cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of insulin and growth hormone on rat uterine RNA synthesis.

Summary17β-Estradiol, growth hormone, and insulin were administered to ovariectomized (Ox), diabetic-ovariectomized (DOx) and hypophysectomized–ovariectomized (HxOx) rats to observe their effects on the incorporation of tritiated uridine into the uterine RNA and acid-soluble fraction. Insulin administered to DOx rats stimulated the incorporation of tritiated uridine into uterine RNA and the acid-soluble fraction within 15 min. The stimulatory effects were potentiated with the combined administration of insulin and 17β-estradiol. The administration of growth hormone to HxOx rats resulted in an increase in the incorporation of labeled uridine into uterine RNA and acid-soluble fraction. The combined administration of 17β-estradiol and growth hormone caused a slight increase in the incorporation of uridine into uterine RNA which was less than additive and a decrease in the incorporation into the acid-soluble fraction. The results of the present study suggest that insulin and growth hormone in addition to 17β-...
Cost Forecasting and Price Policy

HE central question of this paper is: "How should cost estimates be used to do a better job of setting prices?" In dealing with this question, our concern will be with the way to get answers to pricing problems, rather than with the answers themselves; and our focus will be on principles rather than techniques. This analysis will be confined to costs of production (i.e., handling the business); it will exclude selling costs (i.e., costs of getting business).
Converting Benchslaps to Backslaps

A search in published and unpublished court decisions for derivations of phrases like "poorly written brief" or "failure to follow court rules" yields an alarming multitude of case opinions in which judges admonish lawyers of all levels of experience for shoddy briefs or for flouting non-negotiable substantive and procedural rules. Legal bloggers have affectionately dubbed these public reprimands "benchslaps." Section I of this article provides a contextual background that professors and practitioners can share with rookie legal writers, using judicial opinions to demonstrate the eight most-common ways that attorney work product falls short of judges' expectations and, more importantly, how those deficiencies detrimentally affect the legal process and client advocacy. On a positive note, this section also provides examples of judges' appreciation for good legal writing that facilitates the court's understanding and evaluation of a case. Section II briefly considers several philosophical reasons why individuals ignore or flout rules in general, even intelligent, accomplished individuals like ambitious law students and seasoned legal practitioners. This section is designed to provide law professors and supervising attorneys with context as to why new practitioners might behave a certain way, so that we can inspire change. Section III suggests practical ways for professors and practitioners to communicate and reinforce to law students and new attorneys why substantive-structural and procedural-formatting rules of legal writing are important. With the goal of inspiring and cultivating better-written work product across the profession, this article concludes with proposals for broad-scale legal communities (such as civil-procedure rule-makers and state bar associations) and small-scale legal communities (like law offices) to motivate new lawyers to invest more care into the written word. These considerations include whether (a) civil procedural rules should include more-express language concerning the quality of legal writing in court submissions and clarify the ramifications of not following substantive mandates and procedural rules; (b) the oaths that new attorneys take in the fifty state bars across the country should incorporate a commitment to quality legal writing and rule compliance as an overt covenant of professionalism; and (c) state bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements should be modified to integrate an annual legal writing component, just as many states impose an annual ethics or professionalism requirement.
Neuropsychological Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that sometimes develops after exposure to a life-threatening, psychologically traumatic event. Reflecting empirical advances relevant to the neurobiology and cognitive neuroscience of PTSD, this chapter will focus on PTSD as a neurobehavioral syndrome. We begin by describing PTSD, including a brief review of its clinical presentation and underlying neuropathology. We next review the neurocognitive characteristics of the disorder, common neuropsychological approaches to its assessment, and key clinical considerations in conducting neuropsychological evaluations when PTSD is a possible diagnosis. The chapter additionally addresses treatment implications, concluding with family and social considerations.
The GFT and Alternative Forms

