cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing the Public Health Platform

More than 450 individuals participated in the September 5, 2012, webinar launch of the “Team Up. Pressure Down.” campaign that brings the federal Million Hearts campaign on to the most important public health platform in our country: the community pharmacy. If played out to the most optimistic vision of the program’s creators, the profession might look back a few years from now and recognize that we have redefined our roles in society by seizing this opportunity to demonstrate the reach and utility of having pharmacists work in these settings that dot virtually every corner of our cities and suburbs and every zip code in over 3,000 counties. The public has amazing access to highly trained health professionals whose education and training equips them as an army to address unmet public health needs. This is especially critical when an estimated 50,000 public health full-time equivalent positions have been eliminated in county and state public health agencies over the recessionary period of the last 5 years.1
Low molecular weight EPS II of Rhizobium meliloti allows nodule invasion in Medicago sativa

Effective invasion of alfalfa by Rhizobium meliloti Rm1021 normally requires the presence of succinoglycan, an exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by the bacterium. However, Rm1021 has the ability to produce a second EPS (EPS II) that can suppress the symbiotic defects of succinoglycan-deficient strains. EPS II is a polymer of modified glucose-(beta-1,3)-galactose subunits and is produced by Rm1021 derivatives carrying either an expR101 or mucR mutation. If the ability to synthesize succinoglycan is blocked genetically, expR101 derivatives of Rm1021 are nodulation-proficient, whereas mucR derivatives of Rm1021 are not. The difference in nodulation proficiency between these two classes of EPS II-producing strains is due to the specific production of a low molecular weight form of EPS II by expR101 strains. A low molecular weight EPS II fraction consisting of 15-20 EPS II disaccharide subunits efficiently allows nodule invasion by noninfective strains when present in amounts as low as 7 pmol per plant, suggesting that low molecular weight EPS II may act as a symbiotic signal during infection.
Health Equity or Iniquity

We want to thank our colleagues Michael Dubois and David Buchanan for raising important issues in the ethics and economics of prevention that provide the foundation for this editorial. In Dubois’s article, he highlights some of the philosophical arguments surrounding the inclusion of prevention policies in private and publicly-funded health insurance. In particular, he recounts the argument that individuals have an obligation to make a productive contribution to society and the importance of social solidarity—an argument that may be more prominent in European discourse than in the US. In response, Buchanan utilizes the example of German health insurance to illustrate the tension between the social good and solidarity, pointing out that an individual taking active steps to be healthy may be viewed as contributing to the common good but that prevention policies may also undermine solidarity by disproportionately rewarding those who are already advantaged.
State-feedback stabilization of discrete-time piecewise affine systems

A symbolic abstraction method is used to synthesize stabilizing state-feedback controllers for piecewise affine plants. An increasing sequence of symbolic models of the piecewise affine plant and the corresponding sequence of convex synthesis conditions are obtained in the order of decreasing conservatism. Whenever one of these conditions is feasible, synthesis of a stabilizing piecewise affine controller is guaranteed. At least in principle, the synthesis conditions are capable of identifying the largest stabilizable region, and hence they do not suffer from inherent conservatism.
Adenosine triphosphatase activity of adenosine triphosphate-creatine phosphotransferase

Abstract Creatine kinase (ATP-creatine phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.3.2)1 has been found to have a low but constant amount of ATPase activity2. The ratio of ATPase activity to creatine kinase activity remains the same during repeated crystallization and during repeated precipitations. Loss of kinase activity by a variety of treatmentsusing physical and chemical agents has been found to result in a proportionate loss of ATPase activity. Twice-crystallized preparations show no evidence of protein or activity heterogeneity on DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Kinetics studies like those carried out for the kinase activity3 lead to the identical conclusion that MgATP2− is also the true substrate for ATPase activity. It may be postulated that the trace ATPase activity is due to a water molecule acting as a nucleophilic agent instead of the creatine molecule.
Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter position and its effect on the incidence of deep venous thrombosis

Purpose Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are placed in patients with risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) when chemical anticoagulation is not feasible or sufficient. However it has been demonstrated that IVC filters can actually increase the risk of VTE. Most filters are placed in an infrarenal location but there are no studies that explore whether the location of filter placement has an effect on the risk of a DVT. The purpose of this study was to determine whether IVC filter position can affect the risk of development of a DVT. Materials and Methods Patients who had IVC filters placed at the University of Michigan from January 1, 2005 to January 1, 2012 were identified. Filter position and other relevant data including potential risk factors for VTE were abstracted. Then their histories were used in order to determine whether they experienced deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after filter placement. Results Rates of thrombosis were 35/189 (18.5%) infrarenal compared to 6/62 (9.7%) suprarenal position and 13/129 (10.1%) when the filter tip was placed at the renal veins. Postoperative state was found to be protective of thrombosis (hazard ratio = 0.28; p Conclusion The position of IVC filters may affect patient outcomes, with infrarenal filters carrying a greater risk of DVT. Contrary to previous studies, postoperative state is protective of thrombosis. This may be due to greater attention to DVT prophylaxis in surgical patients.
The Antiracism Field Assignment: Beginning Results and Lessons Learned

