cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disorders of the psittacine gastrointestinal tract.

In birds, the oropharynx is comprised of the oral cavity and the pharynx [1]. Unlike mammals, there is no distinct division between the two regions [1]. It is lined by stratified squamous epithelium [2]. In place of a soft palate, birds have a median longitudinal fissure called a choana, which links the oral cavity to the nasal cavity [1]. The surface of the oropharynx, including the edge of the choana, is lined by numerous papillae [2]. The palate of most birds has numerous ridges located rostral and lateral to the choana that aid in the removal of seed shells [2]. The infundibular cleft lies caudal to the choana and serves as an opening to the auditory tubes [1]. The tongue of psittacine species is used to manipulate food in the oral cavity and does not protrude beyond the beak opening [2]. The psittacine tongue may be darkly pigmented. It is short, thick, and fleshy due to intrinsic muscles and adapted for manipulating seeds and nuts [2]. The caudal portion of the tongue contains caudally directed papilla called the laryngeal mound. The laryngeal mound helps to move food boluses toward
The Effect of Sulfaquinoxaline Feed Medication on the Immunologic Response to a Pasteurella multocida Vaccine Administered to Turkeys via Drinking Water

Abstract Five groups of turkeys received C.U. strain Pasteurella multocida vaccine in the drinking water for one day. One group received the 0.1% level of sulfaquinoxaline feed medication at the time of vaccination, while 4 other groups received the feed medication 1, 2, 3 and 4 days after vaccination, respectively. Two weeks after vaccination all groups were exposed to a virulent P-1059 strain of P. multocida by the drinking water route. The results suggest that turkeys on the feed medication at the time of vaccination and possibly those receiving the initial feed medication the next day, failed to experience a satisfactory immunologic response. The possible ill effects of the sulfaquinoxaline feed medication on the duration of the immunity was not determined. A schedule and level of feed medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration was used; namely, 2 days on the 0.1% level, 3 days on a normal ration, and then 2 additional days on the 0.05% level of sulfaquinoxaline feed medication.
Hurricane winds over the North Atlantic: spatial analysis and sensitivity to ocean temperature

Hurricanes pose serious threats to people and infrastructure along the United States Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The risk of the strongest hurricane winds over the North Atlantic basin is analyzed using a statistical model from extreme value theory and a tessellation of the domain. The spatial variation in model parameters is shown, and an estimate of the limiting strength of hurricanes at locations across the basin is provided. Quantitative analysis of the variation is done using a geographically weighted regression with regional sea surface temperature as a covariate. It is found that as sea surface temperatures increase, the expected hurricane wind speed for a given return period also increases.
A Mixed-Methods Research Framework for Healthcare Process Improvement

Purpose The healthcare system in the United States is spiraling out of control due to ever-increasing costs without significant improvements in quality, access to care, satisfaction, and efficiency. Efficient workflow is paramount to improving healthcare value while maintaining the utmost standards of patient care and provider satisfaction in high stress environments. This article provides healthcare managers and quality engineers with a practical healthcare process improvement framework to assess, measure and improve clinical workflow processes. Design and Methods The proposed mixed-methods research framework integrates qualitative and quantitative tools to foster the improvement of processes and workflow in a systematic way. The framework consists of three distinct phases: 1) stakeholder analysis, 2a) survey design, 2b) time-motion study, and 3) process improvement. Results The proposed framework is applied to the pediatric intensive care unit of the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. The implementation of this methodology led to identification and categorization of different workflow tasks and activities into both value-added and non-value added in an effort to provide more valuable and higher quality patient care. Conclusions Based upon the lessons learned from the case study, the three-phase methodology provides a better, broader, leaner, and holistic assessment of clinical workflow. The proposed framework can be implemented in various healthcare settings to support continuous improvement efforts in which complexity is a daily element that impacts workflow. Practical Implications We proffer a general methodology for process improvement in a healthcare setting, providing decision makers and stakeholders with a useful framework to help their organizations improve efficiency.
Temperature and Substrate Dependence of 1/f-Noise in Continous Metal Films

Measurement of the temperature dependence of 1/f noise in continuous copper and silver films on quartz and sapphire substrates leads to the identification of two types of noise occurring simultaneously in these films: one is strongly temperature-dependent and characteristic of the metal, while the other is weakly temperature-dependent and affected by the substrate.
Securing Disability Rights in Telecommunications: Interest Group Mobilization or Reframing the Policy Discourse?

