cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Onset of symptoms and time to diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated disease following discharge from an acute care hospital.

Objective. To identify patients with a diagnosis of Clostridium difficile –associated disease (CDAD) in the ambulatory care setting and determine the relationship of symptom onset and diagnosis to prior hospitalization and exposure to antimicrobials. Design. Single-center, retrospective study. Methods. Medical records were reviewed for outpatients and hospitalized patients with a stool assay positive for C. difficile toxin A from January 1998 through March 2005. Patients with recurrent CDAD or residing in an extended-care facility were excluded. CDAD in patients who had been hospitalized in the 100 days prior to diagnosis was considered potentially hospital-associated. Results. Of the 84 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 75 (89%) received a diagnosis 1-60 days after hospital discharge (median, 12 days), and 71 (85%) received a diagnosis within 30 days after discharge. Of the 69 patients whose records contained information regarding time of symptom onset, 62 (90%) developed diarrhea within 30 days of a previous hospital discharge, including 7 patients with symptom onset prior to discharge and 9 with onset on the day of discharge. The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 6 days. Of 84 patients, 77 (92%) had received antimicrobials during a prior hospitalization, but 55 (65%) received antimicrobials both as inpatients and as outpatients. Conclusion. If all cases of CDAD diagnosed within 100 days of hospital discharge were assumed to be hospital-associated, 71 (85%) of 84 patients with CDAD were identified within 30 days, and 75 (89%) of 84 were identified by day 60. Continued outpatient antimicrobial exposure confounds determination of whether late-onset cases are community- or hospital-associated.
Determination of the adsorption free energy for peptide-surface interactions by SPR spectroscopy.

skew the isotherm shape and result in erroneous calculated values of ∆G o ads. To address these issues, we have developed a new approach for the determination of ∆G o ads using SPR that is based on the chemical potential. In this article, we present the development of this new approach and its application for the calculation of ∆G o ads for a set of peptide-surface systems where the peptide has a host-guest amino acid sequence of TGTG-X-GTGT (where G and T are glycine and threonine residues and X represents a variable residue) and the surface consists of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with methyl (CH3) and hydroxyl (OH) functionality. This new approach enables bulk-shift effects to be directly determined from the raw SPR versus peptide concentration data plots and the influence of peptide-peptide interaction effects to be minimized, thus providing a very straightforward and accurate method for the determination of ∆G o ads for peptide adsorption. Further studies are underway to characterize ∆G o ads for a large library of peptide-SAM combinations.
Increased cell death in the developing vestibulocochlear ganglion complex of the mouse after prenatal ethanol exposure.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that excessive prenatal alcohol exposure can damage the auditory and vestibular systems, in particular, cochlear hair cells. However, the direct effect of ethanol on the peripheral neurons in these pathways has not been examined. To study the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on the developing vestibulocochlear ganglion (VCG) complex and the peripheral sensory organs, we exposed pregnant mice to ethanol and examined the levels of cell death in the inner ear. Methods: Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were administered one of three doses of either ethanol (3.0, 4.5, and 5.5 g/kg) or isocaloric maltose/dextrin via intragastric intubation on gestational day (GD) 12.5. Embryos were dissected out of the uterus 8 hr after the intubation. Dying cells in the inner ear were stained with Nissl stain and labeled by in situ terminal dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and the percentage of dying cells was quantified. Results: Ethanol exposure produced region-specific effects, with ethanol-exposed embryos exhibiting enhanced cell death only in the VCG complex, and not in the primitive saccule, cochlea, semicircular canal, or endolymphatic sac. The effects of ethanol on cell death in the VCG are dose dependent, with a significant increase in the level of cell death found only at the higher doses. Conclusions: Ethanol has a selective cytotoxic dose-dependent effect on the VCG at GD 12.5 suggesting that loss of VCG neurons may contribute to hearing and /or vestibular abnormalities in FAS children. Furthermore, the presence of TUNEL-positive cells and DNA laddering is consistent with the cells undergoing apoptotic cell death.
Linkage to chromosome 14q in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients without psychotic symptoms

