cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tectonic-Diffusion Estimate of Orogenic Gold Resources

Age-frequency data are used to determine amounts of vertical tectonic displacement experienced by the global population of orogenic gold deposits following their emplacement at a crustal depth of 10 ± 1 km. Knowledge of this tectonic dispersion allows for an estimate of the total crustal endowment of gold in orogenic gold deposits. This estimate is based on a compilation of data on 365 orogenic gold deposits, of which gold contents are available for 314 deposits and good age control is available for 126 deposits. Ages of well-dated deposits form three clusters that range in age from 47 to 850 Ma (primarily Phanerozoic; 69 deposits), 1730 to 2090 Ma (Proterozoic; 13 deposits), and 2540 to 3107 Ma (Archean; 44 deposits). Gold endowments do not vary significantly among the three age groups and average 155 tonnes (t) per deposit for the entire population for which data on gold tonnages are available. Owing to the distinct tripartite nature of the age frequency distribution, it is not possible that orogenic gold deposits represent largely invariant rates of ore formation and destruction (uninterrupted tectonic dispersion would have resulted in the destruction of essentially all Proterozoic and Archean deposits). Separate tectonic-diffusion calculations for each of the three deposit age populations were carried out while constraining biases to tectonic diffusion (i.e., the most suitable ratios of uplift and erosion versus subsidence and burial), with continental crustal thicknesses on the order of several tens of kilometers. The results of these calculations indicated that a total of ~25,236 orogenic gold deposits formed over the full span of geologic time, that ~23,664 of these (~94%) were destroyed during subsequent uplift and erosion, and that ~1,572 deposits remain at depth in Earth’s crust. If all 365 known orogenic gold deposits have the same mean gold content as the deposits for which gold contents are available, then ~706,439 t of gold remain at depth in Earth’s crust. Gold in orogenic deposits constitutes about 0.0022 percent of the total gold content of the crust. Using estimates of gold released by prograde metamorphism of the Otago Schist, gold in the deposits that remain in the crust could have been released from about 1,413,000 km3 of amphibolite facies rocks, which constitute only about 12 percent of currently exposed metamorphic rocks. If we assume a maximum depth of ~3 km for future mining of these deposits, the model results indicate that deposits containing almost 113,000 t of gold exist within crustal rocks above this depth. Discovered deposits make up about 8 percent of this endowment. In the context of spatial density, the areal concentration of orogenic gold deposits along Phanerozoic metamorphic belts is about ten times that in Proterozoic terranes and about three times higher than in Archean belts. This suggests that exploration for the next generation of orogenic gold deposits should be focused on Phanerozoic terranes.
Cyclooxygenase-2 contributes to N-methyl-D-aspartate-mediated neuronal cell death in primary cortical cell culture

Cyclooxygenase isozymes (COX-1 and COX-2) are found to be constitutively expressed in brain, with neuronal expression of COX-2 being rapidly induced after numerous insults, including cerebral ischemia. Because overactivation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors has been implicated in the cell loss associated with ischemia, we characterized the expression of the COX isozymes in murine mixed cortical cell cultures and used isozyme-selective inhibitors to determine their relative contribution to NMDA receptor-stimulated prostaglandin (PG) production and excitotoxic neuronal cell death. Immunocytochemical analysis of mixed cortical cell cultures revealed that COX-2 expression was restricted to neurons, whereas COX-1 was expressed in both neurons and astrocytes. Brief exposure to NMDA (5 min; 100 microM) elicited a time-dependent accumulation of PGs in the culture medium that preceded neuronal cell death and correlated with the induction of COX-2 mRNA. COX-1 expression remained unchanged. Flurbiprofen, a nonselective COX-1/COX-2 inhibitor, blocked NMDA-stimulated PG production and attenuated neuronal death in a concentration-dependent manner. Similar results were obtained with the specific COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 (10-30 microM) but not with the selective COX-1 inhibitor valeryl salicylate (10-300 microM). Inhibition of total constitutive COX activity with aspirin (100 microM, 1.5 h) before NMDA exposure did not prevent subsequent NMDA-mediated neuronal cell death. However, neuronal injury in aspirin-pretreated cultures was attenuated by flurbiprofen administration after NMDA exposure. Finally, the protection afforded by COX-2 inhibition was specific for NMDA because neither flurbiprofen nor NS-398 protected neurons against kainate-mediated neurotoxicity. Together, these results support the conclusion that newly synthesized COX-2 protein contributes to NMDA-induced neuronal injury.
An Improved Man-Machine Interface for the Driver-Vehicle System

