cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manganese accumulation in bone following chronic exposure in rats: Steady-state concentration and half-life in bone

Literature data indicate that bone is a major storage organ for manganese (Mn), accounting for 43% of total body Mn. However, the kinetic nature of Mn in bone, especially the half-life (t(1/2)), remained unknown. This study was designed to understand the time-dependence of Mn distribution in rat bone after chronic oral exposure. Adult male rats received 50 mg Mn/kg (as MnCl2) by oral gavage, 5 days per week, for up to 10 weeks. Animals were sacrificed every 2 weeks during Mn administration for the uptake study, and on day 1, week 2, 4, 8, or 12 after the cessation at 6-week Mn exposure for the t(1/2) study. Mn concentrations in bone (MnBn) were determined by AAS analysis. By the end of 6-week's treatment, MnBn appeared to reach the steady state (T(ss)) level, about 2-3.2 fold higher than MnBn at day 0. Kinetic calculation revealed t(1/2)s of Mn in femur, tibia, and humerus bone of 77 (r=0.978), 263 (r=0.988), and 429 (r=0.994) days, respectively; the average t(1/2) in rat skeleton was about 143 days, equivalent to 8.5 years in human bone. Moreover, MnBn were correlated with Mn levels in striatum, hippocampus, and CSF. These data support MnBn to be a useful biomarker of Mn exposure.
New Anacoracid Shark from Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Western Kansas, U.S.A.

(2008). New anacoracid shark from upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of western Kansas, U.S.A. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 1189-1194.
Bacteria under SOS evolve anticancer phenotypes

The anticancer drugs, such as DNA replication inhibitors, stimulate bacterial adhesion and induce the bacterial SOS response. As a variety of bacterial mutants can be generated during SOS, novel phenotypes are likely to be selected under the drug pressure. Bacteria growing with cancer cells in the presence of the replication inhibitors undergo the SOS response and evolve advantageous phenotypes for the bacteria to invade the cancer cells in order to evade the drug attack. This hypothesis predicts that bacteria produce the proteins that mediate bacterial capture and invasion of cancer cells--the advantageous phenotypes. Generation of the phenotypes may be facilitated during the SOS response induced by anticancer drugs. Experimental design: 1) Examine attachment and invasion of bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the SOS mutant control to cancer cells in the presence of the anticancer drugs that inhibit DNA replication enzymes and trigger the SOS response. 2) Reveal the bacterial proteins that exhibit changes in expression. 3) Identify the genes encoding cancer adhesion and invasion. 4) Construct the mutants for the genes, clone and express these genes. 5) Examine the bacterial capture and invasion of cancer cells in contrast to non-cancer control. Expected results: 1) The bacterial proteins will be differentially induced during bacteria-cancer interaction under the SOS response to the anticancer drugs. 2) Knocking out the bacterial cancer-adhesion-invasion genes will disrupt the adhesion-invasion phenotypes of the bacteria. 3) Expressing these genes will direct the bacterial capture and invasion of cancer cells. Bacteria can evolve anticancer phenotypes targeting metastatic cells. If this hypothesis is true, the outcomes will contribute to development of a novel bacterial anti-metastasis regimen.
Agriculture for Development: Toward a New Paradigm

The fundamental role that agriculture plays in development has long been recognized. In the seminal work on the subject, agriculture was seen as a source of contributions that helped induce industrial growth and a structural transformation of the economy. However, globalization, integrated value chains, rapid technological and institutional innovations, and environmental constraints have deeply changed the context for agriculture's role. We argue that a new paradigm is needed that recognizes agriculture's multiple functions for development in that emerging context: triggering economic growth, reducing poverty, narrowing income disparities, providing food security, and delivering environmental services. Yet, governments and donors have neglected these functions of agriculture with the result that agriculture growth has been reduced, 75% of world poverty is rural, sectoral income disparities have exploded, food insecurity has returned, and environmental degradation is widespread, compromising sustainability...
A1-4: Pragmatic and Adaptive Methods of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Cohort Identification for Comparative Effectiveness Research

Background/Aims Accurate EMR-based cohort identification is crucial in the conduct of comparative effectiveness research. CheCS is a longitudinal study of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and C (CHC) infection being conducted at 4 HMORN sites. Subjects are identified using automated EMR-based ICD-9 diagnosis and laboratory inclusion criteria, and about 12,000 patients were identified in the initial cohort selection. After confirmation of CHB/ CHC status through chart abstraction, we found false discovery rates (FDR) were 13.6% for CHB and 11.3% for CHC. An adaptive approach was proposed to optimize the EMR-based cohort selection.
A field programmable neural array

