cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collisionless resistivity in a bifurcated current sheet

The collisionless resistivity due to charged particle chaos in spatially inhomogeneous magnetic fields is calculated for two frequently observed magnetotail current sheets, the X line, and a bifurcated current sheet (BCS) over varying strengths of cross-tail electric field. The calculation is done for two charged species, protons and O+ ions, found in the magnetotail specially during active times. Chaotic behavior of the particles is studied for the chaos parameter κ≈1defined by Buchner and Zelenyi (1989) as the square root of minimum radius of curvature to the maximum particle gyroradius. The surface of section plot and maximal Lyapunov exponents are analyzed to compare the particle behavior in the two magnetic field topologies. It is found that the particle behavior in a BCS is chaotic around the two humps located at ±z0 and that the configuration is more chaotic than the X line (maximum Lyapunov exponent for X line is around 0.25 compared to 0.34 for BCS). The collisionless resistivity is calculated using the technique developed by Numata and Yoshida (2003). The method relies on a phenomenological equivalence between the particle loss rate from the chaos region and rate of change of momentum in the chaos region under steady state conditions. Rapid decay of the particles from the chaos region is modeled with exponential fits, and it is found that a double exponent is needed for O+ ions in an X line and for both species in the BCS. The resistivity thus calculated is found to be 9–10 orders of magnitude higher than the Spitzer resistivity.
Hippocampal Erk Mechanisms Linking Prediction Error to Fear Extinction: Roles of Shock Expectancy and Contextual Aversive Valence.

The hippocampus plays an important role in processing surprising events, such as new stimuli or known stimuli gaining new behavioral significance (Ploghaus et al. 2000; Lisman and Grace 2005). Accordingly, fear conditioning formed after delivery of unexpected reinforcement, and fear extinction occurring after omission of expected aversive reinforcement, depend on hippocampal activity (Knight et al. 2004; Lattal et al. 2006). Whereas fear conditioning is rapidly and robustly acquired after a single exposure to a novel context paired with foot shock, extinction typically requires multiple nonreinforced contextual exposures (Vianna et al. 2001; Fischer et al. 2004; Chen et al. 2005). These differences may be caused by several factors. First, extinction learning may depend on distinctive molecular mechanisms optimally requiring repeated stimulus presentations. Second, extinction could be slower because it involves new learning as well as retrieval (Ouyang and Thomas 2005), transient destabilization (Lee et al. 2008), and depotentiation (Kim et al. 2007) of the conditioning memory. Third, the expectancy of the aversive event acquired during conditioning needs to be modified for extinction to occur (Lovibond 2004). Fourth, if the aversive valence of the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is transferred to the conditioned stimulus (CS) during conditioning, so that the CS not only serves as a predictor of UCS (expectancy learning) but also gains its aversive motivational properties (evaluative learning), extinction of fear may be markedly delayed (Baeyens et al. 1990; Vansteenwegen et al. 2006; Blechert et al. 2008). Despite the multitude of learning processes involved in conditioning and subsequent extinction of fear, the specific mechanisms by which each process individually contributes to fear regulation are not known. At a molecular level, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) has recently been identified as an important mediator of fear extinction (Szapiro et al. 2003; Chen et al. 2005; Tronson et al. 2008). Erk shows rapid and sustained phosphorylation shortly preceding and during fear extinction, which subsides after fear has stably extinguished (Fischer et al. 2007; Ryu et al. 2008). This activation pattern suggests that Erk is most likely triggered by some of the stimuli uniquely involved in extinction. Here, we show that prediction error of aversive events, but not memory retrieval, lack of reinforcement, or fear response, is the most likely signal activating Erk in hippocampal neurons. The shock expectancy and contextual aversive valence encoded during conditioning significantly accelerated and delayed, respectively, the rate of error detection, Erk signaling, and fear extinction.
Tomato growth and nutrient uptake pattern as influenced by nitrogen form ratio

Abstract Although most plants can use ammonium (NH4) or nitrate (NO3) as a source of N, the degree of effectiveness of these two N forms on tomato growth was found to be dependent on the NH4: NO3 ratio. The addition of small amounts of NH4 to NO3 solutions, up to 14 ppm, improved plant growth but did not significantly change the uptake of K, Ca, and Mg as compared to NO3 alone. However, with 28 ppm NH4‐N and above, dry weights and cation accumulations decreased in amounts of about 35 to 50% and in a 12‐day period. The decreased dry weight and cation uptake with 77: 77 ppm NH4: NO3 ratio was comparable to that obtained with a O N treatment for the same interval.
Food Security and Homelessness in the City of Anaheim

The primary purpose of the City of Anaheim’s 2007 Homeless Survey was to provide city staff with an opportunity to understand the characteristics of the City’s homeless population. The purpose of this study was to determine whether food insecurity was associated with: (1) homelessness, (2) demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and ethnicity, (3) mental and physical illness, and (4) family life among 85 homeless individuals in Anaheim. Although duration of homelessness was not associated with food insecurity, we found that older participants, White participants, and those with more symptoms of schizophrenia were more likely to experience food insecurity. The results suggest that a substantial proportion of homeless individuals experience food insecurity, and that many of them do not utilize food resources. Although the present study was limited in range, the results demonstrate the existence of food insecurity among the homeless of Anaheim. This problem may continue to exist unless new policies are enacted to compensate the current void in services. A follow-up study to examine the current policies affecting the Anaheim homeless population would provide a strong foundation and direction for future policies.
Sleep Apnea in Hypertension. When, How, and Why Should We Treat?

