cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Space-time feature-specific imaging

Feature-specific imaging (FSI) or compressive imaging involves measuring relatively few linear projections of a scene compared to the dimensionality of the scene. Researchers have exploited the spatial correlation inherent in natural scenes to design compressive imaging systems using various measurement bases such as Karhunen-Loeve (KL) transform, random projections, Discrete Cosine transform (DCT) and Discrete Wavelet transform (DWT) to yield significant improvements in system performance and size, weight, and power (SWaP) compared to conventional non-compressive imaging systems. Here we extend the FSI approach to time-varying natural scenes by exploiting the inherent spatio-temporal correlations to make compressive measurements. The performance of space-time feature-specific/compressive imaging systems is analyzed using the KL measurement basis. We find that the addition of temporal redundancy in natural time-varying scenes yields further compression relative to space-only feature specific imaging. For a relative noise strength of 10% and reconstruction error of 10% using 8×8×16 spatio-temporal blocks we find about a 114x compression compared to a conventional imager while space-only FSI realizes about a 32x compression. We also describe a candidate space-time compressive optical imaging system architecture.
Forecast Skill of Synoptic Conditions Associated with Santa Ana Winds in Southern California

Santa Ana winds (SAW) are synoptically driven mesoscale winds observed in Southern California usually during late fall and winter. Because of the complex topography of the region, SAW episodes can sometimes be extremely intense and pose significant environmental hazards, especially during wildfire incidents. A simple set of criteria was used to identify synoptic-scale conditions associated with SAW events in the NCEP‐ Department of Energy (DOE) reanalysis. SAW events start in late summer and early fall, peak in December‐ January, and decrease by early spring. The typical duration of SAW conditions is 1‐3 days, although extreme cases can last more than 5 days. SAW events exhibit large interannual variations and possible mechanisms responsible for trends and low-frequency variations need further study. A climate run of the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS) model showed good agreement and generally small differences with the observed climatological characteristics of SAW conditions. Nonprobabilistic and probabilistic forecasts of synoptic-scale conditions associated with SAW were derived from NCEP CFS reforecasts. The CFS model exhibits small systematic biases in sea level pressure and surface winds in the range of a 1‐4-week lead time. Several skill measures indicate that nonprobabilistic forecasts of SAW conditions are typically skillful to about a 6‐7-day lead time and large interannual variations are observed. NCEP CFS reforecasts were also applied to derive probabilistic forecasts of synoptic conditions during SAW events and indicate skills to about a 6-day lead time.
Why Older People Move Theoretical Issues

The theory of elderly migration lags well behind the state of empirical knowledge. Further development is needed to integrate present findings and direct future research. The intent of this article...
On Modeling Insulin and Glucose Kinetics

The purpose of this study is to form an accurate estimation scheme to model the body's response to insulin. In this experiment, a standard model is utilized because of its ability to predict the time course of glucose after glucose injection and the feasibility and precision of parameter estimation. An estimation scheme using extended filtering techniques will be implemented. The input to the estimator is the measured plasma glucose concentration and the estimators will return the plasma insulin concentration. The estimated insulin values will be compared to physiological data from a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT).
Molecular systematics of Selene (Perciformes: Carangidae) based on cytochrome B sequences.

Abstract The marine fishes of the genus Selene are morphologically unique, although little is known about how these species are related to other members of the family Carangidae (Perciformes). In addition, questions remain about the potential validity of two putative species and how species groups with unique body forms within Selene are related. We used DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to reconstruct the phylogeny of the seven species of Selene along with five additional species of carangids. Maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony analyses were used to examine the sequence data and both phylogenetic methods were compared. Maximum-likelihood produced a monophyletic Selene, whereas parsimony analyses did not. Both maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony produced similar support for species groups within Selene. Maximum-likelihood produced two monophyletic subgroups within the genus Selene, the “long-finned” and “short-finned” Selene. Maximum-parsimony produced the same monophyletic “long-finned” group but a paraphyletic “short-finned” group. Both analyses confirm that S. brownii and S. setapinnis are distinct species, expunging the question of conspecificity. The phylogenetic placement of the most basal taxon within Selene, S. orstedii, was problematic and differed among analyses. More data are needed to resolve with confidence its correct phylogenetic placement and, thus, the monophyly of the genus Selene.
Patient-centered decision making: empowering women to make informed choices—panel discussion

