cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity and structure of Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum in California vineyards and orchards indicate potential for spread of herbicide resistance via gene flow

Management of agroecosystems with herbicides imposes strong selection pressures on weedy plants leading to the evolution of resistance against those herbicides. Resistance to glyphosate in populations of Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum is increasingly common in California, USA, causing economic losses and the loss of effective management tools. To gain insights into the recent evolution of glyphosate resistance in L. perenne in perennial cropping systems of northwest California and to inform management, we investigated the frequency of glyphosate resistance and the genetic diversity and structure of 14 populations. The sampled populations contained frequencies of resistant plants ranging from 10% to 89%. Analyses of neutral genetic variation using microsatellite markers indicated very high genetic diversity within all populations regardless of resistance frequency. Genetic variation was distributed predominantly among individuals within populations rather than among populations or sampled counties, as would be expected for a wide-ranging outcrossing weed species. Bayesian clustering analysis provided evidence of population structuring with extensive admixture between two genetic clusters or gene pools. High genetic diversity and admixture, and low differentiation between populations, strongly suggest the potential for spread of resistance through gene flow and the need for management that limits seed and pollen dispersal in L. perenne.
Ritonavir-Boosted Darunavir Plus Two Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors versus Other Regimens for Initial Antiretroviral Therapy for People with HIV Infection: A Systematic Review.

Background. Darunavir is a second-generation protease-inhibitor used with ritonavir (DRV/r) and two nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors as an option in first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART). Methods. We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of DRV/r versus other regimens in patients initiating ART. We searched five bibliographic databases and other key resources. We had no language limitations. We assessed bias risk with the Cochrane tool and used GRADE to assess evidence quality. We report findings in terms of risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Findings. Three RCTs met inclusion criteria. In plasma viral load suppression, DRV/r outperformed ritonavir-boosted lopinavir at 48 weeks (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03–1.25), 96 weeks (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02–1.21), and 192 weeks (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07–1.35). DRV/r was similar to dolutegravir at 48 weeks (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.87–1.06) but less effective at 96 weeks (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75–0.93). At 96 weeks, DRV/r underperformed raltegravir (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88–0.99) but was similar to ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.96–1.09). Overall bias risk was moderate. Evidence quality was also moderate. Interpretation. Initial ART regimens using DRV/r should be considered in future World Health Organization guidelines.
Open-independent, open-locating-dominating sets

A distinguishing set for a graph G = (V, E) is a dominating set D, each vertex $v \in D$ being the location of some form of a locating device, from which one can detect and precisely identify any given "intruder" vertex in V(G). As with many applications of dominating sets, the set $D$ might be required to have a certain property for , the subgraph induced by D (such as independence, paired, or connected). Recently the study of independent locating-dominating sets and independent identifying codes was initiated. Here we introduce the property of open-independence for open-locating-dominating sets.
Worsening Rural-Urban Gap in Hospital Mortality

BACKGROUND One out of every 5 Americans live in rural communities. Rural Americans have higher rates of early and preventable deaths outside of the hospital than their urban counterparts. How rurality relates to hospital mortality is unknown. We sought to determine the association between rural versus urban residence and hospital mortality. METHODS This is a retrospective observational study of 4,412,942 nonmaternal, nonneonatal hospitalizations in 2008, and 3899,464 nonmaternal, nonneonatal hospitalizations in 2013 using all-payer, all-age data from the National Inpatient Sample of the Health care Cost and Utilization Project. Using multivariable logistic regression, we report the association between rural versus urban location of residence and hospital mortality, adjusting for chronic disease burden, age, income, and insurance status. RESULTS The unadjusted probability of hospital mortality for urban patients decreased from 2.51% (95% CI, 2.40 to 2.62) in 2008 to 2.27% (95% CI, 2.22 to 2.32) in 2013 (P < .001). Hospital mortality did not change for rural patients over this same time period (2008: 2.66% [95% CI, 2.57 to 2.74], 2013: 2.66% [95% CI, 2.60 to 2.72]; P = .99). Adjusting for covariates accounted for the rural-urban hospital mortality difference in 2008 (rural: 2.13% [95% CI, 2.05 to 2.21], urban: 2.11% [95% CI, 2.02 to 2.20]; P = .67), but did not fully explain the difference in 2013 (rural: 1.92% [95% CI, 1.87 to 1.97]; urban: 1.76% [95% CI, 1.72 to 1.80], P < .001), resulting in 8416 excess deaths among hospitalized patients from rural areas. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE In 2013, patients living in rural areas of the United States had a greater probability of hospital mortality than their urban counterparts. Explaining excess rural hospital deaths will require further attention to the patient, community, and health system factors that distinguish rural from urban populations.
Drug-Induced Liver Injury Research Networks

