cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microscale organic maturity determination of graptolites using Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Organic maturity is a key property for assessment of hydrocarbon potential and generation of black shales. Early Paleozoic strata are usually void of terrestrial organic matter such as vitrinite, thus evading conventional, reflectance based maturity analysis. To overcome this, graptolites in samples from the basal hot shales of the Silurian Qusaiba Formation, with known, reflectance based vitrinite equivalent maturities from 0.54 to 1.76 VRE%, were analyzed with Raman spectroscopy to establish a spectroscopic maturity scale. All samples provided spectra showing the D isorder (D) peak and the G raphite (G) peak typical for organic carbons. Systematic variation of these peaks with sample maturity is used to quantify the relationship of reflectance with the graptolites molecular condition. Several spectral properties were tested for use as maturity indicators. The most reliable maturity tracers are the variation of position of the G peak between 1570 and 1610 cm − 1 and the widening band distance (Δ (G-D) ) between the G peak and D peak position at 1320 to 1370 cm − 1 . Comparison of the mean and modal maxima of peak positions showed that the mean of G peak position and Δ (G-D) provide the best fit of Raman and optical reflectance determinations with R 2 of 0.884 and 0.935, respectively. Algorithms for the calculation of vitrinite equivalent reflectance from the Raman spectral properties were developed based on best fit exponential regressions, with a linear cross correlation of the measured and calculated values at R 2 = 0.9178 for the mean of Δ (G-D) . Raman based maturity measurements on graptolites provide a welcome alternative method for on particles as small as 3 μm diameter.
Practical application of project management to automatic electric energy data acquisition system on power-sold side

The paper introduced the problems faced while automatic electric energy capturing system on power-sold side was built up and how to apply the theory of project management to handle the project definition,schedule,quality,commissioning and coordination among partners,which can ensure the project to be done in a good quality and in time and provide a good reference for similar project.
The current status of newborn screening.

Two decades of routine screening of newborns in the United States have yielded answers to many questions and raised others that remain to be answered. Addressed specifically in this overview are the value of follow-up tests for PKU, the T4-TSH strategy for detecting hypothyroidism, and questions posed by tests for disorders that may not be clinically significant or treatable.
Macular Effects of Silicone Oil Tamponade: Optical Coherence Tomography Findings During and After Silicone Oil Removal

ABSTRACTObjective: To investigate retinal morphologic changes during silicone oil tamponade and after its removal using spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) imaging.Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of 12 patients who underwent silicone oil tamponade for repair of retinal detachments. Macular OCT scans and volumetric thickness maps were examined qualitatively and quantitatively.Results: Volumetric OCT revealed two distinct patterns during silicone oil: macular thickening (Group A) and macular thinning (Group B). In Group A, mean foveal thickness (507 ± 169 µm vs. 407 ± 163 µm, p = 0.003) and mean macular volume (11.6 ± 2.4 mm3 vs. 9.9 ± 1.5 mm3) were significantly increased during tamponade compared to post-oil removal. Group B had significantly decreased mean foveal thickness (210 ± 38 µm vs. 276 ± 58 µm, p = 0.009) and macular volume (7.3 ± 1.8 mm3 vs. 8.4 ± 1.8 mm3) during tamponade. Importantly, resolution of macular changes occurred without further intervention and was associated with improved visu...
Review of teleconsultations for dermatologic diseases.

Antecedents : La telemedecine vient de plus en plus frequemment au secours de certaines populations isolees, leur permettant de consulter des specialistes qui ne leur seraient pas accessibles autrement. Or, l'information sur le type de patients et de maladies touches par les teleconsultations dermatologiques est plutot mince. Objectifs : Etudier les consultations fournies par un reseau regional de telemedecine et preter une attention particuliere au type de patient et de maladies cutanees ainsi qu'aux diagnostics ou aux recommandations therapeutiques qui ont ete faites. Resultats : Du mois d'aout 1992 au mois de decembre 1997, 796 teleconsultations ont eu lieu. Diagnostics les plus courants : eczema, affections folliculaires, infections et tumeurs cutanees. Les traitements les plus souvent recommandes sont, dans l'ordre, les steroides, suivi des antibiotiques, des antihistaminiques et des traitements antifongiques. Les tests diagnostiques les plus souvent prescrits sont la biopsie cutanee et une preparation a l'hydroxyde de potassium. Conclusion : Notre service de teleconsultations dermatologiques a traite des affections cutanees courantes. Un nombre substantiel de biopsies diagnostiques et de preparations a l'hydroxyde de potassium ont ete recommandes. L'article porte sur l'efficacite de la telemedecine dans la prestation de soins dermatologiques.
Online subjective testing for consumer-photo quality evaluation

