cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lateral movement of endografts within the aneurysm sac is an indicator of stent-graft instability

Purpose: To determine if lateral movement of an aortic endograft 1 year followingendovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair is an indicator of endograftinstability and can serve as a predictor of late adverse events.Methods: The records of 60 high-risk AAA patients (52 men, 8 women; mean age 74 years)who were treated with infrarenal (n538) or suprarenal (n522) endografts and had serialcomputed tomograms (CT) over $12 months were analyzed. Postimplantation and 1-yearCT scans were compared, and changes in endograft position within the aneurysm sac[lateral movement (LM) versus no lateral movement (NM)] were measured using avertebral body reference point. Longitudinal endograft movement was measured withrespect to the superior mesenteric artery along the aortic centerline axis. Long-termadverse event rates (endoleaks, secondary procedures, conversion, rupture, and death)were assessed.Results: One year after endograft implantation, LM $5 mm was present in 16 (27%)patients; 44 (73%) endografts demonstrated no lateral movement. LM patients had largeraneurysms (6.561.5 versus 5.660.9 cm, p50.02) and a longer endograft–to–hypogastricartery length (p50.01) than NM patients. There were no significant differences betweenpatients treated with infrarenal and suprarenal endografts. At 1 year, longitudinalmigration $10 mm occurred in 5 (31%) of the LM patients versus 2 (5%) in the NM cohort(p,0.0001). There were no significant differences in adverse event rates between LM andNM at 1 year. However, during long-term follow-up (mean 54626 months, range 12–102), 8(50%) LM patients developed a type I endoleak versus 8 (18%) NM patients (p50.02), and 12(75%) LM patients required a secondary procedure versus 9 (20%) NM patients(p50.0002).One (6%) LM patient experienced aneurysm rupture and 2 (13%) other LM patientsunderwent conversion to open repair.Conclusion: Lateral endograft movement within the aneurysm sac at 1 year is associatedwith increased risk of late adverse events and was at least as good a predictor of thesecomplications as was longitudinal migration.J Endovasc Ther 2008;15:335–343Key words: abdominal aortic aneurysm, endovascular aneurysm repair, stent-graft, lateralmovement, longitudinal movement, adverse events, migration, type I endoleak, secondaryprocedures, rupture, conversion
A novel approach to product design and development in a concurrent engineering environment

Abstract In this paper the early design-marketing interface for the design and development of industrial products in a concurrent engineering environment is examined. Marketing concerns, contributions, and constraints are most appropriately reflected in the final product when there is a collaboration and dialogue between designer and marketers at the conceptual phase of the product development cycle. In order to effectively achieve such collaboration, an algorithm containing four steps is proposed. These steps ensure that the consumer requirements and preferences are recognized and communicated in a timely, relevant and accurate format so that they are incorporated in the physical embodiment of the product. It is eventually the collaboration between the marketers ' critical utility factors and the designer's design specification or functions that determines the form, fit and function of the product. The effective collaboration between marketing and design function is not feasible unless there exist full support and cooperation of top management and an institutional culture that can instill and foster such a collaboration.
Neutral Higgs boson from decays of heavy-flavored mesons

It is shown that the decay of heavy-flavored mesons can be a source of neutral Higgs bosons.
Determination of Phonon Dispersions from X-Ray Transmission Scattering: The Example of Silicon

Phonons are the fundamental quanta of lattice vibration in a solid. They play a critical role in phenomena such as superconductivity and many types of phase transitions, and are the basis for the acoustic, thermal, elastic, and infrared properties of solids [1]. A fundamental description of phonons is the dispersion relation, which is determined traditionally through neutron scattering [2 ‐4] or, more recently, through inelastic x-ray scattering [5]. However, these methods can be technically demanding, and alternative, complementary methods have been long sought. This study demonstrates a new approach based on x-ray intensity patterns produced by scattering from thermally populated phonons using silicon as a test case. Intensity patterns with a wide dynamic range were recorded in a matter of seconds at the third-generation synchrotron, the Advanced Photon Source. A least-squares analysis in terms of lattice dynamics yields dispersions for all six phonon branches in excellent agreement with neutron scattering results. The fast data acquisition rate, simplicity of the
Membrane-targeted peptides derived from Igα attenuate B-cell antigen receptor function

Within the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR), heterodimers of Igα/Igβ couple the receptor to intracellular signaling pathways. In the resting state, Igα associates with Src-family tyrosine kinases (SFTKs) which contain some basal activity. Upon engagement of the receptor, the SFTKs phosphorylate tyrosine residues in the BCR that recruit and activate the tyrosine kinase Syk, initiating signaling pathways. To test the hypothesis that disrupting the association between the resting receptor and the SFTKs would attenuate both basal and induced receptor activities, we expressed non-phosphorylatable membrane-targeted analogs of Igα (Igα/M) or Igβ (Igβ/M) in B lymphocytes. Both Igα/M and Igβ/M inhibited BCR-induced calcium mobilization, but only Igα/M was able to diminish tyrosine phosphorylation. In an immature B-cell line, Igα/M attenuated both receptor-induced and basal apoptosis. Taken together, these data demonstrate the importance of the resting receptor complex and suggest therapeutic strategies for regulating receptor-mediated functions.
X pinch with conical electrodes