This paper examines the ‘video description’ requirements in the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (the CVAA). It studies the policy discourse and interest group mobilization related to the video description requirement, in the context of past controversies and legal challenges associated with the measure. The paper seeks to show that the significant progress achieved in recent years on telecommunications access for persons with disabilities is driven not only by the reframing of disability not as individual impairment but as socially-conditioned discrimination, but also by the emergence of economic constituencies in support of disability rights, greater salience for universal design in telecommunications systems, and by a greater acceptance of user and demand hererogeneity on the part of legislators and regulators.
Slender-body theory for transient heat conduction: theoretical basis, numerical implementation and case studies

Slender-body theory (SBT) for transient heat transfer from bodies whose lengths are much larger than their radius into a conductive medium is derived. SBT uses matched asymptotic expansions of inner and outer solutions. An analytical inner solution for heat transfer from a circular cross section is matched to an outer solution obtained using Green’s functions. An efficient numerical implementation is obtained based on a judicious choice of the discrete elements used to represent the body and implementation of the fast multipole method (FMM). The SBT requires a one-dimensional spatial discretization only along the axis of the body in contrast to the three-dimensional discretization for finite-element models. Two case studies, heat transfer from two parallel cylinders and heat transfer from a slinky-coil heat exchanger, are used to show the speed and accuracy of the SBT model and its ability to model interacting slender bodies of finite length and bodies with centreline curvature and internal advective heat flow.
Quantitative diagnosis of tongue cancer from histological images in an animal model

We developed a chemically-induced oral cancer animal model and a computer aided method for tongue cancer diagnosis. The animal model allows us to monitor the progress of the lesions over time. Tongue tissue dissected from mice was sent for histological processing. Representative areas of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissue from tongue sections were captured for classifying tumor and non-tumor tissue. The image set used in this paper consisted of 214 color images (114 tumor and 100 normal tissue samples). A total of 738 color, texture, morphometry and topology features were extracted from the histological images. The combination of image features from epithelium tissue and its constituent nuclei and cytoplasm has been demonstrated to improve the classification results. With ten iteration nested cross validation, the method achieved an average sensitivity of 96.5% and a specificity of 99% for tongue cancer detection. The next step of this research is to apply this approach to human tissue for computer aided diagnosis of tongue cancer.
Aspirin-Induced Depression of Renal Function

We observed elevation of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen and decrease in creatine clearance in patients taking anti-inflammatory doses of aspirin. In 13 of 23 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus increases in serum creatinine ranged from 27 to 163 per cent, and those in urea nitrogen from 42 to 270 per cent. Sequential creatinine-clearance studies, available in 11 of the 13 patients, demonstrated decreases up to 58 per cent. Patients with aspirin-induced changes in renal function were more likely to have active renal disease (P =0.035) or hypocomplementemia (P =0.030). Four of 22 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and two of three normal volunteers also demonstrated biochemical changes. The rate of aspirin-induced alterations was significantly higher in systemic lupus erythematosus (P =0.007) than in rheumatoid arthritis. Aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, can have a major reversible effect on renal function that may influence the interpretation of clinical data.
Predation, Reproduction, and Impact of Phytoseiid Mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on Cyclamen Mite (Acari: Tarsonemidae) on Strawberry

Abilities of phytoseiid mites to attack, reproduce, and control cyclamen mite, Phy- tonenus pallidus (Banks), on strawberry were assessed. In laboratory feeding tests, Typhlodromus Pyri Scheuten, Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman), and N. califomicus (Chant) attacked P. pallidusl i most often; Amblyseius andersoni Chant fed on the cycalmen mite most successfully, and Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) had difficulty piercing the hardened body of adults. Net predation was T. pyri > N. fallacies > N. californicus > A. andersoni > G. occidentalis , Although several species fed on cyclamen mites, some are more common on strawberry or are more proven as effective predators of P. pallidus and thus later reproduction and pest control tests were conducted with only 2 species. When held with excess cyclamen mites, survival and immature production of N. fallacies were ""'50% of when feeding on a more preferred prey, Tetranychus urticae Koch and like levels for N. cucl1meris (Oudemans), a proven effective predator of P. pallidus . When releases of N.fallacis or N. CtIc11lneris were made to plants with moderate densities of cyclamen mites and T. urticae , pests were controlled sooner and damage to plants was less with N. fallacis than N. Cucumeris . Releases of both phytoseiids to plants infested with high densities of only cyclamen mites produced fewer of either N. fallacis or N. Cucumeris than when both pests were present, but there was better pest control (less plant damage) and again, N.fallacis gave slightly better control than N. CtICt1meris .Although N.fallacis gave more rapid control of both pests, N. Cucumeris may give longer-term regulation at lower densities. Differences in life histories may dictate that unique methods of release are needed for N. fallacis versus N. Cucumeris and mixed releases of both may be effective.
Making the Case for Customer Prototyping for Financial Planners to Increase Savings Behavior

