cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Animated Films as a Teaching Resource

One hundred years of animated cinema offer a rich teaching resource for educators and trainers. This article describes several aspects of animated films and gives a brief history of this film genre. The article argues that animated films are a rich teaching resource for use in organizational behavior and management courses. Included in the article are examples from several animated films, all linked to management and organizational behavior concepts. Interspersing animated film scenes with live-action film scenes can bring variety and vitality to the classroom.
The Effects of Mentoring in Entrepreneurial Career Choice

Mentorship programs are increasingly on the agenda for policymakers and universities interested in fostering entrepreneurship. However, we have few studies examining the causal effects of mentorshi...
Trees of Love, Trees of Knowledge: Toward the Definition of a Cross-Confessional Current in Late Medieval Iberian Spirituality

This essay seeks to define and explore the significance of trees as a cross-cultural devotional topos in late medieval Iberian spirituality. Through an examination of both visual and literary material from Christian, Islamic, and Jewish contexts, much of which is published here for the first time, trees are demonstrated to be at the center of both polemics and devotions, often—in a Christian context—serving as a stand-in for the crucified body of Christ.
‘And what about residential…?’ Re‐conceptualizing residential treatment as a stop‐gap service for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders

The need for residential services for youth with the most intractable emotional and behavioral problems continues to exist despite advances made in developing community-based systems of care. Residential treatment centers (RTCs), considered one of the most restrictive service settings, have changed little over the years and have not fared well in outcome evaluations. Despite these factors, admissions to RTCs continue to increase. In an attempt to contemporize and bring the RTC more in line with current practice, a stop-gap model of service delivery is recommended. The stop-gap model, incorporating evidence-based practices, is intended to have an immediate and positive impact on the barrier behaviors that keep youths in the most restrictive environments. The twofold goal of the stop-gap model is to interrupt the youth's downward spiral imposed by increasingly disruptive behavior and, simultaneously, to prepare the post-discharge environment for the youth's timely reintegration. Strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of the stop-gap model are recommended. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Histone H4 HDAC activity is necessary for expression of the PU.1 gene

Abstract Although the current paradigm delegates histone deacetylases (HDACs) to the role of transcriptional co-repressors, we recently showed that HDAC activity was necessary for expression of the hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses showed that inhibition of HDACs resulted in increased histone H4 acetylation within the promoter and intron 1 regions of the PU.1 locus. In contrast, increases in both H3 and H4 acetylation were seen for introns 2, 3 and 4 on the 3′ end of the PU.1 locus. Maximal increases in histone H4 acetylation over the promoter and intron 1 region were seen within 10 min of HDAC inhibition, while the increases seen on the 3′ end showed slower kinetics. The increases in H4 acetylation were reversible and decreased levels of acetylation correlated with re-expression of the PU.1 gene. Finally, we show that HDAC activity is required for association of RNA polymerase II with the PU.1 promoter.
On the safety of Tokamak-type, central station fusion power reactors

Abstract A preliminary examination is made of several potential safety questions for Tokomak-type, central station fusion power reactors, using UWMAK-I as a reference concept. Larger tritium inventories than previously reported are estimated. The divertor loss-of-flow accident appears to require fast plasma shutdown. The large helium inventory in the cryogenic magnets affords a mechanism for generating large pressures within the containment. Lithium-air and lithium-concrete reactions have the potential for generating large amounts of heat, significant pressures, and active chemical species capable of volatilizing structural material such as a radioactive first wall.
Preventing HIV in Women — Still Trying to Find Their VOICE

The development and widespread use of potent antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV infection from a near-certain death sentence to a chronic manageable condition, whereby patients who adhere fully to their medication regimen can have an almost normal life span.1 Moreover, those who take their medications as prescribed generally do not transmit the virus to others.2 If we could identify all persons infected with HIV, get them into care, successfully initiate antiretroviral therapy, and achieve and sustain suppression of the virus to undetectable levels, all patients would in theory have a near-normal life span and not transmit the virus to others . . .
Electrostatic Exclusion of Neutral Solutes from Condensed DNA and Other Charged Phases

Motivated by experiments on condensed DNA phases in binary mixtures of water and a low-dielectric solute, we develop a theory for the electrostatic contribution to solute exclusion from a highly charged phase, within the continuum approximation of the medium. Because the electric field is maximum at the surface of each ion, the electrostatic energy is dominated by the Born energy; interactions between charges are of secondary importance. Neglecting interactions and considering only the competition between the Born energy and the free energy of mixing, we predict that low dielectric solutes are excluded from condensed DNA phases in water-cosolvent mixtures. This suggests that the traditional continuum electrostatic approach of modeling binary mixtures with a uniform dielectric constant needs to be modified. The linking of solute exclusion to solute dielectric properties also suggests a mechanism for predicting the electrostatic contribution to preferential hydration of polar and charged surfaces.
Determinants and protective potential of coronary arterial collaterals as assessed by an angioplasty model

