cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real-time MPEG video coding with information look-ahead

There have been increasing market demands to develop more effective schemes for applying MPEG video coding standard to meet the challenges from the emerging applications. We present a real-time MPEG video coding system with information look-ahead for constant bit rate (CBR) applications, such as video-on-demand (VoD) over ADSL. This scheme employs two MPEG encoders. Both encoders operate at the same CBR. The second encoder has a buffer to delay the input by an amount of time relative to the first encoder to create a look-ahead window. In encoding, the first encoder collects the information of statistics and rate-quality characteristics. An on-line information processor then uses the collected information to derive the best coding strategy for the second encoder to encode the incoming frames in the look-ahead window. The second encoder uses the encoding parameters from the processor as the coding guide to execute the coding strategy and generate the final bitstream. Results on an IBM MPEG-2 encoder testing system with a 15 frame look-ahead window have shown that the scheme can obtain a 0.6 to 1.6 dB improvement in PSNR over the conventional single encoder on MPEG test video sources. Moreover, measured by the Tektronix Inc.'s picture quality analysis (PQA) system, this scheme achieved 0.87 /spl sim/ 1.35 reduction in PQA measurement. The visual quality improvement is also very evident.
Pacing of interstitial cells of Cajal in the murine gastric antrum: neurally mediated and direct stimulation

Phase advancement of electrical slow waves and regulation of pacemaker frequency was investigated in the circular muscle layer of the gastric antra of wild-type and W/WV mice. Slow waves in the murine antrum of wild-type animals had an intrinsic frequency of 4.4 cycles min−1 and were phase advanced and entrained to a maximum of 6.3 cycles min−1 using 0.1 ms pulses of electrical field stimulation (EFS) (three pulses delivered at 3–30 Hz). Pacing of slow waves was blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX) and atropine, suggesting phase advancement was mediated via intrinsic cholinergic nerves. Phase advancement and entrainment of slow waves via this mechanism was absent in W/WV mutants which lack intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC-IM). These data suggest that neural regulation of slow wave frequency and regulation of smooth muscle responses to slow waves are mediated via nerve-ICC-IM interactions. With longer stimulation parameters (1.0–2.0 ms), EFS phase advanced and entrained slow waves in wild-type and W/WV animals. Pacing with 1–2 ms pulses was not inhibited by TTX or atropine. These data suggest that stimulation with longer pulse duration is capable of directly activating the pacemaker mechanism in ICC-MY networks. In summary, intrinsic excitatory neurons can phase advance and increase the frequency of antral slow waves. This form of regulation is mediated via ICC-IM. Longer pulse stimulation can directly activate ICC-MY in the absence of ICC-IM.
Limb-salvage angioplasty in vascular surgery practice

Objective To assess outcomes of percutaneous infrainguinal arterial angioplasty for treatment of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLI) in poor surgical candidates. Methods A retrospective clinical analysis of 67 consecutively treated patients (76 limbs) with CLI over a 33-month period was performed. Patients were considered poor surgical candidates because of absent distal target vessels (31 limbs), severe comorbid conditions (36 limbs), or lack of an autologous vein for distal bypass (9 limbs). Limb salvage was defined as preservation of a functional foot without the need for a prosthesis. Technical success was defined as the ability to percutaneously recanalize the arterial segment with less than 30% residual stenosis. Clinical success was healing of ulcers or minor amputation sites, resolving rest pain, or avoiding a major amputation. Successful technical and clinical outcomes were correlated with patient demographics, clinical presentation, and TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus arterial lesion characteristics by using the Fisher exact test. Results Seventy-six limbs were treated for rest pain (n = 12), gangrene (n = 22), or nonhealing ulcers (n = 42). There were 40 men and 27 women. The mean age was 70 years (range, 36–94 years). Lesions were located in tibial (n = 55), popliteal (n = 6), and superficial femoral (n = 15) arteries. Arterial recanalization and limb salvage was achieved in 64 (83.5%) limbs. Technical failure (n = 12) correlated with TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus D lesions ( P = .009) and the presence of occlusion ( P = .027). Clinical failure (major amputation, n=12) correlated with the presence of gangrene ( P = .032) or the combination of diabetes, arterial occlusion, and gangrene ( P = .018). The single variables of age, sex, diabetes, and renal failure did not adversely affect outcomes. There was one mortality (myocardial infarction), and there were two major morbidities (femoral artery pseudoaneurysm and sepsis). Conclusions Peripheral arterial angioplasty should be considered as an alternative to primary amputation in selected patients with CLI who are poor candidates for traditional surgical bypass.
Effects of Escherichia coli and E. coli lipopolysaccharides on the function of human ureteral epithelial cells cultured in serum-free medium.