Abstract As a second article in a series devoted to an ongoing evaluation of our antiracism field project, a controversial assignment rooted in our Smith College School for Social Work's antiracism commitment, this paper focuses on the review of 128 assignments completed between September 1998-August 2000. A thematic analysis of these projects revealed interesting findings regarding the types of projects, population served, race of student, institutional receptivity, factors that enhanced or impeded student learning, obstacles encountered and degree of collaboration. Specific case examples are included that illuminate the complexity of the processes involved in learning skills utilized in antiracism work.
HIV: Slipping under the radar.

HIV avoids triggering the cell receptors that initiate the host's innate immune responses. It seems that the virus achieves this evasion by using its protein coat to hide its nucleic acids until they are beyond detection. See Letter p.402 Remarkably, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infects macrophages — immune cells that are equipped to detect pathogens and mediate innate immune responses — without stimulating innate immunity. Greg Towers and colleagues now show that this depends on the recruitment to the HIV-1 capsid of specific cofactors that are involved in orchestrating nuclear entry and targeting. When these capsid–cofactor interactions are prevented either by virus mutation, cofactor depletion or pharmacological inhibition of cofactor recruitment, viral DNA can be detected by innate immune sensors, including cyclic GMP-AMP synthase.
A cognitive rhetoric of poetry and Emily Dickinson

In this article, I examine three poems by Emily Dickinson. The poems are F372, ‘After great pain, a formal feeling comes’, F598, ‘The Brain - is wider than the Sky’, and F1381, ‘The Heart is the Capital of the Mind,’ from the Franklin edition. In particular, I study the figurative language in these poems, but rather than simply identify figures, I attempt to explain how they function persuasively in cognitive terms. This approach is meant to move rhetorical criticism beyond an exercise in figure identification and towards an exercise in the explanation of the persuasive function of figures. The emphasis on figures owes something to the prominence they play not only in Dickinson’s poetry but in all poetry. One implication of cognitive linguistic theories of figures is that they point towards what I envisage as a cognitive rhetoric of poetry. A cognitive rhetoric of poetry ought to be grounded in classical theories of rhetoric and poetics on the one hand, and in cognitive linguistic theories of figures on t...
Interruptible electric power service contracts

Abstract A two-period model is considered. In period 1 the electric power company offers for sale a set of contracts (ϱ 1 ,p 1 ),(ϱ 2 ,p 2 ),....Each consumer must select one contract k and d units of energy for which she pays p k d. The company must deliver d units of energy in period 2 with probability ϱ k ; the service may be interrupted with the complementary probability 1 − ϱ k . The problem is to design the optimal set of contracts to maximize social welfare when demand and supply may be random and when customers suffer a welfare loss due to service interruption. The best design is shown to be a solution to an optimal control problem. The results contrast sharply with previous work on the problem of pricing electric power in the face of random supply or demand.
Inter- and intramolecular ligand exchange reactions of ruthenium(II) carbonyl porphine complexes with nitrogen bases

Abstract To investigate both inter- and intramolecular site exchange in coordinated nitrogenous bases the complexes of tetra(p-isopropylphenyl)porphinato ruthenium carbonyl with4-tert-butylpyridine, 2-methylpyridine, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, 4,5-dimethylpyridazine, and 3,6-dimethylpyridazine have been studied by total line shape analysis of the variable temperature PMR spectra. Both types of exchange mechanisms have been found in these complexes. All of the complexes undergo intermolecular ligand exchange at rates ranging from ∼0.09 sec−1 (ΔG≠ ∼ 19 kcal/mol) to 2 × 104 sec− (ΔG≠ ∼ 12 kcal/mol) at 25° for the various complexes, independent of the concentration of excess ligand. Thus the rate determining step is dissociation. The two pyridazine complexes provide the first examples of intramolecular ligand exchange with coordinated nitrogenous bases. The rates at 25° for intramolecular site exchange (∼106 and 66 sec−1) are 20–85 times faster than the rates for intramolecular ligand exchange in the same complexes. Within experimental uncertainty there is no intramolecular ligand site exchange in the 3,5-dimethylphyrazole complex. Full kinetic and mechanistic details are discussed.
FLT3 Enhances Proliferation and Differentiation of Dendritic Cells from Murine Sca 1+ Progenitors ♦ 48

FLT3 Enhances Proliferation and Differentiation of Dendritic Cells from Murine Sca 1+ Progenitors ♦ 48
THE DAMAGED INTESTINAL MUCOSA: DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TO ORAL IIYDRATION SOLUTIONS OF VARIABLE OSMOLALITY

