cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What relates newspaper, definite, and clothing? An article describing deficits in convergent problem solving and creativity following hippocampal damage.

Creativity relies on a diverse set of cognitive processes associated with distinct neural correlates, and one important aspect of creativity, divergent thinking, has been associated with the hippocampus. However, hippocampal contributions to another important aspect of creativity, convergent problem solving, have not been investigated. We tested the necessity of hippocampus for convergent problem solving using a neuropsychological method. Participants with amnesia due to hippocampal damage (N = 5) and healthy normal comparison participants (N = 5) were tested using a task that promoted solutions based on existing knowledge (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2003). During each trial, participants were given a list of three words (e.g., fly, man, place) and asked to respond with a word that could be combined with each of the three words (e.g., fire). The amnesic group produced significantly fewer correct responses than the healthy comparison group. These findings indicate that the hippocampus is necessary for normal convergent problem solving and that changes in the status of the hippocampus should affect convergent problem solving in the context of creative problem-solving across short intervals. This proposed contribution of the hippocampus to convergent problem solving is consistent with an expanded perspective on hippocampal function that acknowledges its role in cognitive processes beyond declarative memory. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Role of Hormone a During Sexual Conjugation in Achlya Ambisexualis

Particles of polystyrene and polyvinyl plastic, on which hormone A had been adsorbed, were attractive to the antheridial branches produced on the mycelium of Achlya ambisexualis E87 in response to ...
Modeling live adaptive streaming over HTTP

Video streaming methods have evolved greatly over the years. Today, the most prevalent technique to stream live and video on-demand is the adaptive HTTP streaming and is used by several commercial vendors. In this paper, we present an approximate analytic model for live adaptive streaming over HTTP. Using this model, we propose a new rate control algorithm that makes the rate transitions less frequent and increases the quality of experience for the viewer. Also, the model can be used to characterize the departure packet process at the video server. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first video traffic model for adaptive HTTP streaming to be reported in the literature.
An Introduction to 2nd Edition of IEC 61850 and Prospects of Its Application in Smart Grid

The architecture of the second edition of IEC 61850,which is being drafted by Working Group 10 of Technical Commission 57,and the modified and added contents for its first edition are presented. The modifications of the core contents include the modification of IEC 61850-6,namely the substation configuration language,the addition of IEC 61850-7,namely the object models,the redundancy solutions of process bus (IEC 61850-9) and the testing of conformance; the extended contents include the communication specifications among substations and that between substations and control centers,the information modeling and communication mapping in clean energy and other fields as well as related peripheral specifications. It is pointed out that in the second edition of IEC 61850 the application area has been extended outwards substations,and all respects of power utility automation are covered,so the second edition of IEC 61850 will play important role of promoting the present research and construction of smart grids in China.
Diagnostic dilemmas. Results of screening tests for congenital hypothyroidism.

The interpretation of thyroid screening results presents an interesting dilemma to the pediatrician in practice. This article reviews the development and physiology of the thyroid as well as factors affecting thyroid function tests. An overview of newborn screening programs and a guide to interpretation of results is presented. Emphasis is placed on various conditions that mimic hypothyroidism in the newborn. Prompt and accurate analysis of thyroid screening results has contributed to the prevention of mental retardation in thousands of children worldwide.
Risk of Drowning in Epilepsy

The risk of drowning in patients with epilepsy is quantified by a meta-analysis of published reports, in a study at the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London UK.
Post-translational regulation of inflammasomes

Inflammasomes play essential roles in immune protection against microbial infections. However, excessive inflammation is implicated in various human diseases, including autoinflammatory syndromes, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, precise regulation of inflammasome activities is critical for adequate immune protection while limiting collateral tissue damage. In this review, we focus on the emerging roles of post-translational modifications (PTMs) that regulate activation of the NLRP3, NLRP1, NLRC4, AIM2 and IFI16 inflammasomes. We anticipate that these types of PTMs will be identified in other types of and less well-characterized inflammasomes. Because these highly diverse and versatile PTMs shape distinct inflammatory responses in response to infections and tissue damage, targeting the enzymes involved in these PTMs will undoubtedly offer opportunities for precise modulation of inflammasome activities under various pathophysiological conditions.
In-silico modeling of granulomatous diseases.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The pathogenesis of genetically complex granulomatous diseases, such as sarcoidosis and latent tuberculosis, remains largely unknown. With the recent advent of more powerful research tools, such as genome-wide expression platforms, comes the challenge of making sense of the enormous data sets so generated. This manuscript will provide demonstrations of how in-silico (computer) analysis of large research data sets can lead to novel discoveries in the field of granulomatous lung disease. RECENT FINDINGS The application of in-silico research tools has led to novel discoveries in the fields of noninfectious (e.g., sarcoidosis) and infectious granulomatous diseases. Computer models have identified novel disease mechanisms and can be used to perform 'virtual' experiments rapidly and at low cost compared with conventional laboratory techniques. SUMMARY Granulomatous lung diseases are extremely complex, involving dynamic interactions between multiple genes, cells, and molecules. In-silico interpretation of large data sets generated from new research platforms that are capable of comprehensively characterizing and quantifying pools of biological molecules promises to rapidly accelerate the rate of scientific discovery in the field of granulomatous lung disorders.
Homogeneous nucleation of silicon: Effects of the properties and kinetics of small structured clusters