The low incidence of drug-induced liver injury (DILI), along with the difficulty in establishing a diagnosis, has hampered our ability to study the molecular pathogenesis of drug and herbal hepatotoxicity. Multicenter research networks have recently been developed in the United States and other countries to facilitate further research into this uncommon but important adverse drug reaction. Currently, several prospective registries including the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network utilize standardized definitions, phenotyping, and causality assessment methods in ongoing studies of host immunological, genetic, and environmental factors in DILI pathogenesis and outcome. The increasing use of electronic medical records coupled with the application of natural language processing algorithms may further help identify DILI patients for future studies. Finally, continuing advances in genomic methods may allow us to better identify risk factors for DILI susceptibility and diagnosis, which should help to mitigate the risk for individual patients in the years to come.
Summing symbols in mutual recurrences

The problem of summing a set of mutual recurrence relations with constant coefficients is investigated. A method is presented for summing an order d system of the form A(n) = Σi=1d MiA(n - i) + G(n), where A, G : N → Km and M1, . . .,Md ∈ Mm(K) for some field K and natural number m. The procedure expresses the sum Σi=0n A(i) in terms of A(n), . . . ,A(n-d), initial conditions and sums of the inhomogeneous term G(n).
Growth and Development of Transcutaneous Monitoring in the U.S.A. — 1978–1986

The exact gestational age of a new device is often difficult to establish. The European commercial birth date of the transcutaneous oxygen electrode is 1972. It did not appear in the United States, however, until 1978. The growth and development of this device in the United States has been a spectacular success. One index of growth has been the number of articles written on the subject which rose from none in 1970 to over 110 in English alone in 1986, with well over a total of 300 articles since 1972.
Training Deep Models Faster with Robust, Approximate Importance Sampling

In theory, importance sampling speeds up stochastic gradient algorithms for supervised learning by prioritizing training examples. In practice, the cost of computing importances greatly limits the impact of importance sampling. We propose a robust, approximate importance sampling procedure (RAIS) for stochastic gradient de- scent. By approximating the ideal sampling distribution using robust optimization, RAIS provides much of the benefit of exact importance sampling with drastically reduced overhead. Empirically, we find RAIS-SGD and standard SGD follow similar learning curves, but RAIS moves faster through these paths, achieving speed-ups of at least 20% and sometimes much more.
Mitigation and Resilience Tradeoffs for Electricity Outages

Large-scale electricity outages have the potential to result in substantial business interruption losses. These losses can be reduced through a number of tactics within the broader strategies of mitigation and resilience. This paper presents a methodology for analyzing the tradeoffs between mitigation and three categories of resilience. We derive optimality conditions for various combinations of strategies for a Cobb-Douglas damage function and then explore implications of a less restrictive Constant Elasticity of Substitution damage function. We also calibrate the model and perform Monte Carlo simulations to test the sensitivity of the results with respect to changes in major parameters. Simulation results highlight the possibility that substitution away from mitigation towards resilience may lower total expected costs from large-scale outages for a given level of risk reduction expenditure when the marginal benefit of resilience is high relative to the expected marginal benefit of mitigation.
Evaluation of the protective effects of β-blockers in the management of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between early β-blocker continuation and major inpatient events in patients hospitalized for an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). METHODS This single centre, retrospective, investigational review board approved cohort study evaluated patients admitted for a primary diagnosis of AECOPD. Patients were evaluated based on early continuation of a β-blocker whether a β-blocker was initiated within 24 hours of admission and continued for at least 72 hours. Patients with AECOPD who did not receive β-blockers were assigned to the control group. Major inpatient events were a composite outcome composed of arrhythmias, myocardial infarction (MI) and death. Safety data were collected on the incidences of bradycardia, bronchospasms and hypotension. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Of the 96 patients admitted for AECOPD, fifty-five patients were included in the early β-blocker group and forty-one patients in the control group. Early β-blocker utilization was associated with a significantly lower rate of major inpatient events compared with the control group (40% vs 80.5%; P < 0.001). Arrhythmias were significantly less common in the early β-blocker group (30.9% vs 65.9%; P = 0.001); however, there were no significant differences in the rates of MI (9.1% vs 14.6%; P = 0.54), death (0 vs 0) or safety outcomes between groups. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION β-blocker therapy could result in a paradigm shift in managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients from a true cardiopulmonary approach. This retrospective cohort study demonstrated early β-blocker continuation in patients admitted for an AECOPD was associated with less major inpatient events, primarily arrhythmias.
Shifting toward a humanized perspective? Visual framing analysis of the coverage of refugees on CNN and Spiegel Online before and after the iconic photo publication of Alan Kurdi:

Iconic photographs have the potential to stay in public collective memories. One such photograph of a dead 3-year-old Syrian refugee named Alan Kurdi sparked global outrage in September 2015 and be...
Two new species of the genus Anonymus from New Zealand (Polycladida, Cotylea)

