cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional position deteciton system with MEMS accelerometer for MOUSE applications

A hybrid two-dimensional position sensing system is designed for mouse applications. The system measures the acceleration of hand-movements which are converted into two-dimensional location coor-dinates. The system consists of four major components: 1) MEMS accelerometers, 2) CMOS analog read-out circuitry, 3) an accelera-tion magnitude extraction module, and 4) a 16-bit RISC micropro-cessor. Mechanical and analog circuit simulation shows that the designed padless mouse system can detect accelerations as small as 5.3 mg and operate up to 18MHz.
Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Children With Congenital Heart Disease: A Work in Progress

When I began my residency in 1977, treatment of children with congenital heart defects was evolving in the context of an inspiring collaboration between pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, and cardiac anesthesia. In the ensuing decades, thousands of infants were saved by novel imaging, new operations, and refined supportive methods. The impact on these children was, in many instances, not only lifesaving but even miraculous. A similar phenomenon was occurring nationally and internationally, and advances in diagnosis, treatment, surgical interventions, and support techniques changed faster than in perhaps any other pediatric field. By the mid-1980s, many previously fatal congenital cardiac lesions had become operable, and survival rates had improved. In addition, new surgical techniques were developed to repair even the most complex lesions during early infancy rather than in 2 stages (ie, first palliative, then later reparative surgery), and morbidity and mortality declined. Dazzling progress in the sophistication of surgical repair is illustrated nowhere better than by the transition of surgery for dextrotransposition of the great arteries from atrial switch surgery (eg, … Address correspondence to Leonard Rappaport, MD, MS, Boston Children’s Hospital, Fegan 10, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: leonard.rappaport{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Test of Dynamic Properties in Different Environmental Conditions with Different Occupant Weight

This paper deals with accelerated aging of different vehicle segment foams such as high and low density passenger cars and truck cushions. These different segments have different durability, density, firmness, and thickness requirements in many cases. This paper explores the difference in vehicle environment, accelerated aging conditions, and the numbers of fatigue cycles, then provides experimental methods to determine complete collapse of foam and to estimate durability of foam systems.
Interfaith Dialogue in a Pluralistic World: Insights From Martin Buber and Miroslav Volf

Interfaith dialogue is crucial in a pluralistic world. Such dialogue needs to go beyond mere tolerance while at the same time respecting individuals’ boundaries and beliefs. Martin Buber’s concept of inclusion and Miroslav Volf’s image of embrace provide complementary models which can give a theoretical basis for a productive approach to dialogue amid profound difference.
Motion Learning Using The N eural Network

One of the most promising topics of research in the field of artificial intelligence is the application of data captured from human motion using sensors processed with various algorithms to achieve successful data analysis. This project aims to design and develop a method to judge human motion and allows the users to see the score while they are performing motion. The Neural Network is trained to follow human expert scores on all players' motion profiles as compared with master player. This Neural Network is trained for its best performance by changing the number of iterations and the dataset passes through the network. Its sets the time period to train the Neural Network and sets the gradient so that error generated is a minimal or changing mean square error. The user data derived from a Yoga performance or any other motion was collected from Kinect sensors' data reports. The data collected contained X, Y and Z rotational and positional points. Kinect sensors captures 20 joints. The master data and user data were used as input to the Dynamic Time Warping algorithm. It compensated for the speed and time between the master and user data and gave a value that suggests the relative similarity of both motion profiles. The output of this algorithm was fed to Neural Network that was trained with a human judgment expert's data on motion profiles. This project is an attempt to train a Neural Network that will eventually judge like an expert and determine the success level that a user's motion profile exhibits.
The effect of cherry leaf roll virus infection on the performance of birch pollen and studies on virus replication in germinating pollen

SUMMARY The rates of germ tube elongation in vitro of pollen from cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV)-infected birch (Betula pendula) did not differ significantly from those of pollen from virus-free trees. Differences in percentage germination of pollen collected from trees at different sites were significant but percentages of germination of pollen from virus-infected and virus-free trees did not differ greatly from one another. In vivo, pollen from infected trees germinated on healthy and CLRV-infected stigmas and callose plugs formed in both types of tissues. However, the extent of callose plug formation was greater in the pollen tubes of virus-free grains germinating in infected stigmas than in reciprocal crosses. CLRV coat antigen was detected by ELISA in stigmatic tissue, from healthy trees, on which virus-carrying pollen grains had germinated. Using fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated to CLRV-specific γ-globulin, viral coat antigen was detected throughout germ tubes from virus-carrying but not virus-free pollen germinating in vitro. Protoplasts released following Driselase digestion of pollen germ tubes from virus-infected trees contained CLRV antigen detectable by ELISA. During germination of virus-infected pollen there was little synthesis of viral coat protein or nucleic acid but, following inoculation with purified virus particles, protoplasts made from healthy germinating pollen produced increasing amounts of CLRV-specific antigen implying that CLRV replicated in this system.
Compact device modeling for circuit simulation

