cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bidirectional magnetic bearing with fault-tolerant capability

A fault tolerant current distribution scheme is presented for a bidirectional magnetic bearing with reduced eddy currents and cross coupled stiffness. The bearing continues to function normally even though one coil among four radial coils and on coil of two axial coils fail. The dynamic properties and load capacity remain unchanged for the suggested fault tolerant control scheme at the cost of additional hardware such as a decoupling choke, additional DSP channels, and power amplifiers. Novel improvements to reduce flux coupling between the radial and axial plane, lower eddy current loss, increase the current stiffness-inductance ratio are presented. A one-dimensional circuit that represents the bidirectional bearing is utilized to obtain the optimal bearing parameters such as the radial pole face area, number of coil turns and permanent magnet size. Three dimensional finite element models were also utilized. Nonlinear or anisotropic properties were assigned to the solid components and stacked laminates. Analysis with these models yielded gap flux densities, three by three current and position stiffness matrices, and insight into eddy current generation. The results identified advantages of the fault tolerant scheme and bidirectional bearing improvements relative to conventional magnetic suspension.
Therapeutic Stages of Forgiveness and Self-Forgiveness

This theoretical reflection of the authors' postulates four therapeutic stages of the forgiveness and self-forgiveness process. These discreet stages of therapy are titled: recognition, responsibility, expression, and recreating. The authors' purpose in presenting this reflection is to provide therapists descriptive stages that they can utilize to develop effective interventions for each of the stages of forgiveness or self-forgiveness a caregiver is experiencing. The authors' practice experience and a review of the literature about forgiveness and self-forgiveness led to the development of the four therapeutic stages of forgiveness and self-forgiveness presented. A case example is provided that chronicles the caregiver's experience while working through each of the four therapeutic stages. A discussion of implications for practice and further research questions is presented.
Optimal Power Control for Multi-User Relay Networks over Fading Channels

In energy-constrained wireless networks such as sensor networks, it is important to maximize power efficiency by minimizing power consumption for a given quality of service such as the data rate; it is equally important to evenly or fairly distribute power consumption to all nodes to maximize the network life. In this paper, we develop optimal power control methods to balance the tradeoff between energy efficiency and fairness for wireless cooperative networks where several relays assist the communication of multiple source-destination pairs. Our optimal power control policy is derived in a quasi-closed form by solving a convex optimization problem with a properly chosen cost-function. We further develop novel stochastic optimization algorithms to dynamically learn the statistics of the wireless channels on-the-fly to approach the optimal power control policy. Moreover, our power control algorithm can be implemented distributedly at relays requiring each relay to know its local channel state information. Simulation results demonstrate the merits of our power control methods.
Management of a previously unreported implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead complication

A 68-year-old male with a right pectoral implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in situ underwent a technically challenging extraction/replacement of a Sprint Fidelis lead at the time of elective replacement of the generator. During implantation of the new model 6935M 55 cm defibrillator lead, the suture sleeve …
Locations of the ectodermal and nonectodermal subdivisions of the epiblast at stages 3 and 4 of avian gastrulation and neurulation

A prospective fate map of the avian epiblast at late gastrula and early neurula stages has been generated through the construction of quail/chick transplantation chimeras. This map shows the subdivisions of the prospective ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm, both within the epiblast prior to their ingression and within the primitive streak. The map demarcates the locations and extents of the prospective surface ectoderm, otic placodes, neural crest, and neural plate-including its postnodal levels—in prospective ectoderm of the epiblast; prospective foregut, within the prospective endoderm of the epiblast and primitive streak; and prospective notochord, somites, intermediate mesoderm, lateral plate mesoderm, and extraembryonic mesoderm in the prospective mesoderm of the epiblast and/or primitive streak. Prospective cardiogenic cells are apparently absent from the primitive streak at these stages, and contributions of the epiblast to the heart are relatively scant and inconsistent with the expected timing and directions of migrations of prospective cardiogenic cells. Mapping of the primitive streak at earlier stages in another study (Garcia-Martinez and Schoenwolf: Developmental Biology, in press) reveals that the ingression of cardiogenic cells through the primitive streak occurs prior to late gastrula stages, suggesting that contributions of epiblast to the heart at later stages are artifactual. Tests of prospective potency, based on the projected locations of origin of various cell groups provided by the new prospective fate map, are underway. © 1993 wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the complexity of reasoning in Kleene algebra