Evidence has shown that personal savings behaviors are at low levels for individuals within the United States, with the problem only being enhanced by low levels of financial literacy among the general population. Failure to properly plan for retirement, unemployment, poor borrowing strategies, and debt are all attributed to ignorance of basic financial concepts. While steps have been taken to analyze effectiveness and promote financial education and literacy, it solves only one facet of improving savings behavior. Thus, privatesector financial planning firms need to implement customer prototyping on the microeconomic level to improve savings behavior of individuals of varying market segments.
Marshall Berman, November 24, 1940–September 11, 2013: Chronicler of the Heroism of Modern Life

This is a brief memorial tribute to Marshall Berman, which portrays him as a humanist chronicler of the “heroism of modern life.” Berman’s four books achieve this by creative variations in three broad themes: modernism, Marxism, and the metropolis. In Berman’s work, the works of Marx are fruitfully mined for their humanistic vision (with no distinction between the early work and the later “scientific” work), but he makes use of many intellectual and artistic perspectives as well, transcending ideological or disciplinary boundaries, in search of an understanding of the promises and perils of modernism. The metropolis as the theater of the modern life is the implicit or explicit backdrop in his works, and he draws upon his own urban biography to demonstrate the everyday heroism of ordinary people. While vulnerable to criticism as eclectic and naively optimistic, Berman’s writing is critical and empathetic, and true to the spirit of a humanist Marxist understanding of both the disasters and opportunities of ...
Mythologies du superhéros. Histoire, physiologie, géographie, intermédialités, edited by François-Emmanuël Boucher, Sylvain David and Maxime Prévost,

Mythologies du superheros proposes, as its title suggests, that comic superheroes constitute a contemporary attempt to create a mythos, which is a familiar claim (the bibliography points to some of...
Path Analysis of Establishing and Improving Development Model of Modern Agriculture in China

Growth of modern agriculture is an important way and an arduous task to transfer quickly our country 's agricultural pattern of development.The developed countries,such as America and the countries coming from Europe,have been their respective development model of modern agriculture,including American model driven by institution and technology,Britain's induction by government,France's chain and environment-friendly,and Germany 's informatization and ecology.We should,based on Chinese actuality,build and perfect the development model of modern agriculture by learning and drawing on the developing experiences of modern agriculture of the developed countries.
Statistical Analysis of Data of Non Motor Vehicles Running Red Lights

For urban traffic issue,an investigation of non motor vehicles running red lights data in Shanghai was proposed with the QQ figure and statistical test,the data of non motorized red light running at a certain intersection was the normal distribution. Then,according to the Bayesian theory,the probability of non motor vehicles running red lights was predicted when crossing the junction,and the statistical results were discussed.
Method for determination of polychlorinated biphenyl in occupational atmospheres by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Objective To develop the method for determination of polychlorinated biphenyl(PCBs) in occupational atmosphere by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). Methods Polychlorinated biphenyl was absorbed by ultra-fine glass fiber filter and then desorbed by hexane and acetone and analyzed by GC-MS. Results PCBs in the range of 5-500 ng/ml had a good linear relationship, the correlation coefficient was 0.999 4, the minimum detectable concentration was 0.11 mg/m3(15 L to collect air samples), within run precision relative standard deviation was 3.2%-4.9%, between run precision relative standard deviation was 4.4%-6.2%, the recovery rate was 91.6%-94.9%. Conclusion The method is applicable to the determination of PCBs in the air of workplace.
Epenthesis, mutation, and structure preservation in the Shona causative

In Shona (Bantu: Zimbabwe), the causative form of a verb is formed in one of two ways: either with the suffix -is-/-es- or by changing the root final consonant to a corresponding coronal continuant. The author argues for an analysis in which both forms are derived from a common underlying suffix /s/. The suffixal form is the result of an independently motivated process of epenthesis. The mutation, on the other hand, comes about by fusion of the /s/ with the preceding consonant. This fusion leads in some cases to feature combinations disallowed in Shona. The effects of mutation in these cases can be captured exploiting an active version of Kiparsky's Structure Preservation in terms of "persistent rules".
Pathological analysis of the prostatic anterior fat pad at radical prostatectomy: insights from a prospective series.

