cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The “Law-Making” Behavior of States in the United Nations as a Function of Their Location within Formal World Regions

A dominant presupposition of many writers on international relations and international law is that the world's legal order is essentially a reflection of the structure of the international system and the interests of the main actors in that system (see, for example, Coplin, 1960, 1965: 615-634; Falk, 1966: 172-187; Hoffmann, 1966: 134-166; Kaplan and Katzenbach, 1961; Lissitzyn, 1963). This paper will attempt to assess empirically the extent to which this presupposition of traditional verbal theory is congruent with an analysis of decisionmaking in one international arena (the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly) devoted to shaping legal norms for the world community. In so doing, this paper is intended as a modest contribution to the efforts of those international law scholars who are seeking to make the study of international law a "science of observation" (Alger, 1963: 37). In order to make any headway in this direction, a first requirement is that the concepts indicated in traditional verbal theory have clear empirical referents. Although international relations literature is copiously strewn with references to the ''structure of the international system," the meaning of this
What Should a Christian Realist Presume about War

Reinhold Niebuhr, the father of Christian realism, died in the early 1970s. Since that time, discussions in theological ethics have been dominated by two competing accounts of just-war rationality: the presumption against harm position (PAH) and the presumption against injustice position (PAI). Starting from the accounts of moral tragedy found in the PAI and PAH positions, this article argues that there are reasons for Christian realists to reject both positions. Basil Mitchell’s account of ‘cumulative case’ argumentation provides a model for arguing about war that better fits with Christian realism than either of these alternative positions.
Use of a bleomycin-containing medium to distinguish Aspergillus parasiticus from A. sojae.

(1989). Use of a Bleomycin-Containing Medium to Distinguish Aspergillus Parasiticus from A. Sojae. Mycologia: Vol. 81, No. 1, pp. 159-160.
Classification of wheat plant types

The plant types of wheat in narrow sense were quantitatively classified,and some quantitative indices were brought forward.Based on the distribution pattern of stems,the wheat plant types were classified into W,V,barrel,strip and linear types,and so on.However,it was usually classified into outspread,incompact and tight types according to the convergent exponents of clum.And after the experiments,it was considered that plant morphological characteristics were more accurate and reasonable to quantify and to classify the plant types.
Crystalline Nanojoining Silver Nanowire Percolated Networks on Flexible Substrate.

Optoelectronic performance of metal nanowire networks are dominated by junction microstructure and network configuration. Although metal nanowire printings, such as silver nanowires (AgNWs) or AgNWs/semiconductor oxide bilayer, have great potential to replace traditional ITO, efficient and selective nanoscale integration of nanowires is still challenging owing to high cross nanowire junction resistance. Herein, pulsed laser irradiation under controlled conditions is used to generate local crystalline nanojoining of AgNWs without affecting other regions of the network, resulting in significantly improved optoelectronic performance. The method, laser-induced plasmonic welding (LPW), can be applied to roll-to-roll printed AgNWs percolating networks on PET substrate. First principle simulations and experimental characterizations reveal the mechanism of crystalline nanojoining originated from thermal activated isolated metal atom flow over nanowire junctions. Molecular dynamic simulation results show an angle-...
Plastic Surgery of the Breast: Keeping the Nipple Sensitive.

Introduction: Since its inception, reduction mammaplasty has matured considerably. Primary evolution in clinical research and practice has focused on preserving tissue viability. Surgery involves preserving not only tissue viability but also function and sensation. The nipple serves as the sensate unit of the breast and is a valuable part of women's psychological and sexual health, making preservation of nipple sensation of utmost important. Studies regarding primary innervation to the nipple are few and often contradictory. We propose an unsafe zone in which dissection during reduction mammoplasty ought to be avoided to preserve nipple sensation. Methods: Circumareolar dissection of 22 cadaveric breasts was performed. Primary nerve branches to the nipple-areola complex were identified and dissected to their origin. Results: Three to 5 branches of the fourth intercostal nerve primarily innervated the nipple on 18 of 22 breast dissections. Two breasts received innervation from the third intercostal nerve and 2 from the fifth intercostal nerve. In half of the specimens, accessory innervation from the third and fifth intercostal nerves provided medial branches to the nipple. Conclusions: The fourth intercostal nerve provides the major innervation to the nipple-areola complex. Avoiding dissection in inferolateral quadrant “unsafe zone” of the breast during reduction mammaplasty and other breast surgical procedures can reliably spare nipple sensation and maximize patient outcomes.
Awake fiberoptic intubation