We take a look at crowdsourcing for subjective image quality evaluation using real image stimuli with nonsimulated distortions. Our aim is to scale the task of subjectively rating images while ensuring maximal data validity and accuracy. While previous work has begun to explore crowdsourcing for quality assessment, it has either used images that are not representative of popular consumer scenarios or used crowdsourcing to collect data without comparison to experiments in a controlled environment. Here, we address the challenges imposed by the highly variable online environment, using stimuli that are subtle and more complex than has traditionally been used in quality assessment experiments. In a series of experiments, we vary different design parameters and demonstrate how they impact the subjective responses obtained. Of the parameters examined are stimulus display mode, study length, stimulus habituation, and content homogeneity/heterogeneity. Our method was tested on a database that was rated in a laboratory test previously. Once our design parameters were chosen, we rated a database of consumer photographs and are making this data available to the research community.
Manganese and Lipoflavonoid Plus(®) to Treat Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Several tinnitus sufferers suggest that manganese has been helpful with their tinnitus. PURPOSE We tested this in a controlled experiment where participants were committed to taking manganese and Lipoflavonoid Plus(®) to treat their tinnitus. RESEARCH DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. STUDY SAMPLE 40 participants were randomized to receive both manganese and Lipoflavonoid Plus(®) for 6 months, or Lipoflavonoid Plus(®) only (as the control). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Pre- and postmeasures were obtained with the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire, Tinnitus Primary Functions Questionnaire, and tinnitus loudness and annoyance ratings. An audiologist performed the audiogram, the tinnitus loudness match, and minimal masking level. RESULTS Twelve participants were dropped out of the study because of the side effects or were lost to follow-up. In the manganese group, 1 participant (out of 12) showed a decrease in the questionnaires, and another showed a decrease in the loudness and annoyance ratings. No participants from the control group (total 16) showed a decrease in the questionnaires ratings. Two participants in the control group reported a loudness decrement and one reported an annoyance decrement. CONCLUSIONS We were not able to conclude that either manganese or Lipoflavonoid Plus(®) is an effective treatment for tinnitus.
Blood-Group Alleles of Domesticated Animals

The alleles for blood groups are characterized by reactions between antigens and antibodies. The antigens are specific chemical constituents which are intrinsic repeating units of the membranes of red blood cells; the antibodies are serum globulins which are produced in most cases as a response to stimulus from immunization with red blood cells. Isoimmunization (= alloimmunization), i.e., immunization of an animal by injection of red blood cells from another individual of the same species, is most commonly used to produce antibodies for blood typing; heteroimmunization, i.e., immunization of an animal with antigen from another species, is also used occasionally. Immune antisera are analyzed by testing them with red blood cells from a number of different animals. A blood factor (= antigenic factor = antigenic component) is identified by a serological property of a red blood cell antigen which enables it to react with specific antibody. There may be several blood factors for one antigen. In order that an antiserum be monospecific, and therefore contain antibodies for a specific blood factor, separable antibodies if present may be removed by absorption with appropriate red blood cells. Saline agglutination and hemolysis are utilized to visualize reactions between antibodies and red blood cell antigens. For the seline agglutination test a drop of suspension 2–3 percent red blood cells in physiological saline in a test tube or in a well of a specific plate.
Widely Viewed English Language YouTube Videos Relating to Diabetic Retinopathy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: An emergent source of information on health issues is the Internet. One such platform with 1 billion users is YouTube, the global video-sharing service. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the content and characteristics of the most widely viewed YouTube videos related to diabetic retinopathy. Methods: Videos were sorted according to number of views using the key words “diabetic retinopathy.” For each video, general descriptive information was collected. This information included date and source of upload (news, professional, or consumer), length, and total number of views as of July 18, 2016. Content categories were largely informed by a National Eye Institute fact sheet. Each video was viewed to determine which, if any, of the given content categories were present. Results: Of the 98 most widely viewed videos related to diabetic retinopathy, 42 were generated by consumers, 40 were generated by professionals, and 16 were generated from news-based sources. The largest number of views were generated from professionals (624,770/994,494, 63.82%). Compared with professional videos, consumer videos were viewed less frequently (W=622, P=.04). The main purpose of the majority of videos was to provide information (59/98, 60%), and most of the videos showed or mentioned retinopathy in general (75/98, 77%). Smaller numbers offered information about specific types of retinopathy, namely proliferative (26/98, 27%) and nonproliferative (17/98, 17%). Compared with consumer-generated videos, professional videos were 5.57 times more likely to mention that diabetic retinopathy can go unnoticed (95% CI 1.59-26.15). More than 80% (80/98) of the most widely viewed videos did not address the asymptomatic nature of the disease, only about one-third (33/98) mentioned prevention, and only 58 of the 98 videos (59%) mentioned screening. Conclusion: Future research is needed to identify aspects of YouTube videos that attract viewer attention and best practices for using this medium to increase diabetic retinopathy screening among people with diabetes. [JMIR Diabetes 2016;1(2):e6]
An Investigation of the Structural Relationships between Salespersons’ Perception of their Power Bases and their Use of Influence Tactics