OBJECTIVE To assess factors associated with lymphatic drainage and lymph node (LN) metastasis to the prostatic anterior fat pad (PAFP) in men with prostate cancer and the utility of routine PAFP analysis at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP). PATIENTS AND METHODS Our institution began to prospectively collect PAFP tissue in 2010. The PAFP was removed at the time of RP and sent as a pathological specimen separate from the pelvic LNs and prostate. Consecutive RPs performed at our institution in which the PAFP was removed were reviewed to determine the rate of LNs in the PAFP, the rate of metastatic LNs in the PAFP, and the association of metastatic PAFP LN with clinical and pathological features. The impact on biochemical recurrence (BCR) was assessed with a Cox's proportional hazard model. RESULTS In all, 2 413 PAFP specimens were available for analysis. LNs were found in the PAFP in 255 (10.6%) cases and metastatic LNs in the PAFPs were found in 14 (0.6%) cases. Metastatic PAFP LNs were associated with anterior tumours in 11 of the 14 cases (P = 0.01), and were present only in preoperative D'Amico intermediate- (six of 14) and high- (eight of 14) risk patients (P < 0.001). Metastatic PAFP LNs were associated with extraprostatic disease in 13 of the 14 cases, although concomitant pelvic LN involvement was present in only four of the 14 cases. With a mean follow-up of 1.5 years, three of the 14 patients with metastatic PAFP LN developed BCR. Positive LN involvement in either the pelvic LN or PAFP had worse BCR than LN-negative patients (P < 0.001); however, there was no difference in BCR between patients with positive pelvic LN and positive PAFP LN (P = 0.5). CONCLUSION Metastatic PAFP LNs are rare and always occur in the presence of other adverse pathological features. The routine pathological analysis of PAFP as a separate specimen, especially in low-risk disease, may not be warranted.
Learning Professional Responsibility for the Practice of Law: The Way Forward

This working paper expands and adds information about educational initiatives in a variety of countries to a book chapter focusing primarily on legal education in the United States, published in Building on Best Practices: Transforming Legal Education in a Changing World 280-96 (Deborah Maranville, Lisa Radtke Bliss, Carolyn Wilkes Kaas & Antoinette Sedillo Lopez eds., Lexis/Matthew Bender 2015). The paper begins by summarizing social science research led by the Center for the Study of Ethical Development and applied to design comprehensive ethics programs for a number of other professions than law. The central theory that guides this research and educational design is the Four Component Model developed to explain how cognition, affect and social dynamics interact to influence moral behavior. Because this model supports the use of well-validated measures for assessing the effectiveness of ethics education, it can be very useful to law school that are moving to an outcome based approach to curriculum design, as US law schools are now being compelled to do by new accreditation standards. An ideal program of instruction for learning professional responsibility prior to receiving a license to practice law is then proposed that would include, in addition to learning the basic "law of lawyering," eleven different instructional elements. The paper concludes by describing initiatives in legal education around the world that incorporate and exemplify one or more of these elements. As this working paper continues to expand to include more information about innovative teaching practices, it will appear in an updated form on the website of the International Forum on Teaching Legal Ethics and Professionalism.
Ontogeny of Flight Capacity and Pectoralis Function in a Precocial Ground Bird (Alectoris chukar).

SYNOPSIS Flight is the defining characteristic of birds, yet the mechanisms through which flight ability develops are only beginning to be understood. Wing-assisted incline running (WAIR) and controlled flapping descent (CFD) are behaviors that may offer significant adaptive benefits to developing birds. Recent research into these forms of locomotion has focused on species with precocial development, with a particularly rich data set from chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar). Here we briefly review the kinematics and aerodynamics of flight development in this species. We then present novel measurements of the development of pectoralis contractile behavior during the ontogenetic transition toward powered flight. To obtain these new empirical data, we used indwelling electromyography (EMG) and sonomicrometry and tested WAIR and CFD in seven age classes of chukar (n = 2-4 birds per age) from 5 days post hatching (dph) to adult (300+ dph). For each age class, we measured muscle activity during maximal performance, which was WAIR at 65° in birds 5 dph, CFD in birds 9 dph, WAIR at 80° in birds 14 dph, level flight in birds 25-61 dph, and ascending flight in adults. We also measured muscle activity during sub-maximal performance in all age classes. Flapping chukar chicks use near-continuous activation of their pectoralis at relatively low electromyography amplitudes for the first 8 days and progress to stereotypic higher-amplitude activation bursts by Day 12. The pectoralis undergoes increasing strain at higher strain rates with age, and length trajectory becomes more asymmetrical with greater variation in contractile velocity within the shortening phase of individual contractions. At 20-25 days (12-15% adult chukar mass), pectoralis activity and locomotor performance approaches that of adults, although strain rate exhibits a temporary decrease at 61 dph concurrent with using newly-replaced primary feathers. To better understand how these patterns relate to the evolution of life-history strategy and locomotion, we encourage future efforts to explore these behaviors in altricial and semi-altricial bird species.
Epitaxial VO2 thin film-based radio-frequency switches with thermal activation

In this paper, we report on the demonstration of thermally triggered “normally ON” radio-frequency (RF) switches based on epitaxial vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films with a SnO2 template on (001) TiO2 substrates. Fast insulator-to-metal phase transition of the epitaxial VO2 at a relatively low temperature allowed RF switches made of the VO2 to exhibit sharp changes in the RF insertion loss during cooling and heating at 60 °C and 66 °C, respectively. The change of RF insertion loss due to phase transition is greater than 15 dB. The VO2 RF switches also completed the transition of S21 within less than 3 °C and showed a low-loss operation frequency of up to 24.2 GHz with a low insertion loss of −1.36 dB and isolation of 17.56 dB at 12.03 GHz, respectively. The demonstration suggests that epitaxial VO2-based RF switches can be used in switching elements up to Ku-band RF circuits.
Romiplostim for Chemotherapy-Induced Thrombocytopenia (CIT). Results of a Phase 2 Trial

