cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of kinetic parameters in skeletal muscle by magnetic resonance imaging with an intravascular agent.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) has been shown to be a valuable diagnostic tool for evaluating physiological tissue parameters in the brain (1,2), myocardium (3), and tumors (4,5). In the context of ischemic injury to either the brain or myocardium, CEMRI can be used to evaluate the extent and severity of injury, as well as response to treatment. CEMRI has also been used to characterize tumor vasculature, which correlates with invasive and metastatic potential (6). The majority of MRI contrast agents distribute into the vascular space and extravascular extracellular space (EES), and are excluded from the intracellular space. The kinetics can therefore be described using a two-compartment model, as detailed by Tofts (7). Quantitative T1 maps are used to estimate the contrast agent concentration in the vascular and EES compartments over time, and the Tofts model is used to extract physiological parameters from these time courses. Most studies have focused on the kinetics of FDA-approved extravascular agents, such as Gd-DTPA (e.g., Magnevist™). These agents are small enough in size (∼0.5 kDa) to allow rapid extravasation from the vascular space into the interstitium. Delivery of these agents is usually flow-limited, however, which makes them ill-suited for studying changes in vascular permeability. Intravascular MRI contrast agents are actively being studied for many clinical applications. These agents distribute primarily in the intravascular space, and may gradually extravasate into the EES under certain conditions. The dynamics, therefore, are relatively slow compared to an extravascular agent, which makes the delivery permeability- rather than flow-limited. Intravascular agents have been used extensively to study the vascular volume and vessel permeability in tumors (5,8,9), but have had limited use in the context of skeletal (10) or myocardial (11,12) muscle. One advantage of macromolecular agents is that they are sensitive to changes in capillary permeability and thus may have application in the identification of reperfusion injury (13) or the recognition of angiogenic neovasculature (14). Because of the limited distribution volume of intravascular agents, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) is lower than that obtained with extravascular agents. The goal of this work was to investigate the feasibility of using an intravascular agent in conjunction with the Tofts two-compartment model with parameters that are typical for skeletal muscle. Computer simulations were used to evaluate the expected errors in parameter estimation using the Tofts model for a range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and parameter values. Experiments were conducted in rabbits to assess the volume transfer constant (Ktrans), fractional interstitial volume (ve), and fractional plasma volume (vp) in the soleus (SOL) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles in the lower limb. These two muscle groups were chosen to determine how the physiological differences between the “slow-twitch” SOL and “fast-twitch” TA are reflected in the Tofts parameters.
Differential up-regulation of striatal dopamine transporter and α-synuclein by the pyrethroid insecticide permethrin

The effects of permethrin on striatal dopaminergic biomarkers were assessed in this study. Retired breeder male C57 B1/6 mice were given an ip dose of permethrin (0.1–200 mg/kg) at 7-day intervals, over a 2-week period (Days 0, 7, and 14). Animals were then sacrificed 1 day (t = 1), 14 days (t = 14), or 28 days after the last treatment (t = 28). Dopamine transporter (DAT) protein as assayed by Western blotting was increased to 115% in the 0.8 mg/kg group over that of control mice at t = 1 (P < 0.05). At t = 14, this value increased to 140% of control, and declined slightly to 133% of control at t = 28. The mice given the 1.5 mg/kg dose displayed a significant increase in DAT protein only at t = 28, to 145% of controls. Thus, upregulation of the DAT at low doses of PM is variable 24 h after treatment, and seems to stabilize by t = 28. The threshold dose for increasing DAT expression in Western blots by t = 28 was 0.2 mg/kg permethrin. [3H]GBR 12935, used to assay DAT binding, followed the same trend as that for the Western blotting data for 0.8 and 1.5 mg/kg doses of permethrin over the 4 weeks posttreatment. At 200 mg/kg permethrin, DAT protein was unchanged vs controls (t = 1), but had significantly increased by t = 14 and continued to increase at t = 28, suggesting that the reduced dopamine transport at this dose was due to nerve terminal stress and that recovery had occurred. The protein α-synuclein was also significantly induced at the 1.5 mg/kg dose at t = 1; however, unlike DAT up-regulation, this effect had declined to control values by t = 14. Maximal induction of α-synuclein protein occurred at a dose of 50 mg/kg permethrin. These data provide evidence that the pyrethroid class of insecticides can modulate the dopaminergic system at low doses, in a persistent manner, which may render neurons more vulnerable to toxicant injury.
Assessing Mitral Stenosis with Doppler Echocardiography Limitations of the Pressure Half-Time Method

Echocardiographic techniques have been used extensively in the noninvasive evaluation of mitral stenosis. Although mitral valve area can be reliably predicted by two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) in selected patients, neither M-mode nor 2DE techniques provide any direct hemodynamic information. The subsequent utilization of Doppler techniques allows for interrogation of coexistent blood flow alterations and an estimate of the pressure gradient across the mitral valve using the modified Bernoulli equation. Since the pressure gradient is found to vary with flow volume, an additional Doppler technique using the concept of pressure half-time provides an assessment of the severity of mitral stenosis that is related to mitral valve area and independent of hemodynamic factors. Although several studies reporting good reliability have contributed to the widespread acceptance of the pressure half-time concept, recent reports have indicated significant limitations with the pressure half-time method leading to i...
The functional similarity between faxén relations and singularity solutions for fluid-fluid, fluid-solid and solid-solid dispersions