We study the complexity of reasoning in Kleene algebra and *-continuous Kleene algebra in the presence of extra equational assumptions E; that is, the complexity of deciding the validity of universal Horn formulas E/spl rarr/s=t, where E is a finite set of equations. We obtain various levels of complexity based on the form of the assumptions E. Our main results are: for *-continuous Kleene algebra, if E contains only commutativity assumptions pq=qp, the problem is II/sub 1//sup 0/-complete; if E contains only monoid equations, the problem is II/sub 2//sup 0/-complete; for arbitrary equations E, the problem is II/sub 1//sup 1/-complete. The last problem is the universal Horn theory of the *-continuous Kleene algebras. This resolves an open question of Kozen (1994).
Major's lesser (not minor) effects: prime ministerial approval and governing party support in Britain since 1979

Abstract Recent studies have challenged a long-standing conventional wisdom that British prime ministers have little or no influence on party support. This research is based largely on data gathered during Margaret Thatcher's lengthy term in office. Given her enormous salience and the powerful emotions that her policies and personality evoked, the conclusion that voters' evaluations of prime ministerial performance typically are very influential may be unwarranted. This paper addresses the possibility by comparing the impact of prime ministerial approval on governing party vote intentions during the Thatcher and Major eras. Time series analyses of error correction models of Conservative Party support for the 1979–1996 period reveal that prime ministerial approval had stronger short- and long-run effects on vote intentions during the Thatcher years. However, both kinds of effects remained statistically significant and substantively important when Major was prime minister.
The future of Acute Care for Elders

America’s health care system is facing the need to care for increasing numbers of older patients with complex needs. Almost one million older persons are hospitalized per year in the United States for treatment of an acute illness. At the same time, the entire framework of practice and reimbursement is changing as a result of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Many American hospitals will participate in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). These ACOs will shift the overall quality and costs of care to a shared responsibility between the health system and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As we look toward the future of the Acute Care for Elders model, we will describe that future in the context of the reform of our health care system. We will describe several of these changes and the implications for ACE.
Randomized algorithms for data reconciliation in wide area aggregate query processing

Many aspects of the data integration problem have been considered in the literature: how to match schemas across different data sources, how to decide when different records refer to the same entity, how to efficiently perform the required entity resolution in a batch fashion, and so on. However, what has largely been ignored is a way to efficiently deploy these existing methods in a realistic, distributed enterprise integration environment. The straightforward use of existing methods often requires that all data be shipped to a coordinator for cleaning, which is often unacceptable. We develop a set of randomized algorithms that allow efficient application of existing entity resolution methods to the answering of aggregate queries over data that have been distributed across multiple sites. Using our methods, it is possible to efficiently generate aggregate query results that account for duplicate and inconsistent values scattered across a federated system.
Compatibilist Free Will: The Necessary Elements and Their Importance

Banja (2015) argues in support of a compatibilist position on free will. He claims that it is possible for a version of free will to exist in a deterministic universe. This version of free will foc...
Geldanamycin Treatment During Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Attenuates p44/42 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Activation and Tissue Damage

Background: Heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor geldanamycin was found to be neuroprotective in various experimental models of brain disease. The effect was attributed to the induction of heat-shock proteins and/or disruption of cellular signaling. Methods: In Sprague–Dawley rats, the middle cerebral artery was occluded for 90 min using the intraluminal suture method. Geldanamycin (300 mg/kg) or vehicle was injected intraperitoneally 15 min before onset of ischemia or reperfusion. Animals were sacrificed at 2, 4 or 24 h after ischemia onset and brain samples were processed for infarct volume measurement, Western blot analysis or immunofluorescent staining of Hsp90, Raf-1, p38, and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Results: Geldanamycin treatment during ischemia or reperfusion reduced infarct volume by 79 and 61 % respectively. Geldanamycin decreased Raf-1 and activated p44/42 MAPK proteins, but did not alter levels of activated p38 MAPK during early reperfusion. Hsp90 was co-localized with Raf-1 and activated p44/42 MAPK in the cytoplasm of ischemic neurons. Conclusion: Geldanamycin-induced protection against transient focal cerebral ischemia may in part be based upon depletion of Raf-1 and blockade of p44/42 MAPK activation.
Breed effects, retained heterosis, and estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters for carcass and meat traits of beef cattle.