Anonymidae Lang, 1884 was established for Anonymus virilis, with multiple male organs; 10 to 11 pairs in two longitudinal rows, one on either side of the pharynx. No other species have been assigned to the genus since 1884. In October 1970 two new species of the Anonymidae were collected from the Kaikoura Peninsula South Island New Zealand. Anonymus multivirilis n. sp. has 226–229 male organs arranged in a band in the peripheral area of the body. Each organ consists of a conical penis papilla and seminal vesicle enclosed together in a common muscular bulb. The single female copulatory organ is simple with the female gonopore located between the mouth and sucker. Anonymus kaikourensis n. sp. has two rows of more than 30 pairs of male organs located lateral to the pharyngeal folds. Changes to the description of the family Amonymidae and genus Anonymus are discussed.
Understanding Algebraic Rewriting for Arithmetic Circuit Verification: A Bit-Flow Model

This paper addresses theoretical aspects of arithmetic circuit verification based on algebraic rewriting. Its goal is to advance the understanding of algebraic techniques for arithmetic circuit verification in the context of symbolic computer algebra. The paper offers a new insight into the arithmetic circuit verification problem, by viewing the computation performed by the circuit as the flow of digital data. In the proposed bit-flow model , the circuit is modeled as a network of logic components satisfying a bit-flow conservation law . We prove that the value of the flow of data in the circuit is invariant throughout the circuit and use this to prove soundness and completeness of the rewriting technique, independently from the computer algebra arguments. The efficiency of the method is illustrated with impressive results for large integer multipliers. The verification system and benchmarks are offered in an open source software environment.
Natural and synthetic pathogen associated molecular patterns modulate galectin expression in cow blood

Pathogen-associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) are highly conserved structural motifs that are recognized by Pathogen Recognition receptors (PRRs) to initiate immune responses. Infection by these pathogens and the immune response to PAMPS such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Peptidoglycan (PGN), bacterial oligodeoxynucleotides [CpG oligodeoxynucleotides 2006 (CpG ODN2006) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides 2216 (CpG ODN2216)], and viral RNA Polyinosinic-Polycytidylic Acid (Poly I:C), are associated with infectious and metabolic diseases in animals impacting health and production. It is established that PAMPs mediate the production of cytokines by binding to PRRs such as Toll-like receptors (TLR) on immune cells. Galectins (Gal) are carbohydrate-binding proteins that when expressed play essential roles in the resolution of infectious and metabolic diseases. Thus it is important to determine if the expression of galectin gene (LGALS) and Gal secretion in blood are affected by exposure to LPS and PGN, PolyI:C and bacterial CpG ODNs. LPS increased transcription of LGALS4 and 12 (2.5 and 2.02 folds respectively) and decreased secretion of Gal 4 (p < 0.05). PGN increased transcription of LGALS-1, -2, -3, -4, -7, and -12 (3.0, 2.3, 2.0, 4.1, 3.3, and 2.4 folds respectively) and secretion of Gal-8 and Gal-9 (p < 0.05). Poly I:C tended to increase the transcription of LGALS1, LGALS4, and LGALS8 (1.78, 1.88, and 1.73 folds respectively). Secretion of Gal-1, -3, -8 and nine were significantly increased in treated samples compared to control (p < 0.05). CpG ODN2006 did not cause any significant fold changes in LGALS transcription (FC < 2) but increased secretion of Gal-1, and-3 (p < 0.05) in plasma compared to control. Gal-4 was however reduced in plasma (p < 0.05). CpG ODN2216 increased transcription of LGALS1 and LGALS3 (3.8 and 1.6 folds respectively), but reduced LGALS2, LGALS4, LGALS7, and LGALS12 (-1.9, -2.0, -2.0 and; -2.7 folds respectively). Secretion of Gal-2 and -3 in plasma was increased compared to control (p < 0.05). Gal-4 secretion was reduced in plasma (p < 0.05). The results demonstrate that PAMPs differentially modulate galectin transcription and translation of galectins in cow blood.
Common traps/pitfalls and emergency diagnosis in dermatopathology.

Although all diagnoses in dermatopathology are important, three main groups may be highlighted. One group includes diagnoses that need to be communicated to the treating physician as soon as possible (this review includes infectious process while erythema multiforme and related diseases are discussed elsewhere in this series). A second group has diagnoses significant for their association with syndromes or internal malignancies. And a third group includes malignant lesions that can be confused histologically with benign ones or lesions that have an aggressive behavior unexpected for their apparently low-grade histology. This manuscript describes some of these important diseases and the method we use to reach the diagnosis, and as such it may be considered to be a “survival” guide for the dermatopathologist.
Destruction of Image Steganography using Generative Adversarial Networks

Digital image steganalysis, or the detection of image steganography, has been studied in depth for years and is driven by Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups', such as APT37 Reaper, utilization of steganographic techniques to transmit additional malware to perform further post-exploitation activity on a compromised host. However, many steganalysis algorithms are constrained to work with only a subset of all possible images in the wild or are known to produce a high false positive rate. This results in blocking any suspected image being an unreasonable policy. A more feasible policy is to filter suspicious images prior to reception by the host machine. However, how does one optimally filter specifically to obfuscate or remove image steganography while avoiding degradation of visual image quality in the case that detection of the image was a false positive? We propose the Deep Digital Steganography Purifier (DDSP), a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) which is optimized to destroy steganographic content without compromising the perceptual quality of the original image. As verified by experimental results, our model is capable of providing a high rate of destruction of steganographic image content while maintaining a high visual quality in comparison to other state-of-the-art filtering methods. Additionally, we test the transfer learning capability of generalizing to to obfuscate real malware payloads embedded into different image file formats and types using an unseen steganographic algorithm and prove that our model can in fact be deployed to provide adequate results.
Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Impact of Oophorectomy for Ovarian Metastases from Colorectal Cancer.