Cases of early onset AD have been attributed to three genes, PSEN1, PSEN2, and APP, while the only gene consistently associated with late onset AD (LOAD) is APOE. Several genome scans have now been performed for LOAD with inconsistent findings in several genomic regions, possibly reflecting the underlying genetic heterogeneity. Many lines of evidence suggest that the absence or presence of psychotic symptoms, common in AD, might delineate distinct etiologic disease subtypes. We have performed a genome scan of 148 AD pedigrees (ages of onset more than 50 years) including the presence or absence of delusions and hallucinations as covariates. This approach identified linkage to a locus on chromosome 14q24.3, close to the PSEN1 locus (LOD score 3.91; genome-wide empirical P = 0.052), derived from individuals that do not have co-morbid hallucinations. The finding appears stronger (LOD score 5.74; genome-wide empirical P = 0.048) in families that include younger affected members (AAO between 50 and 65 years), however it is not present without the inclusion of the covariate and we observe no correlation between the presence of hallucinations and the age of onset. A mutation screen of PSEN1 did not detect any coding region or splice site mutations. This linkage finding suggests the presence of a gene causing AD without co-morbid hallucinations and with an earlier (yet not early) age at onset (AAO) in the 14q24 region. This region requires further study to replicate the finding and identify the genetic variant responsible for the linkage. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
MITHRA: Multiple data independent tasks on a heterogeneous resource architecture

With the advent of high-performance COTS clusters, there is a need for a simple, scalable and fault-tolerant parallel programming and execution paradigm. In this paper, we show that the popular MapReduce programming model can be utilized to solve many interesting scientific simulation problems with much higher performance than regular cluster computers by leveraging GPGPU accelerators in cluster nodes. We use the Massive Unordered Distributed (MUD) formalism and establish a one-to-one correspondence between it and general Monte Carlo simulation methods. Our architecture, MITHRA, leverages NVIDIA CUDA technology along with Apache Hadoop to produce scalable performance gains using the MapReduce programming model. The evaluation of our proposed architecture using the Black Scholes option pricing model shows that a MITHRA cluster of 4 GPUs can outperform a regular cluster of 62 nodes, achieving a speedup of about 254 times in our testbed, while providing scalable near linear performance with additional nodes.
Effects of force fitting on the inductance profile of a switched reluctance motor

The effects of compression on the magnetic properties of a steel alloy used in electromagnetic devices is investigated. The results of a case study on a switched reluctance motor are presented. It is demonstrated that compression affected the winding inductance profiles as well as the performance characteristics of the motor. The simulated performance results are verified by comparison to experimental data. The switched reluctance motor winding inductances were determined from a series of nonlinear magnetic field solutions in conjunction with an energy perturbation approach. A comparison of the inductance values with measured data, as well as the performance characteristics of the machine, revealed that, in cases of high stress conditions due to casing force fitting, the compression effects on the magnetic characteristics of the stator laminations should be taken into account. >
Run-time cache bypassing

The growing disparity between processor and memory performance has made cache misses increasingly expensive. Additionally, data and instruction caches are not always used efficiently, resulting in large numbers of cache misses. Therefore, the importance of cache performance improvements at each level of the memory hierarchy will continue to grow. In numeric programs, there are several known compiler techniques for optimizing data cache performance. However, integer (nonnumeric) programs often have irregular access patterns that are more difficult for the compiler to optimize. In the past, cache management techniques such as cache bypassing were implemented manually at the machine-language-programming level. As the available chip area grows, it makes sense to spend more resources to allow intelligent control over the cache management. In this paper, we present an approach to improving cache effectiveness, taking advantage of the growing chip area, utilizing run-time adaptive cache management techniques, optimizing both performance and cost of implementation. Specifically, we are aiming to increase data cache effectiveness for integer programs. We propose a microarchitecture scheme where the hardware determines data placement within the cache hierarchy based on dynamic referencing behavior. This scheme is fully compatible with existing instruction set architectures. This paper examines the theoretical upper bounds on the cache hit ratio that cache bypassing can provide for integer applications, including several Windows applications with OS activity. Then, detailed trace-driven simulations of the integer applications are used to show that the implementation described in this paper can achieve performance close to that of the upper bound.
Rotational symmetry field design on surfaces

Designing rotational symmetries on surfaces is a necessary task for a wide variety of graphics applications, such as surface parameterization and remeshing, painterly rendering and pen-and-ink sketching, and texture synthesis. In these applications, the topology of a rotational symmetry field such as singularities and separatrices can have a direct impact on the quality of the results. In this paper, we present a design system that provides control over the topology of rotational symmetry fields on surfaces. As the foundation of our system, we provide comprehensive analysis for rotational symmetry fields on surfaces and present efficient algorithms to identify singularities and separatrices. We also describe design operations that allow a rotational symmetry field to be created and modified in an intuitive fashion by using the idea of basis fields and relaxation. In particular, we provide control over the topology of a rotational symmetry field by allowing the user to remove singularities from the field or to move them to more desirable locations. At the core of our analysis and design implementations is the observations that N-way rotational symmetries can be described by symmetric N-th order tensors, which allows an efficient vector-based representation that not only supports coherent definitions of arithmetic operations on rotational symmetries but also enables many analysis and design operations for vector fields to be adapted to rotational symmetry fields. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we apply our design system to pen-and-ink sketching and geometry remeshing.
Epidemiologic input to environmental risk assessment.