Airway management is a core task for anesthesiologists. Deficiencies in training or equipment as well as fateful complications in this field are responsible for a significant proportion of anesthesia-associated morbidity and mortality. Nowadays there are a variety of advanced technical aids on the market to overcome the difficult airway. Nevertheless, the "cannot intubate cannot ventilate scenario" still occurs and regularly results in poor outcome, such as permanent neurological deficits or even death. Therefore, awake fiberoptic intubation remains the gold standard in the expected difficult airway because when applied correctly this technique never leads to a point where a patient's respiration is compromised as a result of medical measures before a secure airway has been established.
Experimental and simulation studies of the production of renewable hydrogen through ethanol steam reforming in a large-scale catalytic membrane reactor

Abstract The diversification of hydrogen production sources has tremendous energy and environmental implications, making ethanol steam reforming (ESR) an essential process that requires further investigation. Hence, the purpose of this work is to investigate the performance of a large-scale catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) used to enhance the efficiency of ESR by the in-situ removal of H2 from the reactor module. The reactor consisted of a tubular membrane located at the center and surrounded by a commercial nickel-based catalyst. A thin, defect-free composite asymmetric membrane was prepared as a Pd/Au/Pd/Au structure, then characterized and tested under reacting conditions. Ethanol steam reforming was conducted under different conditions such as steam-to-carbon ratios, liquid hourly space velocities (LHSV), operating pressures and temperatures. A 1-D model and a 2-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model were developed, validated experimentally and used to explore further the features of this reaction. The CMR module was operated for 300 h showing 100% conversion of ethanol in all conditions and producing H2 with a purity of 99.9%.
Regulation of G0/G1 Switch Gene 2 (G0S2) Protein Ubiquitination and Stability by Triglyceride Accumulation and ATGL Interaction

Intracellular triglyceride (TG) hydrolysis or lipolysis is catalyzed by the key intracellular triglyceride hydrolase, adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). The G0/G1 Switch Gene 2 (G0S2) was recently identified as the major selective inhibitor of ATGL and its hydrolase function. Since G0S2 levels are dynamically linked and rapidly responsive to nutrient status or metabolic requirements, the identification of its regulation at the protein level is of significant value. Earlier evidence from our laboratory demonstrated that G0S2 is a short-lived protein degraded through the proteasomal pathway. However, little is currently known regarding the underlying mechanisms. In the current study we find that 1) protein degradation is initiated by K48-linked polyubiquitination of the lysine- 25 in G0S2; and 2) G0S2 protein is stabilized in response to ATGL expression and TG accumulation. Mutation of lysine-25 of G0S2 abolished ubiquitination and increased protein stability. More importantly, G0S2 was stabilized via different mechanisms in the presence of ATGL vs. in response to fatty acid (FA)-induced TG accumulation. Furthermore, G0S2 protein but not mRNA levels were reduced in the adipose tissue of ATGL-deficient mice, corroborating the involvement of ATGL in the stabilization of G0S2. Taken together our data illustrate for the first time a crucial multifaceted mechanism for the stabilization of G0S2 at the protein level.
Association of elevated preoperative blood pressure with preincision hypotension in pediatric surgical patients.

Summary Introduction High blood pressure (BP) in childhood is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and abnormal vascular reactivity even in apparently healthy children. This study examined the prevalence of high BP in children undergoing elective noncardiac operations. We also determined the association of preoperative high BP with preincision hypotension (PIH). Methods This was a retrospective cohort study that used clinical and anthropometric data on children aged 3–17 years who underwent elective, noncardiac operations from January 2006 to January 2014. Preoperative blood pressure (BP) was used to stratify children into three categories: normal BP (systolic and diastolic BP below the 90th percentile), prehypertension (systolic and/or diastolic BP ≥90th percentile but <95th percentile or if the BP exceeds 120/80 mmHg even if it is below the 90th percentile), and hypertension (systolic and/or diastolic BP ≥95th percentile). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios for PIH using age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and BP categories as covariates. Results Among 35832 children, the overall prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension, and hypertension by adult standards were 16.4%, 6.8%, and 3.3%, respectively. Overweight and obese children had higher rates of elevated BP. Presence of elevated baseline BP, high BMI category, and presence of OSA diagnosis were independent predictors of multiple episodes of PIH in a logistic regression model. Conclusion In children, preoperative high BP is an independent predictor of PIH. Although the longtime consequences of high BP are well known, this report provides the first intraoperative evidence of adverse event associated with preoperative high BP in children. Mechanisms underlying this hypotensive response are unclear.
Screening, Patients, and the Politics of Prevention

