cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer-aided molecular modeling of a D2-agonist dopamine pharmacophore.

Using computer-aided molecular modeling techniques to analyze models recently proposed for the receptor binding sites of dopaminergic agonists, we superimposed the chemical structures of various compounds that mimic the pharmacological behavior of dopamine, as well as inactive enantiomers, on a postulated three-dimensional frame of reference. We analyzed the vector directionalities of the lone pairs of the nitrogen common to these molecules, and the acidic hydrogen of phenols (in aminoindanes, aminotetralins, apomorphines,p-phenol-piperazines, octahydrobenzo(g)quinolines, octahydrobenzo(f)quinolines, and benzazepines) or of nitrogen (in ergoline-type compounds and related structures). This model, when expressed as distances from that of the reference compound pergolide, correlates with the dopaminergic binding affinity observed in compounds previously reported to act on the dopaminergic system in the central nervous system (CNS). The regression analysis of log KD with respect to the distances of the vectors of the acidic hydrogen support the hypothesis that these compounds bind to the receptor as donors in hydrogen bond formation.
Frequency of Atrial Flutter After Adult Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation, which involves an anastomosis of the graft to the native left atrium, may increase the risk of left-side atrial flutter (AFL). Our aim was to evaluate the incidence, predisposing conditions, and course of AFL after lung transplantation in adults. Two hundred sixty-nine consecutive patients who underwent lung transplantation were studied retrospectively. All patients received a preoperative echocardiogram and postoperative electrocardiographic monitoring. All 12-lead electrocardiograms were reviewed. Typical or atypical AFL was diagnosed by 2 independent reviewers based on accepted criteria. Predictors of AFL were investigated separately using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. AFL occurred in 35 of 269 patients (13%) over a mean of 12 days after transplantation. All patients who developed AFL had no previous atrial arrhythmia. Of these 35 patients, 24 (68.6%) had atypical AFL by electrocardiographic criteria. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) were 2.9 times more likely to have AFL than those patients with lung transplant without IPF (p = 0.009). Other independent risk factors for AFL were advanced age and preoperative left atrial enlargement. Only 3 of 35 patients (8.6%) with AFL had persistent atrial arrhythmia and needed electrophysiologic study and ablation. In conclusion, AFL is common soon after lung transplantation. Those with IPF, advanced age, or left atrial enlargement are at increased risk. In most cases, AFL is a self-limited arrhythmia that resolves spontaneously with no need for ablation.
Petrology and geochemistry of alkali gabbronorites from Lunar Breccia 67975

Detailed results of petrologic and compositional studies of three clasts found in thin sections of the Apollo 16 lunar breccia 67975 and of four clasts extracted from the breccia (for instrumental neutron activation analysis) prior to thin sectioning are reported. The alkali gabbronorites of the breccia form two distinct subgroups, magnesian and ferroan. The magnesian gabbronorites are composed of bytownitic plagioclase, hypersthene, augite, a silica mineral, and trace Ba-rich K-feldspar. The ferroan gabbronorites are composed of ternary plagioclase, pigeonite, augite, Ba-rich K-feldspar, and a silica mineral. Trace minerals in both subgroups are apatite, REE-rich whitlockite, and zircon. The magnesian and ferroan alkali gabbronorites appear to have formed by progressive differentiation of the same, or closely related, parent REE-rich magmas.
Utilization of Existing Technology to Evaluate Spring Wheat Growth and Nitrogen Nutrition in South Dakota

Abstract Sensor‐based technologies for in‐season application of nitrogen (N) to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have been developed and are in use in the southern Great Plains. Questions arise about the suitability of this technology for spring wheat production in the northern Great Plains. A field experiment was established in Brookings, SD, to evaluate the GreenSeeker Hand Held optical sensor (NTech Industries, Ukiah, CA) for predicting in‐season N status on three spring wheat cultivars (Ingot, Oxen, and Walworth) across five N treatments. Nitrogen rates were 0, 34, 68, 102, and 136 kg N ha−1 applied preplant as ammonium nitrate. Sensor readings and plant biomass samples were collected at Feekes 6 and Feekes 10 growth stages. The sensor measures reflectance in the red and near infrared (NIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated. The ability of the sensor readings to predict biomass, plant N concentration, and plant N uptake for each ...
Biosignal pattern recognition and interpretation systems. 2. Methods for feature extraction and selection

Some feature extraction methods used in biomedical signal pattern recognition are presented. Particular attention is given to nontransformed signal characteristics, transformed signal characteristics, structural descriptors, graph descriptors, and feature selection methods. It is noted that the wide variety of techniques used for feature extraction presents two problems: which techniques should be used and how to select from among the features that each extraction technique generates. Selected features are best only by some standard; therefore, techniques for generation of features tend not to be very portable from one pattern processing problem to another. Production of salient features is the connecting link between prototypical and symbolic representations of a class. Often, thresholds govern the selection of features. Many techniques do not generate independent features; therefore, there is redundancy in the data, which potentially affects both efficiency and accuracy in pattern recognition. >
Transient brain ischemia in rabbits: the effect of ω-conopeptide MVIIC on hippocampal excitatory amino acids

