cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global Liberalism, Local Populism: Peace and Conflict in Israel/Palestine and Northern Ireland

Global Liberalism, Local Populism: Peace and Conflict in Israel/Palestine and Northern Ireland. By Guy Ben-Porat. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2006. 327p. $19.77.Guy Ben-Porat's valuable book argues that contemporary globalization may transform conflicts and their resolution since it generates hegemonic crisis and fosters neoliberal interests among international and local players. Hence, interactions between localities and transnational capitalist forces may be a crucial predictor of the ways that conflicts have been managed, resolved, and reproduced. In this context, Global Liberalism, Local Populism analyzes the complexities of two protracted, violent clashes: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Catholic-Protestant conflict in Northern Ireland.
Phytochrome photoconversion in vivo. Effect of the initial Pfr/Ptot ratio

— The equation for phytochrome photoconversion, derived from photoconversion kinetics of purified phytochrome, predicts that the rates of photoconversions starting from low and high Pfr/Ptot(0), (initial Pfr/Ptot) should be the same for light of the same quality and fluence rate. The situation might be different in vivo. Phytochrome photoconversion rates were measured in excised cotyledons of Cucurbita pepo L. exposed to BL (blue; ϕBL= 0.39; ϕ, Pfr/Ptot at photoequilibrium) and RI (mixture of red and far red; ϕRI= 0.46) after saturating preirradiations with red and far-red to establish high (0.78) and low (0.02) Pfr/Ptot(0), respectively. Under BL, the rate of photoconversion is faster when starting from a high than a low Pfr/Ptot(0); under RI, the rate of photoconversion is faster when starting from a low than a high Pfr/Ptot(0)., No effects of Pfr/Ptot(0), on photoconversion rates were found in phytochrome solutions exposed to BL and RI. These data provide another indication of the discrepancies between phytochrome photconversion kinetics in vivo and in vitro.
Novel risk scores for survival and intracranial failure in patients treated with radiosurgery alone to melanoma brain metastases

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) alone is an increasingly common treatment strategy for brain metastases. However, existing prognostic tools for overall survival (OS) were developed using cohorts of patients treated predominantly with approaches other than SRS alone. Therefore, we devised novel risk scores for OS and distant brain failure (DF) for melanoma brain metastases (MBM) treated with SRS alone. We retrospectively reviewed 86 patients treated with SRS alone for MBM from 2009-2014. OS and DF were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards modeling identified clinical risk factors. Risk scores were created based on weighted regression coefficients. OS scores range from 0-10 (0 representing best OS), and DF risk scores range from 0-5 (0 representing lowest risk of DF). Predictive power was evaluated using c-index statistics. Bootstrapping with 200 resamples tested model stability. The median OS was 8.1 months from SRS, and 54 (70.1 %) patients had DF at a median of 3.3 months. Risk scores for OS were predicated on performance status, extracranial disease (ED) status, number of lesions, and gender. Median OS for the low-risk group (0-3 points) was not reached. For the moderate-risk (4-6 points) and high-risk (6.5-10) groups, median OS was 7.6 months and 2.4 months, respectively (p < .0001). Scores for DF were predicated on performance status, ED status, and number of lesions. Median time to DF for the low-risk group (0 points) was not reached. For the moderate-risk (1-2 points) and high-risk (3-5 points) groups, time to DF was 4.8 and 2.0 months, respectively (p < .0001). The novel scores were more predictive (c-index = 0.72) than melanoma-specific graded prognostic assessment or RTOG recursive partitioning analysis tools (c-index = 0.66 and 0.57, respectively). We devised novel risk scores for MBM treated with SRS alone. These scores have implications for prognosis and treatment strategy selection (SRS versus whole-brain radiotherapy).
Risk factors and management of Nuss bar infections in 1717 patients over 25 years.

Abstract Purpose An increase in postoperative infections after Nuss procedures led us to seek risks and review management. We report potential risk factors and make inferences for prevention of infections. Methods An IRB-approved retrospective chart review was used to evaluate demographic, clinical, surgical, and postoperative variables of patients operated on between 10/1/2005 and 6/30/2013. Those with postoperative infection were evaluated for infection characteristics, management, and outcomes with univariate analyses. Results Over this 8-year period (2005–2013), 3.5% (30) of 854 patients developed cellulitis or infection, significantly more than 1.5% (13) in our previous report of 863 patients, 1987–2005 ( p =.007). The most frequent organism cultured was methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus . Patients who were given clindamycin preoperatively (5 of 26 patients) had higher infection rates than those who received cefazolin (25 of 828) (19% vs 3%, p p Conclusion Preoperative antibiotic selection and use of ON-Q's may influence infection rates after Nuss repair. Nuss bars could be preserved in 90% of all patients with an infection and even 75% of those with a deep hardware infection. Attempts to retain the bar when an infection occurs may help prevent pectus excavatum recurrence. Level of Evidence=III.
Can MBTI Dimensions Predict Therapy Outcome: Differences in the Thinking-Feeling Function Pair in CBT