Damage of the small intestinal mucosa (SMI) could result in different permeability to water and electrolytes, and, hence, produce an abnormal response to oral hydration solutions (OHS) of diverse sodium:glucose ratios and osmolality. This hypothesis was tested in an animal model of mucosal damage induced by exposure of the jejunum to 5 mM deoxycholate (Dch). Anesthetized rats were treated [+], or not [−], with Dch in buffered saline for 1 hr and perfused through the jejunum with OHS containing bicarbonate, potassium and Na:glucose ratios (mEq/l:mM) 30:55, 60:50, 60:111 and 90:111; and 146, 190, 258 and 324 mOsm/kg, respectively. In [−] rats, Na was retained in solutions with >60 mEq/l Na, but in the [+] group the balance was negative at all Na levels. The rate of water absorption in both groups of rats inversely correlated with OHS osmolality. Net water transport ranged from a mean of 3.68±0.21 to 1.36±0.25 μl/min x cm in [−] rats, and from 1.68 ±0.11 to 0.10±0.19 in [+] rats. By extrapolation, these data reveled that, at zero osmolality, the [+] rats would lose about half their water absorption capacity. Water influx and efflux data in [−] rats correlated inversely and directly with osmolality, respectively, but in [+] rats efflux rates were consistently higher than in [−] and independent of OHS osmolality. Therefore, if mucosal damage is suspected, the advantage of lower osmolality in terms of net water absorption is lost and high Na concentration is insufficient to avoid Na loss.
Voice over ATM: an evaluation of implementation alternatives

The author identifies eight application scenarios for voice over ATM, and evaluates alternatives for implementing the required network functionality. For single voice calls this involves evaluation of adaptation type, QoS, echo canceller deployment, and use of partially filled cells. For a multiplex of at least three to six voice calls it involves evaluation of the structured data transport option in AAL1, interworking with DSn/En for fault management and QoS. These issues determine choices for network users plus implementation priorities for network operators.
Characterizing complex peptide mixtures using a multi-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system: Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system.

Abstract A rugged, reproducible, multi-dimensional LC–MS system was developed to identify and characterize proteins involved in protein–protein interactions and/or protein complexes. Our objective was to optimize chromatographic parameters for complex protein mixture analyses using automated peptide sequence recognition as an analytical end-point. The chromatographic system uses orthogonal separation mechanisms by employing strong cation exchange (SCX) in the first dimension and reversed phase (RP) in the second dimension. The system is fully automated and sufficiently robust to handle direct injections of protein digests. This system incorporates a streamlined post analysis results comparison, called DBParser, which permitted comprehensive evaluation of sample loading and chromatographic conditions to optimize the performance and reproducibility. Peptides obtained from trypsin digestion of a yeast soluble extract provided an open-ended model system containing a wide variety and dynamic range of components. Conditions are described that resulted in an average ( n = 4) of 1489 unique peptide identifications, corresponding to 459 non-redundant protein sequence database records (SDRs) in the 20 μg soluble fraction digest.
Renal infarction associated with an extraadrenal pheochromocytoma.

Abstract A patient with an abdominal extraadrenal pheochromocytoma showed computed tomography findings of renal infarction. Selective angiography of the affected kidney showed no evidence of arterial occulusion or emboli. We postulate that the renal infarcts were caused by reversible severe vasospasm associated with high systemic blood levels of norepinephrine and angiotensin II.
Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species Production and Delivery Into Liquid Media by Microsecond Thermal Spark-Discharge Plasma Jet

The microsecond spark discharge plasma jet is experimentally analyzed, experimentally and numerical modeling is performed. It is shown that discharge appears as a the number of microdischarges resulting in the average gas temperature of the jet of about 40 °C-50 °C. Fast imaging and numerical modeling are performed in order to study the discharge development on both microsecond and nanosecond time scales. The biochemical study of the production and the delivery of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species ( H2O2, NO, O2-, “singlet” oxygen, and ONOO-) into liquid phase is performed using fluorescent dyes.
Reversible Charge Trapping/Detrapping in a Photoconductive Insulator of Liquid Crystal Zinc Porphyrin

A molecular crystal of zinc octakis(β-decoxyethyl) porphyrin (ZnODEP) is an insulator in the dark and becomes conductive under irradiation. An externally controllable charge trapping and detrapping within ZnODEP thin films (∼1 μm) occurs when symmetrical sandwich cells of ITO/ZnODEP/ITO are irradiated under a proper bias voltage between two parallel ITO (indium−tin oxide) electrodes. The trapping and detrapping rise time is on the nanosecond time scale. Detrapping of charge stored previously in the cell could be accomplished with pulse irradiation under short-circuit conditions and gives rise to a discharge current spike. Trapped charge induced by a 10 ns laser pulse or by longer time irradiation with a conventional light source could be sensed by a voltage measurement at open circuit. No loss of stored charge was detectable at a 1 pA level for a period of 11 months under open circuit conditions in the dark. After charge trapping with 550 nm light irradiation (10 μW/cm2) under a bias of 0.5 V, the stored ...
The puzzle of indirect speech