Abstract The functional similarity between Faxen relations (for moments of the appropriate transport flux) and singularity solutions has been noted in the past. For rigid particles (and perfect conductors etc.) it has been noted in the literature that the root of this similarity is linked to the Lorentz reciprocal theorem. However, the duality applies even to more general two-phase problems such as a viscous drop in another solvent, with the relevant singularity distribution taken from the exterior solution. Although two-phase Faxen relations are available for various particle shapes, until now, the root of this duality has not been demonstrated explicitly. The application of the duality is illustrated by the derivation of new Faxen relations for ellipsoidal inclusions.
Group 13-group 16 heterocubanes [RM(μ3-E)]4 (R = H, CH3; M = Al, Ga, In; E = O, S, Se, Te) and group 13 cubanes [RM(μ3-M)]4 (R = f, cl, CH3, NO2; M = Al, Ga, in): A structural study

Twenty-four group 13−group 16 chalcogen heterocubanes [RM(μ3-E)]4 (R = H, CH3; M = Al, Ga, In; E = O, S, Se, Te) and 12 group 13−group 13 pure cubanes [RM(μ3-M)]4 (R = F, Cl, CH3, NO2; M = Al, Ga, In) have been studied using density functional theory. Geometries and thermodynamic properties were computed at the B3LYP/SRLC level. All structures were found to be true minima with at most 0.08 A and 2.5° deviation from the limited experimental geometries. These chalcogen heterocubanes appear thermodynamically resistant to fragmentation. The M4E4 core for each structure proved to be insensitive to ligand choice for the group 13−group 16 heterocubanes. By contrast, the electron-deficient M8 cores of the pure cubanes were variously affected by the electronegativity of various R groups. The entropically disfavored nature of the synthesis may hold the key to the as-yet-unsynthesized [RAl(μ3-O)]4.
Facial displays of fear, sadness and pain.

2 experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that there are separate and distinguishable facial expressions for feat, sadness and pain. 14 photos were rated by 22 Js in the first experiment ...
THE PENETRATION OF LUMINOUS BACTERIA BY THE AMMONIUM SALTS OF THE LOWER FATTY ACIDS : PART I. GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THE EFFECTS OF STRONG ACIDS AND ALKALIES.

It is shown that disappearance of the light of luminous bacteria may be used as a criterion of cell penetration; that luminous bacteria are cytolyzed by water, hypotonic solutions, and by freely penetrating solutions; that luminous bacteria are not injured by hydrogen or hydroxyl ions in the external solutions within the range of pH values employed with the ammonium salts and that therefore disappearance of the light in isotonic solutions of these salts must be due to penetration of the solute; and that there is a characteristic difference between the effects of strong and of weak acids and alkalies on luminous bacteria.
A Model for Alzheimer's Disease Support Group Development in African-American and Hispanic Populations

Alzheimer's disease caregiver support groups were developed simultaneously in two southeastern cities with existing AD support groups but without ethnic minority use. The "ethic competence" concept, featuring targeted ethnographic methods, was applied in African-American and Hispanic communities in both sites. In 2 years, 114 ethnic minority primary caregiver and patient dyads were identified and African-American and Hispanic support groups were functioning.
The role of eastern Siberian snow and soil moisture anomalies in quasi-biennial persistence of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations

Variations in the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and its regional manifestation, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), generate much of the nonseasonal variability in the winter climate over the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. Despite being an internal mode of the atmosphere, the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations (N/AO) exhibit a slightly red spectrum, varying on quasi-biennial (2-3 years) and quasi-decadal time scales. Such low-frequency variability is likely due to the coupling of the atmosphere to boundary conditions and/or external forcings. Here we show that Eurasian snow cover, particularly over eastern Siberia (ESB), exhibits quasi-biennial persistence similar to the N/AO. Furthermore, the snow-AO mechanism operates on quasi-biennial timescales, with fall ESB snow cover significantly related to vertically propagating Rossby wave activity and the N/AO for the next two to three winters. On the basis of land surface model simulations from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), the interseasonal carryover of ESB snow is related to soil moisture anomalies and an evaporation-convection feedback. These findings suggest quasi-biennial persistence of the N/AO is partly due to land surface forcing in the form of both ESB snow and soil moisture anomalies.
Rapid, multiplexed microfluidic phage display