An analog circuit capable of accurately emulating large complex cells, or multiple less complex ones is described. This circuit is termed the FPNA or the field programmable neural array. It is analogous to the more familiar FPGA, but is composed of biologically relevant circuit components including active channels, dendrites, and synapses. Taking each of these circuit models, and adding a routing structure capable of routing outputs from cells (or external inputs) to any individual synapse at any node yields a device which is capable of emulating complex biological circuits. This circuit opens doors to investigating what particular types of computation individual cells are performing, as well as small networks simpler cells.
Using Alternate Texts to Support Comprehension of the Core Content Curriculum

Although students with learning disabilities are likely to be included in general education content area classrooms, they often experience difficulties in these settings because of struggles in rea...
Psychological implications of infantilization: A class exercise

To sensitize undergraduate students to the phenomenon of infantilization, the childlike treatment of older adults, the instructor of a psychology of aging course designed an exercise simulating an activity in a nursing home. The instructor required students to color within the lines of a drawing, commented about their dress and level of compliance, and spoke in a patronizing manner. The 138 participants recorded their reactions in a three-item questionnaire immediately after the exercise. Most students reacted negatively to the infantilizing treatment but believed that they learned from the experience, making this a valuable teaching method for psychology of aging courses and for introductory or life-span developmental psychology courses.
When do armed revolts succeed: lessons from Lanchester theory

Major revolts have recently erupted in parts of the Middle East with substantial international repercussions. Predicting, coping with and winning those revolts have become a grave problem for many regimes and for world powers. We propose a new model of such revolts that describes their evolution by building on the classic Lanchester theory of combat. The model accounts for the split in the population between those loyal to the regime and those favoring the rebels. We show that, contrary to classical Lanchesterian insights regarding traditional force-on-force engagements, the outcome of a revolt is independent of the initial force sizes; it only depends on the fraction of the population supporting each side and their combat effectiveness. The model’s predictions are consistent with the situations currently observed in Afghanistan, Libya and Syria (September 2011) and it points to how those situations might evolve.
Application of antifreeze protein for food preservation: Effect of Type III antifreeze protein for preservation of gel-forming of frozen and chilled actomyosin

Type III antifreeze protein (AFP) remarkably preserved Ca 2+ ATPase activity of actomyosin during frozen and chilled storage. Under frozen conditions, AFP helped to retain the Ca + ATPase activity of actomyosin much higher than that of conventional cryoprotectants (sucrose-sorbitol) mixture. The Ca 2+ ATPase activity increased with increasing AFP concentration and reached amaximum at 50g/LAFP. After 3-d chilled storage, the Ca 2+ ATPase activity of control and sucrose-sorbitol samples had lost 80% and 50% respectively, while the AFP samples remained unchanged. A Type III AFP mechanism based on freezing temperature depression (more unfrozen water) and inhabition of ice recrystallization that protects against the freezing of muscle proteins in chilled or frozen conditions is proposed.
Shaping T Cell – B Cell Collaboration in the Response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Glycoprotein gp120 by Peptide Priming

Prime-boost vaccination regimes have shown promise for obtaining protective immunity to HIV. Poorly understood mechanisms of cellular immunity could be responsible for improved humoral responses. Although CD4+ T-cell help promotes B-cell development, the relationship of CD4+ T-cell specificity to antibody specificity has not been systematically investigated. Here, protein and peptide-specific immune responses to HIV-1 gp120 were characterized in groups of ten mucosally immunized BALB/c mice. Protein and peptide reactivity of serum antibody was tested for correlation with cytokine secretion by splenocytes restimulated with individual gp120 peptides. Antibody titer for gp120 correlated poorly with the peptide-stimulated T-cell response. In contrast, titers for conformational epitopes, measured as crossreactivity or CD4-blocking, correlated with average interleukin-2 and interleukin-5 production in response to gp120 peptides. Antibodies specific for conformational epitopes and individual gp120 peptides typically correlated with T-cell responses to several peptides. In order to modify the specificity of immune responses, animals were primed with a gp120 peptide prior to immunization with protein. Priming induced distinct peptide-specific correlations of antibodies and T-cells. The majority of correlated antibodies were specific for the primed peptides or other peptides nearby in the gp120 sequence. These studies suggest that the dominant B-cell subsets recruit the dominant T-cell subsets and that T-B collaborations can be shaped by epitope-specific priming.
Traffic-related air pollution exposures and changes in heart rate variability in Mexico City: A panel study