Abstract I discuss two recent articles (Pinker, Steven, Nowak, Martin, Lee, James, 2008. The logic of indirect speech. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105 (3), 833–838, and Lee, James, Pinker, Steven, 2010. Rationales for indirect speech: the theory of the strategic speaker. Psychological Review 117 (3), 785–807), in which the authors dissociate off-record indirect speech from politeness and propose an alternative explanation for it in terms of payoffs for the speaker and the listener, and the digital nature of language interpretation. I suggest that, contrary to their claims, on closer scrutiny, the authors’ examples still rely on a narrower sense of locutionary cooperation, and that their discussion of uses of indirect speech when deniability is not required could be expanded by taking into account instances of off-record indirectness between intimates or members of different social groups, where indirect speech may serve to underline the interlocutors’ common ground and/or to construct the speaker's identity. Finally, I propose that a multi-component theory of indirect speech may offer a more productive way of accounting for off-record indirectness as the outcome of several different, sometimes opposing, motivations.
Closed form solution for localized modes on a polymer chain with a defect

Abstract The problem of localized vibration modes on a polymer chain with a symmetry breaking defect is formulated as a finite sum of exponentially decaying waves on the polymer. Applying a set of similarity and unitary transformations and using the singular value decomposition technique, the size of the problem is reduced to relatively small dimensions as compared to the large size of the original set of equations for propagating modes on the chain. A modification of the polynomial eigenvalue problem converts the algebraic system to a simple eigenvalue problem which may be diagonalized to give eigenvectors of different decaying waves for an expansion set to describe general localized excitations. Application of proper boundary conditions at the site of broken symmetry leads to determination of the frequencies of the localized modes and corresponding eigenvector expansion. Possible applications of the algorithm to various defect problems on a polymer chain are discussed and some preliminary result on a particular defect are presented.
Using both Principal Component Analysis and Reduced Rank Regression to Study Dietary Patterns and Diabetes in Chinese Adults

Objective We examined the association between dietary patterns and diabetes using the strengths of two methods: principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the eating patterns of the population and reduced rank regression (RRR) to derive a pattern that explains the variation in glycated Hb (HbA1c), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and fasting glucose. Design We measured diet over a 3 d period with 24 h recalls and a household food inventory in 2006 and used it to derive PCA and RRR dietary patterns. The outcomes were measured in 2009. Setting Adults (n 4316) from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Results The adjusted odds ratio for diabetes prevalence (HbA1c≥6·5 %), comparing the highest dietary pattern score quartile with the lowest, was 1·26 (95 % CI 0·76, 2·08) for a modern high-wheat pattern (PCA; wheat products, fruits, eggs, milk, instant noodles and frozen dumplings), 0·76 (95 % CI 0·49, 1·17) for a traditional southern pattern (PCA; rice, meat, poultry and fish) and 2·37 (95 % CI 1·56, 3·60) for the pattern derived with RRR. By comparing the dietary pattern structures of RRR and PCA, we found that the RRR pattern was also behaviourally meaningful. It combined the deleterious effects of the modern high-wheat pattern (high intakes of wheat buns and breads, deep-fried wheat and soya milk) with the deleterious effects of consuming the opposite of the traditional southern pattern (low intakes of rice, poultry and game, fish and seafood). Conclusions Our findings suggest that using both PCA and RRR provided useful insights when studying the association of dietary patterns with diabetes.
Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance 1991–2000: Application of Polar MM5 mesoscale model and in situ data

[1] The Polar Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Fifth-Generation Mesoscale Model (Polar MM5) regional climate model was run over the North Atlantic region for 1991–2000. We analyze 24-km output over the Greenland ice sheet to evaluate spatial and temporal variability of the surface mass balance and its subcomponents. The model output is compared with 3 years of automatic weather station (AWS) data from 17 sites to identify biases. Using the in situ data, we derive simple corrections for biases in melt energy and in water vapor fluxes from the surface and from blowing snow. The simulated accumulation rate is in agreement with AWS and snow pit observations. Estimates for runoff and the surface mass balance distribution over the ice sheet are produced using modeled melt volume and a meltwater retention scheme. From the decade investigated, the magnitude of interannual variability in surface mass balance components is tentatively established. The largest variability is concentrated along the ice sheet margin, where both accumulation and ablation rates are largest. The simulated interannual fluctuations suggest a large absolute variability, ±187 km3 yr−1 for total ice sheet surface mass balance. Variability in simulated equilibrium line altitude is suggestive of a dominance of thermal variability in the south with increasing importance of accumulation variability with increasing latitude. Empirical functions for the sensitivity of surface mass balance to temperature and precipitation anomalies are presented. The precise locations and regions of maximum and minimum surface energy and mass fluxes are suggested. Using an estimate for iceberg discharge and bottom melting, the total ice sheet mass balance is estimated be −78 km3 yr−1, producing 2.2 mm of eustatic sea level rise over the 1991–2000 decade and contributing 15% to the observed (1.5 mm yr−1) global sea level rise. The more negative mass balance is attributed to including blowing-snow sublimation loss and to regional warming in the 1990s.
Upper Eyelid Retraction and Graves' Disease

