cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Respiratory syncytial virus testing capabilities and practices among National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System laboratories, United States, 2016.

Abstract Background Laboratory tests to detect respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vary in sensitivity and specificity. Diagnostic testing practices can impact RSV disease diagnosis and burden estimates. Objectives We surveyed a sample of laboratories that participated in the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) in 2015–2016 to understand RSV testing, diagnostic capabilities, and practices. Study design We distributed surveys in fall 2016 to NREVSS laboratories using an internet survey platform. We conducted a descriptive analysis of survey responses and stratified results by self-identified children’s hospital laboratories (CHL, i.e. laboratories affiliated with or in a children’s hospital) or general hospital laboratories (GHL, i.e. laboratories that performed analysis on specimens from only adults or adults and children). Results We sampled 367 (82.5%) of 445 eligible NREVSS laboratories with a 35.7% response rate; 11.5% (n = 15) were CHLs. All CHLs had PCR-based assay capability to test for RSV compared to 48.7% of GHLs (p Conclusions Laboratory testing and diagnostic capabilities differed by whether laboratories self-identified as a CHL or GHL. Many GHLs reported use of RADTs in adults ≥50 years, a less sensitive diagnostic method for this population compared to PCR-based assays. RADT use in adults might miss RSV cases and affect diagnoses and disease burden estimates.
Expectations and Perceptions of Politeness Norms among Arabic Learners and Moroccan Native Speakers.

This study explored the expectations that Moroccan native speakers (n = 57) and beginning‐level learners of Arabic (n = 38) held of one another regarding conformity to Moroccan cultural norms. Questionnaires and interviews were used to unpack two assumptions that shape pedagogical practices: (1) that native speakers (NSs) expect nonnative speakers (NNSs) to conform to NSs’ politeness norms; and (2) that NNSs differ from NSs in their perceptions of politeness norms. Results showed that Moroccan participants hold both an expectation of and flexibility toward learners’ conformity to politeness norms and that NNSs may not differ notably from NSs in their perceptions of politeness. The study has implications for understanding the conceptualization and development of intercultural competence and teaching the Communities goal area.
Tfap2a is a novel gatekeeper of differentiation in renal progenitors during kidney development

Abstract Renal functional units known as nephrons undergo patterning events during development that create a segmental array of cellular populations with discrete physiological tasks. Knowledge about the terminal differentiation programs of each nephron segment has central importance for understanding kidney disease and to advance regenerative medicine, as mammalian nephrons grown in organoid cultures from pluripotent cells fail to terminally differentiate. Here, from a novel forward genetic screen using zebrafish we report the discovery that transcription factor AP-2 alpha (tfap2a) coordinates a gene regulatory network that controls the progression of nephron distal segment progenitors into the differentiated state. Overexpression of tfap2a rescued differentiation in mutants and caused ectopic expression of distal segment markers in wild-type nephrons, indicating tfap2a is sufficient to instigate the distal segment differentiation program. tfap2a/2b deficiency exacerbated distal nephron segment differentiation defects, revealing functional redundancy where tfap2a has a dominant role upstream of its family member. With further genetic studies, we assembled a blueprint of the tfap2a gene regulatory network during nephrogenesis. We demonstrate that tfap2a acts downstream of Iroquois homeobox 3b, a conserved distal lineage transcription factor. tfap2a controls a circuit consisting of irx1a, tfap2b, and genes encoding solute transporters that dictate the specialized metabolic functions of the distal nephron segments, and we show for the first time that this regulatory node is distinct from the pathway circuits controlling aspects such as apical-basal polarity and ciliogenesis during the differentiation process. Thus, our studies reveal new insights into the genetic control of differentiation, where tfap2a regulates the suite of segment transporter traits. These findings have relevance for understanding renal birth defects, as well as efforts to recapitulate nephrogenesis in vivo to make functional units that can facilitate organoid applications such as drug discovery and regenerative therapies. Summary Statement Here, we report for the first time that transcription factor AP-2 alpha (tfap2a) controls the progression from nephron progenitor into the fully differentiated state. This fundamentally deepens our knowledge about the genetic control of kidney development.
Coming of Age in the Era of Acceleration: Rethinking Literacy Narratives as Pedagogies of Lifelong Learning

This article calls for the fields of literacy and composition studies to develop more progressive understandings of the aging process as not only biological, but as culturally and socially situated. Drawing from age studies, we investigate a contribution to the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives ( www.thedaln.org) as an approach that complicates prevailing notions of aging and literacy. We argue that an age studies approach to literacy provides teacher-researchers and students a language to conceptualize aging together. The article concludes with specific recommendations for composition teacher-researchers to conduct oral history collection events with students and older adults.
Introduction: Ecological Wisdom as Discourse