This paper reviews issues related to compact modeling for circuit simulation. The major emphasis is to detail common-sense guidelines for compact modeling and characterization that are not so common, and to highlight common numerical weaknesses and their solution. Aspects of high frequency modeling that are often overlooked are also addressed.
Gaining Ground: The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods

Jennifer A. Clack, 2002, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 369 p. (Hardback $50.00) ISBN: 0-253-34054-3. Approximately ten years ago, a colleague and I were asked to write a review (Lombard and Sumida, 1992) of the seminal events bearing on our understanding of early tetrapods in the preceding quarter century (1965–1990). Although some of the earlier work by Jennifer Clack was indeed listed as important during that period, it was surprising that the most significant events during that time seemed to be the impact of geology and plate tectonics on vertebrate paleontology. During the subsequent ten years the discovery of fossils themselves returned to the forefront of vertebrate paleontology. Only the documentation of feathered dinosaurs from China has generated changes so fundamental in our understanding of the relationships of vertebrate groups to the degree recently demonstrated by early tetrapods. The story of that research is the basis of Gaining Ground. Given the fundamental importance of the increase in data bearing on early tetrapod evolution, it is pleasant surprise to see a volume by a prominent scientist that is both compelling to researchers, yet written in a manner that will aid instructors in undergraduate and postgraduate biology and geology. With Gaining Ground, Jennifer Clack flies in the face of the plethora of popular and professional books on dinosaurs, with a book on animals that are far older. By writing a book that babies no one, yet can be read both by the intelligent layman and academic alike, the author demonstrates that these older animals can be just as compelling. The volume brings together her work of the past two decades on Paleozoic tetrapods, with particular focus on her specialty—the earliest known tetrapods of the Late Devonian. This is combined with a synthesis of other workers' efforts on somewhat younger taxa to provide what …
Expanding the Paradigm of Rehabilitation Sciences

Cognitive and Behavioral Rehabilitation: From Neurobiology to Clinical Practice. Jennie Ponsford (Ed.). 2004. New York: Guilford Press. 366 pp., $50.00 (HB).The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 90 million people, or 1.5% of the world population, are in need of rehabilitation services at any given point in time (WHO, 2003). Many of these individuals are at risk for long-term disability due to brain injury and disease. They range from the young, who increasingly survive early brain insults, to older adults, whose independence and every day functioning may be threatened by the onset of neurologic impairments. As medical advances improve survival rates and longevity, the number of those in need of cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation services to enhance functioning is likely to grow. This situation raises pressing questions, such as, who will get better with what rehabilitation treatment, and why?
Evaluating the Cost of Medication Non Compliance in the Treatment of Epilepsy

Rationale: Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. It can be classified in two main types according to whether the source of the seizure within the brain is localised: partial or focal onset seizures and distributed or generalised seizures. Epilepsy is a condition of great relevance and prevalence in the world population. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, 2.3 million Americans suffer with epilepsy of which 316,000 (14%) under the age of 15; 14 million (63%) between the ages of 15 and 64 and 549,000 (24%) over the age of 65. Objectives: The purpose of this research is a recognition and collection of data on the costs associated with the treatment of epilepsy available in published literature. We are especially interested in the costs associated with non-compliance with epilepsy medications. Medication compliance (also called adherence) is the extent to which a patient acts in concordance with the regimen prescribed by the doctor. Methodology: An examination of published literature on electronic databases and peer-review journals is performed to collect evidence about the costs related to non compliance with epilepsy treatment. To select relevant literature we use as inclusion criteria papers published from 1996 to 2007. Conclusions: The results of the study shows that non adherence to prescribed medication is a severe problem in the treatment of epilepsy. Only 75% of US population with chronic diseases takes medication as prescribed and this failure to comply with treatment regimen leads to two types of consequences: a reduction in the health outcome for the patient and an increase in health care costs. The health outcome for the patient is worsened because non compliance to medication leads to increased seizure recurrence and unnecessary morbidity. Non compliance is also reflected in greater health care costs and utilization of the services. According to accredited scholars, the economic burden for the treatment of epilepsy accounts for a total of $20 billion of which $11.1 billion in annual direct costs and a total of $8,880 million in annual indirect costs in terms of lost productivity. Anyway, it was not possible to establish a relationship between the costs for the utilization of health care services and non compliance with AED medications because the results of the review have shown that there is a gap in the available literature. A future development of this research could be to act an empirical study based on retrospective dataset to investigate the relationship between non adherence to drug treatment and greater hospitalization, increased medical costs, newer medication prescribed and overall increase in usage of health care costs.
Three-Dimensional Optical Coherence Tomography Based on a High-Fill-Factor Microelectromechanical Mirror

A miniature optical imaging probe based on a high-fill-factor MEMS mirror has been designed, manufactured and packaged. Three dimensional optical coherence tomography of human tissues has been successfully demonstrated.
Developmental Considerations for Computer-Assisted Instruction

Technical difficulties, developmental time, and uncertainties about effective format and presentation style are some of the major barriers that hinder widespread incorporation of computer-assisted instruction into clinical laboratory educational programs. During the last decade, organizational schemes have emerged that expedite the developmental process. Furthermore, format guidelines have been established that provide a framework for creating effective presentation styles, and recent advances in authorship programs have simplified the computer-entry process. Considering all of these factors, construction of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) applications has become a viable method to meet the demands of academia, continuing education, and new employee orientation in a cost- and time-efficient manner. This article reviews the issues and factors that should be considered before beginning such a project.
Ultra-wide-range electrochemical sensing using continuous electrospun carbon nanofibers with high densities of states.