In the last chapter we showed explicitly how the GFT-direct utility function yields empirically testable hypotheses. Since Cournot, Dupuit and Gossen first laid out what evolved into the modern theory of consumer demand (predicated on the concept of individual utility maximization) a hundred and fifty years ago, virtually hundreds of articles have been written attempting to explicate and measure the theory cf. Stigler (1954). Among the modern contributors, Stone (1954), Houthakker (1960), Theil (1967), Christensen, Jorgenson and Lau (1975), Deaton and Muellbauer (1980a) and Basmann, Molina and Slottje (1983) have all introduced explicit demand functions to test the theory. Some have based their demand systems on explicit utility functions, some have not.
Transient Migratory Osteoporosis in Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Transient or transient migratory osteoporosis (TMO) is a painful and disabling disorder that occurs in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. TMO is probably under-reported. TMO frequently affects men over the age of 40 or women in the late prenatal period of pregnancy or postpartum. In the individual with OI this diagnosis may be more difficult to determine because of bone deformity or pre-existent microfractures. T2-weighted MRI imaging may be diagnostic. Diagnostic confusion with other entities such as inflammatory arthropathy or avascular necrosis can lead to inappropriate treatment. The etiology of TMO is not defined; however, a cellular inflammatory response to microfractures may be causative. A limited number of studies, mainly involving single case reports, suggest that compared to conservative therapy, treatment with bisphosphonates may speed resolution and normalization of MRI changes. The prostaglandin analog ioprost may also be effective. TMO should be considered in the OI patient with rapid onset hip pain if fracture is excluded by radiologic procedures.
New life for Schrödinger's cat

When the formalism of quantum mechanics is applied to experiments involving microscopic objects such as electrons, we often find that the resulting description assigns finite probability amplitudes to two, or more, possibilities that appear to be mutually exclusive. In the classic Young's double-slit experiment, for example, these possibilities are the passage of an electron through either the left–or right-hand slit.
Examining Factors Associated With Nonadherence And Identifying Providers Caring For Nonadherent Subgroups.

Objectives To examine racial/ethnic and regional differences in medication adherence in patients with diabetes taking oral anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, and cholesterol lowering medications and to identify the pharmacies and prescribers who serve these communities. Methods Administrative claims data was analyzed for members enrolled in a large health plan in Hawaii (2008-2010) with diabetes mellitus who were taking three types of medications: 1) oral anti-diabetic medications; 2) anti-hypertensive medications; 3) cholesterol lowering medications (n=5136). The primary outcome was medication adherence based on medication possession ratios. Multivariable logistic regression models were estimated to examine the association between race/ethnicity and region to adherence to each drug class separately, followed by non-adherence to all three. Covariates included age, gender, education level, chronic conditions, copayment level, and number of prescribers and pharmacies from which the patients received their medications. Key findings After adjustment for other factors, Filipinos [OR=0.58, 95%CI(0.45,0.74)], Native Hawaiians [OR=0.74, 95%CI(0.56,0.98)], and people of other race [OR=0.67, 95%CI(0.55,0.82)] were significantly less adherent to anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive medications than Japanese. For cholesterol-lowering medications, all racial and ethnic groups were significantly less adherent than Japanese, except mixed race. We also found that different racial/ethnic groups tended to use different pharmacies and prescribers, particularly in rural areas. Conclusion Adherence differed by race/ethnicity as well as age and region. Qualitative research involving subgroups (e.g. Filipinos, Native Hawaiians, people under age 50) is needed to identify how to adapt and enhance the effects of interventions shown to be efficacious in prior studies.
Lean Accounting Comes to Lean Software Development

I argue that lean software development firms become more productive if they align their lean managerial accounting systems and lean software development processes. I conduct an experiment on software development teams that have used lean and agile software development practices. A treatment group is re-trained in lean software development practices, and after three months, the productivity of the treatment group is compared to that of a control group that did not receive this re-training. This first phase (Phase 1) estimates the productivity improvements from using lean software development practices. Results from Phase 1 indicate that these practices shorten average production time by 80% in software development. In the second phase (Phase 2), a treatment group will be exposed to new lean management accounting measures for three months while a control group will only see existing reported metrics. Software development productivity will be measured for both groups before and after this exposure to evaluate the impact of the treatment. I will also survey both groups before and after treatment to evaluate how lean management accounting measures affect employee engagement and empowerment. The experimental site is a large publicly traded software firm that uses lean and agile software development practices.
A review of drug-drug interactions in older HIV-infected patients

Introduction: The number of older HIV-infected people is growing due to increasing life expectancies resulting from the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Both HIV and aging increase the risk of ...
Formulating an Induction Scheme for a Conjecture

This chapter explores the problem of setting up an induction for a particular formula. The basic idea is to look at the terms in the formula and to note the inductions suggested by each of them. Then, after expanding each scheme to account for as many terms as possible, the best one is picked, according to various heuristics. For obtaining new schemes from old ones and for choosing among the various candidate inductions, many heuristics have been discovered. Any scheme is flawed if there is another scheme such that some changing or unchanging variable of the second scheme is an induction variable of the first scheme.
Concentric Macro EMG

In contrast to single fiber EMG, which records single muscle fibers, and traditional needle EMG, which records selected fibers from individual motor units, macro EMG records from the majority of muscle fibers in a motor unit. This chapter describes macro EMG techniques and applications.
What Is Dreaming for, If Anything?

