cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rulers, Merchants and Other Groups in the City-States of Saurashtra, India, around 1800

During the past twenty years the major thrust of Indian historiography has expanded from its earlier concerns with imperial politics and sought to uncover the full range of actors within Indian political life and to identify the arenas in which they were active: local, regional, and national. One group of scholars has called particular attention to the diversity of elite groups, their interactions, and often their struggles for power. Their studies usually call explicitly for a broader understanding of ‘political’ activity outside the official levels of administration.
Perceptions of quality health care among parents of children with bleeding disorders.

Abstract Introduction: This study examined how parents of children with bleeding disorders defined quality health care, their expectations for care at the clinic, and indicators of quality health care important to them. Methods: Parents (N = 54) answered two open-ended questions and completed the Quality Health Care Questionnaire, which examined the importance of 33 indicators of quality care. Results: The most important indicators of quality care to parents were being included in decisions about their child's care (M = 4.98), being cared for by nurses who are competent and up-to-date (M = 4.94), and being cared for by doctors who are competent and up-to-date (M = 4.94). Discussion: The results of this study are consistent with earlier research involving other groups of consumers. Parents view quality care as being included in decisions about their child's care and having competent and caring providers with whom they can communicate. In contrast to earlier research, however, waiting time was the least important indicator of quality care. J Pediatr Health Care. (2002). 16, 125-130.
Tort reform and caesarean deliveries

This study examines the effects of state-level, tort law reforms on the rate of caesarean deliveries in the United States. The central thesis focuses on the rate of caesarean deliveries as an indicator of defensive medicine and the role, if any, of legal reform. Specifically, if physicians reduce their level of defensive medicine in the wake of liability reforms, this will show up as a reduction in the share of births in which a caesarean section was used. I discover after analysing panel data reflecting the rate of caesarean deliveries by states and for the years 1987, 1990 and 1993 that differences in rate of caesarean deliveries are partially the result of state-level liability reforms. The results provide further evidence of the existence of defensive medicine and of the impact of the legal environment on physician's choice of medical procedures.
Precision measurement of the 5s-5p-5d two-photon, two-color, polarization spectrum in atomic Rb

Summary form only given. A number of sophisticated techniques have been applied to precise measurements of the strength of resonance transitions in heavier alkali atoms. These include refined lifetime measurements in atomic beams, photoassociative spectroscopy of cold atoms confined to atomic traps, and direct measurements of the natural width of an atomic transition. We have made a precise study of the 5s-5p-5d transition in atomic Rb. Measurements of the non-resonant two-photon, two-color linear depolarization spectrum show remarkable polarization-dependent interference structure. Using this novel approach, it was possible to extract the ratio of the transition matrix elements for the two contributing pathways.
Development of reconfigurable machines

This paper summarizes our survey on the development of reconfigurable machines (RMs). The goals of this survey were to (i) clarify the needs and drivers to develop the RMs, (ii) define the academic and practical issues involved in the development of RMs, (iii) learn the state of the art of the RD while RMs are essential components to implement an RMS. RMs should be designed to meet a variety of task requirements via its reconfigurability. It has been found that few existing RMs can achieve this objective. The survey has concluded that the obstacles of the development of RMs include (i) the difficulties to identify and generalize design requirements since an RM is application-oriented and the design requirements have to be defined from an actual application; and in fact, some requirements are very difficult to be quantified; (ii) the lacking of efficient automated robot programming tools despite that the robots are essential components for most of the RMs; (iii) the lack of effective technologies that can be used to support system reconfigurations; (iv) no international organization that serves for standardizing the modular components for manufacturing and assembly processes; (v) the lack of the effort in implementing a heterogeneous system consisting of different types of RMs. The survey has suggested some future research works to overcome these obstacles.
Dynamic reconfigurable distributed processing network with dual levels of operand granularity

This paper introduces a platform capable of handling varying operand sizes across a set of algorithms to be accelerated by a low power hardware core. The key to dealing with different levels of operand granularity is to implement them on the reconfigurable distributed processing network (RDPN), which can handle dynamic changes to operand size. This approach allows algorithms which may be incompatible for the same hardware platform to be accelerated by a common hardware core. This acceleration core based on the RDPN allows algorithms of different levels in operand granularity to be accelerated by a low power system without the need for extra logic. The RDPN architecture provides a flexible platform, which bridges the gap between software and hardware by extending the applicability of an embedded hardware system. This extended applicability is a result of the native support for word size extension and contraction within the RDPN computational fabric. A case study from the signal processing algorithmic domain will be presented to show how the RDPN fabric dynamically adapts to the operand granularity required by different stages of an algorithm
Robotic Self-Replication in a Structured Environment without Computer Control