Carbon-based sensors for wide-range electrochemical detection of redox-active chemical and biological molecules were fabricated by the electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile fibers directly onto a polyacrylonitrile-coated substrate followed by carbonization at 1200 °C. The resulting electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) were firmly attached to the substrate with good mesh integrity and had high densities of electronic states (DOS), which was achieved without need for further modifications or the use of any additives. The mass of ECNFs deposited, and thus the electroactive surface area (ESA) of the sensor, was adjusted by varying the electrospinning deposition time, thereby enabling the systematic manipulation of the dynamic range of the sensor. A standard redox probe (Fe(CN)63–/4–) was used to demonstrate that the ECNF sensor exhibits strong electrocatalytic activity without current saturation at high analyte concentrations. Dopamine was used as a model analyte to evaluate the sensor performance; we find th...
D-type cyclin expression and localization in prostate cell xenografts and carcinomas

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4919 Prostate cancer is a major health concern worldwide, especially within the industrialized nations, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States. For patients not cured by primary therapy, androgen-deprivation is initially successful in causing cancer regression. However, relapse often arises within 2-3 years wherein the androgen receptor has circumvented deprivation therapy thus, transforming the disease to an androgen-independent status, for which there is no effective treatment. The D-type cyclins are critical components of the mitogenic response to androgen, through its ability to activate cyclin-dependent protein kinases. Similarly, we have previously shown that cyclin D1 plays an important role in regulating androgen dependent proliferation in prostate cancer cells thru direct modulation of the androgen receptor. While few somatic mutations of cyclin D1 have been reported in any tumor type, aberrations in cyclin D1 localization can dramatically alter its function and protein stability. Therefore, we sought to elucidate the contributions of expression and localization of the D-type cyclins using in vivo cell xenografts under various treatments and in a subset of human prostate carcinoma samples. Preliminary results suggest that D-type cyclins have a role to play in prostate cancer progression.
Amphiphilic [tpy-MII-tpy] metallotriangles: synthesis, characterisation and hierarchical ordering

AbstractLong chain (C16) alkylated metallocycles are synthesised and characterised. Their ordered aggregation was studied via TEM to gauge to the effects of molecular topology, solvent, counterion and metal centre(s) on morphology and nanoscale structure. The results indicate that their amphiphilicity significantly enhanced their self-ordering characteristics relative to controls and enabled the formation of nanoscale structures. Similar ordering was observed for both labile and non-labile analogues with SAXD showing comparable d-spacing values, suggesting the presence of intramolecular π–π stacking. Effect of counterion and solvent was studied with the non-labile system. Nanotubular, ribbon, or sheet-like structures were afforded depending upon conditions.
American hospital pharmacy: a Bicentennial perspective

The history of American hospital pharmacy is reviewed. The development of hospital and health care, the evolution of medical and pharmaceutical sciences, and the growth of pharmacy as a profession are described as prologue to the development of hospital pharmacy. The early development of hospital pharmacy in the 1920s and 1930s, the contributions of Edward Spease and Harvey A. K. Whitney, and the necessity of hospital pharmacy services are discussed. The clinical pharmacy movement is reviewed in terms of its potential for changing the nature of pharmacy practice.
Determination of lead in blood by graphite furnace atomic absorbance spectrometry with double-component mixed deproteinization

Objective:To develop a method for the determination of lead in blood by graphite furnace atomic absorbance spectrometry(GFAAS)with double-component mixed deproteinization.Methods:Adequate amount of blood was collected as samples.After the protein in blood was removed by 5% nitric acid-0.2%Triton X-100 and conducted high speed centrifugal separation(120000 rpm,5 min),lead in the supernatant was determined at 283.3 nm with 2%NH4H2PO4 as matrix modifier by GFAAS.Results:The linear range was 1 μg/L~60 μg/L(r=0.9994)and the detection limit was 0.68 μg/L for lead in blood.The relative standard derivations(RSDs) and the average recoveries of the method were 1.5%~4.3% and 95%~106% respectively.Conclusion:The proposed method was characterized by accurate and reliable result,convenient procedure,short analysis cycle and no digestion process.It was suitable for lead analysis in quantities of blood.
Eccrine Porocarcinoma of the External Ear