Retained heterosis for meat traits was estimated in F3 generation castrate males in three composite populations of beef cattle finished on two levels of dietary energy density (2.82 Mcal of ME and 3.07 Mcal of ME and 11.50% CP) and serially slaughtered at four end points at intervals of 20 to 22 d. Breed effects were evaluated in nine parental breeds (Red Poll [R], Hereford [H], Angus [A], Limousin [L], Braunvieh [B], Pinzgauer [P], Gelbvieh [G], Simmental [S], and Charolais [C]) that contributed to the three composite populations (MARC I = 1/4 B, 1/4 C, 1/4 L, 1/8 H, 1/8 A; MARC II = 1/4 G, 1/4 S, 1/4 H, 1/4 A; and MARC III = 1/4 R, 1/4 P, 1/4 H, and 1/4 A). Breed effects were important (P < .01) for all carcass and meat traits evaluated. Dietary energy density and slaughter group affected (P < .05) most traits evaluated. The effects of retained heterosis were not consistent among composites. For the mean of the three composites, retained heterosis was significant only for percentage of 9-10-11th rib fat and for percentage of retail product. Phenotypic correlations indicated that marbling score was a poor predictor of palatability attributes of individual carcasses. Estimates of heritability were intermediate to high for measures of fatness but were generally low for palatability attributes. The high negative genetic correlation (-.56) between percentage of retail product and marbling score and the relatively low genetic correlations between percentage of retail product and palatability attributes suggests the need for simultaneous attention to percentage of retail product and palatability attributes rather than to marbling score. Correlations among breed group means were generally high for measures of fatness with palatability attributes and were high and negative for percentage of retail product with marbling score and with other measures of fatness. Limited opportunity exists for selecting among breeds to achieve high levels of marbling in the longissimus muscle simultaneously with a high percentage of retail product. These results suggest that the most logical approach to resolution of the genetic antagonism between favorable carcass composition and less favorable palatability attributes is to form composite breeds with breed contributions organized to achieve an optimum balance between favorable carcass composition and desirable palatability attributes at optimum slaughter weights.
Aircraft Evaluation in Air Network Planning

The relationship between aircraft technology and the structure of air service networks in short haul systems is investigated. The analysis is based on an optimal frequency assignment model that is integrated with a route choice model. Together these models allow the optimization of aircraft utilization and define an optimal network structure for a given demand pattern and aircraft technology. Large aircraft have a compelling advantage due to the scale economies they enjoy. Small aircraft, on the other hand, can offer level-of-service advantages and an opportunity for reducing the dependence on congested major transfer hubs in the network. A desirable technology development trend would be aimed at eliminating the diseconomies of distance suffered by small aircraft due to their limited payload-range characteristics.
Preface and Introduction to Private Land Use Arrangements: Easements, Real Covenants and Equitable Servitudes (3rd ed. Juris Publishing 2016)

The introductory materials to Private Land Use Arrangements: Easements, Real Covenants and Equitable Servitudes (3rd ed., Juris Publishing, 2016) include the Preface and Chapter 1 to the book. These materials provide an overview to the book’s approach and coverage of the wide range of consensual arrangements used allocate non-possessory interests in land. Easements, real covenants, and equitable servitudes are arguably a more fundamental part of the legal landscape today than before, with new iterations being added to established uses of these devices. Consider just a few examples: these private arrangements are prerequisites to virtually all residential and commercial development today; access to energy, both traditional oil and gas pipelines and new solar and wind turbines, require easements and covenants for operation; and conservation easements - a new vehicle - have revolutionized the land preservation sector.The book clarifies the law of easements, real covenants, and equitable servitudes. It organizes and explains the governing rules, with the goal of making them more accessible, understandable, and utilizable. It also explores the theory and policy underlying the rules when that is important in understanding the law and the direction of the courts. This approach hopefully will prove to be useful to the practicing bar, courts, and scholarly community. This third edition reflects new developments in the courts, legislatures, and secondary sources. This edition also describes provisions of the Restatement (Third) of Property - Servitudes, adopted by the American Law Institute in 2000, and examines how some of the forward-looking positions of the Third Restatement have been received by the courts.
The Impact of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Prescribing Guidelines on Emergency Department Opioid Prescribing: A Multi-Center Survey.

OBJECTIVE. Emergency department (ED) providers are high volume but low quantity prescribers of opioid analgesics (OA). Few studies have examined differences in opioid prescribing decisions specifically among ED providers. The aim of this study was to describe OA prescribing decisions of ED providers at geographically diverse centers, including utilization of prescribing guidelines and prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP).METHODS. This was a multi-center cross-sectional Web-based survey of ED providers who prescribe OA. Respondents were asked about their OA prescribing decisions, their use of PDMPs, and their use of prescribing guidelines. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of association were used to assess the relationship between providers' opioid prescribing decisions and independent covariates.RESULTS. The total survey population was 957 individuals and 515 responded to the survey for an overall response rate of 54%. The frequency of respondents who prescribed different types of pain medication was variable between centers. Fifty-nine percent (219/369) of respondents were registered to access a PDMP, and 5% (18/369) were not aware whether their state had a PDMP. Forty percent (172/426) of respondents used OA prescribing guidelines, while 24% (103/426) did not, and 35% (151/426) were unaware of prescribing guidelines. Sixteen percent (68/439) of respondents indicated they have prescribed OA to expedite patient discharge, and 12% (54/439) to improve patient satisfaction. No significant differences in OA prescribing decisions were found between groups either by use of PDMP or by guideline adherence.CONCLUSIONS. In this multi-center survey study of ED clinicians, OA prescribing decisions varied between centers and found some providers occasionally prescribe OA for non-medical reasons including expediting ED discharge and increasing patient satisfaction. The utilization of prescribing guidelines and PDMPs was not associated with differences in OA prescribing decisions. Language: en
Edna Mahan: Sustaining the Reformatory Tradition