Background: While air pollution exposures have been linked to cardiovascular outcomes, the contribution from acute gas and particle traffic-related pollutants remains unclear. Using a panel study design with repeated measures, we examined associations between personal exposures to traffic-related air pollutants in Mexico City and changes in heart rate variability (HRV) in a population of researchers aged 22 to 56 years. Methods: Participants were monitored for approximately 9.5 hours for eight days while operating a mobile laboratory van designed to characterize traffic pollutants while driving in traffic and “chasing” diesel buses. We examined the association between HRV parameters (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), power in high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF), and the LF/HF ratio) and the 5-minute maximum (or average in the case of PM2.5) and 30-, 60-, and 90-minute moving averages of air pollutants (PM2.5 ,O 3, CO, CO2 ,N O2 ,N Ox, and formaldehyde) using single- and two-pollutant linear mixed-effects models. Results: Short-term exposure to traffic-related emissions was associated with statistically significant acute changes in HRV. Gaseous pollutants – particularly ozone – were associated with reductions in time and frequency domain components (α = 0.05), while significant positive associations were observed between PM2.5 and SDNN, HF, and LF. For ozone and formaldehyde, negative associations typically increased in magnitude and significance with increasing averaging periods. The associations for CO, CO2 ,N O2, and NOx were similar with statistically significant associations observed for SDNN, but not HF or LF. In contrast, PM2.5 increased these HRV parameters. Conclusions: Results revealed an association between traffic-related PM exposures and acute changes in HRV in a middle-aged population when PM exposures were relatively low (14 μg/m 3 ) and demonstrate heterogeneity in the effects of different pollutants, with declines in HRV – especially HF – with ozone and formaldehyde exposures, and increases in HRV with PM2.5 exposure. Given that exposure to traffic-related emissions is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, understanding the mechanisms by which traffic-related emissions can cause cardiovascular disease has significant public health relevance.
Discovering attribute and entity synonyms for knowledge integration and semantic web search

We propose the Context-aware Synonym Suggestion System (CS3) which learns synonyms from text by using our NLP-based text mining framework, called SemScape, and also from existing evidence in the current knowledge bases (KBs). Using CS3 and our previously proposed knowledge extraction system IBminer, we integrate some of the publicly available knowledge bases into one of the superior quality and coverage, called IKBstore.
Performance measurements towards improved manufacturing vehicle safety

In this paper, we describe the current 2D (two dimensional) sensor used for industrial vehicles and ideal sensor configurations for mounting 3D imagers on manufacturing vehicles in an attempt to make them safer. In a search for the ideal sensor configuration, three experiments were performed using an advanced 3D imager and a color camera. The experiments are intended to be useful to the standards community and manned and unmanned forklift and automated guided vehicle industries. The imager that was used was a 3D Flash LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) camera with 7.5 m range and rapid detection. It was selected because it shows promise for use on forklifts and other industrial vehicles. Experiments included: 1) detection of standard sized obstacles, 2) detection of obstacles with highly reflective surfaces within detection range, and 3) detection of forklift tines above the floor. We briefly describe these experiments and reference their detailed reports.
A Taxonomy of Distributed Mutual Exclusion

In this paper, we present a taxonomy of mutual exclusion in distributed systems where there is no shared memory and all communication is solely by passing messages. We classify these algorithms based upon their distinct features, as well as unify them based on their commonalities. Such classification enhances our understanding of distributed mutual exclusion algorithms, assists in the development of new mutual exclusion algorithms, and helps in choosing an appropriate mutual exclusion algorithm while implementing a distributed system.
Network Thermodynamic Model of Coupled Transport in a Multicellular Tissue ‐ The Islet of Langerhansa