One of the charges leveled against adaptationism (most famously by Gould and Lewontin 1979, in their attack on “just-so stories”) is that we adaptationists jump to our “panglossian” hypotheses without due consideration, let alone testing, of alternative explanations of the phenomena under discussion. The charge is not without merit, but I have always viewed it as pointing to a foible of adaptationists, not a fundamental flaw in adaptationism. So as a devout adaptationist, one of my duties is to police the brethren for just such lapses. Allan Hobson provides a nice instance, since he is cautious and circumspect in his consideration of the claim that dreaming has an important function to perform, and then he still overlooks or underplays alternatives.
New Insight into the Development of Oxygen Carrier Materials for Chemical Looping Systems

Abstract Chemical looping combustion (CLC) and chemical looping reforming (CLR) are innovative technologies for clean and efficient hydrocarbon conversion into power, fuels, and chemicals through cyclic redox reactions. Metal oxide materials play an essential role in the chemical looping redox processes. During reduction, the oxygen carriers donate the required amount of oxygen ions for hydrocarbon conversion and product synthesis. In the oxidation step, the depleted metal oxide oxygen carriers are replenished with molecular oxygen from the air while heat is released. In recent years, there have been significant advances in oxygen carrier materials for various chemical looping applications. Among these metal oxide materials, iron-based oxygen carriers are attractive due to their high oxygen-carrying capacity, cost benefits, and versatility in applications for chemical looping reactions. Their reactivity can also be enhanced via structural design and modification. This review discusses recent advances in the development of oxygen carrier materials and the mechanisms of hydrocarbon conversion over these materials. These advances will facilitate the development of oxygen carrier materials for more efficient chemical looping technology applications.
Orbital Configuration: Terms, States, and Configuration State Functions.

Molecular orbital configurations give rise to electronic terms comprising corresponding electronic states. Electronic terms possess symmetry classifications, which are denoted by a term symbol, based on the symmetry properties of the electronic wave functions associated with the states. Using the methylene radical, and both planar and twisted ethylene molecules as examples, the symmetry classifications of the wave functions connected to orbital configurations are determined. The wave functions associated with the open-shell ···(2e)2 ground configuration of twisted, D2d ethylene present an informative example of how to use group theory to determine the configuration state functions associated with the six states arising from this configuration.
Environmental Effects on Torsional Vibration Feature Health Monitoring

Torsional vibration signature analysis has shown the potential to detect shaft cracks during normal operation of rotating equipment. The method tracks characteristic changes in the natural torsional vibration frequencies that are associated with shaft crack propagation. The method is generally applicable to many types of rotating equipment. A rotor test bed was developed to investigate shaft cracking detection techniques to investigate the capabilities and limitations under realistic yet controlled conditions. The test bed has a sacrificial shaft mounted between a 35 hp drive and 70 hp load motor. A full suite of torsional and translational vibration sensors are deployed on the test bed. A lateral load can be applied to the rotating shaft via a hydraulic cylinder. A series of seeded fault tests were performed by growing a fatigue crack in the shaft. The crack is grown by rotating the shaft under lateral load to produce full reversal bending stresses. The vibration diagnostic features are acquired and trended as the crack grows. The testing objective is to develop the correlation and sensitivity between the shaft health (i.e., crack size) and the acquired diagnostic features. During baseline testing, before initiation of the fatigue crack, the torsional vibration diagnostic features were observed to be unstable. Further examination showed the torsional vibration diagnostic features were being affected by the laboratory temperature. The paper describes outcomes and observations related to the environmental effects on the shaft health diagnostics in controlled testing. The lab results are discussed in relation to what may be expected and the effect on the torsional vibration diagnostic features in an industrial setting. The controlled laboratory testing results and analysis assists in the interpretation of torsional vibration features for structural health diagnostics.
Static enforcement of web application integrity through strong typing

Security vulnerabilities continue to plague web applications, allowing attackers to access sensitive data and co-opt legitimate web sites as a hosting ground for malware. Accordingly, researchers have focused on various approaches to detecting and preventing common classes of security vulnerabilities in web applications, including anomaly-based detection mechanisms, static and dynamic analyses of server-side web application code, and client-side security policy enforcement. This paper presents a different approach to web application security. In this work, we present a web application framework that leverages existing work on strong type systems to statically enforce a separation between the structure and content of both web documents and database queries generated by a web application, and show how this approach can automatically prevent the introduction of both server-side cross-site scripting and SQL injection vulnerabilities. We present an evaluation of the framework, and demonstrate both the coverage and correctness of our sanitization functions. Finally, experimental results suggest that web applications developed using this framework perform competitively with applications developed using traditional frameworks.
Application of IETS to the Study of Adhesion