In this chapter, I argue that ecological wisdom (EW) is becoming an important social and ecological discourse. Discourses are language and frames that establish first principles which in turn guide action. The role of discourse in framing ecological debate, policies, and design is tremendously potent, especially in light of today’s significant intellectual, social, and ecological shifts. EW has been described by academics and scholar–practitioners as an “emerging field of scholarly inquiry,” a “benchmark” in planning and design, a “domain of knowledge,” and a “new framework for landscape and urban planning” (Fu et al. 2016; Liao and Chan 2016; Wang et al. 2016; Xaing 2014; Young 2016a). While most prominent in the fields of urban and regional landscape architecture and planning, I posit EW’s potential as a discourse encompassing the realms of material science, civil engineering, architecture, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, political and urban ecology, and a wide range of other disciplines. Responding to the epochal challenges facing our society and life itself, EW draws upon history, science, spirit, culture, and place in its development. Accordingly, it offers a compelling discourse to guide society toward a more meaningful and successful role within the ecosphere and in realizing its own possibilities.
Dynamic Plume Tracking by Cooperative Robots

This paper presents cooperative control of autonomous mobile robots to monitor and track dynamic pollutant plume propagation in $m$ -dimensional space. The dynamics of the pollutant plume is modeled by an advection-diffusion partial differential equation (PDE), and the plume front is described by a level set with a prespecified threshold value. We solve the problem of cooperative plume tracking using two cooperating robots under formation control, one is assigned as the sensing robot and the other is assigned as the tracking robot, where the sensing robot estimates the gradient and divergence information of the entire field based on its current concentration measurement, and the tracking robot tracks the plume front and patrols on it. Rigorous convergence analysis is provided using the set stability concept. Numerical simulations of pollutant plume tracking in both two- and three-dimensional spaces demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. This paper extends existing literature from static-level curve tracking to dynamic plume front tracking and presents a PDE-observer-based plume front tracking control design. The results are applicable to emerging environmental monitoring tasks by cooperative robots.
Predicting viscosity of nonpolar mixtures as a function of temperature and pressure from volumetric and optical measurements performed at ambient conditions

Abstract Many commonly used compositional viscosity models require modeling parameters for an equation of state to make prediction. With the recent development of the Evangelista and Vargas correlations (Evangelista and Vargas, Fluid Phase Equilibria, 2018) that predict the critical properties for nonpolar hydrocarbons, a new methodology for predicting viscosities with simple volumetric or optical measurements performed at ambient conditions becomes feasible. Therefore, this study evaluated the proposed methodology on 13 pure components and 11 mixtures and found that their viscosities at various temperatures and pressures can be predicted with an AAPD of 10 and 8.9, respectively. The predictive capabilities of the proposed method are compared against those of current techniques, which require more input data. Our methodology offers predictive capability with a similar level of accuracy with the added benefit of significantly reducing the requirement of input data. The proposed approach uses simple laboratory tests only, which eliminated the need for laborious experiments such as composition analysis or viscosity measurements at high temperature and pressure, providing a significantly more viable option than existing techniques for viscosity estimation.
Creating Structure in a Time of Intense Stress: Treating Intimate Partner Violence

AbstractViolence is an increasingly visible problem in the United States, with the news and other forms of media bringing this into the forefront of the public’s awareness. Violence comes in many different forms, including intimate partner violence (IPV), which occurs for about 36% of women and about 29% of men across the United States. Given the high incidence in the United States, it is imperative to consider the best ways for mental health professionals to treat violence in relationships. Some professionals in the field have developed and utilized conjoint treatment models for working with couples who have a history of violence. This article presents the application of attachment theory to a conjoint treatment model for couples that have experienced violence. A case study is included to demonstrate the implementation of an emotionally focused therapy framework and provide a sample outcome of this treatment approach. The framework of this article provides clinicians with insight into how to approach wor...
PRESENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ANGIOTENSIN IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID

Publisher Summary Angiotensin administered intracerebroventricularly increases blood pressure, stimulates drinking behaviour, and releases antidiuretic hormone (ADH).The chapter discusses the normal range of the concentrations of endogenous angiotensin I and II in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It also discusses whether CSF angiotensin I and II are present in biologically active levels. CSF concentrations of angiotensin are low relative to amounts required to initiate central actions of angiotensin by direct intraventricular injection. The chapter discusses the possible ways by which CSF angiotensin initiate the central effects of the peptide. It explores a potential interaction between prostaglandin E1 and angiotensin with regard to the release of ADH. Although angiotensin produces marked hypertensive effects and changes in body hydration after injection into CSF, it has not been determined if endogenous levels of angiotensin in CSF rise to the concentration required to initiate these effects.
Trapped in Toxic Exposure: Mitigation Masking and the Emotional Geography of Residential Proximity to Expanding Industry