The year 1979 was a good one for Gerald Murphy’s National Prostatic Cancer Project (NPCP) at Roswell Park. In an article titled Purification of a Human Prostate Specific Antigen, Murphy’s team claimed to have purified and identified a new immunological marker linked to prostate cancer,3 but it was a discovery that a pathologist from the University of Buffalo school of medicine, Richard Ablin, also claimed. Arguments over recognition are, and have long been, a part of doing science. Many researchers in many laboratories do, after all, work on very similar issues so simultaneous discoveries are not uncommon. What made the argument regarding the discovery of prostate specific antigen (or PSA) of particular interest though, is that Ablin’s results were not simultaneous, he had published his data years before and the NPCP team had duly cited it. What’s more, in his book, The Great Prostate Hoax: How Big Medicine Hijacked the PSA Test and Caused a Public Health Disaster (2014), Ablin reports that he had also applied for a grant (which was rejected) from the NPCP during the late 1970s detailing how he would work on extraction and purification procedures linked to his earlier findings, or, in other words, the work that the Roswell group would go on to publish to considerable fanfare.4 As PSA-related patents had been filed by the NCPC, lawyers soon became involved, and the dispute rumbled on for years. Again, a distressing set of circumstances for those involved but not unusual within scientific controversies. What really sets this dispute apart, however, is the extent to which it was retrospectively ignited when one party—Ablin—subsequently became a highly vocal critic of the use (or as he saw it, abuse) of the very substance he had discovered.
Institutions and Social Conflict: THE SPONTANEOUS EMERGENCE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS: CONTEMPORARY THEORIES OF INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

Up to this point my analysis has focused on the effects of institutions on social life. My main argument has been that the primary force of institutional effects is distributional — the determination of the division of benefits that characterize social outcomes. Now, as we turn to questions about the origin of these institutions, we need to consider the implications of these distributional effects on explanations of institutional development and change. Given the importance of distributional effects, we would expect social actors to prefer and seek to establish those institutional arrangements that favor them in distributional terms. Therefore, our theories of institutional development and change should either invoke this pursuit of distributional advantage as a major source of explanation or explain why other factors counteract and override distributional concerns. Contemporary theories of institutional change seek to understand both the conditions under which social institutions develop and the circumstances under which they change. In explaining the origin of institutions, such theories emphasize one of two processes: (1) spontaneous, or evolutionary, emergence or (2) intentional design. These theories primarily invoke the collective value of social institutions. If the earlier argument about the primacy of distribution is correct, these theories will need to elaborate mechanisms of change describing either how the pursuit of distributional advantage is offset by other factors oriented toward collective gain or how a selection mechanism favors the development of collectively beneficial social institutions.
Stat3 accelerates Myc induced tumor formation while reducing growth rate in a mouse model of breast cancer.

// Jing-Ru Jhan 1 , Eran R. Andrechek 1 1 Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA Correspondence to: Eran R. Andrechek, email: andrech1@msu.edu Keywords: breast cancer, mammary gland, Myc, Stat3, tumor latency Received: May 31, 2016 Accepted: August 13, 2016 Published: August 29, 2016 ABSTRACT Elevated Myc expression has been noted in basal breast cancer but therapies targeting Myc directly are lacking. It is therefore critical to characterize the interaction of Myc with other genes and pathways to uncover future potential therapeutic strategies. In this study, we bioinformatically predicted a role for Stat3 in Myc induced mammary tumors and tested it using mouse models. During normal mammary function, loss of Stat3 in Myc transgenic dams resulted in lethality of pups due to lactation deficiencies. We also observed that deletion of Stat3 in the mammary glands of MMTV-Myc mice unexpectedly resulted in increased and earlier hyperplasia and expedited tumorigenesis. However, despite arising earlier, Myc tumors lacking Stat3 grew more slowly with alterations in the resulting histological subtypes, including a dramatic increase in EMT-like tumors. We also observed that these tumors had impaired angiogenesis and a slight decrease in lung metastases. This metastatic finding is distinct from previously published findings in both MMTV-Neu and MMTV-PyMT mouse models. Together, the literature and our current research demonstrate that Stat3 can function as an oncogene or as a tumor repressor depending on the oncogenic driver and developmental context.
Defensive egotism and self-esteem: A cross-cultural examination of the dynamics of bullying in middle school

AbstractThe revised compensation model of aggression posits that bullying is driven by defensive personality, not low self-esteem. Supporting research has failed to distinguish bullies vs. bully-victims (i.e., bullies who are also victims). In three studies with middle school students on two continents, pure bullies and bully-victims scored higher in defensive egotism than pure victims and controls but, unexpectedly, did not differ from each other. Low self-esteem was linked with victimization, high self-esteem with defending victims. Boys were higher than girls in bullying and physical aggression; girls were higher in social than physical aggression. Part of the lack of success of anti-bullying programs may be their failure to accommodate different types of bullies and different forms of bullying.
Velocity of Lg waves in California

It is of interest to establish whether or not the crust is anomalous in orogenic belts. The velocity of Lg waves for paths traversing orogenic belts in California differs by less than two per cent from velocities found for transcontinental paths. These results suggest that the velocity of shear waves in the upper part of the continental crust is uniform, but do not necessarily imply homogeneity of materials that make up the crust.
Dual Health Care System Use and High-Risk Prescribing in Patients With Dementia: A National Cohort Study

