Throughput Screening Method for Identifying the Tightest-Binding Lead Compounds for Target Proteins with No False Positive Identifications

A major challenge in drug discovery is the identification of high affinity lead compounds that bind a particular target protein; these leads are typically identified by high throughput screens. Mass spectrometry has become a detection method of choice in drug screening assays because the target and the ligand need not be modified. Label-free assays are advantageous because they can be developed more rapidly than assays requiring labels, and they eliminate the risk of the label interfering with the binding event. However, in commonly used MS-based screening methods, detection of false positives is a major challenge. Here, we describe a detection strategy designed to eliminate false positives. In this approach, the protein and the ligands are incubated together, and the non-binders are separated for detection. Hits (protein binders) are not detectable by MS after incubation with the protein, but readily identifiable by MS when the target protein is not present in the incubation media. The assay was demonstrated using three different proteins and hundreds of non-inhibitors; no false positive hits were identified in any experiment. The assay can be tuned to select for ligands of a particular binding affinity by varying the quantity of protein used and the immobilization method. As examples, the method selectively detected inhibitors that have Ki values of 0.2 μM, 50 pM, and 700 pM. These findings demonstrate that the approach described here compares favorably with traditional MS-based screening methods.
Bad hombres: Images of masculinity and the historical consciousness of US-Mexico relations in the age of Trump

In August of 2016, a couple of months before the United States presidential election, thencandidate Donald Trump visited the presidential palace in Mexico City at the invitation of Mexican president, Enrique Pena Nieto. In the wake of his visit, a barrage of images, memes, and video clips were produced to mock, memorialize, and comment on it. This article analyzes the semiotics of those images and their relations of metonymy where Trump and Pena Nieto respectively stand for their countries in scenarios as abusive and jilted lovers, as iconized Mexican toys such as pinatas and baleros , and as the protagonists of popular movies such as Dumb and Dumber . A recurrent anxiety in these images involves the political humiliation of Mexico at the hands of the United States, and the gendered humiliation of Pena Nieto at the hands of Trump. Possible gendered rescues in memes include turning Trump over to El Chapo or to Carlos Slim, calling respectively on figure/ground relations of socio-sexual capital of masculinity and of monetary capital.
New molecular barcodes of water mites (Trombidiformes: Hydrachnidiae) from the Toledo Harbor region of Western Lake Erie, USA, with first barcodes for Krendowskia (Krendowskiidae) and Koenikea (Unionicolidae)

ABSTRACTWater mites are a highly diverse group of arachnids that are morphologically difficult to analyse and for which many species have yet to be described. Furthermore, the representation of Great Lakes water mites in cytochrome oxidase 1 gene (COI) DNA barcode databases has been reported to be practically nil. To help remedy this gap in taxonomic knowledge, water mites collected in 2012–2013 in benthic samples from the Toledo Harbor region (Maumee River and Maumee Bay) of Western Lake Erie were identified to genus, their COI barcodes amplified and sequenced, and their relationships in a neighbour-joining tree determined. Limnesia yielded a clade with multiple branches, part within 1% of previous GenBank sequences and others less than 95% similar. Barcodes of Krendowskia and Koenikea are the first for these genera in GenBank. This analysis contributes new molecular barcodes for water mites in the Laurentian Great Lakes including the first publicly available barcodes for two genera.
A method for measuring manual position control.

Abstract There is no generally accepted method for measuring manual position control. We developed a method for doing so. We asked university students to hold a handle that had one rotational degree of freedom. The angular position of the handle depended on the degree of pronation-supination of the forearm. The subjects' task was to hold the handle as steadily as possible to keep a needle positioned in a pie-shaped target zone on a computer screen. If the needle remained in the zone for 0.5 s, the gain of the feedback loop increased; otherwise the gain decreased or remained at the starting value of 1. Through this adaptive procedure, we estimated the maximum gain that could be achieved at each of the four pronation-supination angles we tested (thumb up, thumb down, thumb in, and thumb out) for each hand. Consistent with previous research on manual control, and so validating our measure, we found that our participants, all of whom were right-handed, were better able to maintain the needle in the target zone when they used the right hand than when they used the left hand and when they used midrange wrist postures (thumb up or in) rather than extreme wrist postures (thumb down or out). The method provides a valid test of manual position control and holds promise for addressing basic-research and practical questions.