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the way the properties and kinetics of very small clusters may affect the dynamics of homogeneous nucleation. It examines the effects of the properties and kinetics of very small clusters on homogeneous nucleation of a chemically bonded substance, such as silicon for which clusters may exhibit solid-like structure. Stepwise changes in cluster free energy are seen to differ significantly from the capillarity model, and this can strongly affect the value of the critical nucleus size. In addition, the requirement of third-body stabilization for growth of the smallest clusters can substantially slow the rates of dimer- or trimerization and can introduce a pressure dependence on nucleation rates under conditions where these processes are rate-limiting.
A Calculus for Flow-Limited Authorization

Real-world applications routinely make authorization decisions based on dynamic computation. Reasoning about dynamically computed authority is challenging. Integrity of the system might be compromised if attackers can improperly influence the authorizing computation. Confidentiality can also be compromised by authorization, since authorization decisions are often based on sensitive data such as membership lists and passwords. Previous formal models for authorization do not fully address the security implications of permitting trust relationships to change, which limits their ability to reason about authority that derives from dynamic computation. Our goal is a way to construct dynamic authorization mechanisms that do not violate confidentiality or integrity. We introduce the Flow-Limited Authorization Calculus (FLAC), which is both a simple, expressive model for reasoning about dynamic authorization and also an information flow control language for securely implementing various authorization mechanisms. FLAC combines the insights of two previous models: it extends the Dependency Core Calculus with features made possible by the Flow-Limited Authorization Model. FLAC provides strong end-to-end information security guarantees even for programs that incorporate and implement rich dynamic authorization mechanisms. These guarantees include noninterference and robust declassification, which prevent attackers from influencing information disclosures in unauthorized ways. We prove these security properties formally for all FLAC programs and explore the expressiveness of FLAC with several examples.
Rerupture of a Blister Aneurysm After Treatment With a Single Flow-Diverting Stent

Background and importance As the use of flow-diverting stents (FDSs) for intracranial aneurysms expands, a small number of case reports have described the successful treatment of blister aneurysms of the internal carotid artery with flow diversion. Blister aneurysms are uncommon and fragile lesions that historically have high rates of morbidity and mortality despite multiple treatment strategies. We report a case of rebleeding after treatment of a ruptured blister aneurysm with deployment of a single FDS. Clinical presentation A 29-year-old man presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage and a ruptured dorsal variant internal carotid artery aneurysm. Despite a technically successful treatment with a single FDS, a second catastrophic hemorrhage occurred during the course of his hospitalization. Conclusion This case highlights the risk of hemorrhage during the period after deployment of a single FDS. Ruptured aneurysms, especially of the blister type, are at risk for rehemorrhage while the occlusion remains incomplete after flow diversion. Abbreviations FDS, flow-diverting stentICA, internal carotid arterySAH, subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Corrosion Protection of Copper Using Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, HfO2, and ZrO2 Atomic Layer Deposition

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a viable means to add corrosion protection to copper metal. Ultrathin films of Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, HfO2, and ZrO2 were deposited on copper metal using ALD, and their corrosion protection properties were measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). Analysis of ∼50 nm thick films of each metal oxide demonstrated low electrochemical porosity and provided enhanced corrosion protection from aqueous NaCl solution. The surface pretreatment and roughness was found to affect the extent of the corrosion protection. Films of Al2O3 or HfO2 provided the highest level of initial corrosion protection, but films of HfO2 exhibited the best coating quality after extended exposure. This is the first reported instance of using ultrathin films of HfO2 or ZrO2 produced with ALD for corrosion protection, and both are promising materials for corrosion protection.
Trends in Nutrient Content of Children's Menu Items in U.S. Chain Restaurants.