Abstract Two indexes of collateral blood flow, the ratio of distal coronary occlusion pressure/aortic pressure (DCOP/Pao) and angiographic collateral class were determined during elective angioplasty in 36 patients with normal left ventricular function. The association between collateral indexes and 8 anatomic and clinical variables was assessed. A reduction in luminal diameter by ≥70% predicted angiographically demonstrable collaterals with 100% specificity and 85% sensitivity. Lesion severity (stenosis) correlated with both collateral class and DCOP/Pao: DCOP/Pao = 2.8809 −0.0729 × stenosis +0.00049 × stenosis2. The data suggest a quantitative relation between lesion severity and collateral development beyond a threshold value of 70% stenosis. Left ventricular ejection fraction during ischemia caused by balloon occlusion (EFo) was found to be primarily determined by lesion location; however, collateral flow modified EFo significantly. For mid-left anterior descending and right coronary artery: EFo = 59 + 26 × (DCOP/Pao); for proximal left anterior descending artery: EFo = 24 + 89 × (DCOP/Pao). A model predicting the hemodynamic and clinical consequences of abrupt coronary closure based on lesion location and severity was developed. In the second study phase, this model was tested retrospectively in a different group of 23 patients who experienced coronary occlusion as a complication of angioplasty. The data of both study phases suggest that left ventricular function and clinical outcome after abrupt coronary closure are determined by an interaction between location of the coronary artery obstruction and the amount of collateral flow. Lesion severity and the extent of functional impairment resulting from abrupt coronary closure are inversely related.
Epilepsia partialis continua associated with nonketotic hyperglycemia: Clinical and biochemical profile of 21 patients

In 21 patients, epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) was an early symptom of nonketotic hyperglycemia and occurred during an initial phase of hyponatremia and mild hyperosmolality. EPC persisted for an average of 8 days, and its duration correlated predominantly with the degree of hyponatremia. Depression of consciousness and cessation of seizures occurred with increasing severity of hyperglycemia and hyperosmolality. In 9 patients, EPC was the first symptom leading to the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Four patients died of serious associated illness. The majority of the patients had evidence of a localized structural cerebral lesion. Metabolic disturbances including hyperglycemia, mild hyperosmolality, hyponatremia, and lack of ketoacidosis contribute to the development of EPC in areas of focal cerebral damage.
Self‐nonself recognition by T and B lymphocytes and their roles in autoimmune phenomena

Evidence is presented which supports the suggestion that whether a given antigen is vulnerable to an autoimmune attack is dependent upon the specific immune status of B cells and T cells to that antigen which, in turn, is dictated by the concentration of self antigen in their microenvironment. That B cells require much higher concentrations of self antigens than do T cells for the maintenance of tolerance is supported by data presented using an experimental model of acquired tolerance to serum proteins. Depending on the immune status of T cells and B cells to self antigen, the following three models are suggested for the early events leading to autoimmunity: 1) polyclonal activation of competent B cells, 2) direct activation of competent T cells, and 3) bypass of specifically tolerant T cells and activation of competent B cells. The role of a regulatory network involving the suppressor cell circuit in the induction and regulation of autoimmunity is discussed.
Progeny of Osmia lignaria from distinct regions differ in developmental phenology and survival under a common thermal regime

Many insects, including some bees, have extensive subcontinental distributions that can differ in climatic conditions. Within and beyond these distributions, humans intentionally transport beneficial insects, including bees, to non-natal geographic locations. Insects also are experiencing unprecedented climatic change in their resident localities. For solitary bees, we know very little about the adaptive plasticity and geographic variation in developmental physiology that accommodates the different climates experienced within distributional ranges. Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a widely distributed North American spring-emerging bee being developed as a managed pollinator for tree fruit crops, including almonds. We examined the development and survival of O. lignaria progeny that were descended from populations sourced from southern California, western Washington, and northern Utah, and then were reared together under an hourly and weekly temperature regime simulating those of a California almond-growing region. We found that developmental physiologies of Washington and Utah progeny were generally similar. However, California progeny developed slower, were more metabolically active, and survived better under California conditions than did populations native to regions at higher latitudes. Regardless of geographic origin, cocooned adults managed under prescribed thermal regimes emerged faster and lived longer after wintering. Progeny of parents from different regions exhibited some acclimatory plasticity in developmental phenologies to a novel climatic regime, but overall their responses reflected their geographic origins. This outcome is consistent with their developmental phenologies being largely heritable adaptations to regional climates.
A Quantitative Trait Locus Influencing Fasting Plasma Glucose in Chromosome Region 18q22-23