The purpose of this study was to introduce a citizen’s stakeholder perspective into research on environmental regulation and offending. The business operations of a steel recycling plant located in a residential neighborhood was analyzed to identify how their mitigation efforts have been used to justify continued business expansion, mask other aspects of environmental offending, and block citizen efforts to become stakeholders in the governance process. The concept of “mitigation masking” was introduced to reveal victim blaming governance processes. We surveyed the residence using the retrospective pre-then-post design in a two-block radius surrounding HI&M (N=17). We collected a convenience sample of public comment cards (n = 79) on two different occasions. This study adds to research on environmental offending by introducing a citizen narrative into the literature on environmental regulation and offending and exploring how mitigation masking pollutes citizen human agency. Faculty Sponsor: Sherrie M. Steiner
THE NOVEL USE OF STEREOTACTIC RADIOTHERAPY FOR REMNANT ADRENAL TISSUE IN NELSON SYNDROME.

ABSTRACT Objective: Recurrent Cushing disease (CD) is a rare complication that occurs in patients who have undergone bilateral adrenalectomy (BLA). We report a case of recurrent CD in a patient wit...
Enhancing Intelligent Cross-Domain Fault Diagnosis Performance on Rotating Machines with Noisy Health Labels

Abstract In the recent years, the intelligent data-driven fault diagnosis methods on the rotating machines have been popularly developed. Especially, deep learning algorithms have been adopted in several studies and promising results have been obtained. However, the cross-domain fault diagnostic problem still remains a challenging issue, where the training and testing data are collected from different operating conditions of the machine. To bridge the domain gap in the training and testing data and increase the model generalization ability, a domain adaptation approach is proposed in this paper within the deep learning framework. Multiple convolutional operations are employed for automatic feature extraction. The maximum mean discrepancy is used to optimize the distributions of the learned features for accurate diagnosis. To further enhance the model generalization ability, the health condition labels of the data are injected with additional noise during model training. Experiments on a bearing fault diagnosis dataset are carried out for validation. The results show that, compared with the popular transfer learning algorithms, the proposed method with noisy health labels can successfully improve the cross-domain diagnosis performance on rotating machines.
Amount of CMS Reduction in Facility Reimbursement Following Removal of Total Hip Arthroplasty From the Inpatient-Only List Far Exceeds Reduction in Actual Care Cost.

Abstract Background Starting in 2020, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) removed total hip arthroplasty (THA) from the inpatient-only list, resulting in an average of $1637 per case reduction in facility reimbursement. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the reduction in reimbursement is justified by comparing the difference in true facility costs between inpatient and outpatient THA. Methods We identified a consecutive series of 5271 primary THA procedures from 2015 to 2019. Itemized procedural costs were calculated using a time-driven activity-based costing algorithm. Outpatient procedures were defined as those with less than a 24-hour length of stay. We compared patient demographics, comorbidities, and itemized costs between inpatient and outpatient procedures. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the independent effect of outpatient status on true facility costs. Results There were 783 (14.9%) outpatient THA procedures. The outpatient THA procedures incurred lower mean personnel ($1428 vs $2226, P Conclusion The reduction in CMS reimbursement far exceeds the $825 per-patient cost savings that can be achieved by a facility by performing THA as an outpatient. CMS should reconsider the Outpatient Prospective Payment System classification of THA to better incentivize surgeons to perform THA as a lower-cost outpatient procedure when safe and appropriate.
Deep Learning-based Adaptive Beamforming for mmWave Wireless Body Area Network

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a mainstream for telecommunication industry. With the utilization of millimeter-wave in 5G network, it becomes feasible to use beamforming techniques for on-body sensors in Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) applications. Thus, there is a need for developing beamforming algorithms that can optimize WBAN network performance and a realistic dataset that can be used for training, testing, and benchmarking of the algorithms. Thus, we propose a dataset generation method for mmWave WBAN that utilizes computer vision and an adaptive deep learning-based algorithm for performance optimization of mmWave WBAN beamforming. Two major ideas are proposed: First, collecting human poses from estimation of 3D human poses in videos and generating more realistic poses using generative adversarial nets (GAN) are adopted; second, a GAN aims to predict the next beamforming directions using the previous set of directions as inputs. With available labeled human pose videos, the WBAN dataset we generate provides a sufficient amount of samples for training, testing, and benchmarking of beamforming algorithms. Additionally, the proposed adaptive beamforming algorithm does not require any intrusive data gathering methods. Our numerical studies show the advantages of our proposed approaches.
Update on Angiotensin II Subtype 2 Receptor: Focus on Peptide and Nonpeptide Agonists