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is often used in psychotherapy for multiple purposes, including outcome prediction. However, the empirical basis for the MBTI’s prediction of outcome is minimal. In the current study, psychological type (assessed via the MBTI), current Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and cognitive-behavioral therapy were used to predict psychotherapy outcome as measured by change in GAF within a sample of outpatient psychotherapy clients (N = 525). Linear regression analyses were used to identify whether the 16 MBTI psychological types and/or which dichotomous attitude and function pairs best predicted psychotherapy outcome. The Thinking-Feeling function was found to be a significant predictor of psychotherapy outcome, such that individuals who prefer Thinking demonstrated greater improvement in GAF than did individuals who preferred Feeling. However, four-letter personality type was not a significant predictor of psychotherapy outcome. Overall, the results indicated that individuals preferring the Thinking function showed greater benefit from cognitive-based CBT than individuals preferring Feeling.
A framework for technological learning in the supply chain: A case study on CdTe photovoltaics

Abstract Accounting for technological changes and innovation is important when assessing the implications of rapidly-developing greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation technologies. Technological learning curves have been commonly used as a tool to understand technological change as a function of cumulative production. Traditional learning curve approaches, however, do not distinguish the direct and upstream, supply chain technological changes by which cost reductions are achieved. While recent advances in learning curves have focused on distinguishing the different physical and economic drivers of learning, forecasted technological changes have not been applied to estimate the potential changes in the environmental performance of a technology. This article illustrates how distinguishing the different effects of technological learning throughout the supply chain can help assess the changing costs, environmental impacts and natural resource implications of technologies as they develop. We propose a mathematical framework to distinguish the effects of learning on the direct inputs to a technology from the effects of learning on value added, and we incorporate those effects throughout the supply chain of a technology using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. An example for cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics (PV) illustrates how the proposed framework can be implemented. Results show that that life cycle GHG emissions can decrease at least 40% and costs can decrease at least 50% as cumulative production of CdTe reaches 100 GW. Technological learning in supply chain processes can further reduce emissions and costs by up to 1–2%. Lastly, we discuss the implications of using this new technological learning framework in the long-term assessment of the costs, environmental impacts and resource requirements of technologies using life-cycle assessment.
Sports' Unions Help Maintain Integrity of Competition

This article discusses the benefits of sports unions in the wake of recent NFL and NBA lockouts. The existence of sports unions actually contribute to on-field competition which can be seen when compared to the structure of the European sports system, which lack sports unions. The European sports system operates under a free market which has been found to be actually detrimental to competition.
Operations and Achievements of Remote Equipment at Three Mile Island Unit 2

In 1980, the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) project team evaluated teleoperators and robotic devices to participate in the accident recovery work. Due to the magnitude of radiation levels present...
Effect of thermal nonequilibrium on reactions in hydrogen combustion

The presence of shocks in scramjet internal flows introduces nonequilibrium of internal energy modes of the molecules. Here, the effect of vibrational nonequilibrium on key reactions of hydrogen–air combustion is studied. A quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) approach is used to derive reaction probability for nonequilibrium conditions using ab initio-derived potential energy surfaces. The reaction rates under nonequilibrium are studied using a two-temperature description, where the vibrational modes are assumed to be distributed according to a Boltzmann distribution at a characteristic vibrational temperature, in addition to a translational temperature describing the translational and rotational population distribution. At scramjet-relevant conditions, it is found that the nonequilibrium reaction rate depends not only on the level of vibrational excitation, but also on the reactants involved. Conventional two-temperature models for reaction rates, often derived using empirical means, were found to be inaccurate under these conditions, and modified parameters are proposed based on the QCT calculations. It is also found that models that include details of the reaction process through dissociation energy, for instance, provide a better description of nonequilibrium effects.
Interactions of Hormones, Ions, and Drugs in the Regulation of Osteoclastic Bone Resorption

There are an ever-increasing number of factors which have been identified as having direct effects on bone resorption (Table 1). In part this may be the result of the ease with which organ cultures of bone can be used to identify such factors. They include: 1) calcium regulating hormones, 2) systemic circulating factors, 3) local factors, which have been implicated in pathologic bone resorption, 4) ions, which interact with hormones in the regulation of bone resorption and 5) drugs, which have been used to elucidate mechanisms of bone resorption or as therapy of disorders in which bone resorption is increased such as hypercalcemia and Paget’s Disease.
Pink Bollworm : Diapause Induction and Termination in Relation to Fluctuating Temperatures and Decreasing Photophases