Escherichia coli is the microorganism most commonly isolated from human urinary tract infections. Earlier studies by others have shown that bacterial attachment and production of toxins (e.g., lipopolysaccharides [LPS]) enhance recruitment of leukocytes to the infection site and mucosal inflammation. The mechanisms by which these changes occur have not been completely defined. In the present study, epithelial cell cultures isolated from the human ureter (UT cells) (A. Elgavish, J. J. Wille, F. Rahemtulla, and L. Debro, Am. J. Physiol. 261:C916-C926, 1991; J. J. Wille, J. Park, and A. Elgavish, J. Cell. Physiol. 150:52-58, 1992) served as a model system with which to explore the mechanisms of action of Escherichia coli and E. coli LPS in UT cells. E. coli adhered to UT cells and inhibited carrier-mediated sulfate uptake to half of that in untreated UT cells, suggesting that the intracellular pool of sulfate available for sulfation may be lower in infected cells and may lead to the production of undersulfated glycoconjugates. Incubation of UT cells with E. coli LPS inhibited carrier-mediated sulfate uptake to an extent similar to that caused by whole E. coli, indicating that the effect of E. coli on sulfate uptake may be mediated by LPS. LPS caused an increase in Na+ content in rapidly proliferating UT cells but not in quiescent cells. We postulated that this change in the intracellular ionic environment or changes coupled to it (e.g., pH or Ca2+ levels) may serve as a transducing signal. This possibility was supported by the fact that LPS stimulated clustering of ICAM-1 on the cell surface of rapidly proliferating but not quiescent UT cells. This study suggests that, in vivo, LPS stimulation of ICAM-1 clustering on the surface of the urothelium may allow more effective binding of leukocytes. This may be the mechanism underlying earlier findings in vivo indicating a role for LPS in the recruitment of leukocytes to the urinary tract as a host defense mechanism following urinary tract infection.
To Stain or Not to Stain...That Remains the Question

Helicobacter pylori causes chronic gastritis and is associated with an increased risk for the development of gastroduodenal ulcers, gastric cancer, and lymphoma.1 The diagnosis of active H pylori infection may be established with high confidence by using stool antigen assays, urease breath tests, and the Campylobacter -like organism (CLO) tests when used in previously untreated patients.2–9 Unfortunately, these methods do not permit mucosal assessment for inflammation-induced injury (or for the presence of other conditions) and are not sufficiently reliable when monitoring patients who receive eradication therapy or proton pump inhibitors.5,6,10–14 Thus, pathologic evaluation of mucosal biopsy specimens is widely used to document H pylori infection.15,16 Organisms are usually detectable in H&E-stained sections, but histochemical (eg, Giemsa, thiazine [modified Giemsa stain], alcian yellow, Genta, and Warthin-Starry) and immunohistochemical stains are widely used to enhance detection. Most authors have found ancillary stains to show comparably high sensitivities (>90%) for H pylori detection, so pathologists generally choose one or more of them based on personal preference.17–19 Rarely, if ever, do pathologists detect H pylori in “normal” uninflamed gastric tissue, and the added value of ancillary tests over H&E stains when histologic findings do not suggest infection has never been convincingly demonstrated. Therefore, the question of whether ancillary stains should be routinely used regardless of the histologic appearance of a gastric biopsy specimen on H&E remains a subject of considerable debate. Data-driven guidelines regarding the use of ancillary stains to detect H pylori in gastric biopsy specimens are not established. Pathologists have historically used their own discretion when ordering histochemical and/or immunohistochemical stains; however, many groups increasingly perform such studies on all gastric biopsy specimens (up-front) or on an established subset of cases, such as those accompanied …
Does mandating offenders to treatment improve completion rates

While it is known that community-based outpatient treatment for substance abusing offenders is effective, treatment completion rates are low and much of the prior research has been conducted with offenders in residential treatment or therapeutic communities. The aim of the present study was to assess whether offenders who are mandated to community-based outpatient treatment have better completion rates compared to those who enter treatment voluntarily. The 160 research participants were a heterogeneous group of substance abusers who were under various levels of criminal justice supervision (CJS) in the community. The participants were enrolled in an intensive outpatient program and were recruited into the study between July 2007 and October 2010. All offenders received weekly therapy sessions using a cognitive problem solving framework and 45% completed the 6 month treatment program. Interestingly, those who were mandated demonstrated less motivation at treatment entry, yet were more likely to complete treatment compared to those who were not court-ordered to treatment. While controlling for covariates known to be related to treatment completion, the logistic regression analyses demonstrated that court-ordered offenders were over 10 times more likely to complete treatment compared to those who entered treatment voluntarily (OR=10.9, CI=2.0-59.1, p=.006). These findings demonstrate that stipulated treatment for offenders may be an effective way to increase treatment compliance.
Cr:LiSrAlF(6) regenerative amplifier.