Background Recent federal policy changes attempt to expand veterans' access to providers outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Receipt of prescription medications across unconnected systems of care may increase the risk for unsafe prescribing, particularly in persons with dementia. Objective To investigate the association between dual health care system use and potentially unsafe medication (PUM) prescribing. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting National VA outpatient care facilities in 2010. Participants 75 829 veterans with dementia who were continuously enrolled in Medicare from 2007 to 2010; 80% were VA-only users, and 20% were VA-Medicare Part D (dual) users. Measurements Augmented inverse propensity weighting was used to estimate the effect of dual-system versus VA-only prescribing on 4 indicators of PUM prescribing in 2010: any exposure to Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) high-risk medication in older adults (PUM-HEDIS), any daily exposure to prescriptions with a cumulative Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) score of 3 or higher (PUM-ACB), any antipsychotic prescription (PUM-antipsychotic), and any PUM exposure (any-PUM). The annual number of days of each PUM exposure was also examined. Results Compared with VA-only users, dual users had more than double the odds of exposure to any-PUM (odds ratio [OR], 2.2 [95% CI, 2.2 to 2.3]), PUM-HEDIS (OR, 2.4 [CI, 2.2 to 2.8]), and PUM-ACB (OR, 2.1 [CI, 2.0 to 2.2]). The odds of PUM-antipsychotic exposure were also greater in dual users (OR, 1.5 [CI, 1.4 to 1.6]). Dual users had an adjusted average of 44.1 additional days of any-PUM exposure (CI, 37.2 to 45.0 days). Limitation Observational study design of veteran outpatients only. Conclusion Among veterans with dementia, rates of PUM prescribing are significantly higher among dual-system users than with VA-only users. Primary funding source U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Regulatory T cells and type 2 innate lymphoid cell-dependent asthma

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are a recently identified group of cells with the potent capability to produce Th2-type cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13. Several studies suggest that ILC2s play an important role in the development of allergic diseases and asthma. Activation of pulmonary ILC2s in murine models lacking T and B cells induces eosinophilia and airway hyper-reactivity (AHR), which are cardinal features of asthma. More importantly, numerous recent studies have highlighted the role of ILC2s in asthma persistence and exacerbation among human subjects, and thus, regulation of pulmonary ILC2s is a major area of investigation aimed at curbing allergic lung inflammation and exacerbation. Emerging evidence reveals that a group of regulatory T cells, induced Tregs (iTregs), effectively suppress the production of ILC2-driven, pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-5 and IL-13. The inhibitory effects of iTregs are blocked by preventing direct cellular contact or by inhibiting the ICOS-ICOS-ligand (ICOSL) pathway, suggesting that both direct contact and ICOS-ICOSL interaction are important in the regulation of ILC2 function. Also, cytokines such as IL-10 and TGF-β1 significantly reduce cytokine secretion by ILC2s. Altogether, these new findings uncover iTregs as potent regulators of ILC2 activation and implicate their utility as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of ILC2-mediated allergic asthma and respiratory disease.
Adaptations to Traditional Familial Roles: Examining the Challenges of Grandmothers’ Counterlife Transitions

ABSTRACTGrandmothers-raising-grandchildren narratives challenge normative familial preconceptions. Utilizing the life-course theory to examine the turbulence and time-disordered role orientations, this study showcases the familial development punctuated by transitions and highlights the transformations experienced in grandparent relationships. This qualitative phenomenological study investigates six grandmothers’ experiences about their unforeseen life circumstances and their renegotiation of normal age-appropriate transitions that cause them to reconstruct their life plans. Five themes (obligation, desperation, intervention, salvation, and normalization) emerged from their experiences that underscore the transformative generational structures and explore adaptive life-course trajectories.
Analysis, simulation, and measurement of envelope tracking linearization

Additional intermodulation distortions (IMD) are generated in an envelope tracking (ET) power amplifier (PA) due to the mixing between RF input and ET signals. ET linearization can thus be achieved by the IMD cancellation. Analytical expressions depicting the ET linearization mechanism are derived. IMD cancellation is demonstrated with a three tone harmonic balance simulation. Significant linearity improvement is experimentally observed with both two-tone and modulated signals.
Using scenarios and personas to enhance the effectiveness of heuristic usability evaluations for older adults and their care team.