It has been stated in the literature that “influence” and “power” are two different yet related concepts. Basically, influence has been viewed as the actual manifestation of the inherent capacity of a person, while power has been viewed as the capacity to influence others (Katz and Kahn 1966; Hinkin and Schriesheim 1990). However, despite these conceptual distinctions, there are few empirical studies relating to power and influence as distinct constructs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the relationships between power and influence in a sales environment. The paper presents a structural equation model to examine how two specific power bases are related to six major influence tactics used by salespersons.
Effects of Historical Coinfection on Host Shift Abilities of Exploitative and Competitive Viruses

Rapid evolution contributes to frequent emergence of RNA viral pathogens on novel hosts. However, accurately predicting which viral genotypes will emerge has been elusive. Prior work with lytic RNA bacteriophage φ6 (family Cystoviridae) suggested that evolution under low multiplicity of infection (MOI; proportion of viruses to susceptible cells) selected for greater host exploitation, while evolution under high MOI selected for better intracellular competition against co-infecting viruses. We predicted that phage genotypes that experienced 300 generations of low MOI ecological history would be relatively advantaged in growth on two novel hosts. We inferred viral growth through changes in host population density, specifically by analyzing five attributes of growth curves of infected bacteria. Despite equivalent growth of evolved viruses on the original host, low MOI evolved clones were generally advantaged relative to high MOI clones in exploiting novel hosts. We also observed genotype-specific differences in clone infectivity: High fitness genotypes on the original host also performed better on novel hosts. Our results indicated that traits allowing greater exploitation of the original host correlated positively with performance on novel hosts. Based on infectivity differences of viruses from high versus low MOI histories, we suggest that prior MOI selection can later affect emergence potential.
Evaluating the evidence: is neurolysis or neurectomy a better treatment for meralgia paresthetica?

Meralgia paresthetica is a mononeuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LCFN). Surgical treatment involves transection or decompression of the LCFN. There is no clear consensus on the superiority of one technique over the other. We performed a systematic review of the literature to answer this question. Eligible studies included those that compared neurolysis versus neurectomy for the treatment of meralgia paresthetica after failure of conservative therapy. Our outcome of interest was resolution of symptoms. We performed a computerized search of MEDLINE (PubMed; all years) and of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Eligible studies had to include the words “meralgia paresthetica” and “surgery.” All patients regardless of age were included, and there was no language restriction. We then reviewed the articles’ titles and abstracts. All studies that compared neurolysis to neurectomy were included in the analysis. Of the studies identified, none were randomized controlled trials. There were two German language articles that were translated by a third researcher. Each study was evaluated by two independent researchers who assigned a level of evidence according to American Association of Neurologist algorithm and also performed data extraction (neurolysis vs. neurectomy and resolution of pain symptoms). Each study was found to be level four evidence. After reviewing the data, there was insufficient evidence to recommended one method of treatment over the other. This highlights the importance of keeping a national registry in order to compare outcomes between the two methods of treatment.
SRS in the single molecule limit (Conference Presentation)

We present combined surface-enhanced stimulated Raman scattering (SE-SRS) and surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SE-CARS) measurements on individual plasmonic antennas dressed with bipyridyl-ethylene molecules. By carefully optimizing the conditions for performing SE-SRS experiments, we have obtained stable and reproducible molecular surface-enhanced SRS spectra from single nano-antennas. Using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and transmission electron microscopy of the same antennas, we confirm that the observed SE-SRS signals originate from only one or a few molecules. We highlight the physics of surface enhancement in the context of coherent Raman scattering and derive sensitivity parameters under the relevant conditions. The implications of single molecule SRS measurements are discussed.
Behavioral dynamics of tax compliance when taxpayer assistance services are available

This research utilizes a laboratory experiment involving a large and diverse set of participants to investigate the behavioral dynamics of tax reporting in a setting where tax liability is uncertain and the tax agency makes a service available to help resolve the uncertainty. Our design varies the level of liability uncertainty, as well as the cost and quality of the information service. We find that, in the absence of an information service regime, the behavioral response to past audits, whether penalizing or not, is to report a lower tax liability. However, with an information service present (regardless of whether it is accessed), behavioral responses to past audits are no longer found. Interestingly, information service acquisition decreases modestly in response to a penalizing audit, although as the experiment progressed a larger proportion of participants were compliant, offsetting this effect. Mirroring the few experimental studies that have investigated tax liability information services, we find that providing these services has a strong and positive effect on tax compliance.
School Quality, School Choice and Residential Mobility

Since the 1990’s the school choice options available to parents have expanded dramatically. As an alternative to their residentially zoned public school, parents in many states can now take advantage of charter schools, magnet schools, inter/intra-district choice plans and vouchers to attend private schools. Since school choice programs weaken the link between school quality and residential location, they have the potential to affect both property values and the residential location decisions of households. In this chapter I first review the literature on the link between residential location decisions and school quality when schooling options are determined by a strict residential-based assignment system. I then survey the emerging theoretical and empirical literature that examines how school choice policies that decouple the strict link between school quality and residential location affect housing markets and residential mobility.
Using soft splints in your dental practice.