Least-squares models were fit to data from 216 experiments on the effects of decreasing photoperiod and fluctuating temperatures on diapause induction and termination in pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella Saunders. The diapause induction model compared very favorably with field data collected from various locations in southern California and Arizona. The times required for termination of diapause in larvae reared from the diapause induction experiments increased under high fluctuating temperatures and short decreasing photoperiods, whereas long day length and low temperatures (within limits) decreased it. A model is proposed which links the results of the diapause induction and diapause termination studies and estimates the pattern of diapause termination the following spring.
Abstract 4155: Personalized chemosensitivity profiling of cancers isolated from genetically-engineered mice.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC BACKGROUNDHigh-throughput functional chemosensitivity testing is a potentially effective way to customize personalized chemotherapy treatment. This testing requires low-passage patient-specific cancer cell lines, however, generating such cell lines from patients’ tumors is difficult, due in large part, to contaminating fibroblasts that often overgrow the malignant cells. METHODSWe constructed a series of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt) null immunodeficient mice. These include nude hprt-null, SCID hprt-null and NOD-SCID hprt-null mice. During growth of xenografted human cancers in these mice, hprt-null murine stromal cells replace their human counterparts. Tumors from patients were implanted and expanded in these mice. Explanted tumors were then grown in tissue culture flasks with selection media (hypoxanthine, aminopterin, thymidine; HAT media) to eliminate the mouse biochemically-defective fibroblasts and produce pure human cancer cell lines. We screened one cell line against the Johns Hopkins Drug Library containing ∼3,100 drugs. Selected potent drugs were used for in vivo xenograft tumor inhibition studies. RESULTSWe successfully established several pancreatic cancer cell lines from patients using the hprt null immunodeficient mice. We performed chemosensitivity profiling on one of the pancreatic cancer cell lines using 3,100 drugs. From the profiling, we selected potent drugs, which are FDA-approved but are not currently used for pancreatic cancer. We chose two drugs that demonstrated greater in vitro chemosensitivity compared to control cell lines. The two drugs were tested against mouse xenografts where both drugs demonstrated superior in vivo efficacy to the sensitive cell line tumors compared to control tumors. CONCLUSIONSChemotherapy for cancer may be personalized using low passage cell lines derived from patients through biochemically selectable mice. Further tests are needed to determine whether in vitro chemosensitivity testing of low-passage patient-specific cancer cell lines can predict clinical patient response. Citation Format: Hirohiko Kamiyama, Sherri Rauenzahn, Joong Sup Shim, Jun O. Liu, Anirban Maitra, James R. Eshleman. Personalized chemosensitivity profiling of cancers isolated from genetically-engineered mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4155. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4155
Influence of Environmental Temperature on Growth of Mammary Lobule-Alveolar System.∗†

SummaryOvariectomized virgin female mice kept at a high environmental temperature (35°C) had a decreased ability to respond to progesterone and estrone injections with mammary lobule-alveolar growth. This same high temperature did not inhibit this response in animals injected with a pituitary extract containing the mammogenic lobule-alveolar growth factor which directly stimulates mammary gland growth. Thus the anterior pituitaries of animals kept at a high environmental temperature have a decreased ability to respond to the stimulus of progesterone plus estrone with the secretion of the mammogenic lobule-alveolar growth factor.
Headache. Public health problem.

Headache is a worldwide problem. Whether prevalence varies markedly from one culture to another remains problematic. In most population studies, headache tends to run in families, be more common in women than men, and seemingly decrease in prevalence with age. The accurate study of the epidemiology of headache, and of migraine in particular, continues to be difficult because of the uncertainties in the definition of headache entities.
Biology, socialization, and identity: Accounting for the voices of female-to-male transsexuals

Although dissimilarities between men’s and women’s voices are often attributed to biological differences between the sexes, a great deal of research shows that many of the phonetic indices of speaker gender are socially learned. A number of questions remain, however, surrounding the exact process through which speakers acquire these features. In this paper I present findings from an ongoing study of the voices of English-speaking female-to-male transsexuals. Although the voices of male-to-female transsexuals have been studied fairly extensively, work on female-to-male speakers is virtually nil. However, these speakers’ voices present an ideal testing grounds for understanding the relationship between biology, socialization, and identity in the development of phonetic styles associated with women and men. My findings, which reveal that female-to-male transsexuals’ voices are in most ways comparable to other men’s, demonstrate that identity, along with biology and socialization, makes a crucial contribution in shaping the gendered characteristics of the voice.
Shams C. Inati: Ibn Sina’s remarks and admonitions: physics and metaphysics: an analysis and annotated translation

Ibn Sina (aka Avicenna, 980–1037 CE) is arguably the most important and influential philosopher in the Islamic tradition. Al-Isharat wal-Tanbihat, two sections of which (out of four) are included in this translation, is one of Ibn Sina’s key, definitive texts. It is an almost legendary work that perplexes the reader while instructing him. Inati’s translation, which is framed by her analysis and notes, demystifies this key text in the history of Islamic thought. She has also translated the other two sections of Remarks and Admonitions and published them separately as Ibn Sina, Remarks and Admonitions, Part One: Logic (Toronto: Pontifical Institute ofMediaeval Studies, 1984) and Ibn Sina andMysticism: Remarks and Admonitions, Part Four (London: Kegan Paul, 1996). It would obviously be good for the three volumes to be issued in a uniform edition—not merely because this would be tidier but also because the final section on “Mysticism” (or the nature of salvation for human beings) points the reader toward contemplation of the First Principle in a Muslim form of the Beatific Vision. Philosophers of religion should find certain sections of the book of special interest. Chapter 1 of “On Terrestrial and Celestial Souls,” for example, contains a version of Ibn Sina’s famous “Proof for the Existence of the Soul Through Intuition,” which includes this memorable section:
Friedreich's Ataxia and Glucose Metabolism