A control stick with a built-in tactile aiding device was tested in a simulated car-following situation. The tactile device gave the driver of a following car information—headway and relative velocity—concerning the state of a lead car. Experimental results (relative velocity and headway variance) with the simulator were compared with those obtained using conventional automobile controls in a similar situation. Sizeable reductions in these quantities, 55 and 85 percent, respectively, were obtained when the tactile display was partially quickened. Some evidence indicated that the driver behaved as an amplifier when using such a display.
Smoking or its cessation does not alter the susceptibility to in vitro LDL oxidation

Background Enhanced induction of low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation may play a role in the increased cardiovascular risk in smokers. We determined LDL oxidisability in vitro in non-smokers, smokers and in subjects after smoking cessation. Patients and Methods Plasma lipids and copper induced LDL oxidation in vitro were measured in 31 persistent smokers, 47 smokers who tried to stop smoking and 25 non-smokers. In the smoking cessation group, blood was collected before then 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after smoking cessation, and in the persistent smoking and non-smoking groups at baseline and after 12 months. Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured 3 times (at baseline then after 1 and 3 months) in all subjects who refrained from smoking (controlled by urinary cotinine concentrations) for at least 3 months. Results At baseline, no differences in mean age, body mass index and lipid profiles between groups were present. Seventeen subjects of the smoking cessation group (36%) managed to quit during 12 months. Smoking cessation was associated with an increase in mean weight (P ≤ 0.001) and waist-hip ratio (P ≤ 0.001). No major differences in LDL oxidisability were found between groups. A significant transient increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was seen (from 1.20 ± 0.39 to 1.34 ± 0.42 mmol L−1) after 1 month of smoking cessation that disappeared after 3 months. However, after 1 month of smoking cessation, plasma TBARS decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Conclusions Neither the previously observed increased cardiovascular risk in smokers nor the decreased risk in those who stopped smoking seem to be mediated by permanent changes in lipid profiles or by alterations in the susceptibility to in vitro oxidation of LDL.
Does the Lawyer Matter? Influencing Outcomes on the Supreme Court of Canada

This article examines the impact of lawyer capability on the decisionmaking of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC). Extending prior attorney capability studies of U.S. judicial decisionmaking, we test three lawyer variables: prior litigation experience, litigation team size, and Queen's Counsel designation. We find that the first two variables have a statistically significant and positive relationship with the SCC's decisions in non-reference-question cases from 1988 to 2000. Moreover, this relationship persists even after controlling for party capability, issue area, and judicial policy preferences.
Kinetic and thermodynamic factors in the regioselectivity of α-carboallyloxymethyl radical cyclizations. A computational study

Ab initio transition-state modeling of α-carboallyloxymethyl radical (1) demonstrates not only that 6-endo cyclization is kinetically disfavored by an overwhelming margin, but that the 5-exo educt radical (2) is also thermodynamically favored over the 6-endo educt radical (3). This may account for the absence of any examples of 6-endo cyclization of any N-allylic α-carbamoylalkyl or O-allylic α-carbalkoxyalkyl radical congeners of 1 in the literature.
Does Masculinity Thwart Being Religious? An Examination of Older Men’sReligiousness

Previous work shows a significant relationship between gender orientation and being religious in samples of college-age and adult men. Before entering later life, men with a feminine orientation have greater religious involvement than other men. In a sample of older men from three Massachusetts counties, this study assessed the bearing of men's gender orientation and gender ideology on their religious involvement. Gender orientation more than masculinity ideology was found to be a reliable predictor of older men's religiousness. Similar to studies of younger men, a feminine orientation was a significant determinant of the older men's religious participation, commitment, and intrinsic orientation. Older men who define self in very masculine terms, however, engaged in a quest religiosity. When the masculinity ideology contains norms that prescribe the virtues of a traditional masculinity and acquiring status, men's religious orientation was extrinsic (or means) oriented. These important findings are discussed in terms of how masculinity is at times a barrier to men's private devotion and at other times can be a trigger to questing.
A Discovery Learning Approach to Information Assurance Education

There is an emphasis today throughout many academic programs on developing and sustaining information assurance (IA) programs. While we often refer to such programs collectively as information assurance, they tend to be decidedly different in approach and content depending on many factors. This paper does not attempt to differentiate between such approaches but rather outlines a discovery approach to information assurance pedagogy – regardless of course content or curriculum. Such an approach is applicable whether or not the IA curriculum is a standalone degree or contained within a computer science, business information systems, or computer engineering program. The examples given in this paper were from a computer science and engineering program.
Stratifying Symptomatic Patients Using the Exercise Test and Other Tools

