cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic Analysis of Prophylactic Pegfilgrastim in Adult Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract Objectives Neutropenia and its complications, including febrile neutropenia (FN), are a common side effect of cancer chemotherapy. Results of clinical trials showed that prophylactic use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) is effective in preventing FN. In this study, the cost effectiveness (measured as cost per quality-adjusted time [days]) of three treatment alternatives were evaluated: no G-CSF, filgrastim administered daily for 7–12 days after chemotherapy, and a pegylated form of G-CSF pegfilgrastim, administered once per cycle. Methods A cost-utility model based on standard clinical practice of treating FN with immediate hospitalization or with ambulatory treatment, from a societal perspective was developed. Direct medical cost estimates for hospitalization were derived from claims data reported by 115 US academic medical centers. Indirect medical costs, productivity costs, probabilities, and utilities are based on published literature. Results were subjected to sensitivity analyses and95% confidence intervals are based on a Monte Carlo simulation. Results Mean estimated costs/day of hospitalization were $1984 (SD $1040, N = 24,687) for surviving patients and $3139 (SD $2014, N = 1437) for dying patients. Under baseline conditions, pegfilgrastim dominated both filgrastim and no G-CSF, with expected costs and effectiveness of $4203 and 12.361 quality adjusted life-days (QALDs) for no G-CSF, $3058 and 12.967 QALDs for pegfilgrastim, and $5264 and 12.698 QALDs for filgrastim. Conclusions This cost-utility analysis provides strong evidence that pegfilgrastim is not only cost-effective but also cost-saving in most common clinical and economic settings. There appear to be both clinical and economic benefits from prophylactic administration of pegfilgrastim.
On the emission of tryptophan

Abstract Tryptophan possesses two sets of emissions, each one of which has one short-lived emission and one long-lived emission. The excitation by π-π absorption at 280 mμ gives u.v. fluorescence and blue phosphorescence under certain conditions, e.g. frozen in an aqueous solution containing glucose or methanol. Both emissions are sensitive to the presence of added substances: in a frozen solution without addition, the blue phosphorescence disappears, while with the decrease in the fluorescence there is a concomitant increase in the phosphorescence, resulting from energy transfer between triplets, in the presence of acetone. The excitation by a near-u.v. absorption at 350 mμ produces blue short-lived emission and green long-lived emission, which are quenched by the addition of strong acid or the formation of charge-transfer complex with dinitrophenol, etc.
Assessing symptoms and peak expiratory flow rate as predictors of asthma exacerbations.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and quality of life scores for their ability to predict exacerbations of asthma.
About Face: Mapping Our Institutional Presence

Abstract In this article, we situate the web sites of technical and professional writing programs as important institutional spaces that serve as interfaces to particular values, beliefs, and practices. Specifically, we examine the ways in which the web sites of United States-based programs craft identity and anchor these programs. We also analyze the ways in which the digital interfaces we create to represent our work do and don’t mesh with who we are as a field and what we value theoretically and pedagogically. We borrow from the work of James Porter, Patricia Sullivan, Stuart Blythe, Jeff Grabill, and Libby Miles to articulate what we mean by institutional space, and extend their model of institutional critique into digital space. Further, we offer a three-fold framework for analyzing institutional spaces, related to institutional and technological dynamics, issues of agency and representation, and aesthetic dimensions.
Isolation of calcium-dependent platelet proteins that interact with actin

Low Ca2+ extracts of platelets rapidly form an actin gel when warmed to 25 degrees C. The addition of Ca2+ has three effects. At Ca/EGTA = 0.4, the gel begins to contract. Increasing the Ca2+ concentration increases the rate of contraction and reduces the amount of actomyosin gel. Between Ca/EGTA = 0.4 and 0.5, a protease is activated that selectively degrades polypeptides with molecular weight greater than the myosin heavy chain. At Ca/EGTA = 1, about 70% of the total actin is nonsedimentable. Addition of excess EGTA produces the rapid formation of an actomyosin gel, which is not readily solubilized by re-addition of calcium. Using DNAase l-Sepharose chromatography, we have isolated a protein fraction whose binding to actin is Ca2+ -dependent. This fraction contains a major polypeptide with a molecular weight of 90,000. This fraction increases the rate of development of high sheer viscosity, but lowers the final value if Ca2+ is present. This decrease in viscosity is due to the generation of shorter filaments. In the presence of Ca2+, this protein(s) selectively blocks the addition of actin monomers to the barbed end of glutaraldehyde-fixed S1-decorated actin fragments and will nucleate assembly of filaments. We speculate that this protein(s) may serve as a Ca2+ -dependent nucleation site in situ.
A universal indestructibility theorem compatible with level by level equivalence

We prove an indestructibility theorem for degrees of supercompactness that is compatible with level by level equivalence between strong compactness and supercompactness.
Transepithelial bioelectrical properties of rabbit acinar cell monolayers on polyester membrane scaffolds.