The ability to self-replicate is one of the distinctive features of living organisms. Robots capable of self-replication would have a profound impact on the field of robotics by improving lifetime and robustness. In the past our lab has built several prototypes of self-replicating robotic systems including semi-autonomous and fully-autonomous robots with microprocessor-based control, and a self-replicating electromechanical circuit composed of basic electronic elements (transistors, resistors, etc.). These previous efforts demonstrated that man-made systems with simple behaviors are capable of self-replication. Extending our previous results, in this paper, we present an autonomous self-replicating robotic system with distributed electronic components in a structured environment. Using simple discrete electronic components allows for a more uniform decomposition of each robot into simpler parts than for microprocessor-controlled systems. Ultimately, we would like to demonstrate robots that replicate from the most basic parts, and this paper represents one more step toward achieving this goal.
Experimental results and evaluation of the proactive application management system (PAMS)

Management of large-scale network-centric systems (NCS) and their applications is an extremely complex and challenging task due to factors such as centralized management architectures, lack of coordination and compatibility among heterogeneous network management systems, and the dynamic characteristics of networks and application bandwidth requirements, just to name a few. The goal of our research is to develop a hierarchical framework to achieve end-to-end intelligent proactive network management system that can be used to manage large scale network centric systems and their applications. This framework will provide the appropriate tools to write management programs to control and manage any function or property (performance, high assurance, fault, quality of service, etc.) of the network-centric systems and their applications during all the phases of their operations. In this paper, we present a framework to develop proactive and adaptive management services and an implementation of a Proactive Application Management System (PAMS) based on that framework. Our implementation approach utilizes delegated mobile agents to implement the management functions required by any network-centric system and/or application. We also present experimental results and evaluation of the management services offered by the PAMS prototype.
Ground Water Recharge and Chemical Contaminants: Challenges in Communicating the Connections and Collisions of Two Disparate Worlds

Our knowledge base regarding the presence and significance of chemicals foreign to the subsurface environment is large and growing — the papers in this volume serving as testament. However, complex questions with few answers surround the unknowns regarding the potential for environmental or human health effects from trace levels of xenobiotics in ground water, especially ground water augmented with treated waste water. Public acceptance for direct or indirect ground water recharge using treated municipal waste water (especially sewage) spans the spectrum from unquestioned embrace to outright rejection. In this paper, I detour around the issues most commonly discussed regarding ground water recharge and instead focus on some of the less-recognized issues—those that emanate from the mysteries created at the many literal and virtual interfaces involved with the subsurface world. My major objective is to catalyze discussion that advances our understanding of the barriers to public acceptance of waste water reuse with its ultimate culmination in direct reuse for drinking. I pose what could be a key question as to whether much of the public's frustration or ambivalence in its decision-making process for accepting, or rejecting, water reuse (for various purposes including personal use) emanates from fundamental inaccuracies, misrepresentation, or oversimplification of what water is and how it functions in the environment—just exactly what the water cycle is. These questions suggest it might behoove us to revisit some very elementary aspects of our science and how we are conveying them to the public.
Preservice teachers' beliefs, attitudes, and motivation about technology integration

The Theory of Planned Behavior was used as a framework, along with Self-Determination Theory, to examine preservice teachers' motivation to include technology in their future teaching. We modified instruments to measure theoretical constructs to be applied to plans for the use of technology. Measured were: perceived behavioral control, attitudes toward technology use, perceived social norms, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and amotivation. One hundred and fourteen preservice teachers completed the instrumentation and 67 completed a pre/post activity and reflective task concerning their attitudes and beliefs on technology, technology integration, and its role in the classroom. The best single predictor of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation was positive attitudes toward technology use. For amotivation, the best predictors were negative attitudes toward technology use and negative social norms. The pre-post activity demonstrated that participants struggled to design meaningful technology integration ...
The Effect of Foreign Competition on Forecasting Bias

This paper studies the effect of foreign competition on the extent of forecasting bias. I focus on two biases often described in the behavioral economics literature: overoptimism and excessive belief in trends. Using data from firm-level surveys in five African countries, I show that firms that do not face foreign competition generate forecasts of sales growth that have greater trend and optimism biases than firms that have foreign competitors. I further provide evidence that these erroneous forecasts have real effects on firms' inventory management.
Generic Substitution of Antiepileptic Drugs: A Systematic Review of Prospective and Retrospective Studies

Objective:To systematically review the literature on generic antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), evaluate the efficacy and safety of generic AED substitution, and perform pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis using the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) scheme to classify evidence.Data Sources:PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature searches from January 1, 1980, to October 15, 2010, were performed using the search terms anticonvulsant, antiepileptic drug, carbamazepine, divalproex, ethosuximide, gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, Phenytoin, primidone, topiramate, valproate, valproic acid, and zonisamide; bioavailability, bioequivalence, bioequivalency, bioequivalent, and substitution; and generic.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Retrospective and prospective controlled studies of generic substitution of AEDs were included in the review. Non-English-language articles and uncontrolled clinical studies were excluded, Published articles were categorized usin...
Real-Time Monitoring of the Mechanical Properties of a Soy Protein and Rubber Polymer during its Production Using Transient Infrared Spectroscopy