Fasting plasma glucose is a multigenic trait related to both diabetes and obesity. We performed a genome scan for quantitative fasting plasma glucose levels in 320 families (1,514 subjects), segregating extreme obesity and normal weight using 382 autosomal microsatellite markers. We found significant linkages on 18q22-23 using family regression (logarithm of odds [LOD] 3.67, P = 0.00002, D18S1371 at 116 cM) and variance components (LOD 4.48, P < 0.00001) methods. Evidence for linkage remained strong when restricted to European Americans (260 families, 1,258 individuals). After an additional 60 families were added, the linkage signal strengthened (LOD 6.59). The result on 18q22-23 remained significant, even after controlling for both BMI and diabetes status. We also found suggestive linkages on chromosomes 2 (LOD 1.58, 216 cM) and 7 (LOD 1.78, 163 cM). Our results suggest that there is a quantitative trait locus in chromosome region 18q22-23 that influences fasting glucose levels and may play a role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The strength of the serum glucose results after controlling for BMI suggests that this putative gene does not influence glucose levels merely through an effect on obesity.
Holocene timberline and palaeoclimate of the northern Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah, USA

Clastic and organic sediments exposed in two stream cutbanks above modern timberline in the headwaters of the Henrys Fork drainage record multiple episodes of fluvial, lacustrine and wetland deposition. The location of the upper Henrys Fork at the boundary between modern summer-wet/winter-dry and summer dry/winter-wet precipitation regimes suggests that changes in vegetation during the Holocene were due primarily to variations in growing-season temperature. A radiocarbon date of 9310 6 70 BP on a Salix fragment from the base of one exposure indicates that the upper reaches of the Henrys Fork were vegetated by riparian willows by the early Holocene. Four other dates on wood and bulk organics ranging up to 4070 6 70 BP indicate that deposition continued through the middle Holocene. High Picea/Pinus ratios and high percentages of Artemisia pollen suggest that an open Picea parkland was established at timberline by 9.5 ka cal. BP, in response to mean annual and July temperatures ~1.0°C greater than at present...
Transgenerational inheritance of prenatal obesogen exposure

Obesity and metabolic syndrome diseases have exploded into an epidemic of global proportions. The generally accepted cause of obesity is overconsumption of calorie-dense food and diminished physical activity (the calories in-calories out model). However, emerging evidence demonstrates that environmental factors can predispose exposed individuals to gain weight, irrespective of diet and exercise. The environmental obesogen model proposes that chemical exposure during critical stages in development can influence subsequent adipogenesis, lipid balance and obesity. Obesogens are chemicals that inappropriately stimulate adipogenesis and fat storage. Numerous obesogens have been identified in recent years and some of these have been shown to act through the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma, the master regulator of adipogenesis. Others act through as yet unidentified pathways. Notably, some of these obesogens elicit transgenerational effects on a variety of health endpoints, including obesity in offspring after exposure of pregnant F0 females. Thus, prenatal exposure to xenobiotic compounds can have lasting, potentially permanent effects on the offspring of exposed animals. Transgenerational effects of chemical exposure raise the stakes in the debate about whether and how endocrine disrupting chemicals should be regulated.
Fluorescence Manipulation by Gold Nanoparticles: From Complete Quenching to Extensive Enhancement

When a fluorophore is placed in the vicinity of a metal nanoparticle possessing a strong plasmon field, its fluorescence emission may change extensively. Our study is to better understand this phenomenon and predict the extent of quenching and/or enhancement of fluorescence, to beneficially utilize it in molecular sensing/imaging. Plasmon field intensities on/around gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with various diameters were theoretically computed with respect to the distance from the GNP surface. The field intensity decreased rapidly with the distance from the surface and the rate of decrease was greater for the particle with a smaller diameter. Using the plasmon field strength obtained, the level of fluorescence alternation by the field was theoretically estimated. For experimental studies, 10 nm GNPs were coated with polymer layer(s) of known thicknesses. Cypate, a near infrared fluorophore, was placed on the outermost layer of the polymer coated GNPs, artificially separated from the GNP at known distances, and its fluorescence levels were observed. The fluorescence of Cypate on the particle surface was quenched almost completely and, at approximately 5 nm from the surface, it was enhanced ~17 times. The level decreased thereafter. Theoretically computed fluorescence levels of the Cypate placed at various distances from a 10 nm GNP were compared with the experimental data. The trend of the resulting fluorescence was similar. The experimental results, however, showed greater enhancement than the theoretical estimates, in general. The distance from the GNP surface that showed the maximum enhancement in the experiment was greater than the one theoretically predicted, probably due to the difference in the two systems. Factors affecting the fluorescence of a fluorophore placed near a GNP are the GNP size, coating material on GNP, wavelengths of the incident light and emitted light and intrinsic quantum yield of the fluorophore. Experimentally, we were able to quench and enhance the fluorescence of Cypate, by changing the distance between the fluorophore and GNP. This ability of artificially controlling fluorescence can be beneficially used in developing contrast agents for highly sensitive and specific optical sensing and imaging.
Release of pressor substances from renal grafts originating from rats with renal hypertension.