A standard X pinch consists of two or more fine wires that cross at a single point as the load of a 200-500 kA pulsed power generator. At the MA current level, multi-wire, multilayer and solid conical X pinches have been proposed and tested1,2. To simplify the X pinch load while retaining the favorable properties of the fine wire loads achieved at the 200-500 kA level, a hybrid configuration consisting of solid conical electrodes connected by a wire has been tested on the XP generator (45 ns risetime, 500 kA current). The X pinch consists of 60° cone electrodes made of tungsten with 5% copper with a 0.6-1.3 mm long wire between them. Al, Ti, Ni, NiCr, Cu, Mo, Pd, W and Au wires were loaded through 1 mm holes in the cones and tested in the experiments. Most of the wires were 50 (µm diameter. In the experiments, most of the X pinches generate an intense single burst of soft x-rays and develop a single hot spot that is less than 3 µm diameter. Also, they generate less hard x-ray intensity than is measured in standard X pinches. The new configuration can be used to design a system for reloading X pinches under vacuum for application as a source of x-ray radiation for point-projection backlighting of different plasma and biological objects.
Preventing the airborne spread of Staphylococcus aureus by persons with the common cold: effect of surgical scrubs, gowns, and masks.

Objective. Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus via air may play an important role in healthcare settings. This study investigates the impact of barrier precautions on the spread of airborne S. aureus by volunteers with experimentally induced rhinovirus infection (ie, the common cold). Design. Prospective nonrandomized study. Setting. Wake Forest University School of Medicine (Winston-Salem, NC). Participants. A convenience sample of 10 individuals with nasal S. aureus carriage selected from 593 students screened for carriage. Intervention. Airborne S. aureus dispersal was studied in the 10 participants under the following clothing conditions: street clothes, surgical scrubs, surgical scrubs and a gown, and the latter plus a face mask. After a 4-day baseline period, volunteers were exposed to a rhinovirus, and their clinical course was followed for 12 days. Daily swabs of nasal specimens, pharynx specimens, and skin specimens were obtained for quantitative culture, and cold symptoms were documented. Data were analyzed by random-effects negative binomial models. Results. All participants developed a common cold. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) indicated that, compared with airborne levels of S. aureus during sessions in which street clothes were worn, airborne levels decreased by 75% when surgical scrubs were worn (P .05). Male volunteers shed twice as much S. aureus as females (incidence rate ratio, 2.04; P = .013). The cold did not alter the efficacy of the barrier precautions. Conclusions. Scrubs reduced the spread of airborne S. aureus, independent of the presence of a rhinovirus-induced cold. Airborne dispersal of S. aureus during sessions in which participants wore surgical scrubs was not significantly different from that during sessions in which gowns and gowns plus masks were also worn.
Chasing migration genes: a brain expressed sequence tag resource for summer and migratory monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus).

North American monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) undergo a spectacular fall migration. In contrast to summer butterflies, migrants are juvenile hormone (JH) deficient, which leads to reproductive diapause and increased longevity. Migrants also utilize time-compensated sun compass orientation to help them navigate to their overwintering grounds. Here, we describe a brain expressed sequence tag (EST) resource to identify genes involved in migratory behaviors. A brain EST library was constructed from summer and migrating butterflies. Of 9,484 unique sequences, 6068 had positive hits with the non-redundant protein database; the EST database likely represents ∼52% of the gene-encoding potential of the monarch genome. The brain transcriptome was cataloged using Gene Ontology and compared to Drosophila. Monarch genes were well represented, including those implicated in behavior. Three genes involved in increased JH activity (allatotropin, juvenile hormone acid methyltransfersase, and takeout) were upregulated in summer butterflies, compared to migrants. The locomotion-relevant turtle gene was marginally upregulated in migrants, while the foraging and single-minded genes were not differentially regulated. Many of the genes important for the monarch circadian clock mechanism (involved in sun compass orientation) were in the EST resource, including the newly identified cryptochrome 2. The EST database also revealed a novel Na+/K+ ATPase allele predicted to be more resistant to the toxic effects of milkweed than that reported previously. Potential genetic markers were identified from 3,486 EST contigs and included 1599 double-hit single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 98 microsatellite polymorphisms. These data provide a template of the brain transcriptome for the monarch butterfly. Our “snap-shot” analysis of the differential regulation of candidate genes between summer and migratory butterflies suggests that unbiased, comprehensive transcriptional profiling will inform the molecular basis of migration. The identified SNPs and microsatellite polymorphisms can be used as genetic markers to address questions of population and subspecies structure.
Transmission electron microscopy study of Pb-depleted disks in PbTe-based alloys