Glucose metabolism was investigated in 21 patients with FA at the Instituto Neurogico, Cattedra di Clinica Medica, Milan, Italy.
Massive facial teratoma managed with the ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure and use of a 3-dimensional printed model for planning of staged debulking

Abstract Teratomas are the most frequent solid tumor found in neonates. However, only 1.5% of neonatal teratomas originate from facial structures. Neonatal facial teratomas are associated with polyhydramnios, preterm birth, pulmonary hypoplasia, cleft palate, cleft lip, and life-threatening airway compromise. The overall survival reported with these lesions has been between 17 and 87.5%; however survival in the setting of antenatally diagnosed facial teratomas has only been described anecdotally. We present a case of an antenatally diagnosed massive facial teratoma originating from the pterygomaxillary fossa, which was associated with polyhydramnios and pre-term birth. We managed this complex tumor with an ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure, multidisciplinary medical and surgical team, and staged excision and reconstruction aided by use of a 3-dimensional printed model. Here we review the surgical management of this rare and complex tumor.
Cationic Amphiphilic Polymers with Antimicrobial Activity for Oral Care Applications: Eradication of S. mutans Biofilm.

The antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of cationic amphiphilic methacrylate polymers against cariogenic bacterium S. mutans were investigated. Cationic homopolymer PE0 and copolymer PE31 containing 31 mol % of ethyl methacrylate were synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. These polymers displayed bactericidal activity toward S. mutans and prevented biofilm formation by killing the planktonic bacteria. At a concentration of 1000 μg/mL when incubated for 2 h the polymers reduced >80% of biofilm biomass. When the polymer assay solution with the biofilm was vigorously mixed using a pipet for 30 s, >50% of biofilm mass was removed at a polymer concentration of 250 μg/mL. Chlorhexidine and a cationic surfactant failed to reduce the biofilm mass at the same concentration. PE0 was the most effective in removing biofilm and did not show any significant cytotoxicity to human gingival fibroblast and periodontal ligament stem cells when incubated for 10 min.
Mammalian Biogeography and Anthropoid Origins

The continuity of phylogenetic descent requires that sister taxa originate in the same place and at the same time. Resolving phylogenetic relationships can therefore aid in reconstructing remote paleobiogeographic events. The order Primates is hierarchically nested within an exclusively Asian branch of the mammalian family tree, suggesting that Primates originated in Asia. Likewise, an Asian origin for Anthropoidea is supported by the geographic distributions of its sister group (Tarsiiformes) and various stem anthropoid taxa (Eosimiidae and Amphipithecidae). Although an African origin for Primates and/or Anthropoidea has been advocated repeatedly in the past, potential sister groups for either Primates or Anthropoidea are conspicuously lacking from the living and fossil biotas of that continent. The dispersal history of Malagasy lemurs and South American platyrrhines demonstrates that primate dispersal into new terrains often sparks adaptive radiation and morphological innovation. The precocious (Paleocene) dispersal of basal anthropoids from Asia to Africa may have instigated an adaptive radiation that yielded the modern anthropoid bauplan.
Oxygen stable isotopic disparities among sympatric small land snail species from northwest Minnesota, USA

Abstract The oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) of land snail shells can be a valuable paleoenvironmental archive if the climatic parameters that influence the isotopic system are fully understood. Previous calibration studies have examined a limited number of species or individuals, and most have focused on larger (> 10 mm) taxa, which do not represent the dominant shell material in the Quaternary fossil record. In this study, we evaluate the δ18O values of small land snails (
Oral Ketamine for Acute Pain Management After Amputation Surgery.

Objective Intravenous ketamine has been shown to provide postoperative analgesia in many clinical trials, in particular to reduce opioid consumption. The primary objective of this pilot study is to determine if multiple dosing over a three-day perioperative period with oral ketamine is a safe treatment method for acute pain after amputation surgery. Methods Three consented subjects (age 57-60 years) undergoing elective amputation of the lower extremity were included in the study (Institutional Review Board and Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug approved). An analgesic dose of oral ketamine (1.0 mg/kg) was administered one hour before surgery. Eight hours after the preoperative dose, a second dose was given. On the first postoperative day, subjects received oral ketamine (1.0 mg/kg) three times per day; and on the second postoperative day, this dose was reduced to 0.5 mg/kg three times per day. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of adverse events. Results No serious and unexpected adverse events occurred; therefore, no subject required a dose reduction. The numerical rating score for postoperative pain of the body part adjacent to the amputation site ranged from 0.5-4.0. Morphine milligram equivalent opioid doses were in the range of 0-17.5 mg on the first postop day and 1.0-4.0 mg on the second postop day. Conclusions Our pilot study suggests that oral ketamine is safe to use at 1 mg/kg three times per day, as well as convenient for hospital floor and potential home use. Future studies will determine if the perioperative oral ketamine also reduces the incidence of chronic stump or phantom limb pain.
Locating the Selfie within Photography’s History—and Beyond