The development of a method for high-throughput, automated proteomic screening could impact areas ranging from fundamental molecular interactions to the discovery of novel disease markers and therapeutic targets. Surface display techniques allow for efficient handling of large molecular libraries in small volumes. In particular, phage display has emerged as a powerful technology for selecting peptides and proteins with enhanced, target-specific binding affinities. Yet, the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming when multiple targets are involved. Here we demonstrate for the first time a microfluidic chip capable of identifying high affinity phage-displayed peptides for multiple targets in just a single round and without the need for bacterial infection. The chip is shown to be able to yield well-established control consensus sequences while simultaneously identifying new sequences for clinically important targets. Indeed, the confined parameters of the device allow not only for highly controlled assay conditions but also introduce a significant time-reduction to the phage display process. We anticipate that this easily-fabricated, disposable device has the potential to impact areas ranging from fundamental studies of protein, peptide, and molecular interactions, to applications such as fully automated proteomic screening.
Olfactory perception and olfactory imagery: a multidimensional analysis

Whether a system of imagery for olfaction exists is currently an unsettled issue. Moreover, the dimensions underlying odor perception have eluded researchers for many years. Two experiments bearing on these issues are presented. In one experiment, a group of 32 undergraduates rated the similarity of pairs of 16 commonplace odorants (e.g., chocolate and leather) they perceived using scratch and sniff stimuli; in another, a different group of 44 undergraduates was asked to imagine and then rate the similarity of the same pairs of odors. Multidimensional scaling of the data suggests that three-dimensional solutions with similar stimulus dimensions, such as fruitiness, strength, and familiarity, underlied the ratings of both perceived and imagined odors. By finding that similar dimensions define the psychological space of both the imagery and the perception tasks, this study suggests that imagery does indeed exist for olfaction.
Takeover: How Euroman Changed the World

Takeover: How Euroman Changed the World, by Arthur Niehoff. Bonsall, California: The Hominid Press, 1996.
Perceptions of and preferences for federally-funded family planning clinics

The Title X family planning program provides affordable access to a range of sexual and reproductive health services, with a priority for low-income people. The disproportionate burden of unintended pregnancy, breast and cervical cancer, and sexually transmitted diseases among minority groups, teens, and young adults in the US underscore the need for affordable access to such services. However, increased access to sexual and reproductive health services, resulting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) create questions regarding the continued need for this program. A study was conducted to assess clients’ perceptions of Title X-funded family planning clinics and their preferences for these clinics for a range of sexual and reproductive health services. An anonymous, self-administered, paper-and-pencil survey was administered to 696 clients who received services from one of eight Title X-funded family planning clinics in Northeast Ohio. The majority of participants stated very positive perceptions of the Title X-funded clinics; that they “Always” go to the Title X-funded clinic for birth control, STD/HIV testing, and pregnancy testing; and that the Title X-funded clinic was their regular source of health care. Females were more likely than males to prefer the Title X clinic for birth control, physical exams, pregnancy testing, and health information and more teens under the age of 18 preferred to use the Title X clinic for STD/HIV testing, physical exams, pregnancy testing, and health information. Findings indicate that these Title X-funded family planning clinics successfully reached populations in need of sexual and reproductive health services and suggest that these facilities can help play an important role in reducing disparities even after full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. However, more research is needed to fully quantify the need and value of Title X-funded family planning clinics and its relation to the changing health care environment in the US.
Analysis of copper treatments and the effects on signal propagation

As computer data rates increase into the 30 - 50 Gb/s range fundamental material challenges emerge that make it difficult to design a robust electrical interconnect between the transmitter and receiver. This paper discusses the effects of differing copper treatments and the effects these treatments have on signal propagation for a computer electrical interconnect. Two types of treatments have been studied: high profile copper (HPC) and low profile copper (LPC). Discussions on the physical surface geometry and elemental analyses of these copper types along with their signaling effects are discussed below.
Effect of device and interconnect scaling on the performance and noise of packaged CMOS devices

A detailed investigation of the effects of device and interconnect scaling on CMOS performance and noise was performed for multilayer packages. Results of simulations using experimental scaled-device data for one micron and two micron L/sub eff/, and recently developed modeling tools for interconnect parasitics, were obtained. These results were compared to predicted performance and noise characteristics obtained using conventional constant-voltage scaling schemes. Significant differences were found. >
A hybrid silicon sampled grating DBR laser integrated with an electroabsorption modulator using quantum well intermixing

We demonstrate the first hybrid silicon sampled grating DBR laser integrated with an electroabsorption modulator. Laser operation >45degC is achieved with output power >0.5 mW. Modulator bandwidth is >2 GHz.
Endothelin-1 and nitric oxide affect human cerebromicrovascular endothelial responses and signal transduction.

Endothelium plays a central role in regulating the vascular tone, blood flow and blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability. The experiments presented here examine the mechanisms by which nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) may be involved in these processes. The findings indicate that ET-1-stimulated [Ca2+]i accumulation occurs through activation of ETa receptor. The capacity of NO to affect this response was indicated by results showing: 1) a two-fold increase in ET-1-stimulated [Ca2+]i by L-NAME, the inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, and 2) a dose-dependent decrease in [Ca2+]i accumulation by pretreatment with Nor-1 (NO donor). Abrogation of this Nor-1 effect by ODQ (an inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase) or Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS (an inhibitor of protein kinase G) and inhibition of ET-1 stimulated intracellular Ca2+ accumulation by 8-bromo-cGMP (a permeable, analog of cGMP) substantiate the involvement of interplay between ET-1 and NO in [Ca2+]i accumulation in HBMEC. ET-1 treatment also increased thickness of F-actin cyto-skeletal filaments in HBMEC. This effect was attenuated by pretreatment with NO; NO also rarefied F-actin filaments in control cultures. The findings support a linkage between NO and ET-1 in regulating microvascular tone, microcirculation and BBB permeability and indicate a role for cGMP/cGMP protein kinase system and cytoskeletal changes in responses of HBMEC.
Magnetic designs and field quality of Nb/sub 3/Sn accelerator magnets