Introduction Restaurant food is widely consumed by children and is associated with poor diet quality. Although many restaurants have made voluntary commitments to improve the nutritional quality of children's menus, it is unclear whether this has led to meaningful changes. Methods Nutrients in children's menu items ( n =4,016) from 45 chain restaurants were extracted from the nutrition information database MenuStat. Bootstrapped mixed linear models estimated changes in mean calories, saturated fat, and sodium in children's menu items between 2012 and 2013, 2014, and 2015. Changes in nutrient content of these items over time were compared among restaurants participating in the Kids LiveWell initiative and non-participating restaurants. Types of available children's beverages were also examined. Data were analyzed in 2016. Results There was a significant increase in mean beverage calories from 2012 to 2013 (6, 95% CI=0.8, 10.6) and from 2012 to 2014 (11, 95% CI=3.7, 18.3), but no change between 2012 and 2015, and no differences in nutrient content of other items over time. Restaurants participating in Kids LiveWell reduced entree calories between 2012 and 2013 (−24, 95% CI=−40.4, −7.2) and between 2012 and 2014 (−40, 95% CI=−68.1, −11.4) and increased side dish calories between 2012 and 2015 (49, 95% CI=4.6, 92.7) versus non-participating restaurants. Sugar-sweetened beverages consistently constituted 80% of children's beverages, with soda declining and flavored milks increasing between 2012 and 2015. Conclusions Results suggest little progress toward improving nutrition in children's menu items. Efforts are needed to engage restaurants in offering healthful children's meals.
Douglas W. Veltre: A Life in Aleutian Anthropology

The professional career of Dr. Douglas Veltre spans a 45-year period of dedication to Aleutian anthropology, beginning with a mutual field experience on Umnak Island in 1971, and continuing to the present day. That career has utilized a combination of techniques deriving from archaeology (both precontact and postcontact), as well as from ethnohistory, oral history, and ethnography, to achieve a deeper understanding of the relationship of the Unangax (Aleut) and their ancestors to the north Pacific environment of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. In the process, he has not only greatly expanded our knowledge about the history of human occupation of these islands, but has linked that history to the contemporary people, survivors of 8,000 years of environmental challenges, of impacts of 18th–19th century colonialism, and of more recent cultural transformations.
Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

The Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model [MSSM] is introduced in this chapter. The notation demonstrates how the MSSM is an extension of the Standard Model with the introduction of the new supersymmetry. The particle spectrum is doubled, yet all the interactions of the new SUSY particles with the Standard Model [SM] sector is fixed by supersymmetry. The only unknowns, and they are significant, are the masses of the new supersymmetric partners of the SM particles.
Setting Our Own Terms: How We Used Ritual to Become Human

Archeological evidence of the sophisticated cognitive attributes thought to define humanity – such as symbolism, language, theory of mind, and a spiritual sense – is, by and large, late-emerging (after 50,000 years before present [ybp]), postdating the emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMH). This suggests that the relevant selection pressures for these abilities did not emerge until after the arrival of the fully human body and brain. I argue that this stands to reason to reason since the selection pressure responsible for the emergence of uniquely human cognition was human-made. Human culture created human cognition. The key facet of that culture was ritual. Ritual selection pressure filtered Homo sapiens sapiens for the very cognitive attributes that made us what we are today.
Sex-Dependent Influence of Developmental Toxicant Exposure on Group B Streptococcus -Mediated Preterm Birth in a Murine Model

Infectious agents are a significant risk factor for preterm birth (PTB); however, the simple presence of bacteria is not sufficient to induce PTB in most women. Human and animal data suggest that environmental toxicant exposures may act in concert with other risk factors to promote PTB. Supporting this "second hit" hypothesis, we previously demonstrated exposure of fetal mice (F1 animals) to the environmental endocrine disruptor 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) leads to an increased risk of spontaneous and infection-mediated PTB in adult animals. Surprisingly, adult F1males also confer an enhanced risk of PTB to their control partners. Herein, we used a recently established model of ascending group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection to explore the impact of a maternal versus paternal developmental TCDD exposure on infection-mediated PTB in adulthood. Group B Streptococcus is an important contributor to PTB in women and can have serious adverse effects on their infants. Our studies revealed that although gestation length was reduced in control mating pairs exposed to low-dose GBS, dams were able to clear the infection and bacterial transmission to pups was minimal. In contrast, exposure of pregnant F1females to the same GBS inoculum resulted in 100% maternal and fetal mortality. Maternal health and gestation length were not impacted in control females mated to F1males and exposed to GBS; however, neonatal survival was reduced compared to controls. Our data revealed a sex-dependent impact of parental TCDD exposure on placental expression of Toll-like receptor 2 and glycogen production, which may be responsible for the differential impact on fetal and maternal outcomes in response to GBS infection.
Myopes show increased susceptibility to nearwork aftereffects