Abstract Background:CIT is a common complication of chemotherapy, resulting in delay or dose reduction of treatment. There is no approved or validated treatment. We report the first prospective trial showing correction and prevention of recurrence of CIT. Methods: A phase II, open label trial of romiplostim, a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, versus observation control. Solid tumor patients with at least 4 weeks of thrombocytopenia ( 100,000/mcL within 3 weeks. Secondary endpoints included safety and resumption of chemotherapy without recurrence of CIT. Observation patients who failed to correct their platelet counts, were eligible to cross-over to receive romiplostim (not shown). Analysis was by Intention-To-Treat, and statistics were by two-tailed Fisher's exact test. Results: 40 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 58 years (range 28-77). All patients had either metastatic disease (35), or locally advanced disease (5). The majority had GI cancer (22). When 8 observation patients were enrolled and reached primary endpoint, an unplanned interim analysis revealed significant benefit of romiplostim (Table, P = Of the 32 patients who received romiplostim upfront, 27 (84%) corrected their platelet counts within 3 weeks. Of the 5 failures, 2 patients were protocol violations because their chemotherapy was prematurely resumed prior to platelet correction. The mean effective romiplostim dose for platelet count correction was 2.5 mcg/kg (range 1.8-4.1). 25 patients resumed chemotherapy after correction of their CIT and weekly romiplostim was titrated for target platelet count of 150,000mcL. Only one patient had recurrence of CIT. We saw no evidence of adverse effects on the bone marrow. Four (12.5%) of the 32 romiplostim patients experienced a thrombosis. One had a symptomatic PE, one had an incidentally identified PE and two patients had calf DVTs. These patients were all at high risk of thrombosis, with metastatic or locally advanced pancreas (2), colorectal, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Only three patients in the romiplostim cohort required platelet transfusion. One had an upper GI bleed from a gastric tear, and two patients received platelet transfusion during terminal hospitalizations for progression of disease. Discussion: We demonstrate that romiplostim can effectively reverse CIT in solid tumor patients, allowing for resumption and maintenance of cancer-directed therapy in the large majority of patients. Based on prior literature, a thrombosis rate of 12.5% in patients with metastatic GI cancers, on chemotherapy, is within the expected range. Further study is needed to determine in which settings effective treatment of CIT will lead to meaningful clinical benefit. Download : Download high-res image (127KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Soff: Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding.
Limits to peer review privilege.

Privacy laws and concerns regarding confidentiality often prevent physicians from serving on peer review boards. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Allometric equations for aboveground biomass estimation of Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata in Mana Angetu Forest.

Introduction: African wild olive, Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) Cif., L ‘Olivicoltore is widely distributed in dry forest and forest margins, often with Juniperus procera, in ...
Labour Conventions and National Law

Lord McNair described the international labour convention as “one of the most striking innovations in the field of treaty-making which has occurred during the present century.”1 Since 1919, more than 150 labour conventions have been drafted and adopted by the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization. Although they concern different subject matter, these conventions (hereinafter referred to as “ILO conventions”) share certain common features. A number of the innovative features of this large body of conventions result from the effort to regulate the internal law and practice of states through the device of the treaty.
Robust Beamforming for Matched Field Processing Under Realistic Environmental Conditions

Under ideal known environmental conditions, matched field processing has been shown in a series of papers to be a promising signal processing technique for localizing acoustic sources (see [1] and the references therein). The standard adaptive approaches which have been considered require accurate replica fields finely gridded over the search parameter space for both localization and sidelobe control. Moreover, it is unlikely that detailed knowledge of the ocean environment would be available since it is expensive to obtain highly accurate knowledge of the three dimensional ocean environment (including bottom structure). Finally, it is impractical to generate replica fields incorporating the increasing complexity of a range dependent environment which still remains imperfectly known because of inadequate sampling. To counter these latter issues, we have introduced multiple constraints to the maximum likelihood method (MLM) to construct a beamformer (MCM) more tolerant to environmental mismatch of a deterministic nature. The result is a plane wave or matched field beamformer which accommodates some mismatch in the environment with only a small reduction in resolution while still suppressing sidelobes. In this paper, we briefly present the underlying principles used to derive this beamforming method and follow this with an application to a matched field processing example for a shallow water ocean environment.
Existence of optimal controls on hybrid time domains