The design and performance of a flash-lamp-pumped regenerative amplifier that utilizes the new laser material Cr:LiSrAlF6 is described. The device can be used for tunable and/or short-pulse amplification to the 10-mJ level at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. Using chirped-pulse amplification, we have achieved 8-mJ pulses with a duration of 150 fs.
The Current Status of Osteomyelitis

It appears proper to include osteomyelitis in a panel discussion on life-threatening infections in man. Although the mortality and morbidity of osteomyelitis have been greatly reduced in recent decades, if this disease is unrecognized and untreated, the mortality rate is still about 20 percent. Equally important is the fact that rapid diagnosis and treatment are necessary to prevent progression to the disabling and frequently life-long chronic osteomyelitis.
Inductance of transmission lines: Deriving the flux linkage method from the generalized telegrapher’s equations

This paper presents a clear derivation of the flux linkage method for calculating inductance of transmission lines with spatially disturbed (non-filamentary) current. The flux linkage method is a common tool for teaching and calculating inductance of distributed circuits, yet rarely derived from first principles in textbooks. This may confuse students into thinking the method is obvious. This paper proves the flux linkage method by generalizing the ordinary telegrapher’s equations to the case of transmission lines with spatially distributed current. Furthermore, we demonstrate the advantages of a systematic approach for calculating inductance by comparing it with the traditional approach for a coaxial cable.
Density and growth of juvenile Amphiura filiformis (Ophiuroidea) in the Øresund

Abstract By regular, quantitative sampling during two years 13 050 specimens of Amphiura filiformis were collected at a locality in the Oresund (27 m depth, muddy sand). The material included all stages from newly settled to adults. Three settling periods were registered with maximum numbers of newly settled from 6200 to 6800 · m−2. The mean disc diameter at settling was 0.3 mm, after 1 year 0.6 mm and after 2 years 1.6 mm. The adults had disc diameters of 4–9 mm. Consequently, the juvenile life lasted at least 3 years.} During all seasons there was a remarkable paucity of individuals with disc diameters between 2 and 4 mm. No age groups were found among the adults. Altogether, there is every possibility of a long life span — maybe 25 years. The density of adults has been stable for at least 20 years and was during the study period 575 · m−2 (mean), max. 1050 · m−2. Compared with other European populations the density was high and, therefore, I conclude that conditions are favourable for Amphiura filiform...
Medical Information Bus usage for automated IV pump data acquisition: evaluation of usage patterns.

Objective: To identify factors which influence the choice of nurses to use automated collection of IV pump data from a prototype Medical Information Bus. Design: Observational study for a duration of three and one-half months. Setting: Four intensive care units, each with different missions, in an adult hospital. Subjects: One hundred fifty-eight registered nurses including both full and part time. Measurements and Main Results: Data were collected from the hospital information system about infusion orders including the type of medication, the number of rate changes, the method of documenting rate changes and the infusion methods. The method of documentation for infusion rate changes was defined as either automated, using a prototype Medical Information Bus (MIB), or manual, using the keyboard at a bedside computer terminal. The method of infusion was defined as either straight gravity feed without an IV pump (‘no pump’), infusion using a pump but without connection to the hospital information system (‘pump only’) and infusion using a pump which was connected to the hospital information system using a prototype Medical Information Bus (‘automated’). A total of 22,199 rate changes were documented during the study period and of those, 22,055 (99.35%) used the ‘automated’ method. Medications with the highest average rate change per single container were; Nitroprusside Sodium (9.50), Epinephrine (9.08) and Epoprostenol (7.50). Conclusions: The nurses used automated IV pump data acquisition with medications which required frequent rate changes.
Tip for Detecting Popliteal Cysts

(2002). Tip for Detecting Popliteal Cysts. The Physician and Sportsmedicine: Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 49-52.
Monitoring results of influenza in Huairou District of Beijing during 2005-2009.

[Objective]To analyze the etiological monitoring data of influenza from December 2005 to December 2009 in Huairou district of Beijing,so as to understand the etiological characteristics of influenza,provide scientific basis for prevention and control of influenza in Huairou district.[Methods]The epidemiological and etiological monitoring was carried out according to the National Influenza Surveillance Program. The throat swabs sampled from respiratory tract of influenza like patients were inoculated in MDCK cells to isolate the virus and identify the types.[Results]During the epidemic season from March 2005 to March 2006,157 throat swab specimens were collected from influenza like patients,59 strains of influenza viruses were isolated with the isolation rate of 37. 8% . 4 strains were identified as A3,which accounted for 6. 78% ; 12 strains were identified as A1 viruses,which account for 20. 34% ; 43 strains were identified as B,which accounted for 72. 88% . During the epidemic season from April 2006 to March 2007,96 throat swab specimens were collected from influenza like patients,46 strains of influenza viruses were isolated with the isolation rate of 47. 92% . 37 strains were identified as A3,which accounted for 80. 43% ; 8 strains were identified as A1,which account for 17. 39% ; 1 strain was identified as B,which accounted for 2. 18% . During the epidemic season from April 2007 to October 2009,256 throat swab specimens were collected from influenza like patients,75 strains of influenza viruses were isolated with the isolation rate of 29. 30% . 40 strains were identified as A3,which accounted for 53. 33% ,and 35 strains were identified as B,which accounted for 46. 67% . During the epidemic season in 2009,2305 throat swab specimens were collected from influenza like patients,639 strains of influenza viruses were isolated with the isolation rate of 27. 72% . 24 strains were identified as A1,which accounted for 3. 76% ; 99 strains were identified as A3,which account for 15. 49% ; 48 strains were identified as B,which accounted for 7. 51% ; 468 strains were identified as new A ( H1N1) ,which accounted for 73. 24% . From 2005 to 2009,the highest positive rate of influenza like cases occurred in December and January in Huairou district. The isolation positive rate of routine monitoring and outbreak cases from March 2005 to March 2007 was higher than that from April 2007 to October 2009 ( 5. 1% and 46. 11% ) .[Conclusion]The epidemic peak of influenza was in winter in Huairou district. During 2005-2006,the predominant strain was influenza B virus. From 2006 to 2008,the predominant strain was A3 virus. The predominant strain was A ( H1N1) in 2009. The isolation rate is related to quality of samples.
The Value of Detecting Serum Level of Progesterone for Expectant Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy

Objective:To discuss the value of the detecting serum level of progesterone for expectant treatment of ectopic pregnancy.Method:50 patients suffered from ectopic pregnancy were treated by MTX(intramuscular injection),34 patients succeeded (successful group) and 16 patient failed (failure group),the serum level of progesterone and β-hCG were detected by chemiluminometry and compared between two groups by t-test.Result:The level of progesterone in successful group was (20.13±1.56)nmol/L,failure group was (40.17±0.97)nmol/L,the level of progesterone in successful group was lower than failure group, there was statistical difference between the two groups(t =45.86, P 0.01).The time thatβ-hCG descend to 5 mIU/ml was (23.00±2.01)days,progesterone descend to 5 nmol/L was(13.81±1.30)days in successful group,the latter was shorter than the former,there was statistical difference between the two groups(t =15.84, P 0.01).The time that β-hCG begin to descend from beginning was (8.05±1.23)days,the time that progesterone begin to descend from beginning was(4.54±0.64) days,the latter was shorter than the former ,there was statistical difference between the two groups(t =10.48, P 0.05).Conclusions:The time that progesterone begin to descend is shorter than β-hCG in expectant treatment of ectopic pregnancy,it plays an important role in predicating the result of ectopic pregnancy.
Recent Administrative and Managerial Practices and Public Service Motivation: Evidence from Seoul City Government, South Korea

ABSTRACTThis study aims to investigate the impact of recent administrative and managerial practices of public organizations on public service motivation. Using data from a survey of 1840 civil servants in Seoul City Government, this research uses hierarchical linear modeling to empirically assess the aforementioned associations. The results show that recent administrative and managerial practices have both positive and negatives on public service motivation. At the end of the study, the administrative and managerial implications of the study are also discussed in light of these results.
Ingroups and Outgroups

Humans benefit from living in groups, and this results in social organization consisting of ingroups and outgroups. Ingroups are the groups to which individuals both belong and psychologically identify, while outgroups are those to which individuals do not belong or identify. Categorizations based on ingroup–outgroup distinctions have a profound impact on social interactions, including aspects of prejudice, reward allocation, stereotyping, and group conflict. Various explanations are discussed for the pervasiveness of ingroup–outgroup categorizations. Keywords: psychology of prejudice; social cognition; social psychology; stereotyping
Immunoprecipitation of MicroRNPs and Directional Cloning of MicroRNAs

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) comprise a class of approx 22-nucleotide (nt) regulatory RNAs, found in plants and animals (1–8). miRNAs contain 5′ phosphates and 3′ hydroxyls and are processed by the Dicer nuclease from one of the stems of longer precursors (pre-miRNAs) that form stem-loop structures (9–11). In animals, pre-miRNAs are themselves processed by the nuclease Drosha from longer transcripts, termed primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) (12). miRNAs bind to Argonaute proteins and typically associate with additional proteins to form microribonucleoproteins (miRNPs), the effector complexes that mediate translational repression or endonucleolytic cleavage of their cognate mRNAs (6,10, 13,14). Another class of approx 22-nt RNAs, termed short, interfering RNAs (siRNAs), is inextricably linked to miRNAs (15,16). siRNAs are processed by Dicer from double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), and siRNAs are also bound to Argonaute proteins and might assemble with additional proteins to form complexes termed RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs) (10). miRNPs and RISCs are functionally equivalent and their core components are Argonaute proteins and miRNAs or siRNAs (17). siRNAs might also silence chromatin (9,18). The development of strategies to clone small RNAs has dramatically accelerated the discovery of miRNAs and our understanding of the function of siRNAs and miRNAs. We describe a method for immunoprecipitation of miRNPs and isolation and cloning of associated small RNAs (6). This approach combines techniques developed for the immunoprecipitation of RNPs (19,20), with techniques developed for the directional cloning of small RNAs (15). In
A Systematic Review of Perioperative Versus Prophylactic Antibiotics for Cochlear Implantation.

