cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new data management system for mobile satellite propagation data

A new method is presented for handling data resulting from Mobile Satellite propagation experiments. This method uses the UNIX operating system and C programming language. The data management system is implemented on a VAX minicomputer. The system is interactive in nature, i.e., it lets the user select portions of data depending upon the ancillary information associated with the data stored in a predetermined header Format. The system also has a number oF programs written both in C and Fortran language to allow the researcher to obtain meaningful quantities From the data gathered.
Microphone Array Post-Filter using Incremental Bayes Learning to Track the Spatial Distributions of Speech and Noise

While current post-filtering algorithms for microphone array applications can enhance beamformer output signals, they assume that the noise is either incoherent or diffuse, and make no allowances for point noise sources which may be strongly correlated across the microphones. In this paper, we present a novel post-filtering algorithm that alleviates this assumption by tracking the spatial as well as spectral distribution of the speech and noise sources present. A generative statistical model is employed to model the speech and noise sources at distinct regions in the soundfield, and incremental Bayesian learning is used to track the model parameters over time. This approach allows a post-filter derived from these parameters to effectively suppress both diffuse ambient noise and interfering point sources. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated on multiple recordings made in a realistic office environment.
Estimating population divergence time and phylogeny from single-nucleotide polymorphisms data with outgroup ascertainment bias

The inference of population divergence times and branching patterns is of fundamental importance in many population genetic analyses. Many methods have been developed for estimating population divergence times, and recently, there has been particular attention towards genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) data. However, most SNP data have been affected by an ascertainment bias caused by the SNP selection and discovery protocols. Here, we present a modification of an existing maximum likelihood method that will allow approximately unbiased inferences when ascertainment is based on a set of outgroup populations. We also present a method for estimating trees from the asymmetric dissimilarity measures arising from pairwise divergence time estimation in population genetics. We evaluate the methods by simulations and by applying them to a large SNP data set of seven East Asian populations.
Direct Effect of Zinc on Mitochondrial Apoptogenesis in Prostate Cells

BACKGROUND Prostate epithelial cells uniquely accumulate significantly higher levels of zinc than other mammalian cells. We previously showed that the accumulation of high intracellular zinc levels in specific prostate cells results in the induction of apoptosis and the inhibition of cell growth. The apoptotic effect is due to zinc induction of mitochondrial apoptogenesis. We now report additional studies that corroborate this effect of zinc and provide insight into the mechanism of this unique effect. METHODS The effect of exposure to physiological levels of zinc on apoptosis was determined for three human prostate cell lines (PC-3, BPH, and HPR-1). Zinc-induced apoptosis was identified by DNA fragmentation. The direct effect of zinc on isolated mitochondrial preparations from each cell line was determined. The mitochondrial release of cytochrome c was determined by Western blot. RESULTS Exposure to zinc induced apoptosis in PC-3 and BPH cells but not in HPR-1 cells. The zinc accumulation in PC-3 (4.3 ± 0.3) and BPH (2.8 ± 0.4) was higher than that in HPR-1 cells (1.8 ± 0.1). The apoptotic effect of zinc on PC-3 cells could be observed as early as 4–6 hr of zinc treatment, and this effect was not reversible. The exposure of isolated mitochondria from PC-3 and BPH cells to zinc resulted in the release of cytochrome c; but zinc had no effect on mitochondria from HPR-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to zinc induces apoptosis in PC-3 and BPH cells, which accumulate high intracellular levels of zinc, but not in HPR-1 cells, which do not accumulate high levels of zinc. Once initiated, the induction of apoptosis is not reversed by the removal of zinc, i.e., it is an irreversible process. The apoptogenic effect is due to a direct effect of zinc on mitochondria that results in the release of cytochrome c. The cell specificity of zinc induction of apoptogenesis is dependent on the ability of the cells to accumulate high levels of intracellular zinc and on the ability of the mitochondria to respond to the direct effect of zinc. Prostate 52: 311–318, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Anti-Hebbian learning in topologically constrained linear networks: a tutorial

Using standard results from the adaptive signal processing literature, we review the learning behavior of various constrained linear neural networks made up of anti-Hebbian synapses, where learning is driven by the criterion of minimizing the node information energy. We point out how simple learning rules of Hebbian type can provide fast self-organization, under rather wide connectivity constraints. We verify the results of the theory in a set of simulations. >
Advanced Position Control

Chapter 6 showed the “forward-control” features of the ROBOTIS RoboPlus V.1 software suite such as “Goal Position”, “Torque Limit” and “Motion Page”. In this Chap. 7, “Torque Limit” would be revisited but in a more “dynamic” manner allowing a limited feedback control capability. Additionally new control parameters such as “Present Load” and “Joint Offset” would be described and their usage demonstrated using an AX-12 based gripper and a special Function named “CALLBACK” from inside the TASK tool.
Management of Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Patients

Nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer may be due to the patient’s specific disease state or may be due to cancer treatment interventions such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, opioids, or other medications. The main approach to the treatment of nausea and vomiting has been the use of antiemetic agents developed primarily for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Agents that were considered useful in the prevention of CINV have then been used for the treatment of established nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Although there have been many clinical trials in the development of agents for the prevention of CINV [62, 64, 70], there have been very few clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of antiemetics in cancer patients with established nausea and vomiting [49, 82].
Constitutionalism and Democracy: Understanding the Relationship

In this essay I explore the relationship between constitutionalism and democracy, between both of these notions and judicial review, and how all three notions relate to moral rights.
VERTEBRAL LESIONS IN UNDULANT FEVER

The case reported is the fifty-seventh case of spondylitis complicating undulant fever to be recorded. Brucella suis was isolated from the blood stream soon after the development of the local lesion, which occurred over a year after the initial infection. The lesion in the lumbar region was treated by surgical fusion, and the cervical lesions, by support, with improvement after seven months. The clinical appearance is the result of the hematogenous localization of bacteria, ordinarily in the osseous marrow, but exceptionally in the disc in young individuals. The roentgenographic findings demonstrate a spreading process of the infiltrative type in which there is a reactive phenomenon, proliferative in nature, and characterized by endosteal and periosteal reaction. The result is sclerosis of the body with hypertrophic spur formation. There is little tendency to invasion of the paravertebral tissues. This complication originates usually in the convalescent stage of undulant fever, but may make its appearance at any time. It is accompanied by a febrile reaction, and is characterized by the acuteness of the symptoms and a benign clinical course. The treatment is medical and surgical. Recovery is the rule.
Modeling the suppression effect of correctional programs on juvenile delinquency

Studies of the effects of correctional programs on juvenile delinquency have observed that delinquents exhibit a sharp rise in their arrest rates up to the time of intervention. The drop to a lower rate following intervention has been labeled a suppression effect. A controversy has arisen regarding the nature of the suppression effect; some scholars attribute it to the effectiveness of the correctional programs, while others claim that it is due to a selection artifact. In this study, we examine attempts to model such phenomena and point out that the general terms in the model are not identifiable. Without identifiability, one can construct models that attribute the suppression effect either to the correctional program or to the selection artifact. Some identifiable models are proposed and their associate likelihood functions are used to present a process of model-based analysis to analyze data collected originally by the American Institutes for Research. Discussion of the feasibility of this type of probabilistic modeling approach to criminal justice phenomena is also given.
THREE DELUSIONAL IDEAS OF THE WESTERN WORLD ON NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, HUMANS, AND THEIR SOCIETIES

With the globalization in the late 20th century, the expansion of Western tradition enters into a new phase of its history, causing severe consequences not only for the Western industrial nation, but also for all human societies. Environmental problems, the mechanizing of our daily life, and the enormous pressure on national economic systems within the world market, are phenomena that not only affect the diversity of world cultures and societies, but also the future of our planet. This essay tries to trace back the origin of essential thought patterns of the Western world. The essay commenced by presenting ideas about key elements of human existence of some extraordinarily influential Western philosophers, which justified norms of behavior passed through successive generations and which have become subconscious constituent part of social behavior. These ideas concern the human relationship to nature, the importance of individualism, and the belief in unlimited growth of economic systems. These ideas are contrasted by anthropological examples presenting alternative attitudes of non-Western societies regarding their relationship to nature, society, and ethics.
Effects of surrounding un bound fluid field on average mass transfer coefficient over surface of a single hollow fiber

The dialysate couples the structure and overall mass transfer within a dialyzer,and the key coupling parameter is the mass transfer coefficient(MTC) of membrane surface by the side of dialysate.The effects of fluid velocity on it have recently been studied much,but the direction of fluid motion is still negligible in these studies.Here,we report our effort on this topic and for simplicity one single hollow fiber in unbound fluid is chosen as model.We checked the cases of several directions of fluid motion,as well as the bounding effects of surrounding nearest neighboring fibers on the fluid pattern around the hollow fiber concerned,and results showed that the MTC in the case of fluid motion normal to the fiber was the biggest,whereas the MTC in the case of fluid motion in parallel to the fiber is the smallest.The former was about 3 times as much as the later.This inclusion was not changed even in the case of the change of surrounding fluid pattern due to its enclosing fibers.To optimize the dialyzer,it is usually simplified as a dual porous media but the mass transfer coefficient depends on both the magnitude and direction of velocity.
Mapping QTLs Controlling Seedling Cold Tolerance in Rice Using F_2 Population