Network thermodynamic modeling via bond graphs was used to describe the water and cryoprotectant additive (CPA) transport in a multicellular tissue. The model is presented as a tool to understand the osmotic behavior of the islets of Langerhans when exposed to ternary aqueous solutions containing an electrolyte and a CPA. It accounts for the effects of the location of cells within the tissue and an interstitial matrix, plus differential permeabilities to water and CPA. The interstitial matrix was assumed to be a porous medium able to store the chemical species being transported. Controlled osmotic stress experiments were conducted on isolated rat pancreas islets to measure the transient volumetric response to step-wise changes in dimethyl sulfoxide, Me2SO, concentration. The model provides a tool for predicting the transient volumetric response of peripheral and interior cells and of interstitial tissue, as well as the build up of solute concentration, during addition and removal of CPAs and freezing and thawing protocols. Inverse solution methods were applied to determine values for standard cell membrane permeability parameters Lp, omega and sigma as well as for the interstitial flow conductivities Kw and Kp'.
Identifying thermal phase transitions of lignin–solvent mixtures using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Lignin is unique among renewable biopolymers in having significant aromatic character, making it potentially attractive for a wide range of uses from coatings to carbon fibers. Recent research has shown that hot acetic acid (AcOH)–water mixtures can be used to recover “ultraclean” lignins of controlled molecular weight from Kraft lignins. A key feature of this discovery is the existence of a region of liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE), with one phase being rich in the purified lignin and the other rich in solvent. Although visual methods can be used to determine the temperature at which solid lignin melts in the presence of AcOH–water mixtures to form LLE, the phase transition can be seen only at lower AcOH concentrations due to solvent opacity. Thus, an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique was developed for measuring the phase-transition temperature of a softwood Kraft lignin in AcOH–water mixtures. In electrochemical cells, the resistance to double-layer charging (i.e., polarization resistance Rp) is related to the concentration and mobility of free ions in the electrolyte, both of which are affected by the phases present. When the lignin–AcOH–water mixture was heated through the phase transition, RP was found to be a strong function of temperature, with the maximum in RP corresponding to the transition temperature obtained from visual observation. As the system is heated, acetate ions associate with the solid lignin, forming a liquefied, lignin-rich phase. This association increases the overall impedance of the system, as mobile acetate ions are stripped from the solvent phase and thus are no longer available to adsorb on the polarizing electrode surfaces. The maximum in RP occurs once the new lignin-rich phase has completely formed, and no further association of the lignin polymer with AcOH is possible. Except at sub-ambient temperatures, the phase-transition temperature was a strong function of solvent composition, increasing linearly from 18 °C at 70/30 AcOH/water to 97 °C at 10/90 wt% AcOH/water.
Chromatin-negative Klinefelter's syndrome with normal testes and serum gonadotropins and testosterone.

A 52-year-old Negro male was studied to determine the cause of his eunuchoid habitus gynecomastia impaired potency personality disorder and diabetes mellitus all of which are indicants of Klinefelters syndrome. He had elevated LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) levels and a karyotype of XXY in the peripheral blood in 5 out of 80 cells counted. Repeated buccal smears showed only 4% cells with chromatin bodies. Spermatogenesis was normal as were plasma testosterone and gonadotropins. Chromatin-negative and positive Klinefelters syndrome overlap on clinical grounds and testicular histology. The normal testes in this patient can be attributed to a low penetrance or absence of an extra X chromosome in the testes. The reason for the patients clinical picture of Klinefelters syndrome remains unclear and cannot be attributed to inadequate testosterone production. The testicular damage can thus be separated from other sex chromosome controlled tissue abnormalities of Klinefelters syndrome.
Cdc7 inhibition as a novel approach for pancreas cancer therapy.

e15059 Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the USA. In 2012, 43,920 people will be diagnosed and 37,390 people will die of this disease. 95% of tumors revea...
Global imbalances and asymmetric returns to US foreign assets: fitting the missing pieces of the US balance of payments puzzle

The issue of whether the US earns a persistently higher return on its foreign direct investment (relative to returns to foreign-owned direct investment in the US) has received considerable attention but little closure in the ‘global imbalances’ debate. Measuring the rate of returns to US direct investment abroad and foreign direct investment in the US we find higher returns to US foreign direct investment relative to its foreign counterparts in the US. Given the evidence indicating higher returns to US direct investment overseas, we link the irresolution in the contemporary literature regarding the existence of these returns to the unsettled debate over the origin of global imbalances. Reviewing the macro-financial literature on global imbalances, we find a failure to acknowledge that the US current account deficit is, in part, the outcome of transnational production networks in a global economy under-pinned by dollar hegemony. Given the growth in US multinational supply chains, we argue that the US trade deficit is consistent with asymmetric returns to US direct investment and that the sustainability of these return differentials rests on the stability of the status quo.
New composite separator pellet to increase power density and reduce size of thermal batteries.

We show that it is possible to manufacture strong macroporous ceramic films that can be backfilled with electrolyte to form rigid separator pellets suitable for use in thermal batteries. Several new ceramic manufacturing processes are developed to produce sintered magnesium oxide foams with connected porosities of over 80% by volume and with sufficient strength to withstand the battery manufacturing steps. The effects of processing parameters are quantified, and methods to imbibe electrolyte into the ceramic scaffold demonstrated. Preliminary single cell battery testing show that some of our first generation pellets exhibit longer voltage life with comparable resistance at the critical early times to that exhibited by a traditional pressed pellets. Although more development work is needed to optimize the processes to create these rigid separator pellets, the results indicate the potential of such ceramic separator pellets to be equal, if not superior to, current pressed pellets. Furthermore, they could be a replacement for critical material that is no longer available, as well as improving battery separator strength, decreasing production costs, and leading to shorter battery stacks for long-life batteries.
METHODS OF IMAGING THE SCAPHOID

SUMMARY Rapid diagnosis of a scaphoid fracture is important so that proper treatment may be initiated. The high frequencies of nonunion of proximal pole, AVN, and scaphoid fractures warrant the use of special imaging to identify an occult fracture that may cause a long-term disability if not diagnosed. The modalities discussed allow the reader to treat patients in an expeditious and accurate manner.
L1000CDS2: LINCS L1000 characteristic direction signatures search engine