Background:Previous Cochrane review of prophylactic antibiotic use in clean and clean-contaminated ear surgery showed no benefit; however, these studies did not address cochlear implant (CI) surger...
Neuromotor response of the leg muscles following a supine, stand retraining with/without neuromuscular electrical stimulation training intervention for individuals with SCI: A case series

The goal of this paper is to study the effects of supine and stand retraining (SRT) interventions with and without multi muscle neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the neuromuscular EMG responses of the leg muscles for individuals with motor complete SCI during walking on a body-weight support (BWS) treadmill. The main outcome variables were EMG amplitude, integrated EMG and co-contraction indices (co-excitation and co-activation) collected during a 10-minute walking treadmill trial. Data was analyzed for the first, fifth and tenth minute of walking. Results showed that both Supine+NMES and SRT+NMES interventions increased spatial-temporal aspects of muscle activity (mean EMG amplitude and integrated EMG) of lower limb muscles. SRT+NMES (loading) showed greater gains in the proximal anterior leg compartments. On the contrary, SRT without NMES (SRT only) exhibited deterioration of activity within the same muscle groups. Co-contraction indices increased for both post-NMES interventions suggesting that task-specificity of training is important to achieve the fundamental reciprocal firing known to able-bodied gait. These results show that combination of NMES+loading during passive rhythmic gait will induce neuroplasticity in the lower limbs that ultimately provides a potential effective means to recover gait in individuals with SCI.
Evaluating Varied Label Designs for Use with Medical Devices: Optimized Labels Outperform Existing Labels in the Correct Selection of Devices and Time to Select.

PURPOSE Effective standardization of medical device labels requires objective study of varied designs. Insufficient empirical evidence exists regarding how practitioners utilize and view labeling. OBJECTIVE Measure the effect of graphic elements (boxing information, grouping information, symbol use and color-coding) to optimize a label for comparison with those typical of commercial medical devices. DESIGN Participants viewed 54 trials on a computer screen. Trials were comprised of two labels that were identical with regard to graphics, but differed in one aspect of information (e.g., one had latex, the other did not). Participants were instructed to select the label along a given criteria (e.g., latex containing) as quickly as possible. Dependent variables were binary (correct selection) and continuous (time to correct selection). PARTICIPANTS Eighty-nine healthcare professionals were recruited at Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) conferences, and using a targeted e-mail of AST members. RESULTS Symbol presence, color coding and grouping critical pieces of information all significantly improved selection rates and sped time to correct selection (α = 0.05). Conversely, when critical information was graphically boxed, probability of correct selection and time to selection were impaired (α = 0.05). Subsequently, responses from trials containing optimal treatments (color coded, critical information grouped with symbols) were compared to two labels created based on a review of those commercially available. Optimal labels yielded a significant positive benefit regarding the probability of correct choice ((P<0.0001) LSM; UCL, LCL: 97.3%; 98.4%, 95.5%)), as compared to the two labels we created based on commercial designs (92.0%; 94.7%, 87.9% and 89.8%; 93.0%, 85.3%) and time to selection. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides data regarding design factors, namely: color coding, symbol use and grouping of critical information that can be used to significantly enhance the performance of medical device labels.
AN AGAR MEDIUM FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL ENUMERATION OF YOGURT STARTER BACTERIA1,2

Generally, Streptococcus thermophilus ferments sucrose, whereas Lactobacillus bulgaricus fails to utilize this disaccharide. When both sucrose and lactose were added to a basal medium, S. thermophilus fermented both carbon sources, produced sufficient acid to change the color of an acid-base indicator (bromcresol purple), and hence formed yellow colonies. On the same medium, most L. bulgaricus strains grew more slowly, produced less acid, and yielded white colonies. Acid diffusion around the S. thermophilus colonies was localized by incorporation of CaCO3 into the medium. To test the efficacy of this medium when known strains of starters are used, the effect of freezing with liquid nitrogen on mixed cultures of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus was studied.
Dives, Draws and Drama: Why Americans Hate Soccer

This article focuses on the many reasons the sport of Soccer has never caught on in the United States. Soccer has largely been a marginalized sport in the US due to lack of exposure and support, but has seen a steady increase in growth since the early 90’s.
Um herói às avessas revisitado: do “Tatu” do cancioneiro popular ao Tatu da novela de Donaldo Schüler

Tendo em vista a importância das composicoes poeticas do cancioneiro popular gaucho, reunidas no Cancioneiro guasca de Simoes Lopes Neto (1910) e no Cancioneiro gaucho de Augusto Meyer (1959), como configuracoes do universo regional gauchesco e a presenca, nas duas compilacoes, do poema narrativo “O Tatu”, que e tambem motivo de fandango e uma especie de fabula, em que esse animal representa o homem sul-rio-grandense, em todas as suas insercoes sociais na Historia do estado, seja nas revolucoes, seja nos movimentos de imigracao e migracao, tanto de italianos quanto de alemaes, e em suas relacoes pessoais com a mulher e os filhos, o estudo dedica-se a toma-lo como uma desconstrucao do mito do gaucho, representacao simbolica emblematica, traduzida em duas facetas: o monarca das coxilhas, por seu sentimento antimonarquista, gosto pela liberdade e autonomia, que o caracteriza, e centauro dos pampas, por sua forte ligacao com o cavalo, companheiro nas lidas diarias e nas contendas belicas. E como esse poema narrativo foi motivo de dialogo intertextual para a construcao da novela O tatu: rimance, do critico e escritor gaucho Donaldo Schuler (1982), essa inquiricao coloca lado a lado os dois textos, para demonstrar o quanto a narrativa moderna e uma retomada da possibilidade de desconstrucao da idealizacao, caracteristica das composicoes da literatura regionalista gauchesca, tendencia que vem desde as fontes populares do cancioneiro e, reforcada pelo romantismo, chega tambem aos tempos modernos. Demonstra-se que a novela em questao apresenta um trabalhador rural, colocado como o Tatu numa posicao de anti-heroi e, atraves do metodo comparativo, como ambas as personagens estao despidas das qualificacoes do heroi, pela pobreza e pelas condicoes inumanas a que estao sujeitas, e podem representar a opressao do homem comum num sistema que nao lhes permite alcar-se acima da miseria que as acompanha, como e o caso do Capitalismo moderno.
Mentor Support Provisions Scale: Measure dimensionality, measurement invariance, and associations with adolescent school functioning.