Soy protein–based polymers offer promising performance properties, but their characteristics are sensitively dependent on production conditions, so on-line monitoring could help provide the needed control during production. Mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with partial least squares offer the needed analysis, but the opacity of many materials in the mid-infrared range limits its conventional application. Transient infrared spectroscopy is a method of acquiring mid-infrared spectra from moving streams in real time that avoids the opacity problem. We apply transient infrared spectroscopy to a polymer of soy protein and polyisoprene-graft-maleic anhydride–modified natural rubber during its compounding extrusion to measure tensile strength and Young's modulus.
Local Media Influence on Opting Out From an Exception From Informed Consent Trial

Study objective News media are used for community education and notification in exception from informed consent clinical trials, yet their effectiveness as an added safeguard in such research remains unknown. We assessed the number of callers requesting opt-out bracelets after each local media report and described the errors and content within each media report. Methods We undertook a descriptive analysis of local media trial coverage (newspaper, television, radio, and Web log) and opt-out requests during a 41-month period at a single site participating in an exception from informed consent out-of-hospital trial. Two nontrial investigators independently assessed 41 content-based media variables (including background, trial information, graphics, errors, publication information, and assessment) with a standardized, semiqualitative data collection tool. Major errors were considered serious misrepresentation of the trial purpose or protocol, whereas minor errors included misinformation unlikely to mislead the lay reader about the trial. We plotted the temporal relationship between opt-out bracelet requests and media reports. Descriptive information about the news sources and the trial coverage are presented. Results We collected 39 trial-related media reports (33 newspaper, 1 television, 1 radio, and 4 blogs). There were 13 errors in 9 (23%) publications, 7 of which were major and 6 minor. Of 384 requests for 710 bracelets, 310 requests (80%) occurred within 4 days after trial media coverage. Graphic timeline representation of the data suggested a close association between media reports about the trial and requests for opt-out bracelets. Conclusion According to results from a single site, local media coverage for an exception from informed consent clinical trial had a substantial portion of errors and appeared closely associated with opt-out requests.
Nuts and health outcomes: new epidemiologic evidence

This article reviews recent epidemiologic evidence on nut intake and health outcomes. It focuses on studies in which nut consumption is directly assessed or when nuts are included in a dietary score or pattern. Epidemiologic studies have been remarkably consistent in showing an association between nut consumption and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Some evidence has emerged recently to suggest health-protective benefits of nuts other than CHD. Frequent nut intake probably reduces risk of diabetes mellitus among women, but its effects on men are unknown. Evidence on the anticarcinogenic effects of nuts is somewhat limited because studies in the past 2 decades have examined only 3 tumor sites, and the benefits appear to be manifested only in women. However, the protective benefits of frequent nut consumption on gallstone diseases are observed in both sexes. Long-term nut consumption is linked with lower body weight and lower risk of obesity and weight gain. A dietary pattern or score that includes nuts is consistently related with beneficial health outcomes, and this provides an indirect evidence of the salutary benefits of nut consumption. More longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the possible effects of nuts on diseases other than CHD.
Monotonic convergence of distributed interference pricing in wireless networks

We study distributed algorithms for allocating powers and/or adjusting beamforming vectors in a peer-to-peer wireless network which may have multiple-input-single-output (MISO) links. The objective is to maximize the total utility summed over all users, where each user's utility is a function of the received signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). Each user (receiver) announces an interference price, representing the marginal cost of interference from other users. A particular user (transmitter) then updates its power and beamforming vector to maximize its utility minus the interference cost to other users, which is determined from their announced interference prices. We show that if each transmitter update is based on a current set of interference prices and the utility functions satisfy certain concavity conditions, then the total utility is non-decreasing with each update. The proof is based on the convexity of the utility functions with respect to received interference, and applies to rate utility functions, and an arbitrary number of interfering MISO links. The extension to multi-carrier links is discussed as well as algorithmic variations in which the prices are not immediately updated after power or beam updates.
The ecology of alternative food landscapes: a framework for assessing the ecology of alternative food networks and its implications for sustainability