Purpose Some aspects of accommodation may be slightly abnormal (or different) in myopes, compared with accommodation in emmetropes and hyperopes. For example, the initial magnitude of accommodative adaptation in the dark after nearwork is greatest in myopes. However, the critical test is to assess this initial accommodative aftereffect and its subsequent decay in the light under more natural viewing conditions with blur-related visual feedback present, if a possible link between this phenomenon and clinical myopia is to be considered. Methods Subjects consisted of adult late- (n = 11) and early-onset (n = 13) myopes, emmetropes (n = 11), and hyperopes (n = 9). The distance-refractive state was assessed objectively using an autorefractor immediately before and after a 10-minute binocular near task at 20 cm (5 diopters [D]). Results Group results showed that myopes were most susceptible to the nearwork aftereffect. It averaged 0.35 D in initial magnitude, with considerably faster posttask decay to baseline in the early-onset (35 seconds) versus late-onset (63 seconds) myopes. There was no myopic aftereffect in the remaining two refractive groups. Conclusions The myopes showed particularly striking accommodatively related nearwork aftereffect susceptibility. As has been speculated and found by many others, transient pseudomyopia may cause or be a precursor to permanent myopia or myopic progression. Time-integrated increased retinal defocus causing axial elongation is proposed as a possible mechanism.
Functional Maps of Mechanosensory Features in the Drosophila Brain

Summary Johnston's organ is the largest mechanosensory organ in Drosophila . It contributes to hearing, touch, vestibular sensing, proprioception, and wind sensing. In this study, we used in vivo 2-photon calcium imaging and unsupervised image segmentation to map the tuning properties of Johnston's organ neurons (JONs) at the site where their axons enter the brain. We then applied the same methodology to study two key brain regions that process signals from JONs: the antennal mechanosensory and motor center (AMMC) and the wedge, which is downstream of the AMMC. First, we identified a diversity of JON response types that tile frequency space and form a rough tonotopic map. Some JON response types are direction selective; others are specialized to encode amplitude modulations over a specific range (dynamic range fractionation). Next, we discovered that both the AMMC and the wedge contain a tonotopic map, with a significant increase in tonotopy—and a narrowing of frequency tuning—at the level of the wedge. Whereas the AMMC tonotopic map is unilateral, the wedge tonotopic map is bilateral. Finally, we identified a subregion of the AMMC/wedge that responds preferentially to the coherent rotation of the two mechanical organs in the same angular direction, indicative of oriented steady air flow (directional wind). Together, these maps reveal the broad organization of the primary and secondary mechanosensory regions of the brain. They provide a framework for future efforts to identify the specific cell types and mechanisms that underlie the hierarchical re-mapping of mechanosensory information in this system.
Padé Approximants for Some q-Hypergeometric Functions

We show that a large number of explicit formulas for Pade approximants for the ratios of basic hypergeometric functions result from an explicit expression given by Ismail and Rahman for the associated Askey-Wilson polynomials. By specializing this result and using a new transformation for basic hypergeometric series, we are able to recover a result due to Andrews, Goulden and Jackson. We also show how Pade approximants off the main diagonal can be constructed in this latter case.
Cultural Adaptations and Therapist Multicultural Competence: Two Meta-analytic Reviews

Mental health treatments can be more effective when they align with the culture of the client and when therapists demonstrate multicultural competence. We summarize relevant research findings in two meta-analyses. In the meta-analysis examining culturally adapted interventions, the average effect size across 99 studies was d = 0.50 (0.35 after accounting for publication bias). In the second meta-analysis on 15 studies of therapist cultural competence, the results differed by rating source: Client-rated measures of therapist cultural competence correlated strongly (r = 0.38) with treatment outcomes but therapists' self-rated competency did not (r = 0.06). We describe patient considerations and research limitations. We conclude with research supported therapeutic practices that help clients benefit from modifications to treatment related to culture.
A Network Science Approach for Determining the Ancestral Phylum of Bacteria

Perhaps the most important organizing principle in biology for bac- teria is the tree of phyla. It represents the evolution of bacteria now living in virtually every environment. The availability of whole genome sequences has provided the opportunity to reconstruct a comprehensive view of the tree and to trace the shared ancestry among all bacteria that have been sequenced. However, most exist- ing research has presented the tree of phyla without considering the ancestral phylum. The objective of this study is to fi nd the ancestral phylum using a network science approach and exploiting the availability of a rich dataset of genomes. For the analysis, a network representing 210 organisms is created by clustering more than 700,000 protein sequences for 28 recognized phyla. A network of phyla is then extracted from the results which is examined using a breadth-fi rst search algorithm and centrality measures to create a rooted tree from which the likely ancestral phylum is identified.
The effect of aging on the autophagic and heat shock response in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Autophagy is a lysosome degradation pathway through which damaged organelles and macromolecules are degraded within the cell. A decrease in activity of the autophagic process has been linked to sev...
Demonstrating the effects of elastic support on power generation and storage capability of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices

This study represents effects of an elastic support on the power generation and storage capability of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices. The governing equations were derived and solved for a ...
Theoretical Grounding of Democratic Accountability