At first glance, selfies may seem to be unlikely objects for rigorous academic study. They are ubiquitous, their exchange is guided by the rapidly mutating social trends of the millennial and postmillennial generations, and they occupy the dynamic, spectral “walls” of social media sites rather than art galleries and museums. Selfies operate at the nexus of many fields of study: Media Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Digital Culture Studies, Theater, Family Folklore, Oral Tradition, the study of Narrative, Visual Culture, Archival Studies, Photography History, Art History, and the History of Technology. Although the selfie is difficult to fully encapsulate within the analytical framework of any one field, a closer examination of the origin of selfies through a look at the History of Photography reveals this genre of image-making to be surprisingly multifaceted, rapidly mutating, and intensely relevant to discussions about the impact of the medium’s dissemination. Almost as soon as photography was invented in the early-nineteenth century, the first selfie also appeared. While various dimensions of the selfie find their roots in the history and theorization of photography, the selfie is just as much an ahistorical, precedent-setting practice. This chapter positions the selfie within the history of photographic self-portraiture, in an effort to distinguish it from history, while exploring its uniqueness as an image-making practice.
Cell-specific expression of the human Na+,K(+)-ATPase beta 2 subunit isoform in the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the patterns of expression of beta subunit isoforms of the Na+,K(+)-ATPase and H+,K(+)-ATPase in the human eye and to determine the cell-specific distribution of the beta 2 subunit in the human ciliary epithelium. METHODS: Total RNA extracted from human ocular tissues was screened by Northern blot analysis with cDNA probes for the human Na+,K(+)-ATPase subunit isoforms (beta 1 and beta 2) or the H+,K(+)-ATPase (alpha and beta) subunits. Antibodies were raised to the amino and carboxyl terminal regions of the human beta 2 isoform. Polymerase chain reaction was used to verify the expression of beta 2 subunit in nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells (NPE). RESULTS: Transcripts for the Na+,K(+)-ATPase beta 1 and beta 2 subunit isoforms were present at different levels in all the ocular tissues except the lens, which expressed only beta 1. No transcripts for the alpha or beta subunits of the H+,K(+)-ATPase were detected in the eye. Isoform beta 2 specific anti-peptide antibodies V15E (N-terminus) and A18R (C-terminus) recognized a 55- to 60-kDa protein in the ciliary epithelium and the core protein of 32 kDa after N-glycanase treatment. Immunocytochemical localization within the ciliary epithelium indicates that the Na+,K(+)-ATPase beta 2 isoform is expressed preferentially in the NPE cells. The expression of Na+,K(+)-ATPase beta 2 isoform in the human NPE cell line, ODM-2, was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and Southern blot analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The Na+,K(+)-ATPase beta 2 subunit isoform, but not H+,K(+)-ATPase, was expressed widely in ocular tissues of the human eye. The restricted cellular distribution of beta 2 isoform within the NPE cells represents an important differential gene marker associated with the multiple alpha subunit isoforms of Na+,K(+)-ATPase.
\(1 + \frac{1}{{{T^2} - T}} + \frac{1}{{({T^4} - T){{({T^2} - T)}^2}}} + \frac{1}{{({T^8} - T){{({T^4} - T)}^2}{{({T^2} - T)}^4}}} + \cdots \)

We conclude our tour of classical transcendental number theory by transcending the world of numbers themselves and ascending to the realm of formal power series. Specifically, we consider transcendence issues within the setting of function fields in a single variable over a finite field. While this theory has important implications in many different areas of mathematics, our goal here is to discover an object in this context that is analogous to the all-important exponential function e z .
Towards explainable multi-objective probabilistic planning

Use of multi-objective probabilistic planning to synthesize behavior of CPSs can play an important role in engineering systems that must self-optimize for multiple quality objectives and operate under uncertainty. However, the reasoning behind automated planning is opaque to end-users. They may not understand why a particular behavior is generated, and therefore not be able to calibrate their confidence in the systems working properly. To address this problem, we propose a method to automatically generate verbal explanation of multi-objective probabilistic planning, that explains why a particular behavior is generated on the basis of the optimization objectives. Our explanation method involves describing objective values of a generated behavior and explaining any tradeoff made to reconcile competing objectives. We contribute: (i) an explainable planning representation that facilitates explanation generation, and (ii) an algorithm for generating contrastive justification as explanation for why a generated behavior is best with respect to the planning objectives. We demonstrate our approach on a mobile robot case study.
Work In Progress: EPerf: Energy-Efficient Execution of User-Interactive Event-Driven Applications