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is the most dominant effector component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) that generally acts through binding to two main classes of G protein-coupled receptors, namely Ang II subtype 1 receptor (AT1R) and angiotensin II subtype 2 receptor (AT2R). Despite some controversial reports, the activation of AT2R generally antagonizes the effects of Ang II binding on AT1R. Studying AT2R signaling, function, and its specific ligands in cell culture or animal studies has confirmed its beneficial effects throughout the body. These characteristics classify AT2R as part of the protective arm of the RAS that, along with functions of Ang (1-7) through Mas receptor signaling, modulates the harmful effects of Ang II on AT1R in the activated classic arm of the RAS. Although Ang II is the primary ligand for AT2R, we have summarized other natural or synthetic peptide and nonpeptide agonists with critical evaluation of their structure, mechanism of action, and biologic activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: AT2R is one of the main components of the RAS and has a significant prospective for mediating the beneficial action of the RAS through its protective arm on the body's homeostasis. Targeting AT2R offers substantial clinical application possibilities for modulating various pathological conditions. This review provided concise information regarding the AT2R peptide and nonpeptide agonists and their potential clinical applications for various diseases.
Metal-Organic Frameworks for Photocatalysis

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently been investigated as a platform for developing single-site photocatalysts and multifunctional photocatalytic assemblies. This chapter aims to summarize the recent progress on photocatalysis with MOFs, including hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction, and degradation and transformation of organic compounds.
Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Abstract Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) have unique physical properties, enabling a wide range of biomedical applications. In this review, we discuss the recent development of MION-based engineering approaches, including sensitive protein quantification, magnetic nanoparticle heating, in vivo molecular imaging, and drug delivery. The opportunities and challenges are also briefly discussed.
Precision antiplatelet therapy for the prevention of ischaemic stroke.

Stroke happens to people of all ages and has become the leading cause of disability in the world.1 It is also the leading cause of death in China and fifth-leading cause of death in the USA.2 3 Prevention of stroke is the best treatment. The use of antiplatelet therapy is one of the main prevention strategies. Aspirin is the only antiplatelet drug indicated for primary or secondary stroke prevention. Since the invention of aspirin nearly 120 years ago, more antiplatelet agents are available. Clinicians can select one antiplatelet drug or the combination for a specific patient with a specific subtype of ischaemic stroke. This kind of precision antiplatelet therapy can maximise the benefit and lower the risk of haemorrhagic complications. By acetylating serine 530 of cyclooxygenase-1, aspirin inhibits platelet generated thromboxane A2 and renders its antiplatelet effect. Aspirin is indicated for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in population between the age 40 and 59 with >10% risk over 10 years and low risk of gastrointestinal or intracranial haemorrhage.4 For secondary ischaemic stroke prevention, there are many choices, used either as a mono or dual therapy. The antiplatelet effect of dipyridamole is through its inhibition of phosphodiesterase activated through platelet cyclic AMP. From the European Stroke Prevention Study 2 trial, the combination of aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole (ASA-ERDP) was 23% more effective than aspirin alone in secondary stroke prevention.5 However, the findings in the Aspirin and Extended-Release Dipyridamole vs Clopidogrel for Recurrent Stroke trial showed that ASA-ERDP and clopidogrel had similar rate of stroke recurrence …
Meteor Burst Communication

The sections in this article are 1 Properties Of Meteor-Burst Communication Systems 2 The Meteor-Burst Channel 3 Performance Modeling and Characterization 4 Coding and Modulation For Meteor-Burst Systems
FLORISTIC PATTERNS ON AVALANCHE PATHS IN THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS, USA

Avalanche paths in the northern Rocky Mountains have transverse zones of plant physiognomic types representing major exogenous environmental gradients related to topography. Species composition was analyzed among these transverse zones. Forty plots on two paths in Montana, USA, were ordinated by detrended correspondence analysis, giving ordination axes for both plots and species. The results of the ordination of the plots did not correspond to their differentation in physiognomic zones. Dominant species of similar physiognomy were widely separated in the ordination of species. Endogenous spatial processes are suggested to explain the more complex floristic pattern. (Keywords: avalanche, floristic patterns, Rocky Mountains, vegetation)
Hebbian Learning in Feedback Networks: Development Within Visual Cortex

There is controversy as to the development of columnar structure in primary visual cortex. Various experiments showed the important role of cortex interconnection in developing the columnar structure. We proposed a model of Hebbian development within visual cortex. In this model, the columnar structure originates from symmetry breaking in feedback pathways within an area of cortex, rather than feedforward pathways between areas.
Isotopic Fractionation by Ion-Molecule Reactions

Isotopic fractionation in interstellar clouds can occur by ion-molecule reactions at low temperatures. The major effect is not kinetic but thermodynamic in origin in that it arises from the difference in rate coefficients between forward and backward directions in reactions which exchange isotopic atoms. In this article, we concentrate on deuterium fractionation in interstellar clouds; this effect enhances the relative abundances of deuterated isotopomers to their normal counterparts by up to four orders of magnitude as compared with the basic D/H elemental abundance ratio. We also discuss the fractionation of 15N and 13C.
Genres in Dialogue: Plato and the Construct of Philosophy