Abstract Hybrid control systems are considered, combining continuous-time dynamics and discrete-time dynamics, and modeled by differential equations or inclusions, by difference equations or inclusions, and by constraints on the resulting dynamics. Solutions are defined on hybrid time domains. Finite-horizon and infinite-horizon optimal control problems for such control systems are considered. Existence of optimal open-loop controls is shown. The assumptions used include, essentially, the existence for the (non-hybrid) continuous-time case; the existence for the (non-hybrid) discrete-time case; mild conditions on the endpoint penalties; and closedness and boundedness, in the finite-horizon case, of the set of admissible hybrid time domains. Examples involving switching systems and hybrid automata are included.
Analysis of harmonic transmission characteristics in HVDC system

Harmonic is an important factor threatening the safe and stable operation of HVDC system. This paper firstly analyzes the mechanism of harmonics caused by converter transformer. Then., the whole process that harmonics transfer back and forth between the AC system and DC system through the converter is studied by switching function method., which shows the frequency of harmonics is changed systematic after commutation. The analysis method of Harmonic Multi-infeed Interaction Factor for harmonic transmission characteristics in multi HVDC(DC/DC) system is proposed in this paper. Research shows the induced harmonic magnitude from remote DC converters are relative to the electrical distance. PSCAD simulations verify the methods and conclusions.
Physicochemical Aspects of Development of Multicomponent Chalcogenide Phases Having the Tl5Te3 Structure: A Review

The literature data on ternary structural analogues of the compound Tl5Te3 and multicomponent phases based on them are systematized. This class of inorganic substances is of considerable scientific and practical interest as promising functional materials having thermoelectric, optical, and magnetic properties, as well as topologically protected surface states and superconductivity. The focus of the survey is on phase equilibria in ternary and more complex systems where structural analogues of Tl5Te3 are formed. Crystalstructure features, thermodynamic and some physical properties of these compounds and phases of variable composition are considered.
Characterization and food applications of high amylose and other varieties of starch

Maize plants homozygous for the dominant amylose-extender allele Ae15180 were self-pollinated and crossed onto wild type Ae plants, and vice versa, to obtain endosperms with 0-3 doses of the Ae1-5180 allele. Starches from dominant amylose-extender mutant kernels were isolated and analyzed with respect to molecular size distribution, amylose contents (iodine affinity), thermal properties (DSC), and microscopic structure (SEM). Gel-permeation chromatograms of these starches showed greater proportions of amylose and intermediate fractions than those from normal maize starch. The iodine-staining blue-value of the amylopectin peak on the profile results revealed longer amylopectin branch-chain-lengths than those of normal corn, which was confirmed by enzyme debranching. The structures of the intermediate component and amylopectin were also revealed by gel-permeation chromatography and high-performance-anion-exchange chromatography. Greater dosage of the Ae1-5180 gene did not increase amylose content (ca. 33%). The DSC thermograms indicated that all the mutant starches with different dosages had similar thennal properties. The gelatinization onset temperatures (TJ ranged from 65.7 to 67.0°C and the gelatinization range (R) was 54.0 to 109.7°C. The SEM showed that the mutant starches had irregular and round shaped granules with diameters that ranged from 4 to 18 //m.
The “Nipple Whipple”?! A Pilot Study to Assess the Ergonomic Effects of Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy

Nipple-sparing mastectomies (NSMs) with reconstruction are believed to be more difficult to perform than skin-sparing mastectomies (SSMs), but there is little quantitative data to support this claim. This prospective study analyzed four surgeons performing mastectomies. Electromyography (EMG) electrodes placed on selected muscle groups on each surgeon were used to capture muscle exertion intraoperatively and a percentage of maximum voluntary exertion was calculated (%MVE). Data regarding surgeon demographics, exercise habits, musculoskeletal problems, and surgery-specific workload was collected using a questionnaire. A total of 61 mastectomies were analyzed; 40 were NSM and 21 were SSM/total mastectomies. NSM were considered to be more mentally demanding and physically demanding than SSM (p < 0.001). When the surgeons’ EMG data was analyzed as a group, there was a statistically significant difference in %MVE for NSM versus SSM at high muscle activity in bilateral anterior deltoid muscle groups and at average muscle activity for the left anterior deltoid muscle only. At low muscle activity, there was a statistically significant increase in activation for SSM versus NSM in bilateral cervical erector spinae. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed, which showed statistically significant differences at high muscle activity between NSM and SSM in the left cervical erector spinae and bilateral anterior deltoid muscles. Our pilot study shows that intraoperative EMGs can assess muscle activity for mastectomy operations and show a difference between NSM and SSM. This is the first study to provide quantitative data on muscle strain with NSM.
Morphological Response to Discharge Reduction in a Partially Abandoned Channel of the Catawba River, North Carolina, USA