Hypertension is a notoriously complex disease, with a mosaic of potential interactive etiologies. Age, gender, nutrition, environment, stress, obesity, and genetics have been cited as causal factors, as has been dysfunction in renal, endocrine, and neural circulatory control mechanisms. More recently, the epidemic of obesity has prompted recognition of an interaction between obstructive sleep apnea and increased blood pressure. This has, in turn, provided an exciting opportunity for more comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms and potential treatment strategies for hypertensive patients. Both hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are each increasingly common. Hypertension is present in well over a third of middle-aged subjects, and sleep apnea is reported to be present in 25% of middle-aged men and 10% of middle-aged women.1 Other common characteristics of hypertension and OSA include their association with obesity and male gender. Furthermore, both conditions are often clinically undiagnosed and may be accompanied by increased risk of cardiac and vascular damage. Although hypertension and OSA are common in the general population, epidemiological studies suggest that their comorbid prevalence exceeds strikingly that which would be anticipated to occur by chance alone. These observations, based on cross-sectional data, have been further strengthened by prospective studies demonstrating that increasing severity of OSA is a risk factor for the development of incident hypertension over 4 years.2 This etiologic interaction is …
Parameter Tuning from Pairwise Preferences.

That most computer vision algorithms rely on parameters is a fact of life which cannot be avoided. For optimal algorithm performance, these parameters need to be tuned; generally speaking, this tuning is done manually or in some heuristic fashion. In this paper, we propose a new, general method for attacking the problem of parameter tuning, which is applicable to a wide variety of computer vision algorithms. Our method is semi-automatic: a user is given several pairs of outputs from a given vision algorithm, which have been generated by different parameter values; the user is then required to simply choose, for each pair, which output is preferred. Our method then finds the smoothest preference function which satisfies these user preferences. Using the theory of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces, we show how this problem can be reduced to a finite-dimensional convex optimization. We validate our parameter tuning scheme both on simulated data and on the problem of tuning the parameters of an image denoising algorithm.
Why concepts can't be theories

In this paper, I present an alternative argument for Jerry Fodor's recent conclusion that there are currently no tenable theories of concepts in the cognitive sciences and in the philosophy of mind. Briefly, my approach focuses on the ‘theory-theory’ of concepts. I argue that the two ways in which cognitive psychologists have formulated this theory lead to serious difficulties, and that there cannot be, in principle, a third way in which it can be reformulated. Insofar as the ‘theory-theory’ is supposed to replace, and to rectify the problems of, the earlier ‘classical’ and ‘probabilistic’ theories, its failure confirms Fodor's original observation. Since my critique does not rest on controversial philosophical assumptions and is readily available from within the cognitive sciences, it is a stronger argument than Fodor's.
Relation of plasma lipids to all-cause mortality in Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic elders

Objectives to investigate the relation of plasma lipids to all-cause mortality in a multi-ethnic cohort of non-demented elderly. Setting community-based sample of Medicare recipients, 65 years and older, residing in Northern Manhattan. Participants about two thousand five hundred and fifty-six non-demented elderly, 65-103 years. Among participants, 66.1% were women, 27.6% were White/non-Hispanic, 31.2% were African-American and 41.2% were Hispanic. Methods a standardised assessment, including functional ability, medical history, physical and neurological examination and a neuropsychological battery was conducted. Vital status was ascertained through the National Death Index (NDI). We used survival analyses stratified by race and ethnicity to examine the relation of plasma lipids to subsequent all-cause mortality. Results hispanics had the best overall survival, followed by African-Americans and Whites. Whites and African-Americans in the lowest quartiles of total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) were approximately twice as likely to die as those in the highest quartile (White HR: 2.2, for lowest total cholesterol quartile; HR: 2.3, for lowest non-HDL cholesterol quartile; and HR: 1.8, for lowest LDL cholesterol quartile. African-American HR: 1.9, for lowest total cholesterol, HR: 2.0, for lowest non-HDL cholesterol and HR: 1.9, for lowest LDL cholesterol). In contrast, plasma lipid levels were not related to mortality risk among Hispanics. Conclusions hispanic ethnicity modifies the associations between lipid levels and all-cause mortality in the elderly.
Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis

Summary Echinacea is one of the most commonly used herbal products, but controversy exists about its benefit in the prevention and treatment of the common cold. Thus, we did a meta-analysis evaluating the effect of echinacea on the incidence and duration of the common cold. 14 unique studies were included in the meta-analysis. Incidence of the common cold was reported as an odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI, and duration of the common cold was reported as the weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% CI. Weighted averages and mean differences were calculated by a random-effects model (DerSimonian-Laird methodology). Heterogeneity was assessed by the Q statistic and review of L'Abbe plots, and publication bias was assessed through the Egger weighted regression statistic and visual inspection of funnel plots. Echinacea decreased the odds of developing the common cold by 58% (OR 0·42; 95% CI 0·25–0·71; Q statistic p
Outcomes Research: The History, Debate, and Implications for the Field of Occupational Therapy

The field of occupational therapy, as with all facets of health care, has been profoundly affected by the changing climate of health care delivery. The combination of cost-effectiveness and quality of care has become the benchmark for and consequent drive behind the rise of managed health care delivery systems. The spawning of outcomes research is in direct response to the need for comparative databases to provide results of effectiveness in health care treatment protocols, evaluations of health-related quality of life, and cost containment measures. Outcomes management is the application of outcomes research data by all levels of health care providers. The challenges facing occupational therapists include proving our value in an economic trend of downsizing, competing within the medical profession, developing and affiliating with new payer sources, and reengineering our careers to meet the needs of the new, nontraditional health care marketplace.
The Moderating Effect of Environmental Uncertainty on New Product Development and Time Efficiency

This empirical study examines the influence of environmental uncertainty on industrial product innovation. The present study addresses what is believed to be a shortcoming in the new product development literature and explores potential effects of environmental uncertainty on the development process, project organization, and on project timeliness with a sample of development projects in two countries, Canada and Australia. When looking at the combined sample of 182 completed projects, this study finds that the perceived market-related project environment has a direct and positive impact on time efficiency. Further, this research finds that a higher degree of technological uncertainty moderates the relationship between development process, project organization and time efficiency. Consequently, innovating companies may benefit by adapting some of their development approaches to different environmental conditions and to varying degrees of uncertainty. However, when examining country-specific effects, the results change quite significantly. In particular, the findings indicate that environmental uncertainty in the Canadian sample neither directly impacts time efficiency, nor does it have any moderating effect. Instead, technical proficiency in the development process, project team organization, and process compression appear to be viable strategies to increase time-efficient development. In contrast, the results of the Australian study suggest that perceived market and technological uncertainty impact time efficiency. In particular, under conditions of technological unpredictability, project team organization increases time efficiency, whereas process compression appears to decrease time-efficient product development. However, process compression seems to be a viable strategy in environments characterized by lower technological uncertainty. The results also point to the importance of disaggregating data when studying product development processes across countries.
On Some Geometric Properties of the Unit Sphere

The purpose of this note is to provide an elementary exposition of two geometric properties of normed linear spaces: the QP-property which was introduced in [1] and the more general Q-property introduced in [4]. A QP-space is “polyhedral” in the sense of Klee [6], and it represents a generalization of the unit ball being a “convex polytope” in the sense of Maserick [8]. A finite-dimensional space is a QP-space if and only if its unit ball is a polyhedron. We will observe that these properties are also related to property (P) of Brown [3] and hence to the continuity of set-valued metric projections onto finite-dimensional subspaces. For a more comprehensive study of these and other properties see [1], [4], [3], and [2].
Common mutations in ALK2/ACVR1, a multi-faceted receptor, have roles in distinct pediatric musculoskeletal and neural orphan disorders

Activin receptor-like kinase-2 (ALK2), the product of ACVR1, is a member of the type I bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor family. ALK2 exerts key and non-redundant roles in numerous developmental processes, including the specification, growth and morphogenesis of endochondral skeletal elements. There is also strong evidence that BMP signaling plays important roles in determination, differentiation and function of neural cells and tissues. Here we focus on the intriguing discovery that common activating mutations in ALK2 occur in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) and Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPGs), distinct pediatric disorders of significant severity that are associated with premature death. Pathogenesis and treatment remain elusive for both. We consider recent studies on the nature of the ACVR1 mutations, possible modes of action and targets, and plausible therapeutic measures. Comparisons of the diverse - but genetically interrelated - pathologies of FOP and DIPG will continue to be of major mutual benefit with broad biomedical and clinical relevance.
3-(2,6-Dioxopiperidin-3-yl)-3-aza-bicyclo-[3.2.0]heptane-2,4-dione.

