cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Graft-vs.-host-associated immune suppression is activated by recognition of allogeneic murine I-A antigens.

Several combinations of F1 hybrid mice were injected intravenously with parental spleen cells to determine the minimal H-2 differences between F1 and parent that are necessary to induce graft-vs.-host-associated immune suppression (GVH-associated suppression). 7-14 d after injection, the spleens of the F1 mice were tested for cytotoxic T lymphocyte potential by in vitro sensitization against trinitrophenyl-self and H-2 alloantigens. The results indicate that parental T lymphocytes must recognize I-A allogeneic determinants of the F1 recipient in order to induce suppression. Recognition of K or D alone or D with I region products other than I-A did not induce suppression. The recognition of I region without K and/or D and even the I-A difference between C57BL/6 and the B6.Cbm12 mutation resulted in immune suppression that was as potent as that resulting from the recognition of K, D, and I together. The possible significance of this function for I-A antigens is discussed with respect to three clinical examples of immune suppression for which this phenomenon may be relevant.
Cochlear implants and spoken language processing abilities: Review and assessment of the literature

Cochlear implants (CIs) process sounds electronically and then transmit electric stimulation to the cochlea of individuals with sensorineural deafness, restoring some sensation of auditory perception. Many congenitally deaf CI recipients achieve a high degree of accuracy in speech perception and develop near-normal language skills. Post-lingually deafened implant recipients often regain the ability to understand and use spoken language with or without the aid of visual input (i.e. lip reading). However, there is wide variation in individual outcomes following cochlear implantation, and some CI recipients never develop useable speech and oral language skills. The causes of this enormous variation in outcomes are only partly understood at the present time. The variables most strongly associated with language outcomes are age at implantation and mode of communication in rehabilitation. Thus, some of the more important factors determining success of cochlear implantation are broadly related to neural plasticity that appears to be transiently present in deaf individuals. In this article we review the expected outcomes of cochlear implantation, potential predictors of those outcomes, the basic science regarding critical and sensitive periods, and several new research directions in the field of cochlear implantation.
Applications for Provably Secure Intent Protection with Bounded Input-Size Programs

The de facto standard program obfuscation security model, termed the virtual black box (VBB), declares a program to be securely obfuscated if and only if an adversary can prove no more when given the obfuscated code than it can when only given oracle access to the original program. In this paper, we define and give methodology for a perfectly secure program intent obfuscation that is general and practical for bounded input-size programs, including those with input/output relationships that are easily learned. We also lay foundations for how to embed a key securely in a private-key encryption setting using such constructions
A tumor cord model for Doxorubicin delivery and dose optimization in solid tumors

Background Doxorubicin is a common anticancer agent used in the treatment of a number of neoplasms, with the lifetime dose limited due to the potential for cardiotoxocity. This has motivated efforts to develop optimal dosage regimes that maximize anti-tumor activity while minimizing cardiac toxicity, which is correlated with peak plasma concentration. Doxorubicin is characterized by poor penetration from tumoral vessels into the tumor mass, due to the highly irregular tumor vasculature. I model the delivery of a soluble drug from the vasculature to a solid tumor using a tumor cord model and examine the penetration of doxorubicin under different dosage regimes and tumor microenvironments.
On parallelizing the EM algorithm for PET image reconstruction

The expectation maximization (EM) algorithm is one of the most suitable iterative methods for positron emission tomography (PET) image reconstruction; however, it requires a long computation time and an enormous amount of memory space. To overcome these problems, we present two classes of highly efficient parallelization schemes: homogeneous and inhomogeneous partitionings. The essential difference between these two classes is that the inhomogeneous partitioning schemes may partially overlap the communication with computation by deliberate exploitation of the inherent data access pattern with a multiple-ring communication pattern. In theory, the inhomogeneous partitioning schemes may outperform the homogeneous partitioning schemes. However, the latter require a simpler communication pattern. In an attempt to estimate the achievable performance and to analyze the performance degradation factors without actual implementation, we have derived efficiency prediction formulas for closely estimating the performance for the proposed parallelization schemes. We propose new integration and broadcasting algorithms for hypercube, ring, and n-D mesh topologies, which are more efficient than the conventional algorithms when the link setup time is relatively negligible. The concept of the proposed task and data partitioning schemes, the integration and broadcasting algorithms, and the efficiency estimation methods can be applied to many other problems that are rich in data parallelism, but without balanced exclusive partitioning. >
Effect of Pelleting on Vitamin A Assay Levels of Poultry Feed

Abstract Twenty samples were collected before and after pelleting a 454-kg-lot of feed and assayed for vitamin A. Vitamin A assay levels were reduced 6.5% by pelleting at 80 C. The value reported here is one-fifth the value reported in 195 8 and 30% lower than the value recently reported.
Student Perspectives On Behaviors That Constitute Cheating