I’m the director of the National Women’s Health Network, which is a consumer advocacy organization. I’m really delighted to be an actual consumer on a panel about patient-centered decision making. Because everyone who’s come here to learn from each other sees patientcentered decision making as an essential element of quality of care, I’m not going to do much of the talk or response that I would in settings where people still need to be persuaded. Throughout the day, we’ve talked about many issues related to patient involvement in care, and about listening to patients to find out what they believe are the elements of good care and satisfactory outcomes. I’m going to respond briefly to two things that have received some attention today. One is the use of decision aids. I would say, from the perspective of the consumer movement, that almost without exception, we view decision aids as a great thing. I represent general women’s health groups that work on a variety of women’s health issues, but also work with many other issue-specific groups, and I think we’re all delighted with decision aids. Those of us who have worked in this movement a long time in the United States see patient decision aids as building on some work that was started by the consumer movement in the 1970s. The movement insisted on patient package inserts, first for women’s health drugs, specifically oral contraceptives and estrogen replacement therapy. We found that if women could get the information in their own hands about risks and contraindications, they could make very good decisions. We believe that providing this information made for healthier women. Their decision making was better informed and some risks were avoided by the involvement of the patient, as well as the physician, in decisions about using these drugs. I think we see decision aids as building on that. This is a great move forward, but for the consumer movement, decision aids raise the question: what is the quality of evidence being used to make the core of the science-based information in the decision aid? Breast cancer treatment is pretty straightforward. The decision is really hard, but the evidence and the quality of the evidence are straightforward. There have been several randomized controlled trials. There’s no question that survival outcome is the same regardless of which surgical choice is made, therefore, the other elements of 6 weeks of radiation vs. a quicker recovery from surgery come into play. As a consumer activist, I’ve been struck by the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) conversation today. From my part of the consumer activist world, we see © 2001 by the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health Published by Elsevier Science Inc. 1049-3867/01/$20.00 PII S1049-3867(01)00105-0
Second Thoughts, Second Feelings: Attenuating the Impact of Threatening Narratives Through Rational Reappraisal

Two experiments tested hypotheses, derived from dual-process theory frameworks, concerning the attenuating effects of analytic system activation on emotion and cognitive judgments made after exposure to threatening narratives. In Experiment 1, after reading an emotionally intense news story, those whose rational system was activated by evaluating the story’s probative value reported less intense emotions than those whose rational system was not so activated. Reporting emotional responses to the story before or after making probative value judgments had no effect on the probative value judgments. In Experiment 2, rationally activated individuals reported less intense emotions than those who were activated experientially by listing emotions experienced by the story’s victim. Rational system activation also significantly reduced estimates of the problem’s seriousness and victimization risk relative to both those who were experientially activated and those who were not explicitly activated. The asymmetrical i...
Semantic pathology and the open pair

In Vagueness and Contradiction (2001), Roy Sorensen defends and extends his epistemic account of vagueness. In the process, he appeals to connections between vagueness and semantic paradox. These appeals come mainly in Chapter 11, where Sorensen offers a solution to what he calls the no-no paradox—a “neglected cousin” of the more famous liar—and attempts to use this solution as a precedent for an epistemic account of the sorites paradox. This strategy is problematic for Sorensen’s project, however, since, as we establish below, he fails to resolve the semantic pathology of the no-no paradox. The relevant case of semantic pathology—that is, of a putative misfiring of our familiar semantic concepts—arises in what we call the open pair:
Paraffin Phase Change Material for Maintaining Temperature Stability of IceCube Type of CubeSats in LEO

The MLA and IFA of the instrument on the IceCube require a 20 C temperature and a thermal stability of +/-1 C. The thermal environment of the ISS orbit for the IceCube is very unstable due to solar beta angles in the -75deg to +75deg range. Additionally the instrument is powered off in every eclipse to conserve electrical power. These two factors cause thermal instability to the MLA and IFA. This paper presents a thermal design of using mini paraffin PCM packs to meet the thermal requirements of these instrument components. With a 31 g mass plus a 30% margin of n-hexadecane, the MLA and IFA are powered on for 32.3 minutes in sunlight at a 0deg beta angle to melt the paraffin. The powered-on time increases to 38 minutes at a 75deg (+/-) beta angle. When the MLA and IFA are powered off, the paraffin freezes.
Full-field digital mammographic interpretation with prior analog versus prior digitized analog mammography: time for interpretation.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to quantitatively compare the time for interpretation of screening full-field digital mammography (FFDM) images using prior analog film mammograms for comparison versus digitized prior analog mammograms. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Images from 100 FFDM studies were interpreted by four radiologists. All FFDM images had comparison analog mammograms obtained a minimum of 1 year earlier that were digitized using a 43-μm film digitizer. Initially, the FFDM images were interpreted using the digitized prior mammogram on two, 5-megapixel monitors and PACS. All available PACS tools could be used. Four weeks later, the same 100 screening FFDMs were interpreted using the original analog mammograms on an alternator at 90° to the monitors used to interpret the screening FFDMs. The interpretation times were recorded and compared. The results were compared and evaluated for statistical significance using statistical software, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS. For ...
Oscillatory Recruitment of Bilateral Visual Cortex during Spatial Attention to Competing Rhythmic Inputs