density of around 9 � 10 17 cm � 3 , resulting in lattice strain fields (3–20 nm) on both sides of the disks along their normal directions. Moreover, such disks were also observed in Pb-rich Pb1.3Te, Pb-deficient PbTe1.3, and thallium (Tl)-doped Tl0.01Pb0.99Te and Tl0.02Pb0.98Te crystals. Because of theeffectsofdiffractioncontrastimagingbytransmissionelectronmicroscopyandorientationsofthe crystals, these native lattice strain fields were incorrectly recognized as precipitates or nanoinclusions in PbTe-based materials. This discovery provides new insight into the formation mechanism of the precipitates or nanoinclusions in PbTe-based materials.
Out in Nicaragua: Local and Transnational Desires after the Revolution

In June 2000, I returned to spend several weeks in Nicaragua after two years away and found the capital city of Managua transformed by the rebuilding of an urban center, with new government buildings, immense traffic circles and plazas, and hotels and commercial establishments in abundance. My first day back, I ventured into one of two major shopping malls and discovered that the movie Boys Don't Cry (Muchachos no lloran, with subtitles) was playing at a multiplex cinema. In a city where a couple of years before the only movie theatres were exceptionally seedy and offered X-rated porn, I was curious to see what reception this film would have in the Nicaraguan setting soon after its release to wide acclaim in the United States. The audience at the matinee was small and fairly middle class-not surprising in a nation where the two-dollar ticket price was beyond the means of the majority-but it seemed to appreciate the movie's powerful story of sexual-identity transgression and its consequences in the American Midwest.' When it comes to sex and sexuality, some stories are told whereas others remain untold. Histories of sexuality everywhere are subject to revision and debate when local, national, or transnational conditions prompt caution on the one hand or allow more open discussion of sexual difference and transgression on the other.2 Periods of social transformation may present opportunities for personal or national reflection on the politics of gender and sexuality, or they may push such reflection to the margins in the name of settling larger historical accounts. But what happens when personal or local desires are supported by
Multilevel data and Bayesian analysis in traffic safety

Abstract Background Traditional crash prediction models, such as generalized linear regression model, are incapable of taking into account multilevel data structure. Therefore they suffer from a common underlying limitation that each observation (e.g. a crash or a vehicle involvement) in the estimation procedure corresponds to an individual situation in which the residuals exhibit independence. Problem However, this “independence” assumption may often not hold true since multilevel data structures exist extensively because of the traffic data collection and clustering process. Disregarding the possible within-group correlations may lead to production of models with unreliable parameter estimates and statistical inferences. Proposed theory In this paper, a 5 × ST-level hierarchy is proposed to represent the general framework of multilevel data structures in traffic safety, i.e. [Geographic region level − Traffic site level − Traffic crash level − Driver-vehicle unit level − Occupant level] × Spatiotemporal level. The involvement and emphasis for different sub-groups of these levels depend on different research purposes and also rely on the heterogeneity examination on crash data employed. To properly accommodate the potential cross-group heterogeneity and spatiotemporal correlation due to the multilevel data structure, a Bayesian hierarchical approach that explicitly specifies multilevel structure and reliably yields parameter estimates is introduced and recommended. Case studies Using Bayesian hierarchical models, the results from several case studies are highlighted to show the improvements on model fitting and predictive performance over traditional models by appropriately accounting for the multilevel data structure.
A simple L-C equalizer for use in magnetic storage read channels

A fourth order continuous-time equalizer has been developed to minimize the error rate in magnetic storage channels with high recording densities. The equalizer outperforms more complex structures proposed for this task, and is well suited for implementation as an analog CMOS active filter with low power dissipation. A numerical design procedure for the filter is described. >
Smooth Muscle Cell Deletion of Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor–Related Protein 1 Augments Angiotensin II–Induced Superior Mesenteric Arterial and Ascending Aortic Aneurysms

Objective—Low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 1 (LRP1), a multifunctional protein involved in endocytosis and cell signaling pathways, leads to several vascular pathologies when deleted in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The purpose of this study was to determine whether LRP1 deletion in SMCs influenced angiotensin II–induced arterial pathologies. Approach and Results—LRP1 protein abundance was equivalent in selected arterial regions, but SMC-specific LRP1 depletion had no effect on abdominal and ascending aortic diameters in young mice. To determine the effects of LRP1 deficiency on angiotensin II vascular responses, SMC-specific LRP1 (smLRP1+/+) and smLRP1-deficient (smLRP1−/−) mice were infused with saline, angiotensin II, or norepinephrine. Several smLRP−/− mice died of superior mesenteric arterial (SMA) rupture during angiotensin II infusion. In surviving mice, angiotensin II profoundly augmented SMA dilation in smLRP1−/− mice. SMA dilation was blood pressure dependent as demonstrat...
The Global Computer