The library of integrated network-based cellular signatures (LINCS) L1000 data set currently comprises of over a million gene expression profiles of chemically perturbed human cell lines. Through unique several intrinsic and extrinsic benchmarking schemes, we demonstrate that processing the L1000 data with the characteristic direction (CD) method significantly improves signal to noise compared with the MODZ method currently used to compute L1000 signatures. The CD processed L1000 signatures are served through a state-of-the-art web-based search engine application called L1000CDS2. The L1000CDS2 search engine provides prioritization of thousands of small-molecule signatures, and their pairwise combinations, predicted to either mimic or reverse an input gene expression signature using two methods. The L1000CDS2 search engine also predicts drug targets for all the small molecules profiled by the L1000 assay that we processed. Targets are predicted by computing the cosine similarity between the L1000 small-molecule signatures and a large collection of signatures extracted from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) for single-gene perturbations in mammalian cells. We applied L1000CDS2 to prioritize small molecules that are predicted to reverse expression in 670 disease signatures also extracted from GEO, and prioritized small molecules that can mimic expression of 22 endogenous ligand signatures profiled by the L1000 assay. As a case study, to further demonstrate the utility of L1000CDS2, we collected expression signatures from human cells infected with Ebola virus at 30, 60 and 120 min. Querying these signatures with L1000CDS2 we identified kenpaullone, a GSK3B/CDK2 inhibitor that we show, in subsequent experiments, has a dose-dependent efficacy in inhibiting Ebola infection in vitro without causing cellular toxicity in human cell lines. In summary, the L1000CDS2 tool can be applied in many biological and biomedical settings, while improving the extraction of knowledge from the LINCS L1000 resource.
Photobiologic considerations in photoradiation therapy.

Hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) photoradiation therapy of tumors depends on selective cell injury. The major selectivity of the treatment rests on an increased amount or prolonged retention of certain constituents or biotransformation products of HPD in tumor tissues. This increased concentration or prolonged retention results from some incompletely understood biochemical properties of malignant cells (protein binding, membrane changes, aberrant biotransformation) or cancer tissue (increased blood supply, avascular zones, absent lymphatics). Identification of the most active components of HPD and a better understanding of the mechanisms of prolonged retention may permit improved treatment design to achieve more selective destruction of tumor tissue.
The effectiveness of long term physical therapy in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation refer to approbate a effective and individual approach with different therapeutic exercises in patients with COPD. Aim: To investigate the therapeutic effect of specialized physical therapy(PT) in elderly at different stages of COPD. Material and Methods: A one year study has been conducted investigating the effect of PT applied in hospital and in ambulatory elderly patients. Outcome measures were: spirometry, pulse oximetry, 6MWT, Borg scale, MMRC Scale, SGRQ, BODE index, apnoic tests. 65 patients with COPD divided into two groups according to the stage of COPD were studied. Group 1 includes 22 women, 11 men, mean age 68.6±7.3 with an exacerbations of COPD (II–III GOLD), receiving in hospital and ambulatory PT. Group 2 consists of 28 women, 4 men, mean age 71.7±6.9 without an exacerbation of COPD (I –II GOLD), receiving only ambulatory the same PT as Group 1. In hospital PT sessions were individually tailored, 10 consecutive days, duration of 20-25 min. Outpatients PT sessions were in groups of 12-20 patients,30-60 min. Exercise therapy includes breathing techniques and retraining: thoracic, diaphragm and pursed lips breathing; vocal exercises during prolonged expiration; rhythmic cuing of breathing; controlled walking or slight jogging. Results: PT improves FVC, FEV 1 (%), SpO 2 after exercising, physical tolerance, apnoic possibilities, quality of life and prognosis of COPD in both groups after 1 year. Basic and exertional dyspnoea decreased significantly also. Conclusions: PT program has positive therapeutic effect on pulmonary and functional status of the patients. It is well tolerated, suitable for continuous daily use.
What Is Known: Examining the Empirical Literature in Resident Work Hours Using 30 Influential Articles.