Risk stratification of patients with chest pain occurs daily by physicians in the primary care setting. When patients present in the office with recent or new-onset chest pain, the physician must determine the appropriate evaluation. Does this pain represent coronary artery disease or is the pain due to some other cause? When a patient with pre-existing risk factors for coronary artery disease presents with typical angina symptoms, the physician must recommend appropriate evaluation. Finally, how does one manage the patient in the emergency department with chest pain? All of these clinical situations presenting to the primary care physician require assessment through the performance of specific evaluations in the proper setting and time period. Some patients can be evaluated over hours or days. Other patients require immediate consultation with a cardiologist. This chapter first reviews the concept of risk stratification, definitions of coronary disease and looks at multiple stratification tools. Second, these tools are discussed as they are applied to stratifying patients with chest pain. The final section presents multiple case studies illustrating the use of these tools in the approach to the patient with chest pain. Risk stratification involves determining the likelihood of coronary artery disease being present (diagnosis) and the future risk of cardiac events for the patient (prognosis). This process may require careful objective testing while at other times subjective intuitive evaluation based on experience and statistical data occurs. When a 62-year-old man with multiple cardiac risk factors (positive family history of coronary artery disease, personal history of smoking, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia) presents with a pressure discomfort in the anterior chest precipitated by exertion and relieved with rest, one promptly places this patient at a high likelihood for coronary artery disease. This immediate determination from the history that coronary artery disease is probably present occurs before the patient is examined and with no objective test results. Other clinical presentations may require thorough evaluation and testing for subsequent risk stratification.
Adverse Childhood Events are Related to the Prevalence of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder Among Adult Women in Hawaii

Purpose In the US, women surpass men in the prevalence of lung diseases. Limited studies exist on the association of adverse childhood events (ACEs) to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) particularly among women and cohorts of understudied populations (e.g., Pacific Islanders). This study evaluated the ACEs–asthma and ACEs–COPD relationships among women in Hawaii and the contribution of poor health factors (smoking, binge drinking, and obesity) in these associations.
A solution to the supersymmetric fine-tuning problem within the MSSM

Abstract Weak scale supersymmetry has a generic problem of fine-tuning in reproducing the correct scale for electroweak symmetry breaking. The problem is particularly severe in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM). We present a solution to this problem that does not require an extension of the MSSM at the weak scale. Superparticle masses are generated by a comparable mixture of moduli and anomaly mediated contributions, and the messenger scale of supersymmetry breaking is effectively lowered to the TeV region. Crucial elements for the solution are a large A term for the top squarks and a small B term for the Higgs doublets. Requiring no fine-tuning worse than 20%, we obtain rather sharp predictions on the spectrum. The gaugino masses are almost universal at the weak scale with the mass between 450 and 900 GeV. The squark and slepton masses are also nearly universal at the weak scale with the mass a factor of 2 smaller than that of the gauginos. The only exception is the top squarks whose masses split from the other squark masses by about m t / 2 . The lightest Higgs boson mass is smaller than 120 GeV, while the ratio of the vacuum expectation values for the two Higgs doublets, tan β , is larger than about 5. The lightest superparticle is the neutral Higgsino of the mass below 190 GeV, which can be dark matter of the universe. The mass of the lighter top squark can be smaller than 300 GeV, which may be relevant for Run II at the Tevatron.
Transportation Engineering Curriculum: Analytic Review of the Literature

AbstractTransportation engineering curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels are critical to the development of technical competency in future transportation engineering professionals—those who will be responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of safe and efficient transportation systems. This paper provides an analytic review of journal articles and refereed conference papers addressing how transportation engineering curricula have changed over time. The literature review found 51 articles for analysis, with an increased frequency of those publications over time. Curriculum issues described in these papers include how transportation fits broadly within engineering programs and, more specifically, within civil engineering programs, which topics are addressed in transportation courses, and how these courses attend to stakeholder needs. This analytic review of the literature provides a resource for transportation engineering educators, administrators, and resear...
Characteristics of Laser/Energy Beam-Melted Silicon Mechanical Damages

We describe what appears to be a first attempt to melt and recrystallize macroscopic (10–20 µm deep) silicon mechanical damage that is induced from wafer modification such as slicing and lapping. Recrystallized surfaces appear mirror shiny, with significantly improved surface smoothness, as compared to the coarse texture of damaged surfaces. The crystallinity also appears good in general. Through the depth of melt were observed indications of impurity migration, probably caused by accumulated segregation at the advancing solid-liquid interface. Recrystallized surfaces, despite their smoothness, remain topologically uneven as a result of lateral mass transport. In addition, the extensive heat required to melt thick layers of silicon causes slip dislocations.
Distribution and drug resistance of pathogens isolated from child blood during 2003～2008