This chapter describes the various permutations of democratic theory. It posits that it is necessary to first understand the virtues and limitations of democratic governance in order to understand the potential danger that bureaucratic rule poses. The chapter begins with an exposition of classical democratic theorists such as Plato and Aristotle. It then progresses to describing insights of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century contract theorists such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. Reviews of these foundational theorists are supplemented by more contemporary students of democracy including A. D. Lindsay, Dennis Thompson, Robert Dahl, and Carole Pateman. In general, these theorists hold on to hope that the people can accurately assess their situation, can make better decisions over time, can keep officials accountable, and can wisely govern through deliberation. This sanguine view of the virtues of democracy is offset by description of the writings of those who critique the limitations of democracy. Elite theorists such as Walter Lippmann, Joseph Schumpeter, William Domhoff, and Robert Putnam present the view that the common people are unable or unwilling to govern themselves effectively. They therefore are manipulated and controlled by others who possess more resources and influence.
Selective Recruitment in Hierarchical Complex Dynamical Networks with Linear-Threshold Rate Dynamics

Understanding how the complex network dynamics of the brain support cognition constitutes one of the most challenging and impactful problems ahead of systems and control theory. In this paper, we study the problem of selective recruitment, namely, the simultaneous selective inhibition of activity in one subnetwork and top-down recruitment of another by a cognitively-higher level subnetwork, using the class of linear-threshold rate (LTR) models. We first use singular perturbation theory to provide a theoretical framework for selective recruitment in a bilayer hierarchical LTR network using both feedback and feedforward control. We then generalize this framework to arbitrary number of layers and provide conditions on the joint structure of subnetworks that guarantee simultaneous selective inhibition and top-down recruitment at all layers. We finally illustrate an application of this framework in a biologically-inspired scenario where simultaneous stabilization and control of a lower level excitatory subnetwork is achieved through proper oscillatory activity in a higher level inhibitory subnetwork.
Harnessing neurovascular interaction to guide axon growth

Regulating the intrinsic interactions between blood vessels and nerve cells has the potential to enhance repair and regeneration of the central nervous system. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of aligned microvessels to induce and control directional axon growth from neural progenitor cells in vitro and host axons in a rat spinal cord injury model. Interstitial fluid flow aligned microvessels generated from co-cultures of cerebral-derived endothelial cells and pericytes in a three-dimensional scaffold. The endothelial barrier function was evaluated by immunostaining for tight junction proteins and quantifying the permeability coefficient (~10−7 cm/s). Addition of neural progenitor cells to the co-culture resulted in the extension of Tuj-positive axons in the direction of the microvessels. To validate these findings in vivo, scaffolds were transplanted into an acute spinal cord hemisection injury with microvessels aligned with the rostral-caudal direction. At three weeks post-surgery, sagittal sections indicated close alignment between the host axons and the transplanted microvessels. Overall, this work demonstrates the efficacy of exploiting neurovascular interaction to direct axon growth in the injured spinal cord and the potential to use this strategy to facilitate central nervous system regeneration.
Excisional Curettage of Benign Cystic Lesions

There are many treatment modalities for benign cystic lesions of bone, but all methods, except for total resection, are plagued with varying rates of recurrence1. Thorough curettage with the use of a high-speed burr, however, has demonstrated a low recurrence rate of 12% and has been suggested to be the best method for the treatment of benign cystic lesions. Approximately 90% of aneurysmal bone cysts can be controlled adequately with this treatment alone2. Description Treatment of benign cystic lesions of bone with the use of excisional curettage requires careful preoperative planning and patient positioning before the initial incision is made. The initial incision must be carefully planned to expose the entire lesion without violating multiple compartments unnecessarily. A sizeable cortical window must then be made using a high-speed burr followed by evacuation of all cystic contents via curettage. The cavity is copiously irrigated before an adjuvant is used, and the lesion is stabilized, if necessary, before closing. Alternatives There are many types of alternatives to curettage, such as wide resection, radiation, and embolization of feeding vessels. Rationale In orthopaedics, as in all medical specialties, many interventions and techniques have been rendered obsolete and, ultimately, replaced by newer, safer, and more efficient ones. The appeal of curettage has remained because of its procedural simplicity and adaptability in the management of a plethora of diseases such as benign cystic lesions of bone. Additionally, curettage, unlike wide resection, radiation, and embolization of feeding vessels, is minimally invasive and often definitive in nature when used as a treatment modality2. Lastly, curettage grants the performing surgeon the ability to maintain a contained cavity that can be treated with a variety of adjuvant therapies3-17. These reasons listed above make curettage a viable option for the surgical treatment of benign cystic lesions such as giant cell tumors of bone, aneurysmal bone cysts, unicameral bone cysts, chondromyxoid fibromas, and symptomatic nonossifying fibromas.
Multiphysics modeling of phase transformation and microhardness evolution in laser direct deposited Ti6Al4V