Abstract Epidemiological data are often rejected for risk assessment purposes because of the lack of accurate exposure data. Animal data are frequently resorted for risk assessment calculations. Such a decision should account for potential errors in animal to human risk extrapolations, which may be of 1 or 2 orders of magnitude or more. Because historical human exposure can usually be estimated with confidence that the errors would be considerably less than 1 order of magnitude, it follows that human studies should generally take precedence over animal studies, even when crude assumptions have to be made concerning human exposure levels. This paper illustrates this with cancer risk assessments for vinyl chloride and antimony, both of which relied on use of the stipulated average cohort exposure levels without use of any individual exposure data for cohort members. Linear extrapolations of risk to low exposures were used in both instances. Non-cancer risk assessments were illustrated by examining results o...
The fast Fourier transform as a test case for a systolic data flow machine

A fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm is mapped onto a suggested processing element topology in order to demonstrate the utility of the systolic data flow machine (SDFM) approach. The SDFM is based on the partitioning of dataflow programs (graphs) into subgraphs that are small enough that they can be loaded into programmable systolic arrays, called processing elements. Mapability and performance criteria are suggested, such as the number of allocated primitive processors (in a systolic array) and the number of primitive processors and systolic arrays that are active at any one time. Conclusions about system attributes, such as the ratio of local to global communication, granularity, instruction execution and communication time, parallelism, processor utilization, are also presented. >
Randomized Receding Horizon Navigation

The note combines (weak) control Lyapunov function-based nonlinear receding horizon control, with randomized optimization. This approach is applied to the problem of robot navigation in the presence of state and input constraints. It is shown that under certain conditions, relaxing the definiteness requirements on the terminal cost function allows one to select control inputs through a Monte-Carlo optimization scheme in a way that preserves the stability and convergence properties of the closed loop system. While the particular randomized optimization scheme used here can be substituted for the nonlinear optimal control method of choice, the introduction of randomization in receding horizon optimization is anticipated to offer additional trade-offs between performance and computation speed compared to the fixed-overhead nonlinear optimal control strategies typically employed.
Plate beamsplitter to produce multiple equal-intensity beams.

The design of a plate beamsplitter to produce multiple beams of equal intensity is presented. Multiple beams of equal intensity can be obtained from a plate by varying the reflectances of the front and back surfaces. The application for which we designed the plate beamsplitter was a four-beam multiplexed galvanometric scanner for a confocal scanning microscope. Multiplexing with four beams increases the effective optical scanning rate (and therefore the confocal imaging rate) to four times the electromechanical scanning rate of the galvanometrically driven mirrors.
Is video feedback more effective than written feedback

As online multimedia options grow, instructors have more diverse and interactive choices to deliver feedback for student assignments. In this paper, the authors compare the effectiveness of using screen recording software to provide video feedback on programming assignments versus traditional written feedback. A Fundamentals of Programming class of 38 students was randomly divided into two groups. Throughout a 15-week semester, one group of students was exclusively given feedback via video and the other was exclusively given feedback via text. For the video feedback, the professor displayed the individual student program and discussed in detail any design or syntactical errors found in the code. For both groups, the authors tracked the scores on each assignment for each student, as well as the time it took to grade each assignment, which included video rendering time for the group receiving video feedback. A survey was also administered at the end of the semester to gather feedback from the students. The results of this study are analyzed and presented in order to determine which method is more effective. The results from the survey administered to the students who received the video feedback are also included.
Block Diagrams vs. Acausal Modeling

In this section, we will discuss, in detail, the differences between the block diagram and acausal approaches introduced in Section 1.3.
Crossing the Streams: Exploring the Interplay between Students' Online Social Activity and Programming Behavior (Abstract Only)

With the widespread availability of massive amounts of student programming data, we are witnessing a digital gold rush as researchers attempt to make sense of students' programming behaviors. In prior research, we incorporated programming data into a statistical model that accounted for a significant amount of a student's course performance. In a separate line of research, we explored how online social networking tools might be leveraged for pedagogical purposes. Rather than treating our explorations of students' programming and social behaviors as separate research spaces, we are next considering the interplay between social behavior, programming behavior, and course performance. As a first step, we incorporated online social participation into our statistical model of programming behaviors. The outcome was quite promising: we witnessed a 30% increase in our model's effect size. This result would seem to indicate that neither programming behavior nor social behavior alone can fully account for student performance.Encouraged by this result, we are now considering how social interaction influences programming decisions and vice versa. In particular: After receiving help on a social network, what changes are made to code? Are these changes more or less likely to move the student closer to a correct solution?How do students address coding problems when their questions are left unanswered?At what points in the programming process are students more likely to pose questions? Similarly, when are students more willing to offer help?How can we use this knowledge to better identify students who are struggling?
Limitations of Myocardial Recovery from Fibrillation Through Countershock.