A previous study conducted a decade ago determined that there can be considerable disagreement—not only between students and faculty, but also among students and among faculty—regarding behaviors that constitute cheating. This article reports the results of a research study that replicated the student survey administered for the previous study, but with changes in the questionnaire to reflect how technology has become infused in teaching and the assessment of learning. Recommendations for preventing academic dishonesty are also provided.
Distribution of Oxide in a Bed of Thermally Decomposed ZrF4· H2O and Its Effect on ZrF4 Sublimation

The oxide distribution in a bed of thermally decomposed zirconium fluoride monohydrate (ZrF4· H2O) is determined via inert gas carbon fusion analysis (LECO). It is shown that the oxide concentration in the bed of thermally decomposed ZrF4· H2O is a function of position in the crucible. The oxide concentration in the crucible decreases in the order, from greatest to least, surface ≫ bottom > sides > middle. XRD analysis and thermogravimetric analysis indicate that the predominant phase in the bottom, side, and middle regions of the bed is ZrF4, while in the surface region Zr7O9F10 is the predominant phase with traces of ZrO2 and ZrF4 present. It is proposed that the production of HF(g) from the thermal decomposition of the bottom and side regions of the bed of ZrF4· H2O causes the central region of the bed to contain a higher concentration of HF(g) than any other region in the bed. The higher concentration of HF(g) in the central region of the bed of decomposing ZrF4· H2O is expected to shift the equilibrium from formation of zirconium oxyfluoride and elimination of HF(g) toward the formation of ZrF4 and elimination of water. Thermal decomposition of different masses of ZrF4· H2O demonstrates that the oxide constration increases in the middle of the bed as the initial mass decreases. This result is consistent with the proposed mechanism for production of different phases in the bed of material. It is also shown that thermally decomposed ZrF4· H2O can be used as feedstock for preparation of low-oxide zirconium fluoride via sublimation. The best results for sublimation from this feedstock material are obtained when the surface, which contains the highest oxide concentration, is removed before sublimation.
Management of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid surgery

The importance of preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid surgery has been well known since the early 19th century. All modern endocrine surgeons need to have a thorough knowledge of both anatomy and strategies for management of the recurrent laryngeal nerve which, importantly, includes neural monitoring. Important considerations for surgical approaches to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, nerve-monitoring techniques, and management of infiltrated or traumatized nerves are described.
Common median referencing for improved action potential detection with multielectrode arrays

Referencing is frequently used to remove common-mode signals from multielectrode data, in both freely moving animals and in vitro preparations. For action potential (AP) detection, referencing by subtracting the common average signal has been shown to increase AP signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This method fails, however, when large transients occur on individual electrodes, as occurs during electrical stimulation or with large APs during spontaneous recordings. To deal with these cases, we propose using the common median as a reference. The common median has an improved SNR for AP detection (leading to more isolated single units and more detected APs per unit) and, unlike common average referencing, does not generate spurious APs when processing large single-electrode transients.
Schizophrenia: what do we know and how do we know it?

Almost 1 year ago Dr. Karen Stein wrote to inquire about my interest in the role of guest editor for a special issue of Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (JAPNA) focusing on schizophrenia. My first reaction opposed the second: (a) Wow, what an honor! and (b) How much work is involved? After a week of contemplation, Reaction a overcame the fear of Reaction b and I accepted. One of the first tasks involved pulling together a clear, succinct, and informative call for papers. As I look back at that brief announcement, I am pleased that it satisfied all three criteria. Pivotal observations from the “call” included the following:
Accelerating a Mechanically Driven anti-Woodward–Hoffmann Ring Opening with a Polymer Lever Arm Effect

Mechanical forces have previously been used to drive reactions along pathways that violate the orbital symmetry effects captured in the Woodward-Hoffmann rules. Here, we show that a polymer "lever arm effect" can provide a mechanical advantage in accelerating the symmetry forbidden disrotatory ring opening of benzocyclobutene (BCB). Addition of an α-E-alkene to the BCB mechanophore drops the force required to induce reactions on the ∼0.1 s time scale of single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments from 1370 to 920 pN.
Balancing Risk and Access: Underwriting Standards for Qualified Residential Mortgages