Ten upper eyelids of patients with lid retraction due to Graves' disease were treated by levator marginal myotomies. The most common clinical abnormalities were thickening and fatty infiltration of the levator, with adhesions to the orbicularis muscle and the orbital septum. Histologic examination of these tissues revealed collagen proliferation, striated muscle atrophy, and fatty infiltration. The technique and usefulness of levator marginal myotomy are described.
False-positive iodine-131 whole body scan due to pectus excavatum.

Fausse image de metastases d'un cancer de la thyroide, le cœur etant refoule dans le champ pulmonaire gauche par la deformation thoracique
High-order satellites and plasma gradients effects on the Ar Heβ line opacity and intensity distribution

Abstract We study the effects of high-order n =4 Li-like satellites and plasma density and temperature gradients on the Ar He β line opacity and intensity distribution, using a spectroscopic-quality atomic kinetics and radiation transport model. The model self-consistently accounts for NLTE level population kinetics, Stark broadened line shapes, and radiation transport effects. High-order satellites with a spectator electron in n =4 make a significant contribution to both opacity and line intensity distribution of the Ar He β composite line for plasma conditions typical of ICF imploded cores. We also discuss the impact of plasma density and temperature gradients on the formation of this spectral feature and show that the combined effect of gradients and opacity can lead to a characteristic round shape in the center of the He β line.
Skeletal muscle abnormalities and evidence for their role in symptom generation in chronic heart failure.

The syndrom oef chronic heart failur is characterizee dby exercise limitation usually associated with breathless-ness or fatigue Th. e mechanism by which this exerciseintolerance i generates d remains unclear. Althoughmuscular atroph hay s been recognise asd a par ot f thechronic heart failure syndrom for man ey years'
Declaring the Psychology Major: An Archival, General Model From an Urban University

The records of 806 psychology majors were analyzed to determine their academic profiles at the point of acceptance to the program. Seven descriptive categories adequately encompassed the students' background: (a) direct entry from high school, (b) internal transfer from within the university, (c) external transfer from outside the university, (d) transfer who pursued the major elsewhere, (e) short-term returnee, (f) long-term returnee, and (g) prior degree earned. The number, age, gender, and academic characteristics of the students within these seven categories are reported. Of more general interest, a prototype of the "traditional" psychology major is proposed; based on a certain subset of the records at hand, a generic model of the curricular path to the psychology major is offered.
Phase-modulated stimulated Raman spectroscopy

We discuss a technique for nonlinear Raman spectroscopy that utilizes two orthogonally polarized, frequency-degenerate pump waves whose relative phase is modulated. A phase-modulated signal wave results from the mixing of the pump waves and a probe wave through the third-order, nonlinear susceptibility χ3. Heterodyne detection of the signal wave yields signals linear in χ3, permits measurement of both the real and the imaginary parts of χ3, and routinely provides shot-noise-limited sensitivities. Expressions for signal voltages are derived and typical spectra quantitatively analyzed.
Influence of gender and injection site on vocal fold augmentation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of gender and injection site on the amount of injectate needed to medialize an immobile vocal fold, and to describe the distribution patterns of the injected bolus. STUDY DESIGN: Surgical intervention in human cadaveric larynges in experimental setting. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Cadaveric larynges were injected with calcium hydroxylapatite into the lateral or medial aspect of the vocal fold. High-resolution CT scans were obtained before and after injection. RESULTS: Males required 50% to 60% more material than females (P = 0.03). For both genders, lateral injections required more than medial injections (P < 0.001). Laterally injected boluses tended to distribute toward the cricothyroid space, with frank extrusions more common in females. CONCLUSION: The amount of injectate required to medialize male and female vocal folds is significantly different. The smaller size of the female larynx likely accounts for a higher incidence of extrusion through the cricothyroid space. These gender differences should be taken into consideration when performing injection laryngoplasty.
Ty elements transpose through an RNA intermediate

We have followed Ty transposition with a donor Ty element, TyH3, whose expression is under the control of the GAL1 promoter. Sequence analysis reveals dramatic structural differences in TyH3 before and after transposition. If the donor TyH3 is marked with an intron-containing fragment, the intron is correctly spliced out of the Ty during transposition, suggesting that the Ty RNA is the intermediate for transposition. Furthermore, the pattern of sequence inheritance in progeny Ty insertions derived from the marked Ty follows the predictions of the model of retroviral reverse transcription. Comparison of marked Ty elements before and after movement shows that transposition is highly mutagenic to the Ty element. These results demonstrate that during transposition, Ty sequence information flows from DNA to RNA to DNA.
Effect of polyamines on the proliferative response of T cells stimulated with antigen