An F2 population of 118 plants developed from a cross between seedling cold tolerance variety Hokkai 289(a Japanese Japonica variety) and a cold susceptible variety Dular (an Indian indica variety) were evaluated for cold resistance of seedlings. A linkage map was constructed by using 79 microsatellite markers.Under low temperature, three putative QTLs on chromosome 1,3 and 9 for seedling height; four QTLs on chromosome 2,8,9 and 11 for chlorophyll contents and four QTLs on chromosome 5,9 and 12 (two QTLs) for chilling injury were mapped.The phenotypic variation explained by individual QTLs changed from 3.82%~34.66%.In this population,we found loci RM160 on chromosome 9 affected seedling growth,chlorosis,wither and dying.
Is there a relationship between solubility and resorbability of different calcium phosphate phases in vitro

Does chemistry govern biology or it is the other way around - that is a broad connotation of the question that this study attempted to answer.Comparison was made between the solubility and osteoclastic resorbability of four fundamentally different monophasic calcium phosphate (CP) powders with monodisperse particle size distributions: alkaline hydroxyapatite (HAP), acidic monetite (DCP), β-calcium pyrophosphate (CPP), and amorphous CP (ACP). Results With the exception of CPP, the difference in solubility between different CP phases became neither mitigated nor reversed, but augmented in the resorptive osteoclastic milieu. Thus, DCP, a phase with the highest solubility, was also resorbed more intensely than any other CP phase, whereas HAP, a phase with the lowest solubility, was resorbed least. CPP becomes retained inside the cells for the longest period of time, indicating hindered digestion of only this particular type of CP. Osteoclastogenesis was mildly hindered in the presence of HAP, ACP and DCP, but not in the presence of CPP. The most viable CP powder with respect to the mitochondrial succinic dehydrogenase activity was the one present in natural biological bone tissues: HAP.Chemistry in this case does have a direct effect on biology. Biology neither overrides nor reverses the chemical propensities of inorganics with which it interacts, but rather augments and takes a direct advantage of them.These findings set the fundamental basis for designing the chemical makeup of CP and other biosoluble components of tissue engineering constructs for their most optimal resorption and tissue regeneration response.
Gestational change in Na+ and Ca2+ channel current densities in rat myometrial smooth muscle cells.

The change of Na+ and Ca2+ channel currents during gestation was investigated using the whole cell voltage-clamp method on single smooth muscle cells freshly isolated from the longitudinal layer of...
Disabled - therefore, Unhealthy?

This paper argues that disabled people can be healthy. I argue, first, following the well-known ‘social model of disability’, that we should prefer a usage of ‘disabled’ which does not imply any kind of impairment that is essentially inconsistent with health. This is because (a) one can be disabled only because limited by false social perception of impairment and (b) one can be, if impaired, disabled not because of the impairment but rather only because of the social response to it. Second, I argue that it is often wrong to use the term ‘healthy’ in a way that makes health inconsistent with any degree whatsoever of health-relevant bodily dysfunction. Whether someone is ‘healthy’ properly-so-called depends on standards of health presupposed in conversational context. Sometimes, I argue, these standards are or ought to be lax enough to allow some people with some health deficits still to count as ‘healthy’ per se. Taking inspiration from David Lewis and Mary Kate Mcgowan, I go on to argue that denying that someone is ‘healthy’ in a context typically succeeds in shifting going presuppositions to require standards strict enough to make that denial acceptable. And this, I conclude by arguing, often constitutes an abuse of conversational power.
Human trafficking of children in Illinois: Prevalence and characteristics

Abstract Not much is known about the prevalence or characteristics of children who come to the attention of child protection systems for human trafficking. This study used administrative data from the Illinois Department of Children and Families Services (DCFS) to compare the prevalence of investigated allegations of human trafficking with the investigated allegations of other types of maltreatment and to describe the characteristics of children with an allegation of human trafficking. From July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2015, there were 563 (0.0008%) investigated allegations of human trafficking compared with a total of 697,062 investigated allegations for all other types of maltreatment. These 563 allegations represented 419 children who were predominantly female (90%), African American (53%), residing in a large urban county (56%), and 14–1/2-years-old, on average. Just under two thirds (61%) had a previous investigated allegation of maltreatment in their case record, and just over one quarter (28%) had at least one entry into out-of-home care prior to, during, and/or after an allegation of human trafficking. These exploratory findings are discussed in the context of federal and state human trafficking laws for minors that have sought to raise awareness of human trafficking in the U.S., and enhance the ability of child welfare systems to identify and serve this population.
On Digit-by-Digit Methods for Computing Certain Functions

A digit-by-digit arithmetic method in computing certain functions, such as cube roots, suitable for FPGA technologies, is presented. In the radix-2 case, this method uses only simple primitive operations such as carry-propagate addition/- subtraction, doubling, and halving. Details of the radix-2 method applied to computing cube root and its square are discussed. Rough estimates of delay and cost are given.
Biocontrol of boxwood blight by Trichoderma koningiopsis Mb2