A significant number of soft splints are fabricated by U.S. dentists every year. The efficacy of these splints is discussed, reported indications and contraindications are defined, and favorable and unfavorable characteristics reported by patients are presented. Maxillary and mandibular soft splint designs that have been found to be clinically acceptable are illustrated and an easy and rapid technique for adjusting and polishing a soft splint is proposed.
Linkages Between the Foreign Exchange Markets of BRIC Countries—Brazil, Russia, India and China—and the USA:

The past decade has witnessed increasing trade and capital flow movements between BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and the USA indicating a need for a better understanding of curren...
Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Caramel Apples by Use of Sticks Pretreated with Potassium Sorbate

A multistate listeriosis outbreak associated with caramel apples from 2014 to 2015 prompted research on the survival of Listeria monocytogenes in fresh apples and caramel apples. Research indicated that stem end-inoculated caramel apples with stick insertion allowed for the survival and growth of L. monocytogenes at both refrigeration and ambient temperatures. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of chemical preservatives as pretreatments for the wooden stick component to reduce L. monocytogenes loads in stem end-inoculated caramel apples during storage. Wooden sticks were pretreated with 1, 3, or 5% ascorbic acid (vitamin C), Nisaplin (2.5% nisin), potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate and then inoculated with L. monocytogenes at 7 log CFU per stick. After storage at 25°C, the pathogen was reduced most effectively by the ascorbic acid pretreatments. At all three ascorbic acid concentrations tested, L. monocytogenes levels were reduced below the level of enumeration (2.5 log CFU per apple) at 24 h and were no longer detectable by enrichment after 72 h. Ascorbic acid (5, 10, and 20%) and potassium sorbate (10, 20, 30, and 40%) were further tested as wooden stick pretreatments for pathogen reduction on stem end-inoculated caramel apples stored at 5 and 25°C. The 40% potassium sorbate solution at 25°C was the most effective pretreatment condition in caramel apples and demonstrated a 3.1-log CFU per apple overall decrease in L. monocytogenes population levels after 216 h. Pretreatment of the wooden stick component of a caramel apple with potassium sorbate may be a viable preventive measure to reduce postprocess L. monocytogenes population levels and hence reduce consumer risk associated with caramel apple consumption.
Do Interns Know What They Think They Know? Assessing Business Communication Skills in Interns and Recent Graduates:

This article extends a dialogue regarding how (and what) communication skills are stressed within business schools, which should be regularly examined and updated. Specifically, this article addres...
Visceral stent patency after fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair using bare-metal stent extensions versus covered stents only.

Abstract Objective Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) is an alternative to treat complex abdominal aortic aneurysms. Patency of visceral vessels remains high when covered stents are used. The use of distal uncovered stents to prevent kinking has been associated with loss of branch patency. The aim of this study was to evaluate branch-related outcomes of FEVAR using covered stents only vs the use of uncovered stents distal to covered stents. Methods During a 4-year period, 142 patients underwent FEVAR. Patients with suprarenal, juxtarenal, and type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysms were included. Patients treated with side branch devices were excluded. Covered iCAST (Maquet, Hudson, NH) stents were used as bridging stents in all cases. The primary end point was primary patency, defined as the absence of stenosis or occlusion that required intervention. Secondary end points included secondary patency, branch-related outcomes (kidney injury and gastrointestinal complications), branch instability, and mortality rates. Results A total of 442 target vessels were incorporated (49 scallops and 393 fenestrations). Uncovered stents were used in 38 (9.6%) visceral vessels. Median follow-up time was 11 (interquartile range, 6-13) months. Overall, visceral vessel primary patency was 91% at 12 and 24 months. The overall primary patency rate was 86% in the distal extension group vs 93% when only covered stents were used at 12 and 24 months ( P = .8). Similarly, the rate of branch-related reinterventions at 12 months was 9% and 15% for each group, respectively, and 22% vs 32% at 24 months, respectively ( P = .5). Overall, freedom from branch instability was 87% at 12 months and 81% at 24 months. Freedom from branch instability in the distal extension group was 82% at 12 and 24 months vs 89% at 12 months and 81% at 24 months when only covered stents were used ( P =. 08). Mortality rate at 24 months was 15% for the bare-metal stent extension group vs 14% for the covered stent only group ( P = .4). We found no statistical difference in acute kidney injury at any Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes stage ( P = 1.0) or gastrointestinal complications ( P = 1.0) between the groups. Conclusions The use of distal uncovered stents to prevent kinks was not associated with decreased early branch patency. The long-term outcomes of bare-metal stents remain to be determined. For now, the use of uncovered stents distal to covered stents may be considered to prevent kinks in complex anatomy.
Understanding the Present and Future of Work in the Fissured Workplace Context