Abstract Mentoring relationships can have important effects on adolescents' psychosocial and academic outcomes; however, the transactions within mentoring relationships that may account for impact on psychosocial and academic outcomes are not well understood. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Mentor Support Provisions Scale (MSPS), a tool for assessing the types of support that mentors provide. Exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine measure dimensionality. Findings indicated acceptable fit with a three-factor structure: Academic Support, Intimacy, and Warmth. The MSPS was found to have scalar invariance; thus, factor loadings and intercepts are the same across student sex and ethnic groups (e.g., White, Hispanic, and Black). In structural equation modeling analyses, the three latent factors predicted academic engagement and reading and math achievement, above baseline scores. Research and practical uses of the MSPS are discussed.
Myeloid Neoplasm With Germline Predisposition: A 2016 Update for Pathologists.

Context.— Myeloid neoplasms with familial occurrence have been rarely reported in the past. With the advance of molecular technology and better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of myeloid neoplasms, investigating the genetic causes of familial acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome has become feasible in the clinical setting. Recent studies have identified a rapidly expanding list of germline mutations associated with increased risks of developing myeloid neoplasm in the affected families. It is important to recognize these entities, as such a diagnosis may dictate a unique approach in clinical management and surveillance for the patients and carriers. Objective.— To raise the awareness of myeloid neoplasms arising in the setting of familial inheritance among practicing pathologists. Data Sources.— Based on recent literature and the 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification of hematopoietic neoplasms, we provide an up-to-date review of myeloid neoplasm with germl...
A High-Throughput Assay for Collagen Secretion Suggests an Unanticipated Role for Hsp90 in Collagen Production.

Collagen overproduction is a feature of fibrosis and cancer, while insufficient deposition of functional collagen molecules and/or the secretion of malformed collagen is common in genetic disorders like osteogenesis imperfecta. Collagen secretion is an appealing therapeutic target in these and other diseases, as secretion directly connects intracellular biosynthesis to collagen deposition and biological function in the extracellular matrix. However, small molecule and biological methods to tune collagen secretion are severely lacking. Their discovery could prove useful not only in the treatment of disease, but also in providing tools for better elucidating mechanisms of collagen biosynthesis. We developed a cell-based, high-throughput luminescent assay of collagen type I secretion and used it to screen for small molecules that selectively enhance or inhibit that process. Among several validated hits, the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylaminogeldanamycin (17-AAG) robustly decreases the secretion of collagen-I by o...
Lewis the Graduate Student: An Entry in the AAAI Robot Challenge.

In this paper, we describe Lewis the Graduate Student, Washington University’s entry in the AAAI Mobile Robot Competition Challenge Event. Lewis successfully completed a modified subset of the Challenge tasks, with a minimum of human intervention. We describe the architecture of our system, and how each sub-task was achieved. We also offer some thoughts on the performance of the system, and highlight our plans
Tandem Duplication Involving Part of One Linkage Group at a Time

Just as mutation is the consequence of a mistake in DNA replication, gene duplication also arises as an infrequent mistake in mitotic as well as meiotic processes. Duplication which involves a single cistron or a cluster of cistrons on one linkage group is dealt with in this chapter. This mode of gene duplication can be contrasted with the simultaneous duplication of all linkage groups due to polyploidy (to be dealt with in a later chapter).
Mechanistic Studies Related to the Olefin Metathesis Reaction

The olefin metathesis reaction1 has been proposed to proceed via interconversion of metal-carbene-alkene complexes and metalla-cyclobutanes.2 This proposal is supported both by studies of the reactions of metal carbene complexes with alkenes3 and by labelling experiments which show that the olefin metathesis reaction proceeds in a non-pairwise manner.4 Our interest in the metathesis reaction has led us to study the preparation of metal complexes containing both carbene and alkene ligands and to study rearrangement reactions of metallacyclobutanes.
Aluminum Compounds Used as Adjuvants in Vaccines

The structure of nine commercially manufactured aluminum-containing adjuvants was investigated by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron micrography, and energy dispersive spectrometry. Seven samples which were labeled as aluminum hydroxide were identified as boehmite, a crystalline aluminum oxyhydroxide [AlO(OH)]. However, the degree of crystallinity varied between the samples. Two samples which were labeled as aluminum phosphate were found to be amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate. Buffer anions and sulfate anions substitute for hydroxyls in the amorphous aluminum hydroxide formed by the in situ alum precipitation method. Finally, the aluminum-containing adjuvant in diphtheria and tetanus toxoid, U.S.P., produced by three manufacturers was characterized.
Evaluation of Rhizobium meliloti strains indigenous to Sonoran Desert soils by plasmid profile and intrinsic antibiotic resistance