Eccrine porocarcinoma (EP) is believed to arise from the intraepithelial portion of the eccrine sweat glands. The incidence rate of EP is reported to be 18 per 450,000 biopsies. Most of the diagnosed cases involve the lower extremities; a case of EP involving the ear is rare. We describe the clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic features of EP in an 11-year-old boy.
Circulatory effects of PAF-acether in newborn piglets

Platelet-activating factor (PAF-acether) is a lipid mediator that can exhibit potent vasoconstrictor influence in the pulmonary vessels. Therefore, the release of PAF-acether during inflammatory conditions in newborns might cause deleterious increases in pulmonary vascular tone. Thirty-four anesthetized open-chest newborn piglets were given 0.01-1 nmol PAF-acether iv. In separate experiments, animals were untreated or treated with either indomethacin (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor), SQ 29548 (a thromboxane receptor blocker), or LY 171883 (a leukotriene receptor blocker). The primary hemodynamic change was a 67 to 1,537% increase in the pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI) (P less than 0.01): mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) rose significantly at all doses tested, whereas only the largest dose consistently decreased cardiac index. Treatment with indomethacin or SQ 29548 prevented the decrease in cardiac index and attenuated the PAF-acether-induced rises in PAP and PVRI. Vehicle and LY 171883 had no effect. The inhibitory influence of indomethacin and SQ 29548 suggests that an important component of PAF-acether's pulmonary vasoconstrictor action is mediated (at least in the newborn piglet) by cyclooxygenase products, most likely thromboxane.
The Grand Promise of Global Citizenship Through Study Abroad

Today we live in an age of mass marketing and educational commerce where international education has become a big business, full of promise and reward. It is not surprising that in this spirit many colleges, universities and third party providers that promote study abroad characterize it as essentially guaranteeing “Global Citizenship,” a very attractive credential to students and parents alike.
Emergent obstetric management of postpartum hemorrhage

Early PPH remains a significant problem in obstetrics with serious maternal morbidity and mortality. Many patients at risk for PPH can be antenatally identified. Such identification allows these patients delivery at medical facilities where personnel, blood banking, laboratory, and radiographic expertise exist to expeditiously manage PPH. Even so, some patients without antecedent risk factors suffer PPH. This discussion provides a practical approach to establish an accurate diagnosis of PPH and an expeditious application of medical, surgical, and radiographic management. It is the responsibility of every obstetric health care provider to maintain proficiency in the diagnosis and management of PPH to reduce its incidence and associated morbidity and mortality to an unpreventable minimum.
Ambulant cerebral palsy

Abstract Cerebral palsy (CP) is the result of a non-progressive lesion or injury to the developing brain and has multiple causes and manifestations. This non-progressive lesion leads to progressive limb problems due to imbalance in muscle tendon unit (MTU) structure and function across joints. This leads to dynamic problems during movement and with posture that may progress over time to become fixed. Abnormal movement and posture result from contractures, lengthening and problems with tone in MTUs. Torsional problems, contractures and joint instability lead to lever arm dysfunction that has a detrimental effect on gait. This article aims to summarize the aetiology and pathophysiology of cerebral palsy, improve understanding of gait in the context of muscle imbalance and lever arm dysfunction, and describe an approach to the assessment and management of these patients.
Semipolar (202̅1) III-Nitride P-Down LEDs with in situ anneal to reduce the Mg memory effect

