cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The black hole in my CV

When I was in my late twenties I heard myself saying something along the lines of “We can travel around the world when we retire”. Fortunately, as a consequence of the number of daft things I say, I do make an effort to listen to quite a lot of what comes out of my mouth. This particular inanity seemed to me to be, by several orders of magnitude, more stupid than anything I’d said in a long while. It was shortly before this that I’d got an SpR post, together with an NTN and, out of the blue, a letter telling me the date on which I’d hopefully get my CCST. At this point I’d, theoretically, fall off the conveyor belt into, again hopefully, a consultant job. In this cynical state of mind the consultant job would be another conveyor belt, this time into retirement. The retirement itself—some 30 years hence—would provide the next opportunity to see a bit of the world. This state of mind …
Occupational Therapy Practice in School Systems

The passage of PL 94-142 created a need to focus on the roles of occupational therapists in school system practice. This survey was designed to identify the current state of practice of school system occupational therapists in the Northwest region of the United States. Questionnaires were mailed to 355 occupational therapists with 80.8% of the therapists responding. Survey questions focused on demographic information, job descriptions, frames of reference used in practice and problems encountered. Approximately 60 percent of the therapists did not feel adequately prepared for school system practice, although this percentage was decreased to 39 percent among those therapists who had taken a Fieldwork II placement in a school setting. Eighty-four percent described their jobs as itinerant. The mean number of hours therapists worked per week was 29.1 hours. The largest amount of time was spent in direct service, followed by monitoring and consultation. Major problems identified included large case loads, litt...
What Is Wellness Now

Wellness is a popular buzzword these days. One finds wellness programs, wellness centers, wellness contests, wellness conferences, wellness journals, wellness administrators, wellness awards, wellness tourism, and even a Wellness brand cat and dog food (complete with its own blog and website asking, ‘‘What is true wellness?’’). Like ‘‘intersectionality’’ in feminist scholarship (Davis 2008), the rise of ‘‘diversity’’ over affirmative action (Kelly and Dobbin 1998; Edelman, Fuller, and Mara-Drita 2001), ‘‘sustainability’’ in approaches to the natural world and its use and development (Scoones 2007), and ‘‘sexual health’’ in place of panic over sexually transmitted infections (Epstein and Mamo 2011), the hegemony of the buzzword wellness signals its usefulness for framing consensus in contemporary American society. That consensus is that health is more than just the absence of disease, that health promotion and prevention of disease should be a top governmental and personal priority, and that each individual can and should strive to achieve a state of optimal functioning. But in
Characterization of sulfate assimilation in marine algae focusing on the enzyme 5'-adenylylsulfate reductase

5'-Adenylylsulfate (APS) reductase was characterized in diverse marine algae. A cDNA encoding APS reductase from Enteromorpha intestinalis (EAPR) was cloned by functional complementation of an Escherichia coli cysH mutant. The deduced amino acid sequence shows high homology with APS reductase (APR) from flowering plants. Based on the probable transit peptide cleavage site the mature protein is 45.7 kD. EAPR expressed as a His-tagged recombinant protein catalyzes reduced glutathione-dependent reduction of APS to sulfite, exhibiting a specific activity of approximately 40 micromol min(-1) mg protein(-1) and Michealis-Menten kinetic constants of approximately 1.4 mM for reduced glutathione and approximately 6.5 microM for APS. APR activity and expression were studied in relation to the production of 3-dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a sulfonium compound produced by many marine algae. A diverse group of DMSP-producing species showed extremely high enzyme activity (up to 400 times that found in flowering plants). Antibodies raised against a conserved peptide of APR strongly cross-reacted with a protein of 45 kD in several chlorophytes but insignificantly with chromophytes. In the chlorophyte Tetraselmis sp., APR activity varies significantly during the culture cycle and does not follow the changes in cellular DMSP content. However, a positive correlation was found between cell-based APR activity and specific growth rate.
The (partial) rehabilitation of interest rate parity in the floating rate era: Longer horizons, alternative expectations, and emerging markets

Abstract This paper examines several new empirical findings in the study of uncovered interest parity. It reviews recent developments in the study of long-horizon interest parity regressions, the implications of relaxing the rational expectations methodology and the characteristics of results pertaining to the non-G7 currencies, including those in less developed economies. In brief, the evidence against uncovered interest parity in the current floating rate era is not as great as is commonly thought, although it is still true that for the major currencies, the short-term interest differential remains a biased predictor of ex post changes in the exchange rate.
Factors Influencing Time to Sputum Conversion Among Patients with Smear-Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis

For hospitalized patients with smear-positive pulmonary or laryngeal tuberculosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that three consecutive sputum samples be negative for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) before respiratory isolation is discontinued. Limited data are available to predict the length of time to obtain three negative sputum smears and cultures and to determine factors associated with a prolonged interval before sputum smear and culture conversion, especially among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). For 100 consecutive patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, the mean and median numbers of days from the initiation of appropriate therapy to the first of three consecutive negative smears were calculated, and associated risk factors were determined. The mean number of days before the first of three consecutive negative sputum smears was 33 days; the median was 23 days. On stepwise multiple regression analysis, cavitary disease, numerous AFB on the initial smear, and no prior history of tuberculosis were the factors independently associated with an increased number of days for both smear and culture conversion. HIV does not prolong the period of infectiousness.
Establishing Object Correspondence across Eye Movements: Flexible Use of Spatiotemporal and Surface Feature Information

Visual input is frequently disrupted by eye movements, blinks, and occlusion. The visual system must be able to establish correspondence between objects visible before and after a disruption. Current theories hold that correspondence is established solely on the basis of spatiotemporal information, with no contribution from surface features. In five experiments, we tested the relative contributions of spatiotemporal and surface feature information in establishing object correspondence across saccades. Participants generated a saccade to one of two objects, and the objects were shifted during the saccade so that the eyes landed between them, requiring a corrective saccade to fixate the target. To correct gaze to the appropriate object, correspondence must be established between the remembered saccade target and the target visible after the saccade. Target position and surface feature consistency were manipulated. Contrary to existing theories, surface features and spatiotemporal information both contributed to object correspondence, and the relative weighting of the two sources of information was governed by the demands of the task. These data argue against a special role for spatiotemporal information in object correspondence, indicating instead that the visual system can flexibly use multiple sources of relevant information.
Can a Flow-Network Approach Shed Light on Children's Problem Solving?

A complete theory of human behavior must capture both the apparent randomness of behavior (its strong context dependence) as well as its stability (a surprising resistance to changes in behavior despite salient changes in the context). Recent efforts in cognitive science have made important discoveries toward such a theory, emphasizing the idea that skilled behavior seeks to balance overregular tendencies with tendencies that are overrandom. The hallmark of these efforts is the idea of self-organized criticality, the state of a system poised toward maximally adaptive behavior, characterized by pink-noise pattern of variability. In this article, we expand these efforts, looking for a new measure to capture the balance between order and disorder, one that can be applied to small data sets of categorical performance. The proposed measure borrows ideas from information theory, previously applied to the stability of energy flow in an ecosystem. Using published data on a problem-solving task with preschoolers, ...
The Kumbh Mela stampede: disaster preparedness must bridge jurisdictions.

Thirty-six people died in February in a stampede when attending the world’s largest gathering. Subsequent analyses show extraordinary planning, but gaps existed between different agencies’ responsibilities, writes P Gregg Greenough
Histological adequacy of EUS-guided liver biopsy when using a 19-gauge non-Tru-Cut FNA needle.

Liver biopsy continues to play a critical role in the evaluation and management of patients with liver disease. Although history, physical examination, and serological markers often obviate the need for a diagnostic liver biopsy, it is still considered the criterion standard, especially when the etiology of liver disease remains obscure. Even with a thorough history and laboratory workup, significant fibrosis and/or cirrhosis can be missed in as many as 32% of patients without a liver biopsy. 1 In fact, results of a liver biopsy have been shown to alter diagnosis in as many as 14% of patients with chronically elevated liver enzymes and significantly affect patient management in as many as 18% of such patients. 1,2 Moreover, current noninvasive imaging and serological markers of hepatic fibrosis remain investigational and have not been shown to be as accurate as liver biopsy. EUS has an established and integral role in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of several GI, liver, and pancreaticobiliary diseases. New indications and techniques for EUS continue to emerge as experience grows with this technology. Although there are reports of EUSguided FNA of the liver for evaluation of discrete hepatic lesions, there is only limited information on the role of EUS in assisting with diagnostic liver biopsy. Only 1 study to date has evaluated the histological adequacy of liver tissue obtained with EUS guidance; this particular study used the 19-gauge Tru-Cut core biopsy needle. 3 There are no data regarding histological adequacy when EUS-guided liver biopsy is performed by using a 19-gauge FNA needle. It is presumed that use of such a needle may limit the histological adequacy of the specimen obtained. 4 It remains uncertain whether EUS-guided liver biopsy by using a 19-gauge aspiration needle can acquire an adequate tissue specimen to provide a histological diagnosis. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the histological adequacy of liver tissue specimens obtained using a 19-gauge aspiration needle via a EUSguided approach. Specifically, we analyzed the length of the biopsy specimen, the number of complete portal tracts (CPTs), and the ability of the pathologist to make a diagnosis with the obtained specimen.
Change in Parenting Behaviors from Infancy to Early Childhood: Does Change in Family Income Matter?