ConclusionsThe dog's ventricles did not generally survive interruption of coronary circulation during fibrillation for more than about 1 minute, in the sense that useful coordinated beats sufficient for recovery are reestablished without massage. These results caution us not to entertain too high hopes of resuscitating human hearts by the countershock method. Countershock can stop fibrillation; but complete anoxia beyond one minute generally prevents a resumption of beats sufficiently vigorous to reestablish viable blood pressures.
Laser-assisted neck-lift: high-tech contouring and tightening

Less invasive procedures for facial rejuvenation are becoming more and more popular as prospective patients seek out treatment options that offer the best possible results with the least amount of downtime. As the demand for "quick recovery" procedures increases and patients spend more time researching options, more informed choices are being made, and many times patients opt for technologically advanced procedures. Less invasive procedures can be so described because they utilize small incisions, less anesthesia, or advanced technology to reduce morbidity. We describe a minimally invasive "laser neck-lift" that utilizes minimal access incisions, no general anesthesia, and an internal aesthetic laser to dissect in the plane between skin and subcutaneous fat and the platysma. The procedure relies on laser lipolysis and skin tightening via dermal heating as well as two Quill™ sutures that serve to define the neck. The procedure is well tolerated and not complicated and gives long-lasting results.
Simulation of the cold flow in a ramp-cavity combustor using a DSEM-LES/FMDF hybrid scheme

Large eddy simulation (LES) of a ramp-cavity combustor is conducted by means of a hybrid discontinuous spectral element method (DSEM) and filtered mass density function (FMDF) scheme. To perform this simulation, a new computational methodology is developed for the simulation of turbulent chemically-reacting flows on unstructured grids. The implementation of a Lagrangian Monte Carlo (MC) FMDF solver on unstructured grids is described. This requires the development of a new approach to calculate the filtered mean quantities on the solution points as well as an improved particle search algorithm for unstructured grids. We present the two-dimensional cold flow of a ramp-cavity combustor at Ma=0.4 with air entering the inlet and pure fuel being injected into the cavity. The simulation includes a locally refined grid near the fuel injector, which minimizes the total number of solution points, while retaining accuracy in this critical region.
Considerations on Improving the Management System of the Adverse Drug Reaction

The passage based on the deep study on the system of ADR in China,by making the reference to the related regulations adopted in such developed countries as U.S.A and Japan.There are gaps exist in adverse drug reaction related system of China,it need to be improved.To perfect the management system of ADR and give the patients' rights a much better protection.
Analysis 32 cases of double-balloon video enteroscopy

[Objective] To evaluate double-balloon video entoroscopy(DBE) in small bowel disease. [Method] From June to August 2005, 32 patients with presentation of gastrointestinal upset and underwent a previous negative gastroscopy, colonoscopy, gastrointestinal barium and /or angiography were enrolled in this study. According to the sufferer condition decided enteroscopy via oral or rectum, 9 of 32 patients were done by enteroscopy via oral, 6 among those examples were done by anaesthesia , and 23 of 32 patients were done by enteroscopy via rectum. 32 patients were injected by muscle with 654-2 10 mg and Diazapam 10 mg. [Results] Positive diagnostic yield was in 26 patients(81.25%). Theses disorder included small intestines crohn's disease (6/32), small intestines tumor (5/32), arteriovenous malformation(2/32), small intestines capillarectasia Syndrome (5/32), small enteritis (4/32), ilenum multiple ulcerations(1/32), ilenum diverticular (2/32), and jejunum liparomphalus (1/32). Positive diagnosis of the cause of Melena was 100%(11/11), Positive diagnosis of the cause of vomit was 100% (4/4), Positive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain was 43.75%(7/16), Positive diagnosis of the cause of the abdominal distension was 0.(0/1), there were no obvious complications. [Conclusion] Positive diagnosis rate is high in double-balloon video entoroscopy with a direct method. It is one of the best methods to diagnose and treat the small intestines diseases currently, but the operation is difficulty and tends to have complications.
Approach to Skeletal Dysplasia

Individuals with disproportionate shortness are classified as having a skeletal dysplasia if they have physeal or spinal involvement. Diagnosis of such individuals is important because most skeletal dysplasias are genetic and have significant medical implications. An approach to categorization and diagnosis is presented.
Morphine suppresses luteinizing hormone concentrations in transiently weaned sows and delays onset of estrus after weaning