Abstract P-down LEDs (PDLEDs) have the potential to open up new design schemes for III-nitride LEDs compared to conventional n-down LEDs (NDLEDs). For light emitters operating above 480 nm, the PDLED design enables the epitaxial advantages of semipolar (2021) and gains the polarization benefits of semipolar (2021). Here, we investigated semipolar (2021) InGaN-based PDLEDs in terms of their photoluminescence (PL) spectra and compositional profile. Despite concerns of the Mg memory effect degrading PDLED performance due to Mg-related non-radiative recombination centers, the PL intensities were nearly identical between the NDLED and PDLEDs, which emitted at wavelengths centered near 500 nm. Secondary ion mass spectrometry revealed that the Mg doping levels in the multiple quantum well (MQW) active region were comparable for each structure, with average values of 2.9×10 18 cm −3 for the NDLED and 1.8×10 18 cm −3 for the PDLED. Prior to growing the active region MQW, a 700 °C in situ anneal was carried out to reduce the average Mg concentration in the PDLED MQW to 3.7×10 17 cm −3 . Its hydrogen concentration remained at 5×10 19 cm −3 in the p-type GaN region, which suggests that hydrogen passivation occurs during the growth of subsequent epitaxial layers in ammonia.
In Vivo Expansion of Megakaryocyte Progenitors in CD26−/ − Mice: Implications for Novel Post-Transplant Therapeutics.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a successful treatment option for patients with malignant or non-malignant severe hematologic diseases. Readily available umbilical cord blood (CB) has emerged as an important donor source that has a lower histocompatability requirement and carries a reduced risk of graft vs. host disease. However, a frequent complication of CB use is delayed hematopoietic recovery, in particular long lasting severe thrombocytopenia (median of 117 days to platelet recovery, COBLT 2005). To overcome this clinically, effective strategies for enhancing megakaryopoiesis, thrombopoiesis, or both are needed. We have previously described the importance of CD26 (dipeptidylpeptidase IV) in engraftment (Christopherson, KW 2 nd , et al, Science2004. 305:1000–3). However, the involvement of CD26 in megakaryopoiesis has not been investigated. We hypothesized that CD26 acts to suppress megakaryopoiesis and that removal of CD26 activity would result in expansion of the megakaryocyte progenitor population in vivo . To test this hypothesis, we evaluated megakaryocyte (MK) development in the context of development of other mature blood cells in CD26 deficient (CD26 −/ − ) mice as compared to control C57BL/6 mice. Histological analysis of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections and peripheral blood cytopsins revealed an increased presence of MK in the bone marrow, spleen, thymus and peripheral blood. However, complete blood counts (CBC) suggest no difference in white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, basophil, and platelet counts. Flow cytometric analysis also revealed no significant changes in CD3, CD4, or CD8 T-cells; B220 B-cells; and Gr-1/Mac-1 granulocytes/neutrophils in the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, or peripheral blood as appropriate. There was also no change in the percentage of peripheral blood CD41 MK but there was a increase from 0.09% in C57BL/6 BM to 0.26% CD41 + Sca-1 + c-kit − MK progenitors in the CD26 −/ − BM (P≤0.05). Methylcellulose based myeloid progenitor assays did also reveal respective CFU-GM, BFU-E, and CFU-GEMM per femur values (mean±SEM) of 24480±1426, 1448±154.86, and 852±41 for C57BL/6 BM cells; 24451±1342, 974.29±81, and 1634±177 for CD26 −/ − BM cells. This represents a 92% increase in CFU-GEMM and corresponding 30% decrease in BFU-E in the CD26 −/ − mouse BM (P≤0.01, n=7 mice/group). Collagen based megakaryocyte progenitor assays (CFU-MK) revealed a 25% increase from 4455.00±207.62 colonies/femur in C57BL/6 BM to 5555.00±608.12 in CD26 −/ − BM (P≤0.05, n=3 mice/group). These results establish a basis on which to propose that CD26 may act to regulate early events in megakaryocyte progenitor formation and function. They also suggest that the use of CD26 inhibitors may have a beneficial effect on improved megakaryocyte progenitor function and/or reconstitution post-transplant.
Robust Application Scheduling with Adaptive Parallelism in Dark-Silicon Constrained Multicore Systems

With deeper technology scaling accompanied by a worsening power-wall, an increasing proportion of chip area on a chip multiprocessor (CMP) is expected to be occupied by dark silicon. At the same time, design challenges due to process variations and soft-errors in integrated circuits are projected to become even more severe. It is well known that spatial variations in process parameters introduce significant unpredictability in the performance and power profiles of CMP cores. By mapping applications on to the best set of cores, process variations could potentially be used to our advantage in the dark-silicon era. In addition, the probability of occurrence of soft-errors during execution of any application has been found to be strongly related to the supply voltage and operating frequency values, thus necessitating reliability awareness within run-time voltage scaling schemes in contemporary CMPs. In this chapter, we present a novel framework that leverages the knowledge of variations on the chip to perform run-time application mapping and dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) to optimize system performance and energy, while satisfying dark-silicon power constraints of the chip as well as application-specific performance and reliability constraints. Our experimental results show average savings of 35–80 % in application service times and 13–15 % in energy consumption, compared to prior work.
O-H Activation by an Unexpected Ferryl Intermediate during Catalysis by 2-Hydroxyethylphosphonate Dioxygenase.

Activation of O–H bonds by inorganic metal-oxo complexes has been documented, but no cognate enzymatic process is known. Our mechanistic analysis of 2-hydroxyethylphosphonate dioxygenase (HEPD), which cleaves the C1–C2 bond of its substrate to afford hydroxymethylphosphonate on the biosynthetic pathway to the commercial herbicide phosphinothricin, uncovered an example of such an O–H-bond-cleavage event. Stopped-flow UV–visible absorption and freeze-quench Mossbauer experiments identified a transient iron(IV)-oxo (ferryl) complex. Maximal accumulation of the intermediate required both the presence of deuterium in the substrate and, importantly, the use of 2H2O as solvent. The ferryl complex forms and decays rapidly enough to be on the catalytic pathway. To account for these unanticipated results, a new mechanism that involves activation of an O–H bond by the ferryl complex is proposed. This mechanism accommodates all available data on the HEPD reaction.
Mutant CXCR4 Identified in Neutropenic Patients with Myelokathexis Impairs Survival of Human Myeloid Cells.