Selective attention uses temporal regularity of relevant inputs to bias the phase of ongoing population-level neuronal oscillations. This phase entrainment streamlines processing, allowing attended information to arrive at moments of high neural excitability. How entrainment resolves competition between spatially segregated inputs during visuospatial tasks is not yet established. Using high-density electroencephalography in humans, a bilateral entrainment response to the rhythm (1.3 or 1.5 Hz) of an attended stimulation stream was observed, concurrent with a considerably weaker contralateral entrainment to a competing rhythm. That ipsilateral visual areas strongly entrained to the attended stimulus is notable because competitive inputs to these regions were being driven at an entirely different rhythm. Strong modulations of phase locking and weak modulations of single-trial power suggest that entrainment was primarily driven by phase-alignment of ongoing oscillatory activity. In addition, interhemispheric differences in entrained phase were found to be modulated by attended hemifield, implying that the bilateral nature of the response reflected a functional flow of information between hemispheres. This modulation was strongest at the third of at least four harmonics that were strongly entrained. Ipsilateral increases in alpha-band (8–12 Hz) power were also observed during bilateral entrainment, reflecting suppression of the ignored stimulation stream. Furthermore, both entrainment and alpha lateralization significantly affected task performance. We conclude that oscillatory entrainment is a functionally relevant mechanism that synchronizes endogenous activity across the cortical hierarchy to resolve spatial competition. We further speculate that concurrent suppression of ignored input might facilitate the widespread propagation of attended information during spatial attention.
Reliability of self-report: paper versus online administration

This investigation compared online and paper administration of self-report measures of weight and shape concerns, mood, weight and height. The former was designed as a screening instrument for adolescent students to determine risk for eating disorders. Participants were female sophomores (N=74) from a San Francisco Bay area private high school. A counterbalanced designed was used to control for order effects. Four classes were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) online-paper; (2) paper-online; (3) online-online; and (4) paper-paper. Participants completed self-report questionnaires twice, online and/or on paper, separated by 1 week. Agreement between online and paper assessment of weight and shape concerns and BMI ranged from 0.73 to 0.97 and 0.80 to 1.0, respectively. Agreement for positive mood ranged from 0.58 to 0.85 and negative mood from 0.59 to 0.82. Mean scores for weight and shape concerns and mood variables were significantly lower at the second testing. Online and paper assessment of weight and shape concerns was significantly correlated. However, there was a significant time effect. Mood was less stable and correlations between the two modes of self-report were less correlated. Online assessment may be beneficial and appropriate for many settings.
Clearance of apoptotic cells: TGF-β in the balance between inflammation and fibrosis

Transforming growth factor- (TGF-) has been considered an anti-inflammatory cytokine responsible for the bland removal of apoptotic cells. What is less established is the extent of secre- tion of this cytokine during the clearance of opso- nized apoptotic cells via Fc-mediated uptake. To date both decreased (favoring predominance of inflammation) and increased (favoring resolution of inflammation but potentially pro-fibrotic) re- sponses have been demonstrated. In an in vitro model of autoantibody-induced cardiac injury, we herein demonstrate that macrophages cocultured with apoptotic human fetal cardiocytes bound by anti-SSA/Ro antibodies secrete increased levels of TGF-. Prolonged secretion of this cytokine may contribute to the exuberant scarring seen in con- genital heart block associated with maternal auto- antibodies reactive with SSA/Ro and SSB/La anti- gens. J. Leukoc. Biol. 74: 959-960; 2003.
Acetylene Deposition Using Atmospheric Pressure Weakly Ionized Plasma

Atmosphere pressure weakly ionized plasma has been utilized to polymerize gas phase acetylene in a needle-to-plane electrode configuration. The approach used in this research is novel as it did not rely on complicated power supplies or expensive materials and it results in a needle-to-ground geometry. The activated acetylene molecules in an argon environment were deposited onto a substrate to grow thin plasma-polymerized acetylene films. Using independent methods, a deposition rate between 2.2 and 23 nm/s was measured when an average free electron power of 94 mW was used.
Interdisciplinary Translational Research in Anthropology, Nutrition, and Public Health

This review focuses on several human population health research topics that exemplify interdisciplinary concepts and approaches from anthropology, nutrition, and public health with an emphasis on applied or translational global health implications. First, a recent study on neonatal survival in a resource-poor region emphasizes how health can be markedly improved with detailed translation and implementation of evidence from all three disciplines. Second, schistosomiasis, a parasitic worm infection, is reviewed with an emphasis on developing a consensus of its nutritional health burdens and the next translational research steps needed to improve control of both infection transmission and disease. Last, the author's long-term Samoan nutrition and health studies are described with a focus on new translational research to improve diabetes. This selective review attempts to provide a rationale for the intersections of anthropology, nutrition, and public health to proceed with fundamental biological, cultural, a...
Cotranscriptional splicing efficiency differs dramatically between Drosophila and mouse