Asynchronous or event-driven programming has rapidly gained importance due to its widespread use in web browsers, mobile OS, web servers, IoT and sensor networks. These applications typically place a high value on energyefficiency without sacrificing user-perceived performance (quality of service, QoS). This programming model's natural discretization of the executed instruction stream into events offers novel optimization opportunities.Not all events are created equal. Their execution latencies have disproportionate effects on QoS. Some need the highest level of performance available, others can be slowed down to save energy. Leveraging this insight, we propose EPerf. Application developers are invited to label the events with the required performance level. EPerf uses this to execute the events on the right dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) level of the processor in homogeneous systems or on the right core in heterogeneous systems.
Development of lacrimal gland inflammation in the mouse model of herpes stromal keratitis

Herpes stromal keratitis (HSK) is a chronic immunoinflammatory condition which develops in response to recurrent herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection of the cornea. Patients with HSK often demonstrate the concurrence of corneal desiccation and the loss of blink reflex. However, the relationship between severity of HSK, level of basal tears and inflammation of the lacrimal gland is mostly unexplored. In this study, we compared these variables in extraorbital lacrimal gland (EoLG) after corneal HSV-1 infection in the C57BL/6J mouse model. Our results showed a significant reduction in the volume of tears in infected eyes during the development of HSK. Extensive architectural damage to EoLG, presumably caused by a massive influx of interferon-gamma secreting T cells, was observed during clinical disease period of HSK. A positive correlation between the decrease in tear volume, severity of HSK and the damage to EoLG were evident in infected mice. The presence of infectious virus measured in EoLG during pre-clinical, but not clinical disease period of HSK, suggested that viral cytopathic effects are not the major contributors of extensive damage seen in EoLG. Furthermore, topical administration of lacritin peptide delayed but did not prevent the decrease in tears in HSV-1 infected mice, and had no significant effect in either reducing the severity of HSK or T cell infiltration in EoLG of infected mice. Together, our results showed an interplay between the severity of HSK, inflammation of EoLG, and the reduced level of tears after corneal HSV-1 infection.
Associations Between Serum Lutein and Human Gut Microbiota (P02-004-19)

Lutein is a carotenoid found in green leafy vegetables, avocados, and eggs, and is purported to have protective effects against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as well as benefits for visual and cognitive health. Recent studies have indicated significant variation in serum lutein among individuals and that gastrointestinal (GI) microbial profile may potentially contribute to lutein status. However, the extent to which the GI microbiota contribute to lutein is unclear. The current study aimed to determine GI microbial predictors of serum lutein in a healthy young adult population. Among adults ages 25–45 years (N = 105), venous blood was collected following a 10-hour fast. Serum lutein was determined using HPLC. Fecal DNA was extracted and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified. Amplicon sequence variants were assigned using the GreenGenes 13-8 database and DADA2, followed by analysis in QIIME2 and LDA Effect Size (LEfSe). Participants underwent DXA scan for whole body % fat (%Fat) and completed a 7-day food record to assess lutein consumption. Demographic information on participant's age and sex was also assessed and included in the statistical models. Four genera (Dialister, Ruminococcus, Gemmiger, and Phascolarctobacterium) and two species (Bacteroides eggerthii, Ruminococcus torques) were different between individuals in the highest and lowest quartiles of serum lutein. The genera Ruminococcus (Rho = −0.24, P = 0.02) and Phascolarctobacterium (Rho = −0.21, P = 0.03) and species R. torques (Rho = −0.35, P < 0.001) were inversely related to serum lutein. Linear regression modelling, adjusted for age, sex, %Fat, and dietary lutein, revealed that R. torques was the only significant predictor of serum lutein concentrations, accounting for 8.4% of the variance. Our results reveal that individuals with lower serum lutein concentrations have a higher relative abundance of R. torques than those with higher lutein concentrations. As R. torques has been shown to be elevated in those with AMD, it is possible the relationship between this microbe and lutein is evident earlier in adulthood. However, further dietary intervention trials are warranted to clarify the relations among R. torques and serum lutein concentrations. This work was supported by funds provided by the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch Project 1009249. Partial support was also provided by the Hass Avocado Board.
Indwelling Urinary Catheter for Total Joint Arthroplasty Using Epidural Anesthesia.

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to evaluate if not placing an indwelling urinary catheter leads to a higher potential for adverse genitourinary (GU) issues after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) under epidural anesthesia. Methods Three hundred thirty-five consecutive patients who underwent primary TJA using epidural anesthesia were retrospectively reviewed. The initial 103 patients received a preoperative urinary catheter, which was maintained until the morning of postoperative day 1. The subsequent 232 patients did not receive a preoperative urinary catheter. Demographics, medical complications, GU complications, and length of stay were compared between groups. Results Compared between catheter and noncatheter groups, there were no differences in demographics including age, gender, or laterality of surgery. There was a difference in type of surgery (total knee arthroplasty vs total hip arthroplasty) (P = .008). There was no difference in American Society of Anesthesiologists score, but with a difference in body mass index (P = .01). There were no differences in GU complications among patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer. However, among patients with a history of prostate disorders (benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer), urinary tract infection rate was higher in catheter group (P = .023). Postoperative GU complications were associated with increased median age in years and increased average length of stay in days. Conclusion Patients undergoing TJA under epidural anesthesia demonstrate no increased risk of postoperative urological complications without the placement of preoperative indwelling urinary catheter. The routine use of preoperative catheters can be reconsidered for this mode of anesthesia. Level of Evidence Level II, retrospective comparative study.
Effects of material and process parameters on void evolution in unidirectional prepreg during vacuum bag-only cure:

Void reduction during composites manufacturing is critical for successful processing. In this study, we perform a parametric study to determine the mechanisms of interply void evolution in unidirec...
More than Just Being Nice: How CSR Can Help Mitigate the Agency Problem

The agency problem is ubiquitous and intractable, so says the literature. The empirical research on proposed interventions, however, has been inconclusive at best. As a result, some scholars have c...
Quasiparticle self-consistent G W electronic band structure of Cd-IV-N 2 compounds

Quasiparticle self-consistent $GW$ calculations of the electronic band structures of ${\text{Cd-IV-N}}_{2}$ with group-IV elements, Si, Ge, and Sn, are reported. The lattice parameters in the $Pna{2}_{1}$ crystal structure are obtained both in the local density approximation and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and provide respectively an underestimate and overestimate of the lattice constants for these until now not synthesized materials. The Wyckoff positions are obtained by structural minimization. At the GGA lattice constant, which is expected to be the most reliable, ${\mathrm{CdSiN}}_{2}$ is found to have an indirect gap $(U\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}})$ of 2.72 eV, which is 0.55 eV lower than the direct gap at $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ of 3.27 eV. In ${\mathrm{CdGeN}}_{2}$, the indirect gap of 2.01 eV is only 0.1 eV smaller than the direct gap of 2.11 eV, and in ${\mathrm{CdSnN}}_{2}$ the gap is direct and equals 0.64 eV close to that of InN, as expected. The direct/indirect nature of ${\mathrm{CdGeN}}_{2}$ is found to be sensitive to shear strain. The conduction band effective masses decrease from ${\mathrm{CdSiN}}_{2}$ to ${\mathrm{CdGeN}}_{2}$ to ${\mathrm{CdSnSn}}_{2}$. The energies of formation indicate these materials to be stable with the possible exception of ${\mathrm{CdSnN}}_{2}$.
PHARMACY: Well-organized night drug cabinet meets after-hours medication needs

(1969). PHARMACY: Well-organized night drug cabinet meets after-hours medication needs. Hospital Topics: Vol. 47, No. 6, pp. 87-90.
“Work Is Worship” Swami Vivekananda’s Philosophy of Seva and Its Contribution to the Gandhian Ethos

This chapter seeks to develop a foundation for a Hindu theology of liberation in the philosophy of seva, or selfless service, developed by Swami Vivekananda. It shows the continuities of Vivekananda’s understanding of seva as part and parcel of a path to God-realization with ancient Indic sources such as the Bhagavad Gītā, the Dharma Śāstras, Buddhism, and Jainism, all of which seek, in varying ways, to reconcile the currents of renunciation and worldly engagement present in Indic thought. It then examines the equally strong continuities of Vivekananda’s thought and the “constructive program” of Mohandas K. Gandhi, arguing that Gandhi essentially implemented the ideal for which Vivekananda had provided the theoretical underpinnings in Vedāntic metaphysics. One can say that Gandhi translates the thought of Vivekananda into action.
Utility of cardiac biomarkers in sports medicine: Focusing on troponin, natriuretic peptides, and hypoxanthine

Abstract Evidence-based consensus suggests that physical activity and regular exercise training can reduce modifiable risk factors as well as rate of mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, obesity and cancer. Conversely, long-term exercise training and drastic increase in vigorous physical activity may also cause acute cardiovascular events (e.g. acute myocardial infarction) and deleterious cardiac remodeling, particularly when exercise is performed by unfit or susceptible individuals. There is a reversed J-shaped hormesis-like curve between the duration and intensity of exercise and level of CVD risks. Therefore, it is important for an early detection of cardiac injuries in professional and amateur athletes. Under this context, this article focuses on the use of biomarker testing, an indispensable component in the current clinical practices especially in Cardiology and Oncology. We attempt to justify the importance of using circulating biomarkers in routine practices of Sports Medicine for an objective assessment of CVD events following exercise. Special attentions are dedicated to three established or emerging cardiac biomarkers (i.e. cardiac troponins, natriuretic peptides, hypoxanthine) for myocardial tissue hypoxia/ischemia events, muscle stress, and the consequent cellular necrotic injury. Based on these focused analyses, we propose use of circulating biomarker testing in both laboratory and point-of-care settings with an increasingly broader involvement or participation of team physicians, trainers, coaches, primary care doctors, as well as educated athlete community. This diagnostic approach may improve the quality of medical surveillance and preventive measures on exercise-related CVD risks/outcomes.
77 GHz CMOS Built-In Self-Test with 72 dB C/N and less than 1 ppm frequency tolerance for a multi-channel radar application