AbstractThe vast majority of research on alternative food networks (AFNs), such as farmer’s markets (FMs) and farm shares, examines the social and economic aspects of these networks with relatively little consideration of the ecology of AFNs despite frequent claims of environmental sustainability and beneficence. This is especially true at scales beyond that of the farm or field and in modes of production that fall outside the bounds of the organic/conventional paradigm. This article seeks to address these lacunae and construct a framework for exploring the ecology of AFN landscapes through the review and synthesis of scholarship in landscape ecology and related fields. This framework is then applied to a case study of the Greenmarket FMs in New York City, USA, to highlight the challenges of assessing the ecology of AFNs and the opportunities this research offers for improving the sustainability of AFNs.
SEED GERMINATION OF CIRSIUM ARVENSE AND LEPIDIUM LATIFOLIUM: IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT OF MONTANE WETLANDS

Cirsium arvense and Lepidium latifolium are species that can aggressively invade wetland margins and potentially reduce biodiversity and alter ecosystem function. Although expansion of these species primarily occurs via rhizomatous growth, seeds are thought to be important in initial establishment. We conducted this study to investigate differences in seed germination of C. arvense and L. latifolium in montane wetlands of Colorado and Wyoming, USA. We used germination chambers to simulate environmental conditions (photoperiod, day/night temperature) during three periods of the growing season at each site and evaluated seed germination in relation to three soil moisture levels and two soil depths. A combination of shallow (<1 cm) seed burial and wet conditions resulted in the greatest germination probability of C. arvense (x = 63.0%), 95% CI = 41.2–80.5%), whereas deep (2–3 cm) seed burial and saturated moisture conditions resulted in almost no germination (x = 0.3%, 95% CI = 0.1–1.3%). The maximum germination probability of 44.0% (CI = 28.1–61.4%) for L. latifolium also occurred in the shallow burial and wet treatment; however, only effects of seed burial were significant (P < 0.05). The estimated mean germination probability of deeply buried seeds was < 1.0% (CI = 0.3–1.4%) compared to 32% (CI = 19.7–47.9%) for shallowly buried seeds. Our results suggest that each species has the ability to germinate at similar rates throughout the growing season and across a large portion of the moisture gradient. This suggests that management actions, including water-level manipulations, at any time during the growing season may stimulate germination. Although burial of seed to depths of 2–3 cm reduced the germination potential of both species, the use of mechanical implements may be problematic in established stands because new plants of both species easily sprout from root buds. Further, disturbance resulting from such actions diminishes the density and vigor of other plants already present, which may ultimately decrease the competitive resistance of the disturbed environment to invasion by outside species. Detection of new invasions is a critical component of any integrated weed management program. Our results indicate that the incidence of C. arvense and L. latifolium germination is most likely in areas with seeds that are within 1 cm of the soil surface and soil moisture is 75–100% of field capacity for extended periods.
The Future of 'The Duty to Protect': Scientific and Legal Perspectives on Tarasoff's Thirtieth Anniversary

Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, the seminal case establishing a therapist's civil liability for her patient's violence toward third parties, is as significant today as it was controversial in 1976. Tarasoff has had a unique impact both on law-and-mental-health scholarship and on day-to-day mental health practice, yet legal decision makers and commentators remain divided on the wisdom and proper application of Tarasoff. Therefore, the medical, scientific and policy judgments that undergird Tarasoff decisions need to be revisited regularly. This Symposium brings together some of the nation's leading experts on law and mental health to discuss the most recent scientific advances and best practices in violence risk assessment and mental health care and to contribute fresh ideas about the principles supporting or opposing the imposition of this tort liability. They examine legal and ethical principles that justify or undermine Tarasoff liability, developments in violence risk assessments that make violence predictions more realistic and reliable, and changes in mental health practices that may make Tarasoff interventions less onerous for some patients. In short, the papers in this Symposium examine the application and implications of Tarasoff - past, present and future - and analyze its virtues, shortcomings, risks and promises.
Early Permian corals from Arrow Canyon, Clark County, Nevada

Rugose and tabulate corals from the Lower Permian (Wolfcampian) part of the Bird Spring Group in Arrow Canyon, Arrow Canyon Range, Clark County, Nevada, comprise eight species in eight genera. Stylastraea rowetti n. sp. is the first unequivocal record of this genus west of Texas in North America. Heritschiella girtyi, the only endemic North American waagenophyllid genus and species, is recorded outside Kansas for the first time. Paraheritschioides stevensi formerly was known only from northern California. The other species also occur elsewhere in the Permian of Nevada and nearby. This southeast Nevada shelf area has the first known intermixture of corals from the Durhaminid Coral Province and subprovinces of far western North America and the Cyathaxonid Coral Province of middle and southwestern North America.
The Socially Conscious Consumer

Who are the socially conscious consumers? This article typologically classifies socially conscious consumers and evaluates the relative sensitivity of demographic and sociopsychological variables i...
Chemical Burn in a Neonate.