Abstract Objective Using heuristics to evaluate user experience is a common methodology for human-computer interaction studies. One challenge of this method is the inability to tailor results towards specific end-user needs. This manuscript reports on a method that uses validated scenarios and personas of older adults and care team members to enhance heuristics evaluations of the usability of commercially available personal health records for homebound older adults. Materials and Methods Our work extends the Chisnell and Redish heuristic evaluation methodology by using a protocol that relies on multiple expert reviews of each system. It further standardizes the heuristic evaluation process through the incorporation of task-based scenarios. Results We were able to use the modified version of the Chisnell and Redish heuristic evaluation methodology to identify potential usability challenges of two commercially available personal health record systems. This allowed us to: (1) identify potential usability challenges for specific types of users, (2) describe improvements that would be valuable to all end-users of the system, and (3) better understand how the interactions of different users may vary within a single personal health record. Conclusions The methodology described in this paper may help designers of consumer health information technology tools, such as personal health records, understand the needs of diverse end-user populations. Such methods may be particularly helpful when designing systems for populations that are difficult to recruit for end-user evaluations through traditional methods.
Blood, Blood Components, Plasma, and Plasma Products

Abstract This review of the 2016 publications on important side effects of blood, blood components, plasma, and plasma products covers albumin, blood transfusion (erythrocytes, granulocytes, and platelets), blood substitutes (hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers), plasma products (alpha1-antitrypsin, C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate, cryoprecipitate, and fresh frozen plasma), plasma substitutes (dextrans, etherified starches, and gelatin), globulins (intravenous immunoglobulin, subcutaneous immunoglobulin, and anti-D immunoglobulin), coagulation proteins (factor I, factor II, factor VIIa, factor VIII, factor IX, prothrombin complex concentrate, antithrombin III, and von Willebrand factor/factor VIII concentrates), erythropoietin and derivatives, thrombopoietin and receptor agonists, transmission of infectious agents through blood donation, and stem cells. This chapter includes blood products for which hemovigilance is in force and allows the reader to stay up to date on newly recognized and published data in the blood product arena. Since blood and plasma products are available through blood donation, prevention of transmitted infections is of extreme importance and is also discussed here.
The Politics of Energy in Comparative Perspective: Nigeria and South Africa

This chapter argues that efforts to improve electricity access remain difficult to implement owing to infrastructural as well as political challenges associated with transmission and generation capacity. As a conclusion, path-dependent outcomes in political and economic realms are central to uneven energy sectoral development in Nigeria and South Africa, which are compounded by an uneasy embrace of power sector liberalization and attempts to attract private sector investment, with the aim of expanding electricity access.
Using Emergency Department Data to Conduct Dog and Animal Bite Surveillance in New York City, 2003–2006:

Objectives.Most animal bites in the United States are due to dogs, with approximately 4.7 million reports per year. Surveillance for dog and other animal bites requires a substantial investment of ...
Biosimilars in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Supporting Evidence in 2017.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting tumor necrosis factor-alpha, integrin molecules, and interleukin-12/23 have become backbone therapies for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. While clinically effective, these biologic therapies come with significant expense, contributing to overall healthcare spending in the USA. Biosimilars have the potential to significantly reduce expenditures secondary to the use of biologic medications such as infliximab and adalimumab, though their complicated manufacturing process results in inherent differences in structure when compared to the originator compounds. In this article, we review the available literature regarding biosimilars in IBD. Several biosimilar agents to infliximab and adalimumab are currently FDA-approved, with many more currently in development. Initial clinical trials for approval have been conducted in one of the original indications for each originator biologic. There are growing data demonstrating similar clinical efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of each of the approved infliximab and adalimumab biosimilars, both through indication extrapolation from other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, as well observational data in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Further research is ongoing regarding the efficacy and safety of substitution and interchangeability of biosimilars, as well as therapeutic drug monitoring for biosimilar agents. Research to date supports the utilization of reference biologics and biosimilars for new initiators, while additional data are being accrued regarding the interchangeability between these agents.
Eastern Central Asia Neolithic and Bronze Age

relative time period: Follows the Eastern Central Asia Paleolithic, precedes the historic period.
Multi-Electrical Excitation of a Transducer for Ultrasonic Imaging

Axial resolution of a transducer is a very important image quality criterion in pulse-echo imaging. It can be improved with many methods, such as using front and back matching material,1 tapered bar shape design,2 nonuniform distributions of piezoelectric coefficient,3 PZT ceramic/polymer composite material,4 as well as matched active5,6 or passive filters.7,8
Are Glutamate/Aspartate Antagonists Protective in Cerebral Ischemia?

The dicarboxylic amino acids glutamate and aspartate are abundant excitatory neurotransmitters in the mammalian nervous system [1]. Glutamate and aspartate and perhaps other endogenous “excitotoxic” substances, eg., quinolinic acid [2,3] have been implicated as contributory or primary causative agents of neuronal injury in several neuropathologic processes including epilepsy [4], Huntington’s disease [5,6], Alzheimer’s disease [7] olivo-pontocerebellar atrophy [8], the degenerative changes associated with hypoglycemia [9], aging, and hypoxic-ischemic injury [10]. The relevance of excitatory amino acids (EAA’s) to hypoxic-ischemic neural injury will be the focus of this presentation. However, an overview of EAA physiology is a necessary back-ground for the discussion.
Guidelines for Useful Integration of Patient-Rated Outcome Measures into Clinical Practice

Patient-rated outcome (PRO) measures provide valuable information for communication between clinicians and patients. Adopting PROs into clinical practice may be challenging. Four generic PRO measures that are applicable to athletic training practice are described, with psychometric data detailed. Clinicians may use the information and guidelines to integrate these PROs into practice.
Abstract P324: Role of GABAergic Signaling in AgRP Neurons in the Dipsogenic and Metabolic Responses to Brain Angiotensin

Obesity is a major risk factor for development of hypertension, and evidence supports a role for the suppression of resting metabolic rate (RMR) in the development and maintenance of obesity. Angio...
Prognosis in equine colic patients using multivariable analysis.