Background As survival with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) and imaging modalities improve, detection of ovarian metastases may be increasing. The ovary may serve as a sanctuary site for malignant cells; however, there is a paucity of data regarding the role for oophorectomy. Methods This is a single-institution retrospective study of patients with CRC with ovarian metastases from 2009 to 2017. We evaluated patient, disease, and treatment related factors associated with overall survival (OS) from initial diagnosis of metastatic CRC. Results Of 108 patients assessed, the median age was 50, 19% had localized disease at initial presentation, 64% had ovarian metastases at initial CRC diagnosis, and 77% underwent oophorectomy. Median OS was 29.6 months across all patients, and it was 36.7 months in patients who underwent oophorectomy versus 25.0 months in patients who did not (hazard ratio [HR] 0.54). In multivariate analysis, the effect of oophorectomy on OS suggested protection but was not statistically significant (HR 0.57). Resection of primary tumor was performed in 71% of patients, which was independently associated with improved OS (HR 0.21). Twelve patients (11%) remained alive at 5 years after diagnosis of metastatic disease. Conclusion Although it has been previously reported that patients with CRC with ovarian metastases have poor prognosis, the median OS for this cohort was comparable to existing OS data for patients with metastatic CRC. In patients treated with chemotherapy, we did not find the ovarian metastasis to frequently serve as a sanctuary site of disease. However, we found that in carefully selected patients, oophorectomy may confer a survival benefit. Implications for practice In colorectal cancer (CRC) ovarian metastasis is not necessarily associated with worse prognosis than metastasis to other sites. In carefully selected patients with ovarian metastases from CRC, oophorectomy may confer a survival benefit. Specifically, development of ovarian metastasis early in the disease course, resection of the primary tumor, and limited extraovarian metastatic disease are clinical features that are potentially associated with benefit from oophorectomy. A subset of patients with ovarian metastasis from CRC have potential to become long-term survivors (>5 years).
Critical Care Admission of an HIV Patient with Diabetic Ketoacidosis Secondary to Pembrolizumab.

Background. Pembrolizumab is a checkpoint inhibitor that targets the programmed cell death-1 receptor (PD-1) and has shown to be effective against several malignancies, including lung cancer. However, life-threatening immune-related adverse events can result from these immunotherapy treatments. Case presentation. A 62-year-old man with HIV, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, and no previous history of diabetes presented to the emergency department with new-onset nausea, vomiting, and generalized weakness. Glucose was 1191 mg/dl, hemoglobin A1c 11%, and potassium 6.9 mEq/L. He had metabolic acidosis with a lactate of 6.6 mmol/L and anion gap of 38 mEq/L, and ketones were detected on the urinalysis. Severe diabetic ketoacidosis was diagnosed, and the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. Additional investigations showed low C-peptide and negative anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody, anti-insulin antibody, and anti-islet-antigen 2Ab antibody. After ruling out other possible etiologies, pembrolizumab was considered to be the cause of the diabetes and ketoacidosis. Conclusions. Life-threatening adverse drug events associated with checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab are on the rise. We recommend to closely follow and monitor patients receiving these immunotherapies. This strategy could lead to early detection and prevention, as well as reduction of more serious life-threatening complications requiring intensive care.
Iodine deficiency disorders in Gansu Province in 2014

Objective To master the situation of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) and the people's iodine nutritional status after implementation of the new salt iodine standard in Gansu Province in 2012. Methods Totally 30 counties (cities) were selected in Gansu Province by population proportionate to size sampling (PPS) method in 2014, and one primary school was selected in each counties (cities). In each selected school, 50 children aged 8-10 years old were selected for thyroid examination by B-ultrasound, urine samples were collected for iodine determination, and salt samples were collected for iodine determination from a subset of children included in the study. Totally 20 pregnant women were selected from the towns with the sampled schools and urine samples were collected for iodine determination. Arsenic and cerium catalysis spectrophotometry (WS/T 107-2006) was used to detect urinary iodine content; direct titration (GB/T 13025.7-2012) was used to detect edible salt iodine content. Urinary iodine of children and pregnant women were compared with 2011 (before implementation of the new salt iodine standard). Results The median of salt iodine was 26.6 mg/kg, the iodized salt coverage rate was 99.5% (1 492/1 500), the qualified rate of iodized salt was 89.3% (1 333/1 492), and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 88.9% (1 333/1 500). The thyroid goiter rate of children was 3.2% (48/1 500); a total of 1 499 urine samples of children were detected, the urinary iodine median was 169.8 μg/L, it was significantly lower than that in 2011 (216.0 μg/L, Z=-6.813, P < 0.05). A total of 600 urine samples of pregnant women were detected, the urinary iodine median was 161.8 μg/L, it was significantly lower than that in 2011 (168.6 μg/L, Z=-3.590, P < 0.05). Conclusion IDD has been controlled after implementation of the new standard of iodized salt and iodine nutrition condition is good. Key words: Iodine; Deficiency diseases; Goiter, endemic; Urine; Salts
Omniphobic Hollow Fiber Membranes for Water Recovery and Desalination