ABSTRACT Background Examining influential, highly cited articles can show the advancement of knowledge about the effect of resident physicians' long work hours, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of work hour limits. Objective A narrative review of 30 articles, selected for their contribution to the literature, explored outcomes of interest in the research on work hours—including patient safety, learning, and resident well-being. Methods Articles were selected from a comprehensive review. Citation volume, quality, and contribution to the evolving thinking on work hours and to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education standards were assessed. Results Duty hour limits are supported by the scientific literature, particularly limits on weekly hours and reducing the frequency of overnight call. The literature shows declining hours and call frequency over 4 decades of study, although the impact on patient safety, learning, and resident well-being is not clear. The review highlighted limita...
Abstract 1079: Increased Susceptibility to Atrial Fibrillation in FKBP12.6 Deficient Mice

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Cardiac remodeling plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AF and is associated with changes in the structure and function of atrial ion channels. Previous studies have demonstrated PKA hyperphosphorylation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and decreased binding of the regulatory subunit FKBP12.6 in patients with AF. Dissociation of FKBP12.6 from the RyR2 complex is thought to promote excess leakage of Ca 2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and trigger arrhythmias. Aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that FKBP12.6 deficiency increases the susceptibility to AF in mice due to enhanced diastolic SR Ca 2+ leak. Methods: Surface and intracardiac electrophysiology studies were performed in wildtype (WT) and FKBP12.6 deficient (FKBP12.6-/-) mice. Right atrial programmed stimulation was performed before and after infusion of 50μg/kg carbachol (i.p.). Results: Under baseline conditions, there were no differences in electrophysiological parameters comparing WT and FKBP12.6-/- mice: RR 146±12 vs 140±15 ms; PR 43±2 vs 43±4 ms; QRS 17±3 vs 19±2 ms, and QTc interval 26±8 vs 35±7 ms, respectively. After carbachol injection, AF was induced in 3 of 6 FKBP12.6-/- mice, whereas AF was not observed in 0 of 6 WT mice. The mean duration of AF episodes, confirmed by rapid and irregular P waves on intra-atrial electrograms, was 6.3±2.3 s. Conclusion: The results of the present study show an increased susceptibility to AF in FKBP12.6-/- mice. This suggests that intracellular Ca 2+ leak through ryanodine receptors may initiate or sustain atrial arrhythmias. Future studies may exploit this model to identify novel pharmacological agents for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
PULMONARY VALVE ENDOCARDITIS

Pulmonary valve (PV) endocarditis and regurgitation are rare. The indications and timing for surgical intervention remain a clinical challenge. A 63-year-old man presented with several years of bilateral knee pain and chronically elevated inflammatory markers in the setting of total knee
Time effects of green buildings on energy use for low-income households: A longitudinal study in the United States

Abstract The U.S. government has included green building policy in affordable housing programs for years. However, little to no evidence is available to elucidate this policy’s efficacy in the context of energy performance and financial savings. This paper reports a longitudinal study that investigates time effects of such policy on the energy performance in low-income housing units. The researchers collected monthly energy use data over three years from 310 residential units and conducted profile analysis and MANOVA. Results indicate that (1) green buildings’ energy performance is consistent across years; (2) construction type, technology level, and apartment size significantly and consistently affect energy use; and (3) occupant type inconsistently affects energy use. Results suggest financial savings of $648 per year due to reduced energy usage in green buildings. The savings equate to 9.3%, 5.6%, and 3.5% of annual income for extremely low-income, very low-income, and low-income families, respectively. Savings represent a 26.6%–37.5% reduction of energy expenditure for low-income households. Findings strongly suggest that green building incentives and the diffusion of green building practice is resulting in affordable housing systems.
Myths about Language

The relationship between the creator god, and humans and animals is the Word. There is a shift from a single language to many languages and sometimes the promise of a return to a single language. The essence of myth is language: words of creation, words that become garbled, words that connect and divide humans and their gods, humans and animals, and human groups. The effort on the part of humans to achieve oneness with the creator god leads to frustrated moves to the heavens, with the result that a multitude of languages are created, and human groups become identified by language at the same time that they are separated by language.
Using Children's Literature to Teach Mathematics: An Effective Vehicle in a STEM World.

Today it is critical to excite young people about mathematics in our high-tech STEM world we live in. Math teachers today need to embolden students to be confident in their ability to solve problems, to think and use their imaginations, to understand mathematical concepts, to be creative, and to see math as a human endeavor. The author feels that as students feel less anxious about, and more confident in their abilities to do math their performance will improve. The author has provided an in-depth literature review and offers background information on using children’s literature to teach mathematics; sharing the methods and materials possible to incorporate such literature into such math instruction in a wide range of mathematics strands. The results of using such literature in the teaching of mathematics may help to lower math anxiety and pique students interest and confidence in math and the STEM fields. Teachers need to address this alarming problem and work toward developing mathematically confident young people for a world where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields dominate the globe, using literature to teach mathematics can support and cultivate students’ math confidence for a STEM world.
The long-run relationship between public consumption and output in developing countries: Evidence from panel data