In our quest to develop a tissue-engineered tear secretory system, we have tried to demonstrate active transepithelial ion fluxes across rabbit lacrimal acinar cell monolayers on polyester membrane...
Rheological and geometric scaling of purely elastic flow instabilities

Abstract We present a new dimensionless criterion that can be used to characterize and unify the critical conditions required for onset of purely elastic instabilities in a wide range of different flow geometries. This scaling incorporates both the presence of non-zero elastic normal stresses in the fluid plus the magnitude of the streamline curvature in the flow, and it can be thought of as the viscoelastic complement of the Gortler number. We present detailed experimental and theoretical evidence that justifies and generalizes the form of the dimensionless criterion. We show how this criterion naturally arises from the linearized stability equations governing the viscoelastic flow and apply it to analytical and experimental results in a number of standard benchmark problems. In geometrically simple flows (e.g. torsional flows such as those in a circular Couette cell or a cone-and-plate rheometer) a characteristic radius of curvature of the streamlines may be readily identified and an analytical solution for the undisturbed base flow can be found. However, in the more complex flows characteristic of those found in commercial polymer processing operations, the base flow must typically be determined numerically and the streamline curvature varies in a complex manner throughout the flow. In the former case, we show how our scaling reduces to well-established results in the literature and for the latter case we present a particularly simple approach for understanding and quantifying the sensitivity of the critical conditions for onset of elastic instability to dimensionless geometric design parameters such as the aspect ratio of the test cell. The generality of the scaling is confirmed by applying it to new experimental measurements in a lid-driven cavity and numerical linear stability calculations for flow past a cylinder in a channel. We also show how the scaling may be generalized to incorporate, at least qualitatively, the variation in the critical conditions with other rheological parameters such as changes in the solvent viscosity, shear-thinning in the viscometric functions, a spectrum of relaxation times and a non-zero second normal stress coefficient. In a number of cases, these modifications and the predicted scaling of the critical onset conditions for purely elastic instabilities in other complex geometries, such as planar contractions or eccentric rotating cylinders, remain to be confirmed by future experiments or calculations.
1,1′‐[7,8‐Dihydro‐6H‐dibenzo[f,h][1,5]dioxonin‐1,13‐diyl]bis[1,1‐diphenyl‐phosphine]

[301847-89-2] [486429-99-6] [920317-38-0] C39H32O2P2 (MW 594.62) InChI = 1S/C39H32O2P2/c1-5-16-30(17-6-1)42(31-18-7-2-8-19-31)36-26-13-24-34-38(36)39-35(41-29-15-28-40-34)25-14-27-37(39)43(32-20-9-3-10-21-32)33-22-11-4-12-23-33/h1-14,16-27H,15,28-29H2 InChIKey = GTIXSUJKFAATAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N (ligand for asymmetric catalysis) Alternate Names: C3-TunePhos; C3-TunaPhos. Physical Data: mp 153–161 °C. Solubility: CH2Cl2, DMF, THF, toluene. Form Supplied in: white solid; both enantiomers are commercially available, but racemic mixture is not. Preparative Method: C3-TunePhos can be obtained in two steps from (R)-MeO-BIPHEP [(R)-(6,6′-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2′-diyl)bis(diphenylphosphine)] 1, which is deprotected in the presence of BBr3 to yield biphenol 2. The latter is transformed into C3-TunePhos by twofold alkylation with a 1,3-dihalopropane (eq 1).1 (1) Purification: the crude product is purified by flash chromatography on silica gel using CH2Cl2–hexanes (1:3) as the eluent.
Virtual peers as partners in storytelling and literacy learning

Abstract Literacy learning — learning how to read and write — begins long before children enter school. One of the key skills to reading and writing is the ability to represent thoughts symbolically and share them in language with an audience who may not necessarily share the same temporal and spatial context. Children learn and practice these important language skills everyday, telling stories with the peers and adults around them. In particular, storytelling in the context of peer collaboration provides a key environment for children to learn language skills important for literacy. In light of this, an embodied conversational agent, Sam, who tells stories collaboratively with children was designed. Sam looks like a peer for pre-school children, but tells stories in a developmentally advanced way, modelling narrative skills important for literacy. Results demonstrated that children who played with the virtual peer told stories that more closely resembled the virtual peer's linguistically advanced stories: using more quoted speech and temporal and spatial expressions. In addition, children listened to Sam's stories carefully, assisting her and suggesting improvements. The potential benefits of having technology play a social role in young children's literacy learning is discussed.
GridOPTICS(TM): a design for plug-and-play smart grid software architecture