Abstract Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate prognosis in 308 horses referred to the University of Minnesota veterinary teaching hospital with colic. Bivariate results identified the following significant individual parameters: absent or hypomotile abdominal sounds, medical or surgical classification, peritoneal fluid total protein, anion gap, serum glucose, capillary refill time, blood pH, heart rate, packed cell volume, base excess, serum chloride, plasma bicarbonate, serum urinary nitrogen and age. Two multivariable prognostic models were developed using logistic regression. Model I (based on 257 cases with a mortality rate of 39%) included age, sex, medical or surgical classification, capillary refill time, packed cell volume and heart rate. Model II (based on 138 cases with a mortality rate of 48%) included age, sex, medical or surgical classification, capillary refill time, serum bicarbonate, serum chloride and respiratory rate. Predictive performance of the models was evaluated by treating the calculated probability of death for each horse as a continuous test result. The influence of varying the probability cutoff point for death on test characteristics (sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values) was determined. These models have not been validated and thus their performance in a different population is uncertain.
Factors Associated with County-Level Variation in the Prescription of Statins.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association recommends statins for adults aged 40-75 years with a cardiovascular disease risk factor and a 10-year risk of cardiovascul...
Capitalization and Exclusionary Zoning

For decades, land use experts have wrestled with the problem of exclusionary zoning. Traditionally, the phenomenon has been characterized primarily by suburban communities using large-lot zoning and other density controls to reduce supply and drive up the cost of housing. Increasingly, however, zoning is blamed for the affordability crisis in many thriving cities. Some of the conventional legal tools for recognizing and responding to exclusionary zoning do not apply as well in cities, where minimum lot sizes and bans on multi-family housing are not the primary source of density limits. This chapter therefore provides a new lens for identifying exclusionary zoning, one that focuses on the economic effects instead of any particular characteristic. In particular, the chapter looks at the extent to which the economic values of public services like high-quality public schools are capitalized into property values. In the absence of supply restrictions, developers should satisfy consumer demand and compete away any premium associated with public services. Zoning, however, changes that dynamic, allowing services to be capitalized into property values. Affluent communities are not just exclusionary because they are expensive; they are expensive in part because they are exclusionary.
[Investigation on epidemic foci of paragonimiasis in eastern part of Zhenghe County, Fujian Province].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the species and hosts of Paragonimus and its infection rate in eastern part of Zhenghe County, Fujian Province, so as to determine the local foci of Paragonimus. METHODS The snails, crabs and stools of wild cats were collected for the examinations of cercariae, metacercariae and eggs of Paragonimus. The geographical and environmental conditions of the areas were also investigated. RESULTS A total of 4 890 Pseudobythinella jianouensis snails and 1 035 Semisulcospira liberlina snails were examined, and the cercariae of Paragonimus were only found in P. jianouensis, with an infection rate of 0.10% (5/4 890). Bottapotamon zhengheensis sp. nov. as the second intermediate host of P. skrjabini, were examined, and the infection rate was 85.29% (29/34) and the average numbers of metacercariae per crab and per gram of crab tissues were 3.85 and 0.62, respectively. Thirty-six Sinopotamun fujianensis crabs, as the second intermediate host of P. westermani, were examined, and the infection rate was 38.89% (14/36) and the average numbers of metacercariae per crab and per gram of crab tissues were 6.43 and 0.03, respectively. The eggs of Paragonimus were detected in 1 of 2 muck specimens of wild cats. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that there is a focus of middle-to-high level of infection caused by P. westermani and P. skrjabini in the eastern part of Zhenghe County.
Quantifying Marginality Across the Globe: An Empirical Assessment of Vigil’s Multiple Marginality Model in Predicting Gang Involvement:

Vigil’s multiple marginality (MM) model of gang formation has resulted in hypotheses about why minority youth join gangs, and how these processes play out at multiple levels of analysis and across ...
An Adaptive Analytic Continuation Method for Computing the Perturbed Two-Body Problem State Transition Matrix