Despite remarkable progress in developing wetting-resistant membranes for the desalination of challenging water resources through membrane distillation, practical approaches that allow for the fabr...
Public Tears: Populism and the Politics of Emotion in AKP's Turkey

This article analyzes the increased visibility and frequency of public weeping by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Building on the literature that conceptualizes populism as a particular political style, I argue that crying in public can be understood as a populist performative act of legitimation, serving to dramatize the basic components of the populist discourse. I also contend that the increased frequency of public weeping by Erdogan relate to two major dilemmas that populists in power encounter. Both dilemmas stem from the growing discrepancy between populist rhetoric and practice, diminishing the credibility of the populist leader. Signaling emotional authenticity, Erdogan’s tearfulness serves to communicate a message of closeness to the people and sustain the anti-elite rhetoric at a time when his political power and economic wealth increasingly set him apart from the politically and economically marginalized. It also attempts to justify authoritarian practices while sustaining the claim to rule in the name of popular power and mobilize constituents against the opposition.
TRPV4-Rho signaling drives cytoskeletal and focal adhesion remodeling in trabecular meshwork cells

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is dynamically regulated by the trabecular meshwork (TM), a mechanosensitive tissue that protects the eye from injury through dynamic regulation of aqueous humor flow. TM compensates for mechanical stress impelled by chronic IOP elevations through increased actin polymerization, tissue stiffness, and contractility. This process has been associated with open angle glaucoma; however, the mechanisms that link mechanical stress to pathological cytoskeletal remodeling downstream from the mechanotransducers remain poorly understood. We used fluorescence imaging and biochemical analyses to investigate cytoskeletal and focal adhesion remodeling in human TM cells stimulated with physiological strains. Mechanical stretch promoted F-actin polymerization, increased the number and size of focal adhesions, and stimulated the activation of the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK). Stretch-induced activation of the small GTPase Ras homolog family member A (RhoA), and tyrosine phosphorylations of focal adhesion proteins paxillin, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), vinculin, and zyxin were time dependently inhibited by ROCK inhibitor trans-4-[(1R)-1-aminoethyl]-N-4-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide dihydrochloride (Y-27632), and by HC-067047, an antagonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels. Both TRPV4 and ROCK activation were required for zyxin translocation and increase in the number/size of focal adhesions in stretched cells. Y-27632 blocked actin polymerization without affecting calcium influx induced by membrane stretch and the TRPV4 agonist GSK1016790A. These results reveal that mechanical tuning of TM cells requires parallel activation of TRPV4, integrins, and ROCK, with chronic stress leading to sustained remodeling of the cytoskeleton and focal complexes.
Abbreviated Assessment Tool of Learned Helplessness and Mastery Orientation: The Student Behavior Checklist—Brief:

Measurement limitations have hindered research on learned helplessness (LH) and mastery orientation (MO) in the classroom. We reduced the 24-item Student Behavior Checklist to a 6-item scale and te...
Family caregivers for older persons with dementia offer recommendations to current caregivers: A qualitative investigation:

Background and aimsFamily members who care for older adults with dementia encounter significant difficulties across many domains. There is limited research in this area; thus, the aim here is to sh...
Educational Programming for Students With Disabilities in Urban Schools

Urban education is often defined as education provided to diverse students in communities with large populations, both in raw number of residents and in population density. Educational professional...
Strategies towards Kidney Tissue Biofabrication