As the smart grid becomes reality, software architectures for integrating legacy systems with new innovative approaches for grid management are needed. These architectures must exhibit flexibility, extensibility, interoperability and scalability. In this position paper, we describe our preliminary work to design such an architecture, known as GridOPTICS, that will enable the deployment and integration of new software tools in smart grid operations. Our preliminary design is based upon use cases from PNNL's Future Power Grid Initiative, which is developing a collection of advanced software technologies for smart grid management and control. We describe the motivations for GridOPTICS, and the preliminary design that we are currently prototyping for several distinct use cases.
Solar-System Tests of General Relativity, the Transition to Second Order

The solar system is the traditional laboratory for gravity research. In this laboratory, experiments of heretofore undreamed of accuracy are made possible by modern technologies. Among these are atomic clocks, planetary radar, interplanetary spacecraft, and laser ranging. The results of these experiments are consistent with the predictions of general relativity. The differences between the predictions of general relativity and of classical physics are confirmed to accuracies as great as one part in a thousand. However, the solar system tests examine these differences only to first order in post-Newtonian effects.
Ecological gradient of sexual selection: Elevation and song elaboration in finches

Ecological gradients in natural and sexual selection often result in evolutionary diversification of morphological, life history, and behavioral traits. In particular, elevational changes in habitat structure and climate not only covary with intensity of sexual selection in many taxa, but may also influence evolution of mating signals. Here we examined variation in courtship song in relation to elevation of breeding across cardueline finches-a subfamily of birds that occupies the widest elevational range of extant birds and shows extensive variation in life histories and sexual selection along this range. We predicted that decrease in sexual selection intensity with elevation of breeding documented in this clade would result in a corresponding evolutionary reduction in elaboration of courtship songs. We controlled for the effects of phylogeny, morphology, and habitat structure to uncover a predicted elevational decline in courtship song elaboration; species breeding at lower elevations sang more elaborated and louder songs compared to their sister species breeding at higher elevations. In addition, lower elevation species had longer songs with more notes, whereas frequency components of song did not vary with elevation. We suggest that changes in sexual selection account for the observed patterns of song variation and discuss how elevational gradient in sexual selection may facilitate divergence in mating signals potentially reinforcing or promoting speciation.
Tramadol and another atypical opioid meperidine have exaggerated serotonin syndrome behavioural effects, but decreased analgesic effects, in genetically deficient serotonin transporter (SERT) mice

The serotonin syndrome is a potential side-effect of serotonin-enhancing drugs, including antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). We recently reported a genetic mouse model for the serotonin syndrome, as serotonin transporter (SERT)deficient mice have exaggerated serotonin syndrome behavioural responses to the MAOI tranylcypromine and the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP). As numerous case reports implicate the atypical opioids tramadol and meperidine in the development of the human serotonin syndrome, we examined tramadol and meperidine as possible causative drugs in the rodent model of the serotonin syndrome in SERT wild-type (+/+), heterozygous (+/x) and knockout (x/x) mice. Comparisons were made with SERT mice treated with either vehicle or morphine, an opioid not implicated in the serotonin syndrome in humans. Here we show that tramadol and meperidine, but not morphine, induce serotonin syndrome-like behaviours in mice, and we show that this response is exaggerated in mice lacking one or two copies of SERT. The exaggerated response to tramadol in SERTx/x mice was blocked by pretreatment with the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY 100635. Further, we show that morphine-, meperidine- and tramadolinduced analgesia is markedly decreased in SERT x/x mice. These studies suggest that caution seems warranted in prescribing or not warning patients receiving SSRIs or MAOIs that dangerous side-effects may occur during concurrent use of tramadol and similar agents. These findings suggest that it is conceivable that there might be increased vulnerability in individuals with SERT polymorphisms that may reduce SERT by more than 50 %, the level in SERT +/x mice.
Is there a fact of the matter between direct reference theory and (neo-)Fregeanism?

It is argued here that there is no fact of the matter between direct reference theory and neo-Fregeanism. To get a more precise idea of the central thesis of this paper, consider the following two claims: (i) While direct reference theory and neo-Fregeanism can be developed in numerous ways, they can be developed in essentially parallel ways; that is, for any (plausible) way of developing direct reference theory, there is an essentially parallel way of developing neo-Fregeanism, and vice versa. And (ii) for each such pair of theories, there is no fact of the matter as to which of them is superior; or more precisely, they are tied in terms of factual accuracy. These are sweeping claims that cannot be fully justified in a single paper. But arguments are given here that motivate these theses, i.e., that suggest that they are very likely true.
Water Cooling Method to Improve the Performance of Field-Mounted, Insulated, and Concentrating Photovoltaic Modules