Boxwood blight caused by Calonectria pseudonaviculata is an emerging destructive disease of great concern to horticulture and forest industries, public garden managers and homeowners across the globe. Current management strategies include use of less susceptible species and cultivars, chemical protection and sanitation practices. Here we report on isolation and identification of Trichoderma koningiopsis Mb2 from collapsing wild mushrooms for biocontrol of boxwood blight. The Trichoderma suppressed C. pseudonaviculata culture growth and controlled boxwood blight in a pre-treatment period dependent manner. Infection was reduced by 85% when Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ cuttings were challenged with the pathogen nine days after pre-treatment with Mb2. An extended interval of 18 or 36 days between pre-treatment and pathogen challenge was required to reduce disease incidence in containerized B. sinica var. insularis ‘Justin Brouwers’ plants by 54%–63%, respectively. Modes of action of Mb2 and the potential implications of these results are discussed.
Precision cell boundary tracking on DIC microscopy video for patch clamping

One method of patch clamping on brain tissue slices in vitro requires a human operator to visually track a cell's boundary and delicately make contact with a cell's membrane using a micropipette's tip. This type of patch clamping may be automated with computer vision methods; yet this is challenging since it requires precision cell-boundary tracking in the presence of heavy noise and interference. In this work, we present a cell-boundary tracking computer vision system which employs a novel deconvolution algorithm specifically created for this application. The deconvolution algorithm was designed to exploit static and dynamic structure in the cell's edges using a reweighted edge-sparsity prior. Quantitative results on simulated data demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm against previous state-of-the-art algorithms. Lastly, the algorithm is applied on real patch clamping video data and qualitative results are discussed.
A case of biliary atresia with pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

The pathogenesis of biliary atresia (BA) is still unknown. There are several reports on the etiology of BA, including pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). We experienced a case of Kasai type IIIa BA with PBM, in which we found elevation of pancreatic enzymes in the gallbladder. We evaluated whether PBM is related to the pathogenesis of BA based on our findings. The patient was born at 40 weeks of gestation. His body weight at birth was 2850 g. At the age of 4 days, he had an acholic stool and was referred to our hospital. Abdominal ultrasonography showed that triangular cord sign was negative. The gallbladder was isolated with a diameter of 19 mm, and it contracted in response to oral feeding. His ultrasonographic findings were atypical for BA, but his jaundice did not improve. Therefore, we performed an operation at the age of 56 days. Intraoperative cholangiography showed a common bile duct and pancreatic duct and a common channel patent, while the common hepatic duct or intrahepatic duct was not visualized. Bile in the gallbladder contained colorless fluid, which showed elevated lipase level (34,100 IU/L). We performed Kasai portoenterostomy under the diagnosis of Kasai type IIIa BA with PBM. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on day 30 after the operation. Histopathological evaluation showed that the lumens of the common bile duct and cystic duct were patent. However, the common hepatic duct was closed, and only bile ductules with diameters of less than 50 μm were isolated. Infiltration of lymphocytes was detected in the porta hepatis. No apparent inflammation was observed around the cystic duct, which was constantly exposed to pancreatic juice because of reflux through PBM. Reflux of pancreatic juice through PBM might not be an etiological factor for BA, but might be associated with patency of the common and cystic bile ducts in Kasai type IIIa BA.
Probabilistic Risk Analysis Versus Decision Analysis: Similarities, Differences and Illustrations

The methods of engineering probabilistic risk analysis and expected-utility decision analysis share a common core: a probabilistic model of occurrences of uncertain events. This model is based on systems analysis and on the identification of an exhaustive and mutually exclusive set of scenarios, their probabilities and their consequences. Both methods rely on an assumption of rationality and the use of Bayesian probability, and both assume separation of probability assessments and of preferences among scenarios’ outcomes. The major differences are rooted in the nature and the framing of the problems that they address. A risk analysis is often performed before decisions have been fully defined, and one of its objectives is then to identify and characterize risk mitigation options. Furthermore, at the time of the analysis, the decision maker who will eventually use the results is often unknown. Therefore, the definition of Bayesian probability as a degree of belief has to be adapted, for instance, by assuming implicit delegation of the user’s judgment to the analyst and the experts, which requires special care in the presentation of the results. Also, a risk analysis is often performed for a single system (e.g., one aircraft) for one unit of time or operation (e.g., one takeoff and landing cycle) when in reality, the analysis may be intended to support risk management decisions that will eventually concern an unknown number of similar systems for an unspecified number of time units. This multiplicity has implications for the treatment of second-level uncertainties (about failure probabilities) and for the need to display these uncertainties in the results. In this paper, the two classical definitions of probability (Bayesian and frequentist) are discussed, focusing on their relevance to both probabilistic risk analysis and decision analysis, when facing aleatory uncertainties (randomness) as well as epistemic uncertainties (limited knowledge about a fundamental phenomenon of interest). The risk and decision analysis methods are then briefly described, along with their similarities and differences. Two illustrations are presented: an analysis, performed in 1990, of the risk of losing a NASA orbiter and its crew due to a failure of the tiles of the thermal protection system, and a method of assessment of the risk of a terrorist attack on the United States in a given time frame, based on available intelligence information (a 2002 study). The latter involves the use of a simple analysis of a game involving alternating decisions and moves by terrorists and the US using a rational model in the descriptive mode. The main conclusion is that whereas the role of the decision analyst is to represent faithfully the beliefs and preferences of a known decision maker in order to identify the preferred alternative, the risk analyst needs to be scrupulous in presenting the model assumptions, as well as the sources and the methods of data processing to allow future decision makers to exercise their own judgments when using the results.
Public Organizations and Data Analysis: Impact on the Role of Public Administrators