As policymakers develop underwriting guidelines for qualified residential mortgages (QRM) — which are exempt from risk retention requirements for privately securitized mortgages under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act — both consumer and industry groups have raised concerns about the disproportionate impact that restrictive QRM guidelines may have on low-income, low-wealth, minority, and other households traditionally underserved by the mainstream mortgage market. In this study, we examine the way different QRM guidelines may affect access to mortgage credit and loan performance, with a special focus on historically underserved households. More narrowly, we estimate the additional impacts on defaults and access resulting from setting QRM underwriting guidelines over and above the proposed product restrictions for qualified mortgages (QM), which exclude loans with features associated with higher default rates. We find that the added benefits of reduced foreclosures resulting from restrictions beyond the QM product requirements do not necessarily outweigh the costs of reducing borrowers’ access to QRM mortgages. In particular, LTV requirements of 80 or 90 percent produce a smaller benefit when the resulting reductions in defaults are weighed against the number of borrowers excluded from the market. The results for debt-to-income (DTI) and borrower credit scores (FICO) similarly show that the most restrictive thresholds are less effective because they exclude a larger share of borrowers in relation to percent of defaults they prevent. In addition, we find that more stringent LTV, DTI, and FICO requirements could disproportionately deny low-income borrowers and borrowers of color access to QRM mortgages.
The Role of Outcomes Assessment in Clinical Quality Improvement

Although there has been a great deal of discussion about healthcare quality in recent years, the best way to identify high-quality healthcare remains a matter of some debate. Within the field of mental health, this debate is often focused on the optimal use of clinical rating scales and outcomes assessment tools. Much of the current thinking regarding the use of these scales is presented in this book. This chapter will provide the context for the use of these instruments as a core component of quality improvement efforts.
On the Origin of Descended Scrotal Testicles: The Activation Hypothesis

Male gonads contained in an unprotected skin sack located outside the body cavity are a peculiar mammalian anomaly. We advance the hypothesis that descended scrotal testicles in humans and many oth...
Malleable and Self-Healing Covalent Polymer Networks through Tunable Dynamic Boronic Ester Bonds

Despite numerous strategies involving dynamic covalent bond exchange for dynamic and self-healing materials, it remains a challenge to be able to tune the malleability and self-healing properties of bulk materials through simple small molecule perturbations. Here we describe the use of tunable rates of boronic ester transesterification to tune the malleability and self-healing efficiencies of bulk materials. Specifically, we used two telechelic diboronic ester small molecules with variable transesterification kinetics to dynamically cross-link 1,2-diol-containing polymer backbones. The sample cross-linked with fast-exchanging diboronic ester showed enhanced malleability and accelerated healing compared to the slow-exchanging variant under the same conditions. Our report demonstrates the possibility of transferring small molecule kinetics to dynamic properties of bulk solid material and may serve as a guide for the rational design of tunable dynamic materials.
Control of Obnoxious Aquatic Plants in the Southeast

Obnoxious aquatic plants have caused problems in waters of the southeastern states since approximately 1900. Federal, state, and local agencies are engaged in an extensive cooperative effort for control of these plants for the benefit of navigation, drainage, flood control, fish and wild life conservation, public health, and related activities. Chemicals are being used in recent years in lieu of earlier use of mechanical equipment for destruction of the aquatic weeds. The most common chemical now in use is 2, 4-D; however, continued research is being conducted in search of more effective and more economical means.
The characteristics of the microcolonies of some pathogenic cocci

A new method for the study of bacteria was recently described by one of us,1 in which it was pointed out that it was possible to dry down and stain colonies of bacteria only a few hours old. In these microcolonies the cell form and structure are quite as well brought out as they would be in a cover glass preparation and in addition the relation of cell to cell is easily studied. These colonies appear to show distinctive characters and the method promises to be of material aid in the study and recognition of bacteria. It is proposed in this paper to describe the results of a study of the microcolonies of some staphylococci, streptococci and pneumococci.
High Wind Autonomous Parafoil Guidance

Guided airdrop systems lacking propulsion can be adversely affected by high winds, especially if their guidance algorithms fail to take full advantage of vehicle maneuverability. In real-world flight tests of U.S. Army parafoils, both strong tail winds and unanticipated wind shifts prevented several lightweight systems from landing accurately. These systems’ guidance algorithms did not account for the high winds’ restricting effect on the range of obtainable ground track directions. This paper introduces two new guidance strategies, one simple and one advanced, that address high wind scenarios directly. First, they take into account estimated wind field behavior between the current vehicle altitude and ground level, whether the estimates come from simple forward predictions, sharing of wind field estimates between systems, or ground-level weather station wind sensing. Second, their planned trajectories more fully exploit vehicle maneuverability, including the possibility of facing into high winds while flying backwards or even planning trajectories that first fly away from the target in anticipation of being blown to their intended destination later. Compared to reasonable baseline methods, the presented algorithms significantly improve miss performance in real-world high wind conditions without degrading performance in light and moderate winds. In addition, simulation tests show a marked performance improvement whether the wind field estimate is a simple forward-prediction or a high-quality estimate obtained via wind estimate sharing or ground-level sensing.
Fit-for-Purpose Development of the Enabling Route to Crizotinib (PF-02341066)