The problems collaborating with others across the network are apparent to anyone who has tried doing it. That being the case, we should attempt to create an environment that doesn?t have those issues. One approach is to make it appear to people and programs that there is only one computer in the world. In building such a system we?ll have to solve problems of scalable performance, naming, security, discovery, and manageability. If we?re to succeed in hiding the boundaries between machines, the solutions we come up with will have to be part of a coherent architecture.
DIRECTIONAL BIOMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PORCINE SKIN TISSUE

Skin is a multilayered composite material and composed principally of the proteins collagen, elastic fibers and fibroblasts. The direction-dependent material properties of skin tissue is important for physiological functions like skin expansion. The current study has developed methods to characterize the directional biomechanical properties of porcine skin tissues as studies have shown that pigs represent a useful animal model due to similarities between porcine and human skin. It is observed that skin tissue has a nonlinear anisotropy biomechanical behavior, where the parameters of material modulus is 378 ± 160 kPa in the preferred-fiber direction and 65.96 ± 40.49 kPa in the cross-fiber direction when stretching above 30% strain equibiaxially. The result from the study provides methods of characterizing biaxial mechanical properties of skin tissue, as the collagen fiber direction appears to be one of the primary determinants of tissue anisotropy.
Research on mobile agent-based hierarchical network management model

To overcome the shortcomings of traditionally SNMP-based centralized network management, a mobile agent-based hierarchical network management model was presented. Its construction and work procedure were illustrated and compared with those of the traditionally SNMP. A conclusion was drawn that this model has such advantages as less bandwidth consumption and higher flexibility than the initial one, as proved via simulation and comparative analysis
Three Problems Overcome With Behavioral Models Of The Software Development Process

Software development processes are usually modeled by manifestations of the software artifact at given stages in its evolution and the nature of the transformations being applied to it during these stages. Thus, the software process is purported to begin with a stage called something like requirements development, or in some cases with the even the earlier step of a feasibility study. Such models vary the ordering of process stages (eg., prototyping vs. a traditional waterfall vs. incremental building and releasing). Yet, in all such models the software process is bounded by those activities that initiate and terminate the development of a specific software product.
Schemes of line modules I

It is proved that there exists a scheme that represents the functor of line modules over a graded algebra, and it is called the line scheme of the algebra. Its properties and its relationship to the point scheme are studied. If the line scheme of a quadratic, Auslander-regular algebra of global dimension 4 has dimension 1, then it determines the defining relations of the algebra.Moreover, the following counter-intuitive result is proved. If the zero locus of the defining relations of a quadratic (not necessarily regular) algebra on four generators with six defining relations is finite, then it determines the defining relations of the algebra. Although this result is non-commutative in nature, its proof uses only commutative theory.The structure of the line scheme and the point scheme of a 4-dimensional regular algebra is also used to determine basic incidence relations between line modules and point modules.
Therapeutic potential of nanoceria in regenerative medicine

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine aim to achieve functional restoration of tissue or cells damaged through disease, aging, or trauma. Advancement of tissue engineering requires innovation in the field of three-dimensional scaffolding and functionalization with bioactive molecules. Nanotechnology offers advanced materials with patterned nano-morphologies for cell growth and different molecular substrates that can support cell survival and functions. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) can control intracellular as well as extracellular reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Recent findings suggest that nanoceria can enhance long-term cell survival, enable cell migration and proliferation, and promote stem cell differentiation. Moreover, the self-regenerative property of nanoceria permits a small dose to remain catalytically active for an extended time. This review summarizes the possibilities and applications of nanoceria in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Dyadobacter crusticola sp. nov., from biological soil crusts in the Colorado Plateau, USA, and an emended description of the genus Dyadobacter Chelius and Triplett 2000.

Bacterial strain CP183-8T was isolated from biological soil crusts collected in the Colorado Plateau, USA. Cells of this strain were aerobic, non-motile, Gram-negative, psychrotolerant and formed beaded chains in the stationary growth phase. They contained C16 : 1 ω5c and C16 : 1 ω7c as major fatty acids. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis assigned the strain to the genus Dyadobacter. However, it shared a sequence similarity of only 95·88 % with the type strain of Dyadobacter fermentans, NS114T. Because it also exhibited a significant number of phenotypic and chemotaxonomic differences from D. fermentans, it is described as a novel second species in the genus Dyadobacter, with the name Dyadobacter crusticola sp. nov. The type strain is CP183-8T (=DSM 16708T=ATCC BAA-1036T).
Political Islam: Theory

This essay focuses on questions that pertain to the ideological, normative, symbolic, and epochal aspects of political Islam. Political theorists, historians, sociologists, and anthropologists have disagreed on whether political Islam is an exclusively modern political phenomenon or is indebted to long-standing Islamic religious commitments. More specifically, they have also disagreed on whether the shape and ambitions of political Islam are entirely determined by the powers and institutions of the modern, bureaucratic state, particularly its secular desire to control, regulate, and reshape religion. These interpretive debates have often sat uneasily with ongoing normative debates about what kind of secularism democracy requires and whether democracy has priority over liberal rights and freedoms.
Analysis framework of complex service performance for electronic commerce