An 18-day-old male neonate was brought in to our Emergency Department with concern about a large dark rash around the umbilicus with an area of desquamation (Fig. 1). He had otherwise been acting normally with normal intake and output, and no fever. The umbilical cord had fallen off three days earlier, and silver nitrate was applied to stop the bleeding. After rash developed, bacitracin was applied and the newborn was referred to the burn clinic. The lesion healed completely with some residual hyperpigmentation.
Biophysical Approaches to the Study of LeuT, a Prokaryotic Homolog of Neurotransmitter Sodium Symporters.

Ion-coupled secondary transport is utilized by multiple integral membrane proteins as a means of achieving the thermodynamically unfavorable translocation of solute molecules across the lipid bilayer. The chemical nature of these molecules is diverse and includes sugars, amino acids, neurotransmitters, and other ions. LeuT is a sodium-coupled, nonpolar amino acid symporter and eubacterial member of the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family of Na+/Cl−-dependent neurotransmitter transporters. Eukaryotic counterparts encompass the clinically and pharmacologically significant transporters for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE). Since the crystal structure of LeuT was first solved in 2005, subsequent crystallographic, binding, flux, and spectroscopic studies, complemented with homology modeling and molecular dynamic simulations, have allowed this protein to emerge as a remarkable mechanistic paradigm for both the SLC6 class as well as several other sequence-unrelated SLCs whose members possess astonishingly similar architectures. Despite yielding groundbreaking conceptual advances, this vast treasure trove of data has also been the source of contentious hypotheses. This chapter will present a historical scientific overview of SLC6s; recount how the initial and subsequent LeuT structures were solved, describing the insights they each provided; detail the accompanying functional techniques, emphasizing how they either supported or refuted the static crystallographic data; and assemble these individual findings into a mechanism of transport and inhibition.
Development of the Premature Infant's Host Defense System and Its Relationship to Routine Immunizations

Although much is known about the timing and dosage of immunizations in term infants, immunization of preterm infants is a subject fraught with controversy. Discussed are the major areas of controversy (the ability of the premature infant to form antibodies in response to different antigens; the effect of passively transferred maternal antibodies on the ability of the neonate to respond to immunization; and the ability of booster doses to produce anamnestic responses suggesting adequate immunization following the primary series). This is followed by an analysis of the recommendations for the immunization of preterm infants given by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
LESIONS IN ALKYLATED DNA DETERMINED BY SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ALKALI, APURINIC ENDONUCLEASE OR N-GLYCOSIDASE

ABSTRACT To detect and quantitate lesions in methyl methanesulfonate-treated DNA, we converted these sites to strand breaks by 5 different parallel procedures. Apurinic sites alone were so converted by apurinic endonuclease from human CEM-CCRF lymphoblasts or by a 20-min treatment with 0.1 M NaOH. Lesions in addition to these were converted by whole-cell extracts (CEM-CCRF or HeLa), by apurinic endonuclease plus 3-methyladenine N-glycosidase (both from CEM-CCRF), or by a 4-hr treatment with 1.0 M glycine-NaOH.
A critique of the papers by Westbury, Appelberg and Gladden

Several techniques have been used for identifying static and dynamic fusimotor effects resulting from a stimulation of central structures or from an activation of spinal reflex pathways. Matthews (1972) has reviewed some of the techniques introduced earlier and discussed some of the problems in interpreting the results as purely due to either static or dynamic fusimotor action. While a predominantly static fusimotor action may with confidence be attributed to the static γ efferents, dynamic fusimotor action, either found concurrently or selectively, is open for debate as to whether it is restricted to the activation of γ fusimotor axons or whether the dynamic β axons are also recruited. It is difficult to rule out a contribution by the dynamic β axons in experiments where the whole muscle tension is monitored with a low gain of the myograph. This problem is present when fusimotor effects are deduced either from spindle responses to sinusoidal and ramp stretches of the muscle (Vedel and Mouillac-Baudevin, 1969) or from the changes in the dynamic sensitivity of spindle afferents during a muscle twitch (Appelberg, 1980). It is important to bear in mind that the β efferents producing dynamic fusimotor actions are exclusively among the slower twitch type S motor units innervating the oxidative muscle fibres (Barker et al., 1977) which contribute to tetanic tensions of less than 10 g in the smaller muscles of the hind limb (Jami and Petit, 1975) and up to 30 g in some larger muscles. Even if a few of these are activated by central stimulation, they may contribute to fusimotor actions without causing a significant increase in muscle tension when measured with a low gain of the transducer.
Semiotic Approaches to Higher States of Consciousness

Elihu, the priest who rebukes Job for justifying himself rather than God, also gives Job this advice: ‘In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instructions’ (Job 33:15–16). Like most priests, Elihu is not very sympathetic to Job’s own vision of injustice since it pulls against the theological verities and priestly truisms of his orthodoxy. So Elihu, speaking for the priestly Elohiem rather than the prophetic Yahweh, finds that even dreams are the avenue of priestly instruction and godly wisdom.
Intracranial Pressure in Bacterial Meningitis

The role of increased intracranial pressure and its effect on cerebral blood flow in the prognosis of children with bacterial meningitis is reviewed from the Division of Child Neurology, Loma Linda U Sch of Med, Loma Linda, CA.
CatSperζ regulates the structural continuity of sperm Ca2+ signaling domains and is required for normal fertility.