Neurologic injury that occurs after ischemia results from a cascade of events involving the release of various endogenous neurotoxins. A portion of the release of excitatory neurotransmitters is calcium dependent and may be attenuated by administration of calcium channel blockers. Using an in vivo model of ischemia, we studied the effects of omega-conopeptide MVIIC, a voltage-sensitive calcium channel blocker, and hypothermia (32 degrees C) on hippocampal glutamate and aspartate release in the peri-ischemic period. Thirty-four New Zealand white rabbits of either sex were anesthetized with halothane, intubated, and mechanically ventilated. Monitored variables included blood gases, mean arterial blood pressure, and the electroencephalogram. Microdialysis catheters were transversely inserted through the anterior portion of the dorsal hippocampus and perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid at a rate of 2 microliters/min. After stabilization period, animals were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: Control group (n = 8), 10 microM omega-conopeptide MVIIC group (n = 7), 100 microM omega-conopeptide MVIIC group (n = 7), Hypothermia group (n = 6; cranial temperature = 32 degrees C), and omega-conopeptide MVIIC + hypothermia group (n = 6; 100 microM omega-conopeptide MVIIC and cranial temperature 32 degrees C). All the rabbits were subjected to 10 minutes of global cerebral ischemia produced by neck tourniquet inflation combined with hypotension during halothane anesthesia. Conopeptide MVIIC was administered in the artificial cerebrospinal fluid used to perfuse the microdialysis catheter. In control animals, ischemia caused a significant increase in glutamate (9.7 fold) and aspartate (11.3 fold) concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Exploring the Biosynthesis of Natural Products and Their Inherent Suitability for the Rational Design of Desirable Compounds through Genetic Engineering

Much effort has been invested in studying how natural products are biosynthesized, and great advances have been made in understanding how these compounds acquire their structural complexity and biological activities. In recent years, significant progress has been made due to the devoted efforts of scientists in this field and to technological advancements. Numerous details, applications, and innovative findings have been elucidated by scientists using biochemical, genetic, and molecular biological approaches. Here I present a comprehensive overview of highly valued biosynthetic proteins, polyketide synthase and nonribosomal peptide synthetase. I begin with "Diels-Alderase" a captivating enzyme that has the ability to catalyze a Diels-Alder reaction valued by chemists for its usefulness in chemical synthesis. A handful of these enzymes have been characterized and chemically authenticated. The most well understood enzyme of this category is macrophomate synthase. Secondly, I focus on the polyketide and nonribosomal peptide biosynthetic pathways and the enzyme assembly for producing its metabolite. Many important natural products are produced by this biosynthetic pathway as secondary metabolites, such as erythromycin, rifamycin, and FK520, as antibiotics and an immunosuppressive, respectively. I conclude with a discussion of nonribosomal peptides and their mechanistic pathways. Special attention will be devoted to de novo production of echinomycin in a heterologous manner, the earliest example of totally engineered biosynthesis of the biologically active form of a nonribosomal peptide host in Escherichia coli.
Digital controllers for SISO systems: a review and a new algorithm

Several digital control algorithms for linear single-input single-output systems are examined and the effect of the sampling period on their performance is analysed in terms of rippling, overshoot and settling time. The problem is addressed in the frequency domain (z-transform) and it is shown that each controller works for some classes of systems but that none works for all. The similarities and differences of these controllers are established and an explanation of their deficiencies is given based on the location of the zeros of the discrete system. The insight gained leads to a simple new rule for the design of a controller which combines the advantages of the different algorithms but at the same time is free of their problems. A single tuning parameter is included which directly affects the closed-loop speed of response and bandwidth. The parameter can be used to detune the controller in the event that the real system differs from the model on which the controller design is based. No tuning is necessa...
Constrained biogeography-based optimization for invariant set computation

We discuss the application of biogeography-based optimization (BBO) to invariant set approximation. BBO is a recently developed evolutionary algorithm (EA) that is motivated by biogeography, which is the study and science of the geographical migration of biological species. Invariant sets are sets in the state space of a dynamic system such that if the state begins in the set, then it remains in the set for all time. Invariant sets have applications in many constrained control problems, and their computation amounts to a constrained optimization problem. We therefore frame the invariant set computation problem as a constrained optimization problem, and we use a constrained BBO algorithm to solve it. We study three specific invariant set problems: the approximation of the maximum invariant ellipsoid, the approximation of the maximum invariant semi-ellipsoid, and the approximation of the maximum invariant cylinder, which has application to sliding mode control. We find that BBO outperforms linear matrix inequality (LMI) algorithms for the first and third of these problems. For the second problem, LMI performs better than BBO, but BBO only requires 65% of the computational effort.
Reaction of acetaldehyde with human erythrocyte membrane proteins