Spliceosome assembly and/or splicing of a nascent transcript may be crucial for proper isoform expression and gene regulation in higher eukaryotes. We recently showed that cotranscriptional splicing occurs efficiently in Drosophila, but there are not comparable genome-wide nascent splicing data from mammals. To provide this comparison, we analyze a recently generated, high-throughput sequencing data set of mouse liver nascent RNA, originally studied for circadian transcriptional regulation. Cotranscriptional splicing is approximately twofold less efficient in mouse liver than in Drosophila, i.e., nascent intron levels relative to exon levels are ∼0.55 in mouse versus 0.25 in the fly. An additional difference between species is that only mouse cotranscriptional splicing is optimal when 5'-exon length is between 50 and 500 bp, and intron length does not correlate with splicing efficiency, consistent with exon definition. A similar analysis of intron and exon length dependence in the fly is more consistent with intron definition. Contrasted with these differences are many similarities between the two systems: Alternatively annotated introns are less efficiently spliced cotranscriptionally than constitutive introns, and introns of single-intron genes are less efficiently spliced than introns from multi-intron genes. The most striking common feature is intron position: Cotranscriptional splicing is much more efficient when introns are far from the 3' ends of their genes. Additionally, absolute gene length correlates positively with cotranscriptional splicing efficiency independently of intron location and position, in flies as well as in mice. The gene length and distance effects indicate that more "nascent time" gives rise to greater cotranscriptional splicing efficiency in both systems.
Peat Formation Processes Through the Millennia in Tidal Marshes of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

The purpose of this study was to determine peat formation processes throughout the millennia in four tidal marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Peat cores collected at each site were analyzed for bulk density, loss on ignition, and percent organic carbon. Core data and spline fit age-depth models were used to estimate inorganic sedimentation, organic accumulation, and carbon seques- tration rates in the marshes. Bulk density and percent organic matter content of peat fluctuated through time at all sites, suggesting that peat formation processes are dynamic and responsive to watershed conditions. The balance between inorganic sedimentation and organic accumulation at the sites also varied through time, indicating that marshes may rely more strongly on either inorganic or organic matter for peat formation at particular times in their existence. Mean carbon sequestration rates found in this study (0.38-0.79 Mg C ha −1 year −1 ) were similar to other
A curriculum in cardiothoracic radiology for medical students, with goals and objectives.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education is the accrediting body for medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States and Canada. According to the Committee’s accreditation standards (1), “The curriculum must provide grounding in the body of knowledge represented in the disciplines that support the fundamental clinical subjects, for example, diagnostic imaging and clinical pathology.” In a survey of 119 directors of medical student education in radiology, 46 (39%) responded to questions regarding the teaching of radiology to medical students at their institution (2). A core radiology clerkship was required at 13 (29%) of 46 schools responding and was an elective at 33 (72%) (2). The number of schools with a required radiology clerkship has not changed since 1994 (3). The clerkship is given in the 3rd year at 12 (26%) of 46 schools, in the 4th year at 20 (44%), and in either the 3rd or 4th year at 14 (30%) (2). Twenty-six (57%) of 46 programs have computers in the department that students use during the course, usually shared with residents. Reported simultaneously with these survey results were results from a second survey of directors of medical student education, in which 69 (50%) of 139 responded (2). Six (9%) of 69 responding programs directed the medical school’s gross anatomy course, and 14 (20%) taught some portion of the course. A telephone survey (4) showed that a formal dedicated radiology clerkship was a graduation requirement in only five of the 16 top-ranked medical schools in a U.S. News & World Report ranking (Cornell, Duke, Harvard, University of California at San Francisco, and University of California at Los Angeles) (5). In contrast, a survey of 322 nonradiologist physicians showed that 87% believed formal radiology instruction should be mandatory (6). Radiology can be taught to medical students through an integrated curriculum, an independent curriculum, or a combination of the two. In an integrated curriculum, radiology faculty provide radiology instruction to medical students rotating through a nonradiology course or a course that is jointly sponsored by radiology and nonradiology departments. For example, radiologists teach projectional and cross-sectional imaging to medical students enrolled in a gross anatomy course. Radiologists may give a series of imaging lectures related to topics covered in a required medicine clerkship. Collaboration can occur when radiology faculty participate in required introductory courses that expose students early in medical school to physical examination techniques, history taking, and writing patient notes. These courses have various titles, such as “Introduction to Clinical Medicine” or “Patient, Doctor, and Society.” Radiology faculty can provide correlative imaging instruction in most required courses. The Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology is a group associated with the Association of University Radiologists whose purpose is to promote radiology as an essential component of the medical student curricuAcad Radiol 2001; 8:1247–1251
Energy-optimal signaling and ordering of bits for area-constrained interconnects