Acknowledgements Abbreviations and texts Introduction 1. Plato, Isocrates and the property of philosophy 2. Use and abuse of Athenian tragedy 3. Eulogy, irony, parody 4. Alien and authentic discourse 5. Philosophy and comedy Conclusion Bibliography General index Index of passages from Plato.
Document Viewers for Non-Born-Digital Files in DSpace

As more institutions continue to work with large and diverse type of content for their digital repositories, there is an inherent need to evaluate, prototype, and implement user-friendly websites -regardless of the digital files' size, format, location or the content management system in use. This article aims to provide an overview of the need and current development of Document Viewers for digitized objects in DSpace repositories -includign a local viewer developed for an newspaper collection and four other viewers currently implemented in DSpace repositories. According to the DSpace Registry, 22% of institutions are currently storing "Images" in their repositories and 21% are using DSpace for non-traditional IR content such as: Image Repository, Subject Repository, Museum Cultural, or Learning Resources. The combination of current technologies such as Djatoka Image Server, IIPImage Server, DjVu Libre, and the Internet Archive BookReader, as well as the growing number of digital repositories hosting digitized content, suggests that the DSpace community will probably benefit with an "out-of-the-box" Document Viewer, especially one for large, high-resolution, and multi-page objects.
Chip-based silica microspheres for cavity optomechanics

We realized on-chip silica microspheres, featuring excellent thermal coupling to the silicon-wafer. These chip-based microspheres can overcome the problem of thermal bistability and are especially suitable for optomechanical studies in vacuum or at low temperature.
The poly(A)-poly(A)-binding protein complex is a major determinant of mRNA stability in vitro.

Abstract Using an in vitro mRNA decay system, we investigated how poly(A) and its associated poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) affect mRNA stability. Cell extracts used in the decay reactions were depleted of functional PABP either by adding excess poly(A) competitor or by passing the extracts over a poly(A)-Sepharose column. Polyadenylated mRNAs for beta-globin, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and simian virus 40 virion proteins were degraded 3 to 10 times faster in reactions lacking PABP than in those containing excess PABP. The addition of purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae or human cytoplasmic PABP to PABP-depleted reactions stabilized the polyadenylated mRNAs. In contrast, the decay rates of nonpolyadenylated mRNAs were unaffected by PABP, indicating that both the poly(A) and its binding protein were required for maintaining mRNA stability. A nonspecific single-stranded binding protein from Escherichia coli did not restore stability to polyadenylated mRNA, and the stabilizing effect of PABP was inhibited by anti-PABP antibody. The poly(A) tract was the first mRNA segment to be degraded in PABP-depleted reactions, confirming that the poly(A)-PABP complex was protecting the 3' region from nucleolytic attack. These results indicate that an important function of poly(A), in conjunction with its binding protein, is to protect polyadenylated mRNAs from indiscriminate destruction by cellular nucleases. A model is proposed to explain how the stability of an mRNA could be affected by the stability of its poly(A)-PABP complex.
Prepharmacy Predictors of Success in Pharmacy School: Grade Point Averages, Pharmacy College Admissions Test, Communication Abilities, and Critical Thinking Skills

Good admissions decisions are essential for identifying successful students and good practitioners. Various parameters have been shown to have predictive power for academic success. Previous academic performance, the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), and specific prepharmacy courses have been suggested as academic performance indicators. However, critical thinking abilities have not been evaluated. We evaluated the connection between academic success and each of the following predictive parameters: the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) score, PCAT score, interview score, overall academic performance prior to admission at a pharmacy school, and performance in specific prepharmacy courses. We confirmed previous reports but demonstrated intriguing results in predicting practice-based skills. Critical thinking skills predict practice-based course success. Also, the CCTST and PCAT scores (Pearson correlation [pc] = 0.448, p < 0.001) were closely related in our students. The strongest predictors of practice-related courses and clerkship success were PCAT (pc=0.237, p<0.001) and CCTST (pc = 0.201, p < 0.001). These findings and other analyses suggest that PCAT may predict critical thinking skills in pharmacy practice courses and clerkships. Further study is needed to confirm this finding and determine which PCAT components predict critical thinking abilities.
Novel pentafluorophenyl hypervalent iodine reagents

Abstract The novel C 6 F 5 I(OH)OTs has been synthesized and shown to undergo ligand exchange with C 6 H 5 I, iodonium ylide formation with dimedone and iodonium salt formation with anisole.
Kinetics and mechanism of iron(III) complexation by ferric binding protein: the role of phosphate.

Iron transport across the periplasmic space to the cytoplasmic membrane of certain Gram-negative bacteria is mediated by a ferric binding protein (Fbp). This requires Fe3+ loading of Fbp at the inn...
The formal and computational relationship of the supporting median problem to the p-median problem

Abstract This paper introduces a general solution approach for the supporting median problem when one or more transport facilities is being located. Computational experiments in a moderately sized network are reported.
Multivariate AR modeling of electromyography for the classification of upper arm movements.