The current study intended to answer two main questions: First, do parenting behaviors change as family income changes? Second, if changes in family income are associated with changes in parenting behaviors, is this association different for families of various poverty statuses and ethnicities? Secondary data analyses were conducted using data from Phases I and II of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The authors found family income increase to predict decreased maternal detachment and negative regard but bears no relation to maternal sensitivity or stimulation of development. Changes in family income also predicted changes in parenting behaviors especially strongly for poor, Hispanic and White families. Implications for parenting research and public policy are discussed.
The MASON HouseholdsWorld Model of Pastoral Nomad Societies

Computational modeling of pastoralist societies that range as nomads over diverse environmental zones poses interesting challenges beyond those posed by sedentary societies. We present HouseholdsWorld, a new agent-based model of agro-pastoralists in a natural habitat that includes deserts, grasslands, and mountains. This is the paper-of-record for the HouseholdsWorld model as part of a broader interdisciplinary project on computational modeling of long-term human adaptations in Inner Asia. The model is used for conducting experiments on socio-environmental interactions, social dynamics experiments, and for developing additional models with higher levels of social complexity.
Recycling Post-Consumer Aluminum Containers: A Marketing Overview

This article discusses how technology, continuity of supply of materials, the development of marketing channels, and the existence of end-user markets have combined to create a favorable environment for the long-term recycling of aluminum containers. Several different forms of vertical marketing systems for recycling aluminum containers are identified and discussed, along with the problems and opportunities associated with aluminum recycling in general.
Precise Localization of a Bile Leak with Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) is a widely used modality to diagnose biliary injury. In patients with a history of trauma or surgery, the common presentations of bile leaks on HBS are a progressive collection of radiotracer outside the biliary system. However, the precise localization of a bile leak is usually not conveyed by noninvasive techniques including CT or ultrasound or even HBS. This case study of a patient with liver trauma demonstrates a direct bile leak sign leading to recognition of an exact bile leakage site from the left intrahepatic duct. This diagnosis helped clinicians perform less-invasive management.
Determination of Specificity in Natural Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity by Natural Antibodies

Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) appeared to involve similar cytotoxic mechanisms; effector N-cells killed target cells with IgG antibodies attached to the Fc receptor determining the specificity of the reaction. In NCMC the wide range of specificities detected by natural antibodies provided an effector system capable of recognizing numerous antigens on cultured target cells. When several target cells were tested concurrently, an apparent nonselective cytotoxicity resulted. The specificity of individual reactions against each of the target cells could be demonstrated by selective inhibition with competitor cells. The inhibition of cytotoxicity by competition and the effect of proteases on the effector cell for NCMC, but not for ADCC, initially suggested an antibody on the surface of the natural cytotoxic effector cell. This suggestion was supported by the loss of activity with treatments that removed immunoglobulins on the effector cell and by the recovery of reactivity with incubation of the cells in normal human serum. Absorption of the reconstituting serum with target cells resulted in loss of activity against that target cell, substantiating the role of natural antibodies.
HIV moments and pre-exposure prophylaxis

www.thelancet.com Vol 387 April 9, 2016 1507 Submissions should be made via our electronic submission system at http://ees.elsevier.com/ thelancet/ iPrEx trial. RMG reports non-fi nancial support from Gilead Sciences and grants from GlaxoSmithKline, outside the submitted work. DVG reports grants from the National Institutes of Health, during the conduct of the study. DVG is on a monitoring board for ViiV, which makes a candidate product for pre-exposure prophylaxis.
Rotor Scaling Formation Origin Mechanism Research of Centrifugal Compressor

About the rotor scaling mechanism of D10R9B centrifugal compressor,the rotor scaling of D10R9B centrifugal compressor destroys rotor dynamic balance,enables the vibrative amplitude of compressor to exceed the allowed standard,and causes the shutdown accident of compressor many times.Through the analysis of the feed gas and the scale sample using gas chromatography and X-ray diffraction,the results indicated that there are two kinds of solid matter that mainly create the compressor rotor scaling:the one kind is the inorganic sulfur compound and the iron oxide,the other kind is the mineral matter——"dust".The research indicates that,the main reason of the compressor rotor scaling is the presence of iron oxide(FexOy)and ferric sulfide(FenSm).According to the results,the reducing vibrative amplitude proposal is puts forward.
FLUID MECHANICS AND HOMELAND SECURITY