Abstract This paper uses heterogeneous panel cointegration techniques to examine the long-run effect of public consumption on output for 33 low- and lower-middle-income developing countries from 1972 to 2014. We include total investment in the cointegration relation and explicitly deal with cross-sectional dependence in the data that arises due to unobserved common factors. We find that on average, government consumption has a negative impact on output in the long-run — a result driven by non-sub-Saharan African countries in our sample. In contrast, investment has a consistent positive effect on output. The results suggest that fiscal adjustments that cut government consumption while maintaining investment spending will have a potential expansionary effect on long-run output.
Validation and Uncertainty Analysis of Stereo Time-Resolved PIV Measurements for Boundary-Layer Transition Research

An uncertainty analysis was performed on the stereo time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements that were obtained in the boundary-layer of a swept wing model. Several different approaches were undertaken to estimate the uncertainty of the PIV measurements and to understand how that uncertainty propagates through to the results of interest. It was found that the stereo registration error, which is often neglected in stereo- PIV uncertainty analysis, can cause significant errors in the measured amplitude of the stationary cross ow instability due to the large spanwise velocity gradients that occur in the ow. The self-calibrations do not always adequately correct for the stereo-registration error. A simple approach is demonstrated for estimating the error due to a misalignment of the calibration target and laser plane. This approach was found to be very successful at predicting the error in stationary cross ow amplitude caused by the misalignment. The time-resolved PIV results are also compared to previously-acquired hotwire data. The TRPIV technique is successful at measuring the same types of unsteady instabilities as the hotwire, and thus does not appear to have any adverse e ect on the transition process due to the introduction of particles into the ow. It was also found that a larger interrogation window size is beneficial for reducing the noise of the TRPIV results.
Potentially inappropriate medication use and associated healthcare utilization and costs among older adults with colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.

Abstract Objectives To assess the association between Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) use and healthcare utilization and costs among Medicare beneficiaries with breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the SEER-Medicare linked database in older adults with breast (N = 17,630), prostate (N = 18,721), or colorectal cancer (female: N = 5652; male: N = 3768). PIM use was defined based on 2015 Beers Criteria and was measured using prescription claims. Count models were used to examine the association between PIM use and the number of inpatient and ER visits. Generalized linear models were utilized with the log-link function and gamma distribution to analyze associations between PIM use and medical expenditures. The Inverse Treatment Probability Treatment Weights were applied in the analyses. Results 61.7% of patients with breast cancer, 47.3% of patients with prostate cancer, and 66.3% (females: 68.0%; males: 63.8%) of patients with colorectal cancer were found to use one or more PIM. PIM use was positively associated with number of inpatient visits, number of ER visits, non-drug costs, and total medical costs in all three types of cancer, except for the number of inpatient visits among patients with colorectal cancer. Conclusion PIM use was significantly associated with greater healthcare utilization and higher healthcare costs in this population. Future research should be undertaken to obtain additional evidence that can aid in the optimization of integrated interdisciplinary programs to facilitate effective management of care for older patients with cancer and other co-morbid medical problems.
Framing advance care planning in Parkinson disease: Patient and care partner perspectives.

Objective Advance care planning (ACP) is a core quality measure in caring for individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) and there are no best practice standards for how to incorporate ACP into PD care. This study describes patient and care partner perspectives on ACP to inform a patient- and care partner-centered framework for clinical care. Methods This is a qualitative descriptive study of 30 patients with PD and 30 care partners within a multisite, randomized clinical trial of neuropalliative care compared to standard care. Participants were individually interviewed about perspectives on ACP, including prior and current experiences, barriers to ACP, and suggestions for integration into care. Interviews were analyzed using theme analysis to identify key themes. Results Four themes illustrate how patients and care partners perceive ACP as part of clinical care: (1) personal definitions of ACP vary in the context of PD; (2) patient, relationship, and health care system barriers exist to engaging in ACP; (3) care partners play an active role in ACP; (4) a palliative care approach positively influences ACP. Taken together, the themes support clinician initiation of ACP discussions and interdisciplinary approaches to help patients and care partners overcome barriers to ACP. Conclusions ACP in PD may be influenced by patient and care partner perceptions and misperceptions, symptoms of PD (e.g., apathy, cognitive dysfunction, disease severity), and models of clinical care. Optimal engagement of patients with PD and care partners in ACP should proactively address misperceptions of ACP and utilize clinic teams and workflow routines to incorporate ACP into regular care.
Approach Angle Affects Accuracy in Robotic Stereoelectroencephalography Lead Placement.