Proposed mechanisms for these abnormalities include an altered membrane choles- terol to phospholipid ratio, folate deficiency and direct bone-marrow toxicity by ethanol. We suggest that acetaldehyde, the first product of ethanol oxida- tion, may account for some of the erythrocytic altera- tions by reacting with erythrocyte spectrin and actin. It is known that free blood acetaldehyde accumulates to about 0.05 mM in chronic alcoholics [ 51. Further- more, spectrin and actin are thought to be involved in the maintenance of erythrocyte shape and flexibility [6-131. Although there is no direct evidence that acetal- dehyde binds to proteins of the human erythrocyte, it has been known that this compound can cross-link proteins [ 141 and can alter certain physical properties of erythrocytes [ 15-171. Unfortunately, these studies were performed mainly at unusually high acetaldehyde concentrations (2% or greater) and at temperatures at or beyond the boiling point of acetaldehyde (20°C) making interpretation difficult. Steck [ 181 has pre-
Opioid Peptides and Opioid Receptors in Cells of the Immune System

I Abbreviations used: ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone; ADCC, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity; Bma .. total number of binding sites; BREM, bremazocine, an agonist with modest selectivity for K sites; CCK, cholecystokinin; ConA, concanavalin A; DADLE, [D-Ala2,D-LeuS]enkephalin, an agonist somewhat selective for /j �ites; DEX, dextrorphan, inert enantiomer of LEV; DHM, dihydromorphine, a Jl-selective agonist; DIP, dipre­ norphine, a relatively nonselective antagonist; DYN, dynorphin, a peptide product of the dynorphin gene, selective for K sites; EKC, ethylketazocine, a benzomorphan agonist with modest selectivity for K sites; END, endorphin; a peptide product of the pro-opio­ melanocortin gene; <Xand y-endorphin are fragments of fJ-endorphin; fJ-endorphin is selective for e sites; ETO, etorphine, a relatively nonselective agonist; fMLP, formyl-methio­ nyl-leucinyl-phenylalanine; granulo, granulocyte(s); h, human; ICso, concentration of a com­ peting ligand that reduces specific binding of radioligand by 50%; icv, intracerebro­ ventricular; IFN, interferon; ir-, immunoreactive; Kd, K;, equilibrium dissociation con­ stants, determined by binding isotherm or by competition, respectively; LENK, [Leu]en­ kephalin, a minor product of the pro-enkephalin gene, an agonist somewhat selective for {) sites; leuko, leukocyte(s); LEV, levorphanol, a Jl-selective agonist; Iympho, Iymphocyte(s); m, mouse; M.p, macrophage(s); MENK, [Met]enkephalin, major product of the pro-enkephalin gene, a /j-selective agonist; MNC, mononuclear cell(s); mono, monocyte(s); MOR, morphine, a Jl-selective agonist; NA, not applicable; NAL, naloxone, a moderately jl-selective antag­ onist; NK, natural killer; NR, not reported; NTX, naltrexone, a long-lasting Jl-selective antagonist closely related to naloxone; PBL, peripheral blood Iymphocyte(s); PBMNC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell(s); PHA, phytohemagglutinin; PMNL, polymorpho­ nuclear leukocyte(s); r, rat; RIA, radioimmunoassay; spleno, splenocyte; SRBC, sheep red blood cells; VIP, vasoactive intestinal peptide.
Constrained nonlinear tracking control for small fixed-wing unmanned air vehicles

This paper considers the problem of constrained nonlinear tracking control for small fixed-wing unmanned air vehicles equipped with longitudinal and lateral autopilots. Four different controllers based on SDRE, Sontag's formula, geometric mean, and aggressive selection from the feasible control set are proposed and compared to show their strengths and weaknesses under different application scenarios. Issues of measurement noise and input uncertainties are also addressed under the input-to-state stability framework. The effectiveness of the approaches is demonstrated through detailed simulation studies.
Transparency without Democracy: The Unexpected Effects of China's Environmental Disclosure Policy

This article examines the impact of transparency regulations enacted under authoritarian conditions, through a study of China's environmental transparency measures. Given China's decentralized administrative structure, environmental disclosure ends up being weakest in the most polluted cities. However, the measures have allowed nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to affect environmental governance through unusual pathways. Multinational companies (MNCs) have used NGO pollution databases to monitor Chinese suppliers, whereas local governments have responded to a transparency index with greater NGO engagement. That said, these civil society initiatives have had limited impact on key stakeholder behavior. For the environment ministry, enforcement costs remain high. Local government behavior depends on their economic priorities and the nature of their relations with enterprises. Chinese enterprise behavior depends on the character of their relations with government and MNCs. Given China's authoritarian structure, improved governance does not translate into stronger accountability, challenging common assumptions about the relationship between transparency and accountability.
The Effect of Marriage on Weight Gain and Propensity to Become Obese in the African American Community