Electronic commerce systems currently focus on and provide sales and payment. This contribution adds another dimension: the customer's control of a purchased service. Today's business process modelling approaches do not provide adequate abstractions of the concept "service". This paper proposes a framework to represent and analyse complex services performed by one organisation for another. With this approach, automation of service delivery can be planned and its efficiency increased.
Slow Drag in a Granular Medium

We have studied the drag force acting on an object moving with low velocity through a granular medium. Although the drag force is a dynamic quantity, its behavior in this regime is dominated by the inhomogeneous distribution of stress in static granular media. We find experimentally that the drag force on a vertical cylinder is linearly dependent on the cylinder diameter, quadratically dependent on the depth of insertion, and independent of velocity. An accompanying analytical calculation based on the static distribution of forces arrives at the same result, demonstrating that the local theory of stress propagation in static granular media can be used to predict this bulk dynamic property.
Differential contribution of soluble forms of α-synuclein, TDP-43 and PrPc to Alzheimer's disease-associated cognitive impairment

ROCK2 knockdown resulted in both increased aand b secretase cleavage of APP and increased As40 (p1⁄4 0.007) and As42 (p1⁄4 0.03). This data is suggestive of a role for ROCK2 phosphorylation of SorL1 in the regulation of APP metabolism. Activation of another protein kinase, PKC, resulted in increased alpha-secretase mediated shedding of both APP and SorL1, and this was paralleled by an apparent increase in the level of the phosphorylated form of SorL1.Conclusions:We propose here that SorCS1 regulates the intracellular trafficking and metabolism of APP through interaction with the core component of the retromer, Vps35. These results additionally highlight the potential importance of the Vps10 receptors, SorL1 and SorCS1 in elucidating phosphostate sensitive mechanisms in the regulation of the metabolism of APP and As by ROCK2 and PKC.We hypothesize that probing the mechanism(s) by which SorCS1 and SorL1 regulate As generationmay lead to novel insights about the underpinnings and/or therapy of AD.
SWANCC: Constitutional Swan Song for Environmental Laws or No More than a Swipe at Their Sweep?

In this analysis of the Supreme Court's decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States Army Corp of Engineers ("SWANCC)", the author reassures environmentalists that Chief Justice Rehnquist's opinion is not the serious strike at the Endangered Species Act that they fear. Although the opinion appears to put the constitutionality of certain environmental regulations at odds with the Commerce Clause, the author reframes the opinion in an optimistic, and hopefully realistic view. The stances taken by Justices O'Conner and Kennedy and their focus on the statutory, rather than constitutional, nature of SWANCC, suggests that the SWANCC decision does not call into question the constitutional validity of the Endangered Species Act. Instead, the author argues, the decision reflects the existence of Justices who, because they have a greater appreciation of the government's role in environmental law, have the ability to protect environmental laws from attack.
Export to arduino: a tool to teach processor design on real hardware

Many computer organization courses teach digital design and processor architecture without a hardware lab or physical equipment. This paper introduces a module to allow students to export digital designs as C programs that run on an inexpensive Arduino Uno, thereby allowing students to test and observe their designs in actual hardware with minimal setup time and equipment. The module runs within Emumaker86, an open-source digital design tool previously developed by the author for teaching microprocessor architecture, and can handle designs ranging from simple combinational circuits to a complete processor. Students were given this module in an undergraduate "Systems Computing" course, and developed a traffic light controller, a postfix evaluator, and a processor of their own design.
Some Mathematicians I Have Known

(1969). Some Mathematicians I Have Known. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 76, No. 7, pp. 746-753.
Research on One-Time Pad Cryptographic Scheme Based on DES and RSA

By using the reference of the advantage of traditional encryption system,this paper introduced KDC technology and presented a new One-Time Pad(OTP) encryption system.The system brought a new reliable encryption method for information security by combining the advantage of DES and RSA which can fulfill the requirement of OTP.
The modulating effects of brain stimulation on emotion regulation and decision-making