Lactating sows were used to evaluate effects of morphine and suckling on secretion of LH and prolactin (PRL) and occurrence of estrus after weaning. In the first experiment, crossbred multiparous sows nursing 7.9 +/- .4 pigs per litter at 25.2 +/- .3 d of lactation were subjected to one of three treatments during the middle 8-h segment of a 24-h experimental period. Treatments were infusion (i.v.) of morphine (200 mg/h) with the litter present (n = 4) or transiently weaned (n = 4), or transient weaning of litters without morphine (n = 4). Transient weaning decreased (P less than .05) prolactin and increased (P less than .05) the frequency of LH pulses and average concentration of LH. Infusion of morphine caused transient hyperthermia and suppressed (P less than .05) LH release in two of four sows nursing litters and in four sows whose litters were absent. Infusion of morphine, in the presence or absence of litters, suppressed PRL during the middle and last 8-h segments. A second experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that chronic administration of morphine delays onset of estrus after weaning. Primiparous Duroc sows were assigned at weaning (53 to 63 d postpartum) to receive morphine (n = 10) or saline (n = 11). Saline (1.5 ml) or morphine (75 mg) was administered s.c. three times a day for 5 d after weaning. Onset of estrus after weaning was delayed in sows given morphine compared with those given saline (9.7 +/- .4 vs 5.2 +/- .3 d, respectively; P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Enhanced unscheduled DNA synthesis in the cotyledons of Gossypium barbadense L. by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS).

Abstract When cotyledonary tissue of G. , barbadense cotton are treated with the mutagen ethyl methanesulfonate and then germinated, an enhanced, unscheduled DNA synthesis response is observed, along with a concomitant increase in the thymidine triphosphate precursor pool size. The implications of these results are discussed in this paper.
A comparison of barley and malt polypeptides that inhibit green malt endoproteinases

The brewing quality of a wort is strongly affected by its amino acid/peptide/protein ratio, which in turn is determined by the endoproteinases active during malting and mashing. In addition to the ...
Status Inconsistency and the Politics of Worship

After an explanation of salient points of Wayne Meeks's construction of a social history of Pauline Christianity, this essay explores his concept of ritual efficacy with attention to what it might lend to a fuller understanding of ritual/sacramental efficacy in the contemporary churches. Because the communities of l'Arche of Jean Vanier are constituted by a great diversity of persons who are vastly unequal, at least in terms of intelligence, they provide a contemporary reference for investigating Meeks's claim that the function of Christian ritual is to socialize persons of various strata into a communitas in Christ. No definitive resting point is reached, the conclusion being that in light of various social factors facing the churches, Christian ritual needs to socialize persons into communitas more effectively than it usually manages to do. Suggestions for doing so are offered.
On the Road to Literature Discussion Groups: Teacher Scaffolding during Preparatory Experiences.

Abstract Working within a theoretical framework of sociocultural theory, with a particular focus on the construct of scaffolding, this five and a half month qualitative study explored the ways in which one third‐grade teacher supported students’ move towards literature discussion groups. Data sources including expanded field notes, video and audiotape records, teacher interview transcripts, and artifacts were analyzed utilizing the constant‐comparative method. Findings indicated two prominent themes related to the instructional focus of the teacher's scaffolding during preparatory activities—a response‐oriented focus and an interpersonal focus. By focusing on these two areas, the teacher facilitated students’ acquisition of response strategies and interpersonal strategies— strategies they later used effectively in literature discussion groups.
Transient suppression of Dbx1 preBötzinger interneurons disrupts breathing in adult mice

Interneurons derived from Dbx1-expressing precursors located in the brainstem preBotzinger complex (preBotC) putatively form the core oscillator for inspiratory breathing movements. We tested this Dbx1 core hypothesis by expressing archaerhodopsin in Dbx1-derived interneurons and then transiently hyperpolarizing these neurons while measuring respiratory rhythm in vitro or breathing in vagus-intact adult mice. Transient illumination of the preBotC interrupted inspiratory rhythm in both slice preparations and sedated mice. In awake mice, light application reduced breathing frequency and prolonged the inspiratory duration. Support for the Dbx1 core hypothesis previously came from embryonic and perinatal mouse experiments, but these data suggest that Dbx1-derived preBotC interneurons are rhythmogenic in adult mice too. The neural origins of breathing behavior can be attributed to a localized and genetically well-defined interneuron population.
Permanent inactivation of Huntington's disease mutation by personalized allele-specific CRISPR/Cas9.