Abstract Objective We compared the performance of two feature extraction methods for multichannel electromyography (EMG) based arm movement classification. One method was to use a scalar autoregressive model (sAR) for each channel. Another was to model all channels as a whole by a multivariate AR model (mAR). Methods The classified arm movements included elbow flexion, elbow extension, forearm pronation and internal shoulder rotation. Six-channel bipolar EMG signals were collected from four electrodes fixed on the biceps, triceps, brachioradialis and deltoid. Fifteen two-channel and four three-channel configurations were formed out of these six-channel signals for a comparison of different channel combinations. Leave-one-out cross-validation was adopted for evaluating the classification performance using a parametric statistical classifier. Results We processed a total of 216 EMG segments obtained from repeated 18 performances by three normal subjects. mAR model based feature set achieved a better classification accuracy than sAR did for each configuration. Moreover, significance of improvement was greater than 0.95 for those configurations which consisted of EMG channels that were close spatially. Conclusions The stronger the cross-correlation among EMG channels the more improvement of classification accuracy one would expect from using a mAR model.
Holism vs. Wholism

Ervin Laszlo's Science and the Akashic Field claims that there is a shift in Zeitgeist that allows us to view a field that entails coherence among residents of the universe, residents that hitherto have seemed far apart both in space and time. I agree with this claim but suggest that we need to clear up several ambiguities that have hindered understanding and therefore acceptance. Basic to clarification are an understanding of waves, spectra, and the formulations of quantum physics.
Fluorescence probing of interior, interfacial, and exterior regions in solution aggregates of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers

Fluorescence spectroscopy is used to probe local environments within regions of different polarity and hydrophobicity in aqueous aggregates of PEO109−PPO41−PEO109 triblock copolymers. These copolymer aggregates have well characterized microphases in aqueous solution. Concentrations and temperatures for our studies are chosen such that the copolymers are in unimer, micellar, or micellar hydrogel forms. The observed fluorescence spectra and lifetimes from solutions individually labeled with each of the three coumarin probes report on the changes in the local polarity of the core, exterior, interfacial, and corona regions of these copolymer aggregates. This multiple fluorescence probe methodology will be straightforward to apply in general to problems in polymer and biopolymer aggregates, especially those that display strong hydrophobic effects.
Lung surfactant phospholipids in different animal species.

A comparative study of adult mammalian lung surfactants was undertaken to determine which animal species might serve as appropriate models for surfactant alterations in human lung diseases. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) comprised 80–87% of the phospholipid and contained more than 65% palmitic acid in all species studied. Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) was found to vary significantly in fatty acid composition among the species. Rabbit, dog and rat surfactant PG contained 50–60% palmitic acid, while human and cat surfactant contained much lower levels of saturated fatty acids. Both the PC and PG of all species contained 2 positional isomers of fatty acids with 16 carbons and one double bond, but the relative amounts of the unusual isomer, 16∶1Δ7, and palmitoleic, acid, 16∶1Δ9, varied among the different animal species. Only cat and dog surfactant phospholipids contained 18∶1Δ5. Cat surfactant phospholipids also differed by the absence of 20∶4 and the presence of small amounts of several 20- and 22-carbon fatty acids. These results explain some discrepancies found in the literature concerning surfactant composition and delineate limiting factors in extrapolating results from animal studies for the evaluation of maturation and pathological alterations in human surfactant.
Psychophysically derived visual mechanisms in turtle. I: Spectral properties

Two-color increment thresholds were measured in turtle using a behavioral avoidance paradigm. Four visual mechanisms were isolated, and their spectral sensitivities were compared to action spectra of photoreceptors known to occur in this animal. One visual mechanism appears to be mediated by rods and red-sensitive cones at low background intensities, a second mechanism by coupled red- and green-sensitive cones at intermediate levels, a third and fourth mechanism by red-sensitive, and green-sensitive single cones, respectively, acting alone at high background intensities.
The role of lipophilic bile acids in the development of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.

Marked hemodynamic changes occur in humans and experimental animals with cirrhotic liver disease. In the heart, basal contractility, responsiveness to β-adrenoceptor activation, and excitation–contraction coupling (ECC) are negatively affected in models of cirrhosis and portal hypertension with portosystemic shunting (PVS), and comprise what has been called cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. These effects are accompanied by elevated circulating levels of bile acids. We investigated whether elevated bile acids act as a myocardial toxicant by exposing cardiac muscle in vitro to bile acids and compared these results with two models of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy with elevated bile acids: CCl4-induced cirrhosis and PVS. Cholic acid, a lipophilic bile acid, produced a decrease in basal cardiac contractility and responsiveness to β-adrenoceptor activation, both of which appeared to result from altered ECC. β-Adrenoceptor density and signaling were unaffected. Acutely, ursodeoxycholic acid, a more hydrophilic bile acid, had no effect. Cirrhosis produced a decrease in basal force, depressed β-adrenoceptor responsiveness, and altered ECC similar to cholic acid. However, cirrhosis also altered β-adrenoceptor signaling including decreases in cyclic AMP formation, expression of the stimulatory G protein, GS, and β-adrenoceptor density. Displacement of lipophilic bile acids by chronic administration of ursodeoxycholic acid to rats during the development of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy produced by PVS produced attenuation of the effect on ECC. These results suggest a possible role for lipophilic bile acids in some, but not all of the myocardial consequences of chronic portal vein stenosis and CCl4-induced cirrhosis.
Democratizing Civilian Control: The Polish Case