The interface for most metal-adhesive bonds is that of an adhesive molecule bonded to an oxide of the metal, rather than to the metal. The detailed nature of the microscopic bondline between the oxide layer and the first adhesive monolayer is difficult to investigate using conventional ultrasonic and IR techniques.
Arquitectura de software para los actuales Sistemas Ciber-Físicos

La proxima generacion de sistemas ciber-fisicos –CPS– plantea grandes desafios en el diseno de software. No se trata solo de disenar un sistema en torno a los plazos de ejecucion, lo mas importante es maximizar la utilizacion de recursos. En este articulo se propone un sistema de base para la arquitectura de software en el que los servicios se puedan disenar e implementar y componer facilmente de acuerdo con la demanda y mediante aplicaciones individuales, de manera que satisfagan requisitos especificos de confianza, seguridad, eficiencia, confiabilidad y previsibilidad, mientras que permanecen dentro de la limites de las capacidades del hardware determinado.
Robotic versus conventional neck dissection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective The aim of this systematic review is to compare the perioperative outcomes of robotic versus conventional neck dissection in patients with head and neck malignancy. Methods An electronic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases was conducted. We included studies with direct comparisons of robotic and open neck dissections and performed dual, independent data extraction for primary outcomes of nodal yield, recurrence rate, subjective cosmetic assessment, operative time, length of stay, and rates of perioperative complications. Data were pooled using random effects meta-analysis to determine the standardized mean difference (SMD), absolute risk difference (RD), and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Eleven comparative studies comprising 225 robotic and 430 open neck dissections met the final selection criteria. All studies had low to moderate risk of bias. Robotic surgery improved cosmesis (SMD 1.15, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.56) but also increased operative time (SMD 1.94, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.63). Total nodal yield, pathological nodal yield, recurrence rate, rates of perioperative complications, and length of stay were not significantly different between the two groups, and the 95% CIs suggested that false negative results were unlikely. The results remained consistent after stratification by pathology and robotic technique. Conclusion Although robotic neck dissection may offer similar perioperative outcomes compared to conventional neck dissection, it requires significantly more operative time. Whereas cosmesis was found to be superior among the robotic cohort, this must be viewed cautiously given the nonvalidated measurement tool that was used and the inherent reporting bias associated with it. Laryngoscope, 129:1587-1596, 2019.
Abstract P060: Sedentary Behavior is Directly Associated With Higher Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Older Adults: The Framingham Heart Study

Introduction: Self-reported physical inactivity and sitting time have been associated with a greater prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged populations. However, data are limited...
Christian Faith in the Immigration and Acculturation Experiences of Filipino American Youth

The Filipino immigration experience began in the Philippines via American-modeled schools and Spanish-enforced Christian Catholicism. However, that may not be the case for Filipino youth. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of Christian faith in the immigration and acculturation of Filipino American youth. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 5 Filipino American emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. Interview data went through 3 levels of coding and themes; several themes were developed. Results show that Christian faith was a powerful factor in acculturation experiences for Filipino American youth. The modeling of faith was pivotal in helping them navigate through difficult childhood experiences and in some cases mental health problems. Modeling of faith also largely determined participants’ own commitment to religious practices, such as attending daily mass or becoming part of a church organization. At a community level, Christian faith helped participants to establish community ties, which helped ease their transition into mainstream American culture. Based on the results of this study, Christian faith is an important coping factor for Filipino American youth. Christian faith allowed participants to feel a greater sense of connection to each other and to make connections with others in the United States. Christian faith shaped participants’ outlook on their lives and their day-to-day activities.
Relationships Between Boredom Proneness, Mindfulness, Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Use

Boredom proneness has been associated with a wide range of social and psychological problems. According to the attentional theory of boredom proneness, boredom results from a deficit in attention (Harris, 2000). The current study investigated the relationship between mindfulness (the ability to attend to the immediate environment) and boredom proneness, as well as the relationship between mindfulness and negative outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and substance use. Subjects (n=138) completed the Boredom Proneness Scale (Farmer & Sundberg, 1986), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983), and a substance use questionnaire. Results show that boredom proneness correlated positively with anxiety, depression, and substance use, and negatively with mindfulness. In addition, mindfulness correlated negatively with anxiety, depression, and substance use. The current study provides initial evidence regarding the relationship between boredom proneness and mindfulness. Future research addressing the nature of this relationship is of importance, given the need for an intervention to address the negative consequences of boredom.
Abstract TP20: Protocol to Isolate Lymphocytes for Flow Cytometry From BACTRAC Samples