Abstract A comprehensive genetics-based precision medicine strategy to selectively and permanently inactivate only mutant, not normal allele, could benefit many dominantly inherited disorders. Here, we demonstrate the power of our novel strategy of inactivating the mutant allele using haplotype-specific CRISPR/Cas9 target sites in Huntington's disease (HD), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder due to a toxic dominant gain-of-function CAG expansion mutation. Focusing on improving allele specificity, we combined extensive knowledge of huntingtin (HTT) gene haplotype structure with a novel personalized allele-selective CRISPR/Cas9 strategy based on Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM)-altering SNPs to target patient-specific CRISPR/Cas9 sites, aiming at mutant HTT allele-specific inactivation for a given diplotype. As proof-of-principle, simultaneously using two CRISPR/Cas9 guide RNAs (gRNAs) that depend on PAM sites generated by SNP alleles on the mutant chromosome, we selectively excised ~44 kb DNA spanning promoter region, transcription start site, and the CAG expansion mutation of the mutant HTT gene, resulting in complete inactivation of the mutant allele without impacting the normal allele. This excision on the disease chromosome completely prevented the generation of mutant HTT mRNA and protein, unequivocally indicating permanent mutant allele-specific inactivation of the HD mutant allele. The perfect allele selectivity with broad applicability of our strategy in disorders with diverse disease haplotypes should also support precision medicine through inactivation of many other gain-of-function mutations.
Assessing Response and Prognosis in AL Amyloidosis

Advances in assessing response and assigning risk to patients with AL amyloidosis have been made in the past several decades. Historically the most important predictor of overall survival has been the presence and extent of cardiac involvement. Most recently there have been advances for better stratifying cardiac risk; other risk factors have also been identified. Methods for assessing clinical response criteria have also improved with readily available means to measure changes of the serum immunoglobulin free light chain. These developments have been integral for improving outcomes for these patients.
Receptor Level Dissection of Common Versus Discrete Vesicle Release Pathways from Primary Vagal Afferent Terminals

Primary vagal afferent neurons form strong excitatory glutamatergic synapses onto second-order neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract and initiate key autonomic and homeostatic reflex pathways. Vesicle fusion and release from vagal central terminals occurs via three distinct pathways including synchronous, asynchronous, and spontaneous. While synchronous and asynchronous release mechanisms require presynaptic action-potential depolarization; spontaneous release is ongoing and independent of action potentials. Evidence suggests these forms of release can be controlled independently indicating discrete and potentially separate vesicle pools and release sites. However, the presence and activation of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels (including TRPV1) at the central terminals dramatically increases the rate of spontaneous vesicle release and eventually diminish action-potential driven synchronous release; consistent with a common releasable pool. Confounding this interpretation is the observation that TRP channel activation also diminishes voltage activated sodium channel signaling. As such the decrease in synchronous release may be a result of action potential failure, rather than depleted vesicle pools. Given that synchronous and spontaneously release glutamate activates both AMPA and NMDA receptors postsynaptically we utilized ligand dependent post-synaptic NMDA receptor blockade (MK-801) to overcome this confound. We found that treatment with MK-801 during exclusively spontaneous release blocked the NMDA component of spontaneous events and subsequent action-potential driven synchronous release. This result demonstrates that glutamate released via spontaneous vesicle release is activating the same population of NMDA receptors as glutamate released synchronously. This finding is consistent with a common release site for synchronous and spontaneous release at vagal afferent terminals.
EIR: Edge-aware inter-domain routing protocol for the future mobile internet

Abstract This work describes a clean-slate inter-domain routing protocol designed to meet the needs of the future mobile Internet. In particular, we describe the edge-aware inter-domain routing (EIR) protocol which provides new abstractions, such as aggregated-nodes (aNodes) and virtual-links (vLinks) for expressing network topologies and edge network properties necessary to address mobility related routing scenarios which are inadequately supported by the border gateway protocol (BGP) in use today. Specific use-cases addressed by EIR include emerging mobility service scenarios such as multi-homing across WiFi and cellular, multipath routing over several access networks, and anycast access from mobile devices to replicated cloud services. It is shown that EIR can be used to realize efficient routing strategies for the mobility use-cases under consideration, while also providing support for a range of inter-domain routing policies currently associated with BGP. Simulation results for protocol overhead are presented for a global-scale CAIDA topology, leading to an identification of parameters necessary to obtain a good balance between overhead and routing table convergence time. A Click-based proof-of-concept implementation of EIR on the ORBIT testbed is described and used to validate performance and functionality for selected mobility use-cases, including mobile data services with open WiFi access points and mobile platforms such as buses operating in an urban area.
Training of Rock Classifications: The Use of Computer Images versus Physical Rock Samples.