It has been reported that brain stimulation such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modulate a variety of cognitions and emotions in humans. rTMS and tDCS studies provide strong possibilities of applications in the manipulation of emotion regulation and decision-making in humans. We searched the literature by using keywords “rTMS,” “tDCS,” “emotion regulation,” and “decision-making” on PubMed ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed ). Based on the search results, we reviewed studies on emotion regulation and decision-making using rTMS and tDCS modulations. Regarding emotion regulation, rTMS can influence both attentional and affective aspects of emotion regulation. tDCS studies for emotion regulation included diverse topics such as physiological arousal, social exclusion, mathematics anxiety, emotional reactions to pain stimuli, negative affect, momentary ruminative self-referent thoughts, and autonomic reactions to affective pictures. Decision-making studies have reported rTMS effects related to emotion such as delay-discounting tasks, food choice, and moral judgment. These studies have also investigated cognitive functions such as visuospatial attention, perception, object identification, spatial-working memory, visuomotor skills, task, and blameworthiness and punishment decisions. In tDCS studies for decision-making, it has increasingly been reported that tDCS influences moral judgment, risk-taking behaviors, choice modulation, delay discounting, maladaptive and perceptual decision-making, probabilistic guessing, perception of space and time, dual-task performance, model-based learning, addiction, food craving, sunk-cost effect, exploration-exploitation trade-offs and cognitive impulse control. rTMS and tDCS have been shown to modulate behaviors relevant to emotion regulation and decision-making. The results of these numerous studies can be applied to clinical populations, and demonstrate that rTMS and tDCS may have many beneficial implications to those who have emotion regulation deficiencies.
A Tale of Two Crises: Migration and Terrorism after the Paris Attacks

This paper argues that the figure of the migrant has come to be seen as a potential terrorist in the West, under the condition of a double, but completely opposed, set of crises internal to the nation-state. The refugee crisis in Europe can no longer be understood as separate from the crisis of terrorism after the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. In fact, the two crises were never really separate in the nationalist imaginary to begin with. The difference is that, with such a quick shift of attention between crises, we now see what was only implicit in the European response to the Syrian refugees has now become explicit in the response to the tragic attacks in Paris: that migration is understood to be a form of barbarian warfare that threatens the European Union.
A methodological introduction: this study and its limitations

This is a study of the intellectual origins of international law. This volume combines techniques of intellectual history and historiography in order to account for the earliest developments in the sources, processes and doctrines of the law of nations. This combination of methods is not only essential for considering the earliest formation of ideas of international law, but also for beginning an understanding of the manner in which those ideas have been received by modern publicists and the extent to which they have been recognized in the modern practice of States. My book will thus critically examine what has become an article of faith in our discipline: that international law is a unique product of the modern, rational mind. I argue here that it is not. While this volume charts the intellectual impact of the idea of ancient international law, it purposefully ignores the appreciation of this subject by historians, political scientists and internationalists. My study, moreover, confines itself to the single inquiry of whether the ancient mind could and did conceive of a rule of law for international relations. I certainly do not attempt to argue or suggest here that modern principles or doctrines of international law can be traced to antiquity. Nor do I pronounce judgment on the exact manner in which the ancient tradition of international law was received in early-Modern Europe or after. These inquiries must be left for later research and discussion. I confront here, therefore, an ancient law of nations on its own terms.
Eliminating Essex: Richard II and the Diverse Poetical Essays

After 1594, with the exception of ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’ in the Diverse Poetical Essays appended to Love’s Martyr, Shakespeare would never again address his work to a patron in print. Why then would a writer who had committed himself almost exclusively to playwriting and acting make this exception in 1601 in allowing his already famous name and outstanding literary talent to add lustre to a book dedicated to the relatively obscure Sir John Salusbury? Before considering the most credible reasons for his contribution to Love’s Martyr in the next chapter, it is first necessary to clear a path for such analysis by eliminating the mistaken hypothesis, based on the specialized studies of Alexander Grosart and William H. Matchett, that ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’ constitutes a post-mortem defence of the earl of Essex’s alleged fidelity to the queen, following his execution on 25 February 1601.1 Because although for some contemporary scholars, such as Duncan-Jones, this thesis has been discredited for over a century, for others it has lately regained so much respectability that in 2004 Patrick Cheney observed that although ‘interpretations continue to be dizzying’, ‘recent critics’ have ‘reached something of a consensus about what seemed to be the eye of the storm — the identity of the conjoined avian principals. The phoenix and turtle, who love each other, die, leave no posterity, yet warrant civic mourning among the purified elect, appear to allegorize Queen Elizabeth and the earl of Essex, who have put the national succession in jeopardy through the unfortunate tragedy of their star-crossed conjunction’.
C4-Ferrocenylsilyl-bridged and -substituted N-heterocyclic carbenes: complexation of germanium chloride

While the 1 : 1 reaction of C4-trichlorosilyl-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) (2) with [(η5-C5H4Li)2Fe]3[TMEDA]2 (3) gives C4-sila[1]ferrocenophane-substituted NHC (4), C4-ferrocenylsilyl-bridged bis-NHC (6) is synthesized by combining 3 with C4-chlorodimethylsilyl-functionalized NHC (5) in a 1 : 2 ratio, (compound 5 is prepared by reaction of the anionic N-heterocyclic dicarbene (NHDC) [:C{[N(2,6-Pri2C6H3)]2CHCLi}]n (1) with Me2SiCl2). In addition, ligand 4- and 6-based GeCl2 complexes (7 and 8) are also synthesized. Compounds 4–8 have been characterized by 1H, 13C, and 29Si NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction.
Comparative Effectiveness of Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid and Corticosteroid Injections on the Time to Surgical Knee Procedures