A method is described for grafting kidneys on bilaterally nephrectomized rats without interrupting renal blood flow. Under these conditions, normal kidneys caused a pressor response characterized by a gradual rise in pressure suggesting a continuous endocrine secretion. Kidneys from rats made hypertensive by unilateral clipping of the renal artery, renal encapsulation, or partial infarction were tested during the acute and chronic stages of the experimental disease. Wrapped and infarcted kidneys, as well as the untouched contralateral organs, released little or no pressor substances. On the other hand, clipped kidneys released normal or slightly greater amounts of pressor substances; the eontralateral untouched kidney did not elicit any pressor effect. Morphological examination showed a relationship between presence of nephroselerotic lesions and absence of, or decrease of, reninlike pressor substance released. Both changes are believed to be due to high renal vascular pressure against which the partly clipped kidney is protected. These observations suggest that, if renin is a primary factor in the pathogenesis of renal hypertension, hypertension due to renal artery constriction has a mechanism different from that caused by renal manipulation or infarction.
Effect of inhibitors on phosphate uptake in excised gills of the mussel (Mytilus edulis).

SummaryExcised fragments of gills of Mytilus edulis L., a pelecypod mollusk, were irrigated with artificial sea water containing P32. The rate of uptake of phosphate in the presence of 0.001 M inhibitors was compared with the control rate. Inhibition of phosphate uptake in the presence of cyanide, sulfide, and iodoacetate, and the lack of inhibition by azide and fluoride, are considered from the point of view of available knowledge of the penetration of such substances into cells. Cyanide and sulfide, being salts of weak acids, penetrate the cells and probably affect the turnover rate of intracellular phosphate. The lack of effect with fluoride is consistent with its existence in the completely dissociated state. Iodoacetate, also completely ionized, may be effective at the cell surface, affecting the permeability of the cell to phosphate. The apparent rise in the rate of phosphate uptake in the presence of cysteine remains unexplained.
Experimental verification of the walking and turning gaits for a two-actuated spoke wheel robot

Intelligent Mobility Platform with Active Spoke System (IMPASS) is a novel wheel-leg hybrid robot that can walk in unstructured environments by stretching in or out three independently actuated spokes of each wheel. This form of novel locomotion has the potential to combine the efficiency of a wheeled robot and the mobility of a legged robot. A highly mobile robot such as IMPASS could prove very valuable in applications where the terrain is complex and dangerous, such as search and rescue, reconnaissance, or anti-terror response. This video presents the experiments and findings of a variety of straight-line walking, transitions, and turning gaits. With the 1- 1 and 2-2 straight walking gaits, the robot can move forward stably but with different constraints. Unlike other wheeled vehicles which use Arckerman steering or differential steering, IMPASS can implement novel turning gaits even though the left and right hubs rotate with the same angular velocity. Steady state turning gait is demonstrated with skew transitions. Additionally, a free form gait is demonstrated using joystick control with interesting observations.
Demonstration of 28-40-Gbaud, OOK/BPSK/QPSK data-transparent optical correlation with control/tunability over time delays, phases and number of taps

We demonstrate a tunable optical correlator for amplitude and phase modulated signals up to 4-symbol-long patterns using conversion/dispersion based delays. We observed ∼1-dB sensitivity penalty (at 10−9 BER) for 2-bit correlation of a BPSK signal. Fine phase control of the taps is shown by wavelength tuning.
A boundary integral formulation of quasi-steady fluid wetting

This paper considers the motion of a liquid droplet on a solid surface. When capillary relaxation is much faster than the motion of the contact line, the fluid geometry and its dynamical evolution can be characterized in terms of the contact line alone. This problem can be cast in terms of boundary integral equations involving a Dirichlet-Neumann map coupled to a volume conservation constraint. A computational method for this formulation is described which has two principal advantages over approaches which track the entire free surface: (1) only the curve which describes the contact line is computed and (2) the resulting method exhibits only mild numerical stiffness, obviating the need for implicit timestepping. Effects of both capillary and body forces are considered. Computational examples include surface inhomogeneities, topological transitions and cusp formation.
Number of risk genotypes is a risk factor for major depressive disorder: a case control study

Background The objective of the study was to determine the genetic basis of Major Depressive Disorder, and the capacity to respond to antidepressant treatment. An association study of 21 candidate polymorphisms relevant to monoamine function and the mechanism of antidepressant response was conducted in 3 phenotypically distinct samples: a group with chronic or recurrent depression unable to respond to antidepressants (non-responders) (n = 58), a group capable of symptomatic improvement with or without treatment (responders) (n = 39), and volunteer controls (n = 85). The responders and non-responders constituted a larger group of depressed subjects.
On base station selection for anycast flow routing in energy-constrained wireless sensor networks