Objective:To study children blood culture of the pathogen distribution and antibiotic resistance analysis in our hospital.Methods:Blood was cultured in BacT/Alert3D of Bio-Merieux of france.The clinical isolates were identified by VITEK-60 of Bio-Merieux of france.Antibiotic susceptive test was done by kirby-bauer method.Results:With the increase in the number of specimens,to slow down gradually in positive rate of less,specimen volume increased from 8678 cases to 14402 cases.The positive rate dropped to 4.56 percent from 3.04 percent.Coagulase-negative staphylococci(CNS) is a major pathogen detection,followed by micrococcus luteus,typhoid and salmonella.Conclusion:CNS is the main pathogen causing septicemia,Oxacillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci increased by 78.9% from 88%,Curing infections caused by of these bacteria.Quinupristin/Dalfopr,vancomycin,rifampicin,and Linezolid should be the first choice.Doctors and nurses and inspection must be to strengthen links,make the right to determine the basis of clinical,in order to choose the right anti-Su-owners.
EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT ORIENTATION OF PROPERTY RIGHTS SYSTEM OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN CHINA

National property rights occupies fundamental place in the system of market economy. Property rights occupies first place and politic rights occupies second place. Mineral resources belongs to assets in kind, which apply in the theory of assets in kind and law principle. National property rights should be strengthened, in order to perfect the market of mining rights. Political rights should be used correctly, that means resources revenue should be canceled, add-value revenue of mining rights should be set up. The name of different financial income should be standardized.
Clinical decision analysis of HIV screening.

BACKGROUND: Various health organizations, and government agencies have developed differing recommendations to address the issue of who should be tested for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). This study used decision analysis to evaluate approaches to testing for HIV infection in a variety of clinical situations. METHODS: Four decision tree branches were evaluated to determine the relative importance of HIV seroprevalence, test sensitivity, test specificity, and other factors in four testing scenarios: 1) no HIV testing of anyone, 2) mandatory HIV testing for all health care workers and hospitalized patients younger than age 65, 3) testing of persons determined to be at high risk for HIV infection based on risk assessment, and 4) voluntary HIV testing and reporting. RESULTS: No HIV testing results in a situation in which HIV status is unknown for all patients and health providers; issues of test sensitivity and specificity are not pertinent. Mandatory testing of health care workers and hospitalized patients, and testing only of high-risk persons, is heavily dependent on assumptions regarding HIV disease prevalence and on test sensitivity and specificity. Voluntary testing is more dependent on political decisions regarding the consequence of positive tests than it is on HIV prevalence or test characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Policies regarding HIV testing are heavily dependent on the prevalence of HIV seropositivity, the sensitivity and specificity of HIV blood tests, and public policy.
Reproductive Decision-Making in Women with BRCA1/2 Mutations

Expanded genetic testing of BRCA mutations has led to identification of more reproductive-aged women who test positive for the mutation which might impact attitudes and decisions about relationships, childbearing and the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal diagnosis (PND). A cross-sectional survey was administered to 1081 self-reported BRCA carriers to investigate how knowledge of BRCA status influences these issues. The mean age at BRCA test disclosure was 44 years and 36 % reported a personal history of cancer. Of 163 women who were unpartnered, 21.5 % felt more pressure to get married. Of 284 women whose families were not complete, 41 % reported that carrier status impacted their decision to have biological children. Women with a history of cancer were more likely to report that knowledge of BRCA+ status impacted their decision to have a child (OR 1.8, 95 % CI 1–3.2). Fifty-nine percent thought PGD should be offered to mutation carriers and 55.5 % thought PND should be offered. In conclusion, knowledge of BRCA status impacts attitudes regarding relationships and childbearing, and most carriers believe that PGD and PND should be offered to other carriers. This study suggests that BRCA carriers desire and would benefit from reproductive counseling after test disclosure.
Microminiaturization in Laser Surgery and in vivo Intradiscal Pressure Measurement in Intervertebral Discs

Low-back pain can affect almost anyone at any time. In the United States, 8–15 percent [Ranu, 1] of back injuries involve the spinal discs, which act as a cushion between each vertebra. When a human spinal disc slips or herniates, part or all of it bulges out from its usual setting between the vertebrae (Figure 1).
Vitality and Cohesiveness in the Poetry of Shangguan Wan'er (664–710)

This essay examines two major characteristics of Shangguan Wan'er's poetry by placing them in the context of the development of poetry and poetics from the Southern Dynasties through the early Tang. Shangguan responded to the challenge of poetry writing in the early Tang with vitality and cohesiveness, which several poets had advocated since the 670′s. She also paid equal attention to literary embellishment and craft that she inherited from earlier traditions. The synthesis of traditions and new aesthetics shown in her poetry is part of an important literary current at the turn of the eighth century when the styles of poetry transitioned to those later known as the High Tang. Shangguan's strong influence on Emperor Zhongzong's court literary salon helped promote her taste and directed the literary currents of her time. This essay also presents a textual history of Shangguan's collected works and discusses some authorship issues related to poems that have been attributed to her since the Song dynasty.
Consumer confusion between prescription drug precautions and side effects