Male mammals ejaculate millions of sperm cells each time they mate with a female. Only a few of these cells manage to travel up the female’s reproductive tract to reach the egg, and usually only one sperm fertilizes it. Freshly ejaculated sperm are incapable of fertilizing eggs and have to undergo several changes within the female to become able to do so. One crucial change occurs in the sperm tail, which starts to beat vigorously in a whip-like motion. This type of movement – known as hyperactivated motility – enables the sperm to swim towards the egg, push through a sticky coating that surrounds it, and then burrow into it. Hyperactivated motility is triggered when calcium ions enter the sperm cell via a specific channel protein known as CatSper, which is found in the membrane that surrounds the cell. CatSper channels form groups (known as complexes) with several other proteins that are arranged in a unique pattern of four straight ‘stripes’ running down the tail of the sperm. This arrangement is necessary for hyperactivated motility and mutations in the genes that encode these proteins can lead to infertility in males. The CatSper channel complex is known to contain seven proteins: four that form a pore through which calcium ions can enter, and three accessory proteins whose roles in hyperactivated motility are less clear. Chung et al. identified two genes in mice that encode new accessory proteins in the CatSper channel complex named CatSper epsilon and CatSper zeta. Further experiments analyzed the role of CatSper zeta in more detail. Mutant males that lack CatSper zeta have fragmented patterns of CatSper stripes in the tails of their sperm. Moreover, fewer calcium ions were able to pass through the channels to enter the cell. Together, this made the sperm tail more rigid, which prevented it from moving efficiently within the female, resulting in reduced fertility. Chung et al. also found that the mutant sperm were less able to penetrate the egg than normal sperm. During evolution, the gene that encodes CatSper zeta appeared first in mammals and may represent an adaptation that improved the chances of a sperm fertilizing the egg inside the reproductive tract of female mammals. Future challenges will be to explore how the CatSper channel assembles on the membrane of sperm and find out exactly how calcium ions trigger hyperactivated motility.
SOFT-TISSUE COVERAGE FOR THE ELBOW

Coverage of soft-tissue defects about the elbow ranges from direct wound closure to free tissue transfer. Early split thickness skin grafting is vital to preserving range of motion in burn patients. Useful regional flaps include the flexor carpi ulnaris, brachioradialis, lateral arm, and radial forearm. The latissimus dorsi is the primary distant pedicled flap with great potential for use as a functionalized transfer. Other often used free flaps include the parascapular and scapular flaps, rectus flap, and gracilis flap.
Novel Electrically Tunable Microwave Solenoid Inductor and Compact Phase Shifter Utilizing Permaloy and PZT Thin Films

A Permalloy (Py) thin film enabled tunable 3-D solenoid inductor is designed and fabricated. The special configuration of magnetic core is discussed and by selectively patterning Py thin film, the proposed tunable inductor can work at frequency up to several GHz range. The inductance of the solenoid inductor can be electrically tuned by dc current and the tunability is above 10%. Utilizing the implemented Py enabled tunable solenoid inductor and Lead Zirconate Titanate thin film enabled metal-insulator-metal capacitor, a compact fully electrically tunable lumped elements phase shifter is achieved. The tunable phase shifter has both inductive and capacitive tunability and the dual tunability significantly improves the tuning range and design flexibility. Moreover, the dual tunability is able to retain the equivalent characteristic impedance of the device in the process of the phase being tuned. The phase of the device can be tuned by fully electrical methods and when dc current and dc voltage are provided, the length normalized phase tunability is up to 210°/cm.
The public benefits agenda in power sector reform

Over the last ten years, long-held assumptions about the structure of the power sector have overturned. In place of publicly-owned vertically integrated monopolies, a new model of private ownership and competition is emerging. This paper analyzes the eclipse of the old model and the forces that have led to emergence of a new model. It examines what caused the change, the contours of the new model and the role of international donor agencies in promoting this model. The paper also argues that public benefits must be explicitly provided for in privatized, competitive structures. These benefits include environmental, social and governance concerns. The paper discusses the issues at stake in each of these areas.
The Socratic Method: Plato’s Legacy in Pedagogy

Many contemporary teachers claim to employ the “Socratic method” in their classrooms. But what exactly is deemed “Socratic” in teaching today? And how does today’s Socratic teacher compare to the Socrates of Plato’s dialogues?
STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS IN POSTSYNAPTIC SNAKE NEUROTOXINS

