cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cajal-Retzius cells switch from expressing gamma-less to gamma-containing GABA receptors during corticogenesis

Cajal-Retzius cells are implicated in regulating neuronal migration and lamination during corticogenesis. In rodents, Cajal-Retzius cells are transient, being prevalent in the marginal zone of the embryonic neocortex and declining over the first two postnatal weeks. While studies have examined in postnatal neocortex the properties of GABA(A) receptors in Cajal-Retzius cells, less is known about their disposition at embryonic stages. Here, we combined patch-clamp electrophysiology and single-cell mRNA profiling to probe the expression of GABA(A) receptors in Cajal-Retzius cells. In embryonic neocortical slices, GABA elicited GABA(A) receptor-mediated current responses that were diazepam-insensitive and inhibited by Zn(2+), a pharmacological profile consistent with expression of gamma-less GABA(A) receptor isoforms. Non-Cajal-Retzius cells in the same embryonic slices, on the other hand, were robustly potentiated by diazepam and were insensitive to Zn(2+), typical of gamma-containing GABA(A) receptor isoforms, as were Cajal-Retzius cells in the postnatal neocortex. Single-cell mRNA profiling and immunohistochemistry confirmed expression of GABA(A) receptor gamma subunit transcript and protein, respectively, in individual reelin-expressing cells in the postnatal cortex but not in their embryonic counterparts. We conclude that Cajal-Retzius cells express gamma-less GABA(A) receptors at embryonic stages and switch to expressing gamma-containing GABA(A) receptor isoforms during postnatal neocortical development.
Etiology and Treatment of Developmental Stammering

The etiology and treatment of developmental stammering in childhood (DS, also called idiopathic stammering or stuttering) are reviewed by a speech pathologist and psychologist at the University of Reading, UK.
Economic versus Cultural Differences: Forms of Ethnic Diversity and Public Goods Provision

groups: between-group inequality (BGI). We show that ELF, cultural fractionalization (CF), and BGI measure different things, and that the choice between them has an important impact on our understanding of which countries are most ethnically diverse. Furthermore, empirical tests reveal that BGI has a large, robust, and negative relationship with public goods provision, whereas CF, ELF, and overall inequality do not. diversity is widely held to make governance more difficult. Such diversity is associated with low production of public goods; poor economic growth; and high levels of corruption, violence, and civil conflict. But diversity hardly sentences a country to poor political and economic outcomes. Latvia, for example, has better governance indicators than Brazil, and Zambia has better governance indicators than Nigeria, even though these pairs of countries have similar levels of ethnolinguistic fractionalization (ELF). Why, then, do some countries cope more successfully with ethnic diversity than others? This article addresses this question by focusing on the
The effect of long-term ozone exposure on injury in seedlings of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.)

summary The death of many mature red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) trees in the northeastern United States has sparked controversy over the roles natural factors and air pollutants play. The goal of this work was to investigate the effects of long-term ozone exposures on development of injury and, in particular, the expression of winter injury in red spruce. Red spruce seedlings were exposed to elevated levels of ozone during two growing seasons, starting just after budbreak, and continuing into the period of early frosts. Trees spent both winter periods under ambient conditions of light and temperature. No visible lesions on foliage that could be attributed to ozone developed during the growing seasons. Yellow and brown needles appeared each winter, with much more injury in the second year. However, in the spring after two seasons of ozone exposure, there was no significant effect of ozone on the overall appearance of the entire population of seedlings. Samples were taken for histology and ultrastructure approximately monthly. Ozone treatments increased mesophyll cell disruption after frosts in early winter in the first year, but not in the second. There was no correlation between histological injury in the autumn and visible symptoms in the spring, indicating that there may be different aspects of the winter injury syndrome. In the second summer from 20 to 40%, of all mesophyll cells were damaged. This damage was not related to ozone treatment, and probably resulted from high summer temperatures.
Sec34p, a protein required for vesicle tethering to the yeast Golgi apparatus, is in a complex with Sec35p.

A screen for mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae secretory pathway components previously yielded sec34, a mutant that accumulates numerous vesicles and fails to transport proteins from the ER to the Golgi complex at the restrictive temperature (Wuestehube, L.J., R. Duden, A. Eun, S. Hamamoto, P. Korn, R. Ram, and R. Schekman. 1996. Genetics. 142:393–406). We find that SEC34 encodes a novel protein of 93-kD, peripherally associated with membranes. The temperature-sensitive phenotype of sec34-2 is suppressed by the rab GTPase Ypt1p that functions early in the secretory pathway, or by the dominant form of the ER to Golgi complex target-SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptor)–associated protein Sly1p, Sly1-20p. Weaker suppression is evident upon overexpression of genes encoding the vesicle tethering factor Uso1p or the vesicle-SNAREs Sec22p, Bet1p, or Ykt6p. This genetic suppression profile is similar to that of sec35-1, a mutant allele of a gene encoding an ER to Golgi vesicle tethering factor and, like Sec35p, Sec34p is required in vitro for vesicle tethering. sec34-2 and sec35-1 display a synthetic lethal interaction, a genetic result explained by the finding that Sec34p and Sec35p can interact by two-hybrid analysis. Fractionation of yeast cytosol indicates that Sec34p and Sec35p exist in an ∼750-kD protein complex. Finally, we describe RUD3, a novel gene identified through a genetic screen for multicopy suppressors of a mutation in USO1, which suppresses the sec34-2 mutation as well.
A 47-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea and recurrent pneumothoraces.