Abstract Objective Multiple studies have identified consumers’ difficulty correctly interpreting risk information provided about prescription drugs, whether in printed format or online. This study’s purpose was to explore whether consumers can distinguish between prescription drug precautions and side effects presented on brand-name drug websites. Methods Participants ( n = 873) viewed fictitious drug websites that presented both precautions and side effects for one of four drugs, and they completed a survey assessing recall and comprehension. We coded open-ended recall data to identify whether drug precautions were mentioned and, if so, how they were interpreted. Results Approximately 15% of participants mentioned at least one drug precaution. The majority (59.7%) misinterpreted precautions as potential side effects. Participants who misinterpreted precautions rated the drugs as significantly more likely to cause side effects than participants who accurately interpreted the precautions. Age, education, literacy, and other factors did not appear to predict precaution interpretation. Conclusion At least some consumers are likely to interpret precautions on drug websites as potential side effects, which might affect consumer preferences, treatment decisions, and medication safety. Practice implications Healthcare providers should be aware of this potential confusion, assess patients’ understanding of precautions and potential side effects, and address any misunderstandings.
Sequence-Selective Binding of Oligopeptides in Water through Hydrophobic Coding

A general method for sequence-specific binding of peptides remains elusive despite decades of research. By creating an array of “hydrophobically coded dimples” on the surface of surface–core doubly cross-linked micelles, we synthesized water-soluble nanoparticle receptors to recognize peptides by the location, number, and nature of their hydrophobic side chains. Minute differences in the side chains could be distinguished, and affinities up to 20 nM were obtained for biologically active oligopeptides in water.
Error-Specific Cognitive Control Alterations in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Abstract Background Trait anxiety is reliably associated with enhanced neural responses following errors: meta-analyses have described how the electrophysiological response to errors known as error-related negativity (ERN) is increased in anxious individuals, particularly in relation to worry. ERN has been related to a broader class of control signals, particularly via a common theta band denominator, but it is unknown whether worry relates to these alternative medial frontal metrics. Moreover, it is unclear if increased ERN in anxiety relates to altered cognitive control. Methods We examined electroencephalogram activities in subjects with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) ( n = 39) and control subjects ( n = 52) during an executive control task. We leveraged a previously defined theta band network to examine if an altered control signal in GAD underlies a differential implementation of cognitive control. Results GAD and control groups were reliably dissociated by error-related and conflict-related neural activity in both time and frequency (i.e., theta band) domains. Moreover, we demonstrated that ERN, error-related theta power, and the single trial correlation between theta and response time were unique predictors of GAD status. Overall, we were able to account for nearly a quarter of the group variance and successfully classify GAD from control participants with two-thirds accuracy. Conclusions Collectively, these findings suggest that multiple neural metrics of error processing may uniquely distinguish individuals with clinical anxiety from healthy individuals and that mechanisms of control also differ in GAD; finally, these error-related neural measures have the potential to be sensitive and specific biosignatures of anxiety.
Long-term Characterization of Retinal Degeneration in Royal College of Surgeons Rats Using Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose Prospective treatments for age-related macular degeneration and inherited retinal degenerations are commonly evaluated in the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat before translation into clinical application. Historically, retinal thickness obtained through postmortem anatomic assessments has been a key outcome measure; however, utility of this measurement is limited because it precludes the ability to perform longitudinal studies. To overcome this limitation, the present study was designed to provide a baseline longitudinal quantification of retinal thickness in the RCS rat by using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods Horizontal and vertical linear SD-OCT scans centered on the optic nerve were captured from Long-Evans control rats at P30, P60, P90 and from RCS rats between P17 and P90. Total retina (TR), outer nuclear layer+ (ONL+), inner nuclear layer (INL), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) thicknesses were quantified. Histologic sections of RCS retina obtained from P21 to P60 were compared to SD-OCT images. Results In RCS rats, TR and ONL+ thickness decreased significantly as compared to Long-Evans controls. Changes in INL and RPE thickness were not significantly different between control and RCS retinas. From P30 to P90 a subretinal hyperreflective layer (HRL) was observed and quantified in RCS rats. After correlation with histology, the HRL was identified as disorganized outer segments and the location of accumulated debris. Conclusions Retinal layer thickness can be quantified longitudinally throughout the course of retinal degeneration in the RCS rat by using SD-OCT. Thickness measurements obtained with SD-OCT were consistent with previous anatomic thickness assessments. This study provides baseline data for future longitudinal assessment of therapeutic agents in the RCS rat.
Chapter 2 – Why Fieldwork?