ABSTRACT Detailed information about the three-dimensional structure of the protein, erabutoxin b, (Low and others, 1976) provides a recognized and recognizable stereochemical prototype (Low and others, 1976; Low, 1979a) or model for the whole class of more than 50 curaremimetic postsynaptic neurotoxins from both land and sea snakes. Homology of structure and function in this class has a broad base defined by the whole spectrum of chemical, physicochemical, and toxicological, etc. studies: in particular, amino acid primary sequence determinations establish extensive homologies expressed as multiple positions of residue invariance and conservative substitution. Toxicities (LD50) lie within a very narrow range; in some instances direct evidence has shown that these neurotoxins bind to the acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction. Most of the principal main-chain features of this remarkably open structure have been described earlier; (Low and others, 1976; Sato, 1977). They will be reviewed and discussed here in terms of their role in maintaining structural and, therefore, functional integrity (Kimball and others, 1979). The structural role of the four invariant disulfide linkages has been established chemically:-a role evident in the molecular stereochemistry; they form a stabilizing central core. The reactive site, that is the region of binding interactions with the acetylcholine receptor, asserts itself. Most positions of residue invariance or conservative substitution fall within the sequence range 25—>53 (K60) and thus within the shallow cupped region bounded by 32-49 … 32 (K33-K56 … K33) which this sequence forms in three dimensions. The key ‘structural’ role of some residues is evident. Other residues have been designated ‘functional’. These all point essentially up from or into the sweeping hollow of the loop region 32-49 … 32. Replacement of some ‘functional’ residues in deviant toxins and/or their chemical modification results in reduced toxicity. Details of the inter-residue packing in this region led to the characterization of 5 discrete reactive interactive groupings (Low, 1979 a and b). Recent studies (Kimball and Low, 1979) have provided an alternative view of the reactive site, that is the topographical features of this concavity. The striking distribution of charged polar and hydrophobic residues which characterizes the reactive site surface, as well as the molecule as a whole, will be discussed, and a secondary structure/function role for the whole proposed (Low and others, in preparation). Thus, a new and, to date, unique reactive surface and general molecular stereochemistry has been defined which may be appropriate, not only to these neurotoxins, but to other membrane active proteins of this general type. All the principal structure/function relationships considered here (determined from erabutoxin b, a short series toxin) can easily be adapted to long series toxins without fundamental alterations.
Home production, expenditure, and economic geography

Abstract This paper proposes a new microfoundation for the benefits of urban density. Market production of services is efficient because customers effectively share land and other factors of production, leaving them idle for less time. The paper develops a theory in which market-based sharing causes residents of dense areas to purchase services on the market that their suburban counterparts produce at home. The model predicts that residents of dense areas spend more on local services, home produce less, work more, and pay higher land prices - conditional on residents' productivity and proximity to work. The paper presents evidence that these predictions are consistent with the data.
Auch Physiker sind Philosophen

In seinem letzten Essay spricht sich der kurzlich verstorbene Physiker Victor Stenger dafur aus, dass die Philosophie auch im Rahmen der modernen theoretischen Physik ihre Berechtigung hat.
Noise Constrained Optimum Selection of Supply Voltage for IoT Applications

An optimization technique is proposed to set the supply voltage of an integrated circuit for a given range of threshold voltages. The algorithm accounts for the variations in maximum operating frequency fmax, noise margins, and threshold voltage. The algorithmically determined supply and threshold voltages are compared with SPICE simulation for a 130 nm CMOS technology, where per cent error of up to 14% and 8% are observed for, respectively, the average noise margins NMavg and fmax as compared to target circuit specifications for noise margin and frequency. The evaluated ranges of the supply and threshold voltages are, respectively, 200 mV ≤ Vdd ≤ 1200 mV and 250 mV ≤ Vt ≤ 700 mV. The technique is applied to both a 130 nm and 45 nm CMOS technology and results of noise margin and frequency are compared through SPICE simulation. The 45 nm technology node exhibits variation of up to 0.89× and 4.3× in, respectively, NMavg and fmax as compared to an inverter in a 130 nm technology.
Programmed loading and rapid purification of engineered bacterial microcompartment shells.