The installation rate of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules worldwide is at an all-time high and is projected to continue to grow as the cost of PV technology is reduced. It is important to note that PV power generation is heavily influenced by the local climate. In particular, for crystalline silicon-based PV devices, as the operating temperature of the panel increases, the efficiency decreases. Higher operating temperatures also lead to accelerated material and mechanical degradation, potentially compromising system effectiveness over the lifetime of the panels. In addition, atmospheric pollution can cause particle deposition on the surface of PV modules (soiling), reducing the amount of solar irradiance that reaches the PV material and reducing panel efficiency. Various cooling and cleaning methods have been proposed in the literature to mitigate these problems. In this study, a uniform film of water was continuously recirculated by pumping over the surface of a solar panel using an emitter head attached to the top of the panel. The water cooling technique was able to maintain panel temperature below 40 °C while adjacent untreated panels were operating near 55 °C. Besides the efficiency improvements due to cooling, the film of water also kept the panels clean, avoiding any reduced power output caused by panel soiling. Additional studies were carried out with artificially chilled cooling fluid, insulating materials, and side mirrors to examine the cooling system performance under different installation scenarios. Water cooling is concluded to be an effective means of increasing the efficiency of monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic panels. Under normal operating conditions, the increased energy output from the panels is more than sufficient to compensate for the energy required to pump the water.
Genomewide association analyses of electrophysiological endophenotypes for schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorders: a preliminary report.

Several event-related potentials (ERP), including P3, sensory gating (P50), and gamma oscillation, are robustly impaired in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BIP). Although these ERPs are known to be heritable, little is known about the specific genetic loci involved and the degree to which they overlap with loci influencing mood and psychotic disorders. In the present study, we conducted GWAS to a) identify common variants associated with ERP endophenotypes, and b) construct polygenic risk scores (PRS) to examine overlap between genetic components of ERPs and mood and psychotic disorders. The sample consisted of 271 patients with SCZ or psychotic BIP diagnosis and 128 controls for whom ERP and genomewide data were available. GWAS were conducted using the full sample. PRS, derived from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) analyses of SCZ, BIP, and major depressive disorder were applied to each ERP phenotype. We identified a region on chromosome 14 that was significantly associated with sensory gating (peak SNP rs10132223, P = 1.27 × 10−9). This locus has not been previously associated with psychotic illness in PGC-GWAS. In the PRS analyses, patients with a higher load of SCZ risk alleles had reduced gamma response whereas patients with a higher load of BIP risk alleles had smaller P3 amplitude. We observed a genomewide significant locus on chromosome 14 for P50. This locus may influence P50 but not psychotic illness. Among patients with psychotic illness, PRS results indicated genetic overlap between SCZ loci and gamma oscillation and between BIP loci and P3 amplitude. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Web Services-Based and Ontology-Supported Case-Based Reasoning Information Agent

In this paper, a case-based reasoning information agent with Web service and ontology techniques was presented. The preliminary system developments and tableaux show that the research results not only attest to the feasibility of the proposed architecture, but are also highly successful.
CrowdSearch: exploiting crowds for accurate real-time image search on mobile phones

Mobile phones are becoming increasingly sophisticated with a rich set of on-board sensors and ubiquitous wireless connectivity. However, the ability to fully exploit the sensing capabilities on mobile phones is stymied by limitations in multimedia processing techniques. For example, search using cellphone images often encounters high error rate due to low image quality.In this paper, we present CrowdSearch, an accurate image search system for mobile phones. CrowdSearch combines automated image search with real-time human validation of search results. Automated image search is performed using a combination of local processing on mobile phones and backend processing on remote servers. Human validation is performed using Amazon Mechanical Turk, where tens of thousands of people are actively working on simple tasks for monetary rewards. Image search with human validation presents a complex set of tradeoffs involving energy, delay, accuracy, and monetary cost. CrowdSearch addresses these challenges using a novel predictive algorithm that determines which results need to be validated, and when and how to validate them. CrowdSearch is implemented on Apple iPhones and Linux servers. We show that CrowdSearch achieves over 95% precision across multiple image categories, provides responses within minutes, and costs only a few cents.
A Theory of Epidemics

The spread of a contagious disease involves interactions of two populations: the susceptibles and the infectives. In some diseases these two populations are from different species. For example, malaria is not passed directly between animals but by the anopheline mosquitoes, and schistosomiasis is passed from animal to animal only through contact with water in which live snails that can incubate the disease-causing helminths. In other diseases, the infection can be passed directly from infectives to susceptibles: Viral diseases like chickenpox, measles, and influenza, and bacterial diseases like tuberculosis can pass through a population much like a flame through fuel. In this chapter, we consider diseases that propagate by direct contact.
Intracoronary Administration of Abciximab During Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Should This Be the Routine and Preferred Approach?:

The authors have had experience with administering abciximab as an intracoronary bolus in 96 high-risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions, specifically in situations in which there was anticipation of a high embolic load from thrombus/plaque burden at the site of the culprit lesion, saphenous vein graft culprit lesion, threatened abrupt closure, developing slow-flow, or no-reflow phenomena with distal embolization. Our uncontrolled data basically substantiate the safety of intracoronary administration of abciximab. The data summarizing the potential superiority of this method of administration of the drug and the likely mechanisms of this effect are summarized. These incite a need for reevaluation of the method of administration of the drug, especially in high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions cases.
Toward experimental evaluation of subsystem classification recovery techniques

Several reverse engineering techniques classify software system components into subsystems. These techniques are designed to discover such classifications when the classifications are unknown. The techniques are rested and evaluated, however, by matching the classifications they recover against expected classifications. Several such techniques may be compared by experimentally evaluating their performance on the same set of software systems. Two things are needed to ensure experiment repeatability: a set of "real-world" software systems whose expected subsystem classifications are known; and an objective criterion to quantitatively determine the similarity of subsystem classifications. This paper contributes to both needs by identifying a set of widely used and easily accessible software systems whose modular decomposition either is documented or can be easily inferred from their design philosophy, and by presenting a measure to quantitatively determine the congruence between hierarchical subsystem classifications.
A Systems Approach Identifies Networks and Genes Linking Sleep and Stress: Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Sleep dysfunction and stress susceptibility are comorbid complex traits that often precede and predispose patients to a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we demonstrate multilevel organizations of genetic landscape, candidate genes, and molecular networks associated with 328 stress and sleep traits in a chronically stressed population of 338 (C57BL/6J × A/J) F2 mice. We constructed striatal gene co-expression networks, revealing functionally and cell-type-specific gene co-regulations important for stress and sleep. Using a composite ranking system, we identified network modules most relevant for 15 independent phenotypic categories, highlighting a mitochondria/synaptic module that links sleep and stress. The key network regulators of this module are overrepresented with genes implicated in neuropsychiatric diseases. Our work suggests that the interplay among sleep, stress, and neuropathology emerges from genetic influences on gene expression and their collective organization through complex molecular networks, providing a framework for interrogating the mechanisms underlying sleep, stress susceptibility, and related neuropsychiatric disorders.
Human Activity Classification Based on Micro-Doppler Signatures Using a Support Vector Machine

The feasibility of classifying different human activities based on micro-Doppler signatures is investigated. Measured data of 12 human subjects performing seven different activities are collected using a Doppler radar. The seven activities include running, walking, walking while holding a stick, crawling, boxing while moving forward, boxing while standing in place, and sitting still. Six features are extracted from the Doppler spectrogram. A support vector machine (SVM) is then trained using the measurement features to classify the activities. A multiclass classification is implemented using a decision-tree structure. Optimal parameters for the SVM are found through a fourfold cross-validation. The resulting classification accuracy is found to be more than 90%. The potentials of classifying human activities over extended time duration, through wall, and at oblique angles with respect to the radar are also investigated and discussed.
Structural Basis for Differential Induction of Spermidine/Spermine N1-Acetyltransferase Activity by Novel Spermine Analogs

SUMMARY The spermine analog N 1 ,N 11 -diethylnorspermine (DE-333, also known as DENSPM or BENSPM) is regarded as the most potent known inducer of the polyamine catabolic enzyme, spermidine/spermine N 1 -acetyltransferase (SSAT), increasing activity by more than 200- to 1000-fold in certain cell types. The relative ability of a series of eight systematically modified DE333 analogs to affect SSAT expression was examined in Malme-3M human melanoma cells, one of several cell lines known to be especially responsive to induction of this enzyme. In particular, we examined the relative contribution of induction of enzyme mRNA and prolongation of enzyme half-life to analog-mediated increases in enzyme activity. Induction of enzyme mRNA was most influenced by intra-amine carbon distances; relative effectiveness was found to be proportional to the number of three-carbon units. Stabilization of enzyme was most determined by the terminal N-alkyl substituent size; among methyl, ethyl and propyl groups, methyl was least effective. Thus, DE-333, which most potently induces SSAT mRNA and effectively stabilizes SSAT enzyme activity, produces the greatest increase in enzyme activity. Although other contributing mechanisms may be involved, the relative abilities of the various analogs to induce enzyme activity is at least partially attributable to their combined effects on enzyme mRNA and protein half-life. These data reveal the highly sensitive structure-activity relationships that underlie and control spermine analog induction of SSAT activity. Pending further definition of the relationship between SSAT induction and antitumor growth and toxicity in vivo, these relationships may be used to optimize therapeutic efficacy.
Modeling care teams at Mayo Clinic

At Mayo Clinic, care teams are being evaluated as a means to improve health care staff productivity and patient service. Traditional care in outpatient practices has health care staff working independently of each other with little coordination. Initial feedback by participating practices support the value of care teams. Our research focuses on a quantitative analysis of the care teams approach. By collecting detailed task data related to patient visits we then use discrete-event simulation to design alternative care team configurations, analyze staffing cost options, and compare these to traditional outpatient care delivery.
Application of simple biomechanical and biochemical tests to heart valve leaflets: implications for heart valve characterization and tissue engineering.