For centuries, fieldwork has been geomorphology’s heart, entwined with observation and imagination, bound to its place in space by practitioners. Yet nowadays fieldwork often gets tossed along the wayside as a reason for holiday (or similar experience), especially when advanced GIScience and new laboratory applications/techniques are readily available. However, as this chapter outlines, fieldwork – as a concept and endeavor – continues to enliven geomorphology as a discipline and should be incorporated into pedagogical strategies, lest it become forgotten. Fieldwork remains a valuable commodity in geomorphology, just as fieldwork practitioners remain important components of the discipline (and science more generally). Fieldwork helps verify data/hypotheses, enhances sense of place, generates excitement for the discipline in upcoming generations, functions as a bridge between/across disciplines, and helps challenge established paradigms. It should remain at the forefront of geomorphology.
A retrospective analysis of clinical acuity markers on hospital length of stay in patients with febrile neutropenia.

ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to identify factors that have predictive value in determining total hospital length of stay in patients with febrile neutropenia, particularly time ...
pH sensitive methacrylated chitosan hydrogels with tunable physical and chemical properties

Abstract The pH of cutaneous wounds is dynamic and correlates with the stage of the wound healing process. The inflammation stage is acidic, granulation shifts to a progressively alkali pH, and the remodeling phase returns skin to its pre-injury pH. By taking the advantage of this pH difference, stage-specific wound treatments can be developed to respond to these environmental cues using pH sensitive hydrogels. To obtain tunable physical and chemical properties, chitosan was first methacrylated and then crosslinked through three polymerization methods step growth by a thiol-ene photoclick reaction, chain growth by UV polymerization, and mixed mode in which both step growth and chain growth mechanisms were used. pH sensitive methacrylated chitosan (MAC) hydrogels were synthesized and confirmed through 1H NMR. The resulting hydrogels exhibited adjustable mechanical properties, swelling ratios, and pH sensitivities without affecting degradation behavior or in vitro cell responses. Cytocompatibility studies were performed using NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Cell proliferation or adhesion was suppressed when seeded on the hydrogel surfaces compared to tissue culture plastic (TCP), yet no measureable cell death was observed. The responsivity of these gels to changing pH environments may prove useful as stage-responsive wound dressings.
Vulnerabilities of Control Systems in Internet of Things Applications

In this paper, we present some initial results about vulnerability of control systems that can be used in Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Up to our best knowledge, this paper is the first study about vulnerability of applied control systems in general, and especially in the IoT environment. The purpose of this paper is to examine fundamentals of linear control systems and consider vulnerability of its main features and concepts used in IoT applications under potential malicious attacks. We examine vulnerabilities of system stability, controllability, observability, design of feedback loops, and design and placement of sensors and controllers (actuators). The detailed study is limited to the most important vulnerability issues in time-invariant, unconstrained, deterministic, and linear physical systems. Several interesting and motivating examples are provided. We have outlined also some basic vulnerability studies for time-invariant nonlinear unconstrained systems, and indicate that such a study is particularly needed for distributed parameter systems that are very prone to outside physical and cyber-attacks.
Laughing Bodies, Bodies in Pain: How Humour Approaches Torture in Two Works by Eduardo Rovner

Torture is a uniquely difficult experience to represent accurately. Nevertheless, we continually struggle to understand, deal with, and preserve the memory of torture. It is paramount to our human societies that the voices of those who were tortured are heard. The transmission of affect in theatre pieces that deal with torture deserves closer attention, in particular in order to understand how dark humour can communicate trauma and torture. Ultimately, laughter and torture are both bound up in the languages of the body and implicate the physical as well as the psychological. As J.M. Bernstein notes, extreme pain and other limit conditions, like laughter, imply our recognition of the instinctual, out of control body. In the theatre, we experience these affective transmissions as a temporary community, which allows for an inquiry into the role of the group, or those who witness torture as an ephemeral community and who also take part in laughter together. Both Concierto de aniversario [ Birthday Concert ] (1983) and ?Una foto…? [ A Photo? ] (1977) by Eduardo Rovner expose and explore this intersection between the laughing body and the tortured body. These works, which deal with both physical torture and psychological manipulation of Argentine citizens during the military dictatorship (1976-83), employ strong applications of the grotesque and absurd which rely on humour. The Argentine tradition of the grotesco criollo places enjoyment and displeasure in direct contact, a process which creates emotional knowledge. This article aims at establishing the value of emotional knowledge when recording the event and aftermath of torture.
Chemical Synthesis of Poliovirus Peptides and Neutralizing Antibody Responses