Does marriage have a causal impact on weight and the likelihood of becoming obese? Marriage is thought to have a protective influence on both men’s and women’s health, although via different mechanisms. Evidence in regard to marriage affecting body mass index (BMI) and the propensity to become obese, however, is mixed and often based on limited data. Even less clear is whether the effect varies by race and gender. In this article, the author uses the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979), which has followed individuals for more than 20 years, and uses methods aimed at netting out selection bias to show that marriage is associated with a modest increase in BMI for all race and gender groups. Additionally, marriage is associated with an increase in the likelihood for becoming obese for African American women.
Can Law Be a Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Scholars have widely examined the sources of sustainable competitive advantage for firms. Most research has focused on marketing, finance, information technology or other sub-firm business disciplines. Little attention, however, has been paid to the firm's legal environment as a source of a sustainable competitive advantage. Applying the criterion for sustainable competitive advantage articulated in Barney (1991), this manuscript examines whether law can meet the necessary requirements of rarity, imitablity, value, and lack of substitutes. This manuscript concludes that legal resources can meet all four of these criteria and explores opportunities for further research in using law as a strategic legal resource.
Oral immunotherapy for food allergy, ready for prime time? Heated egg and milk.

Cow’s milk and hen’s egg allergies are two of the most common food allergies that affect children, with an estimated prevalence of 2–3 % each. Persistence of food allergy into late teen years and adulthood is being increasingly recognized, possibly due to strict avoidance practices. Heating has been known to alter food allergenicity, and the majority of milk- and egg-allergic patients tolerate heated forms of those foods. Heated milk and heated egg have been increasingly studied as oral immunotherapy (OIT) for treatment of milk and egg allergy. While heated milk and heated egg have been shown to be safe in selected milk- and egg-allergic cohorts, larger studies are needed to predict which patients are optimal candidates for this strategy and to further clarify whether ingestion of heated milk or heated egg truly accelerates the onset of clinical tolerance to unheated forms of these foods.
QUASI-WAVELET MODELS OF TURBULENT TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS

Here, we contribute to the continuing development of the quasi-wavelet (QW) model of turbulence that is currently being used in simulations of sound propagation and scattering in the turbulent atmosphere. We show that a QW model of temperature fluctu- ations exists for any physically reasonable temperature spectrum of isotropic homogeneous turbulence, including the widely used von K´ arm´ an spectrum. We derive a simple formula for the QW shape that reproduces a given spectrum exactly in the energy, transition, and inertial subranges. We also show that simple QW shapes can be normalized to yield an ana- lytic expression for a temperature spectrum that is fairly close to any given spectrum. As an example, we match the Gaussian QW model to the von K´´ an spectrum as closely as possible, and find remarkably good agreement in all subranges including the dissipation sub- range. We also derive formulae for the variance and kurtosis associated with the QW model, and show how the latter depends on the QW packing fraction and size distribution. We also illustrate how the visual appearance of several QW-simulated temperature fluctuation fields depends on the QW packing fraction, size distribution, and kurtosis.
Joint optimization of cost and coverage of query plans in data integration

Existing approaches for optimizing queries in data integration use decoupled strategies--attempting to optimize coverage and cost in two separate phases. Since sources tend to have a variety of access limitations, such phased optimization of cost and coverage can unfortunately lead to expensive planning as well as highly inefficient plans. In this paper we present techniques for joint optimization of cost and coverage of the query plans. Our algorithms search in the space of parallel query plans that support multiple sources for each subgoal conjunct. The refinement of the partial plans takes into account the potential parallelism between source calls, and the binding compatibilities between the sources included in the plan. We start by introducing and motivating our query plan representation. We then briefly review how to compute the cost and coverage of a parallel plan. Next, we provide both a System-R style query optimization algorithm as well as a greedy local search algorithm for searching in the space of such query plans. Finally we present a simulation study that demonstrates that the plans generated by our approach will be significantly better, both in terms of planning cost, and in terms of plan execution cost, compared to the existing approaches.
Leader Emergence: The Case of the Narcissistic Leader

These studies investigate whether individuals with high narcissism scores would be more likely to emerge as leaders during leaderless group discussions. The authors hypothesized that narcissists would emerge as group leaders. In three studies, participants completed personality questionnaires and engaged in four-person leaderless group discussions. Results from all three studies reveal a link between narcissism and leader emergence. Studies 1 and 2 further reveal that the power dimension of narcissism predicted reported leader emergence while controlling for sex, self-esteem, and the Big Five personality traits. Study 3 demonstrates an association between narcissism and expert ratings of leader emergence in a group of executives. The implications of the propensity of narcissists to emerge as leaders are discussed.
Parametric manipulations of auditory stimuli differentially affect P3 amplitude in schizophrenics and controls