Homeland security involves many applications of fluid mechanics and offers many opportunities for research and development.This review explores a wide selection of fluids topics in counterterrorism and suggests future directions.Broad topics range from preparedness and deterrence of impending terrorist attacks to detection,response,and recovery.Specific topics include aircraft hardening,blast mitigation,sensors and sampling,explosive detection,microfluidics and labs-on-a-chip,chemical plume dispersal in urban settings, and building ventilation.Also discussed are vapor plumes and standoff detection,nonlethal weapons,airborne disease spread,personal protective equipment,and decontamination.Involvement in these applications requires fluid dynamicists to think across the traditional boundaries of the field and to work with related disciplines, especially chemistry,biology,aerosol science,and atmospheric science.
What is the best way to radiate the prostate in 2016

Prostate cancer treatment with definitive radiation therapy (RT) has evolved dramatically in the past 2 decades. From the initial 2-dimensional planning using X-rays, advances in technology led to 3-dimensional conformal RT, which used computerized tomography-based planning. This has allowed delivery of higher doses of radiation to the prostate while reducing dose to the surrounding organs, resulting in improved cancer control. Today, intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) is considered standard, where radiation beams of different shapes and intensities can be delivered from a wide range of angles, thus further decreasing doses to normal organs and likely reducing treatment-related toxicity. In addition, image guidance ascertains the location of the prostate before daily treatment delivery. Brachytherapy is the placement of radioactive seeds directly in the prostate, and has a long track record as a monotherapy for low-risk prostate cancer patients with excellent long-term cancer control and quality of life outcomes. Recent studies including several randomized trials support the use of brachytherapy in combination with external beam RT for higher-risk patients. RT for prostate cancer continues to evolve. Proton therapy has a theoretical advantage over photons as it deposits most of the dose at a prescribed depth with a rapid dose fall-off thereafter; therefore it reduces some doses delivered to the bladder and rectum. Prospective studies have shown the safety and efficacy of proton therapy for prostate cancer, but whether it leads to improved patient outcomes compared to IMRT is unknown. Hypofractionated RT delivers a larger dose of daily radiation compared to conventional IMRT, and thus reduces the overall treatment time and possibly cost. An extreme form of hypofractionation is stereotactic body radiation therapy where highly precise radiation is used and treatment is completed in a total of 4 to 5 sessions. These techniques take advantage of the biological characteristic of prostate cancer, which is more sensitive to larger radiation doses per fraction, and therefore could be more effective than conventional IMRT. Multiple randomized trials have demonstrated noninferiority of moderately hypofractionated RT compared to conventional fractionation. There is also a growing body of data demonstrating the safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.
Teaching Adult Rats Spinalized as Neonates to Walk Using Trunk Robotic Rehabilitation: Elements of Success, Failure, and Dependence.

Robot therapy promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in animal and clinical studies. Trunk actions are important in adult rats spinalized as neonates (NTX rats) that walk autonomously. Quadrupedal robot rehabilitation was tested using an implanted orthosis at the pelvis. Trunk cortical reorganization follows such rehabilitation. Here, we test the functional outcomes of such training. Robot impedance control at the pelvis allowed hindlimb, trunk, and forelimb mechanical interactions. Rats gradually increased weight support. Rats showed significant improvement in hindlimb stepping ability, quadrupedal weight support, and all measures examined. Function in NTX rats both before and after training showed bimodal distributions, with “poor” and “high weight support” groupings. A total of 35% of rats initially classified as “poor” were able to increase their weight-supported step measures to a level considered “high weight support” after robot training, thus moving between weight support groups. Recovered function in these rats persisted on treadmill with the robot both actuated and nonactuated, but returned to pretraining levels if they were completely disconnected from the robot. Locomotor recovery in robot rehabilitation of NTX rats thus likely included context dependence and/or incorporation of models of robot mechanics that became essential parts of their learned strategy. Such learned dependence is likely a hurdle to autonomy to be overcome for many robot locomotor therapies. Notwithstanding these limitations, trunk-based quadrupedal robot rehabilitation helped the rats to visit mechanical states they would never have achieved alone, to learn novel coordinations, and to achieve major improvements in locomotor function. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neonatal spinal transected rats without any weight support can be taught weight support as adults by using robot rehabilitation at trunk. No adult control rats with neonatal spinal transections spontaneously achieve similar changes. The robot rehabilitation system can be inactivated and the skills that were learned persist. Responding rats cannot be detached from the robot altogether, a dependence develops in the skill learned. From data and analysis here, the likelihood of such rats to respond to the robot therapy can also now be predicted. These results are all novel. Understanding trunk roles in voluntary and spinal reflex integration after spinal cord injury and in recovery of function are broadly significant for basic and clinical understanding of motor function.
Can self-awareness be taught? Monkeys pass the mirror test—again