The fissuring of business structures fundamentally changes the nature of employment and work in industries and the economy as a whole. This article describes the core elements comprising fissuring, distinguishes them from the narrower concepts of contingent work and alternative work arrangements, and provides an estimate of its size. Work restructuring arising from fissuring alters wage determination inside and outside firms affected by it and provides an alternative explanation for a growing empirical literature on earnings inequality. The fissured workplace perspective requires different policies for the workplace and labor market than traditional approaches including those regarding worker rights and protections, employment responses to the business cycle, workforce education and training, and job and career mobility.
Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq): Principles and applications

Abstract Methyl-DNA immunoprecipitation is used in combination with next generation sequencing (MeDIP-seq) as a genome-wide approach to enrich for and analyze methylated DNA. Fragmented DNA containing methylated cytosines is purified from genomic samples via an antibody to 5-methylcytosine (5mC), then sequenced and analyzed in order to detect peaks of differential methylation across the genomic landscape. Introduced more than a decade ago, MeDIP enrichment is considered a useful, repeatable, and affordable approach for methylation research. As next generation sequencing has become increasingly accessible and affordable, deep sequencing of the enriched DNA has replaced the initial use of microarrays. At this time, researchers consider MeDIP-seq a viable protocol to answer most questions about DNA methylation, providing single-base resolution is not required. Many well-established downstream analysis tools are also available, making MeDIP-seq a consistently popular option. As we continue to engage with highly complex methylomes, which may vary tremendously by cell-type, timepoint, and environment, we must focus on proper study design, larger cohorts, and judicious deployment of experimental controls in order to pull meaningful signals from background noise.
X-band, mechanically-beam-steerable lens antenna exploiting the Risley prism concept

This study presents a beam-steerable antenna system that uses two mechanically-rotatable, phase-shifting surfaces (PSSs) functioning like a pair of Risley prisms for beam scanning operation at X-band. One of the PSSs also acts as a lens, performing beam collimation in addition to providing a phase shift gradient. Unit cells constituting the two PSSs were co-designed to determine the distance between the two surfaces that results in high transmission coefficients and small phase errors under different beam-scanning conditions. Both simulation and measurement results have verified that the distance of 2 mm provides the best performance regarding to peak gain. Prototypes of the PSSs having circular apertures with diameters of 11.5 λ 0 at 10 GHz were fabricated and illuminated by a feed antenna to characterise the beam scanning performance. The measurement results of the proposed antenna system demonstrate the capability to steer the main beam within a ± 60 ° scanning range with a maximum gain variation of less than 3.6 dB by rotating the two PSSs with respect to each other. The fabricated prototype provides side lobe levels less than − 13.1 dB , polarisation purity higher than 20 dB, and small beam pointing errors of no more than 1 ° in all examined beam scan scenarios.
Implantation of Engineered Axon Tracts to Bridge Spinal Cord Injury Beyond the Glial Scar in Rats

Regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI) is limited by the presence of a glial scar and inhibitory cell signaling pathways that favor scar formation over regrowth of endogenous neurons. Tissue e...
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis induced by Toxoplasma gondii infection diagnosed by a bone marrow biopsy and DNA next-generation sequencing in an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient

In the United States, toxoplasmosis following allogeneic hematopoietic stem transplant (allo-HCT) is very rare with a rate only between 0.5% and 2%. The reported rates of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) following allo-HCT range between 0.3% and 17%. Secondary HLH due to toxoplasmosis infection is extremely rare. Herein, we report a case of secondary HLH due to toxoplasmosis following allo-HCT. The diagnosis was reached by a bone marrow biopsy and confirmed by DNA next generation sequencing and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The IHC staining included CD1a, a stain previously known to react with cells infected by Leishmania, here we show CD1a staining of macrophages infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Our report highlights the utility of bone marrow biopsy in diagnosing parasitic infection underlying HLH in post-transplant settings. The pre-transplant evaluation of patients from low endemic countries, is a great opportunity to obtain a travel history to determine the risks and the preventative measures against opportunistic infections including toxoplasmosis.
Statistical physics of random CSPs (tutorial)

I will describe recent progress in determination of asymptotic behavior in random constraint satisfaction problems, including the independent set problem on random graphs, random regular NAE-SAT, and random SAT. The results include sharp phase transitions and some understanding of solution geometry, particularly in the setting of the random regular NAE-SAT problem. In this lecture I will survey the physics heuristics, and explain how they lead to combinatorial models for the solution geometry, which form a basis of mathematical approaches to these problems. As time allows, I will discuss some of the mathematical techniques that have been introduced, particularly with regards to solving certain non-convex optimization problems that arise in moment method calculations.
Public Reaction on Social Media During COVID-19: A Comparison Between Twitter and Weibo