Schizophrenics show P3 amplitude reduction and topographic asymmetries. It is unclear whether the underlying cause of these deficits is primarily functional or structural. This study examined the effect of stimulus discriminability and task instruction on behavioral performance and P3 in schizophrenics and normal control subjects. Stimulus discriminability was manipulated by varying the overall loudness and pitch disparity of the two tones in an auditory oddball paradigm. Instructions emphasized either speed or accuracy of response. Instructions had no significant effects on reaction time, perceptual sensitivity, response bias, or P3. With increased discriminability, however, both groups improved in mean reaction time to targets and perceptual sensitivity. In controls, P3 became earlier and larger with increased stimulus discriminability and was consistently larger over left temporal areas than over right temporal areas. In schizophrenics, P3 latency was related to stimulus discriminability, but amplitude was not; P3 amplitude did not increase with improvement of perceptual sensitivity and reaction time. Unlike normal controls, schizophrenics had a P3 asymmetry at temporal sites, with reduced left-sided voltages. The results are not consistent with a primarily functional cause of P3 aberrations in schizophrenia and are compatible with the hypothesis that P3 amplitude deficits in schizophrenia are related to underlying pathophysiology of temporal lobe generator sites.
Testing Cognitive and Emotion-Focused Models of Worry in Black and White Samples

Several models have been proposed to conceptualize worry. Broadly, the models can be classified as cognitive (including the Avoidance Model, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Model, and the Metacognitive Model) and emotion-focused (including Emotion Dysregulation and Acceptance-Based models). Although these models have received strong empirical investigation in primarily non-Hispanic White samples, no known study has examined the applicability to racial and ethnic minority groups. The current study compared the proportion of variance explained by cognitive and emotion-focused models of worry in White and Black samples. Results indicated that cognitive and emotion-focused models significantly predicted worry in both Black and White samples. However, the overall amount of variance in worry explained by the models was less for Black samples. Specifically, controlling for gender, the cognitive models explained 53% of the variance in worry in the White sample compared with 19% in the Black sample. Similarly, the ...
A Pharmacist's Impact on 30-Day Readmission Rates When Compared to the Current Standard of Care Within a Patient-Centered Medical Home: A Pilot Study.

Objective:To evaluate the effect transition of care follow-up and counseling performed by a pharmacist, within a physician’s practice, can have on 30-day hospital readmissions among Medicare patients when compared to the current standard of careMethods:A pharmacist telephonically contacted patients ≥65 years with Medicare insurance following hospital discharge to perform medication reconciliation, review discharge instructions, and schedule a follow-up appointment (n = 34). At this follow-up appointment, the pharmacist reviewed the patient’s electronic medical record (EMR) and communicated recommendations to the physician. The current standard of care, which does not involve a pharmacist, at a similar local physician practice was used as a comparative group (n = 45)Results:The difference in 30-day readmission rates did not reach statistical significance (P = .27); however, there was a trending decrease in the percentage of patients readmitted between the control and the intervention groups (26.7% vs 14.7%...
The role of particle collisions in pneumatic transport

We analyse the dilute, steady, fully developed flow of relatively massive particles in a turbulent gas in the context of a vertical pipe. The idea is that the exchange of momentum in collisions between the grains and between the grains and the wall plays a significant role in the balance of forces in the particle phase. Consequently, the particle phase is considered to be a dilute system of colliding grains, in which the velocity fluctuations are produced by collisions rather than by the gas turbulence. The balance equations for rapid granular flow are modified to incorporate the drag force from the gas, and boundary conditions, based on collisional exchanges of momentum and energy at the wall, are employed. The turbulence of the gas is treated using a one-equation closure. A numerical solution of the resulting governing equations provides velocity and turbulent energy profiles in agreement with the measurements of Tsuji et al. (1984).
The intubating laryngeal-mask airway may be an ideal device for airway control in the rural trauma patient

A review of the literature on advanced airway management indicates that the intubating laryngeal-mask airway (ILMA) may be an ideal device for airway control in the rural trauma patient. The ILMA is an advanced laryngeal-mask airway designed to allow oxygenation of the unconscious patient as well as blind tracheal intubation with an endotracheal tube. The ILMA is an easy-to-use airway with a high success rate of insertion, and requires little training. For the rural physician managing a difficult airway in a trauma patient, the ILMA has been found to be reliable and successful when other techniques fail, such as fiberoptic intubation and direct laryngoscopy. The ILMA has also been reported to cause less hemodynamic change and less injury to the teeth and lips than direct laryngoscopy. Further, the ILMA was found to be easier and faster to use with a higher success rate than either the combitube or endotracheal tube for unskilled healthcare providers. Limitations and complications of the ILMA may include aspiration, esophageal intubation, damage to the larynx or other tissues during blind passage of a tracheal tube, and edema of the epiglottis.
Fabrication and characterization of thermally actuated micromechanical resonators for airborne particle mass sensing: II. Device fabrication and characterization