> “Mirrors,” she said, “are never to be trusted.” > Neil Gaiman, Coraline The ability to recognize oneself in the mirror is often held as evidence of self-awareness. However, children under the age of 2 y and most animals do not behave as if their mirrored reflection represents their own face or body, calling their capacity for self-awareness into doubt. In PNAS, Chang et al. (1) build on prior work (2) to provide further evidence that—with extensive training—rhesus macaques pass the mirror self-recognition test, suggesting this training either uncovers latent self-awareness or teaches the monkeys a new cognitive skill. Have monkeys finally earned a hard-won spot among the few exalted species to display self-awareness? If so, what does mirror self-recognition imply for our understanding of the brain mechanisms that support it? Upon initial exposure to a mirror, most animals react to their reflection as if seeing another animal. Gallup (3) first observed that, after repeated exposure to a mirror, chimpanzees began to interact with it in a more self-directed and less social way. To test whether the chimps actually recognized themselves, Gallup marked the animals’ foreheads with an odorless dye while the chimps were anesthetized. Upon awakening, chimpanzees spontaneously began touching the otherwise imperceptible mark using their reflection in the mirror. Gallup, and many others thereafter, argued that such behavior is a decisive measure of self-awareness. Since Gallup’s pioneering study, the mark procedure has become the litmus test for self-awareness. Human toddlers begin to pass a version of the mark test, not requiring anesthesia, at around 16 mo to 24 mo (4), whereas individuals with certain neuropsychiatric disorders, notably schizophrenia, show impairments in mirror self-recognition (5). In addition to chimpanzees, a menagerie of distantly related species, from elephants to magpies, have passed the mark test (6). Other primates, including gorillas and (previously) … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: mplatt{at}mail.med.upenn.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Substrate-Dependent Cleavage Site Selection by Unconventional Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Enzymes in Diphthamide Biosynthesis

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) has a sulfonium ion with three distinct C-S bonds. Conventional radical SAM enzymes use a [4Fe-4S] cluster to cleave homolytically the C5′,adenosine-S bond of SAM to generate a 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical, which catalyzes various downstream chemical reactions. Radical SAM enzymes involved in diphthamide biosynthesis, such as Pyrococcus horikoshii Dph2 (PhDph2) and yeast Dph1-Dph2 instead cleave the Cγ,Met-S bond of methionine to generate a 3-amino-3-carboxylpropyl radical. We here show radical SAM enzymes can be tuned to cleave the third C-S bond to the sulfonium sulfur by changing the structure of SAM. With a decarboxyl SAM analogue (dc-SAM), PhDph2 cleaves the Cmethyl-S bond, forming 5′-deoxy-5′-(3-aminopropylthio) adenosine (dAPTA, 1). The methyl cleavage activity, like the cleavage of the other two C-S bonds, is dependent on the presence of a [4Fe-4S]+ cluster. Electron-nuclear double resonance and mass spectroscopy data suggests that mechanistically one of the S atoms in the [...
Effects of Variable Site Conditions on Phytoremediation of Mixed Contaminants: Field-Scale Investigation at Big Marsh Site

AbstractBig Marsh is a large wetland site contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals, attributable to decades of illegal waste dumping. Compared to the conventional ...
Collaborative Efforts in Liaison Psychiatry

There is compelling evidence that psychological, social, and cultural—as well as biological—factors are involved to varying degrees in the initiation, course, and outcome of pathophysiological processes. Lipowski (1975) for example, has proposed an ecological viewpoint which states that “the study of every disease must include the person, his body, and his human and nonhuman environments as essential components of the total system” (p. 6). Reiser’s (1975) biopsychosocial field theory of disease emphasizes the interaction and interrelationship of all systems—physical, mental, psychological, environmental, and so on. Finally, Engel (1977) has vigorously urged the adoption of a biomedicopsychosocial model of disease that would be applicable to psychological as well as physiological dysfunction and would recognize that complex interactions between the individual and his or her total environment are major determinants of health and disease. For example, such life stresses as bereavement, crowding, and so on are now considered to play a critical role in the onset and exacerbation of certain forms of physiological dysfunction. It follows, then, that psychological care is coordinate with medical care. In fact, 50 to 70 of all medical patients seen by primary-care physicians present with a primary psychological problem or manifest psychological dysfunction secondary to their physical illness (Lipowski, 1967).
Penile Fibrogenesis Affecting Men’s Reproductive and Sexual Health: Role of Age and Environmental Factors