Abstract Background Use of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections to manage knee osteoarthritis (OA) remains controversial because of weak and conflicting evidence. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of intra-articular HA injections for knee OA management. Methods A nested cohort of persons with knee OA seeing a specialist was created using a 10% random sample of LifeLink Plus claims (2010-2015) to compare the risk of composite (any) knee surgical interventions, total (TKA)/unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and TKA only among HA users and 2 comparison groups: corticosteroid (CS) users and HA/CS nonusers. A high-dimensional propensity score (hdPS) was used to match HA users with CS users and with HA/CS nonusers on background covariates. The risk of surgical interventions among HA users relative to the comparison groups was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. Results Among 13,849 patients, 797 were HA users, 5327 were CS users, and 7725 were HA/CS nonusers. After hdPS matching, the risk of composite surgical interventions did not differ between HA users and HA/CS nonusers (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-1.16) and CS users (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.65-1.12). Seven of the 8 sensitivity analyses demonstrated no significant benefit among HA users compared to CS users and HA/CS nonusers. A sensitivity analysis that restricted the study cohort to those who ultimately have knee surgery showed a lower risk of surgery of HA (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79-0.95). Conclusion There were no significant differences in the risk of surgical interventions among HA users compared to HA/CS nonusers and CS users after accounting for residual confounding using an hdPS.
The effects of competitors on new product launch and market expansion in the hybrid car market

This paper evaluates the effect of competitors on automakers’ new product launch and market expansion decisions in the hybrid car market. Using data from the entire history in US hybrid car market from 2000 to 2014, this paper estimates a Poisson model with endogeneous switching to account for the initial launch and the following expansion decisions. The results indicate that the presence of competing brands’ hybrid vehicle models has a net positive effect on a brand’s initial launch and expansion decisions. This suggests that demand expansion and market learning from competitors’ hybrid model launch and consumer cultivation are very important for this relatively new technology. Further, I find that the impact of competitors varies over time, vehicle origins, and classes.
Nonabusive physical punishment and child behavior among African-American children: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The use of nonabusive physical punishment as a form of discipline has been greatly debated in the scientific and popular literature. Impact on child behavioral outcomes has frequently been found; however, the effects of its use are not clear, particularly for African-American children. This systematic review of the literature examined the impact of exposure to nonabusive physical punishment on the behavior of African-American children. METHODS: A search was conducted of PubMed and Psyclnfo from 1970 to 2000 using the key terms: corporal punishment, physical punishment, disciplinary practices, and discipline and parenting. Studies that described ethnicity of the population and included a majority of a well-described African-American population were included. Each study was required to include measurable data on child behavioral outcomes and at least one measure of discipline that assessed use of nonabusive physical punishment in children 0-14 years of age. RESULTS: All seven included studies used lower socioeconomic status (SES) and/or urban African-American populations. Study design and rural versus urban populations differentiated beneficial and detrimental outcomes. In all longitudinal studies, African-American children had beneficial or neutral outcomes. DISCUSSION: This review suggests that it is possible that there are benefits to nonabusive physical punishment for African-American children. However, needed are further longitudinal studies that better assess the multiple confounders that impact the use of discipline, such as SES, parental education level, and exposure to community or domestic violence.
A stochastic flow network model with almost-fractional routing

A discrete-time fractional-routing model is defined for the flow of quantal items in a closed network. In contrast to models with independent probabilistic routing of items, the fractional routing model almost exactly dictates the proportions of items at each network node that are transmitted to neighbors. Although the model has a nonlinear structure, the expectations of nodal item counts are shown to be governed by a linear dynamical system, and in fact to be identical to the expected item counts for a probabilistic routing model defined on the same network graph. Further, the fractional routing model is shown to exhibit lower variability as compared to a probabilistic routing model. Finally, statistical analysis of items' locations in the network is briefly discussed, and an example is developed which illustrates the dynamics of the model.
Predictive Analytics Machinery for STEM Student Success Studies

Statistical predictive models play an important role in learning analytics. In this work, we seek to harness the power of predictive modeling methodology for the development of an analytics framewo...
Helicobacter pylori is associated with increased risk of serrated colonic polyps: Analysis of serrated polyp risk factors