In recent years, and due to a myriad of factors, public sector organizations have been asked to do more with less. Budget shortfalls have forced local and state agencies to reduce support staff and increase workloads. A reduction in support staff and decreased revenue has in many ways altered the nature of public service relative to trained public administrators. Public organizations rely heavily on accurate data to make timely decisions regarding budgets, public policy, program implementation and general organization priorities. In order to accomplish these objectives, public administrators must quickly collect, analyze and interpret data. While data management has always been a critical function of most public sector organizations, the demand placed on public organizations by policy makers and the public to quickly analyze and disseminate information has changed the nature of public sector employment. Public administrators, at a minimum, are trained in budgeting, personnel management and organizational theory; it is possible that the changes taking place with regards to the increased demand for data analysis, interpretation and timely information dissemination may be the catalysts for major changes in the roles played by trained public administrators in public organizations. Instead of using the skills acquired through formal training to manage people and making critical organization decisions, public administrators are being asked to simply collect, validate analyze and interpret data for institution wide decision making. The primary objective of this paper is to determine the extent to which demands for data analysis activities is impacting the role trained public administrators play in contemporary public sector organizations.
Narrow-linewidth, tunable external cavity diode lasers through hybrid integration of quantum-well/quantum-dot SOAs with Si 3 N 4 microresonators

We demonstrate hybridly integrated narrow-linewidth, tunable diode lasers via edge coupling. The silicon nitride photonic integrated circuit performs as the tunable external cavity, whereas the gain medium is provided by a quantum-well/quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier.
The Impact of Simulated Microgravity on the Growth of Different Genotypes of the Model Legume Plant Medicago truncatula

Simulated microgravity has been a useful tool to help understand plant development in altered gravity conditions. Thirty-one genotypes of the legume plant Medicago truncatula were grown in either simulated microgravity on a rotating clinostat, or in a static, vertical environment. Twenty morphological features were measured and compared between these two gravity treatments. Within-species genotypic variation was a significant predictor of the phenotypic response to gravity treatment in 100% of the measured morphological and growth features. In addition, there was a genotype–environment interaction (G × E) for 45% of the response variables, including shoot relative growth rate (p < 0.0005), median number of roots (p ∼ 0.02), and root dry mass (p < 0.005). Our studies demonstrate that genotype does play a significant role in M. truncatula morphology and affects the response of plants to the gravity treatment, influencing both the magnitude and direction of the gravity response. These findings are discussed in the context of improving future studies in plant space biology by controlling for genotypic differences. Thus, manipulation of genotype effects, in combination with M. truncatula’s symbiotic relationships with bacteria and fungi, will be important for optimizing legumes for cultivation on long-term space missions.
Non-Conformity in the Anatomical Description of the Duodenum and the Impact on Clinical Communication

Background: Communication errors are frequently identified sources of sentinel events and improving clinician communication is now a focus of patient safety organizations. Medical schools also have an opportunity and interest in improving clinical communication. One area for potential improvement is the miscommunication that can stem from lack of conformity in terminology student doctors learn from academic anatomists and terminology used by practicing physicians who serve as preceptors during third and fourth clinical years. While transitioning from medical school to a clinical setting, student doctors must relearn some clinical anatomical terms .The lack of uniformity in clinical terminology could lead to a miscommunication in the health care field and become detrimental to patient outcomes. Our goal is to determine and implement a universal standardized terminology for the duodenum. Methods: We used nineteen references from six surgical, seven radiological, and six anatomical texts. We compared the resources’ terminology in describing the parts of the duodenum for similarities and differences. Results: The medical resources used five different anatomical descriptions of the duodenum among the three categories of anatomical texts. Additionally, individual sources within the same discipline of each category used different descriptions of the duodenum. Conclusion: Student doctors and teaching clinicians would benefit fromthe use of easily identifiable landmarks instead of vague, conflicting anatomical terms for the duodenum to help solve communication errors. We recommend adoption of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma duodenum nomenclature system, which divides the duodenum into four parts utilizing easily identifiable landmarks. Keywords: DUODENUM; INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNICATION; HEALTH COMMUNICATION; SYSTEMATIZED NOMENCLATURE OF MEDICINE
A Boolean Model of Bipolar Choice