A simple biomechanical test with real-time displacement and strain mapping is reported, which provides displacement vectors and principal strain directions during the mechanical characterization of heart valve tissues. The maps reported in the current study allow us to quickly identify the approximate strain imposed on a location in the samples. The biomechanical results show that the aortic valves exhibit stronger anisotropic mechanical behavior than that of the pulmonary valves before 18% strain equibiaxial stretching. In contrast, the pulmonary valves exhibit stronger anisotropic mechanical behavior than aortic valves beyond 28% strain equibiaxial stretching. Simple biochemical tests are also conducted. Collagens are extracted at different time points (24, 48, 72, and 120 h) at different locations in the samples. The results show that extraction time plays an important role in determining collagen concentration, in which a minimum of 72 h of extraction is required to obtain saturated collagen concentra...
Receptors and transmission in the brain-gut axis: potential for novel therapies. V. Fast and slow extrinsic modulation of dorsal vagal complex circuits.

Vago-vagal reflex circuits in the medulla are responsible for the smooth coordination of the digestive processes carried out from the oral cavity to the transverse colon. In this themes article, we concentrate mostly on electrophysiological studies concerning the extrinsic modulation of these vago-vagal reflex circuits, with a particular emphasis on two types of modulation, i.e., by "fast" classic neurotransmitters and by "slow" neuromodulators. These examples review two of the most potent modulatory processes at work within the dorsal vagal complex, which have dramatic effects on gastrointestinal function. The reader should be mindful of the fact that many more different inputs from other central nervous system (CNS) loci or circulating humoral factors add to this complex mix of modulatory inputs. It is likely that similar long-term modulations of synaptic transmission occur with other neurotransmitters and may represent an important mechanism for the integration and regulation of neuronal behavior. Of course, this fact strongly militates against the success of any single drug or approach in the treatment of motility disorders having a CNS component.
The Species-Abundance Distribution of Snakes in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest of the Southern United States

Species-abundance distributions often form a log series curve with a few common species and a large proportion of rare species. Niche apportionment and random processes such as dispersal and local extinction are reflected in the structuring of abundance ranks among species within a community. Bottomland hardwood forests of the southern United States have high biotic production because of flood pulses that bring in nutrients. The assemblage of snakes in these environments is diverse both in terms of diet and morphology. In this habitat, the high levels of some resources should be involved in the abundance ranks of the most common species, but other factors (e.g., body size) may be important in the abundance ranks of the less common species. We examined the abundances of snakes in a 2300-ha bottomland deciduous forest in northeastern Texas. Fourteen total species were recorded, but only in one year were all species collected. Three semiaquatic species, Thamnophis proximus, Nerodia erythrogaster, and Agkistrodon piscivorus were the most common. These three species eat fish and amphibians that are concentrated in ephemeral pools, but their foraging methods differ. Several other species had intermediate abundances and a wide variety of diets. Smaller and heavier species did not have lower abundances, and we suggest that, although poor dispersal ability may be involved in the rarity of some species, there are likely several factors involved. We hypothesize that both niche characteristics and random processes are involved in producing the stair-step appearance of the abundance ranks of these snakes.
Chromocentres and The Synaptinemal Complex

SUMMARY The 1-4 chromocentres seen in nuclei of Fritillaria lanceolata, which derive from fusion of heterochromatic segments situated proximal to the centromere in all but two of the 24 chromosomes, were studied with the electron microscope in thin sections of pollen mother cells at zygotene and pachytene, in respect of the synaptinemal complex. Prophase stages of meiosis in two plants were also surveyed briefly with the light microscope. The latter observations revealed that the timing of the separation of heterochromatic segments from chromocentres is genetically controlled. In one plant the segments were still contained in chromocentres at pachytene, whereas in the other they were free at zygotene. At this time they could be identified by a near-surface position in the nucleus and an even condensation concomitant with an absence of chromomeres. In thin section, the fine structure of the chromocentres in zygotene nuclei was distinctive in that the chromatin fibrils were less condensed and more widely dispersed than those in euchromatic regions. The fibrillar network was also interspersed with 'clear areas' or channels. After further chromosome condensation, the condensation of fibrils in the chromocentres became equivalent at pachytene to those in euchromatic regions. Synaptinemal complexes were seen at zygotene and pachytene both in euchromatic regions and chromocentres. Their presence in the chromocentres signifies that homologous chromosomes must have been closely paired in regions extending from the centromeres to the distal ends of the heterochromatic segments already at telophase of the last pre-meiotic mitosis. Configurations involving entangled pairs of axial cores, peculiar to zygotene and chromocentres and parts of euchromatic regions proximal to them, are interpreted as resulting from restricted movement.
Evaluation of a Computer-Assisted Advising System