Abstract This paper investigates the phase transformations occurring in laser direct deposited Ti6Al4V and assesses the microhardness of the as-built components using predictive modeling tools. A three-dimensional laser direct deposition (LDD) model was utilized to predict the geometry and thermal history of the multi-track LDD process. The predicted free surface geometry, fusion zone (FZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) boundaries were in good agreement with experimental results. Temperature profiles and cooling rates were extracted from the validated LDD model and incorporated into a two-dimensional phase prediction model to determine phase transformations in FZ and HAZ regions. In the FZ, the high peak temperature and high cooling rate produced a complete α’ martensitic microstructure, which was predicted with the phase transformation model and observed experimentally. Within the HAZ, a low peak temperature and correspondingly low heating and cooling rates led to a mixture of α’ martensite, transformed and untransformed α phase in the final microstructure. When depositing the subsequent tracks, the LDD process produces overlapped HAZ regions, which contain a higher volume fraction of α’ martensite due to the repeated heating cycles. Based on the volume fraction of α’ martensite and α phase in the final microstructure, the microhardness within different zones of a three-track Ti6Al4V deposit was accurately predicted.
Promoting Human Flourishing Beyond Foundational Concerns

This essay is a response to the article “Some Foundational Factors for Promoting Human Flourishing.” It offers a broader discussion of flourishing beyond foundational concerns and involves an integration of social science and the humanities.
Dependency in the Twenty-First Century?: The Political Economy of China-Latin America Relations

The way external forces influence political and economic outcomes in developing countries is an ongoing concern of scholars and policymakers. In the 1970s and 1980s, dependency analysis was a popular way of approaching this topic, but it later fell into disrepute. This Element argues that it may be useful to revamp dependency to interpret China's new relationships with developing countries, including Latin America. Economic links with China have become important determinants of the region's development. Stallings discusses the dependency debates, reviews the way dependency operated in the US-Latin American case, and analyzes the growing Chinese presence within a dependency framework.
Rethinking Oral History and Oral Tradition: An Indigenous Perspective

Nepia Mahuika has authored a book deeply needed by the field of oral history. It is a book that has the potential to destabilize productively and transform how we as oral historians think about our...
Direct comparison of ferroelectric properties in Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 between thermal and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

Since the discovery of ferroelectricity in doped/alloyed HfO2 and ZrO2 thin film, many device engineers have been attracted to its sustainable ferroelectricity at the thickness of a few nanometer. While most of the previous studies have mainly focused on the ferroelectric properties of the thermally atomic layer deposited (THALD) Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO), the plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) HZO has not received much attention. In this work, a direct comparison between the two types of HZO thin films is carried out, where we found that a tradeoff exists between these two fabrication methods. While the THALD HZO was able to maintain a higher cycling endurance, the PEALD HZO showed more stable characteristics over the cycling with reduced wake-up and fatigue effects, in addition to better tolerance against breakdown under high electric field. Furthermore, the PEALD HZO could be crystallized with post deposition annealing at 350 °C, which is of great interest for the back-end-of-line compatibility with silicon fabrication processes.
PARP inhibitors unleash the antitumor immune response

Combination of a PARP inhibitor with immune checkpoint blockade showed promising antitumor activity without additional toxicity.
Structural mechanism of CARD8 regulation by DPP9

SUMMARY CARD8 is a germline-encoded pattern recognition receptor that detects intracellular danger signals. Like the related inflammasome sensor NLRP1, CARD8 undergoes constitutive autoprocessing within its function-to-find domain (FIIND), generating two polypeptides that stay associated and autoinhibited. Certain pathogen- and danger-associated activities, including the inhibition of the serine dipeptidases DPP8 and DPP9 (DPP8/9), induce the proteasome-mediated degradation of the N-terminal (NT) fragment, releasing the C-terminal (CT) fragment to form a caspase-1 activating inflammasome. DPP8/9 also bind directly to the CARD8 FIIND, but the role that this interaction plays in CARD8 inflammasome regulation is not yet understood. Here, we solved several cryo-EM structures of CARD8 bound to DPP9, with or without the DPP inhibitor Val-boroPro (VbP), which revealed a ternary complex composed of one DPP9, the full-length CARD8, and one CARD8-CT. Through structure-guided biochemical and cellular experiments, we demonstrated that DPP9’s structure restrains CARD8-CT after proteasomal degradation. Moreover, although DPP inhibitors do not directly displace CARD8 from DPP9 in vitro, we show that they can nevertheless destabilize this complex in cells. Overall, these results demonstrate that DPP8/9 inhibitors cause CARD8 inflammasome activation via at least two distinct mechanisms, one upstream and one downstream of the proteasome.
Managed care or carefully managed? Management of underwriting profitability by health insurers

Managed care provides health insurers a unique opportunity for discretion over certain aspects of financial reporting. Specifically, managed care mechanisms provide health insurers with a stronger ability to engage in loss control. To test whether and how health insurers exploit their ability to manage losses, we examine whether insurers with greater opportunity to manage care report significantly better underwriting performance in the fourth quarter relative to other health insurers. Using quarterly statutory filings from 2003 to 2016, we find evidence that a health insurer’s share of enrollment in health maintenance organisation (HMO) plans, characterised by their use of ‘gatekeeper’ physicians, is significantly and negatively related to their reported fourth quarter medical loss ratio (MLR). Additionally, while we find that fourth quarter MLRs are higher for all health insurers following the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the ACA does not appear to have intensified the loss control efforts of those insurers with more enrollment in HMO plans.
Iterative Refinement Graph Neural Network for Antibody Sequence-Structure Co-design.