A robust six-step process for the synthesis of crizotinib, a novel c-Met/ALK inhibitor currently in phase III clinical trials, has been developed and used to deliver over 100 kg of API. The process includes a Mitsunobu reaction, a chemoselective reduction of an arylnitro group, and a Suzuki coupling, all of which required optimization to ensure successful scale-up. Conducting the Mitsunobu reaction in toluene and then crystallizing the product from ethanol efficiently purged the reaction byproduct. A chemoselective arylnitro reduction and subsequent bromination reaction afforded the key intermediate 6. A highly selective Suzuki reaction between 6 and pinacol boronate 8, followed by Boc deprotection, completed the synthesis of crizotinib 1.
Cervical Radiculopathy: Incidence and Treatment of 1,420 Consecutive Cases

Study Design: Retrospective case series. Purpose: To determine the incidence of cervical radiculopathy requiring operative intervention by level and to report on the methods of treatment. Overview of Literature: Cervical radiculopathy is a common cause of pain and can result in progressive neurological deficits. Al though the pathology is well understood, the actual incidence of cervical radiculopathy at particular spinal levels ultimately requiring operative intervention is unknown. Methods: A large consecutive series of patients operated on by a single surgeon were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of cervical radiculopathy at each level was defined for every patient. Procedures used for operative treatment were noted. Health related quality of life (HRQL) scores were collected both pre-operatively and postoperatively. Results: There were 1305 primary and 115 revision operations performed. The most common primary procedures performed were anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF, 50%) and anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF, 28%). The most commonly affected levels were C6 (66%) and C7 (62%). Reasons for revision were pseudarthrosis (27%), clinical adjacent segment pathology (CASP, 63%), persistent radiculopathy (11%), and hardware-related (2.6%). The most common procedures performed in the revision group were posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF, 42%) and ACDF (40%). The most commonly affected levels were C7 (43%) and C5 (30%). Among patients that had their index surgery at our institution, the revision rate was 6.4%. In both primary and revision cases there was a significant improvement in Neck Disability Index and visual analogue scale scores postoperatively. Postoperative HRQL scores in the revision cases were significantly worse than those in the primary cases ( p<0.01). Conclusions: This study provides the largest description of the incidence of cervical radiculopathy by level and operative outcomes in patients undergoing cervical decompression. The incidence of CASP was 4.2% in 3.3 years in this single institution series.
Care coordination gaps due to lack of interoperability in the United States: a qualitative study and literature review

Health information technology (HIT) could improve care coordination by providing clinicians remote access to information, improving legibility, and allowing asynchronous communication, among other mechanisms. We sought to determine, from a clinician perspective, how care is coordinated and to what extent HIT is involved when transitioning patients between emergency departments, acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies in settings across the United States.
Game Analyses of Stakeholders in the Market Access Process of Agro-food Quality and Safety

Some analyzing models for stakeholders on agro-food safety were set up by game theory in this paper.The result shows that safe agro-food can not be supplied under information asymmetry.The government should establish market access and increase punishment intensity to guarantee agro-food quality and safety.
Proposed Development of Smart Grid in China

This paper gives a short description of smart grid(SG) technology,its goal and functions.Based on the relevant references on SG and the conditions of power grid development in China,how to implement advanced SG technology for generation,transmission and distribution in China are proposed,including preventing wide-area blackout,promoting electricity marketization,implementing energy-saving emission reduction,developing and applying superconducting technology,and studying large capacity storage technology,as well as adding outage management function,advanced metering infrastructure,open design amd renewable energy connection and so on in distribution grid.
Priming Sexual and Romantic Representations in Two Media Environments: Sex Encourages and Romance Discourages Sexual Permissiveness … Sometimes.

Two experiments (Ns = 314, 447) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of sexual cues in temporarily increasing young adults' self-reported sexual permissiveness, as well as the effects of romantic cues in temporarily decreasing permissiveness. Participants were exposed to sexual or romantic cues embedded as a theme-defining component of an online game (Study 1) or in advertisements peripheral to the online game (Study 2). Sexual and romantic conditions were compared against a control condition. As hypothesized, participants in the romantic conditions rated themselves lower in sexual permissiveness, compared to participants in the sexual and control conditions, particularly when participants positively evaluated the online game experience. Findings suggest that exposure to entertaining media depictions of two people, as a committed couple, expressing love, as well as lust, for each other might deter young adults from considering engagement in casual sexual encounters indicative of "hookup culture."
Melanocytic Neoplasms of the Mucosa

Mucosal melanomas (MMs) are rare, accounting for only 1–2 % of all melanomas [1, 2]. The age-adjusted incidence rate of MM in the period 1996–2000 was 2.2 per million in the USA (compared to 161.7 per million for cutaneous melanoma) [2]. In contrast to the rising incidence of cutaneous melanoma, the incidence of MM has remained relatively stable.
Information theoretic structure learning with confidence