47-year-old woman was referred for evaluation of dyspnea and recurrent bilateral pneumothoraces, with the last episode requiring left apical resection and talc pleurodesis. The pathology from this procedure revealed only a scarred bleb lining. Dyspnea was described as insidious and gradually progressive since onset 5 years earlier. The medical history was notable for emphysema. The findings of a review of systems was otherwise negative, as was the family history. A social history revealed a 10 pack-year history of smoking with current use being described as sporadic. The physical examination findings were unremarkable with the exceptions of pulse oximetry values of 82% while breathing room air and a well-healed thoracotomy scar. The data available at the time of referral included normal serum chemistry levels, CBC, and 1-antitrypsin levels, along with pulmonary function test (PFT) results that revealed an FEV1 74% of predicted, FVC 97% of predicted, and FEV1/FVC ratio 62% of predicted. The diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco) was also 27% of predicted.
Natural Control of Florida Red Scale on Citrus In Florida by Predators and Parasites

This study was initiated after observations and grove studies had shown that :Florida red scale ( Chrysomphalus aonidum (L.)) was adequately controlled by natural factors. Although some of the predators and parasites have not been thoroughly evaluated, data collected so far indicate that parasitic hymenoptera represent the critical factor in natural control. The influence of weather and chemical control measures on natural control have been investigated, but the direct effect of weather on the scale and the scale's food supply has not been studied. Two parasitic fungi are known to infect the scale but they are believed to be unimportant factors in natural control owing to their strong host density dependency and erratic incidence in scale infestations. Twenty-one species of predators are known to feed on Florida red scale, but only six are common, widely distributed, scale-feeding species. Evaluation studies have not been completed, but all attempts to associate individual predator populations with decreases in scale infestations have failed. Therefore, it seems likely that predation is not a critical natural control factor, although predators probably have a leveling effect on scale infestations. Eleven different parasitic wasps attack the scale in citrus groves. Four primary parasites and one hyperparasite are common to abundant. Three of these primaries attack male and second-stage female scales; one attacks mature female scales. The hyperparasite attacks Prospaltella aurantii How., one of the second-stage parasites. High rates of scale mortality result from parasitism, and evaluation studies have demonstrated a decided negative relationship between parasite populations and rates of parasitism, and intensity of scale infestations. Studies on parasite incidence and abundance, effects of parasitism on scale infestations, and factors influencing parasite efficiency have indicated that Pseudhomalopoda prima (Gir.), the parasite attacking mature female scales, is the critical parasite species. Absence from or reduction of the species in Florida red scale infestations invariably results in outbreak infestations. The most important supporting parasite species appear to be Aspidiotiphagus lounsburyi (B. & P.) and Prospaltella aurantii , which attack male and second-stage female scales.
Reward Motivation Enhances Task Coding in Frontoparietal Cortex

Reward motivation often enhances task performance, but the neural mechanisms underlying such cognitive enhancement remain unclear. Here, we used a multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) approach to test the hypothesis that motivation-related enhancement of cognitive control results from improved encoding and representation of task set information. Participants underwent two fMRI sessions of cued task switching, the first under baseline conditions, and the second with randomly intermixed reward incentive and no-incentive trials. Information about the upcoming task could be successfully decoded from cue-related activation patterns in a set of frontoparietal regions typically associated with task control. More critically, MVPA classifiers trained on the baseline session had significantly higher decoding accuracy on incentive than non–incentive trials,
Impedance matching of inverted conductors: Two-dimensional beam splitters with divergent gain

A thin conducting sheet---graphene, for example---transmits, absorbs, and reflects radiation. A sheet that is very thin, even vanishingly so, can still produce 50% absorption at normal incidence if it has conductivity corresponding to half the impedance of free space. We find that, regardless of the sheet conductivity, there exists a combination of polarization and angle of incidence that achieves this impedance-half-matching condition. If the conducting medium can be inverted, the conductivity is formally negative and the sheet amplifies the incident radiation. To the extent that a negative half-match in a thin sheet can be maintained, enormous single-pass gain in both transmission and reflection is possible. Known semiconductors (e.g., gallium nitride) have the optical properties necessary to give large amplification in a structure that is, remarkably, both thin and nonresonant.
A control theoretic approach for designing adaptive AQM schemes