A computer-assisted student advising system was evaluated using student perceptions, faculty perceptions, and objective data on the number of advising errors before and after the system was implemented. Results indicated that the computer-assisted system was potentially more accurate than the manual advising system, that students preferred the new system over the old, that most faculty preferred the new system over the old, and that time spent by faculty in advising was reduced. Problems encountered in implementing the system and characteristics of an ideal system are discussed.
Issues in the Psychotherapy of Child Molesters

Posits that the successful treatment of child molesters is dependent upon an adequate theory of the internal object world of adults who were severely abused or deprived as children. Suggests theoretical and therapeutic insights from the author's work with child molesters and demonstrates through clinical materials the importance of supervision in working with such clients.
Validation and Verification of the Navier-Stokes Solutions Obtained from the Applications of the Integro-differential Scheme

The goal of this research effort is to improve the efficiencies of Computational Fluid Dynamic tools by focusing on the development of a robust, efficient, and accurate numerical framework. What is most desirable is a framework that is capable of solving a variety of complex fluid dynamics problems over a wide range of Reynolds and Mach numbers, and one with the potential to overcome several limitations of well-established schemes. Preferable, is a computational framework that might minimize the dispersive and dissipative tendencies of traditional numerical schemes. To this end, a new scheme, termed the ‘Integro-Differential Scheme’ (IDS) and sometimes called the ‘Method of Consistent Averages’ (MCA), Ref [1-2], is proposed. The MCA numerical procedure developed herein is based on two fundamental types of control volumes; namely, spatial cells and temporal cells. A typical spatial cell is developed from eight neighboring nodes, whereas, a typical temporal cell is developed from the centroid of the eight neighboring spatial cells. Further, each cell in this analysis, acts as a control volume on which the NavierStokes equations are integrated. The final solution at a single node is then developed from a system of carefully crafted control volumes. This paper describes the results obtained from applying the IDS method to a set of selected 2D fundamental fluid dynamic problems; namely, (1) the Hypersonic Leading Edge problem, (2) the incompressible Lid Driven Cavity problem, (3) the Shock Boundary Layer Interaction Problem and (3) the Isolator Pseudo-Shock Train problem.
Pre- versus postenlistment timing of first suicide attempt as a predictor of suicide risk factors in an active duty military population with suicidal thoughts

ABSTRACTObjective: This study examines the association of pre- versus post-enlistment timing of first suicide attempt with suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, single vs. multiple attempts, and highest suicide attempt lethality in an active duty military sample with suicidal thoughts. Method: Data were pooled from baseline assessments of 784 help-seeking Service Members. Results: Adjusting for demographic and military covariates, suicidal ideation was higher for those with a history of suicide attempt. A pre-enlistment suicide attempt was associated with over four times the risk of multiple lifetime attempts. Conclusions: Pre-enlistment suicide attempts are important to assess as they increased risk of multiple attempts.
Alanine Adsorption and Thermal Condensation at the Interface of Fumed Silica Nanoparticles: A Solid-State NMR Investigation

Investigating the interface between biomolecules and nanoparticles has attracted considerable attention in recent years since it has great significance in numerous fields including nanotechnology, biomineralization, cancer therapy, and origin of life. In this paper, we present a thorough solid-state NMR study on alanine adsorption and thermal condensation on fumed silica nanoparticles. The structure and dynamics at the interface between alanine and fumed silica nanoparticles were probed with a combination of 1H, 13C, and 15N one- and two-dimensional (2D) magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR methods at different alanine surface coverages and hydration levels. It is illustrated at high surface coverages both crystalline and adsorbed states of alanine exist in the samples while only adsorbed alanine is observed at low surface coverage (approximately a monolayer). At high hydration levels, the adsorbed alanine exhibits enhanced mobility, and both the carboxyl and amine group interact with mobile water m...
Reduction of aberrant NF-κB signalling ameliorates Rett syndrome phenotypes in Mecp2-null mice

