cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The "Chubby Puffer" Syndrome Upper Airway Obstruction and Obesity, with Intermittent Somnolence and Cardiorespiratory Embarrassment

Upper airway obstruction and obesity can produce cardiopulmonary dis tress in susceptible children. Three such children with chronic airway ob struction due to hypertrophied tonsillar and adenoidal tissue developed pronounced obesity, which in turn helped to provoke sleep alternations, cardiac signs, and abnormal arterial blood gas values. After tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy the symptoms were relieved.
Noninvasive dosimetry and monitoring of TTT using spectral imaging

Transpupillary thermo therapy (TTT) is a slow (60 seconds) photothermal treatment of the fundus with a near-infrared (780-810nm) laser irradiating a large spot (0.5- 1. mm) on the retina. Due to high variability in ocular tissue properties and the lack of immediately observable outcome of the therapy, a real-time dosimetry is highly desirable. We found that fundus spectroscopy and spectrally-resolved imaging allow for non-invasive real-time monitoring and dosimetry of TTT. A 795nm laser was applied in rabbit eyes for 60 seconds using a 0.86mm retinal spot diameter. The fundus was illuminated with a broadband polarized light, and its reflectance spectra were measured in parallel and cross-polarizations. The fundus was also imaged in selected spectral domains. At irradiances that do not create ophthalmoscopically visible lesions the fundus reflectance increases at the wavelengths corresponding to absorption of the oxygenated blood indicating the reduced concentration of blood in the choroid. Vasoconstrictive response of the choroidal and retinal vasculature during TTT was also directly observed using spectrally-resolved imaging. At irradiances that produce ophthalmoscopically visible lesions a rapid reduction of the fundus reflectance was observed within the first 5-10 seconds of the exposure even when the visible lesions developed only by the end of the 60 second exposure. No visible lesions were produced where the laser was terminated after detection of the reduced scattering but prior to appearance of the enhanced scattering.
Human cytomegalovirus gene expression is silenced by Daxx-mediated intrinsic immune defense in model latent infections established in vitro

In addition to productive lytic infections, herpesviruses such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) establish a reservoir of latently infected cells that permit lifelong colonization of the host. When latency is established, the viral immediate-early (IE) genes that initiate the lytic replication cycle are not expressed. HCMV IE gene expression at the start of a lytic infection is facilitated by the viral pp71 protein, which is delivered to cells by infectious viral particles. pp71 neutralizes the Daxx-mediated cellular intrinsic immune defense that silences IE gene expression by generating a repressive chromatin structure on the viral major IE promoter (MIEP). In naturally latently infected cells and in cells latently infected in vitro, the MIEP also adopts a similar silenced chromatin structure. Here we analyze the role of Daxx in quiescent HCMV infections in vitro that mimic some, but not all, of the characteristics of natural latency. We show that in these "latent-like" infections, the Daxx-mediated defense that represses viral gene expression is not disabled because pp71 and Daxx localize to different cellular compartments. We demonstrate that Daxx is required to establish quiescent HCMV infections in vitro because in cells that would normally foster the establishment of these latent-like infections, the loss of Daxx causes the lytic replication cycle to be initiated. Importantly, the lytic cycle is inefficiently completed, which results in an abortive infection. Our work demonstrates that, in certain cell types, HCMV must silence its own gene expression to establish quiescence and prevent abortive infection and that the virus usurps a Daxx-mediated cellular intrinsic immune defense mechanism to do so. This identifies Daxx as one of the likely multiple viral and cellular determinants in the pathway of HCMV quiescence in vitro, and perhaps in natural latent infections as well.
Spatial and temporal patterns in lightning discharges as a proxy of thunderstorm characteristics

Lightning is nature's way of destroying electrical buildup in thunderclouds. Thus, the pattern of lightning activity is inherently a proxy measure of the timescales for charge separation and the lateral extent of the charge reunification in a flash. Using data from lightning stroke geolocation networks such as NLDN and GLD360, we deduce statistically the charge buildup time by observing the suppression of the probability of two nearby flashes (an effect which fades away). We characterize this suppression effect for different storms, and as a function of storm phase and lightning parameters such as peak current and polarity.
A conjugate gradient procedure for the analysis of planar conductors with alternating patch and aperture formulations (EM scattering)

The formulation of an electromagnetic scattering problem by an operator equation can be done in different ways leading to different rates of convergence when the conjugate gradient algorithm is used. The convergence can tend to slow down at certain stages, depending on the formulation used. Thus, whenever the error tends to level off in one formulation, it is advisable to switch to another one. To this end a procedure that alternates repeatedly between formulations is presented. It is shown to accelerate the convergence rate during the earlier stages of the iterative process, making it possible to arrive at a prescribed practical error criterion faster. A substantial saving in storage allocation is attained. >
MULTIPLE SCATTERING BY MULTIPLE SCATTERERS