COVID-19 has been spreading across the world starting from early 2020, and there are numerous and varied discussions on social media platforms related to the COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we analyzed and compared the data on Twitter and Weibo at different times based on the public’s understanding of COVID-19 to ultimately understand the characteristics of social media reaction in U.S. and in China during the pandemic. Results show that both similarities and differences existed when comparing the public reaction on social media in the U.S. and in China. The study suggests that data from social media could be used as a good reflection of the public’s reaction, especially in a pandemic like COVID-19. It is important for the government to understand people’s timely reaction during the pandemic in order to ensure the authorities are on the right direction to provide services and accurate information to the public.
Bootlegs over Broadway: musical theatre (re)productions, digital circulation, and the informal media economy

In recent years, the longstanding practice of producing and circulating bootleg recordings of Broadway musicals has escalated as have condemnations of this activity as detrimental to the commercial...
Understanding the Kalman/Vold-Kalman Order Tracking Filters' Formulation and Behavior

The Kalman and Vold-Kalman order tracking filters have been implemented in commercial software since the early 90's. There are several mathematical formulations of filters that have been implemented by different software vendors. However, there have not been any papers that have been published which sufficiently explain the math behind these filters and discuss the actual implementations of the filters in software. In addition, upon generating the equations represented by these filters, solving the equations for datasets in excess of several hundred thousand datapoints is not trivial and has not been discussed in the literature. The papers which have attempted to cover these topics are generally vague and overly mathematically eloquent but not easily understandable by a practicing engineer. This paper will attempt to solve that problem by explaining the filters' formulations and behavior in very straight forward and practical terms through the use of both equations and example datasets.
Dr. Dan goes to camp

It was 1956 when Dan Offord saw the Christie Lake Camp for the first time. It would not be the last. ![Figure][1] Figure. Dr. Dan: “We see all the problems that go along with being economically disadvantaged.” Photo by: Rick Gray Forty-five years later, the well-known child
Spike Timing-Dependent Serotonergic Neuromodulation of Synaptic Strength Intrinsic to a Central Pattern Generator Circuit

Neuromodulation is often thought to have a static, gain-setting function in neural circuits. Here we report a counter example: the neuromodulatory effect of a serotonergic neuron is dependent on the interval between its spikes and those of the neuron being modulated. The serotonergic dorsal swim interneurons (DSIs) are members of the escape swim central pattern generator (CPG) in the mollusk Tritonia diomedea. DSI spike trains heterosynaptically enhanced synaptic potentials evoked by another CPG neuron, ventral swim interneuron B (VSI-B), when VSI-B action potentials occurred within 10 sec of a DSI spike train; however, if VSI-B was stimulated 20-120 sec after DSI, then the amplitude of VSI-B synaptic potentials decreased. Consistent with this, VSI-B-evoked synaptic currents exhibited a temporally biphasic and bidirectional change in amplitude after DSI stimulation. Both the DSI-evoked enhancement and decrement were occluded by serotonin and blocked by the serotonin receptor antagonist methysergide, suggesting that both phases are mediated by serotonin. In most preparations, however, bath-applied serotonin caused only a sustained enhancement of VSI-B synaptic strength. The heterosynaptic modulation interacted with short-term homosynaptic plasticity: DSI-evoked depression was offset by VSI-B homosynaptic facilitation. This caused a complicated temporal pattern of neuromodulation when DSI and VSI-B were stimulated to fire in alternating bursts to mimic the natural motor pattern: DSI strongly enhanced summated VSI-B synaptic potentials and suppressed single synaptic potentials after the cessation of the artificial motor pattern. Thus, spike timing-dependent serotonergic neuromodulatory actions can impart temporal information that may be relevant to the operation of the CPG.
Identification and Characterization of X-Ray-induced Proteins in Human Cells