Information theoretic measures (e.g. the Kullback Liebler divergence and Shannon mutual information) have been used for exploring possibly nonlinear multivariate dependencies in high dimension. If these dependencies are assumed to follow a Markov factor graph model, this exploration process is called structure discovery. For discrete-valued samples, estimates of the information divergence over the parametric class of multinomial models lead to structure discovery methods whose mean squared error achieves parametric convergence rates as the sample size grows. However, a naive application of this method to continuous nonparametric multivariate models converges much more slowly. In this paper we introduce a new method for nonparametric structure discovery that uses weighted ensemble divergence estimators that achieve parametric convergence rates and obey an asymptotic central limit theorem that facilitates hypothesis testing and other types of statistical validation.
Deciphering the Origin of Dogs: From Fossils to Genomes

Understanding the timing and geographic context of dog origins is a crucial component for understanding human history, as well as the evolutionary context in which the morphological and behavioral divergence of dogs from wolves occurred. A substantial challenge to understanding domestication is that dogs have experienced a complicated demographic history. An initial severe bottleneck was associated with domestication followed by postdivergence gene flow between dogs and wolves, as well as population expansions, contractions, and replacements. In addition, because the domestication of dogs occurred in the relatively recent past, much of the observed polymorphism may be shared between dogs and wolves, limiting the power to distinguish between alternative models of dog history. Greater insight into the domestication process will require explicit tests of alternative models of domestication through the joint analysis of whole genomes from modern lineages and ancient wolves and dogs from across Eurasia.
Comparison of brain MRI findings with language and motor function in the dystroglycanopathies.

Objective: To describe the spectrum of brain MRI findings in a cohort of individuals with dystroglycanopathies (DGs) and relate MRI results to function. Methods: All available brain MRIs done for clinical indications on individuals enrolled in a DG natural history study (NCT00313677) were reviewed. Reports were reviewed when MRI was not available. MRIs were categorized as follows: (1) cortical, brainstem, and cerebellar malformations; (2) cortical and cerebellar malformations; or (3) normal. Language development was assigned to 1 of 3 categories by a speech pathologist. Maximal motor function and presence of epilepsy were determined by history or examination. Results: Twenty-five MRIs and 9 reports were reviewed. The most common MRI abnormalities were cobblestone cortex or dysgyria with an anterior-posterior gradient and cerebellar hypoplasia. Seven individuals had MRIs in group 1, 8 in group 2, and 19 in group 3. Language was impaired in 100% of those in MRI groups 1 and 2, and degree of language impairment correlated with severity of imaging. Eighty-five percent of the whole group achieved independent walking, but only 33% did in group 1. Epilepsy was present in 8% of the cohort and rose to 37% of those with an abnormal MRI. Conclusions: Developmental abnormalities of the brain such as cobblestone lissencephaly, cerebellar cysts, pontine hypoplasia, and brainstem bowing are hallmarks of DG and should prompt consideration of these diagnoses. Brain imaging in individuals with DG helps to predict outcomes, especially language development, aiding clinicians in prognostic counseling.
Mapping the structural boundaries of quasiracemate fractional crystallization using 2-substituted diarylamides

Video-assisted hot stage polarized light microscopy of 55 quasienantiomeric pairs, constructed from 22 chiral diarylamides that systematically differ in topology, reveals the structural boundaries of molecular shape to supramolecular assembly.
Cardiovascular Risk in Survivors of Cancer

Survivors of childhood and adult cancers face increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We review the current evidence base and guidelines for this rapidly growing population. Research continues to show that cardiovascular disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. Cardiotoxicity related to chemotherapy and radiotherapy accounts for part of this increased risk. There is emerging evidence that cancer and cardiovascular disease share a similar biology and risk factors. At present, there are several guidelines and consensus recommendations for the management of cardiovascular risk in cancer survivors. The evidence base is accumulating though additional research is necessary to demonstrate improved outcomes and comparative effectiveness.
A new adaptive uncertainty propagation method based Stochastic Model Predictive Control for automated driving vehicles

This paper presents a new adaptive uncertainty propagation method based Stochastic Model Predictive Control (SMPC) for automated driving vehicles. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is a powerful technique to control Multi Input-Multi Output (MIMO) system with input and state constraints. It has previously been considered for automated driving vehicles in many types of research. However, MPC needs to consider the uncertainty to ensure safety from a vehicle model and behaviors of other vehicles in a dynamic road environment. The considered uncertainty for SMPC is assumed that it has stochastic properties. However, since a tunable risk parameter is dominant in uncertainty propagation, the trade-off between risk and conservativeness is managed by this parameter. Therefore, the adaptive uncertainty propagation approach which makes tunable risk parameter be determined properly to reflect current information on real-time is derived. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm with adaptive uncertainty propagation.
Variance in Mood Symptoms Across Menstrual Cycles: Implications for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.

ABSTRACTPremenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) remains a controversial diagnosis: Some authors have argued that it pathologizes normal mood changes, and others have questioned the need for daily mood reports across multiple cycles. In the present study, we examined changes in mood among psychologically healthy young participants with regular menstrual cycles. We collected daily reports of negative mood (depression, nervousness, irritability, and fatigue) across two to six consecutive cycles from 27 participants aged 18–35 years, and we used variance decomposition analyses to examine how much of the variance in these daily reports was due to day, cycle, and individual. The majority of variance (79%–98%) was due to daily fluctuations and did not conform to a standard pattern of premenstrual rise/postmenstrual fall. These findings suggest that PMDD is not simply an exaggeration of mood patterns typical for psychologically healthy people. Individual patterns were relatively stable from cycle to cycle; thus tr...
Clinical Approach to Supranuclear Brainstem Saccadic Gaze Palsies.

Failure of brainstem supranuclear centers for saccadic eye movements results in the clinical presence of a brainstem-mediated supranuclear saccadic gaze palsy, which is manifested as slowing of saccades with or without range of motion limitation of eye movements and as loss of quick phases of optokinetic nystagmus. Limitation in the range of motion of eye movements is typically worse with saccades than with smooth pursuit, and is overcome with vestibular ocular reflexive eye movements. The differential diagnosis of saccadic gaze palsies is broad, though acute onset saccadic gaze palsy is most often from brainstem infarction and chronic vertical saccadic gaze palsy is most commonly caused by the neurodegenerative condition progressive supranuclear palsy. In this review, we discuss the brainstem anatomy and physiology of the brainstem saccade-generating network; we discuss the clinical features of saccadic gaze palsies, with an emphasis on insights from quantitative ocular motor recordings; and we consider the broad differential diagnosis of saccadic gaze palsies.
Understanding diagnostic reasoning in TCM practice: tongue diagnosis

Background Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis is a complex multifaceted process that often yields multiple differential diagnoses and subdiagnoses. Objectives The aims of this study were to (1) understand cognitive strategies and diagnostic reasoning processes of TCM practitioners engaged in tongue diagnosis and (2) investigate TCM practitioners' diagnostic accuracy. Clinical decision making and problem solving frameworks served as a basis for this study. Methods Nine TCM practitioners verbalized their thinking processes via think-aloud protocols and were audiotaped while engaged in the cognitive task of tongue diagnosis. Protocol analysis was used to identify TCM diagnostic reasoning patterns. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by participant self-report and via independent TCM expert judges. Results Protocol analysis revealed that TCM practitioners use systematic processes to arrive at diagnoses and that there were differences between novices and experts in both pre- and post-adjustments after viewing case histories. Novices tended to use more descriptors and come to the diagnoses earlier. Experts tended to use higher-level intellectual processes when coming to their diagnoses and tended to use these terms earlier in the process. Correlations between practitioner self-assessment and judges' ratings of diagnostic accuracy were noted and corollary case history information improved diagnostic accuracies. Conclusion TCM practitioners use systematic reasoning patterns to determine diagnoses associated with evaluation of tongues. These processes are congruent with those observed in Western medicine whereby clinician reasoning involves a combination of analytical reasoning of domain knowledge and the use of exemplar patterns. An explicit understanding of TCM reasoning processes can inform clinical practice and education and will facilitate the development of supporting technologies and identification of best practices.
Effects of Vagotomy on the Catecholamine-Containing Cells in the Gastric Mucosa of the Rat: an Electron Microscopic Study

It is well known that gastric function is the result of harmonic interplay between the parasympathetic-sympathetic systems, and gastrointestinal hormones. The role of the parasympathetic system has been extensively studied. For example, it is understood that the beneficial results of vagotomy on gastric hypersecretion and peptic ulcer disease are due to an acetylcholine deficit. On the other hand, it has been shown that serotonin participates in a vagal inhibitory pathway to the stomach (1) and there is evidence for a vagal inhibitory component of gastrin release (2). It is known that there exist in the stomach wall endocrine cells containing biogenic amines. Since vagotomy may cause either permanent or temporary changes in the morphology and/or population of epithelial cells in the gastric mucosa, we studied the effects of vagotomy on a distinct cell population, namely, the entero-chromaffinng like (ECL) cells in the fundic mucosa of the rat.
Targeting Senescent Cells in Fibrosis: Pathology, Paradox, and Practical Considerations