Acoustic scattering by random collections of identical circular cylinders is considered. Two classes of methods are used. The first is usually associated with the names of Foldy and Lax. Such methods require a "closure assumption", in addition to the governing equations. The second class is based on iterative approximations to integral equations of Lippmann-Schwinger type. Such methods do not use a closure approximation. Both methods are reviewed. In particular, when each cylinder is penetrable, with a sound-speed that is close to that in the exterior (the scattering is said to be "weak"), we show that both approaches lead to exactly the same formulas for the eective wavenumber, correct to second order in scattering strength and second order in filling fraction.
Banking on Females: Bravo's Commodification of the Female Audience

Airing to more than 94 million subscribers in the United States alone, Bravo has made a name for itself as a successful cable network. With popular programs such as The Real Housewives and Top Chef, Bravo has attracted a predominantly female, upscale audience that has garnered much media attention. Using Bravo as a case study in popular culture, this article utilizes feminist political economy to explore how Bravo connects with—and commodifies—its female audience. In so doing, it is argued that through Bravo's Affluencer campaign and online initiatives, as well as through Women@NBCU, Bravo and parent company NBC-Comcast turn the audience into a product unto itself, and invite females to participate in their own commodification and the commodification of others.
Efficient Computation of Entropy Gradient for Semi-Supervised Conditional Random Fields

Entropy regularization is a straightforward and successful method of semi-supervised learning that augments the traditional conditional likelihood objective function with an additional term that aims to minimize the predicted label entropy on unlabeled data. It has previously been demonstrated to provide positive results in linear-chain CRFs, but the published method for calculating the entropy gradient requires significantly more computation than supervised CRF training. This paper presents a new derivation and dynamic program for calculating the entropy gradient that is significantly more efficient---having the same asymptotic time complexity as supervised CRF training. We also present efficient generalizations of this method for calculating the label entropy of all sub-sequences, which is useful for active learning, among other applications.
Observations of backscatter from sand and gravel seafloors between 170 and 250 kHz

Interpreting observations of frequency-dependence in backscatter from the seafloor offers many challenges, either because multiple frequencies are used for different observations that will later be merged or simply because seafloor scattering models are not well-understood above 100 kHz. Hindering the understanding of these observations is the paucity of reported, calibrated acoustic measurements above 100 kHz. This manuscript seeks to help elucidate the linkages between seafloor properties and frequency-dependent seafloor backscatter by describing observations of backscatter collected from sand, gravel, and bedrock seafloors at frequencies between 170 and 250 kHz and at a grazing angle of 45°. Overall, the frequency dependence appeared weak for all seafloor types, with a slight increase in seafloor scattering strength with increasing frequency for an area with unimodal, very poorly to moderately well sorted, slightly granular to granular medium sand with significant amounts of shell debris and a slight decrease in all other locations.
A novel method to determine specificity and sensitivity of the TUNEL reaction in the quantitation of apoptosis

Apoptosis is an important mode of cell death under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Numerous techniques are available for the study and quantitation of apoptosis in cell culture, but only few are useful when applied to complex tissues. Among these, the terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay remains the most widely used technique. However, its specificity and sensitivity for the detection of apoptosis remain controversial. We developed a technique consisting of staining live cells and tissues with Hoechst 33342 and the vital dye propidium iodide (PI), followed by fixation and the TUNEL reaction. We demonstrate excellent retention of PI in necrotic cells after fixation. We also examined the distribution of TUNEL staining among necrotic and apoptotic cells in various models of cell injury in vitro and in vivo. We show that the sensitivity of the TUNEL varied between 61 and 90% in the models examined. The specificity exceeded 87% in all models but fell to 70% when a predominantly necrotic injury was induced. This novel and simple method will permit the determination of indices of sensitivity and specificity for the TUNEL assay in other tissues and experimental conditions.
Functional diffusion maps (fDMs) evaluated before and after radiochemotherapy predict progression-free and overall survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma

Functional diffusion mapping (fDM) has shown promise as a sensitive imaging biomarker for predicting survival in initial studies consisting of a small number of patients, mixed tumor grades, and before routine use of anti-angiogenic therapy. The current study tested whether fDM performed before and after radiochemotherapy could predict progression-free and overall survival in 143 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma from 2007 through 2010, many treated with anti-angiogenic therapy after recurrence. Diffusion and conventional MRI scans were obtained before and 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy and concurrent temozolomide treatment. FDM was created by coregistering pre- and posttreatment apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps and then performing voxel-wise subtraction. FDMs were categorized according to the degree of change in ADC in pre- and posttreatment fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and contrast-enhancing regions. The volume fraction of fDM-classified increasing ADC(+), decreasing ADC(−), and change in ADC(+/−) were tested to determine whether they were predictive of survival. Both Bonferroni-corrected univariate log-rank analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling demonstrated that patients with decreasing ADC in a large volume fraction of pretreatment FLAIR or contrast-enhancing regions were statistically more likely to progress earlier and expire sooner than in patients with a lower volume fraction. The current study supports the hypothesis that fDM is a sensitive imaging biomarker for predicting survival in glioblastoma.
Treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability: a modified Broström technique using three suture anchors.