In order to investigate the biochemical events involved in potentially lethal DNA damage repair (PLDR), we have identified a pleiotropic protein expression response that is activated upon X-irradiation of confluence-arrested human malignant melanoma (U1-Mel) cells. Plateau-phase U1-Mel cells were selected because of their extraordinary capacity for PLDR. Eight major X-ray-induced polypeptides (XIPs) of Mr 126,000-275,000 (i.e., XIP126 through XIP275) were detected by resolving L-[35S]methionine-labeled whole cell extracts using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. XIPs were found in unirradiated, proliferating U1-Mel cells, shut off under plateau-phase conditions and resynthesized in response to X-irradiation. The expression of three classes of proteins was affected by X-irradiation. Class I proteins, XIP145 and XIP269, were induced linearly with increasing X-ray doses. The rate of synthesis of class II proteins, XIP126, XIP135, XIP138, XIP141, XIP147, and XIP275, increased linearly with low X-irradiation doses, but plateaued at doses of 150-250 cGy. In contrast, the expression of class III proteins, 47,000 and 254,000 Mr proteins, decreased with increasing X-ray doses. Tumor, cancer-prone, and normal human cells, which represent a wide range of cells with varied repair capacities, were investigated to better understand the role of XIPs in DNA damage responses. X-irradiated normal and tumor cells induced the synthesis of XIP145 and XIP269. A strong correlation between the induction of XIP269 and PLDR capacity, as measured by delayed plating of plateau-phase cells, was noted. XIP269 was present in six of seven normal and tumor cells types, but was completely absent in cells from patients with Bloom's syndrome and ataxia telangiectasia. X-irradiated Fanconi's anemia and xeroderma pigmentosum cells synthesized low levels of XIP269. The majority of XIPs synthesized by X-irradiated cells from cancer-prone patients were of low molecular weights. A number of XIP expression characteristics suggest their role in either gross chromosomal PLDR and/or in X-ray adaptivity responses: (a) XIP expression was inhibited by 1 microgram/ml cycloheximide, a dose which decreased survival 6-fold during PLDR holding and resulted in greater than 80% inhibition of protein synthesis; (b) XIP expression was specific for ionizing radiation damage, since heat shock, hypoxia, and alkylating agents failed to induce their synthesis; (c) the time course of expression was long, with the first appearance of XIPs at 3 h and maximal expression at 4 h.
Vibrational relaxation and the statistics of triplet states and matrix elements in methylglyoxal

Quantum beat spectroscopy is presently the only direct probe of intramolecular couplings and spacings between individual highly exicted states of polyatomic molecules with state densities of the order of 1000 states per wave number. We have applied this method to methylglyoxal in an attempt to discover if there are preferred pathways of intramolecular energy flow and if it is possible, in this and similar molecules, to localize energy in particular bonds. The method has enough resolution to allow observation of hyperfine splittings of excited triplet states as well as states which are different vibrationally excited triplet states. Consequently, the vibrational coupling and spacing trends are slightly obscured. However, our data indicate that there are no selection rules for intersystem crossing other than rigorous conservation laws and a requirement for conserving nuclear spin states. The dependence on the initial rotational angular momentum N is evidently not important at all at low N but might be usefu...
Soluble CD23 and Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist in Human Asthmatics Following Antigen Challenge

Two postulated intrinsic anti-inflammatory mechanisms in asthma include the low affinity IgE receptor, or CD23, and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). We investigated the role these mediators play in the asthmatic response by measuring local levels in human asthmatics before and after segmental allergen challenge and examined the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on soluble CD23 and IL-1ra levels. Ten subjects underwent bronchoscopy at baseline and 24 hours after antigen challenge. Prior to challenge and every 12 hours afterward subjects received beclomethasone 252 µg or placebo. Fluid was analyzed for sCD23 and IL-1ra using ELISA immunoassays. Eosinophil percentages significantly increased at 24 hours following antigen challenge. sCD23 levels were generally undetectable at baseline and increased significantly following antigen challenge. IL-1ra levels increased 28-fold in the late-phase response. Beclomethasone significantly reduced the late-phase eosinophil percentage at 24 hours compared with ...
Process influence on product CDM ESD performance

Abstract Effective ESD protection circuit design has become challenging due to rapid advances in process technology. This study was launched to address those concerns in deep sub-micron technologies and to look for a process windows that preserve CDM ESD robustness for a given ESD protection designs. Experimental results for 0.18 μm integrated CPU’s together with process window effects on CDM robustness are presented and discussed. The correlation between electrical characteristics and some of the common failure modes are described. It is shown that transistor off current lower than critical value can lead to degradation in time and an eventual secondary breakdown in a parasitic NPN transistor that results in unexpected CDM sensitivity.
Patterns and Words, Logic and Narrative:What can we expect of a visual language?

Summary form only given. Current theories of perception and language can help answer the question, "What can we expect of a visual language?" There are fundamental differences between visual and linguistic forms of expression. Linguistic forms of expression are characterized by the use of a rich set of socially invented arbitrary symbols as well as a form of logic exemplified by the 'ifs', 'ands' and 'buts' of natural language. The grammar of visual representation is quite different having to do with pattern relationships such as 'connected', 'inside', 'outside', or 'part of. These derive from our visual processing mechanism developed through interaction with the visual environment. This means that certain kinds of logic are best left to verbal or written language whereas structural relationships are best conveyed visually. Narrative, however, can be carried either through language or purely visual techniques or both. This is because narrative is about leading the attention of an audience and this can be achieved through either modality. Nevertheless, what can be expressed within a narrative is very different depending on the modality. Language can convey complex logical relationships between abstract ideas and support conditional actions whereas visual media can support the perception of almost instantaneous scene gist, rapid explorations of spatial structure and relationships between objects as well as emotions and motivations. Both can maintain and hold the thread of audience attention which is the essence of narrative.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Alcohol Dependence Implicates KIAA0040 on Chromosome 1q