This paper presents a new approach to accelerator magnet design, based on simple and robust single-layer coils with minimum number of turns arranged horizontally or vertically in a common iron yoke. Cos-theta and block type coil geometries as well as cold and warm iron yoke designs were studied. Coils and yokes were optimized for the maximum field, minimum field harmonics, and minimum sizes.
Age-based differences of percutaneous coronary intervention in the drug-eluting stent era.

INTRODUCTION Limited data are available on contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practice patterns and outcomes in elderly patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate "real-world" PCI in elderly and nonelderly patients during the first year of availability of drug-eluting stents (DES) in the United States market (May 1, 2003-April 30, 2004). METHODS One thousand one hundred sixty-six consecutive patients (272 elderly [age > or =75 years] and 894 nonelderly [age <75 years]) having PCI for de novo coronary artery disease (CAD) at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center were included in this study. Primary outcome measures of this study were in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE-death, new MI, urgent revascularization). Secondary end points included acute renal failure, respiratory failure, and vascular complications. RESULTS Elderly patients had higher MACE (8.5% vs 1.5%, P < or = 0.001), unadjusted in-hospital mortality (7.4% vs 0.8%, P < or = 0.001), in-hospital cardiac arrest (1.5% vs 0.3%, P = 0.03), requirements for assisted blood pressure support (13.2% vs 7.0%, P = 0.0001), respiratory failure (2.2% vs 0.9%, P = 0.08), acute renal failure (2.9% vs 0.8%, P = 0.005), and vascular complications (10.3% vs 5.5%, P = 0.005) than their nonelderly counterparts. Higher MACE rates persisted in the elderly despite correction for baseline differences using multivariate regression modeling. CONCLUSIONS Advanced age remains a predictor of adverse outcomes attending PCI even in the contemporary era in which DES are available. This study highlights the need for further progress and investigation to optimize outcomes of PCI in the elderly.
Towards Collaborative User-Level Overlay Fault Diagnosis

Overlay networks have emerged as a powerful and flexible platform for developing new disruptive network applications. The attractive characteristics of overlay networks such as planetary-scale distributions, user-level flexibility (e.g. overlay routing) and manageability bring to overlay fault diagnosis new challenges, which include inaccessible underlying network information, incomplete and inaccurate network status observations; dynamic symptom-fault causality relationships, and multi-layer complexity. To address these challenges, we propose a collaborative overlay User Observation based fault diagnosis technique called OUD. OUD can passively use observed overlay symptoms as reported by overlay monitoring agents to correlate multiple users' observations to diagnose faults. OUD can diagnose faults without relying on underlying network fault probabilistic quantifications (e.g. prior fault probability). Simulations and experimental studies show that OUD can efficiently (e.g. low latency) and accurately localize root causes of overlay faults/problems, even when the observed symptoms are incomplete.
Synthesis of bio-doped oxides for urea sensing

This paper reports on the synthesis of bio-composite oxide thin films intended for use as urea biosensors. The encapsulation of urease molecules in the inorganic matrix of sol-gel processed molybdenum trioxide and the retention of the enzyme's activity is demonstrated. This is an important step towards the development of resistive bio-detectors where the gas sensitive matrix measures the products of the biochemical reaction (gaseous ammonia) of the hydrolysis of urea by urease.
The role of microRNAs in human liver cancers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver of global importance. Recent studies of the expression and role of microRNA (miRNA) in HCC are providing new insights into disease pathogenesis. In addition, therapeutic efforts targeting specific miRNAs are being evaluated in animal models of HCC. The potential of miRNAs as biomarkers of disease or prognostic markers is being explored. Herein, we review studies of miRNA expression in human HCC, and discuss recent advances in knowledge about the involvement and role of selected miRNAs in disease pathogenesis, as biomarkers, or as therapeutic targets for HCC.
Motion tracking with fixed-lag smoothing: Algorithm and consistency analysis