In Arizona, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is not normally inoculated and yet yields are high due to biological nitrogen fixation by indigenous strains of Rhizobium meliloti. The objectives of this study were 1.) to determine the dominant R. meliloti strains indigenous to the Southwest, 2.) to evaluate environmental factors influencing the distribution of these dominant strains, and 3.) to assess the effectiveness of those indigenous strains on a locally adapted alfalfa cultivar.
Adoption and impact of concurrent chemotherapy with radiation in the treatment of patients with vaginal cancer: A National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) study.

5525 Background: Vaginal cancer is uncommon entity for which concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) is increasingly used based on extrapolation from cervical cancer. However, studies supporting CCRT use ...
Bundled payment for actinic keratosis management: Pilot evaluation of developed models.

Background There is an opportunity to explore alternate payment models in dermatology. Objective To pilot 2 bundled payment models for actinic keratosis (AK) management. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted during September 2013-June 2016. Consecutive patients were recruited from clinics of 5 dermatologists. Patients had to be adults, have ≥1 year of care at the department, and have a history of AK. A bundled payment strategy was prospectively piloted for 1 year and compared with costs in the prior year. Results Overall, 400 participants were enrolled, and complete data was collected for 254 participants. During the year of bundled payments, actual total annual spending on claims was $70,557, whereas model 1 and model 2 bundled payment models would have totaled $67,310 and $74,422, respectively, for the patient cohort. Patient satisfaction surveys showed no difference in the quality of care. Limitations Single-center study and limited sample size. International Classification of Diseases 9 and 10 codes were used to identify claims and might be inaccurate. Costs were modeled rather than fully implemented. Conclusion Dermatologists should be aware of bundled payment models. More work is needed to elucidate the optimal formulation of a bundled payment for AK management, including the services covered, time delimitation, and risk stratification factors.
Sound Hole Sound

The volume of air that goes in and out of a musical instrument’s sound hole is related to the sound hole’s contribution to the volume of the sound. Helmholtz’s result for the simplest case of steady flow through an elliptical hole is reviewed. Measurements on multiple holes in sound box geometries and scales relevant to real musical instruments demonstrate the importance of a variety of effects. Electric capacitance of single flat plates is a mathematically identical problem, offering an alternate way to understand the most important of those effects. The measurements also confirm and illuminate aspects of Helmholtz’s “bottle” resonator model as applied to musical instrument sound boxes and sound holes.
AMD Severity Prediction and Explainability Using Image Registration and Deep Embedded Clustering

262Most approaches to deep learning (DL)-based medical image classification output a binary decision about the presence or absence of a disease without explicitly justifying decisions. Moreover, disease severity prediction in an unsupervised approach is not clearly defined since the absence of disease labels prevents validation of decisions, as in diabetic retinopathy (Son et al., 2020). Diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) do not have a standard clinical severity scale, and it is left to the observer’s expertise to assess severity. While class activation maps (CAMs) (Zhou et al., 2016) highlight image regions that have high response to the trained classifier, they do not provide measurable parameters to explain the decision. Explainability of classifier decisions is an essential requirement of modern diagnosis systems.
Social context and change in suicide ideation in a community sample of youths

Adolescent suicide ideation (SI) often portends more grievous suicidal behavior; yet, long-term studies of what risk factors predict SI are limited. We employ a multi-wave longitudinal design to investigate the impact of earlier social contexts on change in SI. A community sample of 748 youths drawn from the Children in the Community (CIC) study was first assessed with the CIC Youth SI Scale at mean age 13.7 (range 9–18) (baseline) and in two follow-ups over 10 years. GEE Poisson Regression was used to estimate SI between ages 10 and 25 (intercept set at age midpoint of 17), and to examine associations between baseline measures of parent, peer, and school social contexts and subsequent change in SI. Analyses were controlled for demographic characteristics and known risks for SI: sexual or physical abuse before age 18 (obtained by official reports) and major depressive disorder (MDD, diagnosed by psychiatric interview at baseline and follow-ups). SI declined significantly by age 17 with greater mother affection (β = − 0.091, SE = 0.037), peer friendship quality (β = − 0.115, SE = 0.034), peer social support (β = − 0.116, SE = 0.042), and school engagement (β = − 0.083, SE = 0.045, trend), but increased significantly with more parent punishment (β = 0.143, SE = 0.045) and school conflict (β = 0.168, SE = 0.042). SI associations with sexual or physical abuse (β = 0.299, SE = 0.137) and MDD (β = 0.777, SE = 0.130) were independent of other effects. Earlier social contexts influence change in SI independent of each other and of known risks for SI in community youths, and may be a resource for intervention efforts to deter future SI.
Robust Conceptual Design of Transonic Airfoils