Abstract Myelokathexis (WHIM syndrome) is a very rare hematopoietic congenital disorder that is characterized by extremely low level of circulating neutrophils in peripheral blood. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease and is diagnosed in early childhood. These patients may have hypogammaglobulinemia and suffer from recurrent infections associated with warts. The hallmark of myelokathexis is a hyperplastic bone marrow and hypersegmented neutrophils with nuclear lobs connected with thin filaments. Myelokathexis is due to a characteristic retention of mature neutrophils in bone marrow, which are not being released to peripheral circulation. We and others reported abnormal cell survival characteristics and impaired bcl-x expression in bone marrow myeloid cells of myelokathexis patients that was partially restored by G-CSF treatment. Recently, it has also been reported that heterozygous truncation mutations in the carboxyterminal domain of the CXCR4 gene, a sole receptor for SDF-1 chemokine, were observed in most, but not all of the families with WHIM syndrome. Subsequently, an impaired receptor internalization and increased chemotaxis towards SDF-1 have been observed in cells expressing truncated CXCR4. Nevertheless, the mechanism of mutant CXCR4 induced myelokathexis remains largely unknown. We performed mutational analysis of the CXCR4 gene in 3 unrelated families with myelokathexis and identified a previously reported R334ter truncation mutation in exon 2 in two of the families. In addition, two silent polymorphisms have been identified in exon 2 of the CXCR4 gene in one of these patients. The third family with afflicted mother and son had a new mutation in the CXCR4 carboxyterminal domain, which resulted in deletion of the last 16 amino acids and subsequent frame shift. None of these mutations were observed in healthy volunteers examined. Since the morphological examination by electron microscopy and flow cytometry analysis of bone marrow cells from some of these patients revealed characteristic apoptotic features, we examined the effect of mutant CXCR4 gene expression on survival of human promyelocytic HL-60 cells. Preliminary data demonstrated that human promyelocytic cells transfected with truncated CXCR4 exhibited impaired cell survival characteristics compared with control HL-60 cells transfected with intact CXCR4. The truncated, but not wild type CXCR4 also increased apoptosis in HL-60 cells induced to differentiate along the granulocytic pathway as determined by flow cytometry of annexin V labeled cells. Thus, these data link together the abnormal survival of proliferating and differentiating myeloid cells in WHIM syndrome with mutant CXCR4 expression. Current studies are focused on elucidation of specific signaling pathways mediating mutant CXCR4-triggered myelokathexis.
A comparison of the distribution and abundance of European green crabs and American lobsters in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, USA

Abstract Green crabs (Carcinus maenas) are an invasive species documented as having negative impacts on the biota of marine and estuarine communities. However, their impact on the American lobster (Homarus americanus) is not well understood. During a two-year trap study (2013–2014) in The Great Bay Estuary, NH, we captured 1229 green crabs and 144 lobsters in 248 individual trap hauls (average catch per unit effort = 10.98 ± 1.51 for green crabs and 0.49 ± 0.08 for lobsters), or ∼8.5 times more green crabs than lobsters. In general, green crabs were more abundant in areas furthest from the coast (up-estuary), which also tended to be warmer, while lobsters were more abundant in areas closer to the coast (down-estuary). Nevertheless, there was still considerable overlap between the two species. We evaluated the competitive interactions between green crabs and lobsters in the laboratory using a behavioral assay and found that in 31% of the trials, large lobsters (>80 mm in carapace length) killed (and consumed) green crabs of varying sizes that failed to escape or move to safe areas of the enclosure. These results suggest that adult lobsters are not likely vulnerable to green crabs. While there may be reasons why lobsters did not select specific sizes of green crabs to prey on, some crabs may have an impact on juvenile lobsters. These data provide some insight into the distribution and abundance of green crabs and their impact on the lobster population in a large New England estuary that supports a commercial lobster fishery.
Out-of-Hospital Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Ventilation Versus Usual Care in Acute Respiratory Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial : Answers to the September 2008 Journal Club Questions

Editor’s note: These questions and answers refer to the Thompson et al article on out-of-hospital continuous positive airway pressure ventilation versus usual care in acute respiratory failure [Ann Emerg Med. 2008;52:232-241]. Readers should recognize that these are suggested answers and, although it is hoped that they are correct, are by no means comprehensive. There are many other points that could be made about these questions or about the article in general. Questions are rated “novice” ( ), “intermediate,” ( ), and “advanced” ( ).
Beyond mortality or being mortal? Challenges in understanding and improving life after ARDS