Narrow-width and multiplexed buses are suitable for underutilized interconnects in microprocessors to reduce area/cost with minimal performance overheads. However, due to the interleaving of uncorrelated traffic, they have higher switching activity and energy dissipation compared to demultiplexed buses. We demonstrate the effectiveness of energy-optimal bit signaling and ordering for multi-plexed buses in significantly reducing this energy overhead across SPEC CPU2k benchmarks.
States' Criteria and Procedures for Identifying Learning Disabled Children: A Comparison of 1981/82 and 1985/86 Guidelines

The number of LD children has increased dramatically in recent years. To determine factors which may account for this rapid increase in the LD population, state guidelines required by P.L. 94--142. were collected for the 1981/82 and 1985/86 school years. The guidelines were analyzed to determine definitions, methods, and procedures employed by states to diagnose LD. The review reveals changes in states' achievement discrepancy criteria between 1981/82 and 1985/86. During this period of time more states delineated specific achievement discrepancy criteria and the criteria were more sophisticated than in 1981/82. However, states did not attempt to moderate the increasing prevalence ofLD by altering major components of their definitions or implementing IQ cutoffs. Implications of variability in states' diagnostic procedures are also discussed.
Using the balanced scorecard to enhance undergraduate education in a first year business course: A pilot study

AbstractSeveral research studies found that managers lacked a basic understanding of a balanced scorecard (BSC) approach to evaluate an organization. Because of this, the authors saw an opportunity to reorganize a course in order to provide students with an opportunity to address this issue. Therefore, a recent pilot study was conducted to ascertain student understanding of the functional areas of business. Students were assigned a BSC project in a foundational course, and completed a survey to establish if the BSC enhanced their knowledge and understanding of business disciplines within an organization. Based on students' perceptions, it was concluded that a better understan-ding of how businesses operate holistically was attained.
Bimetallic octahedral ruthenium-nickel carbido cluster complexes. Synthesis and structural characterization.

The reaction of Ru5(CO)15(μ5-C) with Ni(COD)2 in acetonitrile at 80 °C affords the bimetallic octahedral ruthenium–nickel cluster complex Ru5Ni(NCMe)(CO)15(μ6-C), 3. The acetonitrile ligand in 3 can be replaced by CO and NH3 to yield Ru5Ni(CO)16(μ6-C), 4, and Ru5Ni(NH3)(CO)15(μ6-C), 5, respectively. Photolysis of compound 3 in benzene and toluene solvent yielded the η6-coordinated benzene and toluene Ru5Ni carbido cluster complexes Ru5Ni(CO)13(η6-C6H6)(μ6-C), 6, and Ru5Ni(CO)13(η6-C7H8)(μ6-C), 7, respectively. All five new compounds were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.
Effect of some analogues of bradykinin upon vascular permeability.

SummaryThe decapeptide, lysyl brady-kinin (Kallidin I) was more effective in increasing vascular permeability in the skin of guinea pigs than was the nonapeptide, bradykinin, or Kallidin II. Bradykinin has been reported to be more active in some other assays measuring pharmacological effects than lysyl bradykinin. All other analogues of bradykinin tested were less active than bradykinin in the permeability assay with the exception of glycyl bradykinin, another decapeptide, which had an equal effect. While an inactive analogue of bradykinin did not block increased vascular permeability induced by a later injection of bradykinin, two active compounds, lysyl bradykinin and bradykinin inhibited the effect of a subsequent injection of either one into the same site.Synthetic bradykinin BRS-640 was generously provided by Dr. Harry Baird, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Hanover, N. J. Dr. Ernest D. Nicolaides generously provided bradykinin analogues, which were synthesized in the Research Laboratories of Parke Davis & Co...
Long term experience using the ADAPT technique for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Introduction The direct aspiration first pass technique (ADAPT) has been introduced as a simple and fast method for achieving good angiographic and clinical outcomes using large bore aspiration catheters for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We present a single center9s long term experience with ADAPT. Methods Retrospective analysis of a database was gathered on patients undergoing stroke thrombectomy with ADAPT at a stroke center. Speciﬁc parameters captured included age, gender, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at presentation, time to presentation from last normal, and modiﬁed Rankin Scale (mRS) score at the 90 day follow-up. Radiological and angiographic imaging was reviewed to document the location of the vascular occlusion, Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) ﬂow postprocedure, and procedural complications. Results 191 consecutive patients who suffered an AIS treated with ADAPT were reviewed; 91 were women, and mean age was 67 years. Patients presented with a mean NIHSS score of 15.4, and 71 patients received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. The average time from onset to puncture was 7.8 h. The average time for recanalization was 37.3 min. TICI 2B or better recanalization was achieved in 180 (94.2%) patients. 98 (54.1%) patients had an mRS of 0–2 at 90 days. Direct aspiration alone was performed in 145 cases, and 43 cases required the additional use of a stent retriever. There was no significant difference in presenting NIHSS score, average time to presentation, average mRS at 90 days, or 90 day mortality between the two groups. Time to recanalization was 29.6 min for direct aspiration compared with 61.4 min in cases that required adjunct devices (p=0.00000201). 79 (57.7%) patients who underwent direct aspiration only achieved a good outcome at 90 days (mRS 0–2) compared with 19 (43.2%) who underwent adjunct therapies (p=0.12). Conclusions ADAPT is an effective method to achieve good clinical and angiographic outcomes, and serves as a useful firstline method for revascularization.
Traditional Chinese medicine promote the function of endothelial progenitor cells in the treatment of diseases of vascular injury