The title mol­ecule, C11H12N2O4, consists of a 3-aza­bicyclo­[3.2.0]heptane group containing a nearly planar cyclo­butane ring (r.m.s. deviation of fitted atoms is 0.0609 A), fused to a pyrrolidine ring, bonded to a 2,6-dioxopiperidine ring at the 3-position. The angle between the mean planes of the cyclo­butane and fused pyrrolidine ring is 67.6 (6)°. The dihedral angles between the mean planes of the pyrrolidine and cyclo­butane rings and the dioxopiperidine ring are 73.9 (2) and 62.4 (4)°, respectively. The pyrrolidine and dioxopiperidine rings are twisted about the 3-yl group [torsion angles = −55.0 (1) and 115.0 (1)°] in a nearly perpendicular manner. Crystal packing is influenced by extensive inter­molecular C—H⋯O and N—H⋯O inter­actions between all four carbonyl O atoms and H atoms from the cyclo­butane and dioxopiperidine rings, as well as between the N atom and an H atom from the cyclo­butane ring. In addition, weak π-ring interactions also occur between H atoms from the cyclobutane ring and the five-membered pyrrolidine ring. As a result, mol­ecules are linked into infinite chains diagonally along the [101] plane of the unit cell in an alternate inverted pattern.
Fast Domain Adaptation for Part of Speech Tagging for Dialogues

Part of speech tagging accuracy deteriorates severely when a tagger is used out of domain. We investigate a fast method for domain adaptation, which provides additional in-domain training data from an unannotated data set by applying POS taggers with different biases to the unannotated data set and then choosing the set of sentences on which the taggers agree. We show that we improve the accuracy of a trigram tagger, TnT, from 85.77% to 86.10%. In order to improve performance on unknown words, we investigate using active learning for learning ambiguity classes of domain specific words, yielding an accuracy of 89.15% for TnT.
MRI visualization of neural stem cells targeting human glioma in an orthotopic mouse model

A52 Neural stem cells (NSC) display inherent tumor-tropic properties to primary and metastatic tumor foci, providing the basis for development of a novel treatment approach. We postulate that tumor-selective NSC-mediated delivery can maximize local concentrations of anti-cancer agents, while minimizing toxicity to normal tissues and overcoming some of the limitations of the currently available conventional therapies. Our pre-clinical data has demonstrated tumor-tropism of NSCs regardless of route of administration. A multi-potent NSC line, HB1.F3 has demonstrated promising therapeutic potential in animal models of glioblastoma, melanoma brain metastases, medulloblastoma, as well as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s and lysosomal storage disease. A means to monitor tumor targeting, distribution and fate of NSCs in vivo will allow us to determine optimal treatment paradigm and regimens to develop future patient trials. Recent developments have shown that magnetically-labeled cells can be tracked in iron sensitive T2-weighted MRI as hypo-intense signals. Here, we demonstrate that HB1.F3 (parental line) and HB1.F3.CD (expressing cytosine deaminase, a prodrug-activating enzyme) NSCs can be efficiently labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles, Ferumoxide (FE), complexed to Protamine Sulfate (Pro) and visualized using MRI. We also assess the potential toxicity of FE-Pro complex in our parental and therapeutic NSCs in vitro . No significant alterations in NSC viability and proliferation were observed during 8 days after FE-Pro labeling (~5-6 cell divisions). Furthermore, the tumor-tropic properties of FE-Pro-labeled NSCs were also retained both in vitro and in vivo . FE-Pro-labeled NSCs, when injected contra-lateral to human glioma implant (U251) in mouse brain, were detected as low intensity T2-weighted MRI signal at the NSC injection site, as well as at the tumor site. The MRI data were confirmed by histological evaluation. Our data support the feasibility of cellular MRI for monitoring of stem cell targeting of tumors, and may aid translation of such therapy to clinical trials in patients with glioma.
Identifying Leukocytes in Fecal Specimens

I am trying to find a suitable, cost-effective proce­ dure for identifying fecal leukocytes. Would you help me out? The presence of fecal leukocytes indicates bowel mucosal inflammation, which occurs in invasive bacterial enteritis and ulcerative colitis. Several approaches have been suggested to detect this inflammatory process, and each has its advan­ tages and disadvantages.
Rutile Surface Reactivity Provides Insight into the Structure-Directing Role of Peroxide in TiO2 Polymorph Control

The peroxo ligand is one of the most promising structure-directing agents in TiO2 nanocatalyst synthesis; however, its role in nanocatalyst growth and polymorph control is not well understood. Using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation, we show that the base-catalyzed reaction of H2O2 targets very particular sites on the rutile (110) surface, sites that are present in concentrations of less than 1% of a monolayer, producing highly homogeneous surfaces characterized by flat terraces and straight atomic-height steps. This reaction produces surface steps with a different orientation, different structure, and different reactivity from those prepared in ultrahigh vacuum studies. The observed reactivity is explained by a simple, site-specific model that is based on metal oxo coordination chemistry. This study shows that one of the principle roles of peroxide in etching and growth reactions is destabilizing neighboring bonds and incr...
Abstract 4410: Initiative for Molecular Profile and Advanced Cancer Therapy (IMPACT): A personalized medicine Phase I clinical trials program at MD Anderson Cancer Center:

Introduction: Ongoing clinical trials are based on targeting specific pathways in addition to the tumor histology. We examined the results of mutational analyses performed in patients with advanced cancer seen in the Phase I clinic at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Methods: Mutational analysis was mostly performed in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified pathology laboratory of MD Anderson. DNA was extracted from microdissected paraffin-embedded tumor samples, and analysis was performed on specific exons, depending on the test ordered, for the following genes: PIK3CA (exon 9: codons 532-554; exon 20: codons 1011-1062); BRAF (exon 15: codons 595 to 600); KRAS and NRAS (codons 12, 13, and 61); EGFR (exons 18 to 21 of the kinase domain); KIT (exons 9, 11, 13, and 17); and RET (exon 10: codons 609, 611, 618, and 620; codon 634 of exon 11; codon 918 of exon 16). The loss of the tumor suppressor nuclear protein, PTEN, was determined using immunohistochemical staining. Results. Tumor mutational analysis was ordered for 952 patients. Overall, 103 patients did not have adequate tissue. Of the remaining 849 patients, 354 (41.69%) had ≥ 1 mutation and 495 did not have a mutation. More women (45%) than men (38%) had a mutation (p = 0.02), but age was not associated with the presence of mutations (p=0.76). Of the patients with mutations, 313 had 1 mutation, 38 had 2 mutations, and 3 had 3 mutations. The distribution of mutations by diagnosis is shown in the Table. The total distribution of mutations in our patient population was as follows: BRAF, 19.01%; KRAS, 18.74%; PIK3CA, 9.85%; NRAS, 8.17%; EGFR, 3.38%; KIT, 2.13%; and PTEN loss, 21.20%. Conclusion: Testing for PIK3CA, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, EGFR, KIT, and RET mutations and PTEN loss in 849 patients with available tissue demonstrated that molecular driver aberrations are common in advanced cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4410. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4410
Insecticide resistance of Aedes albopictus in Shaanxi province,China and its control strategy

Objective To evaluate the insecticide resistance of Aedes albopictus in Tongchuan city and Ankang city of Shaanxi province,China.Methods Distinguishing dosage method was used to measure the mortality rates of Ae.albopictus larvae within 24 h of exposure to three insecticides;median lethal dose(LC50) method was used to measure the LC50 of nine insecticides for Ae.albopictus larvae.Results The distinguishing dosage method showed that Ae.albopictus in Ankang and Tongchuan had resistances to dichlorvos,permethrin,and deltamethrin.The LC50 method showed that for Ae.albopictus in Ankang and Tongchuan,the LC50 of β-cypermethrin was 0.003 71 mg/L and 0.001 45 mg/L,the LC50 of permethrin was 0.006 25 mg/L and 0.017 67 mg/L,the LC50 of deltamethrin was 0.002 69 mg/L and 0.000 76 mg/L,the LC50 of cypermethrin was 0.017 46 mg/L and 0.009 37 mg/L,the LC50 of DDT was 0.809 54 mg/L and 0.217 06 mg/L,the LC50 of dichlorvos was 0.040 15 mg/L and 0.026 77 mg/L,the LC50 of parathion was 0.002 22 mg/L and 0.003 10 mg/L,the LC50 of propoxur was 0.348 14 mg/L and 0.651 91 mg/L,and the LC50 of fenobucarb was 0.157 19 mg/L and 0.543 77 mg/L.Ae.albopictus in the two areas developed higher resistance ratios to dichlorvos,parathion,and propoxur than to other insecticides.Conclusion Insecticides should be used properly to control Ae.albopictus in a geographic area with certain ecological characteristics,so as to retard the development of insecticide resistance in Ae.albopictus.
Effect of Aortic Valve Regurgitation on Pharmacodynamics of Cisatracurium

【Objective】 The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of severe aortic valve incompetence on the pharmacodynamics of cisatracurium. 【Methods】 Thirty patients were enrolled in this study: 15 patients with severe aortic valve incompetence scheduled for aortic valve replacement were included in the study group (AI-group) and 15 patients without heart disease undergoing general surgical operations were allocated into the control group (C-group). Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl 5 μg / kg, propofol 1.5 ～ 2 mg / kg and cisatracurium 0.1 mg / kg and maintained by total intravenous anesthesia with propofol-remifentanil infusion. Degree of neuromuscular block was measured by train-of-four ratio using TOF-WATCH acceleragraph monitor. Onset time (from administration of cisatracurium to T1 = 0), total twitch suppression time, the time for spontaneous recovery of T1 to 25% and 75% , and the recovery index were recorded respectively. 【Results】 The onset time of cisatracurium was significantly longer in the AI group compared to the control group (5.6 ± 0.8 min vs 3.4 ± 0.4 min, P 0.001. However, there was no difference in the recovery time between the two groups. 【Conclusion】 We demonstrated that the onset of cisatracurium was delayed in the patients with severe aortic regurgitation in comparison to those without heart disease.
Dynamic efficiency tracking controller for reconfigurable four-coil wireless power transfer system