Energy constraints have had a significant impact on the design and operation of wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we investigate base station selection (or anycast) problem in wireless sensor networks. We consider a wireless sensor network having multiple base stations (data sink nodes), where each source node must send all its locally generated data to only one base station. To maximize the network lifetime, it is essential to optimally match each source node to a particular base station in addition to finding an optimal routing solution. We propose a polynomial time heuristic for optimal base station selection for anycast via a sequential fixing procedure, under the assumption that the bit rate from each source node is constant. Through extensive simulation results, we show that this heuristic has excellent performance behavior and is a tight low bound that is very close to optimal solution for the original optimization problem
Dynamic hedging portfolios for derivative securities in the presence of large transaction costs

We introduce a new class of strategies for hedging derivative securities in the presence of transaction costs assuming lognormal continuous-time prices for the underlying asset. We do not assume necessarily that the payoff is convex as in Leland's work or that transaction costs are small compared to the price changes between portfolio adjustments, as in Hoggardet al.'s work. The type of hedging strategy to be used depends upon the value of the Leland number A= √2/π (k/σ δt, where kis the round-trip transaction cost, σ is the volatility of the underlying asset, and δtis the time-lag between transactions. If A< 1 it is possible to implement modified Black-Scholes delta-hedging strategies, but not otherwise. We propose new hedging strategies that can be used with A≥ 1 to control effectively the hedging risk and transaction costs. These strategies are associated with the solution of a nonlinear obstacleproblem for a diffusion equation with volatility σ A =σ √1+A. In these strategies, there are periods in whic...
Cardioplegia at subnormothermia facilitates rapid functional resuscitation of hearts preserved in SOMAH for transplants.

Objectives: Hearts preserved ex vivo at 4°C undergo time-dependent irreversible injury due to extreme hypothermia. Studies using novel organ preservative solution SOMAH, suggest that hearts are optimally ‘preserved’ at subnormothermic temperature of 21°C. Present study evaluates relative efficacy of SOMAH ‘cardioplegia’ at 4 and 21°C in preservation of optimum heart function after in vitro storage at subnormothermia. Methods: Porcine hearts arrested with SOMAH cardioplegia at 4 or 21°C were stored in SOMAH for 5-hour at 21°C (n = 5). At the end of storage, the weight of hearts was recorded and biopsies taken for cardiac tissue high energy phosphate level measurements. The hearts were then attached to a reperfusion apparatus and biochemical parameters including cardiac enzyme release and myocardial oxygen consumption and lactate production were determined in perfusate samples at regular intervals during ex vivo perfusion experiment. Functional evaluation of the hearts intraoperatively and ex vivo was performed by 2D echocardiography using trans-esophageal echocardiography probe. Results: Post-storage heart weights were unaltered in both groups, while available high-energy phosphates (HEP) were greater in the 21°C group. Upon ex vivo reperfusion, coronary flow was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in 21°C group. 2D echo revealed a greater cardiac output, fractional area change and ejection fraction in 21°C group that was not significantly different than the 4°C group. However, unlike 4°C hearts, 21°C hearts did not require inotropic intervention. Upon reperfusion, rate of cardiac enzyme release temporally resolved in 21°C group, but not in the 4°C group. 21°C working hearts maintained their energy state during the experimental duration but not the 4°C group; albeit, both groups demonstrated robust metabolism and function during this period. Conclusions: Rapid metabolic switch, increased synthesis of HEP, decreased injury and optimal function provides evidence that hearts arrested at 21°C remain viably and functionally superior to those arrested at 4°C when stored in SOMAH at ambient temperature pre-transplant. Ultramini-abstract: Cardioplegic arrest and preservation of hearts in SOMAH at ambient temperature efficiently conserves metabolism and function in in vitro porcine model of heart transplant.
Analysis of a bovine herpesvirus 1 recombinant virus that does not express the bICP0 protein.

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) infected-cell protein 0 (bICP0) stimulates productive infection by activating viral gene expression. In this study, an attempt was made to construct a recombinant virus with point mutations in the C3HC4 zinc RING finger of bICP0, as this domain is necessary for activating viral transcription and productive infection. A virus was identified in bovine cells that induced small clusters of infected cells resembling a small plaque. Instead of the expected mutations within the zinc RING finger, this virus contained a point mutation within the initiating ATG of bICP0, a point mutation two bases downstream from the ATG mutation and deletion of flanking plasmid sequences used for homologous recombination. The bICP0 mutant was rescued with wild-type (wt) bICP0 sequences and the bICP0-rescued virus produced wt plaques. The bICP0-rescued virus and wt BHV-1, but not the mutant, expressed the bICP0 protein during productive infection of bovine cells, suggesting that the mutant virus was a null mutant. Consequently, the mutant was designated the bICP0 null mutant. Infection of bovine cells with the bICP0 null mutant resulted in at least 100-fold lower virus titres, indicating that bICP0 protein expression is important, but not required, for virus production. When bovine cells infected with the bICP0 null mutant virus were subcultured, the cells continued to divide, but viral DNA could be detected after more than 35 passages, suggesting that the bICP0 null mutant induced a persistent-like infection in bovine cells and that it may be useful for generating additional bICP0 mutants.
Atypical bromethalin intoxication in a dog: pathologic features and identification of an isomeric breakdown product