Abstract Anatomical and physiological changes in man's reproductive organs, especially penis, lead to significant sexual dysfunction and infertility issues. Erectile dysfunction (major sexual dysfunction) affects over 10% of men, with incidence increasing with age. This situation adversely affects quality of life of the patient and the partner. Long-term outcome is still unsatisfactory with the currently practiced medical and surgical techniques. Penile and pelvic floor muscles play important roles in penile hemodynamics. Aging, diabetes, obesity, and other environmental factors (e.g., smoking, injury, drugs) induce degenerative changes in these muscles. Evidence suggests that such increased fibrosis/muscle atrophy, as well as an advanced diabetic state, are mediated by a novel fibrogenic cascade that is triggered by cellular oxidative stress. A clear understanding of these molecular mechanisms involved in fibrosis/atrophy would enable the development of optimal strategies to treat this disorder.
EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ON BRAIN PHOSPHOLIPIDS

The primary mode of action of ethanol is on the neural membranes. While excessive intake can result in acute intoxication, development of tolerance and physical dependence is frequently associated with long term intake. On withdrawal of the drug, the behavioral manifestation of hyperexcitability is shown in man, as well as in animal models. In spite of the behavioral and physiological effects known to be associated with alcoholism, the molecular site of ethanol action in the central nervous system has not been clearly elucidated.
Rethinking Kaplan's ''afterthoughts'' About 'That': An Exorcism of Semantical Demons

Kaplan (1977) proposes a neo-Fregean theory of demonstratives which, despite its departure from a certain problematic Fregean thesis, I argue, ultimately founders on account of its failure to give up the Fregean desideratum of a semantic theory that it provide an account of cognitive significance. I explain why Kaplan's (1989) afterthoughts don't remedy this defect. Finally, I sketch an alternative nonsolipsistic picture of demonstrative reference which idealizes away from an agent's narrowly characterizable psychological state, and instead relies on the robust multiply realizable relation between the skilled agent and demonstrated object. When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation. – attributed to Jesus (Matthew 12:43-45, New Revised Standard Version of the Bible)
Dynamics of Singularly Perturbed Nonlinear Systems with Two Degrees-of-Freedom

In engineering applications, complex structural systems are usually composed of simpler substructures with widely varying elasticities and damping properties. This broad diversity in flexibilities present in a complex structural system prompts us to view its motion in terms of the dynamics of interacting stiff and soft substructures. More specifically, we are here interested in soft-stiff structuralmechanical systems with multiple equilibrium states. A fundamental question to be asked is: how is the dynamics of a soft-stiff structural system related to the dynamics of a simpler structure obtained in the limit as its stiff substructures become essentially rigid? In this work, we present a systematic analytic-geometric methodology, by combining the singular perturbation theory with invariant manifolds and symbolic and numeric computation, to study the nonlinear dynamics of a soft-stiff two degrees-of-freedom system.
Integrating Electrochemical Immunosensing and Cell Adhesion Technologies for Cancer Cell Detection and Enumeration.

Abstract We have successfully integrated techniques for controlling cell adhesion and performing electrochemical differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) through the use of digitally controlled microfluidics and patterned transparent indium tin oxide electrode arrays to enable rapid and sensitive enumeration of cancer cells in a scalable microscale format. This integrated approach leverages a dual-working electrode (WE) surface to improve the specificity of the detection system. Here, one of the WE surfaces is functionalized with anti-Melanocortin 1 Receptor antibodies specific to melanoma cancer cells, while the other WE acts as a control (i.e., without antibody), for detecting non-specific interactions between cells and the electrode. The method is described and shown to provide effective detection of melanoma cells at concentrations ranging between 25 and 300 cells per 20 μL sample volume after a 5 min incubation and 15 s of DPV measurements. The estimated limit of detection was ∼17 cells. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were quantified using addition of large fractions of non-target cells and resulted in a detection reproducibility of ∼97%. The proposed approach demonstrates a unique integration of electrochemical sensing and microfluidic cell adhesion technologies with multiple advantages such as label-free detection, short detection times, and low sample volumes. Next steps for this platform include testing with patient samples and use of other cell-surface biomarkers for detection and enumeration of circulating tumor cells in prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
Stochastic Search Methods for Mobile Manipulators