Re-endothelialization of damaged endangium and angiogenesis of ischemic parts play an important role in the treatment of vascular injury diseases. Numerous studies have shown that endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) participate in the two processes directly or indirectly. Bone-marrow derived EPCs are used for the treatment of ischemic diseases in clinical trials and circulating EPC levels are considered as biomarkers for coronary and peripheral artery diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine is a rich source of cardiovascular medicine, particularly those with blood circulation-promoting and blood stasis-removing properties.Chinese herbal formula and their active ingredients active in improving EPCs functions such as proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis are reviewed in this article, but further investigations are required to understand the chemical basis and mechanism of action of these EPC promoting herbal medicine in order to better utilize this natural resource for the development of more efective treatment for ischemic cardiovascular diseases.
Management of Infected Aortic Grafts

Unfortunately, treatment of infected aortic bypass grafts remains a substantial clinical challenge associated with high morbidity and even mortality rates. This article outlines a practical approach toward diagnosis of infected grafts followed by a discussion of the options for autogenous and nonautogenous reconstruction.
Effects of microstructural evolution on the stability of superplastic deformation

Publisher Summary Superplastic materials are a unique class of metals that has the ability to undergo extraordinary tensile ductility. The chapter proposes a stability criterion for superplastic deformation based on geometrical instabilities and microstructural evolution including grain growth and void growth. An optimum strain rate-forming path is derived from the new criterion. The optimum variable strain rate path with and without grain growth is shown by a figure in the chapter that indicates a reduction in the maximum strain that can be achieved when grain growth is accounted for shows the optimum strain rate path for different initial void fractions (including no cavitation). Preliminary results are reported on the effects of microstructural evolution on the stability of deformation of superplastic alloys. It is shown that the critical strain predicted from the proposed criterion is significantly affected by microstructural evolution. Because most superplastic alloys exhibit grain growth and cavitation, it is important to account for these microstructural features in the stability analysis. The preliminary results show the influence of grain growth and cavitation on the stability criterion. Experiments are needed to support this analysis.
Battery state of charge estimation using a load-classifying neural network

Abstract Battery state-of-charge estimation is an important component in battery management system design. Many known issues with lithium ion batteries such as performance decay, accelerated aging and even hazardous incidents were associated with faulty state-of-charge estimation. Different estimation algorithms can be summarized in a nutshell as: 1) modeless approaches, i.e. columbic counting; 2). model based observers, i.e. extended Kalman filter; and 3). data driven nonlinear models, i.e. neural networks, and learning machines. This paper adopts the third approach, and proposes a new architecture for SoC estimation using a load-classifying neural network. This approach pre-processes battery inputs and categorizes battery operation modes as idle, charge and discharge, with three neural networks trained in parallel. Using a vehicle drive cycle load profile for model training and a pulse test duty cycle for validation, the proposed method yields a 3.8% average estimation error. This result demonstrates that data driven machine learning approach can deliver estimation performance comparable with other advanced observer designs. The neural network however has a simpler model training procedure, boarder choice of training data, and smaller computational cost. In addition, with simple filtering and output constraints, estimation error spikes associated with ‘uncharted’ inputs can be effectively suppressed.
The impact of e-service offerings on the demand of online customers

Abstract With the rapid growth of online shopping, online sellers are facing more sales opportunities and challenges in the highly-competitive e-commerce market. Sellers that can generate high customer cumulative ratings may experience higher demand and profits. We explore the question of how sellers can attain those high ratings. Using leading online shopping websites in China and the U.S., we collected data for 200 online sellers in both countries for each of 40 product categories (16,000 observations) pertaining to the sellers’ respective customer cumulative ratings, history, price, and e-service offerings (customized website design, credit card payments/autopay, purchase security/seller communication, fast shipping, customer support, and refund opportunities). Via path analysis, we examine the extent to which online sellers’ e-service offerings and characteristics influence customer cumulative ratings and demand. We find that the effects of online sellers’ e-service offerings on customer cumulative ratings are moderated by product positioning (utilitarian/hedonic) and high/low perceived risk. Our evidence also suggests that high customer cumulative ratings positively influence demand. We discuss implications for customer online shopping behavior and online sellers’ sales strategies.
Combining ground-based measurements and MODIS-based spectral vegetation indices to track biomass accumulation in post-fire chaparral