This paper describes an integrated, multi-fidelity analysis and heuristic design approach that can be used to derive initial airfoil designs for transonic flight. If successful, the final result is a geometry that can be expected to produce reasonable aerodynamic performance when used with higher order analysis methods. A key aspect of the methodology is the use of a “sonic-plateau” pressure distribution as the target distribution for inverse design. The sonic- plateau distribution is easily parameterized and has the advantage of automatically resulting in a smooth airfoil shape without any discontinuities built into the surface due to the presence of a shock in the target pressure distribution. Inverse design is performed on each airfoil using a parametrically defined pressure distribution at a reduced lift coefficient and Mach number from the design condition. The methodology is demonstrated by designing an airfoil at 38% of the wing semispan for a 737-200-like aircraft. The demonstration problem shows that the methodology is able to achieve rapid and robust convergence to the solution. The calculated designed airfoil was found to be sufficiently higher than Mach number, and the maximum thickness was close to the targeted value.
Physiological Response to Water Deficit Stress with Restricted Rooting in Tall Fescue and Zoysiagrass

Abstract Urban soils may restrict turfgrass rooting depth with shallow soil layers in high sand content soils, which may influence water conservation. A greenhouse study sought to quantify water us...
The Accessible Universe: On the Choice to Require Bodily Modification for Space Exploration

Humanity should not attempt to establish space societies that would not be open to “baseline” humans (e.g., those with species-typical oxygen or radiation protection needs). Two arguments are provided for this conclusion: The first argument is via analogy with disability and accessibility. Just as it would be impermissible today to mandate disability-removing medical procedures, so too would it be impermissible to require bodily modification in order to participate in a space society. We should only create space societies that are accessible to humanity, broadly speaking. The second argument is that the requirement of bodily modification would pervert the vision of the human expansion into space. The future we ought to strive for is one in which all humans can travel easily between different destinations in space, in much the way that humans can travel easily between different destinations on Earth.
Approaches To The Therapy Of Glutathione Deficiency

The glutathione levels of tissues are tipically decreased in response to oxidative stress induced by treatment with radiation, hyperoxia and various chemical compounds (including drugs) but these modalities are generally non-specific and thus affect many cell structures as well as glutathione. An essentially “pure” glutathione deficiency may be produced by administration to animals of a selective transition-state inhibitor of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (such as buthionine sulfoximine). Inhibition of this enzyme, which catalyzes the first step in the sinthesis of glutathione, produces markedly decreased cellular levels of glutathione because export of glutathione continues in the absence of intracellular glutathione synthesis. Such glutathione deficiency, which leads to oxidative tissue damage, may be ascribed to the very substantial normal physiological endogenous formation of reactive oxygen intermediates and free radicals. This model of oxidative stress thus differs significantly from those produced by exogenous application of stress.
Topology Optimization of the Reluctance Trans-Rotary Magnetic Gear

Advances in additive manufacturing have been paving the way for unconventional topologies in electromechanical systems. As such, topology optimization can be employed to uncover topologies that were once considered impractical. This paper investigates enhancing the shear stress of the reluctance trans-rotary magnetic gear (TROMAG) by optimizing the topology of the gear’s variable reluctance component. Reluctance TROMAG is a strong contender for force-intensive linear motion applications where a long stroke is required. Topology optimization is performed on the reluctance TROMAG with radially-magnetized permanent magnet (PM) configuration as well as with quasi-Halbach magnetized configuration. Results show that the use of elliptical iron teeth backed by non-ferromagnetic core can make 40% increase compared to the shear stress of the conventional (rectangular teeth) reluctance TROMAG with radial magnetization. The Halbach-magnetized TROMAG with elliptical iron teeth backed by non-ferromagnetic core achieves the same shear stress as the conventional reluctance TROMAG with Halbach magnetization, and the use of light weight non-ferromagnetic material for the variable reluctance component can make significant reductions in the total gear weight.
Case 286: Sarcoidlike Granulomatosis and Lymphadenopathy—Thoracic Manifestations of Nivolumab Drug Toxicity

History A 70-year-old man had a posterior left thigh lesion confirmed to be biopsy-proven melanoma. The patient underwent wide excision and sentinel node biopsy, which showed absence of residual melanoma. Two years later, the patient noticed a subcentimeter subcutaneous lump in his thigh. Repeat excisional biopsy showed involvement of the surrounding soft tissue, consistent with a satellite lesion. Follow-up combined PET/CT revealed satellite nodules around the primary lesion, enabling confirmation of subcutaneous metastatic disease. The patient was subsequently started on nivolumab, an anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that blocks PD-1 and is approved as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. On the baseline scan prior to starting nivolumab, there were no CT findings that suggested metastatic disease, nor were there enlarged mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes. Five months after initiation of nivolumab treatment, the first follow-up chest CT scan was performed and showed new findings in the mediastinum and bilateral lungs. The patient remained asymptomatic during the treatment period. Furthermore, the subcutaneous metastatic disease remained stable during the treatment period, and no other site of metastatic disease was noted on follow-up CT scans obtained during the first 5 months of treatment. The patient had no prior history of infectious or occupational exposures. During the nivolumab treatment cycle, his pertinent laboratory values and physical examination findings were unremarkable.