ABSTRACTA highly controlled laboratory experiment was conducted that suggested computer-based image training of rock classifications can provide a useful supplement to physical rock training. Two groups of participants learned to classify samples of 12 major types of rocks during a training phase. One group was trained using computer images of the rock samples, and another group was trained with physical rock samples. A third group that was familiarized with images of the samples but did not receive initial classification training served as a control. The participants' ability to generalize their training to the classification of novel, physical rock samples from the 12 types was then assessed in a test phase. All groups received trial-by-trial feedback during this test phase; still, the image-based and physical rock training groups maintained a significant performance advantage (75.2% correct) compared to the control group (37.5% correct). The group that received physical rock training performed only sli...
Immigration, Agriculture, and the Border

The Mexico-US border highlights population and economic growth in an “artificial” desert environment—there would not be 12 million residents along the 2000 mile border if it were not an international border. For most of the 20th century, there were only three major population centers along the border: the lower Rio Grande Valley, the El Paso-Juarez area, and the San Diego-Tijuana area. There were one million residents along the border in 1942, but then the border-area population became to grow, especially on the Mexican side, during the 1942–64 Bracero program, under which Mexicans could work legally on US farms. The border area population grew even faster after the maquiladora or foreign-owned assembly plant industry expanded in the wake of peso devaluations in the 1980s and 1990s.
Extension and Finiteness Theorems

The classical little Picard theorem states that every entire function f missing two values must be constant. In (3.10.2) we stated E. Borel’s generalization to a system of entire functions. One of its geometric consequences is that given n + p hyperplanes H 1,..., H n +p in P n C in general position, every \(f \in Hol(C,{P_n}C - \cup _{i = 1}^{n + p}{H_i})\) has its image in a linear subspace of dimension ≤ [n/p], see (3.10.7). For p = n + 1, this means that \(f \in Hol(C,{P_n}C - \cup _{i = 1}^{2n + 1}{H_i})\) must be constant, (see (3.10.8)). This has been further strengthened to the statement that \({P_n}C - \cup _{i = 1}^{2n + 1}{H_i}\) is complete hyperbolic and is hyperbolically imbedded in P n C, (see (3.10.9)), which is a statement on Hol(\(D,{P_n}C - \cup _{i = 1}^{2n + 1}{H_i}\)) rather than on Hol(\(C,{P_n}C - \cup _{i = 1}^{2n + 1}{H_i}\)) since the hyperbolicity and hyperbolic imbeddedness of \(X = {P_2}C - \cup _{i = 1}^{2n + 1}{H_i}\) is defined in terms of d X which, in turn, is constructed by Hol(\(D,{P_n}C - \cup _{i = 1}^{2n + 1}{H_i}\)). Thus, (3.10.9) is a statement en termes finis in the sense of Bloch [1].
Mainstays of Social Engagements

Let’s take a closer look at Searls’ interdependent market features: transactions,conversations, and relationships. These market features are the mainstays of social engagement and are present in individual and group identity dynamics. Figure 2.1 depicts the interdependence of the three factors. This model can also be a tool for observing social engagement at any level. It’s appropriate for not only the interactions of two individuals, but also working teams, entire organizations, and extended worldwide networks. You can even apply this model to how individual identities develop and are maintained.
Plays of the Third Thatcher Ministry: “I Shall Destroy Your Power to Resist”

This chapter investigates the oppositional history plays of the Third Thatcher Ministry. The roster of artists undergoes a change from the previous two chapters as new playwrights begin to dramatize a history in opposition to the hegemonic. In particular, this chapter examines two vital works from Scotland: Liz Lochhead’s Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off and John McGrath’s Border Warfare . Produced at a time when the issue of Scottish autonomy from Britain was beginning to be felt at the polls, these two works offer distinct reappraisals of the history between Scotland and England. This chapter also discusses Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good , Brian Friel’s Making History , Sarah Daniels’s Gut Girls , and Howard Barker’s Seven Lears .
The Role of Network Capital in Venture Performance

Using a sample of 492 entrepreneurs, I test the degree to which network capital may be better exploited. Specifically, social skills and entrepreneurial intensity may be key factors that may affect the degree to which social networks are accessed and exploited. Controlling for endogeneity, and omitted variable biases, I find that social skills and entrepreneurial intensity do indeed increase the effectiveness of social networks. Compared with previous studies that assume that social networks automatically benefits individual entrepreneurs, this study focuses on the behavioral aspect of how to exploit social networks.
Aiming at Cancer In Vivo: Ferroptosis-Inducer Delivered by Nanoparticles.