Introduction: Since 2015, mechanical thrombectomy is the standard treatment for emergent large vessel occlusion stroke. Using standard techniques during mechanical thrombectomy, the Blood and Clot ...
Occupy Wall Street’s Civil Religion of the Nones: A Theology of Consensus

ABSTRACTOver the last thirty years religious and political polarization has not only created the Religious Right, but a Secular Left. These changes have had a profound and underappreciated influenc...
MYOCARDITIS COMPLICATING INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: A COMPARISON BETWEEN ULCERATIVE COLITIS AND CROHN'S DISEASE FROM THE NATIONAL INPATIENT SAMPLE

Myocarditis is an extra intestinal complication associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study investigates myocarditis complicating IBD patients among U.S. adults. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2010-2014, we identified patients admitted with IBD, either
Maximum Principles for k -Hessian Equations with Lower Order Terms on Unbounded Domains

Our primary objective in this paper is to study a class of k-Hessian equations with zero-order and first-order terms in unbounded domains. Among others, we derive Phragmen–Lindelof and Liouville type results. The zero-order terms involved are required to satisfy Keller–Osserman type conditions.
Barriers to Enrollment for the Uninsured: A Single-Site Survey at an Urban Free Clinic in Milwaukee

Background Wisconsin currently has a 6.4% uninsured rate. In Milwaukee, it is not known what proportion of the currently uninsured may be eligible for health insurance and why those eligible have not enrolled. Methods Anonymous surveys were distributed at a free/low-cost health clinic in Milwaukee to ask their attendees why they remain uninsured. Results Fifty-one percent of respondents cited insurance being "too expensive" as the primary reason for lacking health insurance. Additionally, 56% of respondents appeared to misunderstand their Medicaid eligibility, while 69% appeared to misunderstand their Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace eligibility. Discussion A majority of respondents misunderstood their eligibility for ACA subsidies, indicating that additional efforts are needed to educate uninsured Milwaukee residents to maximize health insurance coverage.
Hydrology and the Design of Efficient Water Transfer Policy

The use of water transfer mechanisms, such as water banks and markets, as a method to promote the efficient use of scarce water resources has become increasingly more common during the last decade. Examples include: agriculture-to-urban transfers in the Colorado Canal, the electronic market, WaterLink, in Westlands Water District, California, and Idaho’s District 1 water bank. The goal of these programs is to allow the transfer of water from low to high value uses, thereby increasing the benefits derived from water use. Unfortunately, the economics literature on water transfers has only given a cursory nod to how the proper design of water policy relates to the hydrology of a water supply system. Return flows are a key hydrologic factor that should be accounted for to avoid third-party impacts associated with water transfers, where return flows are defined as the portion of diversions that are not consumed and return to the hydrologic system. Other diverters and instream water users often depend on return flows for their water supplies. Consequently, transferring water or changing use patterns may disrupt their supply if the transfer policy does not distinguish between diversionary and consumptive use correctly.
Perceived organizational support in public and nonprofit organizations: Systematic review and directions for future research:

A qualitative meta-analysis of 57 studies (1987–2018) on perceived organizational support in public and nonprofit administrative contexts in various parts of the world revealed 70 related variables...
Low impedance microstrip calculations using MSTRIP

The program MSTRIP gives erroneous results for microstrip lines with a characteristic impedance. A modification to the program is suggested.
Use of Supervised Learning to Predict Directionality of Links in a Network

Often, the information contained in network data is incomplete. Many avenues of research are aimed at addressing this incompleteness. For example, the link prediction problem attempts to identify which missing links are most likely to exist in the complete network. In this paper, we consider a related, but different, problem: predicting the directions of links in a directed network. We treat this problem as a supervised learning problem in which the directions of some edges are known. We calculate various features of each known edge based on its position in the network, and use a Support Vector Machine to predict the unknown directions of edges. We consider four networks, and show that in each case, this method performs significantly better than other compared methods.
Towards a Verification Technique for Large Synchronous Circuits