Abstract Examples of partial avulsion and river bifurcation around large stable islands make up a small but locally important portion of the total length of rivers in the Piedmont physiographic province of North Carolina (U.S.). Despite remaining ecologically significant, the partially abandoned (or “abandoning”) branches along such reaches have received less attention than the often dominant newly created branches. The existence of perennial flow through abandoning channels may be contingent upon their ability to rapidly adjust their morphologies to declining flows. In this paper we study the response of a partially abandoned channel of the upper Catawba River in North Carolina to major loss of flow following flood-induced partial avulsion in 1977. Human activities have strongly modified the floodplain in this area, assisting the avulsion and possibly influencing the natural erosion and sedimentation processes responsible for subsequent adjustments of the abandoning channel. Using a combination of downstream gaging data, flow estimation functions, channel mapping, and hydraulic geometry analyses, we assess the degree to which channel capacity reduction matches the amount of post-avulsion diminished discharge. Construction of fluvial sediment benches inset within the old single-thread channel has occurred along 83% of the channel's length, and most of these have crest elevations in the 1–2 yr flood stage range. Hydraulic geometry reconstructions indicate that length-weighted mean channel width, depth, and capacity deviate from predicted values by 36%, 18%, and 61%. Thus, channel cross-section dimensions for the abandoning channel appear substantially larger than predicted, a condition that is potentially discordant with a hypothetical necessity of rapid width adjustment for maintaining an open channel, depending on what constitutes a rapid rate of adjustment. Variables such as the morphology of the bifurcation node and load properties also influence the longevity of abandoning channels, and rates of adjustment or infilling can vary widely. Stratigraphic, pedogenic, and vegetative evidence together suggest that channel narrowing via inset bench formation has occurred gradually over at least two or more decades following initial flow loss. Comparisons with channel dimensions predicted from existing Piedmont regional curves show greater agreement, supporting the contention that Piedmont valley characteristics exercise at least as strong an influence on channel morphology as does the higher relief watershed topography and associated flow regime. The presence of perennial flow and active geomorphological processes in the abandoning channel indicates that it remains part of a dynamic and ecologically significant river reach, despite being currently designated as land in county land parcel records.
The Impact of Trade Openness on Relative Equipment Prices: Lessons from Latin America

Trade can affect relative equipment prices because equipment production is concentrated among a small group of developed countries and many developing nations rely heavily on equipment imports. We construct a new dataset of relative equipment prices for thirteen Latin American countries from 1970 to 2011 in order to help identify which trade channels affect these prices. We show that both the composition of trade and countries’ trade partners matter. Overall, increasing trade intensity in equipment with major equipment‐producing countries is associated with the largest relative price reductions, but there is significant heterogeneity across countries in their responsiveness to changes in trade intensity and trade restrictions.
Hydronephrosis Due to Bilateral Tubo-ovarian Abscess.

Author(s): Fite, Emily; Fitzgerald, Jennifer; Kistenfeger, Quinn | Abstract: A 27-year-old female presented to the emergency department with fevers, nausea, chills, and non-specific bilateral lower quadrant abdominal pain. A pregnancy test was negative. Computed tomography demonstrated moderate left hydronephrosis secondary to tubo-ovarian abscess. The abscess was so large it distorted local anatomy and compressed the ureters. She was prescribed meropenem and admitted for care by obstetrics/gynecology.
Species tree disequilibrium positively misleads models of gene family evolution

Gene duplication is a key source of evolutionary innovation, and multigene families evolve in a birth-death process, continuously duplicating and pseudogenizing through time. To empirically test hypotheses about adaptive expansion and contraction of multigene families across species, models infer gene gain and loss in light of speciation events and these inferred gene family expansions may lead to interpretations of adaptations in particular lineages. While the relative abundance of a gene subfamily in the subgenome may reflect its functional importance, tests based on this expectation can be confounded by the complex relationship between the birth-death process of gene subfamily evolution and the species phylogeny. Using simulations, we confirmed tree heterogeneity as a confounding factor in inferring multi-gene adaptation, causing spurious associations between shifts in birth-death rate and lineages with higher branching rates. We then used the olfactory receptor (OR) repertoire, the largest gene family in the mammalian genome, of different bat species with divergent diets to test whether expansions in olfactory receptors are associated with shifts to frugivorous diets. After accounting for tree heterogeneity, we robustly inferred that certain OR subfamilies exhibited expansions associated with dietary shifts to frugivory. Taken together, these results suggest ecological correlates of individual OR gene subfamilies can be identified, setting the stage for detailed inquiry into within-subfamily functional differences.
Engaging Specialist Palliative Care in the Management of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Patient-, Family-, and Provider-Based Approach.