This model is based on the assumption that the world, for the subject, consists of three epochs: the present, the past, and the future. Each epoch has its own moral character, either positive or negative. The present is able to influence the subject directly at the moment of choice. A positive present epoch inclines the subject to perform good actions, while a negative present inclines him toward evil ones.
Lariat Ethers in Membranes and as Membranes

Lariat ethers are macrocyclic (crown ethers) that have one or more sidearms appended to the ring. The sidearms usually contain Lewis basic donor groups when cation binding properties are desired. By combining both a macroring and a sidearm, the advantages of both three-dimensional encapsulation and flexibility are realized. Flexibility is important because cation transport requires rapid complexation and release, especially the latter if it is to be effective. The structural, cation binding, and transport properties are discussed herein. It is also possible to prepare macrocycles having lipophilic sidearms that do not contain any donor group. If lipophilic is enough, these lariat ethers self-assemble into micelles, niosomes, or vesicles. If appropriately designed, these compounds may assemble into smaller, more readily characterized structures. Examples of all of these cases are illustrated herein.
Non-mydriatic single-field fundus photography for the screening of retinal diseases in an executive health clinic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE To determine the accuracy and sensitivity of a single-field non-mydriatic digital fundus image interpreted by an ophthalmologist and performed within a primary care setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fundus photography using a digital non-mydriatic camera was performed on both eyes of 1,175 consecutive patients as part of an executive health program. All fundus images included a 45° field of the posterior pole capturing the optic nerve and macular area. Diagnostic findings were recorded and appropriate recommendations for follow-up were made. Patients were then contacted to see whether appropriate follow-up was successfully completed and chart reviews were performed to determine biomicroscopic findings. RESULTS Photographs were adequate in both eyes in 1,117 patients (95.1%). Examination findings were normal in both eyes in 951 (85.1%) patients. Abnormal findings were noted in either eye in 166 (14.9%) patients. The most common abnormal findings were macular degeneration (57/166, 34.3%), optic nerve cupping (45/166, 27.1%), hypertensive retinopathy (15/166, 9.0%), and choroidal nevi (10/166, 6.0%). In all patients with abnormal findings, routine follow-up ophthalmologic examination with an eye care specialist was indicated and none of the patients required urgent attention. Sensitivity was found to be 87% and stratification was performed based on the initial diagnosis. False-positive results were from confounding diagnoses rather than true false-positives. CONCLUSION Single-field non-mydriatic fundus photography is accurate and sensitive for screening retinal disease in a primary care setting.
PCR amplification of 16S rDNA sequences in Fe-rich sediment of coal refuse drainage

Acid drainage from coal mines or coal refuse, when treated in collection ponds, results in the formation of Fe-rich sediments. The Fe in these sediments inhibits the PCR and hinders identification of bacteria using non-culture 16S rDNA molecular methods. We describe a technique that employs EDTA to dissolve and remove Fe from these sediments, yielding DNA that can be amplified by PCR. The technique allows the identification of bacterial DNA sequences and increases our understanding of the bacterial community in Fe-rich sediments.
Design of Catalysts

Designing catalysts to satisfy process needs is like writing prescriptions to cure illnesses. We hope that the procedure is accurate and successful and try to base it on scientific method. Yet in practice, it is the skill of the practitioner, whose background, knowledge, experience, and awareness of “what has worked in the past” usually prevails. Nevertheless, in catalysis as well as medicine, we continually strive to improve the precision of the design process beyond mere copying of recipes.
Reynolds Number Dependence of Higher Order Statistics for Round Turbulent Jets Using Large Eddy Simulations

Despite the large repository of experimental and computational studies on the topic of turbulent jets, inconclusive and conflicting estimates prevail in regard to certain terms in the turbulence energy budget and the dependence (or lack of dependence) of these and other flow physics on the jet Reynolds number. No comprehensive study exists which adequately addresses these inconsistencies. The purpose of this study is to resolve these contradictions and ascertain the true dependence of the flow statistics on the jet Reynolds number. This is accomplished through high fidelity Large Eddy Simulations (LES), which are performed for a single isothermal round jet at three different Reynolds numbers, encompassing nearly two orders of magnitude. In each case, results are compared to well-accepted experimental and computational studies, and excellent agreement is found with experimental quantities either directly acquired or computed directly from raw data. A separate discrete eddy simulation of the flow in the nozzle upstream of the jet inlet is performed and is found to be crucial in quantifying the flow physics in the near field (e.g., virtual origin). Results show a definite Reynolds number dependence for nearly all third order terms and this is non-negligible especially for the mean convection and production terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget.
Low Systolic Blood Pressure From Treatment and Association With Serious Falls/Syncope.