Presence of polyamines in cultures of human lymphocytes amplifies the proliferative response of sensitized T cells to antigens in vitro. Similar effects of aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of diamine oxydase, suggests a role of endogenous polyamines in normal proliferative events. This effect may have practical application in the amplification of low in vitro responses to antigens and in mixed lymphocyte cultures.
View-Augmented Abstractions

This paper introduces view-augmented abstractions, which specialize an underlying numeric domain to focus on a particular expression or set of expressions. A view-augmented abstraction adds a set of materialized views to the original domain. View augmentation can extend a domain so that it captures information unavailable in the original domain. We show how to use finite differencing to maintain a materialized view in response to a transformation of the program state. Our experiments show that view augmentation can increase precision in useful ways.
Automated concepts for geo-coregistration of multisensor images in the GEOSS era

The utility of a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) in part rests on the ability to precisely and automatically co-register imagery from the variety of earth observation satellite imaging sensors included in the System. Sub-Pixel precision is required to support time-series analysis unconfused by the occurrence of miss- registration, while automatic co-registration procedures are required to assure efficient data handling. The ability to effectively support and co-register a wide variety of sensors from across the international community is important for two reasons: (1) the cloud cover obscuration problem can be most effectively addressed by using the full range of revisit opportunities presented by the international community of satellites, and (2) precise, sub- pixel co-registration enables cross-sensor calibration and compensation/correction of data used in a selected area during a given time-frame and season.
M2 Macrophage Polarization Mediates Anti-inflammatory Effects of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Signaling

Endothelial nitric oxide (NO) signaling plays a physiological role in limiting obesity-associated insulin resistance and inflammation. This study was undertaken to investigate whether this NO effect involves polarization of macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. Mice with transgenic endothelial NO synthase overexpression were protected against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic inflammation and insulin resistance, and this effect was associated with reduced proinflammatory M1 and increased anti-inflammatory M2 activation of Kupffer cells. In cell culture studies, exposure of macrophages to endothelial NO similarly reduced inflammatory (M1) and increased anti-inflammatory (M2) gene expression. Similar effects were induced by macrophage overexpression of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP), a key downstream mediator of intracellular NO signaling. Conversely, VASP deficiency induced proinflammatory M1 macrophage activation, and the transplantation of bone marrow from VASP-deficient donor mice into normal recipients caused hepatic inflammation and insulin resistance resembling that induced in normal mice by consumption of an HFD. These data suggest that proinflammatory macrophage M1 activation and macrophage-mediated inflammation are tonically inhibited by NO → VASP signal transduction, and that reduced NO → VASP signaling is involved in the effect of HFD feeding to induce M1 activation of Kupffer cells and associated hepatic inflammation. Our data implicate endothelial NO → VASP signaling as a physiological determinant of macrophage polarization and show that signaling via this pathway is required to prevent hepatic inflammation and insulin resistance.
Calculus of variations in discrete space for constrained nonlinear dynamic optimization

We propose new dominance relations that can speed up significantly the solution process of nonlinear constrained dynamic optimization problems in discrete time and space. We first show that path dominance in dynamic programming cannot be applied when there are general constraints that span across multiple stages, and that node dominance, in the form of Euler-Lagrange conditions developed in optimal control theory in continuous space, cannot be extended to that in discrete space. This paper is the first to propose efficient dominance relations, in the form of local saddle-point conditions in each stage of a problem, for pruning states that will not lead to locally optimal paths. By utilizing these dominance relations, we develop efficient search algorithms whose complexity, despite exponential, has a much smaller base as compared to that without using the relations. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of our algorithms on some spacecraft planning and scheduling benchmarks and show significant improvements in CPU time and solution quality as compared to those obtained by the existing ASPEN planner.
Allow-Natural-Death (AND) Orders: Legal, Ethical, and Practical Considerations

Conversations with patients and families about the allow-natural-death (AND) order, along with the standard do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order during end-of-life (EOL) decision-making, may create engagement and understanding while promoting care that can be defended using enduring notions of autonomy, beneficence, and professional duty. Ethical, legal, and pragmatic issues surrounding EOL care decision-making seem to suggest discussion of AND orders as one strategy clinicians could consider at the individual practice level and at institutional levels. A discussion of AND orders, along with traditional DNR orders is presented. This is followed by argument and counter-argument focused on ethical, legal, and practical issues germane to EOL care decision-making associated with use of AND orders.
Feeding of Unground Pearl Millet to Laying Hens