Antibodies are versatile proteins that bind to pathogens like viruses and stimulate the adaptive immune system. The specificity of antibody binding is determined by complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) at the tips of these Y-shaped proteins. In this paper, we propose a generative model to automatically design the CDRs of antibodies with enhanced binding specificity or neutralization capabilities. Previous generative approaches formulate protein design as a structure-conditioned sequence generation task, assuming the desired 3D structure is given a priori. In contrast, we propose to co-design the sequence and 3D structure of CDRs as graphs. Our model unravels a sequence autoregressively while iteratively refining its predicted global structure. The inferred structure in turn guides subsequent residue choices. For efficiency, we model the conditional dependence between residues inside and outside of a CDR in a coarse-grained manner. Our method achieves superior log-likelihood on the test set and outperforms previous baselines in designing antibodies capable of neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
On the Convergence of Cyclic Jacobi Methods

Jacobi’s method is an iterative algorithm for diagonalizing a symmetric matrix A = A (1), in which at iteration k a plane rotation J k =J k (i k ,j k ,θ k ) is chosen so as to annihilate a pair of off diagonal elements in the matrix A (k) $$ \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} c&{ - s} \\ s&c \end{array}} \right)\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {a_{ii}^{(k)}}&{a_{ij}^{(k)}} \\ {a_{ji}^{(k)}}&{a_{jj}^{(k)}} \end{array}} \right)\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} c&s \\ { - s}&c \end{array}} \right) = \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {a_{ii}^{(k + 1)}}&0 \\ 0&{a_{jj}^{(k + 1)}} \end{array}} \right) $$ where c = cos θ k and s=sin θ k .
Exchange Rate Regimes and Trade: Is Africa Different?

This paper revisits the link between exchange rate regimes and trade in the context of Africa exchange rate arrangements. Applying an augmented gravity model that includes measures of currency unions and pegged regimes, the paper compares Africa experienc
Cumulative impact assessment in environmental planning: A coastal wetland watershed example

Abstract Several theoretical, analytical, and institutional difficulties have impeded the development and application of the assessment of cumulative environmental impacts. Watershed development on coastal wetlands offers an ideal context for evaluating the land disturbance target approach to cumulative impact assessment. A model land use planning system involving a time series approach was developed for Elkhorn Slough in California. The approach included four major components: evaluation of erosion susceptibility, measurement of land disturbance, establishment of a land disturbance target, and a comparison of existing and target land disturbance values. Further research is needed to test the transferability of the approach in a wide range of coastal watersheds and to verify the applicability of the methods to other cumulative impact problems.
A statistical analysis of diffraction-limited imaging

The Rayleigh criterion is generally regarded as a fundamental limit and due to its practical accuracy in predicting the performance of optical imaging systems, it has unfortunately become accepted as a de-facto physical law. We show that this limit is simply a very good rule of thumb, which under proper conditions typically related to the signal-to-noise (SNR) of the sensor, can be overcome. While we do not discuss specific methodology for improving resolution, it is the aim of this work to explore how far beyond the Rayleigh limit one can go, and to identify the theoretical limits to such resolution enhancement.
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome: report of an autosomal dominant variant

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked recessive disorder originally described as a clinical triad of thrombocytopenia with small platelets, eczema, and immunodeficiency. Impaired CD43 glycoprotein expression on lymphocytes is a typical hallmark of this disorder. The CD43 gene is located on chromosome 16, and the WAS gene, WASP, was recently isolated from the chromosome X p11.22-p11.23. This gene, mutated in WAS patients, encodes a protein that is likely to play a role in controlling the expression of CD43. However, the molecular mechanism(s) causing WAS are not yet known. Herein, we describe a three-generation family in which clinical and laboratory WAS features were expressed in six of nine subjects available for study. At variance with classic X-linked WAS, this disorder was characterized by the presence of thrombocytopenia with a broad spectrum of platelet size, including giant platelets, and was inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. This last finding led us to hypothesize a mutation of the CD43 gene. However, Southern blot analysis failed to detect structural abnormalities of this gene, and genotype analysis ruled out the possibility that a CD43 allele might be shared by the affected individuals. These findings indicate that an alteration(s) of an autosomal gene distinct from the CD43 gene is responsible for the disease. Thus, results from this family, providing the first observation of an autosomally transmitted WAS variant, indicate that genetic mechanism(s) leading to WAS are more complex than previously recognized.
Numerical Modelling of the Effects of Vegetation and Environmental Conditions on the Lake Breeze