In this paper, we use a control theoretic approach to develop a generic framework for analyzing various active queue management (AQM) schemes as proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers. Based on this PID model, we propose an adaptive control mechanism to improve the system stability and performance under changing network conditions. We then present a generic implementation of the PID controller by introducing a derivative control into a PI controller. In addition, we propose an improved adaptive virtual queue (AVQ) scheme with explicit queue length control. A simulation study under a wide range of traffic conditions suggests that the proposed algorithms outperform the existing AQM schemes in achieving better system performance and stability.
Long-term thrombotic recurrence after nonoperative management of Paget-Schroetter syndrome.

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical predictors associated with long-term thrombotic recurrences necessitating surgical intervention after initial success with nonoperative management of patients with primary subclavian vein thrombosis. Methods Sixty-four patients treated for Paget-Schroetter syndrome from 1996 to 2005 at our institution were reviewed. The standardized protocol for treatment includes catheter-directed thrombolysis, a short period of anticoagulation, and selective surgical decompression for patients with persistent symptoms. First-rib resection was performed in 29 patients (45%) within the first 3 months, with a success rate of 93%. The remaining 35 patients (55%) were treated nonoperatively and constitute this study's population. Results Of the 35 patients with successful nonoperative management, 8 (23%) developed recurrent thrombotic events of the same extremity at a mean follow-up time of 13 months after thrombolysis (range, 6-33 months). These eight patients subsequently underwent first-rib resection with a 100% success rate without further sequelae at a mean follow-up time of 51 months (range, 2-103 months). The other 27 patients remained symptom free at a mean follow-up interval of 55 months (range, 10-110 months). Bivariate analyses determined that the use of a stent during the initial thrombolysis was associated with thrombotic recurrence (P = .05). The recurrence group was also significantly younger than the asymptomatic group (22 vs 36 years; P = .01). Sex, being a competitive athlete, a history of trauma, whether the dominant arm was affected, time of delay to lysis, initial clot burden, response to original lysis, use of adjunctive balloons or mechanical thrombectomy devices, residual stenosis on venography, length of time on warfarin, and patency of the vein on follow-up duplex examination were all characteristics not associated with long-term recurrence after nonoperative management. Conclusions Conservative nonoperative management of primary subclavian vein thrombosis can be successfully used with acceptable long-term results. A younger age (
Experimental and Numerical Studies of Mixing and Combustion in Scramjet Combustors

1 Abstract A combined experimental-numerical study is underway to validate a new large-eddy simulation (LES) for supersonic combustion studies. Experimental data on fuel-air mixing is being obtained at Georgia Tech and University of Florida while supersonic combustion is being investigated at University of Florida. The results obtained in the first year’s effort are summarized in this paper with particular emphasis on the LES model development and validation.
Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate and Potassium Chloride Drinking Water Supplementation.: 2. Meat and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers Grown Under Thermoneutral and Cyclic Heat-Stress Conditions

Two broiler trials were conducted to investigate the effect on post-mortem carcass and meat quality of NaHCO3 and KCl drinking water supplementation under thermoneutral and cyclic heat-stress climatic conditions. Water chill carcass weight change, water- and oven-cooked breast filled yields, and breast meat tenderness were measured. In Trial 1, neither environmental regimen, nor water treatments, nor their interaction was a significant (P less than .05) source of variation for the parameters measured. In Trial 2, environmental regimen was a highly significant (P less than .01) source of variability for chilled carcass weight change; the cyclic heat-stressed broiler carcasses gained more weight than the thermoneutral (control) broiler carcasses during ice-water chilling. Oven-cooked fillet yield was significantly (P less than .05) affected by environmental regimen; fillets from cyclic heat-stressed broilers had lower yields than thermoneutral (control) broiler fillets. Drinking water treatments were a significant (P less than .05) source of variation for breast meat tenderness in Trial 2. Broilers given .5% NaHCO3 from 5 to 8 wk of age had higher shear resistance values than broilers given a combination of .5% NaHCO3 and .5% KCl or tap water-fed controls. Breast meat shear values were negatively correlated (P less than .05) with 8-wk broiler body weight and 5- to 8-wk gain.
Phoenix: making applications robust

At Microsoft Research, we have an ongoing project called Phoenix. The long term goal of the Phoenix project is to develop and apply recovery techniques that will enable application programs to survive system crashes and allow application programmers to deal effectively with application errors. The effort relies fundamentally on exploiting and extending conventional database recovery techniques. Our initial systems focus is to provide persistent database sessions to client applications across server failures, without the application itself needing to take measures for its recoverability. Our approach is based on (i) application message logging, in which the client application’s interactions with the database server are captured and (ii) database session state materialized as database tables and logged on the server. To demonstrate the viability of our approach, we implemented a prototype system, named Phoenix/ODBC, that provides persistent ODBC database sessions.
Narrativity and Storytelling