Edna Mahan served as Superintendent of the New Jersey Reformatory for Women for forty years (1928-1968). She rescued the reformatory tradition of separate, rehabilitative institutions for female offenders as it was beginning to flag and sustaining it into the 1960s. She served as a link with the original philosophy of female prisons and is a model for those who, today, seek to rehabilitate, not punish. She was one of the most powerful and successful of twentieth century women's prison superintendents. The article is based on my biography of Edna Mahan, Excellent Effect: The Edna Mahan Story, published in 1994 by the American Correctional Association. It draws on institutional board minutes, reports, and studies; Mahan's diaries, correspondence, and professional papers; American Correctional Association publications; interviews: and my personal acquaintance with Mahan.
Serret's Analogue of Desargues's Theorem

(1922). Serret's Analogue of Desargues's Theorem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 111-112.
Survival of Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae after Short-Term Feeding Periods on Cotton Treated with Bacillus thuringiensis

Studies were conducted to determine if any adverse effects ensued when larvae of Heliothis virescens (F.) survived various feeding periods on cotton treated with Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner. Some of the 2nd instars that were fed B. thuringiensis -treated terminals for 6, 18, or 30 h and then transferred to an untreated diet survived. The ability of larvae to recover decreased with increases in dosage rate or exposure time. After feeding periods of 18 or 30 h, duration of the larval stage was significantly increased. Effects on pupae were similar. No effects on adult longevity, fecundity, egg viability, or F1 larval survival were detected.
Molecular behavior at buried epoxy/poly(ethylene terephthalate) interface.

Epoxies are widely used as main components in packaging underfills for microelectronics. Their strong adhesion to different substrate materials is an important factor for the functioning of electronic devices. Amines are commonly used cross-linking agents for epoxides. However, the molecular mechanisms of epoxide–amine mixture adhesion to substrate materials remain unclear. In this research we investigated the adhesion mechanism of epoxide–amine mixtures at poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) interfaces using attenuated total-internal reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. Results show that both epoxide and amine could diffuse into the PET film. They could also dissolve or modify the PET film at the interphase region. In the process of epoxy curing on PET, epoxide molecules could cross-link with the modified PET film, providing strong adhesion. This hypothesis was further confirmed by adding reactive and nonreactive silanes...
The Study on Resolution and Systematic Distortion of Fingerprint Device Detecting System

The main design,constitution,and principle are described about the fingerprint device detecting system. It can calculate automatically optical system resolution and systematic distortion coefficient in the production of fingerprint device,so artificial error can be avoided. An experimental data in detecting system is given to the practicability.
Software fault predicting system and its knowledge model library

Previous researches on software faults prediction are not based on the information of the whole process but the partial process of software development.This paper proposes a framework that integrates various methods of fault prediction and a knowledge model library which is made up of experiential rules library,ANN model and BBNs.Compared with the existing methods,this integrated framework makes full use of the development process information and is more versatile.
Investigation on the geohelminthes infection among schools of peasant workers children in Jinshan District,Shanghai

Objective To investigate the prevalence of intestinal geohelminthes infection among schools of peasant workers children in Jinshan District, Shanghai. Methods 502 samples of feces were examined by Kato-Katz thick smear methods. The questionnaire with knowledge of intestinal parasites prevention and control were conducted among 502 students before and after health education intervention. Results 31 of 502 students were infected geohelminthes with an incidence of 6.18%. The infection rates of roundworm, hook worm and whipworm were 2.59%(13/502), 0.60%(3/502) and 3.39%(17/502), respectively. There was no significant difference in the infection rates between boys and girls. Before and after the intervention, the knowledge rate of intestinal parasites prevention and control were 45.04% and 70.59%, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of geohelminthes infection in schools of peasant workers’ children were higher than that in schools of local children, indicating that students in schools of peasant workers children were the focal population in prevention and control of intestinal parasites.
KS-Detect – Validation of Solar Thermal PCR for the Diagnosis of Kaposi’s Sarcoma Using Pseudo-Biopsy Samples

Resource-limited settings present unique engineering challenges for medical diagnostics. Diagnosis is often needed for those unable to reach central healthcare systems, making portability and independence from traditional energy infrastructure essential device parameters. In 2014, our group presented a microfluidic device that performed a solar-powered variant of the polymerase chain reaction, which we called solar thermal PCR. In this work, we expand on our previous effort by presenting an integrated, portable, solar thermal PCR system targeted towards the diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma. We call this system KS-Detect, and we now report the system's performance as a diagnostic tool using pseudo-biopsy samples made from varying concentrations of human lymphoma cell lines positive for the KS herpesvirus (KSHV). KS-Detect achieved 83% sensitivity and 70% specificity at high (≥ 10%) KSHV+ cell concentrations when diagnosing pseudo-biopsy samples by smartphone image. Using histology, we confirm that our prepared pseudo-biopsies contain similar KSHV+ cell concentrations as human biopsies positive for KS. Through our testing of samples derived from human cell lines, we validate KS-Detect as a viable, portable KS diagnostic tool, and we identify critical engineering considerations for future solar-thermal PCR devices.
Arteriocaliceal fistula from prolonged nephrostomy tube drainage.