Abstract The kidney is one of the most important organs for maintaining body fluid homeostasis and excretion of metabolic wastes. Three-dimensional (3D) biofabrication of kidney with morphological and functional complexities is an extremely challenging task. Advances in 3D biofabrication of renal tissues, using biomaterials and different cells including cell lines as well as those derived from human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells, have shown remarkable promise for kidney tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Here, we briefly present the structures and functions of the kidney and discuss the latest advances in 3D biofabrication of its functional and structural units. The limitations of these biofabrication strategies, challenges such as vascularization, and future perspectives of kidney tissue biofabrication towards both in vitro and in vivo applications, are discussed.
Contribution of fetal magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND Increasing evidence supports an association among congenital heart disease (CHD), structural brain lesions on neuroimaging, and increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay and other structural anomalies. Fetal MRI has been found to be effective in demonstrating fetal structural and developmental abnormalities. OBJECTIVE To determine the contribution of fetal MRI to identifying cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular anomalies in fetuses with CHD compared to prenatal US and fetal echocardiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective study of fetuses with CHD identified by fetal echocardiography. Exams were performed on 1.5-tesla (T) or 3-T magnets using a balanced turbo field echo sequence triggered by an external electrocardiogram simulator with a fixed heart rate of 140 beats per minute (bpm). Fetal echocardiography was performed by pediatric cardiologists and detailed obstetrical US by maternal-fetal medicine specialists prior to referral to MRI. We compared the sensitivity of fetal MRI and fetal echocardiography for the diagnosis of cardiovascular anomalies, as well as the sensitivity of fetal MRI and referral US for the diagnosis of non-cardiac anomalies. We performed statistical analysis using the McNemar test. RESULTS We identified 121 anomalies in 31 fetuses. Of these, 73 (60.3%) were cardiovascular and 48 (39.7%) involved other organ systems. Fetal echocardiography was more sensitive for diagnosing cardiovascular anomalies compared to fetal MRI, but the difference was not statistically significant (85.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 77.8-94.0% vs. 77.5%, 95% CI 67.7-87.2%, respectively; McNemar test 2.29; P=0.13). The sensitivity of fetal MRI was higher for diagnosing extracardiac anomalies when compared to referral US (84.1%, 95% CI 73.3-94.9% vs. 31.8%, 95% CI 18.1-45.6%, respectively; McNemar test 12.9; P<0.001). The additional information provided by fetal MRI changed prognosis, counseling or management for 10/31 fetuses (32.2%), all in the group of 19 fetuses with anomalies in other organs and systems besides CHD. CONCLUSION Fetal MRI performed in a population of fetuses with CHD provided additional information that altered prognosis, counseling or management in approximately one-third of the fetuses, mainly by identifying previously unknown anomalies in other organs and systems.
6. Analytic and Continental Philosophy, Science, and Global Philosophy

This chapter compares some ideas on the relation of natural science to philosophy that have emerged from the traditions of analytic and Continental philosophy. It focuses on the philosophy of mind in particular, and especially on issues about human consciousness. The chapter presents some remarks on how constructive engagement between different philosophical traditions in the world might benefit from what has transpired in the analytic and Continental encounters over the relation of natural science to philosophy. These other traditions might of course also inform the ongoing disputes that seem to separate analytic from Continental philosophy. The discussions in the chapter on analytic and Continental philosophy, science, and global philosophy show how we can avoid the view according to which the sciences and technology provide the fundamental or only ways of knowing, understanding, and being in the world, and that value natural science and technology above all else. Keywords:analytic philosophy; Continental philosophy; global philosophy; natural sciences; philosophical traditions
Shared Understanding as a Gateway for Treatment Engagement: A Preliminary Study Examining the Effectiveness of the Culturally Enhanced Video Feedback Engagement Intervention

Objective For ethnic minority families, the bridging of clinician–client differences is essential to their engagement in treatment. The Culturally Enhanced Video Feedback Engagement (CEVE) intervention aims to enhance client engagement through fostering clinician–client shared cultural understanding. The present study tested the effectiveness of the CEVE on client-rated clinician cultural competence and therapeutic alliance. Method Nineteen ethnic minority families with children aged 3–6 years were randomized to the CEVE (n = 9) or treatment as usual (n = 10) at an outpatient clinic. Results Results from linear mixed effects regression models indicated a significant effect of the CEVE on intercept, suggesting that clinician cultural competence and therapeutic alliance were significantly higher in the CEVE condition. No effect was found for clinician growth in skills. Conclusions The results indicate that the CEVE enhances client treatment engagement via clinician cultural competence and clinician–client alliance, suggesting its promise as a clinical engagement tool, particularly for treatments serving ethnic minority families.
Independent Deficits of Visual Word and Motion Processing in Aging and Early Alzheimer's Disease

We tested whether visual processing impairments in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) reflect uniform posterior cortical decline, or independent disorders of visual processing for reading and navigation. Young and older normal controls were compared to early AD patients using psychophysical measures of visual word and motion processing. We find elevated perceptual thresholds for letters and word discrimination from young normal controls, to older normal controls, to early AD patients. Across subject groups, visual motion processing showed a similar pattern of increasing thresholds, with the greatest impact on radial pattern motion perception. Combined analyses show that letter, word, and motion processing impairments are independent of each other. Aging and AD may be accompanied by independent impairments of visual processing for reading and navigation. This suggests separate underlying disorders and highlights the need for comprehensive evaluations to detect early deficits.
Ceramic column grid array for flip chip applications