This paper presents a fixed-lag smoothing algorithm for tracking the motion of a mobile robot in real time. The algorithm processes measurements from proprioceptive (e.g., odometry, inertial measurement unit) and exteroceptive (e.g., camera, laser scanner) sensors, in order to estimate the trajectory of the vehicle. Smoothing is carried out in the information-filtering framework, and utilizes iterative minimization, which renders the method well-suited for applications where the effects of the measurements' nonlinearity are significant. The algorithm attains bounded computational complexity by marginalizing out older states. The key contribution of this work is a detailed analysis of the effects of the marginalization process on the consistency properties of the estimator. Based on this analysis, a linearization scheme that results in substantially improved accuracy, compared to the standard linearization approach, is proposed. Both simulation and real-world experimental results are presented, which demonstrate that the proposed method attains localization accuracy superior to that of competing approaches.
The Role of Maternal Dietary Proteins in Development of Metabolic Syndrome in Offspring.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and obesity has been increasing. Pre-natal environment has been suggested as a factor influencing the risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Both observational and experimental studies showed that maternal diet is a major modifier of the development of regulatory systems in the offspring in utero and post-natally. Both protein content and source in maternal diet influence pre- and early post-natal development. High and low protein dams’ diets have detrimental effect on body weight, blood pressure191 and metabolic and intake regulatory systems in the offspring. Moreover, the role of the source of protein in a nutritionally adequate maternal diet in programming of food intake regulatory system, body weight, glucose metabolism and blood pressure in offspring is studied. However, underlying mechanisms are still elusive. The purpose of this review is to examine the current literature related to the role of proteins in maternal diets in development of characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in offspring.
Conductance modulation of metallic carbon nanotubes by remote charged rings

We calculate the effects of a longitudinal electrostatic perturbation on a metallic single-wall carbon nanotube and demonstrate conductance modulation. Such external modulation would be completely screened in bulk 3D metals but is possible in SWNTs because their electrons are quasi–two-dimensional and can interact with a nearby system of charges. The resultant modulation of the conductance is determined by the strength of the self-consistent potential and its periodicity over shorter or longer distances. We employ the zero-temperature single-particle Green's function transport approach in the empirical tight-binding approximation to quantify the modulation of conductance and also consider the limit of a superlattice.
An Empirical Examination Of A Model Of The Turnover Intentions Of Information Systems Auditors

This study addresses the applicability of existing models of auditors and accountants turnover to information systems (IS) auditors. Excessive, unprogrammed IS auditor turnover may decrease stability and expertise in an area crucial to the development, audit, and control of computerized accounting information systems. Identification of the factors affecting IS auditor turnover will better equip management to deal with that turnover. The data indicate that several factors under the direct control of management affect the turnover intentions for the sample of IS auditors examined.
Neurotoxicity to DRG neurons varies between rodent strains treated with cisplatin and bortezomib

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major dose limiting side effect that can lead to long-term morbidity. Approximately one-third of patients receiving chemotherapy with taxanes, vinca alkaloids, platinum compounds or proteasome inhibitors develop this toxic side effect. It is not possible to predict who will get CIPN, however, genetic susceptibility may play a role. We explored this hypothesis using an established in vitro dorsal root ganglia neurite outgrowth (DRG-NOG) assay to assess possible genetic influences for cisplatin- and bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity. Almost all previous in vitro studies have used rats or mice. We compared DRG-NOG between four genetically defined, inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, BALB/cJ, and C3H/HeJ) and one rat strain (Sprague Dawley). Our studies found differences in cisplatin and bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity between mouse and rat strains and between the different mouse strains. C57BL/6J and Balb/cJ DRG-NOG was more sensitive to cisplatin than DBA/2J and C3H/HeJ DRG-NOG, and all mouse strains were more sensitive to cisplatin than rat. Bortezomib induced a biphasic dose response in DBA/2J and C3H/H3J mice. C57BL/6J DRG-NOG was most sensitive and Balb/cJ DRG-NOG was least sensitive to bortezomib. Our animal data supports the hypothesis that genetic background may play a role in CIPN and care must be taken when rodent models are used to better understand the contribution of genetics in patient susceptibility to CIPN.
A Run-to-Run Approach to Enhance Continuous Glucose Monitor Accuracy Based on Continuous Wear

Abstract The accuracy of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) plays a critical role in glucose management and the development of artificial pancreas systems. Current CGM performance can be improved by a run-to-run (R2R) strategy based on continuous wear that personalizes sensor calibration parameters using data from previous weeks' use. The proposed strategy determines personalized calibration curve parameter sets (calibration curve slope and intercept, sensitivity drift curve, mean reference error) by tapping into data that is readily available at the end of each week after weekly new sensor reinsertions, minimizing a cost function that penalizes the deviation between expected and actual blood glucose (BG) values. The algorithm was evaluated on 10 in silico subjects within the UVA/Padova metabolic simulator. The enhanced CGM's BG tracking was significantly improved over the standard CGM, decreasing the summed square error by over 20% in the second week and converging to 50% improvement by the 6 th week. The R2R algorithm enhances glucose accuracy week by week based on continuous wear of the device.
The Rebuke of History: The Southern Agrarians and American Conservative Thought