AbstractWe report a case of an arteriocaliceal fistula that occurred after 21 months of continuous nephrostomy drainage. Hemorrhage was successfully controlled with selective angiography and embolization. Although unusual, arterial injury should be considered when patients with indwelling nephrostomy tubes present with new onset of bleeding.
Overview of the Complex Variable Boundary Element Method (CVBEM)

An advanced mathematical modeling approach to solving two-dimensional potential problems is obtained by use of the Cauchy integral equation for complex variable analytic functions. The resulting integral equation is readily solvable by computer, and produces a pair of two-dimensional conjugate harmonic functions which satisfy the Laplace equation over the problem domain.
Sensing capacity for target detection

We define a notion of 'sensing capacity' that characterizes the ability of a sensor network to successfully distinguish among a discrete set of targets. Sensing capacity is defined as the maximum ratio of target positions to sensors for which inference of targets within a certain distortion is achievable. We demonstrate a lower bound on this capacity. Unlike previous work on 'sensor network capacity', our notion of sensing capacity is defined by the sensing task itself, as opposed to external resource constraints such as power, communications, and processing.
Pre-pregnancy and Early Prenatal Care are Associated with Lower Risk of Ectopic Pregnancy Complications in the Medicaid Population: 2004-08.

Background Ectopic pregnancy causes significant maternal morbidity and mortality. Complications are more common among women with Medicaid or no insurance compared to those with private insurance. It is unknown whether preventive care prior to pregnancy and prenatal care, which are covered by Medicaid, would decrease complications if they were more fully utilised. Methods Medicaid claims were used to identify a clinical cohort of women who experienced an ectopic pregnancy during 2004–08 among all female Medicaid enrolees from a large 14-state population, ages 15–44. Diagnosis and procedure codes were used to identify ectopic pregnancies and associated complications. The primary outcomes were complications associated with ectopic pregnancy: blood transfusion, sterilisation, or hospitalisation with length of stay greater than 2 days. Independent variables were documentation of preventive care within 1 year prior to the ectopic pregnancy and prenatal care within 4 months prior. Results Controlling for race, age, and state of residence, women's risks of any ectopic pregnancy complication were independently higher among those who did not receive any Medicaid-covered preventive care within 1 year before the ectopic pregnancy compared to those who did (RR 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09, 1.16), and among those who did not receive any Medicaid-covered prenatal care within 4 months prior, compared to those who did (RR 1.89, 95% CI 1.83, 1.96). Conclusions Pre-pregnancy and prenatal care are independently associated with decreased risk of ectopic pregnancy complications among Medicaid beneficiaries.
ORGANIZATIONS WHICH PROVIDE CONSULTATIVE SERVICES IN SERBIA

In West Europe countries, the consultative services had developed for decades backwards, so today are active numerous consultative organizations which differ one from another by organization, financing model and process of consulting. However, the consultative services market in Serbia is very atypical, with massive number of small consultative organizations and extremely small number of big companies. Taking into consideration other well defined markets, the consultative market is susceptible to continuous changes, which is normal regarding specificity of businesses they do, and emergency to research permanently new forms of organization and to be ahead of a practice.
A tempo-spatial compressed sensing architecture for efficient high-throughput information acquisition in organs-on-a-chip

As a micro engineered biomimetic system to replicate key functions of living organs, organs-on-a-chip (OC) technology provides a high-throughput model for investigating complex cell interactions with a high temporal and spatial resolution in biological studies. Typically, microscopy and highspeed video cameras are used for data acquisition, which are expensive and bulky. Recently, compressed sensing (CS) has increasingly attracted attentions due to its extremely low-complexity structure and low sampling rate. However, there is no CS solution tailored for tempo-spatial information acquisition. In this paper, we propose Tempo-Spatial CS (TS-CS), a unified CS architecture for OC stream which achieves significant cost reduction and truly combines sensing with compression along the temporal and spatial domains. We point out that TS-CS can consistently achieve better performance by exploiting tempo-spatial compressibility in OC data. To this end, we present TS-CS architecture and comprehensively evaluate the system performance. With comparison to the traditional way, we show that TS-CS always obtains better recovery result with a throughput bound and can achieve around 25% throughput improvement under a reconstruction demand.
Fault tree logic models

Combining, propagating, and accounting for uncertainties are considered in this new extension of reliability assessment. Fault trees have been used successfully for years in probabilistic risk assessment. This scheme is based on classical (Boolean) logic. Now this method is expanded to include other logics. Three of the many proposed logics in the literature considered here are Lukasiewicz, Boolean, and fuzzy. This is a step towards answering the questions: Which is the most appropriate logic for the given situation, and how can uncertainty and imprecision be addressed?
Structural and functional analysis of the human TPMT gene promoter.

Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) catalyzes S-methylation of aromatic and heterocyclic sulfhydryl compounds, including the cytotoxic and immunosuppressive thiopurine medications mercaptopurine, azathioprine and thioguanine. Variations in TPMT activity are an important determinant of the therapeutic and toxicologic effect of these drugs.1 Recently our lab and others have isolated and characterized the human gene encoding TPMT,2 permitting us to study the transcriptional regulation of the gene, by structural and functional analysis of its promoter region.
Physiologic levels of resistin induce a shift from proliferation to apoptosis in macrophage and VSMC co-culture

Abstract Background Resistin, an adipokine with inflammatory properties, has been associated with plaque vulnerability. Vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophages are the major cellular components in advanced atherosclerotic plaques and interdependently affect plaque stability. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of resistin on the interactions of vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophages using co-culture systems. Methods Human monocytes were differentiated into macrophages. Vascular smooth muscle cells were grown and starved prior to co-culture condition. Indirect co-culture was performed by treating macrophages with resistin at 10 ng/mL for 24 hours with/without eV1-2, a selective protein kinase C epsilon inhibitor. Macrophages supernatants were then used to treat vascular smooth muscle cells for 24 hours. Direct co-culture was performed by culturing macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells together for 24 to 48 hours. Cultures were evaluated for changes in proliferation, apoptosis, and gene expression of apoptosis, proliferation, and inflammation-associated genes. Results Macrophages induced vascular smooth muscle cells proliferation, which was further exaggerated in resistin-treated macrophages in the indirect co-culture model. Resistin also upregulated cyclin D1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen via protein kinase C epsilon in the indirect co-culture. Augmented proliferation was further confirmed in the direct co-culture model, particularly at increased macrophage ratios. However, resistin treatment induced apoptosis in the presence of direct cell to cell interactions. Along with the shift to apoptosis, expressions of caspase 3 and caspase 8 were upregulated. The expression of kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells 1 and 2 was similar in direct and indirect co-cultures. Conclusion Resistin promotes a shift from proliferation to apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophage co-culture systems with cellular composition similar to that found in vulnerable regions of plaques. Protein kinase C epsilon mediates the effects of resistin, suggesting that protein kinase C epsilon may represent a therapeutic strategy in resistin-associated atherosclerotic complications.
Service Learning In A College Nutrition Class: Examination Of Elementary School Lunch

A service learning project was implemented in a college nutrition course to examine what elementary school students actually consume during lunch. Students organized in teams with specific tasks for each stage of the project (data collection, analysis, interpretation). The project yielded meaningful recommendations for modifications in the school menu, which were implemented by the school district. The incorporation of service-learning is an excellent option for a general nutrition college course.
New penis characters to distinguish between two American Artemia species

We studied characteristics of distal retractile penis structures for two recognized species from the New World: A. franciscana, and A. persimilis. Artemia franciscana was characterized by the absence of spine-like outgrowths, while A. persimilis had several spine-like outgrowths at the base of the eversible penis. The distal part of everted penis of A. franciscana is a simple tube armed near its base with only an occasional wart-like protuberance tipped with a single thin spine and ending in a finger-like tip. The retractile penis in A. persimilis was armed with two different groups of conical spine-like outgrowths. The first row of three to four spine-like outgrowths was localized at the junction of the basal and the distal part in a lateral–dorsal position. The second row contained three or more irregularly positioned conical spines localized on the base of the distal part in a lateral–dorsal position. We observed no finger-like tip on the distal penis of A. persimilis. There were also wart-like protuberances tipped with a single thin spine on the base of the distal penis. Some individuals of A. persimilis showed a single hook-shaped spine located in a lateral–ventral position. Our present study confirms that, for species in which the antennal characters are not informative enough, as in the case of Artemia, male genital characters are useful to distinguish not only between genera but also between species when the distal part of the penis is considered. Characters of the distal eversible penis add new valuable information for phylogenetic research.
Influence of macroscopic and microscopic interactions on kinetic rate constants