Abstract The use of new varieties of pearl millet (PM) as an alternative feed ingredient for poultry has gained increased interest due to the favorable nutritional characteristics of this grain. However, its incorporation into poultry feeds has been limited because commercial availability of PM in the United States is currently low and also because many feed mills lack the capacity to store more than 1 ground grain. Previous studies have demonstrated the advantages of the inclusion of moderate levels of whole grains in poultry feeds. A series of 3 experiments was conducted to investigate whether unground PM would be a satisfactory feed ingredient for laying hens. In Experiment 1, diets containing 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40% unground PM were fed. At the end of a 7-d feeding period, it was determined that the percentage of whole seed disappearance was equal to or greater than 98% at all levels of inclusion. No significant differences in whole seed disappearance were detected among treatments, indicating that laying hens have the capacity to break down whole PM seeds. In Experiment 2, diets containing 0 or 15% inclusion of either ground or unground PM were fed to laying hens for a 7-d feeding period. Starch digestibility of the diets was determined to be >97% for all treatments. Significantly greater starch digestibility was observed in the hens fed the 15% unground PM as compared with the hens receiving the ground PM diet. In Experiment 3, after a 4-wk feeding period, it was determined that the inclusion of 10% unground PM does not have a negative or positive effect on feed consumption or egg production. These results indicate that PM is a satisfactory feed ingredient for laying hens that can be included in the unground form at moderate levels.
High-dose MR in the evaluation of brain metastases: will increased detection decrease costs?

Brain metastases occur in about 25% of patients with cancer and are often diagnosed within the first year after the diagnosis of the primary tumor. The treatment of patients with brain metastases usually depends on whether they are solitary or multiple. Surgical resection has been shown to prolong survival by 6 months and improve the quality of life in patients with solitary brain metastases. However, surgery is not usually considered appropriate for patients with multiple brain metastases. A phase III multicenter trial in this issue demonstrates that the sensitivity of magnetic resonance (MR) in the detection of brain metastases can be increased by increasing the dose of contrast. In this trial comparing high-dose (0.3 mmol/kg) with standard-dose (0.1 mmol/kg) gadolinium, 50% more lesions were detected on the high-dose examinations. 15 refs., 1 tab.
Mechanical work performed by the legs of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the work performed on the center of mass by the legs of children with cerebral palsy. 10 children that were diagnosed as having cerebral palsy with spastic diplegia (Age=9.1+/-2 years), and 10 healthy children with no walking disabilities participated (Age=9.4+/-2 years). We collected individual leg ground reaction forces from four force platforms, and calculated the mechanical work performed on the center of mass by the lead and trail legs. The normalized walking speeds were not significantly (p=0.33) different between the children with cerebral palsy (0.26+/-0.07) and the controls (0.28+/-0.06). The children with cerebral palsy performed significantly more negative work by the lead leg during double support (p=0.0004), and significantly less positive work by the trail leg (p<0.00001). During single support, the children with cerebral palsy performed significantly more positive work on the center of mass (p<0.00001). No significant differences were found for the amount of negative work performed by the leg in single support (p=0.84). Children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy show a diminished ability to appropriately perform mechanical work by the legs to lift and redirect the center of mass. The altered mechanical work performed by the legs on the center of mass may play a role in the higher metabolic cost for walking noted in children with cerebral palsy.
Contracting on Contemporaneous versus Forward‐Looking Measures: An Experimental Investigation*

Economic theory predicts that the judicious use of nontraditional, forward-looking performance measures in incentive contracts can influence the decisions of employees whose employment horizons are shorter than the profitability horizon of the firm (Dikolli 2001).1 Practitioner literature promotes the use of forward-looking measures as a means to facilitate employee decision making (Kaplan and Norton 1996, 2001; Case 1997; Mellor 1997; Rucci, Kirn, and Quinn 1997; Ittner and Larcker 2003; Neely and Najjar 2006), but this literature has wavered on whether further benefits can be gained from tying compensation to such measures (e.g., Kaplan and Norton 1996, 2001). In this paper, we investigate this potential dual role of forward-looking measures in incentive contracts. First, we empirically test the contracts’ decision-influencing benefits as proposed by economic theory. Second and more importantly, we extend the theory by investigating whether and how forward-looking contracts facilitate the decisions of employees whose employment horizons are more closely aligned with the firm’s profitability horizon. We expect these decision-facilitating benefits to accrue because incorporating forward-looking measures into the incentive contracts of long-horizon employees more explicitly informs them of the appropriate allocation of effort across multiple periods and multiple activities (i.e., the appropriate task strategy), and thus allows them to more effectively use feedback to improve performance. Thus, employees with forward-looking contracts are able to “zero in” on the optimal strategy, leading to both a reduced need to experiment with different task strategies and greater
Lack of convergence in aquatic Anolis lizards.