In 1930, a group of southern intellectuals led by John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, Donald Davidson, and Robert Penn Warren published I'll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition. A stark attack on industrial capitalism and a defiant celebration of southern culture, the book has raised the hackles of critics and provoked passionate defenses from southern loyalists ever since. As Paul Murphy shows, its effects on the evolution of American conservatism have been enduring as well. Tracing the Agrarian tradition from its origins in the 1920s through the present day, Murphy shows how what began as a radical conservative movement eventually became, alternately, a critique of twentieth-century American liberalism, a defense of the Western tradition and Christian humanism, and a form of southern traditionalism - which could include a defense of racial segregation. Although Agrarianism failed as a practical reform movement, its intellectual influence was wide-ranging, Murphy says. This influence expanded as Ransom, Tate, and Warren gained reputations as leaders of the New Criticism. More notably, such "neo-Agrarians" as Richard M. Weaver and M. E. Bradford transformed Agrarianism into a form of social and moral traditionalism that has had a significant impact on the emerging conservative movement since World War II.
Response and biophysical regulation of carbon dioxide fluxes to climate variability and anomaly in contrasting ecosystems in northwestern Ohio, USA

Abstract Recent climate variability and anomaly in the Great Lakes region provided a valuable opportunity in examining the response and regulation of ecosystem carbon cycling across different ecosystems. A simple Bayesian hierarchical model was developed and fitted against three-year (2011–2013) net ecosystem CO2 exchange ( F CO 2 ) data observed at three eddy-covariance sites (i.e., a deciduous woodland, a cropland, and a marsh) in northwestern Ohio. The model was designed to partition the variation of gross ecosystem production (GEP), ecosystem respiration (ER) and F CO 2 that resulted directly from the short-term environmental forcing (i.e., direct effect) and indirectly from the changes of ecosystem functional traits (e.g., structural, physiological, and phenological traits) (i.e., indirect effect). Interannual variation of F CO 2 was mainly driven by indirect effects, accounting for 54%, 89%, and 86% of the interannual variation at the woodland, cropland, and marsh sites, respectively. On the other hand, direct climatic effects accounted for 33% of interannual F CO 2 variation at the woodland site and became irrelevant ( F CO 2 . Yet, year-to-year changes of GEP and ER were not spatially synchronous, suggesting that the ecosystem's response to climate was strongly site-specific in terms of the annual net CO2 uptake. Future research should focus on the disparate response among ecosystems and develop a suitable framework to examine the mechanisms that drive differences in closely co-located ecosystems.
Integrated Genome-Based Studies of Shewanella Ecophysiology

As a part of the Shewanella Federation project, we have used integrated genomic, proteomic and computational technologies to study various aspects of energy metabolism of two Shewanella strains from a systems-level perspective.
Unilateral Sanctions: An Effective Foreign Policy Tool in Myanmar?

Myanmar has been called the last frontier in Asia as developers quickly enter the new market. The country was previously under military rule and had tough sanctions imposed to bring democracy to Myanmar. This paper will explore the history of Myanmar leading to sanctions, the effects of those sanctions, and recommend better foreign policy tools for working with countries in the future.
Two Influential Primate Classifications Logically Aligned

Classifications and phylogenies of perceived natural entities change in the light of new evidence. Taxonomic changes, translated into Code-compliant names, frequently lead to name:meaning dissociations across succeeding treatments. Classification standards such as the Mammal Species of the World (MSW) may experience significant levels of taxonomic change from one edition to the next, with potential costs to long-term, large-scale information integration. This circumstance challenges the biodiversity and phylogenetic data communities to express taxonomic congruence and incongruence in ways that both humans and machines can process, that is, to logically represent taxonomic alignments across multiple classifications. We demonstrate that such alignments are feasible for two classifications of primates corresponding to the second and third MSW editions. Our approach has three main components: (i) use of taxonomic concept labels, that is name sec. author (where sec. means according to), to assemble each concept hierarchy separately via parent/child relationships; (ii) articulation of select concepts across the two hierarchies with user-provided Region Connection Calculus (RCC-5) relationships; and (iii) the use of an Answer Set Programming toolkit to infer and visualize logically consistent alignments of these input constraints. Our use case entails the Primates sec. Groves (1993; MSW2-317 taxonomic concepts; 233 at the species level) and Primates sec. Groves (2005; MSW3-483 taxonomic concepts; 376 at the species level). Using 402 RCC-5 input articulations, the reasoning process yields a single, consistent alignment and 153,111 Maximally Informative Relations that constitute a comprehensive meaning resolution map for every concept pair in the Primates sec. MSW2/MSW3. The complete alignment, and various partitions thereof, facilitate quantitative analyses of name:meaning dissociation, revealing that nearly one in three taxonomic names are not reliable across treatments-in the sense of the same name identifying congruent taxonomic meanings. The RCC-5 alignment approach is potentially widely applicable in systematics and can achieve scalable, precise resolution of semantically evolving name usages in synthetic, next-generation biodiversity, and phylogeny data platforms.
FOUR INSCRIPTIONS FROM GREATER KNOSSOS AND THE ROAD TO ITS PORT AT HERAKLION (CRETE)