This paper presents a dynamic efficiency tracking control strategy for reconfigurable four-coil wireless power transfer (R-WPT) system. The proposed R-WPT system includes an array of drive loops, a transmitter (Tx coil), a receiver (Rx coil), an array of load loops, two relay switch arrays, a rectifier and a control unit. By sensing voltage and/or current from the power source and the load, Tx and Rx side switches are adaptively controlled such that one drive loop out of several drive loops with different diameters is connected to the power source and one load loop out of several load loops with different diameters is connected to the load. Since drive loops and load loops have different sizes, the optimum coupling factor with corresponding drive loop and load loop is adaptively varied and selected, such that the maximum efficiency is achieved at a given distance/misalignment condition. Proof of concept experimental results demonstrate and verify the operation of the system achieving high efficiency.
Educating Educational Leaders in a Blended Professional Doctorate Program: An Initial Action Research Inquiry

This paper describes the first cycle of an action research study investigating the impact of new blended learning courses in a professional doctorate program, the results of which will inform future course planning and pedagogy. Specifically, core researcher-faculty members associated with the program were interested in understanding how a blended learning program impacted students’ learning experiences. In our findings from this initial inquiry, we detail both constraining and enabling elements of the hybrid experiences provided to students. We also describe the revised action plan created from these findings to improve our ability to utilize the online portion of our doctoral coursework to meet our larger goals of preparing educational leaders to fight for issues of social justice in K-12 settings and beyond.
Propagation failure of fronts in discrete inhomogeneous media with a sawtooth nonlinearity

Exact, steady-state, single-front solutions are constructed for a spatially discrete bistable equation with a piecewise linear reaction term, known as a sawtooth nonlinearity. These solutions are obtained by solving second-order difference equations with variable coefficients, which are linear under certain assumptions on the expected solutions. An algorithmic procedure for constructing solutions in general, for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous diffusion, is obtained using a combination of Jacobi-Operator theory and the Sherman–Morrison formula. The existence of solutions for the difference equation, implies propagation failure of fronts for the corresponding differential-difference equation. The interval of propagation failure, which is the range of values of the detuning parameter that render stationary fronts, is studied in detail for the case of a single defect in the medium of propagation. Explicit formulae reveal precise relationships between parameter values that cause traveling fronts to fail to...
Seismic analysis of semi-gravity RC cantilever retaining wall with TDA backfill

The seismic behavior of Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA) used as backfill material of 6.10 m high retaining walls was investigated based on nonlinear time-history Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The retaining walls were semi-gravity reinforced concrete cantilever type. In the backfill, a 2.74 m thick conventional soil layer was placed over a 3.06 m thick TDA layer. For comparison purpose, a conventional all soil-backfill model was also developed, and the analysis results from the two models under the Northridge and Takatori earthquakes were compared. The FEA results showed that both models did not experience major damage in the backfill under the Northridge earthquake. However, under the Takatori earthquake, the TDA-backfill model developed substantially large displacement in the retaining walls and in the backfill compared with the soil-backfill model. Regions of large plastic strain were mainly formed in the TDA layer, and the soil over the TDA layer did not experience such large plastic strain, suggesting less damage than the soil-backfill model. In addition, the acceleration on the backfill surface of the TDA-backfill model decreased substantially compared with the soil-backfill model. If an acceleration sensitive structure is placed on the surface of the backfill, the TDA backfill may induce less damage to it.
Edge contacts to multilayer MoS 2 using in situ Ar ion beam

The dimensional scaling of transistors has been a continuous effort for decades. For devices at the sub-5 nm scale, two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, including MoS 2 , show great promise for preserving electrostatic control and performance. Numerous studies have theoretically [1] and experimentally [2] investigated the effect of short channel and contact lengths on the MoS 2 transistor performance. Though it has been recognized that edge contacts could drastically decrease contact resistance and improve performance of MoS 2 FETs [1], no experimental work has demonstrated pure edge contacts to this layered semiconductor using in situ etching. In this work, we demonstrate partial and full edge-contacted multilayer MoS 2 FETs by using an in situ Ar ion beam.
The effects of physical activity and sedentary behavior on cognitive health in older adults

Physical activity has been shown to be positively associated with cognitive health, but the mechanisms underlying the benefits of physical activity on cognitive health are unclear. The present study simultaneously examined two hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM). The depression-reduction hypothesis states that depression suppresses cognitive ability and that physical activity alleviates dysphoric mood and thereby improves cognitive ability. The social-stimulation hypothesis posits that social contact, which is often facilitated by socially laden physical activities, improves cognitive functioning by stimulating the nervous system. Sedentary behavior in the absence of physical activity is expected to exert an inverse relationship on cognitive health through each of these hypotheses. Community-dwelling elders (N = 158) were administered a variety of measures of cognition, depression, social support, and physical activity. SEM techniques provided partial support for the social-stimulation hypothesis and depression-reduction hypothesis. Implications for treating depression and improving cognitive functioning are discussed.
Synaptic Mechanisms for Encoding Memory