Abstract In the case of adsorption in an aqueous medium of a hydrophilic protein (e.g. human serum albumin (HSA)) onto a hydrophilic solid substratum such as a clean glass surface, one has to deal with a macroscopic-level repulsion between HSA and glass at (generally) the majority of orientations of the protein molecules, and also a microscopic-level attraction between HSA and glass at (generally) the minority of orientations of the protein molecules. The first phenomenon represents von Smoluchowski’s improbability of adhesion or adsorption and the second represents the probability of adhesion or adsorption [1] . Both contingencies have to be taken into account in determining von Smoluchowski’s net probability factor, f of the kinetic association constant, ka, pertaining to protein adsorption. In the exceptional case where both the protein and the solid substratum are hydrophobically/hydrophilically and electrostatically neutral, f=1, and the ka-value is only proportional to the diffusion coefficient of the protein [2] . In order to determine the contributions of both the macroscopic repulsion and the microscopic attraction pertaining to the kinetics of protein adsorption, an extended DLVO analysis (XDLVO) needs to be done on these interactions at all distances and at all protein orientations. The XDLVO analysis comprises the Lewis acid–base interaction energies as a function of distance, in addition to the Lifshitz–van der Waals and the electrokinetic interaction energies [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] .
Luteal-Phase Deficiency: The Most Common Abnormality of the Menstrual Cycle?

Luteal-phase deficiency (LPD) is a “modern” disease that was first described in 1949 but has only been generally accepted as real within the past 10 years (Jones 1949). The clinical entity of LPD is present when there is recurrent postovulatory deficiency in the production and/or effect of progesterone from the corpus luteum, leading to infertility and/or habitual abortion. (Synonymous terms that have been used for LPD include inadequate corpus luteum, luteal-phase inadequacy, luteal insufficiency, and luteal phase defect. The term “short luteal phase” has been used to describe a variant of LPD associated with a luteal phase of decreased length.) It should be stressed that LPD is not a single disorder; multiple causes funnel through this common pathway of decreased progesterone secretion or effect.
Community violence concerns and adolescent sleep: Physiological regulation and race as moderators.

Prior work has demonstrated that greater community violence concerns are associated with poor sleep quality among adolescents. However, these effects may not be uniform across all youth. The present study examined the role of individual difference variables, physiological regulation and race, as moderators of risk in the relation between adolescents' community violence concerns and their sleep. Adolescents (N = 219; 55.3% female; 69.9% White/European American, 30.1% Black/African American) participated in the study when they were 18 years old (M = 17.7 years, SD = 1.0). Physiological regulation was assessed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia, a measure of parasympathetic regulation, at rest and in response to a stressor. Adolescents wore actigraphs for 7 nights to assess their sleep duration and quality, and reported on their community violence concerns via a well-validated questionnaire. Results demonstrated a consistent pattern of interactions, such that African American adolescents who showed less adaptive patterns of regulating physiological arousal experienced shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality in the context of greater community violence concerns. Community violence concerns were not associated with sleep for White adolescents. The findings may suggest that race-related stressors exacerbate risk for poor sleep among African American adolescents who experience more community violence concerns and have more difficulty regulating physiological arousal. Coping strategies for managing stress and arousal may be helpful for improving sleep for some youth.
Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change in Context: Toward a Political Economy of Relevance

Sociologists commonly hypothesise that experiencing the impacts of climate change will lead actors, including farmers, to desire to address climate change. It is increasingly clear that farmers can detect the regional biophysical expressions and impacts of climate change. However, this has not led farmers to desire to take action on climate change. This begs the question: how then are farmers interpreting these experiences? We argue that political‐economic context, the structural conditions of capitalist production, contributes to how farmers perceive and understand the impacts of climate change. We draw from our novel political economy of relevance theoretical framework and apply this framework to a sample of over 100 qualitative interviews with Iowa and Indiana row‐crop farmers. We focus on their experiences with heavy rain events, a key impact of climate change in the Midwest. Our findings suggest that farmers become aware of, interpret and respond to heavy rain events within the context of capitalist production. This leads most farmers to see heavy rain events as barriers to achieving capitalist goals, rather than as signals of the reconsider climate scepticism or the need to mitigate contributions to climate change.
Epigenetic aging is associated with clinical and experimental pain in community-dwelling older adults.