In this work, the Taylor series based technique, Analytic Continuation is implemented to develop a method for the computation of the gravity and drag perturbed State Transition Matrix (STM) incorporating adaptive time steps and expansion order. Analytic Continuation has been developed for the two-body problem based on two scalar variables f and gp and their higher order time derivatives using Leibniz rule. The method has been proven to be very precise and efficient in trajectory propagation. The method is expanded to include the computation of the STM for the perturbed two-body problem. Leibniz product rule is used to compute the partials for the recursive formulas and an arbitrary order Taylor series is used to compute the STM. Four types of orbits, LEO, MEO, GTO and HEO, are presented and the simulations are run for 10 orbit periods. The accuracy of the STM is evaluated via RMS error for the unperturbed cases, symplectic check for the gravity perturbed cases and error propagation for the gravity and drag perturbed orbits. The results are compared against analytical and high order numerical solvers (ODE45, ODE113 and ODE87) in terms of accuracy. The results show that the method maintains double-precision accuracy for all test cases and 1-2 orders of magnitude improvement in linear prediction results compared to ODE87. The present approach is simple, adaptive and can readily be expanded to compute the full spherical harmonics gravity perturbations as well as the higher order state transition tensors.
Comparison of [11C]UCB-J and [18F]FDG PET in Alzheimer’s disease: A tracer kinetic modeling study:

[11C]UCB-J PET for synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A) has been proposed as a suitable marker for synaptic density in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We compared [11C]UCB-J binding for synaptic dens...
Meta Faster R-CNN: Towards Accurate Few-Shot Object Detection with Attentive Feature Alignment.

Few-shot object detection (FSOD) aims to detect objects using only few examples. It's critically needed for many practical applications but so far remains challenging. We propose a meta-learning based few-shot object detection method by transferring meta-knowledge learned from data-abundant base classes to data-scarce novel classes. Our method incorporates a coarse-to-fine approach into the proposal based object detection framework and integrates prototype based classifiers into both the proposal generation and classification stages. To improve proposal generation for few-shot novel classes, we propose to learn a lightweight matching network to measure the similarity between each spatial position in the query image feature map and spatially-pooled class features, instead of the traditional object/nonobject classifier, thus generating category-specific proposals and improving proposal recall for novel classes. To address the spatial misalignment between generated proposals and few-shot class examples, we propose a novel attentive feature alignment method, thus improving the performance of few-shot object detection. Meanwhile we jointly learn a Faster R-CNN detection head for base classes. Extensive experiments conducted on multiple FSOD benchmarks show our proposed approach achieves state of the art results under (incremental) few-shot learning settings.
FUS oncofusion protein condensates recruit mSWI/SNF chromatin remodeler via heterotypic interactions between prion-like domains

Fusion transcription factors generated by genomic translocations are common drivers of several types of cancers including sarcomas and leukemias. Oncofusions of the FET (FUS, EWSR1, and TAF15) family proteins result from the fusion of the prion-like domain (PLD) of FET proteins to the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of certain transcription regulators and are implicated in aberrant transcriptional programs through interactions with chromatin remodelers. Here, we show that FUS-DDIT3, a FET oncofusion protein, undergoes PLD-mediated phase separation into liquid-like condensates. Nuclear FUS-DDIT3 condensates can recruit essential components of the global transcriptional machinery such as the chromatin remodeler SWI/SNF. The recruitment of mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF) is driven by heterotypic PLD-PLD interactions between FUS-DDIT3 and core subunits of SWI/SNF, such as the catalytic component BRG1. Further experiments with single-molecule correlative force-fluorescence microscopy support a model wherein the fusion protein forms condensates on DNA surface and enrich BRG1 to activate transcription by ectopic chromatin remodeling. Similar PLD-driven co-condensation of mSWI/SNF with transcription factors can be employed by other oncogenic fusion proteins with a generic PLD-DBD domain architecture for global transcriptional reprogramming.
Creating a User-Controllable Skiing Experience for Individuals with Tetraplegia

Outdoor recreation improves the quality of life for individuals with tetraplegia, however, a range of barriers exist in accessing these sports. This chapter describes the iterative design and field evaluation of the Tetra-Ski, a novel power-assisted ski chair for individuals who use a power wheelchair. Users control the Tetra-Ski with a joystick or sip-and-puff controller either independently or collaboratively with a tethered skier through a Shared-Control scheme. A field study of the Tetra-Ski demonstrated the usability of the system. The chapter also reflects on the Shared-Control approach to controlling Tetra-Ski, which effectively supported the unique abilities of different users. These findings inform the future application of this Shared-Control approach for use with other assistive technology and less-dependent forms of outdoor recreation. Finally, we describe some of the challenges we have faced developing and deploying a sports activity (skiing) for individuals with tetraplegia.
Slash the Trash: Incentivizing Deorbit