This is an excerpt from a new chapter, Narrativity and Storytelling, in Murray & DeSanctis's Advanced Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy (Foundation Press, 2d ed. 2013). The objective of the chapter is to teach narrative reasoning and storytelling skills to law students.This chapter discusses narrative reasoning in the following sections of briefs and memoranda:• introductions and summaries of argument• questions presented• tables of contents and thesis headings• facts sections• argument sections• explanation sections.
The Molecular Basis of Hepatic De Novo Lipogenesis in Insulin Resistance

Humans with obesity and type 2 diabetes exhibit the classic triad of hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. The paradox of selective insulin resistance in the liver, in which the gluconeogenic pathway becomes insensitive to insulin but the lipogenesis pathway remains sensitive to insulin, leads to an elevation in hepatic and plasma levels of fatty acids and triglyceride and makes detrimental contributions to the development of insulin resistance. However, the precise mechanism for selective insulin resistance remains largely unknown. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that regulates metabolic homeostasis. Recently, elucidating the role of AMPK leads to surprising findings and helps identify novel downstream effectors of AMPK. Cellular and molecular biological approach and obese, diabetic mouse models are utilized to characterize that sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), a family of the transcription regulator of lipid synthesis, functions as a conserved substrate of AMPK. AMPK specifically interacts with and phosphorylates SREBP-1c and SREBP-2. AMPK and its pharmacological activators, such as metformin and polyphenols, inhibit the cleavage processing of SREBP-1c and SREBP-2, decrease the nuclear translocation, and reduce the transcription of target genes involved in the biosynthesis of fatty acid, triglyceride, and cholesterol at least in part through AMPK-dependent inhibition of SREBP in hepatocytes. Strikingly, integrated inhibition of AMPK and stimulation of SREBP are implicated on hepatic lipogenesis and steatosis. In contrast, suppression of the de novo lipogenesis by AMPK in the liver results from an increase in SREBP-1 phosphorylation and a reduction in its cleavage processing and transcriptional activity in insulin resistance. These studies provide mechanistic insight into the development of potential therapeutic strategies to target the nutrient sensing AMPK-SREBP pathway for treating type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders.
Seasonal Changes in Frog's Muscles and Their Bearing on Clasping Reflex

Sommerkamp1 showed that different striated muscles reacted differently to contracture producing substances such as acetyl choline, nicotine, etc., and explained his results by the assumption that certain muscle fibers (tonus fibers) reacting specifically to contracture producing substances are unequally distributed in different muscles. It is apparent that these investigations have great importance in the study of tonus. Therefore experiments were carried out in which the isometric tension of the flexors of the forelimb was determined in male and female frogs (Rana esculenta). Acetyl choline (1:10,000), KSCN (0.113M) and veratrin (1:1,000,000) were used during and after breeding season. The results are summarized in Tables I and II. While the isometric tension set up by KSCN expressed in percentage of the tetanus tension produced by a just maximal current is practically identical in males and females the experiments with acetyl choline show that the muscles of male frogs react specifically. The tension in...
On Tiling the n-Dimensional Cube

Take a square and cut it into smaller pieces, each of which is a square. Now count the number of pieces. It is easy to show that the answer is not 2, 3, or 5, but it might be anything else. Asking the question a different way: for what values of k can one tile a square with k squares? Here tiling means covering with pieces that overlap only on edges. FIGURE 1 shows tilings of a square with k = 4, 6, 7, and 8.
Variation in Sex Ratios of Banner-Tailed Kangaroo Rats in Relation to Population Density

Over a 5-year period, sex ratios of juvenile Dipodomys spectabilis varied significantly at one study site, whereas there was a recurrent and significant male bias at a second site. Population density was variable at the first site, but at the second site it was consistently at high levels. The proportion of males was correlated positively with population density. Demographic and dispersal data revealed no variation in competition for local resources or in differential mortality that ultimately could account for the variation in sex ratio. However, male weights relative to female weights at the end of parental care were lower where sex ratios were male-biased, suggesting a correspondence between male-biased sex ratios and relatively cheaper males. The adjustment to male-biased sex ratios apparently occurred in utero or during lactation. A hypothesis that might explain the variation in sex ratio is that it is an adaptive response either to variation in the relative costs of producing sons and daughters or to variation in the life-history expectations of sons and daughters that occurs with variable population density. Another hypothesis is that competition among siblings results in higher mortality in one sex, and this effect is more pronounced at higher population density.
Managing Three Mediation Effects that Influence PowerPoint Deck Authoring