Senescent cells have the capacity to both effect and limit fibrosis. Senotherapeutics target senescent cells to improve aging conditions. Here, we review the contexts in which senescent cells mediate wound healing and fibrotic pathology and the potential utility of senotherapeutic drugs for treatment of fibrotic disease. Multi-action and temporal considerations influence deleterious versus beneficial actions of senescent cells. Acutely generated senescent cells can limit proliferation, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) contains factors that can facilitate tissue repair. Long-lived senescent cells that evade clearance or are generated outside of programmed remodeling can deplete the progenitor pool to exhaust regenerative capacity and through the SASP, stimulate continual activation, leading to disorganized tissue architecture, fibrotic damage, sterile inflammation, and induction of bystander senescence. Senescent cells contribute to fibrotic pathogenesis in multiple tissues, including the liver, kidney, and lung. Senotherapeutics may be a viable strategy for treatment of a range of fibrotic conditions.
“Eu quero ver o Atlântico”: A ficção portuguesa “marginal” depois da revolução

A Historia da-nos herois. A literatura da-nos homens. Na Historia glorificada de Portugal, os herois sao homens superiores. Mas os homens tambem choram, e na literatura tais herois sao desmitificados: a grandeza e podre, a supremacia tem pes de barro. Na obra em analise neste trabalho, Morreremos Amanha de Carlos Tome, atende-se a desmitificacao do heroi de guerra ou, por outro lado, a recuperacao daqueles que foram os verdadeiros herois de que a Historia oficial nao da conta. Curiosamente, o mito da hegemonia masculina e desconstruido tanto por um narrador anti-heroico, como por uma mulher que e capaz de dar ao narrador uma nova esperanca. Carlos Tome, jornalista profissional, natural da ilha de Sao Miguel, participante na guerra colonial em Angola, equipara-se, com o seu romance Morreremos Amanha (2007), em termos de pujanca narrativa na optica do mesmo tema a escritores mais renomados como e o caso de Antonio Lobo Antunes ou Joao de Melo. No entanto, a sua obra tem ficado nas margens geograficas e literarias portuguesas.
Deep Breathing in a Moving World

Deep breathing has long been my most treasured spiritual practice, and a retrospective gives me opportunity to recall moments in my professional and intellectual journey when I breathed deeply, bar...
Open source pharma and its developmental potential | OSP e seu potencial de desenvolvimento

RESUMO A Open Source Pharma (OSP) e uma forma inovadora de realinhar a pesquisa farmaceutica com as demandas em saude, em particular na busca de solucoes para doencas infecciosas relacionadas a pobreza. A OSP significa a colaboracao aberta, o acesso aberto a dados e outros resultados, e as licencas abertas para compartilhamento e distribuicao de resultados de pesquisa. O artigo apresenta uma analise exploratoria das praticas atuais e dos modelos de negocios adotados pela OSP a partir da revisao da literatura e de uma entrevista aprofundada com Matthew Todd, lider do projeto Open Source Malaria. Concluimos que a OSP pode se tornar uma alternativa de trabalho mais promissora do que a industria farmaceutica tradicional, quando recebem apoio de politicas publicas, de modo que os seus beneficios possam se tornar plenamente visiveis. Palavras-chave: Open Source Pharma; Doencas Infecciosas Relacionadas a Pobreza; Ciencia Aberta; Saude Publica; Descoberta de Drogas. ABSTRACT Open Source Pharma (OSP) stands out as an innovative way to re-align pharmaceutical research with health needs, in particular to find solutions to poverty-related infectious diseases. OSP means open collaboration, to open access to data and other results, and open licenses for sharing and distribution of research outcomes. This paper provides an exploratory analysis of OSP current practices and business models, based on literature review and one in-depth interview with Matthew Todd, leader of the Open Source Malaria project. We claim that OSP may become a working and more promising alternative to traditional pharma as long as it is supported by public policy so as to fully emerge and visibilise its benefits. Keywords: Open Source Pharma; Poverty-related infectious diseases; open science; public health; drug discovery.
Schrödinger, the Self and the Genes

In 1948 E. Schrodinger, the physicist and internationally renowned Nobel prize winner, surprised the scholarly world with a small book on biology and genetics titled What is Life? In this book Schrodinger deals with the most important scientific breakthrough in modem times and maybe in the history of man: the discovery of the DNA or the genes. He analyses the function and significance of the genome (the genes) which detennines the nature of every living organism from the amoeba to man. In his fascinating last chapter he points to the philosophical consequences of this new genetic knowledge.
Management of peripheral nerve problems in the upper and lower extremity using quantitative sensory testing

Elective microsurgery of the peripheral nervous system concerns nerve decompression, neurolysis, nerve repair, and forms of nerve reconstruction with grafts or tubes. Management skills for the peripheral nerve too often rely on antiquated assessment techniques and depend upon traditional electrodiagnostic testing. Quantitative sensory testing is an approach to the evaluation of peripheral nerve function that is available now to all physicians interested in managing peripheral nerve problems. This article introduces quantitative sensory testing, with particular regard to the management of peripheral nerve problems.
Numerical investigation of dynamics of elliptical magnetic microparticles in shear flows