This article explores the theoretical and practical considerations of establishing democratic civilian control over the post-communist military in Poland. It argues that problems with civilian control lie not only within the military establishment but within the political system. It highlights the difference between simple civilian control and democratic civilian control and points out that there can be systemic obstacles to moving from one to the other. It is impossible to establish democratic control over the military until there is a consensus among the population and the politicians about where the locus of that control should lie. In the case of Poland, the military has been used by the president in his attempts to sway the public in favor of a presidential system. The article argues that perhaps the single largest factor in keeping the military out of politics is the development of a stable political system.
Induction of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase to facilitate redox balancing in a ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase-deficient mutant strain of Rhodospirillum rubrum.

A ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase-deficient mutant strain (strain I-19) of Rhodospirillum rubrum was capable of growth under photoheterotrophic conditions in the absence of exogenous electron acceptors. These results suggested that alternative means of removing reducing equivalents have been acquired that allow this strain to remove reducing equivalents in the absence of a functional Calvin-Benson-Bassham reductive pentose phosphate pathway. Previously, the proton-reducing activity of the dinitrogenase complex was implicated in helping to maintain redox balance . However, since considerable amounts of CO2 were still fixed in this strain, the complete profile of enzymes involved in alternative CO2 fixation schemes was assessed. A specific and substantial induction of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CO dehydrogenase) synthesis was found in the mutant strain; although none of the other CO2 fixation pathways or enzyme activities were altered. These results suggested that CO dehydrogenase contributes to the photoheterotrophic success of strain I-19. Furthermore, the data implicate interacting and complex regulatory processes required to maintain the proper redox balance of this organism and other nonsulfur purple bacteria.
Determination of the single-scattering albedo of a dense rayleigh-scattering atmosphere with true absorption

A procedure is developed to determine the single-scattering albedo from polarization measurements of the angle-dependent intensity at two locations within, or on the boundaries of, a homogeneous finite atmosphere which scatters radiation according to Rayleigh's law with true absorption. The density of the atmosphere need not be known.
Magnesium sulfate-induced relaxation of uterine arteries from pregnant and nonpregnant patients*

The effects of magnesium sulfate at different concentrations were investigated in isolated rings of uterine arteries from pregnant and nonpregnant patients. Addition of magnesium sulfate (0.5 to 9.6 mmol/L) to the suffusion medium containing the normal concentration of 1.2 mmol/L magnesium sulfate produced concentration-dependent relaxation of norepinephrine (1 mumol/L)-induced or potassium chloride (35 mmol/L)-induced contractions. Magnesium sulfate was about three times more potent in causing inhibition of potassium chloride-induced contractions in uterine arteries from pregnant patients than in those from nonpregnant patients. The concentrations that inhibited 50% of the contraction induced by potassium chloride were 0.6 +/- 0.2 mmol/L (n = 4) in the arteries from pregnant patients and 1.6 +/- 0.2 mmol/L (n = 4) in the arteries from nonpregnant patients. At high concentrations (4.8 and 9.6 mmol/L), magnesium sulfate also was more potent in inhibiting norepinephrine-induced contractions in arteries from pregnant women than in arteries from nonpregnant women. The magnesium sulfate-induced relaxation was almost completely inhibited by calcium chloride (2 mmol/L) added to the suffusion medium containing the normal concentration of 2.5 mmol/L calcium chloride but was not affected by indomethacin (5 mumol/L), methylene blue (10 mumol/L), or removal of the endothelium. The results show that magnesium sulfate, at therapeutic blood concentrations, acts as a potent dilator of human uterine arteries, especially those from pregnant patients. The results are consistent with the view that magnesium sulfate may facilitate uteroplacental perfusion.
In vivo three-dimensional blood velocity profile shapes in the human common, internal, and external carotid arteries.