Definitive post mortem confirmation of intoxication by the neurotoxic rodenticide bromethalin can be challenging. Brain lesions are not specific and detection of bromethalin and its metabolites are unpredictable due to rapid photodegradation and inconsistent behavior in tissues. A 2-year-old dog presented with rapid onset of severe muscle tremors and death within hours after a known ingestion of a reportedly low dosage of bromethalin and subsequent decontamination using activated charcoal. Marked meningeal hemorrhages and multifocal myelin sheath vacuolation were observed in the brain. A marked reactive astrocytosis and neuronal hypoxia/necrosis were identified using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and for neuron specific protein (NeuN). Bromethalin exposure and tissue absorption was confirmed by identification of one of two isomeric 543.7 molecular weight (MW) breakdown products in the patient’s adipose and kidney samples using gas chromatography (GC) combined with tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The severity of clinical signs and subsequent death of this dog was not expected with the low dosage of bromethalin reportedly ingested, and the use of activated charcoal possibly precipitated a hypernatremic status. Meningeal hemorrhages are atypical of bromethalin intoxication, and might have been caused by hyperthermia, secondary to tremors or hypernatremia. Identification of one of two isomeric breakdown products in the adipose tissue and kidney provides an additional molecule to the toxicologic testing regime for bromethalin intoxication.
Medical management strategies to prevent recurrent nephrolithiasis are stagnant and stronger evidence is needed to reduce morbidity

Commentary on: Fink HA, Wilt TJ, Eidman KE, et al. Medical management to prevent recurrent nephrolithiasis in adults: a systematic review for an American College of Physicians Clinical Guideline. Ann Intern Med 2013;158:535–43.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] The management of urolithiasis represents a common and costly problem for healthcare services. Up to 15% of the general population may be affected at some point in their lives and 25–50% of cases will recur.1 ,2 While minimally invasive surgical treatments can treat most of the upper tract calculi, acute stone events and surgical treatment persist as a significant source of morbidity for patients with recurrent urolithiasis. Consequently, the prevention of stone recurrence is an appealing strategy. Although the benefit of dietary modification in preventing stone formation has long been recognised,3 drug treatments have been shown to provide additional protection beyond that of dietary measures alone.4 The goal … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAnn%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D158%26rft.spage%253D535%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.7326%252F0003-4819-158-7-201304020-00005%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23546565%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.7326/0003-4819-158-7-201304020-00005&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=23546565&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F1%2F12.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000317419400004&link_type=ISI
Behavioral Effects and Pharmacokinetics of Low‐Dose Intravenous Alcohol in Humans

Alcohol has physiological effects on the human central nervous system at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) as low as 9 mg/dl. It is unknown, however, if humans can perceive the effects of such low doses of alcohol. Furthermore, low BACs can be difficult to measure. The purpose of this experiment was to: (1) assess the ability of humans to perceive subjective effects of low BACs; (2) measure behavioral effects of low BACs on a psychomotor performance task; and (3) test the sensitivity and accuracy of the transdermal alcohol sensor (TAS) for measuring low BACs from skin. Five men and seven women were administered single-blind intravenous infusions of ethyl alcohol in 5% dextrose/water to achieve peak BACs of 0, 10, 20, and 40 mg/dl. Subjective intoxication scales and a computer administered continuous performance task (CPT) were used to assess alcohol effects. BACs were estimated from skin, blood, and breath. The only alcohol-induced sensation significantly increased during the alcohol infusions was anesthesia measured by the Alcohol Sensation Scale on the descending limb of the BAC curve. The subjective positive-reinforcing stimulant and mood effects of alcohol were not reported until subjects were administered the 40 mg/dl alcohol infusion. Other measures of subjective intoxication and sedation, and the CPT were unaffected by the alcohol infusions. The TAS provided a noninvasive method for estimating BACs that was comparable with estimates obtained from blood and breath, although delayed in time.
Statistical Process Control for the Pharmaceutical Industry

An overview of Total Quality Management and Statistical Process Control is provided with a goal of focusing on their implementation. The implementation is presented as three distinct areas. These are the philosophical and behavioral requirements, the statistical monitoring, and the statistical design. The first emphasizes the culture of problem solving and continuous improvement, the second focuses on the control charts, and the third on the Taguchi methods. After this overview, a discussion of common mistakes that occur in practice during the implementation of these methods is provided. Again, managerial mistakes are separated from the more specific technical or statistical mistakes. The paper concludes with recommendations concerning applications specific to the pharmaceutical industry.
Risk assessment for defibrillator therapy: Il Trittico.