Ankle sprains are very common injuries seen in the athletic and young population. Majority of patients will improve with a course of rest and physical therapy. However, with conservative management about twenty percent of all patients will go on to develop chronic lateral ankle instability. This manuscript describes our detailed surgical technique of a modification to the original Brostrom procedure using three suture anchors to anatomically reconstruct the lateral ankle ligaments to treat high demand patients who have developed chronic lateral ankle instability. The rationale for this modification along with patient selection and workup are discussed. Both the functional outcomes at the two year follow up along with the complications and the detailed postoperative rehabilitation protocol for the high demand athletes are also presented. This modified Brostrom procedure is shown in both illustrative format and intra-operative photos.
Ultrasensitive laser-induced fluorescence detection in hydrodynamically focused flows

The detection sensitivity for fluorescent species in hydrodynamically focused flows has been significantly enhanced. Improved flow parameters, efficient detection optics, and photon counting are the keys to this enhancement. A detection limit of 800 Rhodamine 6G molecules flowing through our 0.6-pL probe volume during a 1-sec counting interval has been achieved. At the detection limit, the probability of a Rhodamine 6G molecule’s being in the probe volume is 0.06. Our current apparatus is capable of detecting a single species containing the equivalent of eight Rhodamine 6G fluorophores during the passage of this species through the focused laser beam. A number of instrumental improvements are being implemented that will further enhance the detection sensitivity projected to the limit of a single molecule.
Black Male College Achievers and Resistant Responses to Racist Stereotypes at Predominantly White Colleges and Universities

In this article, Shaun R. Harper investigates how Black undergraduate men respond to and resist the internalization of racist stereotypes at predominantly White colleges and universities. Prior studies consistently show that racial stereotypes are commonplace on many campuses, that their effects are usually psychologically and academically hazardous, and that Black undergraduate men are often among the most stereotyped populations in higher education and society. The threat of confirming stereotypes has been shown to undermine academic performance and persistence for Blacks and other minoritized students. To learn more about those who succeed in postsecondary contexts where they are routinely stereotyped, Harper conducted interviews with Black male achievers at thirty predominantly White colleges and universities. His findings show that these undergraduate men were frequently confronted with stereotypes but succeeded in resisting them through their campus leadership roles, their engagement in student orga...
Computing Bayesian Means Using Simulation

This article is concerned with the estimation of α = Elr(Z)r, where Z is a random vector and the function values r(z) must be evaluated using simulation. Estimation problems of this form arise in the field of Bayesian simulation, where Z represents the uncertain (input) parameters of a system and r(z) is the expected performance of the system when Z = z. Our approach involves obtaining (possibly biased) simulation estimates of the function values r(z) for a number of different values of z, and then using a (possibly weighted) average of these estimates to estimate α. We start by considering the case where the chosen values of z are independent and identically distributed observations of the random vector Z (independent sampling). We analyze the resulting estimator as the total computational effort c grows and provide numerical results. Then we show that improved convergence rates can be obtained through the use of techniques other than independent sampling. Specifically, our results indicate that the use of quasi-random sequences yields a better convergence rate than independent sampling, and that in the presence of a suitable special structure, it may be possible to use other numerical integration techniques (such as Simpson’s rule) to achieve the best possible rate c− 1/2 as c → ∞. Finally, we present and analyze a general framework of estimators for α that encompasses independent sampling, quasi-random sequences, and Simpson’s rule as special cases.
Intermittent Aeration for In-vessel Composting Of Crab Processing Waste

A crab processing waste/wood shaving mixture was composted in-vessel with four intermittent aeration strategies. The composting process was monitored to assess the efficacy of the aeration methods. Temperature, moisture content and volatile solids of the compost were monitored along with the interstitial oxygen concentration. There was no significant difference in temperature profiles between constant frequency aeration and temperature feedback controlled aeration methods. An increased frequency of aeration resulted in significantly more drying than the less frequent aeration using the same total air volume. Results indicated that air volume could be reduced after the first five days of composting, and the in-vessel composting retention time could be reduced to 15 to 17 days for odor and vermin/vector problems prevention.
Can Results-Free Review Reduce Publication Bias? The Results and Implications of a Pilot Study:

In 2015, Comparative Political Studies embarked on a landmark pilot study in research transparency in the social sciences. The editors issued an open call for submissions of manuscripts that contai...
Abstract P90: Cardiovascular and Economic Outcomes Following Initiation of Atorvastatin versus Simvastatin in an Employed Population Stratified by Cardiovascular Risk

OBJECTIVE: To compare initiation with atorvastatin versus simvastatin among higher- and lower-risk employees in terms of subsequent risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and direct and indirect costs from the employer perspective. METHODS: Employees initiating atorvastatin or simvastatin were identified from a claims database (1999-2006) spanning 23 large, self-insured employers and stratified as 1) high-risk employees with prior CV events, diabetes or renal disorders and 2) low-to-intermediate-risk employees without these conditions. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for baseline differences between the atorvastatin and simvastatin cohorts, and two-year outcomes were compared between matched cohorts. Indirect costs included disability payments and medically-related absenteeism. Atorvastatin and simvastatin drug costs were imputed with recent prices to account for availability of generic simvastatin. RESULTS: Among 4,167 matched pairs of high-risk employees, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with similar rates of subsequent CV events (17.6 vs. 18.4%, P=0.37), higher direct medical costs ($17,590 vs. $17,377, P=0.002), similar indirect costs ($4,830 vs. $4,989, P=0.29) and higher total costs by $54 ($22,420 vs. $22,366, P=0.034). The majority of high-risk employees (62%) received low initial statin doses (atorvastatin ≤ 10 mg or simvastatin ≤ 20 mg). Among 9,326 matched pairs of low-to-intermediate risk employees, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with a lower rate of CV events (3.1 vs. 3.7%, p=0.030), lower direct medical costs ($8,400 vs. $8,436, P<0.001), similar indirect costs ($2,781 vs. $2,807; P=0.12) and lower total costs by $61 ($11,181 vs. $11,243, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among high-risk patients, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with no significant difference in CV events and higher total costs to employers. Among low-to-intermediate risk patients, initiation with atorvastatin vs. simvastatin was associated with fewer CV events and net cost savings to employers. Formulary policies reserving atorvastatin for higher-risk patients may not be beneficial from the employer perspective.
Flow cytometric assessment of human T-cell differentiation in thymus and bone marrow

Using multidimensional flow cytometry we have defined and quantified the human T-cell differentiation pathway, focusing on those events occurring among the most immature thymocytes and putative bone marrow (BM) T-precursors. Early thymocytes were found to express the CD34 antigen and consisted of a mean 1.2% of cells within human pediatric (n = 9) and 2.0% in fetal thymi (n = 4). All CD34+ thymocytes were atypical blast by morphology, expressed intracytoplasmatic, but not cell surface, CD3, and were cell surface CD2+, CD5+, CD7+, CD38+, CD45+, CD45RA+, CD49d+, and LECAM-1(Leu8)high. CD34high thymocytes lacked surface expression of CD4 and CD8, but as CD34 expression diminished there was a coordinate increase in CD4 levels, followed by the appearance of CD8. The expression of CD1 and CD10 also increased concomitant with the loss of CD34, whereas expression of LECAM-1 diminished with CD34 downregulation. The differential expression of these antigens on early thymocytes (as well as the number of thymocytes displaying these patterns) was highly reproducible among the nine pediatric and four fetal specimens examined, suggesting a precise, stereotyped regulation of early differentiation events. Cell populations with antigen expression patterns suggestive of pluripotent stem cell (CD34high, CD38-), or non-T-lineage committed stem cells (CD34+, CD33+ or CD34+, CD19+) were not identified in either fetal or pediatric thymi (sensitivity = 1/10(4)). The presence of cells with the antigenic profile of the earliest CD34+ thymocytes was explored in human BM. Putative BM T-cell precursors with the appropriate phenotype (CD34+, CD7+, CD5+, CD2+, LECAM-1high) were readily identified in fetal specimens (constituting +/- 2% of the CD34+ population), but could not be reliably detected in adults. In contrast with thymi, only 13% of these cells expressed cytoplasmatic CD3, suggesting the presence of the immediate precursor of the putative prothymocyte population. This was further supported by the detection of CD34bright, CD7+, CD2-, CD5-, LECAM-1moderate cells in fetal specimens. Our results document the flow of cell surface differentiation during T-lymphopoiesis and suggest that T-lineage features are first acquired in the BM. The ability to reproducibly identify and isolate T-cell precursor populations of precisely defined maturational stage in marrow and thymus by multiparameter flow cytometry will facilitate characterization of the molecular events controlling T-lineage differentiation.
Vaccine research and development