This paper, the second of two parts, presents extensive measurement and characterization results on fabricated thermally actuated single-crystal silicon MEMS resonators analyzed in part I. The resonators have been fabricated using a single mask process on SOI substrates. Resonant frequencies in a few hundreds of kHz to a few MHz and equivalent motional conductances as high as 102 mA V−1 have been measured for the fabricated resonators. The measurement results have been compared to the resonator characteristics predicted by the model developed in part I showing a good agreement between the two. Despite the relatively low frequencies, high quality factors (Q) of the order of a few thousand have been measured for the resonators under atmospheric pressure. The mass sensitivities of some of the resonators were characterized by embedding them in a custom-made test setup and deposition of artificially generated aerosol particles with known size and composition. The resulting measured mass sensitivities are of the order of tens to hundreds of Hz ng−1 and are in agreement with the expected values based on the resonator's physical dimensions. Finally, measurement of mass density of arbitrary airborne particles in the surrounding lab environment has been demonstrated.
Propranolol antagonism of phenylpropanolamine‐induced hypertension

Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) overdose can cause severe hypertension, intracerebral hemorrhage, and death. We studied the efficacy and safety of propranolol in the treatment of PPA-induced hypertension. Subjects received propranolol either by mouth for 48 hours before PPA or as a rapid intravenous infusion after PPA. PPA, 75 mg alone, increased blood pressure (31 +/- 14 mm Hg systolic, 20 +/- 5 mm Hg diastolic), and propranolol pretreatment antagonized this increase (12 +/- 10 mm Hg systolic, 10 +/- 7 mm Hg diastolic). Intravenous propranolol after PPA also decreased blood pressure. Left ventricular function (assessed by echocardiography) showed that PPA increased the stroke volume 30% (from 62.5 +/- 20.9 to 80.8 +/- 22.4 ml), the ejection fraction 9% (from 64% +/- 10% to 70% +/- 7%), and cardiac output 14% (from 3.6 +/- 0.6 to 4.1 +/- 1.0 L/min). Intravenous propranolol reversed these effects. Systemic vascular resistance was increased by PPA 28% (from 1710 +/- 200 to 2190 +/- 700 dyne X sec/cm5) and was further increased by propranolol 22% (to 2660 +/- 1200 dyne X sec/cm5). We conclude that PPA increases blood pressure by increasing systemic vascular resistance and cardiac output, and that propranolol antagonizes this increase by reversing the effect of PPA on cardiac output. That propranolol antagonizes the pressor effect of PPA is in contrast to the interaction in which propranolol enhances the pressor effect of norepinephrine. This is probably because PPA has less beta 2 activity than does norepinephrine.
Acute intermittent optogenetic stimulation of nucleus tractus solitarius neurons induces sympathetic long-term facilitation

Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) induces sympathetic and phrenic long-term facilitation (LTF), defined as a sustained increase in nerve discharge. We investigated the effects of AIH and acute inter...
Proposed Mark-To-Market Regs: Four Requirements, Three Limitations, Two Procedures, and One Safe Harbor

In mid-2005, the government released proposed regulations that provide a safe harbor valuation method permitting the use of financial statement valuations for tax purposes under section 475. This article briefly reviews the types of concerns raised by book-tax conformity in a rapidly changing area such as valuation of derivitives - ranging from permitting a private board to set standards for determining taxable income to the incentives for taxpayers to manipulate financial reporting rules to reduce their income tax liability. The article considers the eligible method requirements, limitations, and recordkeeping and revocation provisions set forth in the regulations for the proposed safe harbor, and proposes some clarifications and additions to better address concerns. Although still skeptical about the compatibility of financial statement valuations with section 475, Beale concludes that the safe harbor's requirements and limitations may give the IRS more clout on audit than initially expected.
Forecasting Water Demands and Systems Capabilities

One feature of the 1968 Illinois Water Plan was concern with the condition and future capability of water systems in 1200 incorporated communities. It was necessary to determine the condition of each water facility, such as its present pumpage, the filter plant capacity, and the water source capacity. Projections of the water demands on each system to the year 1980, and on a county basis to 2020, were made by using population estimates. By developing a gallons per capita per day relationship from present pumpage and present population data, corresponding 1980 values could be computed by using the appropriate projected population data. The technique for presenting these data is shown in both graphical and formula form. In addition, table sand graphs are included to show various parameter relationships and how the large amount of data were assembled in order to display projections individually, by counties, and by river basins. This water resource planning approach has a potential for wide use beyond the area for which it was developed.
Analysis on pathogenic characteristics of hand-food-mouth disease in Baoding City from 2009-2012

[Objective]To understand the pathogenic changes of hand-food-mouth disease( HFMD) in Baoding City from2009-2012,provide the experimental basis for HFMD prevention and control.[Methods]The fluorescent quantitation RT-PCR was used to test throat swab specimens for enterovirus( EV),enterovirus 71( EV71),and coxsackievirus16( CoxA16). The results were statistically analyzed with SPSS 13. 0 and Excel software.[Results]1 140 cases with enterovirus nucleic acid were detected in2 577 confirmed HFMD cases,which EV71,CoxA16 and other enteroviruses accounted for 52. 37%,25. 88% and 21. 75%,respectively. EV71 was the dominant pathogen from 2009 to 2011,while the constituent ratio of EV71 was equal to that of CoxA16 in2012,and both of them were the main pathogens. The positive cases were detected throughout the year,and the peak season appeared April to August. A majority of cases were children below 5 years old,and the number of male cases was greater that that of female cases. The constituent ratio of EV71 in female cases was higher than that in male cases,and there were no significant differences in constituent ratio of CoxA16 and other enteroviruses between male and female cases.[Conclusion]EV71 and CoxA16 are the main pathogens of HFMD in Baoding City from 2009 to 2012. The peak season is April to August. The prevention and control of HFMD should focus on children under 5 years old.
Acting together: Joint pedestrian road crossing in an immersive virtual environment