Ceramic Column Grid Array (CCGA) technology was introduced by IBM several years ago. The purpose of the Column Grid Array (CGA) technology was its improved reliability compared to the Ball Grid Array due to height and compliance. This paper describes several process improvements in fabricating the columns onto the substrates. These improvement's include attaching the columns to the ceramic substrate using no clean flux and the ability to rework cast columns during the fabrication of the module. In addition, stress testing was completed to validate the use of the Coffin-Manson equation in predicting the fatigue life as a function of column length, as well as a bridge between two accelerated thermal cycling (ATC) conditions, 0-100/spl deg/C and -55-125/spl deg/C.
Analyses of Buckling and Stable Tearing in Thin-Sheet Materials

This paper was to verify the STAGS (general shell, geometric and material nonlinear) code and the critical crack-tip-opening angle (CTOA) fracture criterion for predicting stable tearing in cracked panels that fail with severe out-of-plane buckling. Materials considered ranged from brittle to ductile behavior. Test data used in this study are reported elsewhere. The STAGS code was used to model stable tearing using a critical CTOA value that was determined from a cracked panel that was "restrained" from buckling. The alanysis methodology was then used to predict the influence of buckling on stable tearing and failure loads. Parameters like crack-length to-specimen-width ratio, crack configuration, thickness, and material tensile properties had a significant influence on the buckling behavior of cracked thin-sheet materials. Experimental and predicted results showed a varied buckling response for different crack-length-to-sheet-thickness ratios because different buckling modes were activated. Effects of material tensile properties and fracture toughness on buckling response were presented. The STAGS code and the CTOA fracture criterion were able to predict the influence of buckling on stable tearing behavior and failure loads on a variety of materials and crack configurations.
Mineral metabolism in the developing turkey embryo--II. The role of the yolk sac.

1. 1. Turkey embryos were incubated in ovo or in long-term shell-less culture (ex ovo) for 14, 18, 22 or 26 days, at which time the concentrations of zinc, copper, iron, manganese and calcium in yolk and yolk sac membrane were determined. 2. 2. Yolk manganese and calcium concentrations increased during incubation in ovo while the concentrations of zinc, copper and iron declined. The concentrations of zinc, copper and iron in yolk from ex ovo embryos did not decline. Yolk calcium concentration increased during incubation ex ovo, although to a much lesser extent than that observed in ovo. 3. 3. The concentration of zinc, copper and iron declined in yolk sac tissue during incubation in ovo whereas no decline was observed for yolk sac tissue from ex ovo embryos. Yolk sac calcium and manganese concentrations increased during incubation in ovo and ex ovo, although the increase in calcium concentration for ex ovo yolk sac was much smaller than that observed in ovo. 4. 4. A peak corresponding to metallothionein (MT) which bound both zinc and copper was isolated from yolk sac cytosol on day 14 of incubation in ovo using gel-permeation column chromatography. 5. 5. Further fractionation of the MT peak by anion exchange chromatography revealed three metalbinding peaks designated MT-1, MT-2a and MT-2b. The majority of the zinc was bound to MT-2a and MT-2b whereas most of the copper was bound to a single peak (MT-2b). 6. 6. The concentrations of zinc and copper in yolk sac cytosol reached a maximum on day 14 of incubation in ovo and declined through to day 28 (hatching). The majority (85%–90%) of cytosolic copper was associated with MT, whereas only 30–40% of the zinc was bound to MT.
Is It Time to Disinvest in Social Capital

In an effort at theoretical clarification, the authors reviewed 45 recent articles reporting empirical research employing the concept of ‘social capital’. The literature is roughly equally divided between those who treat social capital as an independent variable and those who consider it as a dependent variable, and between those who operationalize the concept principally in terms of norms, values and attitudes and those who choose a more social structural operationalization, invoking social networks, organizations and linkages. Work on social capital as a mainly normative variable is dominated by political scientists and economists, while sociologists and a wide range of applied social scientists utilize more social structural understandings of the term. We find little to recommend in the use of ‘social capital’ to represent the norms, values and attitudes of the civic culture argument. We present empirical, methodological and theoretical arguments for the irrelevance of ‘generalized social trust’, in particular, as a significant factor in the health of democracies or economic development. Social structural interpretations of social capital, on the other hand, have demonstrated considerable capacity to draw attention to, and illuminate, the many ways in which social resources are made available to individuals and groups for individual or group benefit, which we take to be the prime focus and central attraction of the social capital concept. The paper concludes by elaborating a context-dependent conceptualization of social capital as access plus resources, and cautions against ‘over-networked’ conceptualizations that equate social capital with access alone.
Theoretical Analysis of Catalytic Combustion in a Monolith Reactor

A theoretical model of catalytic combustion is developed which allows calculation of temperature and reactant/product distribution in a tubular duct with catalytic walls. Under adiabatic conditions, as prevail in the central ducts of a catalytic monolith combustor, and in the absence of heat conduction along the reactor walls, the model provides an analytic solution. It exhibits the existence of multiple steady states and, for gas mixtures with low Lewis number, temperature excursions in excess of the adiabatic reaction temperature, Gas-phase reactions are shown to increase the fuel consumption in a given length of catalytic duct but leave unchanged the relations between the temperature and species distributions. The model is applied to a series of experimental results obtained with different fuels in tubular reactors. Satisfactory agreement is found between theoretical and experimental data when account is taken of the effects of heat loss from the reactor to the environment.
Materials with controlled mesoporosity derived from synthetic polyvinylpyrrolidone-clay composites