A built-in self-test (BIST) system with 72 dB C/N and less than 1 ppm frequency tolerance of down-converted BIST tone for a multi-channel radar application is presented. The BIST consists of a frequency doubler, an up-conversion mixer, a variable gain amplifier, a phase shifter, 8-way splitter and an RF GSG PAD coupler for BIST signal distribution. The proposed up-conversion mixer can operate from 76 to 77 GHz, mixing with arbitrary offset frequencies from 600 kHz to 42.7 MHz generated by a fully-synchronized PLL. The proposed mixer can cope with a through mode for testability and flexibility improvements as well. Measured relative phase among all of 8 channels were less than 2 degrees from –25°C to 150°C through on-chip 12-bit ADCs. The proposed BIST was fabricated in a 40 nm CMOS process and assembled with a wafer level chip sized package (WLCSP).
Estimating compensation ratios for tribal resources within a habitat equivalency framework

Abstract A challenging aspect of Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA) concerns adequately accounting for the relative value of the injured and restored or replaced resources. This issue is particularly relevant in the case of applying HEA to injured tribal trust (reservation) lands which enjoy special legal and cultural status. NOAA guidelines for HEA application state when choosing a metric to evaluate the quantity and quality of services provided by a unit of habitat, in addition to bio-physical characteristics, trustees should examine landscape, land ownership, and substitute resource characteristics. The analysis presents a theoretical framework and application of augmenting a traditional HEA analysis with discrete choice survey modeling results to ensure all key characteristics of the injured and restored or replaced resources are considered within the equivalency analysis. The example used is for the Spokane Tribe of Indians in Washington State and contamination of their tribal waterway, the Upper Columbia River/Lake Roosevelt. The addition of a discrete choice model of respondent preferences for site characteristics improves the standard HEA analysis by providing an empirical basis for unit equivalencies.
RZ Interval as an Impedance Cardiography Indicator of Effort-Related Cardiac Sympathetic Activity.

Research on effort and motivation commonly assesses how the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system affects the cardiovascular system. The cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP), assessed via impedance cardiography, is a common outcome, but assessing PEP requires identifying subtle points on cardiac waveforms. The present research examined the psychometric value of the RZ interval (RZ), which has recently been proposed as an indicator of sympathetic activity, for effort research. Also known as the initial systolic time interval (ISTI), RZ is the time (in ms) between the ECG R peak and the dZ/dt Z peak. Unlike PEP, RZ involves salient waveform points that are easily and reliably identified. Data from two experiments evaluated the suitability of RZ for effort paradigms and compared it to a popular automated PEP method. In Studies 1 (n = 89) and 2 (n = 71), participants completed a standard appetitive task in which each correct response earned a small amount of cash. As expected, incentives significantly affected PEP and RZ in both experiments. PEP and RZ were highly correlated (all rs ≥ 0.89), and RZ consistently yielded a larger effect size than PEP. In Study 3, a quantitative synthesis of the experiments indicated that the effect size of RZ’s response to incentives (Hedges’s g = 0.432 [0.310, 0.554]) was roughly 15% larger than PEP’s effect size (g = 0.376 [0.256, 0.496]). RZ thus appears promising for future research on sympathetic aspects of effort-related cardiac activity.
More on rank-2 tori and its cohomological applications

Let k be a field of characteristic different from 2 and 3. In this paper, we study the maximal k-tori T in the connected simple algebraic groups of type A2 and G2. We refer to these tori as unitary...
What's it worth? The costs and benefits of an initiative to decrease post-call fatigued driving among surgery residents

Abstract Background In 2017 the ACGME enacted new regulations requiring sponsoring institutions to ensure “safe transportation options for residents who may be too fatigued to safely return home.” We investigate here the impact of a pilot “Safe Ride” program designed to mitigate the risks of fatigued driving. Methods During a 2-month pilot period at a single university-affiliated general surgery residency with four urban clinical sites, all residents (n = 72) were encouraged to hire a rideshare (e.g., Uber, Lyft) to and from 24-h clinical shifts if they felt too fatigued to drive safely. The cost of the rideshare was fully reimbursed to the resident. The impact of this intervention was evaluated using utilization data and a post-intervention resident survey. Results A total of 16.6% of trainees utilized a rideshare at least one time. Sixty-three post-call rides were taken, predominantly by junior residents (92.4%) and for commutes greater than 15 miles (91%). The cost for the 60-day pilot was $3030. Comparing pre-intervention to post-intervention data, there was a significant improvement in the reported frequency of falling asleep or nearly asleep while driving (P Discussion Driving while fatigued is common among surgical residents, with increased risk among junior residents, during longer commutes and following longer shifts. A reimbursed rideshare program effectively targets these risk factors and was associated with a significant decrease in rates of self-reported fatigued driving. Future efforts should focus on strategies to promote use of reimbursed rideshare programs while remaining cost efficient.