Sessile serrated adenomas (SSA) and traditional serrated adenomas (TSA) are recognized precursors of colorectal cancer, but their risk factors are not well established. We investigated the association between Helicobacter pylori infection (HPI) and the development of SSA and TSA. Retrospective data were collected on patients aged ≥ 18 years that underwent colonoscopy with biopsy between 2006 and 2016. Based on histology, patients were classified into three groups: those with SSA and/or TSA, (serrated neoplasia group, SN); conventional adenomas only (CA); and with no polyps (NP). Gastric HPI status, demographic, and clinical risk factors were compared between groups using bivariate and multivariable analysis. HPI was significantly associated with increased risk of SN (SN vs. NP: OR 1.71 [95% CI 1.29–2.27]; SN vs. CA: 1.49 [1.14–1.96]). Additional factors associated with increased risk of SN included the following: age 50–75 years, compared to younger age (SN vs. NP: 2.83 [1.69–4.74]), female gender (SN vs. CA: 1.28 [0.99–1.64]), White race, compared to Blacks (SN vs. CA: 1.52 [1.07–2.15)], overweight and obese body mass index [SN vs. NP: p < 0.001) and current smoking status (SN vs. CA: 2.09 [1.55–2.82)]. Among SN, higher HPI prevalence was associated with dysplasia (p = 0.05) and proximal location (p = 0.01). Our data suggest that gastric HPI is associated with increased risk of SN and CA, with a stronger association with SN as compared to CA. Age 50–75 years, female gender, White race, obesity, and smoking were also predictors of SN. A positive correlation of HPI with proximal and dysplastic SN suggests a possible role in serrated pathway carcinogenesis. Prospective studies with large patient population are needed to further investigate this association.
Nonverbal action selection for explanations using an enhanced behavior net

In this paper we present a novel approach to the nonverbal action selection problem for an agent in an intelligent tutoring system. We use a variation of the original Maes' Behavior Net that has several improvements that allow modeling action selection using the content of the utterance, communicative goals, and the discourse history. This Enhanced Behavior Net can perform action selection dynamically, reprioritize actions based on all these elements, and resolve conflict situations without the use of sophisticated predefined rules.
Aerosols (pressurized containers)

The aerosol concept originated in 1923 when Eric Rotheim of Oslo, Norway, developed a wax spray for skis and other products using butane and vinyl chloride as propellants and brass containers fitted with needle valves. The feature that started this packaging system was the realization that a liquefied gas inside a pressure vessel can provide a constant pressure in that vessel even though it is being emptied.
In situ survival and growth of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) under chronic hypoxia in a stratified lake

Experiments and field surveys were conducted in Hargus Lake (Ohio, U.S.) to investigate the effect of lake stratification on the survival, growth and distribution of zebra mussels. During the lake stratification period, relatively stable temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) gradients persisted across the water column, allowing us to examine the chronic effect of hypoxia on zebra mussels. Zebra mussels were incubated in cages and suspended at different depths in the water column at both pelagic (max. depth = 12 m) and littoral (max. depth = 3.5 m) sites from April 18 to September 28, 1994. No mussel survived to the end of the experiment in cages ≥ 5.5 m, whereas the highest survival rate (76%) occurred at 5 m depth where temperature and DO remained fairly stable for at least 3 months. The threshold oxygen level for survival was between 1.0–1.7 mg l-1 when water temperature was at about 17–18 °C. While zebra mussels′ survival rate was not affected under the sublethal hypoxic conditions, their growth was greatly retarded by poor water quality. The field survey showed that the zebra mussels and macrophytes had about the same distribution and their biomasses were positively related. The percentage of mussels in aggregates increased towards their maximum distribution depth. The maximum distribution depth of the naturally occurring zebra mussels was only 2.8 m, whereas the adult mussels could survive the entire stratification period when being artificially placed on the 3.5 m bottom, and young mussels could colonize the 3.5 m bottom if solid substrates were provided. We conclude that lack of substrate, rather than hypoxia, was the limiting factor of zebra mussel distribution above 5 m depth in Hargus Lake.
The CIF1 protein is a master orchestrator of trypanosome cytokinesis that recruits several cytokinesis regulators to the cytokinesis initiation site.

To proliferate, the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei undergoes binary fission in a unidirectional manner along the cell's longitudinal axis from the cell anterior toward the cell posterior. This unusual mode of cell division is controlled by a regulatory pathway composed of two evolutionarily conserved protein kinases, Polo-like kinase and Aurora B kinase, and three trypanosome-specific proteins, CIF1, CIF2, and CIF3, which act in concert at the cytokinesis initiation site located at the distal tip of the newly assembled flagellum attachment zone (FAZ). However, additional regulators that function in this cytokinesis signaling cascade remain to be identified and characterized. Using proximity biotinylation, co-immunofluorescence microscopy, and co-immunoprecipitation, we identified 52 CIF1-associated proteins and validated six CIF1-interacting proteins, including the putative protein phosphatase KPP1, the katanin p80 subunit KAT80, the cleavage furrow–localized proteins KLIF and FRW1, and the FAZ tip–localized proteins FAZ20 and FPRC. Further analyses of the functional interplay between CIF1 and its associated proteins revealed a requirement of CIF1 for localization of a set of CIF1-associated proteins, an interdependence between KPP1 and CIF1, and an essential role of katanin in the completion of cleavage furrow ingression. Together, these results suggest that CIF1 acts as a master regulator of cytokinesis in T. brucei by recruiting a cohort of cytokinesis regulatory proteins to the cytokinesis initiation site.