INTRODUCTION No communication technology is simply a conduit for information. Rather, every communication technology has its own mediation effects— its own ways of influencing communication (Kaptelinin and Nardi 2006). A presentation supported by PowerPoint (or another slideware application) and the process of preparing it will be very different from a presentation not supported by visuals and significantly different from a presentation visually supported by another means such as a flipchart or whiteboard. PowerPoint has met with much harsh criticism during the last 8 or so years (Farkas 2006, 2008). The main theme is that PowerPoint readily reduces the effectiveness of oral presentations. Statements like this are prevalent: “PowerPoint inherently ruins a presentation in 95 percent of cases” (Kewney 2007). These phrases appear widely on the Internet: “Death by PowerPoint” and “PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.” Given the enormous prevalence of PowerPoint in business, government, education, and other areas of life, the possibility that PowerPoint is interfering with our efforts to communicate with one another is a serious matter. If we can identify and address PowerPoint’s harmful mediation effects, we should do so. In this study, I investigate three of PowerPoint’s many mediation effects. Each pertains to the layout of slides and the process of authoring decks (sets of slides). I have chosen these three because they are important and because they are closely related and can be addressed in a unified, economical way. I argue that these mediation effects pose problems to authors of PowerPoint decks but are ultimately manageable. Here are the mediation effects and the problems they can cause: Content cutting: deck authors may eliminate informative text and graphical content planned for a slide to fit the available space. Overflow distortion: when deck authors let text flow from one slide to another, they may violate the deck’s logical hierarchy by promoting a bullet point to the level of a slide title. Slide title flattening: because all the slide titles in a deck generally have the same visual appearance, deck authors may unwittingly mask hierarchical distinctions. This requires the audience to discern these distinctions (or fail to do so) without the visual support of the deck. These effects are not hard to notice, but they have received no more than passing attention. My procedure is as follows: (1) Elaborate briefly on the concept of mediation as it pertains to PowerPoint. (2) Review the most important and pertinent claims that have been made regarding PowerPoint’s mediation effects. (3) Introduce two relevant considerations: PowerPoint’s slide metaphor and the standard and alternative slide layouts. (4) Explain content cutting, overflow distortion, and slide title flattening. (5) Suggest that we continue to study PowerPoint by carefully investigating its many mediation effects.
Evaluation of total knee mechanics using a crouching simulator with a synthetic knee substitute

Mechanical evaluation of total knees is frequently required for aspects such as wear, strength, kinematics, contact areas, and force transmission. In order to carry out such tests, we developed a crouching simulator, based on the Oxford-type machine, with novel features including a synthetic knee including ligaments. The instrumentation and data processing methods enabled the determination of contact area locations and interface forces and moments, for a full flexion-extension cycle. To demonstrate the use of the simulator, we carried out a comparison of two different total knee designs, cruciate retaining and substituting. The first part of the study describes the simulator design and the methodology for testing the knees without requiring cadaveric knee specimens. The degrees of freedom of the anatomic hip and ankle joints were reproduced. Flexion-extension was obtained by changing quadriceps length, while variable hamstring forces were applied using springs. The knee joint was represented by three-dimensional printed blocks on to which the total knee components were fixed. Pretensioned elastomeric bands of realistic stiffnesses passed through holes in the block at anatomical locations to represent ligaments. Motion capture of the knees during flexion, together with laser scanning and computer modeling, was used to reconstruct contact areas on the bearing surfaces. A method was also developed for measuring tibial component interface forces and moments as a comparative assessment of fixation. The method involved interposing Tekscan pads at locations on the interface. Overall, the crouching machine and the methodology could be used for many different mechanical measurements of total knee designs, adapted especially for comparative or parametric studies.
Elemene Injections for Pulmonary Cancer: A Systematic Review

Objective To review the effectiveness and safety of Elemene injections for treating pulmonary cancer Methods MEDLINE (1966July 2004), CBMdisc (Jan 1978May 2004), CNKI (19942004), Wanfang database (19802004) and Chongqing VIP database (19892004) were searched by using the terms Elemene for human clinical trials, including unpublished documents from scientific meetings and theses; all randomized controlled trials comparing Elemene injection with other treatment for pulmonary cancer were included Two reviewers independently performed data extraction and appraised the publications using the Juni instrument; disagreements were resolved by consensus Double data were entered and analyzed by RevMan 4 2 software by Cochrane Collaboration Results Seventeen reports were included in the meta analysis The quality of 17 studies was low One study showed VP (vindesine+ platinol) plus Elemene was more effective than VP Pooling data of 4 studies of EP (Etoposide+platinol) plus Elemene indicated that the effect was better with RR 1 62, 95% CI 1 29 to 2 03 However, Pooling data of 2 studies using Elemene alone was less effective than CAP (cyclohosphamide+ adriamycin+ platinol) with RR 0 81, 95%CI 0 44 to 1 49 Another 10 studies showed that Elemene alone or general medicine (chemotherapy or actinotheraphy ) plus Elemene was less effective than regular treatment Three studies showed that one year survival rate wasnt longer in trial group than that of control group The results of 14 studies might conclude that side effects brought by general medicine was lower when using Elemene injection Conclusions Although basic research indicates that Elemene can restrain the growth of tumor cells and protect normal cells, the effect of Elemene injection being used in clinical settings needs to be confirmed by further large and multi center
Predicting postoperative atrial fibrillation from independent ECG components