Gerontological research reveals considerable interindividual variability in aging phenotypes, which has motivated research efforts to identify “aging biomarkers.” Aging biomarkers are used to calcu...
Intraventricular Hemorrhage and Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation Association with Infant Mortality

Abstract Background Practice patterns for the management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants are changing with advances in medical management. We sought to determine the increased mortality for premature infants who had a PDA ligation with a co-existing diagnosis of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Methods Premature neonates ( Results We identified 7567 hospitalizations for premature neonates undergoing PDA ligation. The population was predominately male (51.6%), non-Hispanic white (41.1%), were from the lowest income quartile (33.1%), had a gestational week of 25-26 wk (34.0%), and a birthweight between 500 and 749 g (37.3%). There was an increased mortality (10.7% versus 6.3%, P Conclusions Attitudes regarding the need for surgical intervention for PDA have shifted in recent years. This study highlights that premature neonates with grade III or IV IVH are at significantly increased risk of mortality if undergoing PDA ligation during the same hospitalization. Level of Evidence III.
Pulsatile Mechanical Circulation, Physiology, and Pump Technology

Pulsatility of the blood circulation has evolved in the animal kingdom over hundreds of millions of years. The result, an exquisitely balanced self-sustaining system, supports our lives. Man-made efforts to assist or replace this system have led to saving millions of lives with cardiopulmonary bypass, intra-aortic balloon pumping, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and a variety of extracorporeal and implantable pumps for cardiac assist or replacement. In most of these, continuous-flow pumps have dominated. Experience has unveiled limitations of continuous flow and rekindled interest in man-made pulsatile blood pumps. This chapter reviews pulsatile physiology and pulsatile blood pumps.
Active Search using Meta-Bandits

There are many applications where positive instances are rare but important to identify. For example, in NLP, positive sentences for a given relation are rare in a large corpus. Positive data are more informative for learning in these applications, but before one labels a certain amount of data, it is unknown where to find the rare positives. Since random sampling can lead to significant waste in labeling effort, previous 'active search' methods use a single bandit model to learn about the data distribution (exploration) while sampling from the regions potentially containing more positives (exploitation). Many bandit models are possible and a sub-optimal model reduces labeling efficiency, but the optimal model is unknown before any data are labeled. We propose Meta-AS (Meta Active Search) that uses a meta-bandit to evaluate a set of base bandits and aims to label positive examples efficiently, comparing to the optimal base bandit with hindsight. The meta-bandit estimates the mean and variance of the performance of the base bandits and selects a base bandit to propose what data to label next for exploration or exploitation. The feedback in the labels updates both the base bandits and the meta-bandit for the next round. Meta-AS can accommodate a diverse set of base bandits to explore assumptions about the dataset, without over-committing to a single model before labeling starts. Experiments on five datasets for relation extraction demonstrate that Meta-AS labels positives more efficiently than the base bandits and other bandit selection strategies.
Genetic Composition and Autoantibody Titers Model the Probability of Detecting C-Peptide Following Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis.

We and others previously demonstrated that a type 1 diabetes genetic risk score (GRS) improves the ability to predict disease progression and onset in at-risk subjects with islet autoantibodies. Here, we hypothesized that GRS and islet autoantibodies, combined with age at onset and disease duration, could serve as markers of residual β-cell function following type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Generalized estimating equations were used to investigate whether GRS along with insulinoma-associated protein-2 autoantibody (IA-2A), zinc transporter 8 autoantibody (ZnT8A) and GAD autoantibody (GADA) titers were predictive of C-peptide detection in a largely cross-sectional cohort of 401 subjects with type 1 diabetes (duration median = 4.5 years, range 0-60). Indeed, a combined model incorporating disease duration, age at onset, GRS, and titers of IA-2A, ZnT8A and GADA provided superior capacity to predict C-peptide detection (QIC=334.6) compared with disease duration, age at onset, and GRS as the sole parameters (QIC=359.2). These findings support the need for longitudinal validation of our combinatorial model. The ability to project the rate and extent of decline in residual C-peptide production for individuals with type 1 diabetes could critically inform enrollment and benchmarking for clinical trials seeking to preserve or restore endogenous β-cell function.
Paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS)

Abstract Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a syndrome with acute, diffuse, inflammatory lung injury associated with non-haemodynamic lung oedema. It is responsible for almost a quarter of the ventilated patients in intensive care. The causes of ARDS are variable. They include primary pulmonary diseases such as pneumonia, drowning and aspiration and extra-pulmonary conditions including sepsis, trauma or burns. Although ARDS is well recognized in children, it is, in our experience, underdiagnosed in the paediatric intensive care units. This short article describes the diagnostic criteria, the causes and the management of ARDS in children.
Management of Chronic Quadriceps Tendon Rupture: A Critical Analysis Review.

» Chronic quadriceps tendon (QT) ruptures are uncommon injuries that present treatment challenges due to their complex nature and the limited evidence to guide management. » Timely diagnosis and surgical management of acute QT injury are imperative to optimize patient outcomes as delayed diagnosis leads to poorer results regardless of treatment modality. » Elements of chronic QT ruptures that may complicate surgical management include patient age, comorbidity, scar-tissue formation, amount of quadriceps muscle/ tendon retraction, and distalmigration of the patella with contraction of the tendon. » Treatment options for chronic QT ruptures include primary repair with or without vastus advancement, V-Y tendon lengthening with or without tissue augmentation, and autograft or allograft reconstruction.