We present a symbolic simulation based verification approach which can be applied to large synchronous circuits. A new technique to encode the state and input constraints as parametric Boolean expressions over the state and input variables is used to make our symbolic simulation based verification approach efficient. The constraints which are encoded through parametric Boolean expressions can involve the Boolean connectives (·, +, ⌝), the relational operators ( , ≥, ≠, =), and logical connectives (∧, ∨). This technique of using parametric Boolean expressions vastly reduces the number of symbolic simulation vectors and the time for verification. Our verification approach can also be applied for efficient modular verification of large designs; the technique used is to verify each constituent sub-module separately, however in the context of the overall design. Since regular arrays are part of many large designs, we have developed an approach for the verification of regular arrays which combines formal verification at the high level and symbolic simulation at the low level(e.g., switch-level). We show the verification of a circuit called Minmax, a pipelined cache memory system, and an LRU array implementation of the least recently used block replacement policy, to illustrate our verification approach. The experimental results are obtained using the COSMOS symbolic simulator.
The Development of Second Language Writing Complexity in Groups and Individuals: A Longitudinal Learner Corpus Study

This study explores the development of multiple dimensions of linguistic complexity in the writing of beginning learners of German both as a group and as individuals. The data come from an annotated, longitudinal learner corpus. The development of lexicogrammatical complexity is explored at 2 intersections: (a) between cross-sectional trendlines and the individual development paths of 2 focal learners and (b) between different complexity variables. The study contributes to the empirical body of linguistic complexity research by close tracking of beginning learners over 4 semesters of collegiate study of German as a second language (L2). For this purpose, data for multiple variables were collected at dense time intervals using multiple waves, and correlation analysis between various datasets was performed. The results confirm some general developmental trends established in previous research. However, the study also found significant variability between individual and cross-sectional data. Furthermore, differences found for more specific complexity measures between this study's results and previous research are explained in terms of differences in instructional approaches. In addition, the study contributes to the discussion of methods and metrics appropriate for tracking the development of complexity in foreign language writing. The study concludes with implications for L2 pedagogy and further research, including applications of computational methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Insights into Modeling Functional Trajectories for Robot-Mediated Daily Living Exercise Environments

Robotic therapy systems for stroke rehabilitation typically facilitate the practice of point-to-point reaching tasks utilizing straight trajectories that have zero velocity and acceleration at the beginning and end. In order to understand how to support the performance of real-life activities within a robot-mediated therapy environment, we studied trajectories created by the non-dominant wrist of able-bodied persons during more functional tasks such as drinking. In this paper, we report on how these more functional movements differ from key assumptions used to define algorithms for trajectory planning in robot therapy environments. We note a significant difference in curvature in both the XY and XZ planes of reaches towards real or imagined objects compared to the minimum jerk trajectories predicted for point-to-point reaches. We discuss implications of these findings and how they may influence the modeling of more natural trajectories within a more functional, task-oriented, robotic training system such as the activities of daily living exercise robot (ABLER) therapy environment
Modification of Ribosomes in Cryptopleurine-Resistant Mutants of Yeast

Cryptopleurine-resistant mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated. A single, recessive nuclear gene, very closely linked to the mating locus (2.1 centimorgans), is responsible for resistance. Ribosomes from the mutants were found to be resistant to cryptopleurine when analyzed by poly(U)-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis. Analysis of the distribution of ribosomes between monosomes and polysomes in sensitive cells exposed to cryptopleurine suggests that some step is inhibited during the elongation phase of protein synthesis.
EARLY ACCESS TO CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LABORATORY FOR PATIENTS RESUSCITATED FROM CARDIAC ARREST DUE TO A SHOCKABLE RHYTHM: THE MINNESOTA RESUSCITATION CONSORTIUM TWIN CITIES UNIFIED PROTOCOL

Background: Cardiac arrest patients that have been successfully resuscitated from shockable rhythms have a high prevalence of thrombotic and/or flow limiting coronary occlusion regardless of the presence of STEMI on the ECG. In 2012, the Minnesota Resuscitation Consortium (MRC) developed an organized approach for all those patients to gain early access to the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL). We report the two-year outcomes. Methods: Eleven metropolitan hospitals with 24/7 PCI capabilities agreed to provide early (within 2 hours of arrival to the emergency department) access to the CCL for all patients that were successfully resuscitated from VF/VT arrest regardless of the presence or absence of STEMI on the surface ECG. Inclusion criteria were: witnessed or un-witnessed, age >18 and Results: A total of 370 patients were resuscitated and met the inclusion criteria. Of those, 313 (85%) patients were taken to the CCL per protocol. The mean age was 55.5 years, 77% were men and 79% had witnessed arrest. Only 57 patients (15%) did not gain access to the CCL. Of the 313 patients that had early coronary angiography a total of 47% received primary angioplasty and had at least one vessel disease and 5% received coronary artery bypass. All comatose patients received therapeutic hypothermia and 35% received and implantable cardiac defibrillator. A total of 235/313 (75%) were discharged alive and of those 222/235 (94.5%) were discharged neurologically intact with a CPC of 1. Of the patients that did not gain access to the CCL, 46% (26/57) were discharged alive and of those 73% (19/26) had CPC of 1 [OR: 3.63; 2.03-6.5, p Conclusions: Over the first two years of implementation, the MRC protocol for early access to the CCL in resuscitated patients from shockable rhythm was associated with 75% survival to hospital discharge and excellent neurological outcomes in a large metropolitan area and real-life clinical practice.
Selling and Sales Management in Action Examining the Bases Utilized for Evaluating Salespeoples' Performance