Thirty years have passed since the recognition of the infectious disease now named acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In that relatively short time AIDS has killed over 30 million individuals, and an additional 33.3 million people are now living with the infection. Africa shoulders the burden of the epidemic: UNAIDS estimates that in 2009 1.3 million people died from AIDS in Africa, 22.5 million were living with HIV, and a further 1.5 million acquired the infection during the year. Even though prevention and treatment programs are expanding, the epidemic is holding its ground. Only two out of every five people requiring anti-retroviral therapy currently have access to treatment – and this number is threatened by financial pressures of the global recession. Though universal access to treatment is a morally compelling goal, the high costs associated with treatment argue for a strategy that emphasizes prevention. An AIDS vaccine is the ultimate goal of prevention – vaccination would provide a manageable and affordable way to confer protection against HIV infection. When fully developed and licensed, an AIDS vaccine could have a powerful and immediate impact; the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) estimates that an AIDS vaccine of 50 percent efficacy given to just 30 percent of the population could reduce the number of new infections in the developing world by 24 percent in fifteen years (IAVI 2009a). Yet AIDS vaccine development is proving to be enormously expensive. Is the perhaps $15–20 billion of additional resources that it may cost the world to develop an AIDS vaccine worth it?
Phase-dependent interference between frequency doubled comb lines in a χ^(2) phase-matched aluminum nitride microring

Nonlinear optical conversion with frequency combs is important for self-referencing and for generating shorter wavelength combs. Here we demonstrate efficient frequency comb doubling through the combination of second-harmonic generation (SHG) and sum-frequency generation (SFG) of an input comb with a high Q, phase-matched χ(2) microring resonator. Phase coherence of the SHG and SFG nonlinear conversion processes is confirmed by sinusoidal phase-dependent interference between frequency doubled comb lines.
Regulatory signals for intestinal amino acid transporters and peptidases

Dietary protein ultimately regulates many processes involved in protein digestion, but it is often unclear whether proteins themselves, peptides, or amino acids (AAs) are the proximate regulatory signal. Hence we compared several processes involved in protein digestion in mice adapted to one of three rations, identical except for containing 54% of either casein, a partial hydrolysate of casein, or a free AA mixture simulating a complete hydrolysate of casein. We measured brush-border uptakes of seven AAs that variously serve as substrates for four AA transporters, and brush-border and cytosolic activities of four peptidases. The three rations yielded essentially the same AA uptake rates. Peptidase activities tended to be lower on the AA ration than on the protein ration. In other studies, all three rations yielded the same rates of brush-border peptide uptake; protein is only modestly more effective than AAs at inducing synthesis of pancreatic proteases; and, depending on the animal species, protein is either much less or much more effective than AAs at stimulating release of cholecystokinin and hence of pancreatic enzymes. Thus the regulators of each process involved in protein digestion are not necessarily that process's substrate. We call attention to other cases in which the functional significance of regulatory signals remains to be understood.
MLL-AF9 Initiates Leukemia from a Single Committed Hematopoietic Progenitor.

Abstract Recent experiments have demonstrated that MLL-translocation associated fusion proteins can transform either hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) or granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMP) into leukemia stem cells. However, it may be that leukemogenic process differs when HSC are the cell of origin as compared to myeloid progenitors. We transduced either HSC or GMP with a retrovirus expressing MLL-AF9 and GFP followed by single cell sorting of transduced cells. Approximately 80% of singly sorted MLL-AF9 transduced GMP (MLL-AF9-GMP) and about 25% of MLL-AF9 transduced HSC (MLL-AF9-HSC) could be serially re-plated over 9 passages. Upon transplantation into syngeneic mice, 83% (n=12) of MLL-AF9-HSC single cell derived clones induced AML with a median latency 70 days. Approximately 30% (n=20) of MLL-AF9-GMP single cell derived clones induced AML, with median latency 112 days. When MLL-AF9-GMP single cell derived clones were co-infected with an empty retrovirus (to provide additional oncogenic events as a result of retroviral integration) before transplantation into recipient mice, 93% of the transplanted mice (n=15) developed AML with mean latency 65 days, similar to leukemia initiated from HSC. This suggests that either single GMP or HSC can be transformed into leukemia initiating cells. However, extra mutations appear to be required to induce leukemia from committed progenitors. Consistent with this hypothesis, southern blot analysis performed on leukemias initiated from 5,000 and 15,000 MLL-AF9 transduced HSC or GMP demonstrated polyclonal AML arising from HSC compared to oligoclonal AML arising from GMP. Next, we used bioluminescent imaging to follow disease kinetics. When 15,000 MLL-AF9 transduced HSC were injected into recipient mice, the disease accumulated in a linear fashion over 42 days. However, when 15,000 MLL-AF9 transduced GMP were injected the disease developed more slowly over 75 days. Immunophenotypic analysis of the resultant leukemias demonstrated that the HSC-derived and GMP-derived leukemias were quite similar, with a GMP-like population containing LSC in both cases. Globally, the two cell types were also very similar with their gene expression profile being more similar to GMP than any other progenitor or stem cell population. However, we found that in addition to the previously reported 363-gene “self-renewal associated signature” LSC derived from HSC also possessed high-level expression of genes such as Flt3, Mcl1, and Notch-1. Preliminary analysis also suggests that gene expression differences between HSC and GMP-derived leukemia stem cells may have prognostic significance in human AML. These data suggest that AML derived from different cells of origin, while globally quite similar, require a different number of genetic events, and have gene expression differences that may influence drug response.
On the Nature of Separation Challenges and Attachment Solutions in Severe, Refractory Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS): Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Has Been Helpful, But What About Rikki and Luci and Now Riley?