Abstract Mobile manipulators are a potential solution to the increasing need for additional flexibility and mobility in industrial applications. However, they tend to lack the accuracy and precision achieved by fixed manipulators, especially in scenarios where both the manipulator and the autonomous vehicle move simultaneously. This paper analyzes the problem of dynamically evaluating the positioning error of mobile manipulators. In particular, it investigates the use of Bayesian methods to predict the position of the end-effector in the presence of uncertainty propagated from the mobile platform. The precision of the mobile manipulator is evaluated through its ability to intercept retroreflective markers using a photoelectric sensor attached to the end-effector. Compared to a deterministic search approach, we observed improved robustness with comparable search times, thereby enabling effective calibration of the mobile manipulator.
A Targeted Forgetting Factor for Recursive Least Squares

Recursive least squares (RLS) is widely used in signal processing, identification, and control, but is plagued by the inability to adjust quickly to changes in the unknown parameters. RLS with standard forgetting factor overcomes this problem but causes divergence due to the lack of persistency. Variable and directional forgetting factors have been proposed for overcoming this deficiency. The present paper proposes a targeted forgetting factor that looks directly at recent data in order to determine which directions possess new information. Targeted forgetting applies a forgetting factor directly to these directions, thereby providing a simple and effective technique for avoiding covariance divergence. Numerical examples compare targeted forgetting to standard and directional forgetting.
Marriage Prestations, Inheritance and Descent in Pre-Industrial Societies

An attempt is made to explore the nature of dowry and to explain why certain features such as bilateral inheritance, bilocal marriage, endogamy and hypergamy are often associated with it. It begins...
Defining subgroups of patients with a stiff and painful shoulder: an analytical model using cluster analysis.

PURPOSE The primary purpose of this research was to develop a classification system for patients with stiff and painful shoulders using hierarchical cluster analysis. METHODS Medical charts of 52 patients treated for stiff and painful shoulders were reviewed for descriptive and clinical data after completion of their rehabilitation. A clinician-reported outcome was derived from ratings of three members of the American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists. Data were subjected to cluster analysis using the hierarchical method. Analysis of difference tests was performed to determine if differences between clusters could be found with either initial examination or outcome data. RESULTS Two clusters emerged from the clustering process: a healthy, strong, and mobile group of 32 patients, and an unhealthy, weak, and immobile groups consisting of 20 patients. Significant differences in initial examination measures between clusters were found for the presence of co-morbidities, range of motion for shoulder flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation, and strength of the shoulder external rotators and in the empty can position. Significant differences between clusters were found for shoulder flexion, abduction, and external rotation range of motion, and clinician-reported outcome at the time of patient discharge. CONCLUSION Patients with stiff and painful shoulders in this study were classified into two distinct subgroups using hierarchical cluster analysis based on demographic attributes and initial examination findings. The findings from this study also suggest that patients who may be at risk for a poorer outcome can be identified based on initial examination measures. By identifying these patients early in rehabilitation who have a poorer prognosis, improved patient education, alternative interventions or diagnostic tests may be utilized on their behalf.Implications for rehabilitationPatients with stiff and painful shoulders were classified into two subgroups using hierarchical cluster analysis based on demographic attributes and initial examination findings.Significant differences in mean clinician-reported outcome was also noted between clusters, with the patients who were healthier, stronger, and more mobile having a significantly better outcome than those patients who were more unhealthy, weak, and immobile.The findings from this study suggest that patients can be identified on initial examination who may be at risk for a poorer outcome.By identifying these patients early in rehabilitation who have a poorer prognosis, improved patient education, alternative interventions, or diagnostic tests may be utilized on their behalf sooner in the course of care.
Prognostic value of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of early-stage lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