The influence of vegetation and environmental conditions on the lake breeze and associated boundary-layer turbulence structure has been studied using a two-dimensional nonhydrostatic, compressible mesoscale model coupled with the SiB2 land-surface scheme. The results show that the impacts of vegetation on the lake effects are dependent on the environmental conditions, such as soil wetness and background wind, as well as vegetation characteristics. Both soil wetness and background wind play important roles in modifying lake effects on boundary-layer turbulence and the lake breeze, while the effects of vegetation type are secondary compared to the other factors. Without background wind, and under the same soil wetness, the maximum horizontal windspeed of the lake breeze is insensitive to the type of vegetation. Soil wetness can greatly affect both the maximum horizontal windspeed and the maximum vertical velocities of the lake breeze. With background wind, the lake-breeze circulations, upward motion regions, and boundary-layer turbulence structure all change markedly. A weaker background wind can strengthen the lake breeze, while stronger background wind suppresses the lake breeze circulations. The distribution of sensible and latent heat fluxes is also very sensitive to the soil wetness and background wind. However, for the same soil wetness (0.25 and 0.4 were chosen), there is only a small difference in the distribution of sensible and latent heat fluxes between the bare soil and vegetated soil or between the types of vegetated soils.
Modified bentall procedure with composite biologic grafts.

Objectives The search continues for the ideal composite biologic graft (CBG). We have performed aortic root replacements with CBGs, initially with a stented pericardial valve in a Valsalva graft (Gen1) and subsequently with the stentless 3f valve (Gen2). The valve is sewn at the base of the graft sinuses, leaving residual proximal graft to sew separately to the left ventricular outflow tract. This allows for CBG size standardization and permits fabrication prior to bypass. We share our institutional experience and aim to show noninferiority of this technique, as well as discuss potential advantages. Methods The first 75 patients to receive each generation of CBG were identified and assessed retrospectively. Overall survival was assessed as our primary outcome. Various secondary outcomes were also analyzed, including operative times and short-term outcomes. Results Operative times were shorter for Gen2, with cardiopulmonary bypass times that were significantly reduced (126.3 ± 5.2 minutes vs. 157.6 ± 5.8 minutes for Gen1, p = 0.001) and aortic cross-clamp times that trended lower (98.2 ± 4.2 minutes vs. 107.7 ± 3.8 minutes for Gen1, p = 0.095). There were no postoperative myocardial infarctions (MIs) or aortic insufficiency graded 2+ or greater in either group. There was only one stroke in a Gen1 patient who recovered fully. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed a strong trend toward improved survival among Gen2 patients (p = 0.0566). Conclusions Our experience with Gen2 CBG showed decreased operative times and a trend toward improved survival, though further patient follow-up and larger sample sizes in prospective studies are necessary. Further research with this CBG and additional improvements are warranted. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12216 (J Card Surg 2013;28:731–735)
Nuclear processes and neutrino production in solar flares

We briefly review recent observational and theoretical studies of nuclear processes in solar flares and use these studies to determine the flare neutrino flux.
The flow cytometry of Bacillus anthracis spores revisited.

Background The potential use of Bacillus anthracis spores as a weapon of terror has rekindled interest in the rapid detection and identification of the spores of these bacteria. Prior efforts to utilize flow cytometry (FCM) for this purpose resulted in tedious and time-consuming protocols. Advances in rapid immunoassays suggest a reinvestigation of the use of FCM because this may allow for the development of a rapid and sensitive system for detection and/or identification of spores in suspect samples. Methods In this study, antiserum was raised in goats using three different strains of B. anthracis spores as the immunogen. The resultant antibodies were purified, labeled with fluorescein, and evaluated for use in an immunoassay on a Coulter Epics XL flow cytometer. In the protocol that was developed, fluorescein-labeled antibodies are simply mixed with the sample, allowed to incubate, and then analyzed on the flow cytometer. Washes and centrifugation were eliminated. Results The results showed that a rapid (5 min) and sensitive immunological analysis was feasible. The detection limit (approximately 103 colony-forming units [CFU]/ ml) varied with strain, but there was no difference in the detection limit between live and irradiated spores. In addition, the power of FCM was utilized to minimize false-positive reactions among similar species of Bacillus by placing constraints on scatter and fluorescence intensity. The data also suggest that scatter might be useful to determine spore viability. Conclusion This study shows that FCM may be an effective platform on which to perform immunological analysis for the detection and/or presumptive identification of B. anthracis spores. Cytometry 41:237–244, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.