Four inscriptions of Hellenistic to Early Roman date were found in rescue excavations undertaken during the construction of public housing at the location Bedevi, east of Leophoros Knossou in the suburbs of modern Aghios Ioannis (Heraklion). These four inscriptions constitute an intriguing group as they provide evidence of a rural installation where a vessel with an inscribed lid was stored, a sepulchral site and private worship of Artemis, as well as a point between ancient Heraklion and Knossos where a Roman road crossed the Chrysopigis stream. In antiquity this area was part of the greater Knossos area, albeit closer to Heraklion than to Knossos. These four inscriptions provide new evidence for the nature of this area and for the northern road connections of Roman Knossos, particularly the road that linked Knossos with its harbour at Heraklion.
Opting In to the CISG: Avoiding the Redline Products Problems

In the more than 25 years that the United States has been a party to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), most U.S. cases applying the Convention have resulted from either a failure by the parties to provide a choice of law clause that excludes the CISG, or the inclusion of a choice of law clause that implicitly leads to the application of the CISG. Contract lawyers report that they routinely attempt to opt out of the CISG because of simple lack of familiarity. The case of FPM Financial Services, LLC v. Redline Products, LTD, provides an new opportunity, both to consider the proper approach to opting in to the CISG, as well as the problems generated by the U.S. declaration under Article 95 of the CISG, which prevents the application of the CISG through Article 1(1)(b). In this chapter, the authors consider the problematic (pathological) choice of law clause in the contract which was the focus of the Redline Products decision, as well as the law applicable to the exercise of party autonomy in order to choose the substantive law applicable to an international sales contract. This brings together both the substantive law of the CISG and national law, as well as the relevant choice of law (private international law) rules. This discussion includes consideration of approaches to governing party choice of law in the United States and the European Union, as well as the approach found in the 2015 Hague Principles on Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts. The chapter also considers the U.S. Article 95 declaration, which prevents the application of the CISG when the sales contract is between a U.S. party and a party with its place of business in a non-Contracting State (such as South Africa), even if the rules of private international law lead to the application of the law of a U.S. state, which includes the CISG. The declaration adds levels of complexity which make opting in to the CISG particularly difficult when the non-U.S. party to the contract is from a non-Contracting State – as was the case in Redline Products.
Communicative relevance: Color references in bilingual and trilingual speakers*

The study examined granularity of lexical partitioning of the blue area in speakers of English, which encodes the term blue; Russian, which encodes two terms, sinij [dark/navy blue] and goluboj [light/sky blue]; and Ukrainian, which encodes the terms synij [dark/navy blue] and blakytnyj and golubyj [light/sky blue]. Five groups of participants took part in the study: (1) 30 L1 speakers of English, (2) 30 L1 speakers of Russian, (3) 30 Russian–English bilinguals, (4) 30 English–Russian bilinguals, and (5) 25 Ukrainian–Russian–English trilinguals. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that L1 Russian speakers referred to different types of blue significantly more frequently than all other groups, while bilinguals patterned with L1 English speakers. These findings suggest that classroom exposure to L2 Russian does not make the distinction between sinij and goluboj communicatively relevant for L1 English speakers and that everyday use of L2 English may trigger attrition of the contrast in L1 Russian.
Myocardial protection with cold, ischemic, potassium-induced cardioplegia

A total of 204 patients, ages 3 months to 84 years, underwent open-heart surgery with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass with moderate hypothermia. For protection of the myocardium, cardioplegia was induced by washing out the coronary arteries with an iced, buffered, isoosmolar, potassium-based infusate. After aortic cross-clamping, the aortic root or individual coronary arteries were perfused with 500 to 2,000 c.c. of an aqueous solution (at zero to 4° C.) containing 20 mEq. of potassium. Periods of ischemic arrest as long as 208 minutes have been well tolerated, with only two of the eleven hospital deaths considered heart related. Defibrillation occurred spontaneously in 41 per cent and after one shock in 47 per cent of patients, without apparent correlation between duration of ischemia and restoration of effective rhythm.
The influence of reduced insulin sensitivity via short-term reductions in physical activity on cardiac baroreflex sensitivity during acute hyperglycemia

Reduced insulin sensitivity and impaired glycemic control are among the consequences of physical inactivity and have been associated with reduced cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). However, the effect of reduced insulin sensitivity and acute hyperglycemia following glucose consumption on cardiac BRS in young, healthy subjects has not been well characterized. We hypothesized that a reduction in insulin sensitivity via reductions in physical activity would reduce cardiac BRS at rest and following an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Nine recreationally active men (23 ± 1 yr; >10,000 steps/day) underwent 5 days of reduced daily physical activity (RA5) by refraining from planned exercise and reducing daily steps (<5,000 steps/day). Spontaneous cardiac BRS (sequence technique) was compared at rest and for 120 min following an OGTT at baseline and after RA5. A substudy (n = 8) was also performed to independently investigate the influence of elevated insulin alone on cardiac BRS using a 120-min hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index) was significantly reduced following RA5 (BL 9.2 ± 1.3 vs. RA5 6.4 ± 1.1, P < 0.001). Resting cardiac BRS was unaffected by RA5 and significantly reduced during the OGTT similarly at baseline and RA5 (baseline 0 min, 28 ± 4 vs. 120 min, 18 ± 4; RA5 0 min, 28 ± 4 vs. 120 min, 21 ± 3 ms/mmHg). Spontaneous cardiac BRS was also reduced during the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (P < 0.05). Collectively, these data demonstrate that acute elevations in plasma glucose and insulin can impair spontaneous cardiac BRS in young, healthy subjects, and that reductions in cardiac BRS following acute hyperglycemia are unaffected by reduced insulin sensitivity via short-term reductions in physical activity.
Quantum Transport and the Wigner Function