Induction of ferroptosis has emerged as a potential cancer therapeutic approach. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Zhang et al. (2019) demonstrate the anticancer efficacy and safety of the ferroptosis inducer imidazole ketone erastin (IKE) in a xenograft model by using a nanoparticle-based delivery system.
Sign pattern matrices that allow inertia $\mathbb{S}_{n}$

Sign pattern matrices of order n that allow inertias in the set Sn are considered. All sign patterns of order 3 (up to equivalence) that allow S3 are classified and organized according to their associated directed graphs. Furthermore, a minimal set of such matrices is found. Then, given a pattern of order n that allows Sn, a construction is given that generates families of irreducible sign patterns of order n+1 that allow Sn+1.
Differences in Health Outcomes Between Millennials and Generation X in the USA: Evidence from the National Health Interview Survey

Millennials (born 1981–1996) are the largest portion of the US workforce, but very little research has examined and compared their health behaviors and health outcomes to previous generations. The purpose of this study was to compare health outcomes for Millennials (born 1981–1996) and Generation X-ers (born 1965–1980) at the same age. Data on 9602 Generation X-ers and 7786 Millennials aged 20–35 years were analyzed from the 2000 and 2016 National Health Interview Survey. Mental, physical, and functional health outcomes were compared across the two groups using prevalence estimates and multivariable logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors. Compared to Generation X-ers who were 20–35 years of age in 2000, Millennials aged 20–35 in 2016 were more educated than Generation X-ers, but Millennials were more likely to live in poverty than Generation X-ers. Millennials were less likely to smoke than Generation X-ers at the same age and had improved health insurance coverage, but they were more likely to be obese. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, Millennials were more likely to report poor/fair self-rated health, chronic conditions, needing assistance with activities of daily living, and moderate-to-severe psychological distress compared to Generation X-ers of the same age. More research and innovative public health initiatives should focus on improving the health of the 73 million Millennials in the United States.
Biomechanical Testing of a Calcium Phosphate-Phosphoserine-Based Mineral-Organic Adhesive for Non-invasive Fracture Repair of Mandibular Fractures in Dogs.

Mandibular fracture repair is complicated by limited availability of bone as well as the presence of the neurovascular bundle and an abundance of tooth roots. Fractures at the location of the mandibular first molar teeth are common and can be particularly challenging to apply stable fixation. Non-invasive fracture repair techniques utilize intraoral placement of fixation devices typically involving polymerized composites and/or interdental wiring. A novel calcium phosphate -phosphoserine based mineral-organic adhesive was tested ex-vivo to determined its effects on augmenting strength of different non-invasive fracture fixation techniques. This study tested both the use of mineral-organic adhesive for the purpose of stabilizing currently used non-invasive fracture repair constructs (intraoral composite splinting +/- interdental wiring) as well as evaluated adhesive alone or with subperiosteally placed plates on buccal cortical bone surface. Aside from controls, not receiving an osteotomy along the mesial root of mandibular first molar tooth, six treatment groups were tested to evaluate ultimate strength, stiffness, angular displacement, bending moment, and application time. All forms of fixation were found to be significantly weaker than control (p<0.001). Only the control (p<0.001) and mineral-organic adhesive and composite (p=0.002) groups were found to be significantly stronger than wire and composite. No difference was noted in stiffness between any groups with control or wire and composite. Application times varied from the mineral-organic adhesive group (mean = 206 seconds) to mineral-organic adhesive and composite (mean = 1281 seconds). Twenty-three fixation devices exhibited adhesive failure, 20 demonstrated cohesive failure and 5 failed by cohesive and adhesive failure. When evaluating the ultimate strength of the fixation device groups, mineral-organic adhesive and composite was shown to be the strongest construct. The use of resorbable bone adhesive and composite may provide a stronger fixation construct over interdental wire and composite for mandibular fracture repair in dogs.
Darwin and the Situation of Emotion Research

This article demonstrates how researchers from both the sciences and the humanities can learn from Charles Darwin’s mixed methodology. We identify two basic challenges that face emotion research in...
Surfactant Enhanced Laser-Induced Vapor Bubbles for Potential use in Thulium Fiber Laser Lithotripsy *

The Thulium fiber laser (TFL) is being explored as a potential alternative to the gold standard Holmium:YAG laser for infrared laser ablation of kidney stones. Laser-induced vapor bubbles contribute to both the ablation mechanism and stone retropulsion. In this preliminary study, a biocompatible surfactant with concentrations of 1-5% was used to enhance the vapor bubble dimensions during the laser pulse. Bubble dimensions using surfactant increased on average by 25% compared with water only (control). With further development, introduction of the surfactant into the saline irrigation flow typically delivered through the working channel of the ureteroscope during laser lithotripsy, may contribute to more efficient stone ablation.Clinical Relevance—This preliminary study demonstrates that the dimensions of laser-induced vapor bubbles created during infrared laser lithotripsy can be enhanced by up to 25%, for potential clinical translation into more efficient lithotripsy and use in the "popcorn" ablation method.
China’s illiberalism and liberalism’s ills

This is a deeply important book for all scholars of China, and it is a timely one as well. It is timely in a number of ways that in 2019 not even the author (nor any of us) could have foreseen. Sin...