Abstract Why convergent evolution occurs among some species occupying similar habitats but not among others is a question that has received surprisingly little attention. Caribbean Anolis lizards, known for their extensive convergent evolution among islands in the Greater Antilles, are an appropriate group with which to address this question. Despite the well-documented pattern of between-island convergence, some Greater Antillean anoles are not obviously part of the convergence syndrome. One example involves aquatic anoles—species that are found near to and readily enter streams—which have evolved independently twice in the Caribbean and also twice on mainland Central America. Despite being found in similar habitats, no previous study has investigated whether aquatic anoles represent yet another case of morphological convergence. We tested this hypothesis by collecting morphological data for seven aquatic anole species and 29 species from the six convergent types of Greater Antillean habitat specialists....
HOME Plus: Program design and implementation of a family-focused, community-based intervention to promote the frequency and healthfulness of family meals, reduce children’s sedentary behavior, and prevent obesity

Involvement in meal preparation and eating meals with one’s family are associated with better dietary quality and healthy body weight for youth. Given the poor dietary quality of many youth, potential benefits of family meals for better nutritional intake and great variation in family meals, development and evaluation of interventions aimed at improving and increasing family meals are needed. This paper presents the design of key intervention components and process evaluation of a community-based program (Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus) to prevent obesity. The HOME Plus intervention was part of a two-arm (intervention versus attention-only control) randomized-controlled trial. Ten monthly, two-hour sessions and five motivational/goal-setting telephone calls to promote healthy eating and increasing family meals were delivered in community-based settings in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN metropolitan area. The present study included 81 families (8-12 year old children and their parents) in the intervention condition. Process surveys were administered at the end of each intervention session and at a home visit after the intervention period. Chi-squares and t-tests were used for process survey analysis. The HOME Plus program was successfully implemented and families were highly satisfied. Parents and children reported that the most enjoyable component was cooking with their families, learning how to eat more healthfully, and trying new recipes/foods and cooking tips. Average session attendance across the ten months was high for families (68%) and more than half completed their home activities. Findings support the value of a community-based, family-focused intervention program to promote family meals, limit screen time, and prevent obesity. NCT01538615
Is the quality of brief motivational interventions for drug use in primary care associated with subsequent drug use

Abstract Background Although a number of brief intervention approaches for drug use are based on motivational interviewing (MI), relatively little is known about whether the quality of motivational interviewing skills is associated with intervention outcomes. Method The current study examined whether indices of motivational interviewing skill were associated with subsequent drug use outcomes following two different MI-based brief interventions delivered in primary care; a 15 min Brief Negotiated Interview (BNI) and a 45 min adaptation of motivational interviewing (MOTIV). Audio recordings from 351 participants in a randomized controlled trial for drug use in primary care were coded using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Scale, (MITI Version 3.1.1). Separate negative binomial regression analyses, stratified by intervention condition, were used to examine the associations between six MITI skill variables and the number of days that the participant used his/her main drug 6 weeks after study entry. Results Only one of the MITI variables (% reflections to questions) was significantly associated with the frequency of drug use in the MOTIV condition and this was opposite to the hypothesized direction (global p = 0.01, adjusted IRR 1.50, 95%CI: 1.03–2.20 for middle vs. lowest tertile [higher skill, more drug use]. None were significantly associated with drug use in the BNI condition. Secondary analyses similarly failed to find consistent predictors of better drug outcomes. Conclusion Overall, this study provides little evidence to suggest that the level of MI intervention skills are linked with better drug use outcomes among people who use drugs and receive brief interventions in primary care. Findings should be considered in light of the fact that data from the study are from negative trial of SBI and was limited to primary care patients. Future work should consider alternative ways of examining these process variables (i.e., comparing thresholds of proficient versus non-proficient skills) or considering alternative methods of coding intervention skills.
Using camera-trap technology to improve undergraduate education and citizen-science contributions in wildlife research

Abstract We performed a pilot study to determine whether camera traps were an effective means for establishing a baseline of species richness, distribution, and abundance at a state natural area in San Antonio, Texas, that has never undergone a full wildlife census. We measured 1,714 trap events and 18 wildlife species. We calculated low species diversity and evenness; and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), coyote (Canis latrans), and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were the most abundant species. However, the invasive exotic feral pig (Sus scrofa) was also recorded in high densities. The results of this camera study illustrate the ease with which camera traps can be used to collect baseline data, by undergraduate students in the case of this study, which can provide vital field-based research experiences for students and produce much needed wildlife occurrence data for federal or state agencies in designing management plans for species of concern, such as the feral pig, or for threatened or ...
Electronic States and Potential Energy Surfaces of WC2

Potential energy surfaces for the low-lying electronic states of the WC2 molecule have been studied using the complete active space multiconfiguration self-consistent field (CASMCSCF) followed by the multireference singles + doubles configuration interaction (MRSDCI) calculations which include up to 3 million configurations. Spin−orbit effects are included through the relativistic configuration interaction (RCI) method. We find two nearly degenerate 5B1 and 3A2 electronic states for WC2 both of which form stable minima with dissociation energy of 5.21 eV. Equilibrium geometries, energy separations, dipole moments, and the vibrational frequencies of the electronic states are reported. The nature of bonding is discussed using the wave function composition and the Mulliken population analysis. The spin−orbit effects were found to be quite significant.