Introduction With the growing emphasis on intensive blood pressure control, the potential for overtreatment and treatment-related adverse outcomes has become an area of interest. A large representative population within a real-world clinical environment with successful hypertension control rates was used to evaluate serious falls and syncope in people with low-treated systolic blood pressure (SBP). Methods A cross-sectional study among medically treated hypertensive individuals within the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health system (2014–2015) was performed. Serious fall injuries and syncope were identified using ICD codes based on emergency department and hospitalization diagnoses. SBPs in a 1-year window were used to compare serious falls and syncope among individuals with SBP Results In 477,516 treated hypertensive individuals, the mean age was 65 (SD=13) years and the mean SBP was 129 (SD=10) mmHg, with 27% having a minimum SBP Conclusions Among treated hypertensive patients, both minimum and mean SBP less than 110 mmHg were associated with serious falls and syncope. Low treatment-related blood pressures deserve consideration given the emphasis on intensive blood pressure control.
Clinical Supervision for International Counselors-in-Training: Implications for Supervisors

International students face many challenges as counselors-in-training. This study sought to identify, through a phenomenological examination, the supervisory needs, experiences, attitudes, and perc...
China’s Participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations since the 2000s

Although China’s active participation in United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Operations as a personnel contributor has drawn people’s attention, very few have examined under what conditions China sent...
The photo-Arbuzov rearrangement of dimethyl 9-anthrylmethyl phosphite and the photodimerization of the corresponding phosphonate

Upon irradiation, 9-anthrylmethyl phosphite (2) undergoes the photo-Arbuzov rearrangement to give the corresponding phosphonate 3. Prolonged irradiation led to the clean formation of the centrosymmetric, head to tail, [4 + 4] photocycloaddition product 4 as indicated by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The same photodimer results on irradiation of phosphonate 3 itself in solution or in the solid phase. Phosphite 2 does not undergo photodimerization to 6. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 9:155–160, 1998
The Past and Present of Imitation Learning: A Citation Chain Study

Imitation Learning is a promising area of active research. Over the last 30 years, Imitation Learning has advanced significantly and been used to solve difficult tasks ranging from Autonomous Driving to playing Atari games. In the course of this development, different methods for performing Imitation Learning have fallen into and out of favor. In this paper, I explore the development of these different methods and attempt to examine how the field has progressed. I focus my analysis on surveying 4 landmark papers that sequentially build upon each other to develop increasingly impressive Imitation Learning methods.
Neurogenethics: An emerging discipline at the intersection of ethics, neuroscience, and genomics

The analysis of ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) associated with genetics (“genethics”) has focused on traditional concerns in bioethics, such as privacy and informed consent. The analysis of ELSI associated with neuroscience (“neuroethics”) has focused on concerns related to personhood, such as free will or cognitive enhancement. With neurogenomics coming of age, this is an appropriate time to attend to the set of novel concerns that arises when we consider the confluence of these two lines of research. I call this area of ethics inquiry “neurogenethics”, map out the problem space, and highlight future areas of inquiry related to genome editing and gene therapy, optogenetics and memory manipulation, and genomic identity and online communities.
Association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and serointensity and brain volume in adults: A cross-sectional study

The intracellular protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with worsened cognitive function in animal models and in humans. Despite these associations, the mechanisms by which Toxoplasma gondii might affect cognitive function remain unknown, although Toxoplasma gondii does produce physiologically active intraneuronal cysts and appears to affect dopamine synthesis. Using data from the UK Biobank, we sought to determine whether Toxoplasma gondii is associated with decreased prefrontal, hippocampal, and thalamic gray-matter volumes and with decreased total gray-matter and total white-matter volumes in an adult community-based sample. The results from adjusted multivariable regression modelling showed no associations between Toxoplasma gondii and prefrontal, hippocampal, and thalamic brain gray-matter volumes. In contrast, natural-log transformed antibody levels against the Toxoplasma gondii p22 (b = -3960, 95-percent confidence interval, -6536 to -1383, p < .01) and sag1 (b = -4863, 95-percent confidence interval, -8301 to -1425, p < .01) antigens were associated with smaller total gray-matter volume, as was the mean of natural-log transformed p22 and sag1 titers (b = -6141, 95-percent confidence interval, -9886 to -2397, p < .01). There were no associations between any of the measures of Toxoplasma gondii and total white-matter volume. These findings suggest that Toxoplasma gondii might be associated with decreased total gray-matter in middle-aged and older middle-aged adults in a community-based sample from the United Kingdom.
A Negotiated Disadvantage? California Collective Bargaining Agreements and Achievement Gaps:

Using panel data from three successive collective bargaining (CBA) negotiation cycles from 277 California school districts in a difference-in-differences framework, I investigate the relationship b...
Move Beyond The One-Hit Wonder of Economic Growth and Use the Whole Hymnal

On the choir director’s stand, in the church of economists and policymakers, like a singly worn page of “Amazing Grace” in an otherwise untouched hymnal, is the anthem of economic growth. This song once had great life, but the tempo of GDP growth has slowed. Due in part to the slowing tempo, economic growth alone is insufficient for solving the myriad of ills present in contemporary society. Fortunately, the anthem of economic growth is just one page in the hymnal yet to be fully explored. Other pages from the hymnal can find their roots in a wider set of higher-order principles for the economy that could be derived from the Bible. These higher-order principles would likely concern work, rest, debt, stewardship, poverty, integrity, and our relationship to others and would support human flourishing if utilized. Consequently, this paper argues for the development and use of biblically-derived higher-order principles as guides for both defining economic goals and exploring ways to achieve them.
Developments in the Search for Small-Molecule Inhibitors for Treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is the first new infectious disease of this century, caused by a novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and the disease is associated with severe pulmonary pathological features leading to high mortality. This chapter talks about different kinds of inhibitors such as small-molecule inhibitors, peptide, and papain-like proteinase inhibitors. SARS-CoV is a positive-sense single-stranded (ss) RNA virus. The 30-kb genome is predicted to encode at least 10 open reading frames (ORF), some of which encode proteins involved in virus entry into cells. Receptor-virus interaction can be inhibited using two approaches. First, develop inhibitors that block the cellular receptor with which the virus attachment protein interacts. Second, block the domain in the virus attachment protein that binds to the cellular receptor. Researchers have determined the crystal structures of human coronavirus 3CLpro and suggested that the rhinovirus 3CLpro inhibitor AG7088 could serve as a starting point for an anti-SARS drug based on the theoretical homology model of SARS-CoV 3CLpro. Researchers have showed that the RNAi targeting of the coronavirus RdRp using synthesized short hairpin expression plasmids significantly reduced the expression of target protein in 293 cells and HeLa cells and blocked plaque formation of SARS-CoV in Vero E6 cells. Development of inhibitors of the innate immune response might also be worthwhile, with the caveat that humans, like animals, are reservoirs of mixed infections, latent, chronic, and acute, and that down-regulating an immune response to ameliorate a SARS infection may exacerbate a coexisting infection from another infectious agent.
Effect of varying ratios of produced water and municipal water on soil characteristics, plant biomass, and secondary metabolites of Artemisia annua and Panicum virgatum

Abstract Coal-bed natural gas production in the U.S. in 2012 was 1655 billion cubic feet (bcf). A by-product of this production is co-produced water, which is categorized as a waste product by the Environmental Protection Agency. The effects of varying concentrations of coal-bed methane (produced) water were studied in the greenhouse to elucidate their effects on two species as feedstock for lignocellulosic ethanol production: Panicum virgatum L. and Artemisia annua L. Two populations of A. annua were used, one from Canada and the other from Bulgaria. Plants were treated with varying ratios of produced water: control (0% produced or 100% municipal water), 25% produced, 50% produced, 75% produced, and 100% produced water. With increased concentration of produced water, the soil soluble Na increased, whereas soil soluble Mg and Ca decreased. The Na adsorption ratio (SAR) increased from 2 in the control to 21 in the 100% produced water treatment, and significant interaction was observed between the crop and water terms for electrical conductivity and phosphorus bicarbonate. SAR also increased in soils with both varieties of wormwood and with switchgrass as a result of increased concentrations of produced water. In addition, SAR was influenced by crop; SAR was higher in soil under switchgrass than in soil under the wormwood varieties. The biomass yields had significant interaction between crop and water treatments with Bulgarian wormwood consistently yielding more until the highest concentration of produced water when it decreased below that of Canadian wormwood. Bulgarian wormwood yielded the most with 131 g/pot for the control followed by the 75% (118 g/pot, statistically similar to control), 25% (111 g/pot, statistically similar to control), and 50% (107 g/pot) treatments. Biomass yields were reduced in the 100% produced water treatment. Regression analysis of the Canadian wormwood essential oil yield and constituents revealed weak correlations to increasing treatment of produced water. β-pinene, for which a quadratic yield curve was present, indicated a steep decline and leveling off of β-pinene production at high concentrations of produced water. The study shows increasing accumulation of Na and salts in the soil with increasing concentration of the produced (saline–sodic) water. High concentrations of these ions (average Na concentrations were 1156 mg l−1) and salts in the 100% produced water treatment hampered growth and development of the plants. Implications of this research indicate that produced water could be utilized chemically untreated if diluted with high quality water. Produced water concentrations in dilution can be no higher than 25% in order to avoid deleterious soil and plant growth effects.