Steve is a 48-year-old male with a lifelong history of severe Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS), which has resulted in permanent injury to his cervical spine and spinal cord secondary to chronic and forceful head-snapping tics. His injuries have left him nearly paralyzed on his left side. Both his grip and arm strength are markedly diminished in his (dominant) left hand. In the past, the weakness in his left ankle has necessitated the use of an ankle brace.
Legal Innovation in Investment Law: Rhetoric and Practice in the South

We are entering a new era in international investment law in which emerging countries are taking an increasingly important role and the field is undergoing substantial change. While voices from emerging countries are becoming more and more significant, and their views have found some echoes in developing countries, the literature has paid too little attention to these developments. This article helps fill this gap. It explores the new discourse of South-South cooperation which serves as a driver for efforts by emerging countries to revisit investment regulation. It investigates how the desire for more cooperation and policy flexibility translate into legal instruments that shift the balance of investor and host-state rights and obligations. It analyzes legal positions and proposals from the global South for investor-state dispute settlement and assesses prospects for the investment regime in light of resistance in the South to the status quo, similar critiques from the North, and the collapse of TTP and TTIP. With opposition to the BITs regime developing in both the North and the South, it may be that a broader global shift is underway that could lead to new standards of foreign investment regulation. By providing detailed insights on the issues of concern to most developing countries and many in developed countries, the article will help set the stage for the next era of international investment law-making.
Auto-transformer-based power amplifier with totem-pole driver

We present a fully integrated auto-transformer-based power amplifier with totem-pole driver exhibiting a very high bandwidth. In order to simplify the design process a structural analysis and optimization method for the transformer are presented as well as an analytical method to ensure the optimum load line at the transistor. The circuit was implemented in a 0.25 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology and was characterized on-waver and chip-on-board mounted. The measurement results prove a bandwidth of 800 MHz around 650 MHz. The output power at 1 dB compression point is 24.4 dBm with a power added efficiency of 38%. The circuit was also tested with DVB-T signals showing that not more than 5 dB back-off are required in order to fulfill the error vector magnitude requirements. In this case, the efficiency is more than 19%.
High-Order Stabilized Finite Elements on Dynamic Meshes

The development of dynamic mesh capability for turbulent flow simulations using the Streamlined Upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) discretization is described. The current work extends previous research to include high-order spatial accuracy, including the satisfaction of the discrete geometric conservation law (GCL) on curved elements. Two closely-related schemes are described and the ability of these schemes to satisfy the GCL, while also maintaining temporal accuracy and conservation is assessed. Studies indicate that although one scheme discretizes the time derivative in conservative form, both schemes exhibit temporal conservation errors that decrease according to the expected design order of accuracy. The source of the temporal conservation errors is examined, and it is demonstrated that many finite-volume and finite-element schemes can also be expected to have difficulty strictly satisfying conservation in time. The effects on conservation are examined and, while present in the simulations, are seen to be negligible for the problems considered.
Chapter 2 – Vegetable and Fruit Intake and the Development of Cancer: A Brief Review and Analysis

Publisher Summary Forms of cancer have specific genotypes. They are the consequence of specific defects in gene expression and/or protein activity. This level of understanding is now being used in the pharmaceutical industry to develop target-specific drugs. This same information provides new tools to analyze food-related effects on pathway-specific development of cancer. Polymorphisms are also being identified in systems that regulate the metabolism of both xenobiotics and essential and nonessential nutrients in plant-derived foods. Functional polymorphisms in affected genes need to be used to identify cohorts that can be predicted to be responsive or nonresponsive to a particular class of plant secondary metabolites. The opportunities for new insights grow with the availability of an increasing number of high dimensional datasets that are derived from genomic, proteomic, and metabolic analyses of human tissues and body fluids as well as the metabolomic profiles of plant foods and of the microbiome that is likely to have a profound yet unappreciated impact on both the compounds absorbed from the gut and the activity of key metabolic processes within the mammalian system. Currently available databases that form the basis of the vegetable and fruit–cancer conundrum (VFCC) are useful in identifying important leads about the design of prospective cohort studies and the formulation of food-based interventions that are population and context defined and mechanism driven. As such, the null effects of today that have propagated the VFCC offer a wealth of opportunity and insight that will inform the studies of tomorrow.
Ganglionated Plexus Ablation in Patients Undergoing Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Here We Go Again∗