We investigated how two people jointly coordinate their decisions and actions in a co-occupied, large-screen virtual environment. The task for participants was to physically cross a virtual road with continuous traffic without getting hit by a car. Participants performed this task either alone or with another person (see Fig.1). We found that pairs often crossed the same gap together and closely synchronized their movements when crossing. Pairs also chose larger gaps than individuals to accommodate the extra time needed to cross through gaps together. These results reveal how two people interact and coordinate their behaviors in performing whole-body, joint motions. This study also provides a foundation for future studies examining joint actions in shared VEs where participants are represented by graphic avatars.
Anterior spinal surgery: anesthetic reflections

Summary Although anterior spinal surgery is not new, the frequency with which it is now performed, even in community hospitals, certainly is. The diversity of presentation and the complexities of the physiologic changes demand both a thoughtful and skillful approach to these patients. Underlying physiologic compromise can transform management into a herculean task. The goal of this article has been to provide a foundation for this approach, despite the heterogeneity of these patients, as a group. As with any structure, the foundation is rarely seen, but provides the base upon which we can build.
Fast register consolidation and migration for heterogeneous multi-core processors

Single-ISA heterogeneous multi-core processors have been demonstrated to improve the performance and efficiency of general-purpose workloads. However, these designs leave some performance on the table due to the common assumption that the cost of migrating a program from one core to another is high. This high cost is due to the reliance on the operating system for a migration via a context switch. Many programs exhibit very fine-grained changes in behavior. A high-cost thread migration requires infrequent migrations, as the migration penalty must be amortized. In this paper, we investigate the impact that thread migrations impose on single-ISA heterogeneous systems.
System theoretic analysis of battery charging optimization

Abstract Innovative optimal charging sequences are sought to minimize battery degradation and reduce charging loses. One charging sequence under investigation incorporates high frequency pulses or sinusoidal perturbations. However, there is disagreement in the literature on the benefits/disadvantages of pulsed charging. This work analytically determines optimal battery charging sequences for two cases: minimizing energy losses and maximizing charge supplied to the battery while respecting lithium plating constraints. Assuming relevant battery physics have linear, time-invariant dynamic behavior, optimal charging strategies are derived analytically. The analysis exposes specific features of the battery dynamic response (frequency response and impulse response) that must be present for optimal charging sequences to have periodic components. In the case of energy minimization, the battery's electrochemical impedance must approach the imaginary axis. In the case of limiting lithium plating, a criterion is developed involving impulse responses of relevant battery variables.
Roles of High-resolution Manometry in Predicting Incomplete Bolus Transit in Patients With Dysphagia.

BACKGROUND High-resolution manometry (HRM) is used to assess esophageal motility diseases. Abnormalities in a number of HRM parameters have been reported in patients with dysphagia. However, it is unclear whether some of abnormal HRM parameters are predictive of dysphagia. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the roles of HRM parameters in predicting incomplete bolus clearance (IBC) in patients with dysphagia using high-resolution impedance manometry. METHODS A total of 644 wet swallows were reviewed and analyzed in 63 patients with symptoms of dysphagia or reflux who underwent a clinical high-resolution impedance manometry test. IBC was defined based on impedance measurement. The relationship of each of abnormal HRM parameters with IBC was analyzed and their roles in predicting IBC were determined. RESULTS Patients with symptoms of both dysphagia and reflux showed the highest IBC rate, and patients with symptoms of reflux had the lowest IBC rate. The IBC was more prevalent in the distal esophagus. Premature contractions and peristalsis with large breaks were associated with a higher IBC rate in the proximal esophagus (P<0.05); large breaks, ineffective peristalsis, and abnormalities of the esophageal gastric junction functions were associate with higher IBC rates in the distal esophagus (P<0.05). Abnormalities in a number of motility parameters were able to predict IBC with high specificities and/or high sensitivity, such as pan esophageal pressurization, ineffective peristalsis, and large breaks. Abnormal integrative relaxation pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter with concurrent pan esophageal pressurization, ineffective peristalsis, or large breaks is predictive of IBC with nearly 100% of specificity. CONCLUSIONS Abnormalities in a number of HRM parameters are not only useful in diagnosing esophageal motility diseases, but also valuable in predicting IBC during swallowing.
ISAR imaging using filtered compressive sensing