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are selectively permeable proteinaceous organelles which encapsulate segments of metabolic pathways across bacterial phyla. They consist of an enzymatic core surrounded by a protein shell composed of multiple distinct proteins. Despite great potential in varied biotechnological applications, engineering efforts have been stymied by difficulties in their isolation and characterization and a dearth of robust methods for programming cores and shell permeability. We address these challenges by functionalizing shell proteins with affinity handles, enabling facile complementation-based affinity purification (CAP) and specific cargo docking sites for efficient encapsulation via covalent-linkage (EnCo). These shell functionalizations extend our knowledge of BMC architectural principles and enable the development of minimal shell systems of precisely defined structure and composition. The generalizability of CAP and EnCo will enable their application to functionally diverse microcompartment systems to facilitate both characterization of natural functions and the development of bespoke shells for selectively compartmentalizing proteins. Bacterial microcompartments are protein-bound organelles encapsulating segments of metabolic pathways. Here the authors functionalise shell proteins to facilitate facile purification and enable cargo encapsulation via covalent linkage.
Feasibility and clinical value of circulating tumor DNA testing in patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.

e16045Background: Gastroesophageal (GE) adenocarcinoma is one of the leading causes for cancer and mortality worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Liquid biopsy or circulatin...
Abstract TMP87: Beat-to-beat Blood Pressure Accurately Predicts Subsequent Arm Cuff Blood Pressure Variability in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Introduction: Higher blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with worse outcome after stroke. Accurate quantification of BPV requires frequent measurements, which is not practical with arm c...
Build Up a Real-Time LSTM Positioning Error Prediction Model for GPS Sensors

This paper presents a real-time long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network (RNN) to trace and predict the GPS positioning errors within next one to several seconds, offering an enhance GPS positioning. The proposed LSTM prediction model was further verified over extensive experimental data captured in cities and metropolitans, urbans and highways across several middle and eastern States of the United States. The prediction accuracy of the proposed real-time LSTM can be within less than 1-3% of its ground true values outperforms those results gained by conventional statistics and linear prediction models.
Procedure for Gastric Variceal Bleeding: From BRTO to PARTO to CARTO, Three Decades of Progress

Gastric varices are less common than esophageal varices. However, it is known to be associated with a poor prognosis and mortality due to its high propensity to bleed massively. There are several management options for gastric variceal bleeding including medical management, endoscopic treatment, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, shunt surgery, and liver transplantation. However, clinical outcomes and recurrent bleeding rate of these current treatments are widely varying, and an alternative treatment method for gastric variceal bleeding is needed. In this chapter, we present a relatively novel treatment option for gastric varices called BRTO (Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration) and its modified methods. In brief, BRTO and modified BRTO (PARTO = plug-assisted or CARTO = coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration) appear safe and effective treatment options for gastric variceal bleeding.
A Pedagogy to Develop Effective Virtual Teams

While virtual teams dominate business environments, little attention has been paid to how team leadership, in particular shared leadership, can be reinforced in classrooms. There is a consensus tha...
Reply to “Comment on ‘Reexamining f ( R , T ) gravity”’

Harko and Moraes [preceding Comment, Phys. Rev. D 101, 108501 (2020).] claim that in $f(R,T)$ gravity with $f(R,T)={f}_{1}(R)+{f}_{2}(T)$, the term ${f}_{2}(T)$ cannot be incorporated in the matter Lagrangian ${\mathcal{L}}_{m}$. A careful examination of their Comment finds that they have made several dubious assumptions without indicating any errors in our work. Most notably, they have unjustifiably claimed that the two terms ${\mathcal{L}}_{m}$ and ${f}_{2}(T)$ are of ``different origin,'' and their inference that only the first contributes to the energy momentum tensor is arbitrary. Also significant, their derivation of equations of motion from a Lagrangian formulation, imposing conservation constraints ad hoc rather than via Lagrange multipliers, leads to inconsistent conclusions.
Insights into the Proton Transport Mechanism in TiO2 Simple Oxides by In Situ Raman Spectroscopy.

Understanding the mechanisms of proton conduction at the interface of materials enables the development of a new generation of protonic ceramic conductors at low temperatures (<150 °C) through wate...
Spring Break or Heart Break? Extending Valence Bias to Emotional Words.

Ambiguous stimuli are useful for assessing emotional bias. For example, surprised faces could convey a positive or negative meaning, and the degree to which an individual interprets these expressio...
General Boundary Identification Through Surface Pressure Measurements on a 2-D Foil

Digital twins can be used as model representations of physical systems given adequate information about the physics through environmental measurements. For moving bodies in the presence of boundaries, knowledge of the local boundary conditions is necessary to develop a model that can be used in a control system or decision making process. This paper presents a method using a viscous numerical simulation as a model combined with pressure measurements on the surface of a foil in order to estimate general wall boundary conditions in the vicinity of the foil. The method uses an Unscented Kalman Filter and presents a weighted estimate approach that outperforms the standard Unscented Filter for estimation of wall shape. B-splines are used to generalize the shape of the wall. The algorithm is demonstrated to be capable of identifying an individual wall protrusion and multiple wall protrusions in order to update the wall boundary conditions for a real time numerical simulation.