The role of the pulmonary veins (PVs) in initiating [(1,2)][1] and maintaining [(3,4)][2] paroxysms of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been well documented. The fact that the arrhythmia can be eliminated in ∼90% of patients undergoing antral PV isolation [(5)][3] also speaks to the critical role of
The effectiveness of auditory forward collision warning alerts

Abstract The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of auditory warning characteristics from a forward collision alert system on drivers’ avoidance behavior. A driving simulator study was designed and conducted with a pre-collision scenario that included a lead vehicle decelerating. This scenario is used to examine whether any casual relationship exists between the auditory alert characteristics and collision avoidance. The study included 192 participants across the U.S. The auditory characteristics, including fundamental frequency and duty cycle, were examined at three urgency levels. The data from the study was analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling. The collision avoidance behavior was measured using two reaction times (throttle release, brake) and three response intensities (maximum brake pedal force, maximum lane deviation and response type). All tested warning alerts resulted in reduced collision rates, shorter reaction times, larger maximum brake pedal force, and larger maximum lane deviation when compared to the baseline condition without a warning. Participants were also more likely to simultaneously brake and steer when given an alert. The models illustrate that the auditory warning information has both a direct and indirect effect on occurrence of collisions, with the indirect effect playing a more important role on collision avoidance than the direct effect. The findings also showed that the low urgency level of duty cycle and high urgency level of fundamental frequency are not recommended for collision warning alerts.
Venous Thromboembolic Disease and Hypercoagulability in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased risk of venous thrombosis compared to that of the general population. In addition to traditional risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) such as age, smoking and hospitalization, several of which are more prevalent in HIV-infected individuals, HIV-specific factors including the degree of immunosuppression, presence of opportunistic infections and malignancy, HIV-related coagulation abnormalities and medications used in the treatment of HIV, also contribute to this increased risk. The incidence of arterial thrombosis and cardiovascular disease is also increased in HIV infection, and VTE and arterial thrombosis share many risk factors. Importantly, increased chronic inflammation and immune activation persist in HIV infection even despite effective antiretroviral therapy and play an important role in these disease processes. Given the increased incidence of thrombosis in HIV, it is important that clinicians are alert to the condition in this population. Additionally, a diagnosis of HIV should be considered in individuals presenting with unexplained VTE.
Reviving Basic Narrowing Modulo

We define an inference rule called the Parallel rule. Given a rewrite system R and an equational theory E, where R is E-convergent modulo, we show that if R is saturated under the Parallel rule then Basic Narrowing modulo E is complete for R. If R is finitely saturated under both Parallel and Forward Overlap then Basic Narrowing, with right hand side abstracted, is complete and terminates, and thus it is a decision procedure for unification modulo \(R \cup E\). We give examples, such as the theory of XOR, the theory of abelian groups and Associativity with a unit element. We also show that R has the finite variant property modulo E if and only if R can be finitely saturated under Parallel and Forward Overlap, provided that E unification is finitary.
Seismic Risk Assessment of a 42-Story Reinforced Concrete Dual-System Building Considering Mainshock and Aftershock Hazard

AbstractA seismic risk assessment of a 42-story reinforced concrete dual-system building considering mainshock and aftershock hazard is presented. Sequential nonlinear response history analyses are...
Lab-Integrated Librarians: A Model for Research Engagement

To gain firsthand insights into the daily workflows of researchers and to create opportunities to engage in the full research life cycle, engineering librarians at North Carolina State (NC State) University launched a pilot project to embed themselves into campus research groups by attending weekly lab meetings. This article provides details on the program’s implementation, the ethnographic assessment methods used to capture the activities of researchers during weekly lab meetings, and an analysis of the data collected. Based on these findings, the authors provide potential implications for professional practice, offering suggestions for how this pilot program could be expanded into an enterprise-level service as well as areas for further research.
Tensions and Possibilities in Fostering Critical Language Ideologies in Elementary Teacher Education

Teachers’ language ideologies inform our assumptions about what counts as valued practices in schools. As teacher educators in an urban elementary education program, we aim to sustain youths’ lingu...
The primate origins of female sexuality, and their implications for the role of nonconceptive sex in the reproductive strategies of women