“Defibrillator Surgery Often Unnecessary” and “Devices Can Interfere With Peaceful Death” were the titles of newspaper articles that Mr. Michael brought to our arrhythmia service for a second opinion regarding implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy ([1,2][1]). Mr. Michael (
Sunshine paradise: a history of Florida tourism

Sunshine paradise: a history of Florida tourism, by Tracy J. Revels, Florida, University of Florida Press, 2011, 192 pp., US$26.95 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-8130-3542-0 Selling the sunshine state: a c...
Peter and Paul in Acts and the Construction of Early Christian Identity: A Review of Historical and Literary Approaches

The study of Peter and Paul in the Acts of the Apostles has gone through primarily two methodological phases, a search for the historical Peter and Paul and a search for the literary Peter and Paul...
Diurnal Rhythm of Melanophore Hormone Secretion in the Anolis Pituitary

SummaryAnolis lizards which normally exhibit a different color response to day (brown) and night (green) were subjected to continuous light or darkness over a period from 6 to 18 days. Under the former condition a weak, but under the latter a very marked and precise diurnal color rhythm was exhibited for as long as 18 days. Hypophysectomized animals remained permanently green.
Fire spread tests—A critique

Propagation is perhaps the most alarming characteristic of a fire. Rate of advance is an extremely important factor in determining the likelihood of escape from a burning building and the ability of fire protection systems to protect property.
Preparing the Stage for Liberation

This section presents the historical setting in which General Sherman’s campaign and the effective end of slaveholding would take place. It provides some details to help explain why the march to the sea would prove to be a decisive event in forcing the Southerners to finally end their war effort.
Fast Methods for Shape Extraction in Medical and Biomedical Imaging

We present a fast shape recovery technique in 2D and 3D with specific applications in modeling shapes from medical and biomedical imagery. This approach and the algorithms described is similar in spirit to our previous work in [16,18], is topologically adaptable, and runs in O(N log N) time where N is the total number of points visited in the domain. Our technique is based on the level set shape recovery scheme introduced in [16,3] and the fast marching method in [27] for computing solutions to static Hamilton-Jacobi equations.
The Later Life and Legacy of Karl Pearson

Carl Friedrich Gauss was a most unusual polymath. Considered one of the greatest mathematical minds in history, it is possible that there could have been born a dozen like him who went unnoticed throughout life. Gauss grew out of the humblest of beginnings, demonstrated fantastic resilience and rose to great accomplishments, but were it not the help of a benefactor who saw something in young Gauss that no one else could see, we might have never benefited from his brilliance. Gauss also rose out of an era in which only the well-to-do could spend a lifetime studying the most esoteric of subjects. Indeed, by some calculations, he never published the majority of his ideas. He was busy maintaining a livelihood for his family at a time when publication was both financially expensive and time consuming.
Foregrounding the transactional perspective’s community orientation

ABSTRACTMore than 10 years after our publication in this journal introducing the transactional perspective on occupation, we take the opportunity with others in this special issue to critically examine and suggest enhancements to the perspective. Here we lay the groundwork for what could be a new phase in the transactional perspective’s development by arguing for the value of its community-level orientation toward processes of occupation, inquiry, and practice. Emphasizing the community orientation of the transactional perspective helps to more fully transcend the individual in theory, research, and practice. After providing a background that presents why we think there is a need for the community orientation of the transactional perspective to be foregrounded, we provide a synthesis of John Dewey’s social pragmatism. We discuss his core concepts of situation, inquiry, social reconstruction, social inquiry, and community, and we put that thinking in a methodological frame to connect theoretical and practi...
Haptic Revolver: Touch, Shear, Texture, and Shape Rendering on a Reconfigurable Virtual Reality Controller

We present Haptic Revolver, a handheld virtual reality controller that renders fingertip haptics when interacting with virtual surfaces. Haptic Revolver's core haptic element is an actuated wheel that raises and lowers underneath the finger to render contact with a virtual surface. As the user's finger moves along the surface of an object, the controller spins the wheel to render shear forces and motion under the fingertip. The wheel is interchangeable and can contain physical textures, shapes, edges, or active elements to provide different sensations to the user. Because the controller is spatially tracked, these physical features can be spatially registered with the geometry of the virtual environment and rendered on-demand. We evaluated Haptic Revolver in two studies to understand how wheel speed and direction impact perceived realism. We also report qualitative feedback from users who explored three application scenarios with our controller.
Model Predictive Compression for Drone Video Analytics