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (PAF) occurs in 10% to 65% of the patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. It is associated with increased post-surgical mortality and morbidity, and results in longer and more expensive hospital stays. Accurately stratifying patients for PAF allows for selective use of prophylactic therapies (e.g., amiodarone). Unfortunately, existing tools to stratify patients for PAF fail to provide clinically adequate discrimination. Our research addresses this situation through the development of novel electrocardiographic (ECG) markers to identify patients at risk of PAF. As a first step, we explore an eigendecomposition approach that partitions ECG signals into atrial and ventricular components by exploiting knowledge of the underlying cardiac cycle. We then quantify electrical instability in the myocardium manifesting as probabilistic variations in atrial ECG morphology to assess the risk of PAF. When evaluated on 385 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, this approach of stratifying patients for PAF through an analysis of morphologic variability within decoupled atrial ECG demonstrated substantial promise and improved net reclassification by over 53% relative to the use of baseline clinical characteristics.
CD14-dependent mechanism for endotoxin-mediated nitric oxide synthesis in murine macrophages

Endotoxin-mediated macrophage synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) is associated with immune effector function, intercellular communication, leukocyte adhesion, vascular integrity, and neurotransmission. However, little is known of the cellular receptor and signal transduction pathway by which endotoxin induces NO production. With the use of a model of ANA-1 murine macrophages, we stimulated NO production by incubation with increasing concentrations of endotoxin and 5% fetal calf serum. In selected instances, the anti-CD14 antibody, ED9, was added. Endotoxin-mediated NO synthesis was dependent on CD14 function and the presence of an additional serum factor. Endotoxin treatment increased plasma membrane GTPase activity and 35S-labeled guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) ([35S]GTP gamma S) binding. Conversely, coincubation of cells with endotoxin and the heterotrimeric G protein inhibitors, suramin and guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) trilithium salt, was associated with decreased NO synthesis, plasma membrane GTPase activity, and [35S]GTP gamma S binding. Blockade of CD14 or G protein function was associated with ablation of endotoxin-mediated inducible NO synthase (iNOS) protein expression, iNOS mRNA levels, and iNOS gene transcription, as determined by immunoblot, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and nuclear run-on analyses, respectively. These results indicate that endotoxin-mediated NO synthesis is a CD14-heterotrimeric G protein-dependent process.
What's So Good about Good Faith? The Good Faith Performance Obligation in Commercial Lending

So began the plaintiff's attorney in K.M.C. Co., Inc. v Irving Trust Co., a prototypical example of a hard case making bad law. Similar words uttered in courtrooms throughout the United States signal the increasingly litigious nature of the lender-borrower relationship. K.M.C. and similar cases have established the liability of lenders to both their borrowers and third parties under a variety of legal theories2 including fraud,3 duress,4 interference,5 intentional
Properties of Effective Metrics for Coverage-Based Statistical Fault Localization

In this paper, we investigate several coverage-based statistical fault localization metrics that have performed well in recent comparisons of many metrics, in order to better understand the properties of effective metrics. We first algebraically and probabilistically analyze the metrics to identify their key elements. Then we report on an empirical study we conducted to assess the relative importance of those elements. The results suggest that the most effective metrics contain a product of two terms: one that estimates the failure-causing effect of a program element (possibly with confounding bias) and one that weights the first term based on the evidence for the existence of faults in other program elements.
User rankings from comparisons: Learning permutations in high dimensions

We consider the problem of learning users' preferential orderings for a set of items when only a limited number of pairwise comparisons of items from users is available. This problem is relevant in large collaborative recommender systems where overall rankings of users for objects need to be predicted using partial information from simple pairwise item preferences from chosen users. We consider two natural schemes of obtaining pairwise item orderings — random and active (or intelligent) sampling. Under both these schemes, assuming that the users' orderings are constrained in number, we develop efficient, low-complexity algorithms that reconstruct all the orderings with provably order-optimal sample complexities. Finally, our algorithms are shown to outperform a matrix completion based approach in terms of sample and computational requirements in numerical experiments.
Effects of urine on the functional quality of human spermatozoa