Background One third of patients with epilepsy fail to gain optimal control using antiepileptic drugs. New advances in epilepsy surgery have reshaped some diagnostic and therapeutic modalities into less invasive approaches. To understand the cortical epileptogenic networks, stereoelectroencephalography uses depth electrodes as a tool for invasive intracranial monitoring. These electrodes are now being placed using a robot instead of the traditional Talairach stereotactic grid and frame with comparable accuracy and the advantage of shortened surgical time. Whereas accuracy is important for correct cortical sampling and surgical morbidity, the factors that play a role in the deviation of the electrode's trajectory are not yet understood. The aim of this study was to determine if the angle the planned trajectory makes with the skull impacts the final accuracy of placement. Methods Twenty-five patients with 319 stereotactic trajectories were examined. Skew angle and accuracy measurements were computed based on preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans fused with trajectories planned using ROSA robot software. Results Trajectories with a planned angle of >30° (oblique group) had significantly higher radial error (2.05 mm vs. 1.45 mm, P Conclusions The ROSA robotic system is a powerful tool that increases the speed and efficiency of stereotactic neurosurgery. Care should be taken when planning trajectories to avoid high skew angles. If a high skew angle is unavoidable, care should be taken to ensure a larger margin of safety.
Psychology and spiritual formation in dialogue: moral and spiritual change in Christian perspective

Recently I was at a community dinner and was seated next to an East African woman. Given that we were both Christian counsellors the conversation flowed naturally until she made one point that dist...
Prediction of Supercapacitor Discharge Time Using Peukert's Law

This paper considers an application scenario in which Peukert's law is utilized to predict the supercapacitor discharge time during a constant current discharge process. Originally developed for lead-acid batteries, Peukert's law states that the delivered charge increases when the discharge current decreases. Recent studies reveal that Peukert's law applies to supercapacitors when the discharge current is above a certain threshold. To demonstrate the effectiveness of Peukert's law in predicting the supercapacitor discharge time, this paper examines an application scenario in which the initial voltages of the constant current discharge experiments in the testing set are different from those in the training set. Experiments are conducted using three supercapacitor samples with different rated capacitances from different manufacturers. Results show that the discharge time prediction error is reduced when the nominal charge and Peukert constant are properly estimated.
Routes to Chaos of a Semiconductor Laser Subjected to External Optical Feedback: A Review

This paper reviews experimental investigations of the route to chaos of a semiconductor laser subjected to optical feedback from a distant reflector. When the laser is biased close to threshold, as the feedback strength is increased, an alternation between stable continuous wave (CW) behavior and irregular, chaotic fluctuations, involving numerous external-cavity modes, is observed. CW operation occurs on an external-cavity mode whose optical frequency is significantly lower than that of the solitary laser. The scenario is significantly different for larger currents as the feedback level is increased. At low feedback, the laser displays periodic or quasiperiodic behavior, mostly around external-cavity modes whose frequency is slightly larger than that of the solitary laser. As the feedback level increases, the RF and optical frequencies involved progressively lock until complete locking is achieved in a mixed external-cavity mode state. In this regime, the optical intensity and voltage oscillate at a frequency that is also equal to the optical frequency spacing between the modes participating in the dynamics. For even higher feedback, the locking cannot be maintained and the laser displays fully developed coherence collapse.
Deep ocean long range underwater navigation.

A long range Underwater Navigation Algorithm (UNA) is described that provides a geolocation underwater while submerged without having to surface for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position. The UNA only uses measured acoustic travel times from a constellation of underwater acoustic sources analogous to the constellation of satellites in GNSS. The UNA positions are calculated without any a priori track, position or sound speed information, and thus provide a “Cold Start” capability. The algorithm was tested using data from the 2010–2011 Philippine Sea Experiment in which six sources were deployed in a pentagon ∼400 km on a side. 502 positions of hydrophones in a bottom-moored vertical line array at depths of 485–3037 m drifting in a tidal watch circle up to 600 m in diameter were computed. The sources were 129–450 km from the hydrophone receivers. The mean UNA position error from ground truth was 58 m with a standard deviation of 32 m. The UNA Cold Start Algorithm position can be used as the point in the ocean for calculating acoustic model runs from the source positions with a four-dimensional sound speed field from a general circulation model to improve the accuracy.
LastLayer: Toward Hardware and Software Continuous Integration

This article presents LastLayer, an open-source tool that enables hardware and software continuous integration and simulation. Compared to traditional testing approaches based on the register transfer level abstraction, LastLayer provides a mechanism for testing Verilog designs with any programming language that supports the C foreign function interface. Furthermore, it supports a generic C interface that allows external programs convenient access to storage resources such as registers and memories in the design as well as control over the hardware simulation. Moreover, LastLayer achieves this software integration without requiring any hardware modification and automatically generates language bindings for these storage resources according to user specification. Using LastLayer, we evaluated two representative integration examples: a hardware adder written in Verilog operating over NumPy arrays, and a ReLu vector-accelerator written in Chisel processing tensors from PyTorch.