Mutations in the transcriptional regulator Mecp2 cause the severe X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome (RTT). In this study, we investigate genes that function downstream of MeCP2 in cerebral cortex circuitry, and identify upregulation of Irak1, a central component of the NF-κB pathway. We show that overexpression of Irak1 mimics the reduced dendritic complexity of Mecp2-null cortical callosal projection neurons (CPN), and that NF-κB signalling is upregulated in the cortex with Mecp2 loss-of-function. Strikingly, we find that genetically reducing NF-κB signalling in Mecp2-null mice not only ameliorates CPN dendritic complexity but also substantially extends their normally shortened lifespan, indicating broader roles for NF-κB signalling in RTT pathogenesis. These results provide new insight into both the fundamental neurobiology of RTT, and potential therapeutic strategies via NF-κB pathway modulation.
WearWrite: Crowd-Assisted Writing from Smartwatches

The physical constraints of smartwatches limit the range and complexity of tasks that can be completed. Despite interface improvements on smartwatches, the promise of enabling productive work remains largely unrealized. This paper presents WearWrite, a system that enables users to write documents from their smartwatches by leveraging a crowd to help translate their ideas into text. WearWrite users dictate tasks, respond to questions, and receive notifications of major edits on their watch. Using a dynamic task queue, the crowd receives tasks issued by the watch user and generic tasks from the system. In a week-long study with seven smartwatch users supported by approximately 29 crowd workers each, we validate that it is possible to manage the crowd writing process from a watch. Watch users captured new ideas as they came to mind and managed a crowd during spare moments while going about their daily routine. WearWrite represents a new approach to getting work done from wearables using the crowd.
New genomic technologies: an aid for diagnosis of disorders of sex development.

The Chicago Consensus Conference of 2005 defined Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) as “congenital conditions in which the development of chromosomal, gonadal or anatomic sex is atypical.” DSD diagnoses are difficult to establish. A lack of standardization of anatomical and endocrine phenotyping and the limited number of known DSD genes and genotype/correlation has long hampered the field, leaving many patients without a definitive diagnosis. The resulting uncertainty may intrinsically pose a great amount of discomfort to affected individuals and their families. DSD-causative genes have historically been identified thanks to positional cloning of disease-associated variants segregating in families or chromosomal rearrangements. Recent advances of chromosomal microarray and exome sequencing technologies are allowing for higher rates of diagnostic success for DSD patients and are changing clinical practice. In this review, we discuss the application of these technologies and their findings as an upcoming model for clinical diagnosis of DSD. We show that exome sequencing is a valuable tool and we propose that it should be used as a first-stage diagnostic technique because it allows for early identification of a genetic cause that may be critical for patient management.
Suppression of High Temperature Superconductivity by Disorder in the Resonant Valence Bond Model

The recently proposed resonant valence bond (RVB) model for high temperature superconductivity generates a pairing mechanism via the super-exchange interaction between strongly correlated electrons on different sites [l, 2]. The need to consider such an unconventional, electronic pairing mechanism is supported by the lack of a measurable oxygen isotope effect in the 1-2-3 (T c =90K) materials[3] and apparent absence of any mode softening as a function of temperature or doping in the (La1−x;,Srx)2CuO4-y alloys[4]. These data cast doubt on any explanation of high transition temperatures relying upon exchange of high frequency phonons associated with the light oxygen atoms.
EMPREENDEDORISMO CORPORATIVO E COMPETITIVIDADE EM EMPRESAS DE BASE TECNOLÓGICA DOI: 10.5585/rai.v7i1.254

This work is developed to explore how technology-based companies employ corporate entrepreneurship. More specifically, it seeks to learn about the benefits, difficulties, risks, and advantages of this kind of entrepreneurship. Findings show that the corporate entrepreneurship is essential to technology-based companies that are embedded in business environments characterized by intense rivalry among competitors. The success of corporate entrepreneurship does not come from passive actions but depends on a number of aspects that involve the characteristics of the entrepreneur, the position of the new business development area within the organization, and the environmental conditions provided by the company. The entrepreneurial orientation of a company is emphasized as a means to support its competitiveness and to reinforce the alignment with the resourced-based view since its main domain is innovation, which is carried out by people. Keywords: corporate entrepreneurship, competitiveness, technology-based companies.
Skull, Subdurals, and Brain

Evaluation of the cranial and intracranial structures is essential in the evaluation of potential abusive injuries in infants and young children. Abusive head injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this population, and radiologists must be able to detect imaging findings that will help guide pediatricians and emergency department physicians to consider abuse in their differentials. Being familiar with controversies and other diagnoses that might mimic abusive injuries is also imperative, as well as familiarity with current imaging modalities and techniques. In many cases, trying to decide whether injuries are accidental or inflicted is a primary question for physicians and legal authorities, and imaging is a key “piece of this puzzle”.