Objective To determine the effect of urine on sperm function and to elucidate the reason by which it may be deleterious. Design Prospective controlled in vitro study. Interactions Sperm were exposed to various concentrations of pooled urine in Ham's F-10 Medium supplemented with 3.5 g% bovine serum albumin (GIBCO, Grand Island, NY) and sperm exposed to Ham's F-10 Medium with pH and osmolality adjusted to mimic that of the urine (pH 5.4; 520 mOsm). Main Outcome Measure Sperm motility and the ability of sperm to penetrate and migrate into mucus and to penetrate hamster oocytes were determined. Results All sperm variables studied were significantly decreased when the sperm were exposed to ≥40% urine. Potential of hydrogen- and osmolality-adjusted Ham's F-10 did not significantly affect the sperm function. Conclusion Urine is deleterious to sperm function and may involve other biochemical factors that are unrelated to pH and osmolality of urine.
Chemoprevention of Aerodigestive Epithelial Cancers

Head and neck cancer, together with cancers of the esophagus and lung, will cause one third of all 1990 cancer deaths in the United States, or 160,000 deaths (1). The magnitude of this problem directly relates to the magnitude of tobacco use, since tobacco is the single causative agent linking these three aerodigestive tract cancers. Despite intensified attention to smoking cessation programs, tobacco continues to be a major public health problem throughout the world. Worldwide tobacco use statistics include 1 billion smokers and 600 million chewers; U.S. figures are 50 million smokers and 12 billion chewers.
Recovering With Acquired Apraxia of Speech: The First 2 Years

Purpose This study was intended to document speech recovery for 1 person with acquired apraxia of speech quantitatively and on the basis of her lived experience. Method The second author sustained ...
Evaluation of a Medical Spanish Elective for Senior Medical Students: Improving Outcomes through OSCE Assessments.

Background There is no standardized curriculum or assessment method that addresses Spanish skills in U.S. medical schools. The authors implemented a 10-week Clinical Medical Spanish elective for fourth-year medical students.
Developmental Psychopathology: Risk and Resilience in the Transition to Young Adulthood

The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is a challenging time for many young people, given the multiple simultaneous demands placed by biological, psychological, and social forces that affect an individual's development. There are additional challenges when one is coping with ongoing or evolving mental health disorders. This article focuses on the demographics of transitional age youth, ages 16 to 26 years, in the United States, the unique characteristics of this developmental period, and how risk and resilience factors may affect the course of development and an individual's pathway to adulthood.
The Development of Masterâ€™s Degree and Certificate programs in

This study is designed to find out 1) types of preferred certificate program and 2) field of study in Masterâ€™s degree in Fitness and Sports. A sample of 132 males and females were recruited for this study. The questionnaires for survey were developed and collected from these groups. The results of survey have shown that 49% of participants prefer to have Athletic Training Program, 21% for Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. The survey demonstrated that majority of participants (>90%) want to pursue Masterâ€™s degree in Fitness and Sports. The choices of study in Masterâ€™s degree are Sports Management, Sports Psychology, Exercise Physiology, and Physical Education. In conclusion, we need to consider to Implement of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer, program in Fitness and Sports. Also, we need to consider developing additional two courses within Fitness and Sports degree for Athletic Training certificate program. We need to develop Masterâ€™s program focusing following field of study, Sports Management, Sports Psychology, Exercise Physiology, Physical Education and Sports Nutrition based on results from this study.
Philosophical and Scientific Intensity in the Thought of Gilles Deleuze

The physical sciences include highly developed fields that investigate intensities in the form of intensive quantities like speeds, temperatures, pressures and altitudes. Some contemporary readers of Deleuze interested in the physical sciences at times attribute to Deleuze a common, contemporary scientific concept of intensive magnitude. These readings identify Deleuze's philosophical conception of intensity with an existing scientific conception of intensity. The essay argues that Deleuze does not in fact lift a conception of intensity from the physical sciences to embed it as the fundamental term in his differential ontology.
Thermoresponsive nanoparticle agglomeration/aggregation in salt solutions: Dependence on graft density.

Abstract Gold nanoparticles with a graft density of 0.09, 0.30 and 0.40 chains/nm2 of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) were reproducibly synthesized by varying the ratio of disulfide terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) to gold nanoparticle. The polymer coated nanoparticles were stable at room temperature in 50 mM NaCl, yet agglomerated at 37 °C. Previous studies have observed conflicting results as to the reversibility of this agglomeration. Particle agglomeration with three different graft densities was studied in 50 mM NaCl by measurements of their localized surface plasmon resonance and hydrodynamic diameter, and imaging with electron microscopy. Agglomerates with a polymer graft density of 0.30 and 0.40 chains/nm2 could be dispersed with sonication, while particles with a graft density of 0.09 chains/nm2 irreversibly aggregated. The graft density dependence on whether agglomeration or aggregation occurred is due to changes in collapsed polymer steric effects. Localized surface plasmon resonance measurements of agglomerates were discordant with hydrodynamic diameter measurements in determining agglomeration reversibility, which shed light on reasons previous reports yielded different interpretations on the reversibility of this agglomeration. This work demonstrates how polymer graft density affects thermoresponsive nanoparticle stability in salt solutions and the need for use of complementary techniques when determining agglomeration.
Assembly, alignment and test of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) optical assemblies