In 2009, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of USA convened a workshop to discuss the state of clinical and translational science for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The panel reviewed epidemiological studies and clinical trials suggesting marked declines in ARDS-related mortality, and discussed observational studies that described the enduring morbidities of ARDS survivorship. The report of this meeting described the challenges of clinical trials focused on mortality and charged clinical researchers to move ‘beyond mortality’ (as the report was entitled) by including functional, cost and quality of life outcomes in future research.1 Over the last decade, the charge of measuring these long-term outcomes has indeed been realised. Along with observational studies, large interventional trials have begun to include outcome assessment at 6 and 12 months after initial trial enrolment, including four large trials conducted by the NHLBI ARDS Clinical Trials Network. This work, led by Needham and Hopkins, collectively called the ARDSNet Long-Term Outcome Study (ALTOS), has led to the largest cohort of ARDS survivors described to date, confirming the findings of preceding single-centre cohorts2–4 by revealing an overwhelming degree of post intensive care unit (ICU) morbidity, with persisting impairments in physical, cognitive and mental health function, and health-related quality of life well below expected.5–7 Certainly, ancillary inclusion of long-term outcomes as secondary or exploratory end points provides valuable information. However, proving that specific interventions improve long-term outcomes as well as survival requires primary study end points beyond mortality, such as quality of life or health utilities. While such end points are increasingly common in other fields, there are no large ARDS clinical trials to date with primary outcomes focused on long-term survivorship end points such as quality of life. Since early mortality remains high in ARDS, 20% or more in most randomised trial populations, …
David Oliver: Choosing to be honest about patient choice

Henry Ford said in 1909 about his Model T car, “You can have any colour you like, so long as it’s black.” He wanted the first mass produced, no frills car to be affordable to ordinary families. They lapped it up: sales grew exponentially for 20 years.1 The NHS was founded with similar spirit and results. A basic, universal offer minus deluxe customised features, it was a godsend to many previously unable to afford care and was taken up enthusiastically.2 Seventy years on, it still sits high in international rankings for equity, universality, and cost. …
Innovation Communication in Multicultural Networks: Deficits in Inter-cultural Capability and Affect-based Trust as Barriers to New Idea Sharing in Inter-cultural Relationships

Innovative solutions to pressing global problems require effective inter-cultural communication. We propose that a barrier to the sharing of ideas pertinent to innovation in inter-cultural relationships is low affect-based trust, which arise from individuals’ deficits in inter-cultural capability. Results from a study of sample of executives’ professional networks indicate that individuals lower in inter-cultural capability are less likely to share new ideas in inter-cultural ties but not intra-cultural ties. This effect is mediated by tie-level affect-based trust but not cognition-based trust. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Using the PICARD Theory as a Tool to Improve Systems Thinking Ability

Systems are not as real as we think they are. It is indeed true that engineers design things that when built and placed into service are very real. But these deployed things are merely an embodiment of the system’s design. We make the common mistake of thinking that the deployed artifact is the “system.” The engineering design is a system as a “concept.” The elements of this conceptual system are the things involved in systems thinking. We conceive of various elements that come together as systems to examine their contribution to the system’s intended “purpose.” The PICARD theory was formulated to help the systems engineers and others to more readily see and understand the systemic aspects of a situation and to better employ systems thinking techniques. This paper will explore what it means to employ systems thinking to imagine various system structures and to examine these structures for their suitability in different situations to address current or anticipated problems.
Supply Chain and Marketing Integration: Tension in Frontline Social Networks

Supply chain integration, social network research, and network theories have proliferated over the last 10 years in supply chain research. Network theories provide a broad base for understanding how firms, functions, and teams work together but at the foundation of all networks are individuals and their connections (ties). This research elaborates on supply chain integration through the lens of network theory, focusing on frontline individuals’ decision‐making and behaviors as the foundation for understanding cross‐functional integration and firm‐level outcomes. Two studies, utilizing social network and inductive qualitative methods drawing on grounded theory and ethnography, show that the execution of marketing and supply chain strategies is dependent on the empowerment and integration of a manufacturer's frontline employees in retail supply chains. Empowerment is found to be the result of a network of multiple relationships. Tension mounts when frontline employees are disconnected from cross‐functional management sources in their organization and instead turn to each other to solve problems that arise in their retail channels. The results highlight the importance of relational embeddedness and empowerment in affecting internal supply chain integration.
Beneficial usage of recycled polymer particulates for designing novel 3D printed composites

In this paper, we report the synthesis of novel 3D printed composites using particulates of Nylon and Polyester as functional additives. Nylon- and Polyester-based composites were designed by adding 5 wt% (Resin-5%Polyester or Resin-5%Nylon), 10 wt% (Resin-10%Polyester or Resin-10%Nylon), and 20 wt% (Resin-20%Polyester or Resin-20%Nylon) Polyester or Nylon particulates in the photopolymer resin matrix. The mechanical behavior study showed that the addition of both Polyester and Nylon particulates had a deleterious effect; for example, the baseline samples had a tensile strength of ~ 19 MPa, however, as the volume fraction of Polyester particulates was increased, the tensile strength decreased to ~ 12 MPa in Resin-5%Polyester, thereafter slightly increased to ~ 14 MPa in both Resin-10%Polyester and Resin-20%Polyester, respectively. The particulate additives had a beneficial effect on the tribological behavior. For example, as compared to 3D printed resin, the specific wear rate decreased by one order of magnitude from ~ 4.68 × 10−4 mm3/Nm in pure resin to ~ 3.42 × 10−5 mm3/Nm in Resin-20%Polyester (~ 13 .7 times reduction) and µmean decreased significantly from ~ 0.42 in pure resin to ~ 0.08 in Resin-20%Polyester (~ 5.2 times reduction), respectively.
The electrical characteristics of human skin in vivo.