Recent work has resolved many long-standing questions about the substrates of long-term potentiation (LTP) and thereby opened new possibilities for a neurobiological description of how memory is encoded, organized, and retrieved. The formation of LTP is typically divided into induction, expression, and consolidation (stabilization) phases that involve very different sets of cellular processes. Close analysis of induction helps explain the contiguity requirements of learning while the specifics of expression may be related to the clustering and hierarchical organization of memory. Work on consolidation has opened the way to mapping where, in the forebrain, learning-related synaptic changes occur, an essential first step in understanding retrieval.
Just like a ‘modern’ wife? Concubines on the public stage in early Republican China

AbstractWhilst scholars have highlighted a variety of women who became active in the public arena in early Republican China (1912–28), little attention has been given to concubines. Beyond reformers’ social and legal efforts to abolish the custom of concubinage, we know little about the public activities of concubines and social reactions to them. This article investigates how, under the influence of the Western practice of wives accompanying their official husbands for formal functions, Chinese officials were obliged to bring their wives out of domestic seclusion to appear with them in public. Many wives, however, did not feel comfortable doing so. Consequently, a unique opportunity opened up for the concubines of Chinese officials to play the role of a ‘modern’ wife on various social and diplomatic occasions both domestic and abroad, which brought an unprecedented degree of visibility and respectability to a category of women of traditionally low-status origin. Nevertheless, these women suffered and end...
Predicting central line-associated bloodstream infections and mortality using supervised machine learning.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare machine learning techniques for predicting central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). Materials and methods The Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III database was queried for all ICU admissions. The variables included six different severities of illness scores calculated on the first day of ICU admission with their components and comorbidities. The outcomes of interest were in-hospital mortality, central line placement, and CLABSI. Predictive models were created for these outcomes using classifiers with different algorithms: logistic regression, gradient boosted trees, and deep learning. Results There were 57,786 total hospital admissions and the mortality rate was 10.1%. There were 38.4% patients with a central line and the rate of CLABSI was 1.5%. The classifiers using deep learning performed with the highest AUC for mortality, 0.885 ± 0.010 (p Conclusions This study demonstrates models for identifying patients who will develop CLABSI. Early identification of these patients has implications for quality, cost, and outcome improvements.
Treatment in a preventive cardiology clinic utilizing advanced practice providers effectively closes atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk-management gaps among a primary-prevention population compared with a propensity-matched primary-care cohort: A team-based care model and its impact on lipid and blood pressure management

BACKGROUND Advanced practice providers (APPs) can fill care gaps created by physician shortages and improve adherence/compliance with preventive ASCVD interventions. HYPOTHESIS APPs utilizing guideline-based algorithms will more frequently escalate ASCVD risk factor therapies. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data on 595 patients enrolled in a preventive cardiology clinic (PCC) utilizing APPs compared with a propensity-matched cohort (PMC) of 595 patients enrolled in primary-care clinics alone. PCC patients were risk-stratified using Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS). RESULTS Baseline demographics were balanced between the groups. CACS was more commonly obtained in PCC patients (P < 0.001), resulting in reclassification of 30.6% patients to a higher risk category, including statin therapy in 26.6% of low-FRS PCC patients with CACS ≥75th MESA percentile. Aspirin initiation was higher for high and intermediate FRS patients in the PCC (P < 0.001). Post-intervention mean LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and triglycerides (all P < 0.05) were lower in the PCC group. Compliance with appropriate lipid treatment was higher in intermediate to high FRS patients (P = 0.004) in the PCC group. Aggressive LDL-C and non-HDL-C treatment goals (<70 mg/dL, P = 0.005 and < 130 mg/dL, P < 0.001, respectively), were more commonly achieved in high-FRS PCC patients. Median post-intervention SBP was lower among intermediate and low FRS patients (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Cumulatively, this resulted in a reduction in median post-intervention PCC FRS across all initial FRS risk categories (P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS APPs within a PCC effectively risk-stratify and aggressively manage ASCVD risk factors, resulting in a reduction in post-intervention FRS.
Synthesis of Fjord Region Diol Epoxides as Potential Ultimate Carcinogens of Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene

Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) is one of the strongest polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens known. This paper describes the synthesis of potential ultimate carcinogens of DB[a,l]P: anti- and syn-11,12-dihydroxy-13,14-epoxy-11,12,13,14- tetrahydroDB[a,l]P (DB-[a,l]P-11,12-diol-13,14-epoxides). The method employed is also useful for the preparation of key intermediates for the synthesis of 11,12-dihydroxy-13,14-epoxy-11,12,13,14-tetrahydrobenzo-[g]chrysene (BgC-11,12-diol-13,14-epoxide). Photochemical cyclization of the appropriately substituted phenanthrylphenylethylenes provided 9-carbomethoxy-11-methoxyBgC (4) and 11-methoxyBgC (3). The former was converted by reduction, oxidation, one-carbon chain extension, and cyclization to 11-methoxy DB[a,l]P (7). Compounds 3 and 7 were converted by hydrolysis and oxidation to BgC-11,12-dione (10) and DB[a,l]P-11,12-dione (11), respectively. The diones are the precursors for the synthesis of the corresponding diol epoxides. anti- and syn-DB-[a,l]P-11,12-diol-13,14-epoxides 13 and 14 were prepared in 38% and 55% yields, respectively, from 11. Both diol epoxides had predominantly pseudodiequatorial hydroxyl groups, as seen in other sterically hindered diol epoxides.
Artrodesi lombare intersomatica anteriore videoassistita