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will carry four visible waveband, seven-element, refractive F/1.4 lenses, each with a 34 degree diagonal field of view. This paper describes the methods used for the assembly, alignment and test of the four flight optical assemblies. Prior to commencing the build of the four flight optical assemblies, a Risk Reduction Unit (RRU) was successfully assembled and tested [1]. The lessons learned from the RRU were applied to the build of the flight assemblies. The main modifications to the flight assemblies include the inking of the third lens element stray light mitigation, tighter alignment tolerances, and diamond turning for critical mechanical surfaces. Each of the optical assemblies was tested interferometrically and measured with a low coherence distance measuring interferometer (DMI) to predict the optimal shim thickness between the lens assembly and detector before -75°C environmental testing. In addition to individual test data, environmental test results from prior assemblies allow for the exploration of marginal performance differences between each of the optical assemblies.
Holes in the 'Triple Canopy': What the Fourth Circuit Got Wrong

On January 8, 2015, the Fourth Circuit decided the case of United States ex rel. Badr v. Triple Canopy, Inc., reversing a district court’s dismissal of a Civil False Claims Act (“FCA”) suit alleging that a military contractor had falsified marksmanship scores for Ugandan security guards hired to protect Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. While the Fourth Circuit was the first circuit to consider the validity of implied certification in 2015, it would not be the last. By the end of the year, no fewer than four federal appellate cases had addressed the theory, setting the stage for Supreme Court action. While a strong argument could be made that Triple Canopy was the most important of these cases, the Fourth Circuit’s rather dry analysis of “Theater-Wide Internal Security Services Task Orders” lacked the emotional heft of Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar, a First Circuit case brought by the parents of a young woman, Yarushka Rivera, who died after receiving Medicaid-covered mental health treatment from a Massachusetts clinic. Perhaps due to the tragic facts and sympathetic victim, the Supreme Court chose Escobar rather than Triple Canopy as the vehicle to address implied certification. This article reviews the differences between the Escobar and initial Fourth Circuit Triple Canopy opinions, noting that the Court ultimately adopted a more demanding standard of materiality than prior opinions had predicted.
Start With the End in Mind

This chapter addresses the use of customer requirements to drive the design or modification of the Collection Services Supply Chain. It argues the criticality to include supply chain processes as part of service excellence and thus proposes Perfect Collection Fulfillment as an ideal outcome of the collection services. It also provides two methodologies, Quality Function Deployment and Qualitative Heuristics, for libraries to understand user collection demands. The goal of the chapter is to create a blueprint for the implementation of the Collection Services Supply Chain, aiming for increase in user productivity, not process improvement or budgetary savings.
Ethnic Considerations and Multiple Sclerosis Disease Variability in the United States

Minorities in the United States such as African Americans and Hispanics may have more severe disease than non-Hispanic whites. Factors contributing to these disparities are reviewed. The variations in disability from non-Hispanic whites may be the result of differences in clinical presentation, genetic underpinnings, and sociocultural factors. Creating awareness and increasing participation in research studies may improve our understanding.
Achilles and the (Sexual) History of Being

Koch examines the figure of Achilles as he appears in Homer’s Iliad, arguing that Achilles is the first literary figure in the history of Western thought to exhibit the persistence of the drive, in Lacan’s sense. Koch argues that Achilles’ rage challenges the heroic paradigms of epic and the fantasy of immortality. Using Zizek and Heidegger, Koch argues that the drive is not merely an unconscious process but ontological in nature. Fantasy is a future-directed activity, but the pathe of Achilles rejects this future-oriented desire and, instead, focuses desire on the present; Koch argues that Achilles is emblematic of what Lee Edelman has called the sinthomosexual, and as such, he challenges the borders of the Symbolic system in which he finds himself.
A Robotic Skin for Collision Avoidance and Affective Touch Recognition

We describe a flexible robotic skin module that can measure proximity, contact and force, as well as algorithms for detecting obstacles, human hands, and affective touch gestures. The computational requirements of the proposed architecture are in line with the capabilities of a small microcontroller, allowing for a majority of the data to be processed colocated with the skin. The resulting system only communicates low-bandwidth information of interest, thereby solving challenges in routing high-bandwidth information and reducing the burden on a robot's central processing unit. We describe design and manufacturing of a 10.8 $\times$ 10.8 cm $^2$ skin patch containing 64 sensors, classification results for six different affective touch gestures, and a method that allows the skin to differentiate between an approaching human hand and various obstacles.