Evaluating salespeoples' performance is an important task for sales managers. However, little is known about what bases are used by sales managers to evaluate the performance of their salespeople. A study was conducted to determine the bases actually used by sales managers and the results were compared with a study conducted in 1983. Findings indicate more emphasis on profit and cost control, a continued reliance on qualitative measures, and a wide variety of bases being utilized to evaluate the performance of salespeople. Furthermore, the stability of results, across a wide variety of respondent job titles as well as business types and sizes, indicates a good deal of generalizability to other firms.
One State's Initiative to Increase Access to Higher Education for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

This article focuses on a state-based initiative to engage youth with intellectual disabilities (ID), their families, universities, schools, agencies, and funders in improving access to inclusive postsecondary education (PSE). As opportunities in higher education for students with ID continue to increase across United States, there are differing interpretations of federal and local policies that guide PSE initiatives. Regional interpretations of vocational and educational policies affect the services and supports students receive. During four regionally based summits in one U.S. state, stakeholders participated in a qualitative study to explore statewide policies, practices, and beliefs about access to higher education for students with ID. Participants discussed how to increase opportunities throughout the state—particularly how to address existing service, support, and attitudinal barriers, and determine options that currently exist for students. Using a qualitative approach, common themes among stakeholders were identified, such as improving access to information for families, enhancing collaborations with agencies and schools, and advocating for access to college courses and appropriate academic supports. Results indicate that throughout the state, tension exists between local and state level policy implementation. Inconsistent interpretation and implementation have led to more restrictive, less inclusive college-based options.
Cocaine Use May be Associated with Increased Depression in Persons Infected with HIV

HIV infection, depression, and cocaine use are independently associated with increased inflammatory signal production. There is increasing evidence about the role of inflammation in depression. In HIV disease, cocaine use may increase disease progression as well as alter T cell functioning resulting in cytokine activation and thereby increasing susceptibility to depression. We examined the association between cocaine use and depression among 447 African American persons infected with HIV who were frequent cocaine users or non-users, enrolled in an observational study in Baltimore, Maryland, between August 2003 and December 2012. The overall prevalence of depression was 40.9 % (183 of 447) participants. Among persons who were depressed, the prevalence of cocaine use was 81.4 % (149 of 183), compared to 69.3 % among persons who were not depressed (183 of 264), P = 0.004. Cocaine use was associated with nearly twofold increased odds of depression, unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.94, (95 % CI 1.23, 3.06); P = 0.004, compared to never using cocaine, and OR 1.02, (95 % CI 1.10, 1.05); P = 0.04 in adjusted analysis. A dose-response relationship between increasing duration of cocaine use and depression was observed. Frequency and duration of cocaine use may be associated with depression. We speculate that depression among cocaine users with HIV may involve an inflammatory component that needs further examination.
Explaining the unexpected and continued use of an information system with the help of evolved evolutionary mechanisms

Explaining how, why, and to what extent humans use information systems has been at the heart of the information systems IS discipline, and although successful models have emerged, mostly relying on social and cognitive psychology in their theoretical underpinnings, there are still cases that remain unexplainable. In this article, we scrutinize one of these cases where the continued use of technology cannot be explained by one of the most prominent traditional IS models to date. We analyze our qualitative case study by juxtaposing two theoretical lenses: a traditional IS perspective i.e., the "unified theory of acceptance and use" model versus an evolutionary psychology perspective i.e., the four-drive model. We find that a more comprehensive understanding of continued IS usage is possible when including an evolutionary psychology perspective to the existing models. Specifically, we propose three new concepts, including evolved performance expectancy, evolved effort expectancy, and evolved social influence. We also demonstrate that, in some situations, cognitive and social constructs dominate, whereas in other situations, the evolutionary dependent constructs associated with human nature take over.
Phenogenetics of the Lozenge Loci in Drosophila Melanogaster. I. Effects of a Suppressor of Lz34k