We study the rotational dynamics of magnetic prolate elliptical particles in a simple shear flow subjected to a uniform magnetic field, using direct numerical simulations based on the finite element method. Focusing on paramagnetic and ferromagnetic particles, we investigate the effects of the magnetic field strength and direction on their rotational dynamics. In the weak field regime (below a critical field strength), the particles are able to perform complete rotations, and the symmetry property of particle rotational speed is influenced by the direction and strength of the magnetic field. In the strong field regime (above a critical strength), the particles are pinned at steady angles. The steady angle depends on both the direction and strength of the magnetic field. Our results show that paramagnetic and ferromagnetic particles exhibit markedly different rotational dynamics in a uniform magnetic field. The numerical findings are in good agreement with theoretical prediction. Our numerical investigation further reveals drastically different lateral migration behaviors of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic particles in a wall-bounded simple shear flow under a uniform magnetic field. These two kinds of particles can thus be separated by combining a shear flow and a uniform magnetic field. We also study the lateral migration of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic particles in a pressure-driven flow (a more practical flow configuration in microfluidics), and observe similar lateral migration behaviors. These findings demonstrate a simple but useful way to manipulate non-spherical microparticles in microfluidic devices.
A Stimulating Concept: Bioelectronic Medicine in Inflammatory Disease

Recent discoveries in neuroscience and immunology have revealed that stimulation of specific neural circuits can ameliorate certain experimental inflammatory diseases. Accumulating evidence on a prototypical reflex circuit that includes the vagus nerve, termed the “inflammatory reflex,” has spawned clinical trials using implanted vagus nerve stimulators to treat patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. Modulation of neural reflex activity potentially represents a groundbreaking advance in treatment options for chronic inflammation, but our understanding of the involved components and signals is still incomplete. Here, the experimental basis for use of bioelectronic medicine in treatment of inflammatory disease and future challenges in this rapidly evolving field are reviewed and discussed.
Low-Power Resistive Bridge Readout Circuit Integrated in Two Millimeter-Scale Pressure-Sensing Systems

A duty-cycled bridge-to-digital converter (BDC) for small battery operated pressure sensing systems is presented and demonstrated in two complete microsystems. By heavily duty-cycling an excitation voltage for the bridge sensor, 6000× less excitation power is consumed compared with conventional DC biasing. The excitation voltage is sampled and used to generate an ADC reference voltage to avoid line voltage fluctuation. The BDC achieves 49.2 dB SNR and 2.5 nJ conversion energy with 10.6 pJ/c.s. FOM.
Artificial Intelligence a Disruptive Innovation in Higher Education Accreditation Programs: Expert Systems and AACSB

The world is currently enduring the fourth industrial revolution causing disruption on various economic and societal pillars. For Burrus (Brand Q Mag 27, [7]), such change is coming too fast and organizations that will leverage Artificial intelligence (AI) will profit the most. One of the sectors that will get disrupted by the introduction of AI will be higher education. From this point this conceptual paper propose a model for the implementation of AI through expert systems (ES) within the AACSB accreditation programs. ES are knowledge-based computer program that achieves human expertise in a limited domain (Res J Recent Sci 3(1):116–121, [14]). We tried to answer two main questions, whether AI can be implemented through ES and how such systems can reshape the AACSB accreditation process. We concluded that in fact ES will reshape such process while ensuring more reliable and efficient results and reducing time, cost and errors.
Equity and the Right to Do Wrong

On some views, equity prevents people from being sticklers for their rights in a bad way. This perspective has merit, but it offers an incomplete picture. Often, individuals get to insist on their legal rights even when it is immoral or undesirable for them to do so. The interesting question then is why equity sometimes cares about stickler behavior, and sometimes is blind to it. This chapter will suggest that equity enables courts to avoid assisting individuals in enforcing their rights when it is morally questionable for courts to help out. This perspective also has bearing on the view that equity involves a distinctive, even preferable, type of justice. This chapter suggests that equity’s justice can be better than ordinary legal justice, but that it isn’t always better. Authorship matters when we assess the merits of equity. An equitable plaintiff may voluntarily accept less than her due, in the process bringing about a type of justice that is an improvement over stubbornly insisting on her rights. If, on the other hand, an equitable judge forces the plaintiff to accept less than her due, the merits of that intervention may differ.
Epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia

Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, have been implicated in a number of complex diseases. Schizophrenia and other major psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with abnormalities in multiple epigenetic mechanisms, resulting in altered gene expression during development and adulthood. Polymorphisms and copy number variants in schizophrenia risk genes contribute to the high heritability of the disease, but environmental factors that lead to epigenetic modifications may either reduce or exacerbate the expression of molecular and behavioral phenotypes associated with schizophrenia and related disorders. In the present paper, we will review the current understanding of molecular dysregulation in schizophrenia, including disruption of the dopamine, NMDA, and GABA signaling pathways, and discuss the role of epigenetic factors underlying disease pathology.