Abstract There is likely to be a surge of satellites launched into space over the next decade, which means the risk of collisions in space will rise along with risks to the sustainability of the space environment from debris. How can the sustainability of the space domain be protected in a looming new era of increasingly congested space? How can the international space community reduce these risks and make them more manageable? One vital method is for satellite owners and operators to voluntarily comply with the already internationally agreed-upon guideline to deorbit satellites no longer than 25 years after the end of their mission. This paper outlines five distinct concepts to incentivize compliance with the “25-year rule” and provides a framework for analyzing the merits of each concept. It focuses on commercial satellites in low Earth orbit but could be applied more broadly.
How Gender and Local State Capacity Shape Citizens' Use of the Mosque

There is a well-documented gender gap in mosque use in the Islamic World, with men attending Friday prayer more frequently than women. However, we know little about whether a gender gap exists among those that use the mosque for non-religious purposes. Using orginial survey data from Tunisia, we find that men are generally more likely than women to use mosques for non-religious reasons. However, in areas further from the coast—where communities face considerably more social and economic disparities—the gender gap dissipates. In areas above the 60th percentile in terms of distance from the coast there is no gender gap in citizen preferences for mosque-based services. Our findings build upon existing work in two notable ways. First, our results suggest that individual and community-level factors jointly shape preferences for mosque-based services. Second, they suggest that mosques may be particularly important places for women in marginalized areas to address personal and community problems.
State of effectiveness and structural traps: some colonial experiences

A multiple equilibriums poverty trap model is developed to analyse the effectiveness of State policy in developing and applying policies aimed at reducing poverty, i.e. pro-poor policies. The implication of this model is that, if poverty is concentrated in agriculture, then a necessary key to breaking out of the low level trap situation (where the State is ineffective in carrying out pro-poor policy) is the creation of a backlog of agricultural technology. However, for this technology to be activated and applied by the State requires that the ruling elite feel themselves to be vulnerable in terms of controlling the institutions of the State. The workings of the model are illustrated by examining the colonial experiences of Taiwan Province of China and the Republic of Korea and comparing it to that of South-East Asia.
Isochronets: an architecture for high-speed networks

This paper surveys a novel switching architecture for high-speed networks: Isochronets. Isochronets use the new Route Division Multiple Access (RDMA) switching technique that divides network bandwidth among routing trees. Frame motions need not be delayed at intermediate switches for processing, allowing Isochronets to scale over a large spectrum of transmission speeds and support all-optical implementations. The network functions as a media-access layer that can support multiple framing protocols simultaneously, handled by higher layers at the periphery. Isochronets can provide flexible quality of service control and multicasting through allocation of bands to routing trees.
New design criteria for the grounded base oscillator

Design information for the grounded base or Butler oscillator is now available in books but there is still a need for clarification on sizing of the feedback capacitors and design to achieve specified signal levels. A designer must choose a definite set of values and this should be a best choice in some sense. The question is elaborated on using maximum gain as the optimum criterion because this results in starting under the worst conditions. The second issue is to design to obtain a specific output signal level into a specified load. That issue is also considered with a suggested procedure for the emitter-current-limited version of the circuit, but not in a definitive manner. >
Detecting paralinguistic events in audio stream using context in features and probabilistic decisions

HighlightsWe present a sequential algorithm for detecting laughters and fillers in speech.The algorithm performs stepwise probability prediction, context inclusion & masking.We test several architectures for each of the above steps.Our models are more sensitive to change in feature carrying higher predictive power. Non-verbal communication involves encoding, transmission and decoding of non-lexical cues and is realized using vocal (e.g. prosody) or visual (e.g. gaze, body language) channels during conversation. These cues perform the function of maintaining conversational flow, expressing emotions, and marking personality and interpersonal attitude. In particular, non-verbal cues in speech such as paralanguage and non-verbal vocal events (e.g. laughters, sighs, cries) are used to nuance meaning and convey emotions, mood and attitude. For instance, laughters are associated with affective expressions while fillers (e.g. um, ah, um) are used to hold floor during a conversation. In this paper we present an automatic non-verbal vocal events detection system focusing on the detect of laughter and fillers. We extend our system presented during Interspeech 2013 Social Signals Sub-challenge (that was the winning entry in the challenge) for frame-wise event detection and test several schemes for incorporating local context during detection. Specifically, we incorporate context at two separate levels in our system: (i) the raw frame-wise features and, (ii) the output decisions. Furthermore, our system processes the output probabilities based on a few heuristic rules in order to reduce erroneous frame-based predictions. Our overall system achieves an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics curve of 95.3% for detecting laughters and 90.4% for fillers on the test set drawn from the data specifications of the Interspeech 2013 Social Signals Sub-challenge. We perform further analysis to understand the interrelation between the features and obtained results. Specifically, we conduct a feature sensitivity analysis and correlate it with each feature's stand alone performance. The observations suggest that the trained system is more sensitive to a feature carrying higher discriminability with implications towards a better system design.