Purpose:To describe key stakeholders’ perspectives on specialist palliative care and its integration into the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Methods:The study conducted was a qua...
Navigating compounding uncertainty: Farmer strategies amid biosecurity crises in western Uganda

Abstract In western Uganda, state biosecurity measures designed for the elimination of uncertainty through monitoring, control, and eradication of plant disease merely offload responsibility for uncertainty, placing it elsewhere, often in the arms of farmers. In this paper, I explore the ways in which uncertainty is operationalized and challenged by farmers in the face of banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW), a deadly plant disease causing widespread losses across East Africa. Farmers negotiate differing claims to certainty regarding the disease and availability of agricultural extension from multiple actors, often through improvisation and experimentation. These practices highlight how knowledge networks between the state, farmers, and scientists are reshaped due to biosecurity and disease. The findings suggest the potential for a deeper entrenching of inequality as the improvised knowledge networks follow familiar patterns of state investment and social difference. Farmers with the social and economic capital to manage uncertainty are able to do so, while resource-poor farmers face a compounding uncertainty stemming from multiple sources which build on each other. On the other hand, compounding uncertainty may also produce space for strategic alliances between farmers and other actors as it draws multiple concerns together. Overall, these results reflect the importance of attending to the political ecology of knowledge in biosecurity regimes and in environmental governance more broadly.
E-060 A case of twig-like or unfused middle cerebral artery and review of literature

Introduction Twig-like or unfused middle cerebral arteries (MCA) are rare vascular anomalies. During embryologic development, it is hypothesized that the primitive MCA is made up of arterial twigs which develop into the definitive MCA. Failure of these arterial twigs to fuse result in the twig-like or unfused MCA. Methods A retrospective single case report of twig-like MCA with literature review. The patient established care at our institution in 6/2018 and still follows with us. Results A 55-year-old woman with a past medical history of hyperlipidemia and tobacco use presented in the outpatient setting with an electrical-like sensation over her right neck. She denied focal weakness, speech difficulty, visual problems or numbness. There was no history of trauma or neck manipulation. She has a family history of stroke and aneurysm. She was evaluated by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the head which showed a small right internal carotid artery (ICA) and high-grade stenosis of the right ICA and right MCA. Computed tomography (CT) angiography demonstrated small caliber of the entire right ICA and critical stenosis versus occlusion of the right ICA and MCA with distal reconstitution compatible with a moyamoya pattern with lenticulostriate collateralization. CT brain perfusion demonstrated a significant reduction in cerebral blood flow of the entire right MCA territory without a decrease in cerebral blood volume. Cerebral angiography revealed a right twig-like MCA with contralateral ICA cavernous segment aneurysm. The patient has been treated conservatively with aspirin and atorvastatin. The figure 1 illustrates the right internal common carotid injection with 3D rotational angiography reconstruction image (A) and AP subtraction image (B). The right M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery has a plexiform arterial network that is consistent with an unfused middle cerebral artery. There are no moyamoya vessels in the basal region and no occlusion in the terminus segment of the internal carotid artery. The twig-like artery can be traceable to the distal M1 or proximal M2 segment. There is no intracranial atherosclerotic change. Conclusion Twig-like or unfused MCA are rare vascular anomalies that may be mistaken for moyamoya disease. The detailed trans-femoral cerebral angiogram interpretation of the twig-like MCA depicts distinctive differences from the findings of moyamoya disease. Disclosures A. Schnure: 4; C; General Electric, CYTRX, Portola Pharmaceuticals. A. Sweidan: None. I. Yuki: None. S. Suzuki: None.
Potential Implications of Testing an Experimental mRNA-Based Vaccine During an Emerging Infectious Disease Pandemic

Development of experimental vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has been rapidly progressing. In the United States, several Phase I clinical trial participants already received an injection of...
MitoWave: Spatio-temporal analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential fluctuations during ischemia-reperfusion

Mitochondria exhibit non-stationary unstable membrane potential (ΔΨm) when subjected to stress, such as during Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R). Understanding the mechanism of ΔΨm instability involves characterizing and quantifying this phenomenon in response to I/R stress in an unbiased and reproducible manner. We designed a simple ImageJ-MATLAB-based workflow called 9MitoWave9 to unravel dynamic mitochondrial ΔΨm changes that occur during ischemia and reperfusion. MitoWave employs MATLAB9s wavelet transform toolbox. In-vitro Ischemia was effected by placing a glass coverslip for 60 minutes on a monolayer of neonatal mouse ventricular myocytes (NMVMs). Removal of the coverslip allowed for reperfusion. ΔΨm response to I/R was recorded on a confocal microscope using TMRM as the indicator. As proof-of-principle, we used MitoWave analysis on ten invitro I/R experiments. Visual observations corroborated quantitative MitoWave analysis results in classifying the ten I/R experiments into five outcomes that were observed based on the oscillatory state of ΔΨm throughout the reperfusion time period. Statistical analysis of the distribution of oscillating mitochondrial clusters during reperfusion shows significant differences between five different outcomes (p