In many species of monkeys and apes, sexual solicitations of males by females are more facultative and opportunistic than generally realized. Although female sexual solicitations peak at midcyle, solicitations and copulations are not necessarily confined to the days just around ovulation. Human female sexuality, and the physiological underpinnings of this sexuality evolved in prehominid contexts in which female primates solicited and copulated with multiple males on a situation-dependent basis. Such sexual behavior became increasingly costly to females in the course of hominid evolution, and women's sexuality today must be viewed as an imperfect compromise between formerly adaptive organs (such as the female clitoris) and the chronic challenges mothers face in eliciting and insuring male protection and investment in offspring.
Insights into the Pathobiology of Secondary AML

Secondary acute myeloid leukemia (s-AML) is recognized as AML arising from prior hematological disease, usually myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative neoplasm, or aplastic anemia or has myelodysplasia related changes or develops in context of prior cytotoxic or radiation therapy. Understanding the biology of s-AML is of utmost importance as this portends a high-risk disease including a potential for lower responses to chemotherapy. Some therapeutic developments in recent times have been CPX-351 as well as venetoclax-containing combinations. Of particular ongoing and forthcoming interest is the role of targeted therapy itself or in combination with other agents. Lastly, the role of allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains crucial although debated, and with improvement in treatment strategies provides opportunities to use the two in combination for best results.
The Mechanosensory Transduction Machinery in Inner Ear Hair Cells.

Sound-induced mechanical stimuli are detected by elaborate mechanosensory transduction (MT) machinery in highly specialized hair cells of the inner ear. Genetic studies of inherited deafness in the...
Autobiographical Memory and Future Thinking Specificity and Content in Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is associated with high levels of mental health issues and alterations in cognitive processing. Cognitive-behavioral models illustrate the role of memory alterations (e.g., autobiographical memory and future thinking) in the development and maintenance of chronic pain as well as in mental health disorders which frequently co-occur with chronic pain (e.g., anxiety and mood disorders). This study aims to expand our understanding of specific cognitive mechanisms underlying chronic pain which may in turn shed light on cognitive processes underlying pain-related psychological distress. Individuals (N = 84) who reported a history of chronic pain and individuals who reported no history of chronic pain (N = 102) were recruited from MTurk to complete an online survey including standardized measures of anxiety and depression and two sentence completion tasks that assessed autobiographical memory and future thinking specificity and content. Chi square analyses revealed that participants who endorsed experiencing chronic pain were significantly more likely to recall at least one painful and negative event and to imagine at least one anticipated painful event in their future. Two ANCOVAs were performed to examine the degree to which chronic pain endorsement influenced specificity in memory and future imagining. Individuals with a history of chronic pain and higher levels of depression symptom severity generated autobiographical memories with significantly less specificity; whereas, individuals with a history of chronic pain also generated future autobiographical events with significantly less specificity. In addition, individuals with a history of chronic pain were more likely to generate episodes related to pain when asked to recall the past or imagine the future. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the etiology of autobiographical memory and future thinking specificity and content in the pathogenesis of mental health conditions in the context of chronic pain.
The Impact of Early Occupational Choice on Health Behaviors

Occupational choice is a significant input into individuals' health investments, operating in a manner that can be either health-promoting or health-depreciating. Recent studies have highlighted the potential importance of initial occupational choice on subsequent outcomes pertaining to morbidity. This study is the first to assess the existence and strength of a causal relationship between initial occupational choice at labor entry and subsequent health behaviors and habits. We utilize the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to analyze the effect of first occupation, as identified by industry category and blue collar work, on subsequent health outcomes relating to body mass index, obesity, alcohol consumption, and physical activity in 1999-2005. Our findings suggest that initial occupations described as craft, operative, and service are related to higher body mass index and obesity later in life, while labor occupations are related to higher probabilities of smoking later in life. Blue collar work early in life is associated with increased probabilities of obesity and smoking, and decreased physical activity later in life, although effects may be masked by unobserved heterogeneity. Few effects are found for the effect of initial occupation on alcohol consumption. The weight of the evidence bearing from various methodologies, which account for non-random unobserved selection, indicates that at least part of this effect is consistent with a causal interpretation. These estimates also underscore the potential durable impact of early labor market experiences on later health.
A Review of Completed and Ongoing Complement Inhibitor Trials for Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness among older adults in the Western world. While therapies exist for patients with exudative AMD, there are currently no approved therapies for non-exudative AMD and its advanced form of geographic atrophy (GA). The discovery of genetic variants in complement protein loci with increased susceptibility to AMD has led to the investigation of the role of complement inhibition in AMD with a focus on GA. Here, we review completed and ongoing clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of these studies. Overall, complement inhibition in GA has yielded mixed results. The inhibition of complement factor D has failed pivotal phase 3 trials. Studies of C3 and C5 inhibition meeting their primary endpoint are limited by high rates of discontinuation and withdrawal in the treatment arm and higher risks of conversion to exudative AMD. Studies evaluating other complement members (CFB, CFH, CFI and inhibitors of membrane attack complex-CD59) are ongoing and could offer other viable strategies.