Drones will be increasingly deployed in surveillance scenarios, disaster zones, and remote areas. The videos collected from drone cameras provide site surveys, summaries, detect and track multiple targets. Today such videos are processed offline after the drone flight. Real- time processing provides several opportunities but has two key challenges - network bandwidth on the drone-to-server link is constrained and the computational capability of the drone processor is limited in terms of applying machine vision in real time. We propose a model predictive compression algorithm that uses predicted drone trajectory to select and transmit the most important image frames to the ground station to maximize the application utility while minimizing the network bandwidth use. The proposed compression scheme works in real-time on the drone processor because it estimates background motion without computing image features. To correct the model inaccuracies, the drone receives feedback from the ground station that can compute image features in real time. Evaluation results suggest that the proposed compression approach reduces network bandwidth overheads by 50-72 % while ensuring high-quality mosaics in the drone mosaicing application.
Medical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

The management of benign prostatic hyperplasia has undergone a rapid evolution over the past decade from a surgical emphasis to a medical emphasis. Great strides in the development of α-adrenergic blockers, 5α-reductase inhibitors and a variety of phytotherapeutics have fueled this evolution. This article reviews the past, present and future of the medical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Cystic paracervical mass as an unusual sequela of graft-versus-host disease: A case report

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow transplantation is used in the treatment of a variety of malignancies. One common sequela is graft-versus-host disease (GvHD.) CASE: A case of vaginal GvHD in a postmenopausal woman manifested as a 2-cm, cystic, paracervical mass. The patient was followed with consecutive pelvic ultrasounds and pelvic examinations until 27 months after transplantation, when the mass increased in size to 4 × 3 cm. Exploratory laparotomy with total abdominal hysterectomy revealed a 3 x 3-cm phlegmon within the proximal part of the vagina. Presumably, this resulted from vaginal GvHD, causing a midvaginal stricture with obstruction of cervical/uterine effluent. CONCLUSION: An awareness of the gynecologic manifestations of GvHD is critical for clinicians caring for women undergoing bone marrow transplantation.
Are You Puzzled When Credentialing Entities Ask You for Criteria for External Carotid Artery Stenosis? A Study Correlating Peak Systolic Velocities and Degree of External Carotid Artery Stenosis Based on CT Angiography:

External carotid artery (ECA) disease has been understated in the current literature, likely secondary to the lack of clinical neurological symptoms when this vessel is stenotic. However, vascular ...
Mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys with emphasis on face-centered cubic alloys

Abstract High-entropy alloys (HEAs), also known as multi-principal element alloys or multi-component alloys, have been the subject of numerous investigations since they were first described in 2004. The earliest HEA was the equiatomic CrMnFeCoNi “Cantor” alloy, but HEAs now encompass a broad class of metallic and ceramic systems. The concept of utilizing the high entropy of mixing to develop stable multi-element alloys may not be scientifically correct but has produced extraordinary mechanical properties in specific HEAs, mainly CrCoNi-based alloys, associated with their continuous work-hardening rate that is sustained to large plastic strains (∼0.5) and at low temperatures. This, in combination with the high frictional forces on dislocations and a propensity for twinning, leads to outstandingly high fracture toughness values (exceeding 200 MPa·m1/2) and resistance to shear-band formation under dynamic loading. The critical shear strain for the onset of adiabatic shear band formation is ∼7 for the Cantor alloy, much higher than that for conventional alloys, suggesting superior ballistic properties. The slower diffusion rates resulting from the multi-element environment contribute to the excellent intermediate-temperature performance. We review the principal mechanical properties of these alloys with emphasis on the face-centered cubic systems, such as the CrCoNi-based alloys. Their favorable mechanical properties and ease of processing by conventional means suggest extensive utilization in many future structural applications.
Complications and Outcomes of Temporary Transvenous Pacing: An Analysis of > 360,000 Patients From the National Inpatient Sample

Background The incidence of complications and the outcomes of temporary transvenous pacemaker (TTP) placement in the modern era are not well established. Methods To determine the current incidence of pericardial complications and the outcomes of patients undergoing TTP, we performed an analysis using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), which is a US national database of hospital admissions. All patients who underwent TTP were identified by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed for a primary outcome of pericardial tamponade and another for a primary outcome of in-hospital mortality. Results A total of 360,223 patients underwent TTP placement in the United States between 2004 and 2014. In-hospital mortality was 14.1%, and 37.9% later underwent permanent pacemaker implantation. Potential procedural complications included pericardial tamponade in 0.6% of patients, pneumothorax in 0.9% of patients, and non-pericardial bleeding in 2.4% of patients. In adjusted models, female sex (OR, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.09-1.64]; P = .005), in-hospital cardiac arrest (OR, 3.52 [95% CI, 2.76-4.48]; P Conclusions TTP placement is generally safe with low pericardial complication rates. Clinicians should be mindful of infrequent but serious complications of TTP, and strategies to mitigate pericardial tamponade and other complications should be sought and implemented.