// Stephanie Tuminello 1 , Rajwanth Veluswamy 1 , 2 , Wil Lieberman-Cribbin 1 , Sacha Gnjatic 2 , 3 , 4 , Francesca Petralia 5 , Pei Wang 5 , Raja Flores 6 and Emanuela Taioli 1 , 6 , 7 1 Institute for Translational Epidemiology and Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 2 Department of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 3 Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 4 Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 5 Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 6 Department of Thoracic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 7 Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA Correspondence to: Emanuela Taioli, email: Emanuela.taioli@mountsinai.org Keywords: NSCLC; immune contexture; tumor microenvironment; TILs Received: September 18, 2019 Accepted: December 05, 2019 Published: December 24, 2019 ABSTRACT Background: Early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients carry significant risk of recurrence post-surgery. In-depth characterization of the immune tumor microenvironment (TME) can have prognostic value. This study aimed to evaluate the association of individual immune cell types in the TME with clinical outcomes in surgically resected, early-stage NSCLC. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search of the National Library of Medicine database through November 2019, investigating predefined biomarkers (CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T helper cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, CD20+ B cells, CD56+ & CD57+ Natural Killer (NK) cells, CD68+ Tissue Associated Macrophages (TAMS), FoxP3+ T regulatory cells, and Mast Cells (MC)), and their association with survival following PRISMA guidelines. Results: Studies that adjusted for important clinical covariates (such as stage and age) showed that higher levels of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells were associated with improved OS (HR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50–0.93) and DFS (HR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.41–0.87), while increased CD20+ B cells (HR = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04–0.64) and CD 56/57+ NK cells (HR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26–0.95) were associated with improved OS; lung cancers with increased FoxP3+ T regulatory cells (HR = 2.22; 95% CI, 1.47–3.34) had worse OS. Conclusions: Immune cell components of the TME have prognostic value in early-stage, surgically resected NSCLC, and may reveal which patients are more likely to need additional systemic treatment, including immunotherapy. Clinical covariates need to be considered when evaluating the prognostic value of immune cells in the TME.
Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) affecting domestic and wild African ungulates: African swine fever, foot and mouth disease, Rift Valley fever (1996–2018)

Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) affecting ungulates are potentially epidemic diseases that are contagious or transmissible, and a concern for humans worldwide. While globalization has led to increased containment efforts at a global scale, additional local attention is needed as well for vulnerable pastoralist communities that are in close proximity to livestock. We reviewed and then summarized outbreaks, cases, and deaths for 3 TADs (African Swine Fever (ASF), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and Rift Valley Fever (RVF)) affecting domestic and wild ungulates for all African countries from 1996 to 2018 by compiling data from two World Organization for Animal Health databases. For ASF, 22 countries had no data. Countries with the most ASF case were Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, and Nigeria. Greatest reported ASF cases in a year was Benin in 1997 (387,808), Madagascar in 1998 (153,229), and Democratic Republic of Congo in 2011 (112,775). For FMD, 10 countries had no data. Countries with the most FMD cases were Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Benin. Greatest reported FMD cases in a year was Zambia in 2004 (150,000). For RVF, 34 countries had no data. Countries with the most RVF were Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Mauritania, and Kenya. Greatest reported RVF cases in a single year was Tanzania in 2007 (32,128) and South Africa in 2010 (12,569). Our spatio-temporal summary of these TADs can inform global containment strategies and prioritize local education efforts. Combined, this review enhances global awareness of TAD trends while facilitating education at the local level to prevent the risk of animal-to-human zoonosis through animal handling and management decisions.
Methamphetamine-associated pulseless electrical activity in a young child.

Abstract This is a case report of a 19-month-old female who presented to the emergency department in cardiac arrest after methamphetamine exposure. Prior to presentation, she had seizure-like activity and then became unresponsive. On arrival, she had dilated pupils, intermittent clonus, and pulseless electrical activity. She was found to have full thickness circumferential burns of her bilateral lower extremities. She received 12 doses of epinephrine, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and volume resuscitation after which she had return of spontaneous circulation and was transferred to the intensive care unit on an epinephrine drip. Initial laboratory studies showed a mixed metabolic and respiratory acidosis and hyperglycemia. An initial urine immunoassay for drugs of abuse was negative, however, 5 h later, a second urine immunoassay was positive for amphetamine. The first specimen was also sent for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis that later returned positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine. In retrospect, the initial urine screen was found to have evidence of amphetamine below the threshold for positivity (500 ng/mL), and the second urine specimen was highly positive, with an amphetamine level of >1450 ng/mL. In this case, what turned out to be a sub-threshold rather than undetectable level was clinically significant, highlighting the challenges of urine screening in cases of suspected poisoning syndromes with atypical presentations. Our case also suggests the possibility of PEA as a presentation of methamphetamine toxicity in a child.
Distractions in the Operating Room

The goal of this review is to investigate current research in the area of operating room (OR) distractions, in particular, from the perspective of the anesthesia provider. Additionally, the concept of the “sterile cockpit” is discussed as well as the science of attention span in humans. Etiology of distractions may be classified as patient care related, due to technology, noise, and alarms, from interpersonal dynamics or personally driven. Studies show that at least 5% of human factor errors in the OR are due to distractions. Lack of attention has been shown to contribute disproportionately to poor outcomes due to inadequate respiratory monitoring. OR distractions continue to be problematic for the anesthesia providers and patients alike. Implementation of aviation-style distraction mitigation strategies has been proposed though there is limited research to support their efficacy. Additional research in this field is necessary to determine the etiology of patient harm and to guide development of procedures and protocols to reduce OR distractions.