Classical transport is based on the Boltzmann transport equation: $$\frac{{\partial {\text{f}}}}{{\partial {\text{t}}}} + {\text{v}}\cdot{\vec \nabla _{\text{r}}}{\text{f + F}}\cdot{\vec \nabla _{\text{p}}}{\text{f = }}{\left( {\frac{{\partial {\text{f}}}}{{\partial {\text{t}}}}} \right)_{{\text{collision}}}}$$ (1) where $${\text{v}} = {\vec \nabla _{\text{p}}}{\text{E}}\left( {\text{p}} \right){\text{; p = }}\hbar {\text{k; F = qE}}$$ (2) and f=f(r, p, t) is the probability of finding a typical particle within a unit volume around the point r, in momentum state p, at time t, and $${\left( {\frac{{\partial {\text{f}}}}{{\partial {\text{t}}}}} \right)_{{\text{collision}}}} = \int {dp'{\mkern 1mu} \left[ {{\text{f}}\left( {{\text{p'}}} \right){\text{W}}\left( {{\text{p'}},{\mkern 1mu} {\text{p}}} \right){\mkern 1mu} {\mkern 1mu} - {\mkern 1mu} f\left( p \right){\text{W}}\left( {{\text{p,}}{\mkern 1mu} {\text{p'}}} \right)} \right]} $$ (3) Here W(p′, p) is the transition rate from p to p′ and depends on the source of scasttering.
Product Design and the Reasonable Person - Nature versus Nurture?

The reasonable person is one who acts with prudence. To avoid liability, product design must assure that the reasonable person will not be injured. The question addressed herein is how much of the reasonable person is reasonably the result of the design and programming of the human machine itself? Is reasonableness nature or nurture? Avoiding injury is often all about seeing, understanding, and avoiding the danger. Taking just one example, human eyes are designed with rods in the periphery of vision. Rods sense motion and are relatively insensitive to static objects. Additionally, humans have only a finite amount of processing power. That power is expended first on the tasks in which humans are engaged. Even if one is aware of dangerous objects in the periphery of vision, that awareness fades as focus is placed on matters of higher priority. Ultimately, product designers must consider and incorporate the broad spectrum of human performance and limitations into product design to avoid being negligent.
OCCUPATIONAL SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR AND SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE NON-EXERCISE ACTIVITY THERMOGENESIS

As the prevalence of obesity rises worldwide, researchers pursue explanations for the phenomenon, particularly those relevant to energy expenditure. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, has been identified as an inconspicuous but appreciable component of total daily energy expenditure. Demands of certain occupations discourage time for planned physical activity and clearly diminish NEAT, and thereby contribute to sedentary behaviors that underlie increased adiposity. Prolonged sitting during the workday has specifically been identified as a risk factor for obesity and chronic disease independent of existing risk factors. Practical strategies have been launched by industry to increase NEAT during the workday. Workstations that involve maintaining balance while sitting on an exercise ball, standing, pedaling while sitting, and walking at a treadmill desk have been developed to counter extended periods of sedentary behavior at work. While data are limited particularly for chronic benefits, the stations that promote the most movement – the pedaling and walking stations – increase METS and energy expenditure more so than the other alternatives. The drawback to greater motion may be reduced attention to the desk job and therefore, reduced cognitive function; however, the data are inconsistent and the benefit for health may outweigh small distractions for some tasks at the desk.
Integrative algorithm to optimize skylights considering fully impacts of daylight on energy

Abstract In this paper we propose an algorithm to find optimal design of skylight for a one-storey office building while saving source energy consumption. The algorithm simultaneously couples daylighting with energy performance and compares different ratios of skylight to floor area based on both lighting and HVAC loads. Our method integrates different simulation tools with numeric optimization and exhaustive search to find the optimal ratio. More specifically we implemented EnergyPlus as a thermal engine and Radiance as a daylight engine, both of which are embedded in Ladybug and Honeybee. As Ladybug and Honeybee is a plugin for Grasshopper, we developed the algorithm in Grasshopper environment. We used Python and Grasshopper to integrate different simulation tools and implemented two methods of numeric optimization (gradient descent) and exhaustive search (parametric analysis) in order to validate the final result. After applying the proposed algorithm for a small office building in San Francisco, both methods coincide that the optimal skylight to floor ratio is 5.5–6% while decreasing the energy demand by 19%. The experiments show that the energy efficiency only occurs for skylight ratios of 3–14%. In addition, we used sDA and UDI metrics to analyze daylighting performance of each parametric scenario. We infer that only a specific range of skylight ratios that are energy efficient (5–10%) provide adequate daylight and avoid glare. The integrative process and optimization method proposed in this paper enable designers to find a robust energy efficient skylight design.