Poliomyelitis, a disease caused by polio virus, remains a serious health problem throughout the world. Only in developed countries where the existing vaccines are regularly administered is the incidence of the disease low. However, occasional outbreaks of poliomyelitis in developed countries, albeit rare, are evidence of the present danger of infection with neurovirulent strains that may be imported from other places in the world. Moreover, the existing live vaccines produce a very low level of disease in vaccine recipients and/or persons coming in contact with vaccine recipients. During 1975–1984, the incidence of vaccine related poliomyelitis in the United States of America was one case per 3.22 × 106 doses of live vaccine administered to immunologically normal recipients (CDC., 1986). Even such low incidence has aroused much public discussion recently (Chasan, 1986). Organizations concerned with public health, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), are interested therefore in developing programs that may eventually lead to the worldwide eradication of poliomyelitis. It should be stressed that the existing live (OPV) and inactivated (IPV) vaccines have proven to be excellent vaccines whenever applied properly. However, investigation to identify and eliminate those properties of the OPV strains that are responsible for reversion to the neurovirulent phenotype or research to explore the possibility of augmenting a protective immune response by the development of synthetic antigens has become an important subject for the WHO: Although much effort may have to be expended, a synthetic vaccine may be developed that possesses the required potency and that can be produced at such low cost, that it can be considered as an alternative to those vaccines now in existence. This in turn may serve as a model to combat other enteroviral disease such as hepatitis caused by HAV.
Pelvic and hypogastric nerves are injured in a rat prostatectomy model, contributing to development of stress urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence affects 40% of elderly men, is common in diabetic patients and in men treated for prostate cancer, with a prevalence of up to 44%. Seventy-two percent of prostatectomy patients develop stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in the first week after surgery and individuals who do not recover within 6 months generally do no regain function without intervention. Incontinence has a profound impact on patient quality of life and a critical unmet need exists to develop novel and less invasive SUI treatments. During prostatectomy, the cavernous nerve (CN), which provides innervation to the penis, undergoes crush, tension, and resection injury, resulting in downstream penile remodeling and erectile dysfunction in up to 85% of patients. There are other nerves that form part of the major pelvic ganglion (MPG), including the hypogastric (HYG, sympathetic) and pelvic (PN, parasympathetic) nerves, which provide innervation to the bladder and urethra. We examine if HYG and PNs are injured during prostatectomy contributing to SUI, and if Sonic hedgehog (SHH) regulatory mechanisms are active in the PN and HYG nerves. CN, PN, HYG and ancillary (ANC) of uninjured, sham and CN crush/MPG tension injured (prostatectomy model) adult Sprague Dawley rats (n = 37) were examined for apoptosis, sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway, and intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic mechanisms. Fluorogold tracing from the urethra/bladder was performed. PN and HYG response to SHH protein was examined in organ culture. TUNEL, immunohistochemical analysis for caspase-3 cleaved, -8, -9, SHH, Patched and Smoothened (SHH receptors), and neurite formation, were examined. Florogold positive neurons in the MPG were reduced with CN crush. Apoptosis increased in glial cells of the PN and HYG after CN crush. Caspase 9 was abundant in glial cells (intrinsic), while caspase-8 was not observed. SHH and its receptors were abundant in neurons and glia of the PN and HYG. SHH treatment increased neurite formation. PN and HYG injury occur concomitant with CN injury during prostatectomy, likely contributing to SUI. PN and HYG response to SHH treatment indicates an avenue for intervention to promote regeneration and prevent SUI.
Computer Programming for Librarians: A Study of Job Postings for Library Technologists

The rapid changes in technology used in the library and cultural heritage sectors can make it difficult for early career librarians and LIS students interested in library technology positions to kn...
Auto-Graded Programming Labs: Dos and Don'ts for Less-Stressed Higher-Performing Students, Reduced Grading Time, and Happier Teachers,

Program auto-graders used to be tough applications to install and use by instructors, meaning many instructors avoided them, and for those that used them, most assignments were created by specialists with scripting and other expertise. As such, creating new auto-graded programming assignments was a rare event done by just a few people. But modern cloud-based program auto-graders enable nearly any instructor or TA to create new auto-graded assignments in just tens of minutes, fully created and carried out via the web. This capability has led to an explosion in the number of instructors and TAs creating auto-graded programming assignments, benefiting students via immediate feedback and the option to resubmit, and saving teachers huge amounts of grading time. BUT, this new frontier is very different from hand-graded assignments, with plenty of pitfalls for teachers to avoid, and emerging best practices. This BOF allows teachers to share do's and don'ts, so each can improve their use of auto-graded labs, and teachers new to auto-graded labs can benefit from others' experiences. Special focus is on early CS classes (CS0, CS1, CS2) but topics may apply to many CS classes.
Maximum loading capacities of solid fragments with pores and rough surfaces