ABNORMALITIES of the accessory female genitalia and an accompanying decrease in fertility were noted in the logenze (12) group of mutants of Drosophila melanogaster (OLIVER and GREEN 1944). The correlation between reduced female fertility and the absence of the spermathecae in individuals homozygous for these mutants led to the suggestion of the need of these structures in Drosophila for high and continued fertility (ANDERSON 1945). However, the absence of spermathecae cannot wholly account for the reduced ferti1:ty of lz females since variations in fertility were observed among several independent lz mutants as well as their compounds all lacking spermathecae (OLIVER and GREEN 1944). The finding of a suppressor mutation which alters the eye phenotype of the mutant 1 . ~ 4 ~ motivated a detailed re-examination of the causes of reduced fertility associated with homozygous lz females.
Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS): Design and Application

This chapter discusses some aspects of the design of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, and describes the structure of some of those devices. The fact that the field of MEMS largely grew out of the integrated circuit (IC) industry has been noted often. To verify that the devices function, the designer has to model the MEMS device. The modeling involves writing the equation of motion or physical modeling of the performance of the device. Finite-element techniques are used to solve these modeling equations. There are a variety of computer-aided design (CAD) tools to aid the designer in the simulation and modeling of the device. After designing and simulating MEMS and deciding on the materials they will contain and the processes needed to make them, the next concern is which fabrication facility to employ. The materials and microfabrication processes used are unlimited to realize MEMS devices. Keywords: computer-aided design (CAD) tools; finite-element techniques; integrated circuit (IC) industry; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices; microfabrication processes
A Realization Theory for Perturbed Linear Systems

Abstract In this paper we present a theory which characterizes LTI state-space realizations of perturbed rational transfer function matrices. Our approach is to model system perturbations as sequences in the space of rational matrices. First, we give a definition of convergence in the space of rational matrices which is motivated by the kinds of parameter uncertainties occurring in many robust control problems. A realization theory is then established under the constraint that the realization of any convergent sequence of rational matrices should also be convergent. Next, we consider the issue of minimality of realizations and propose a method for calculating the dimension of a minimal realization of a given transfer matrix sequence. Finally, necessary and sufficient conditions are discussed under which a sequence of state-space systems is a minimal realization and under which minimal realizations of the same transfer function sequence are state-space equivalent. Relationships with standard algebraic system theoretic results are discussed.
Gouldner is always worth reading

When preparing for this essay, I chose not to focus on Alvin Gouldner's critique of Parsons and of Functionalism. I had never considered either very dominant, even in the 1950s in graduate school. American sociology then and in the 1960s seemed "polycentric" already, rather than becoming so, as he concluded in The Coming Crisis ... in 1970 (p. 444). Instead I have recorded my somewhat "critical comments," where it seemed that Gouldner's own domain assumption and sentiments screened him from trends now more apparent in the world and our field. Here, considerably condensed, are my reactions, plus?as space allows? some final reflections, and recollections of the man and his work in The Coming Crisis. . . . Gouldner seems most "on" about the rise of a more left-radical U.S. sociology. Fourteen years after The Coming Crisis, for example, Kanter (1984, p. 151) noted that in sociology and in economics, "a revival of interest in Marxist theory and research has taken as a first premise that no part of modern life goes uninfluenced by the structure of capitalist institutions." Gouldner seems most "off" in his (insufficiently self-criticized)1 assumption that interrelated economic class and national political-economic interests would surely be the decisive ones in in dustrial societies and in the evolution of sociology, although in new ways to new generations. Strong yes, decisive possibly; but other ancient contenders for such a claim are again more evident. And even his (and our common) sociological premise, that there is something sensible to refer to as a society, is presently attracting profound criticism. The New Left and Marxism (of the 1960s) have "evolved" into a m?lange2 of Marxian perspectives, often emphasizing varied values and ideologies as much as the class-and-national economic interests that Gouldner considered so crucial in explaining sociology's coming crisis.
Working towards critical realism: Scientific man, power politics and democratic decline

Morgenthau’s characterizations of the politics among nations in the twentieth century remain a contested, but still compelling, vision of international relations in the twenty-first century. Hence, different strains of ‘critical theory’ are needed as the means of crisis detection, interpretation and legitimation. Without accepting the terms of Morgenthau’s analysis uncritically, this article looks at how critical theory insights, as developed in different streams of Frankfurt School-inspired critique, can arguably guide new discourse coalitions and policy experts in coping with the challenges of crises in the post-Cold War world. The contradictions posed by the inequities of social wealth’s production and distribution are profound and obdurate. Exerting verdictive power, like Morgenthau, in managing the global crises, national security challenges or financial instability conflicts, can be useful.