Many methods have been developed over the last several decades to provide spatial imaging from backscattered ISAR data, including range-Doppler processing, subspace techniques, and more recently, compressive sensing. Range-Doppler processing generally has a lower resolution than subspace and compressive sensing techniques. Subspace techniques provide a high resolution image and perform well in the presence of noise, but require a sufficiently high measurement bandwidth. In addition, in the presence of significant noise, subspace dimensionality can be difficult to determine. Compressive sensing can provide a very high resolution image under ideal circumstances but generally performs poorly in the presence of noise. This paper proposes a filtered compressive sensing method that improves compressive sensing ISAR imaging over direct methods.
“I matter, too”

This narrative is about a journey of two people in a therapy relationship who come from distinctly different social locations – on the surface, unlike one another from a social context, yet not so ...
Example of Methylome Analysis with MethylIT using Cancer Datasets

Methyl-IT, a novel methylome analysis procedure based on information thermodynamics and signal detection was recently released. Methylation analysis involves a signal detection problem, and the method was designed to discriminate methylation regulatory signal from background noise induced by thermal fluctuations. Methyl-IT enhances the resolution of genome methylation behavior to reveal network-associated responses, offering resolution of gene pathway influences not attainable with previous methods. Herein, an example of MethylIT application to the analysis of breast cancer methylomes is presented.
Transcriptional profiling of synovium in a porcine model of early post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

To determine the transcriptional profile of synovium during the molecular phase of post-traumatic osteoarthritis, anterior cruciate ligament transections (ACL) were performed in 36 Yucatan minipigs. Equal numbers were randomly assigned to no further treatment, ACL reconstruction or repair. Perimeniscal synovium for histopathology and RNA-sequencing was harvested at 1 and 4 weeks post-operatively and from six healthy control animals. Microscopic synovitis scores significantly worsened at 1 (p < 0.001) and 4 weeks (p = 0.003) post-surgery relative to controls, and were driven by intimal hyperplasia and increased stromal cellularity without inflammatory infiltrates. Synovitis scores were similar between no treatment, reconstruction, and repair groups (p ≥ 0.668). Relative to no treatment at 1 week, 88 and 367 genes were differentially expressed in the reconstruction and repair groups, respectively (227 and 277 at 4 weeks). Relative to controls and with the treatment groups pooled, 1,683 transcripts were concordantly differentially expressed throughout the post-surgery time-course. Affected pathways included, proteolysis_connective tissue degradation (including upregulations of protease-encoding MMP1, MMP13, and ADAMTS4), and development_cartilage development (including upregulations of ACAN, SOX9, and RUNX2), among others. Using linear regression, significant associations of post-surgery synovial expression levels of 20 genes with the articular cartilage glycosaminoglycan loss were identified. These genes were predominantly related to embryonic skeletal system development and included RUNX2. In conclusion, this study confirmed an increased synovial expression of genes that may serve as targets to prevent cartilage degradation, including MMP1, MMP13, and ADAMTS4, in knees with microscopic synovitis and cartilage proteoglycan loss. Attractive novel targets include regulators of embryonic developmental processes in synovium. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res.
IMPACT OF ENDOTHELIN-1 ON CARDIAC ALLOGRAFT VASCULOPATHY, LATE MORTALITY AND RE-TRANSPLANTATION FOLLOWING HEART TRANSPLANTATION

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a leading cause of mortality and re-transplantation late after heart transplantation (HT). Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in the development of CAV, but has not been well-studied after HT. In 90 HT patients, plasma ET-1 was assayed within 8 weeks of
Circumstantial ignorance and mitigated blameworthiness

It is intuitive that circumstantial ignorance, even when culpable, can mitigate blameworthiness for morally wrong behavior. In this paper I suggest an explanation of why this is so. The explanation offered is that an agent’s degree of blameworthiness for some action (or omission) depends at least in part upon the quality of will expressed in that action, and that an agent’s level of awareness when performing a morally wrong action can make a difference to the quality of will that is expressed in it. This explanation makes use of Holly Smith’s (1983. “Culpable Ignorance.” Philosophical Review 92 (4): 543–571) distinction between benighting and benighted actions as well as a notion developed here called “capture.”
Chapter 5 Multidimensional Electronic and Vibrational Spectroscopy: An Ultrafast Probe of Molecular Relaxation and Reaction Dynamics

Abstract Multidimensional optical spectroscopy in the visible and infrared is a rapidly developing technique enabling direct observation of complex dynamics of molecules in complex environments such as liquids and proteins. Measuring the correlation between excited and detected frequencies with sub‐picosecond resolution has enabled the resolution of long‐standing problems such as energy transfer in photosynthesis and the life‐sustaining structural rearrangements of liquid water. This chapter aims to provide a bridge between the concepts familiar in the AMO physics community and how those ideas and experimental methods are applied to condensed phase molecular spectroscopy. We outline the technical challenges of these powerful methods while considering a few examples of experiments that showcase the unique perspective offered by 2D electronic and vibrational spectroscopy.