Previous studies using SAGE (the Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment) and COGA (the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism) genome-wide association study (GWAS) data sets reported several risk loci for alcohol dependence (AD), which have not yet been well replicated independently or confirmed by functional studies. We combined these two data sets, now publicly available, to increase the study power, in order to identify replicable, functional, and significant risk regions for AD. A total of 4116 subjects (1409 European-American (EA) cases with AD, 1518 EA controls, 681 African-American (AA) cases, and 508 AA controls) underwent association analysis. An additional 443 subjects underwent expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis. Genome-wide association analysis was performed in EAs to identify significant risk genes. All available markers in the genome-wide significant risk genes were tested in AAs for associations with AD, and in six HapMap populations and two European samples for associations with gene expression levels. We identified a unique genome-wide significant gene—KIAA0040—that was enriched with many replicable risk SNPs for AD, all of which had significant cis-acting regulatory effects. The distributions of −log(p) values for SNP-disease and SNP-expression associations for all markers in the TNN–KIAA0040 region were consistent across EAs, AAs, and five HapMap populations (0.369⩽r⩽0.824; 2.8 × 10−9⩽p⩽0.032). The most significant SNPs in these populations were in high LD, concentrating in KIAA0040. Finally, expression of KIAA0040 was significantly (1.2 × 10−11⩽p⩽1.5 × 10−6) associated with the expression of numerous genes in the neurotransmitter systems or metabolic pathways previously associated with AD. We concluded that KIAA0040 might harbor a causal variant for AD and thus might directly contribute to risk for this disorder. KIAA0040 might also contribute to the risk of AD via neurotransmitter systems or metabolic pathways that have previously been implicated in the pathophysiology of AD. Alternatively, KIAA0040 might regulate the risk via some interactions with flanking genes TNN and TNR. TNN is involved in neurite outgrowth and cell migration in hippocampal explants, and TNR is an extracellular matrix protein expressed primarily in the central nervous system.
Temperature magnified postcapture mortality in adult sablefish after simulated trawling

For sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria that had been transferred abruptly from ambient (5·7° C) to temperatures ranging from 15 to 20° C for 30 min followed by 15 min in air (19·5) C), mortality increased with temperature. Mortality occurred at lower temperatures for sablefish that were net-towed for 4 h at ambient temperature before exposure to a rapid increase in temperature. A clear relationship was apparent between serum lactate and temperature with lactate increasing as temperature increased. For treatments in which mortality did not occur, lactate decreased sharply within 24 h, suggesting recovery. It would appear that the critical postcapture temperature for sablefish that reside and are captured at 4-6° C, would be between 12 and 15° C. The results of this study suggest that fishery management strategies designed to increase postcapture survival of sablefish bycatch should include a consideration of the impact of exposure to seasonal thermoclines and seasonally elevated air temperatures.
Recovery after tonsillectomy: Electrodissection vs. sharp dissection techniques☆☆☆★

Previous studies have suggested that electrodissection tonsillectomy is associated with increased pain and delayed healing in comparison with sharp techniques for tonsillectomy. To better define th...
Stratigraphy and Facies Analysis of Upper Kaibab and Lower Moenkopi Formations in Southwest Washington County, Utah: ABSTRACT

Pre-Moenkopi karst topography formed on the nonresistant gypsum beds of the Harrisburg Member in the Beaver Dam Mountains of southwestern Utah. Local relief on the erosional surface may be more than 140 m (450 ft), forming potential unconformity traps with substantial closure. Upper Permian and Lower Triassic rocks in the Beaver Dam Mountains accumulated on a gently westward-sloping continental shelf as both carbonate and clastic tidal-flat environments. Facies analysis shows seven lithofacies, including gypsum, dolomitic and calcareous mudstone, dolomitic and calcareous siltstone, dolomite, silty wackestone, fossiliferous packstone, and pelloidal-ooidal grainstone to packstone. Gypsum and dolomite facies formed mainly on supratidal flats. Packstone and grainstone rocks formed mainly on shoals, bars, and banks in the intertidal zone of a carbonate tidal flat. Mudstone and siltstone units formed mainly on muddy tidal flats. High-displacement Basin and Range normal faults have uplifted the rocks, forming good exposures of the Permian and Triassic strata in the Beaver Dam Mountains and perhaps forming structural traps to the east. Stratigraphic traps may also occur throughout the Harrisburg and Shnabkaib members. Thick anhydrite beds form the cap. Grainstone, packstone, and dolomite units may be effective reservoir rocks. Source rocks include algal-rich wackestone and dolomite beds, fossiliferous units, including the underlying Fossil Mountain Member, and organic-rich mudstone units. Though trapping mechanisms are abundant in the Beaver Dam Mountains, oil exploration has not been very successful to date; this may be due, in part, to the difficulty of locating suitable traps. End_of_Article - Last_Page 939------------
The mother-infant communication system

Structural patterns of communication change in an orderly manner with age, when infants interact with their own mother as well as with unfamiliar mothers.