Maximum loading capacities of floating solid fragments with pores and rough surfaces have been recently measured and reported by other researchers. The maximum loading capacities were larger than what these researchers expected. They speculated that an extra supporting force was induced by a thick air film, which was generated on outer surfaces of a solid fragment due to surface roughness. They also found that the maximum loading capacities increased with the decrease in the pore sizes. In this work, to interpret these interesting phenomena, we developed a theoretical model, and did force analysis of a configuration that was similar to the reported one. We demonstrated: (i) maximum loading capacities were not necessarily relat- ed to pore sizes, while large pores might cause the sinking of the corresponding solid fragment due to the pen- etration of water into these pores; and (ii) both surface tension and surface roughness contributed to buoyancy through the displacement of additional water, and their degrees of contribution depended on critical sizes of the solid fragment. In addition, we also simplified our model for the cases that the solid fragment was a rec- tangular plate or a cylinder of rectangular cross sections. Finally, we discussed the case that the solid fragment was a circular disk. © Global Scientific Publishers 2012
Refractive Errors and Amblyopia Among Children Screened by the UCLA Preschool Vision Program in Los Angeles County.

Purpose To summarize the results of 5 years of vision screening with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Preschool Vision Program (UPVP). Design Retrospective evaluation of a screening program. Methods The UPVP performed visual acuity and undilated noncycloplegic refractive screening using an autorefractor on 93,097 children between 2012 and 2017. Of these, 79,451 children, who were between 3 and 5 years old, were screened for the first time, and 14,259 were referred for full cycloplegic examination if they met specific refractive criteria for myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or anisometropia. UPVP performed 6779 cycloplegic examinations on this population. Data from the right eye only were included in this analysis. Results Of the examined population, hyperopia was found in 61% (4018), myopia in 20% (1336), and astigmatism in 93% (6122) of children. Latino children had higher rates of astigmatism and worse visual acuity compared to all other races/ethnicities. An astigmatism cutoff of ≥1.50 diopters (D) in either eye correctly predicted the need for glasses 93% of the time; increasing this cutoff to ≥1.50 D in both eyes increased the positive predictive value to 96%. Refractive amblyopia was found in 780 children (1.0% of the screened population and 11.5% of the examined population), and of these, 211 (27%) were bilaterally amblyopic. Conclusions These data represent the largest published sample of vision screening results on preschool-aged children, provide additional insight on the proportion of common refractive errors and their association with race/ethnicity, and can inform screening criteria to more accurately identify children who need intervention to prevent permanent vision loss.
Establishing The Body Plan: The First 24 Hours of Zebrafish Development

Abstract During the first 24 h of embryonic development the zebrafish embryo undergoes a remarkable change from a single cell to a highly developed body. An initial period of very rapid cleavages is followed by the complex morphogenetic movements of gastrulation in which the initial body of the embryo forms on one side of the yolk, with the future tissues of the internal organs in the innermost cell layers and the future epidermal cells in the outer cell layer. Following gastrulation are the somite forming stages, in which the complete anterior-posterior axis of the embryo is established, with a well-developed head, trunk, and tail. This chapter describes the general changes occurring within the embryo during the early cleavage, blastula, gastrula, and somitogenesis stages of zebrafish development.
ZipPhone: Protecting user location privacy from cellular service providers.

Wireless service providers track the time and location of all user connections. Location inference attacks have been effective in revealing the identity of anonymous users of wireless services. In this paper, we propose ZipPhone, a solution that leverages existing cellular infrastructure to improve user privacy. Spartacus allows a community of users to strategically time their connections to remain anonymous while incurring a minimal loss of utility. We evaluate ZipPhone from the perspective of a cell service provider and a community of privacy-seeking users, and quantify the privacy/utility trade-off of ZipPhone using two datasets containing cell tower logs of hundreds of users. We present and assess a deanonymization algorithm that uses both location profiling and trajectory linking. We find that by renewing identifiers every ten minutes and remaining offline for 30 seconds, users can reduce their identifiability by up to 45%.
Investigating the disparate enrollment of older adults on phase I clinical trials: Evolving participation patterns of patients 65 years and older w advanced cancer on phase I trials.

12044Background: While safety and dose-finding remain the primary objective of Phase 1 trials, the potential for clinical benefit has taken a greater meaning in the last decade with the novel thera...
Experimental investigation and thermodynamic modeling of the binary Pt–Sn system

Abstract The thermodynamics of the Pt–Sn system is revisited with attention to phase equilibria involving PtSn4, a topological quantum material with interesting physical properties. The phase relationship in the Sn-rich region of the Pt–Sn binary system was investigated by a combination of differential scanning calorimetry and equilibration experiments. Based on the present experiments and a critical evaluation of the available thermodynamic and phase diagram data reported in the literature, thermodynamic assessments of the entire Pt–Sn system were performed using the CALPHAD approach. Two sets of thermodynamic parameters were optimized, where the liquid phase was described using the Bragg-Williams random mixing model and the associate solution model, respectively. The modeling results are compared with the reliable experimental data and are shown to provide good representations of the phase equilibria and thermodynamic properties in this system.