Objective True understanding of carotid bifurcation pathophysiology requires a detailed knowledge of the hemodynamic conditions within the arteries. Data on carotid artery hemodynamics are usually based on simplified, computer-based, or in vitro experimental models, most of which assume that the velocity profiles are axially symmetric away from the carotid bulb. Modeling accuracy and, more importantly, our understanding of the pathophysiology of carotid bifurcation disease could be considerably improved by more precise knowledge of the in vivo flow properties within the human carotid artery. The purpose of this work was to determine the three-dimensional pulsatile velocity profiles of human carotid arteries. Methods Flow velocities were measured over the cardiac cycle using duplex ultrasonography, before and after endarterectomy, in the surgically exposed common (CCA), internal (ICA), and external (ECA) carotid arteries (n = 16) proximal and distal to the stenosis/endarterectomy zone. These measurements were linked to a standardized grid across the flow lumina of the CCA, ICA, and ECA. The individual velocities were then used to build mean three-dimensional pulsatile velocity profiles for each of the carotid artery branches. Results Pulsatile velocity profiles in all arteries were asymmetric about the arterial centerline. Posterior velocities were higher than anterior velocities in all arteries. In the CCA and ECA, velocities were higher laterally, while in the ICA, velocities were higher medially. Pre- and postendarterectomy velocity profiles were significantly different. After endarterectomy, velocity values increased in the common and internal and decreased in the external carotid artery. Conclusions The in vivo hemodynamics of the human carotid artery are different from those used in most current computer-based and in vitro models. The new information on three-dimensional blood velocity profiles can be used to design models that more closely replicate the actual hemodynamic conditions within the carotid bifurcation. Such models can be used to further improve our understanding of the pathophysiologic processes leading to stroke and for the rational design of medical and interventional therapies.
Neovascularization after great saphenous vein ablation.

Abstract Objective To determine the prevalence, distribution, and flow characteristics of intraluminal neovascularization in patients undergoing great saphenous vein (GSV) endovenous laser (EVLT) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Methods Duplex ultrasound (DU) was performed in patients undergoing EVLT or RFA before, during, and after their procedures. Follow-up included assessment for deep venous thrombosis and obliteration. When new vessels were identified, the source, extent, direction, and location of flow were noted. Flow channel diameters were measured and the resistivity index (RI) was used to characterize the flow patterns. Results A total of 102 venous ablations were performed of which 46 were RFA, and 56 EVLT. Arterio-venous fistulae (AVF) were found in five patients that were not identified by DU prior to intervention. Involved segments had variable length and multiple channels (mean diameter 2.2 mm). No patient had local or systemic symptoms related to the AVF. The mean RI was 0.42, consistent with an AVF. The perivenous arteries feeding the AVF had enhanced flow but a significantly higher RI (0.63, p Conclusion Multiple small vessels were found directly adjacent to the involved vein segments forming small AVF within the obliterated vein. The prevalence of AVF in the ablated GSV was 5%. This process may be responsible for recanalization or recurrence after endovenous ablation procedures.
Ultrasound and densitometry of the calcaneus correlate with the failure loads of cadaveric femurs.

We assessed the bone mineral density (BMD) of 16 matched sets of cadaveric proximal femurs and feet using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We also estimated the femoral neck length from the DXA scans. Quantitative ultrasound densitometry was used to measure the velocity of sound and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) in the calcaneus of each foot. The proximal femurs were then tested to failure in a loading configuration designed to simulate a fall with impact to the greater trochanter. Femoral neck BMD and trochanteric BMD were strongly associated with the femoral failure load (r2=0.79 and 0.81, respectively; P<0.001), whereas femoral neck length was modestly correlated with femoral failure load (r2=0.27, P=0.04). Calcaneal BMD (r2=0.63, P<0.001) and BUA (r2=0.51, P=0.002) were also significantly associated with femoral failure load. Given the small sample size, we were unable to detect differences in the strength of the correlations between the independent parameters and femoral failure load. Using linear multiple regression analyses, the strongest predictor of femoral failure load was a combination of femoral neck BMD and femoral neck length (R2=0.85, P<0.001). Thus, it appears that both femoral and calcaneal bone mineral properties may be useful for identifying those persons at greatest risk for hip fracture.
Non-Perturbative Restoration of Decoupling

Radiative corrections due to heavy particles can be large in broken gauge theories, growing with their masses. However, simple arguments show that this is only a perturbative effect: the masses of such particles and thus their radiative effects are bounded by the stability and non-linearity of the theory.
Energy metabolism and body composition in long-term recovery from anorexia nervosa.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if energy metabolism and body composition differ between women recovered from anorexia nervosa for 2 or more years (RAN) and control (C) women. Method: Using a cross-sectional design, 16 RAN and 18 C women were studied. Respiratory quotient (RQ) and resting energy expenditure (REE) were measured using indirect calorimetry and body composition using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: The REE between RAN and C women was not significantly different, even when adjusted for body composition. However, RAN women had a higher rate of fat oxidation (p = .015), controlling for diet and body composition. There were no significant differences between the groups for body composition, percent body fat, or percent truncal fat mass. Discussion: Although RAN women have a higher rate of fat oxidation, there were no significant differences in REE or body composition when compared with C women. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2009