Riassunto La fusione lombare anteriore ha conquistato grande popolarita nel trattamento di molteplici patologie della colonna lombare. Storicamente e tradizionalmente, sono stati utilizzati, per questo tipo di chirurgia, approcci anteriori aperti. Di recente, per ridurre la morbilita associata a un’ampia incisione e alla chirurgia aperta, sono state proposte fusione laparoscopica e procedure mini-invasive. Gli approcci anteriori videoassistiti combinano i vantaggi della chirurgia mini-invasiva con una buona illuminazione e la possibilita di una valida fusione da L2 a S1. Inoltre, si evitano gli svantaggi della procedura laparoscopica con insufflazione di gas. Sono qui presentate due diverse tecniche di esecuzione dell’artrodesi anteriore videoassistita.
Quality assurance policies in the European Higher Education Area: A comparative case study

...... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS viii LIST OF ACRONYMS x LIST OF TABLES xi LIST OF FIGURES xii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1 Background 4 Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Europe 4 Statement of the Problem 6 Theoretical Framework 9 Research Questions 11 Definitions of Terms 11 Limitations 15 Significance of the Study 15 Summary 16 CHAPTER TWO SETTING THE CONTEXT 17 Forces that Brought Europe and the European Higher Education Together 17 European Integration 17 The European Union 19 Internationalization, Europeanization, and Globalization of Higher Education 22 Discussion on Educational Reforms in Higher Education in Europe . 23 Discussion on the Bologna Process 24 The Bologna Process of 1999 25 The Bologna Declaration’s Principles 40 Accreditation and Quality Assurance Issues in the Bologna Process . 41 Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area 44 Three Levels of Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education 47 Accreditation Process on National Level in the European Higher Education Area 51 Higher Education in the United Kingdom History 55 Steps in the Implementation of the Bologna Declaration’s Principles in England 68 University of Cambridge 82 History 82 University of Cambridge Today 83
Transport of HIV-protease inhibitors across 1 alpha,25di-hydroxy vitamin D3-treated Calu-3 cell monolayers: modulation of P-glycoprotein activity.

Purpose. The presence of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) within the lipid bilayers of the absorptive cells greatly influences drug entry into the HIV-infected sanctuary sites. The objective of this study was to access the potential role of pulmonary cells expressing high levels of P-gp in the efflux of potent anti-HIV drugs such as protease inhibitors.
Two are better than one: Infant language learning from video improves in the presence of peers.

Studies show that young children learn new phonemes and words from humans significantly better than from machines. However, it is not clear why learning from video is ineffective or what might be done to improve learning from a screen. The present study, conducted with 9-month-old infants, utilized a manipulation—touch screen video—which allowed infants to control presentations of foreign-language video clips. We tested the hypothesis that infant learning from a screen would be enhanced in the presence of a peer, as opposed to learning alone. Brain measures of phonetic learning and detailed analyses of interaction during learning confirm the hypothesis that social partners enhance learning, even from screens.
The impact of physical proximity and attachment working models on cardiovascular reactivity: Comparing mental activation and romantic partner presence

Close relationships, especially high-quality romantic relationships, are consistently associated with positive physical health outcomes. Attenuated cardiovascular reactivity is one physiological mechanism implicated in explaining these effects. Drawing on attachment and social baseline theories, this experimental study evaluated two potential affiliative cues as mechanisms through which romantic relationships may attenuate cardiovascular reactivity to a laboratory-based stressor. Prior to a cold pressor task, 102 participants were randomly assigned to either have their partner physically present, call upon a mental representation of their partner, or think about their day during the stressor. Consistent with our preregistered hypotheses, participants in both the partner present and mental activation conditions had significantly lower blood pressure (BP) reactivity during the cold pressor task compared to control participants for both systolic (d = -0.54) and diastolic BP (d = -0.53), but no significant differences emerged for heart rate or heart rate variability. Although participants in the partner present and mental activation conditions had similar BP reactivity to the cold pressor task, those in the partner present condition reported significantly less pain as a result of the task. The difference in BP reactivity by condition was moderated-BP reactivity was greater for people with lower self-reported relationship satisfaction. The results suggest that accessing the mental representation of a romantic partner and a partner's presence each buffer against exaggerated acute stress responses to a similar degree.