ABSTRACTMulti-temporal satellite imagery can provide valuable information on the patterns of vegetation growth over large spatial extents and long time periods, but corresponding ground-referenced biomass information is often difficult to acquire, especially at an annual scale. In this study, we test the relationship between annual biomass estimated using shrub growth rings and metrics of seasonal growth derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) for a small area of southern California chaparral to evaluate the potential for mapping biomass at larger spatial extents. These SVIs are related to the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the plant canopy, which varies throughout the growing season and is correlated with net primary productivity. The site had most recently burned in 2002, and annual biomass accumulation measurements were available from years 5 to 11 post-fire. We tested the metrics of seasonal growth using six SV...
Decisions to Communicate in Primate Ecological and Social Landscapes

In many species, communication is anything but the effortless task it appears. While many animals communicate with apparent ease, there are serious challenges that need to be overcome for effective signal production and reception. Primates, like many species, are faced with communicative barriers in both their ecological and social landscapes. The ecological landscape is often cluttered with biotic and abiotic noise as potential sources of signal masking and degradation , while the social landscape is riddled with the nuances of the complex relationships that exist between individuals. Here, we consider how different facets of these landscapes pose challenges for communication and discuss research examining how common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) overcome these obstacles. We emphasize the importance of decision-making and behavioral flexibility with regard to if and when vocalizations are produced in order to optimize effective communication. The strategies presented here are likely to exist across other primate species and reflect the broader social cognitive mechanisms within the primate Order.
Watershed vs. within-lake drivers of nitrogen: phosphorus dynamics in shallow lakes

Research on lake eutrophication often identifies variables affecting amounts of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in lakes, but understanding factors influencing N:P ratios is important given its influence on species composition and toxin production by cyanobacteria. We sampled 80 shallow lakes in Minnesota (USA) for three years to assess effects of watershed size, proportion of watershed as both row crop and natural area, fish biomass, and lake alternative state (turbid vs. clear) on total N : total P (TN : TP), ammonium, total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), and seston stoichiometry. We also examined N:P stoichiometry in 20 additional lakes that shifted states during the study. Last, we assessed the importance of denitrification by measuring denitrification rates in sediment cores from a subset of 34 lakes, and by measuring seston δ15 N in four additional experimental lakes before and after they were experimentally manipulated from turbid to clear states. Results showed alternative state had the largest influence on overall N:P stoichiometry in these systems, as it had the strongest relationship with TN : TP, seston C:N:P, ammonium, and TDP. Turbid lakes had higher N at given levels of P than clear lakes, with TN and ammonium 2-fold and 1.4-fold higher in turbid lakes, respectively. In lakes that shifted states, TN was 3-fold higher in turbid lakes, while TP was only 2-fold higher, supporting the notion N is more responsive to state shifts than is P. Seston δ15 N increased after lakes shifted to clear states, suggesting higher denitrification rates may be important for reducing N levels in clear states, and potential denitrification rates in sediment cores were among the highest recorded in the literature. Overall, our results indicate lake state was a primary driver of N:P dynamics in shallow lakes, and lakes in clear states had much lower N at a given level of P relative to turbid lakes, likely due to higher denitrification rates. Shallow lakes are often managed for the clear-water state due to increased value as wildlife habitat. However, our results indicate lake state also influences N biogeochemistry, such that managing shallow lakes for the clear-water state may also mitigate excess N levels at a landscape scale.
Methods to estimate underlying blood pressure: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Antihypertensive medications complicate studies of blood pressure (BP) natural history; BP if untreated (“underlying BP”) needs to be estimated. Our objectives were to compare validity of five missing data imputation methods to estimate underlying BP and longitudinal associations of underlying BP and age. We simulated BP treatment in untreated hypertensive participants from Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) in visits 1–5 (1987–2013) using matched treated hypertensive participants. The underlying BP was imputed: #1, set as missing; #2, add 10 mmHg for systolic, 5 mmHg for diastolic; #3, add medication class-specific constant; #4, truncated normal regression; and #5, truncated normal regression including prior visit data. Longitudinal associations were estimated using linear mixed models of imputed underlying BP for simulated treated and measured BP for untreated participants. Method 3 was the best-performing for systolic BP; lowest relative bias (5.3% for intercept at age 50, 0% for age coefficient) and average deviation from expected (0.04 to -1.79). Method 2 performed best for diastolic BP; lowest relative bias (0.6% intercept at age 50, 33.3% age <60, 9.1% age 60+) and average deviation (-1.25 to -1.68). Methods 4 and 5 were comparable or slightly inferior. In conclusion, constant addition methods yielded valid and precise underlying BP and longitudinal associations.
How I came to be the dizzy doctor of New Orleans.