Purpose. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impedance properties of human skin in vivo and to examine the effect of iontophoresis upon them. Methods. Having established the intra- and inter-individual variation in basal values of skin impedance, the effect of varying iontophoretic current density, ionic strength and counter-ion on the rate of recovery of skin impedance after iontophoresis was investigated. Results. Passage of an iontophoretic current caused a significant reduction in the magnitude of the skin impedance. Increasing the current density caused an even greater reduction in the value of the skin impedance and slowed the rate of recovery. Reduction of the ionic strength resulted in an increase in the rate of recovery following iontophoresis. A significant increase in the rate of recovery was observed when CaCl2 replaced NaCl as the electrolyte. Although visual inspection revealed the presence of greater erythema when CaCl2 was used, there was an absence of the mild sensation experienced by volunteers when using NaCl. The last part of the study established a correlation between transepidermal water loss and impedance analysis as complementary methods for probing skin barrier function in vivo. The data were fitted to an equivalent circuit consisting of a resistor in parallel with a constant-phase element and a mechanistic model proposed to explain the electrical properties of the skin. Conclusions. The first comprehensive investigation of the effect of iontophoresis on the electrical properties of human skin in vivo has been described. It would appear from the results, and from their interpretation, that impedance spectroscopy may be an effective method to quantify the impact of iontophoresis on the skin, and to determine the extent to which proposed drug delivery regimens will perturb skin barrier function.
Angiotensin II Receptors and Angiotensin II-Stimulated Signal Transduction

Originally known to be a vasoconstrictor and thought to play a critical role in hypertension, angiotensin II has recently emerged to be important in inflammation, atherosclerosis, and congestive heart failure. The discovery of selective angiotensin II receptor antagonists has enabled specific functions to be assigned to at least three angiotensin receptor subtypes (AT1, AT2, and AT4 receptors), which are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Use of these antagonists resulted in the cloning and sequencing of two angiotensin II receptors (AT1 and AT2), which enabled a molecular analysis of angiotensin II binding sites to be performed. With these tools it has become possible to characterize the multiple signal transduction pathways activated by angiotensin II in a receptor- and tissue-specific manner. Initial studies have focused on the AT1 receptor inhibited by losartan and have defined structural domains responsible for G-protein coupling, activation of phospholipase C, and interactions with tyrosine kinases. Three major intracellular signal pathways associated with the AT1 receptor are activation of tyrosine kinases and downstream kinase cascades, stimulation of phospholipase C and increases in intracellular calcium, and inhibition of adenyl cyclase. Recent data show that angiotensin II not only stimulates cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases, including c-Src, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and Janus kinases (JAK2 and TYK2), but also may transactivate receptor tyrosine kinases such as EGF Axl and PDGF by as yet undefined autocrine mechanisms. These angiotensin II-stimulated signal cascades appear to be required for angiotensin II effects such as vasoconstriction, proto-oncogene expression, protein synthesis, and cell proliferation. Advances in our knowledge of angiotensin II-mediated signaling events, especially those related to stimulation of kinase activity, may aid in development of new therapies for cardiovascular diseases.
Abstraction via approximate symmetry

Abstraction techniques are important for solving constraint satisfaction problems with global constraints and low solution density. In the presence of global constraints, backtracking search is unable to prune partial solutions. It therefore operates like pure generate-and-test. Abstraction improves on generate-and-test by enabling entire subsets of the solution space to be pruned early in a backtracking search process. This paper describes how abstraction spaces can be characterized in terms of approximate symmetries of the original, concrete search space. It defines two special types of approximate symmetry, called "range symmetry" and "domain symmetry", which apply to function finding problems. It also presents algorithms for automatically synthesizing hierarchic problem solvers based on range or domain symmetry. The algorithms operate by analyzing declarative descriptions of classes of constraint satisfaction problems. Both algorithms have been fully implemented. This paper concludes by presenting data from experiments testing the two synthesis algorithms and the resulting problem solvers on NP-hard scheduling and partitioning problems.
Economic Disparities: SPARK Ohio and Narrowing the Kindergarten Readiness Gap

The present study investigated the extent to which children of various economic backgrounds were prepared for kindergarten literacy activities, as measured by the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment-Literacy (KRA-L). The study also assessed the extent to which children’s economic disadvantagement status moderates the relationship between KRA-L scores and the level of participation in SPARK Ohio, an early education intervention focused on increasing parental engagement and advocacy. KRA-L scores for children entering kindergarten in fall 2012 were analyzed for 548 SPARK Ohio participants and 1594 comparison children. Both SPARK Ohio and comparison children identified as economically disadvantaged scored significantly lower on the KRA-L, compared to children not classified as economically disadvantaged. Economic disadvantage status may moderate the influence of participating in SPARK Ohio; children identified as economically disadvantaged scored significantly higher on the KRA-L when they participated in SPARK Ohio, compared to those that did not participate in SPARK Ohio.