Abstract Mesoporous synthetic clays (MSCs) are obtained when polymer-containing silicate gels are hydrothermally crystallized to form layered magnesium silicate hectorite clays containing polymers that are incorporated in situ. In this in situ technique, interlayer intercalation of different polymers over broad molecular weight and concentration ranges is achieved. The polymer loading of synthesized composites is determined by thermal analysis, and the basal spacing changes resulting from different levels of polymer intercalation are monitored by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). In some cases, intercalation occurs to such a degree as to delaminate the layers and cause loss of stacking registry. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) of several average molecular weights ranging from 10×103–1.3×106, in loadings varying from 10 to 20 wt.%, were used. The organic polymer template molecules were removed from synthetic polymer–clay complexes via calcination. Pore radii, surface areas and pore volumes of the resulting porous inorganic networks (MSCs) were then measured. A direct correlation between both PVP Mw and polymer loading on the radius of the average pore was found, which varied from 21–45 A.
Hepatitis C virus-specific CTL responses in PBMC from chimpanzees with chronic hepatitis C: determination of CTL and CTL precursor frequencies using a recombinant canarypox virus (ALVAC).

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate HCV-cytotoxic T lymphocyte response from PBMC in bulk CTL assays and in CTL precursor analyses using in vitro stimulation with canarypox virus (ALVAC) expressing HCV-capsid/E1/E2/NS2/NS3 antigens. Canarypox virus is naturally host-range restricted and does not replicate or cause cytopathology on mammalian cells. PBMC were obtained from four chimpanzees with chronic hepatitis C infection and one uninfected chimpanzee. CTL from bulk culture of PBMC and CTL precursor frequencies were found in three of the four chronically infected chimpanzees using ALVAC in vitro stimulation. No CTL response was detected in PBMC from the uninfected chimpanzee. The precursor frequencies of CTL specific for capsid, NS2 and NS3 proteins ranged between 1/2663 and 1/27202. No correlation was observed between percent cytolysis in bulk culture and CTL precursor frequencies. This method may prove useful in assessing the correlation between HCV–CTL response and virological or histological status.
Development of three-way ranging for the Voyager Neptune encounter

Range data will be used to help navigate Voyager 2 to Neptune and the most distant planetary encounter ever attempted. In preparation for this challenging August 1989 planetary encounter, a new data type, known as 'three-way range', has been developed. With three-way ranging, a ranging signal generated at a ground station, received at the spacecraft and transponded to Earth is then received coherently at a second tracking station, which can be distant from the transmitting station. This paper contains analytic and operational descriptions of three-way range. Hardware modifications and design necessary for implementing this new data type are discussed. Preliminary assessments of three-way ranging performance are given and accuracies are discussed.
The uncertain anatomy of Alzheimer's disease.

One of the least satisfactory elements of our understanding of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease is the fact that we have little or no understanding of its neuroanatomy— neither the amyloid cascade hypothesis [4], nor any other notion of pathogenesis adequately explains its discrete neuroanatomy—now Schonheit et al. [9] elegantly confirm what has long been suspected . . . that tangles form, at least in part, in neurons whose terminal fields are embroiled in plaques [1,2,11]. These data are consistent with the notion that pathogenesis travels along neuronal pathways [2,5]. They also appear to show that tangle formation precedes plaque formation, as others have suggested before using similar techniques, and imply that this finding undermines the amyloid cascade hypothesis. They might be right in this, but I shall suggest some caveats to this view, and would in any event hold, as they admit, that this may merely reflect the fact that A species other than the full-blown plaque is the toxic species. In this Discussion, I have two aims: first to constructively criticize the view that tangles precede plaques (although if they do, I would not regard that as a fatal flaw in the amyloid cascade hypothesis) and second, to discuss, in general terms, how pathogenesis can travel along neuronal pathways.
Finding identifiable parameter combinations in nonlinear ODE models and the rational reparameterization of their input–output equations

Abstract When examining the structural identifiability properties of dynamic system models, some parameters can take on an infinite number of values and yet yield identical input–output data. These parameters and the model are then said to be unidentifiable. Finding identifiable combinations of parameters with which to reparameterize the model provides a means for quantitatively analyzing the model and computing solutions in terms of the combinations. In this paper, we revisit and explore the properties of an algorithm for finding identifiable parameter combinations using Grobner Bases and prove useful theoretical properties of these parameter combinations. We prove a set of M algebraically independent identifiable parameter combinations can be found using this algorithm and that there exists a unique rational reparameterization of the input–output equations over these parameter combinations. We also demonstrate application of the procedure to a nonlinear biomodel.