I grew up in an Eastern European ethnic neighborhood in Chicago. I decided to become a physician because, while hospitalized at Cook County Hospital in Chicago for viral pneumonia at age 4 ½ , I was fascinated by what I saw doctors and nurses do. My parents had never gone to school and I didn’t know any doctors, so I waited until I was in first grade to ask my teacher, “Miss French, how do you get to be a doctor?” Her advice to me is paraphrased in these four important lessons: (1) You had better like people, listen and pay attention to what they say, and plan to work long hours. (2) School is an obstacle course. Forget whether you like the teacher or the subject. Get the best grades you can on the exams because if you don’t, you’ll never get to be a doctor. (3) It will take you 30 years to get where you want to be from where you are now. (4) I know you come from a poor family, so you had better get a job and start saving your money, because grade school and high school will be free, but you will have to pay for college and medical school. That summer I got a job selling ice cream bars on the streets of Chicago and made as much as a dollar on many days.
Nanoparticles and Their Applications

Nanoparticles (NP s) are synthesized from several classes of materials including inorganic, organic, hybrid and biological materials. Inorganic NPs are synthesized by ball milling, vapor deposition, electrospraying, reduction of metal salts, sol-gel, coprecipitation and thermal decomposition. Organic NPs are synthesized by microemulsion, nanoprecipitation, dialysis and rapid expansion of supercritical solutions. Hybrid NPs are synthesized from both organic and inorganic materials. There are a number of naturally occurring biological NPs including lipoproteins, exosomes, ferritin, and viruses. Further, NPs can be synthesized from biomolecules including proteins, peptides and polysaccharides. The surface to volume ratio, superparamagnetism, hardness, Coulomb energy and catalytic activity of NPs are generally higher than those of bulk materials. Due to their unique structural, magnetic, mechanical and electrical properties, NPs are used in a wide range of applications including biosensing, drug delivery, bioimaging, catalysis, nanomanufacturing, lubrication, electronics, textile manufacturing, and water treatment systems. This chapter covers the classification, synthesis, properties and applications of NPs.
"Sex Is a sin": Afro-Caribbean Parent and Teen Perspectives on Sex Conversations.

This study characterized (a) mothers’ childhood and teenage experiences with sex conversations and (b) families’ perceptions of current parent–child sex conversations within two underserved Afro-Caribbean communities in the U.S. Fourteen dyads comprised of Haitian and Jamaican mothers and teens (aged 14–18) living in Miami, Florida, completed semi-structured interviews sharing their experiences with sex conversations. Researchers analyzed data using thematic content analysis. Mothers’ mean age was 41.85 years, (SD = 5.50) and teens’ mean age was 16.35 years, (SD = 1.31). Most mothers reported forbidden or little childhood experiences with parent–child sex conversations. They affected their sexual attitudes, behaviors, and ability to discuss sex with their children. Although some mothers benefited from educational and skill development others shared fear-based messages with their children that some teens believed adversely affected the mother–child relationship quality. Culturally appropriate, skill-based approaches are necessary to improve families’ communication self-efficacy for healthy sex conversations to occur in Afro-Caribbean families.
S-Adenosylmethionine (Ademetionine) in Psychiatric Disorders

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe; ademetionine) is a naturally occurring compound that is found in virtually all living organisms. It serves as a major source of methyl groups in the brain, donating these groups to molecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters, nucleic acids, proteins and phospholipids, and is of fundamental importance in a number of intracellular metabolic pathways.
Mechanistic Intersections Between Picornavirus Translation and RNA Replication

Members of the Picornaviridae are positive-strand RNA viruses whose genomes contain internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) in the 5' noncoding region (NCR). These viruses must utilize host cell factors for translation initiation and RNA replication in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Such cytoplasmic, positive-strand RNA viruses have a conflict between the processes of translation and negative-strand RNA synthesis, since they occur in opposing directions and utilize positive-strand viral RNA as a template. The most extensively studied picornavirus, poliovirus, will be the focus of this review. Critical RNA elements and factors involved in the virus replication cycle will be discussed, with an overview on how these steps in replication relate to the switch mechanism between IRES-dependent translation and synthesis of negative-strand RNA intermediates.
George William Hill, Mathematician

George William Hill (1838–1914), a mathematician with the U.S. Nautical Almanac Office from 1861 to 1892, in two papers of 1877 and 1878 laid the foundations of a new lunar theory, departing from a basic pattern that had characterized earlier algebraic theories of the Moon’s motions with one exception, to be mentioned below.