cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface-induced hypothermia: effects on coronary blood flow autoregulation and vascular reserve

Surface-induced hypothermia has been shown to exert a protective effect in canine models of myocardial infarction. However, its effects on coronary blood flow (CBF) autoregulation and coronary vascular reserve (CVR) have not been investigated. The effects of mild (32 degrees C) and moderate (27 degrees C) hypothermia on CBF autoregulation and CVR (at 60 mm Hg diastolic pressure) were studied using a chronically instrumented canine preparation. Coronary artery pressure-flow relations were obtained over a wide range of coronary diastolic pressures (10 to 106 mm Hg) with autoregulation intact and during adenosine-induced maximal coronary conductance (MCC) at 37, 32, 27 degrees C (n = 7 dogs), and after rewarming (n = 5 dogs). Halothane (1 MAC end-tidal concentration, temperature adjusted) was the anesthetic. Autoregulation remained intact during hypothermia. CBF remained relatively constant between diastolic pressures of 43.1 +/- 9.0 and 84.0 +/- 14.4 mm Hg (mean +/- SD). No significant differences were observed between temperatures in the autoregulated pressure range. CBF correlated well with myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) (r2 = 0.81, P less than 0.0001). There were no significant changes in MVO2, CBF, MCC, or CVR at 32 degrees C. At 27 degrees C, MVO2 (3.65 +/- 1.3 at 37 degrees C vs 2.35 +/- 1.4 ml O2.min-1 at 27 degrees C), autoregulated CBF (34.9 +/- 15.1 vs 19.5 +/- 10.8 ml.min-1), the slope of the line of MCC (4.31 +/- 0.7 vs 2.7 +/- 0.4 ml.mm-1.min-1), and CVR (147.1 +/- 24.6 vs 90.1 +/- 27.3 ml.min-1) were all less than control (P less than 0.05). After rewarming to 37 degrees C, no significant changes from control were noted. The authors conclude that coronary autoregulation remains intact at both 32 and 27 degrees C, although MCC and CVR are significantly decreased at 27 degrees C.
Hiroshima and Spinning the Atom: America, Britain, and Canada Proclaim the Nuclear Age, 6 August 1945

When the Manhattan Project accelerated from theoretical physics to the actual engineering phase of the atomic bomb, Washington policy makers were determined to gain a propaganda advantage. Although...
Biosynthesis, in calf pancreas microsomes, of three lipid-linked oligosaccharide diphosphates from a synthetic dolichyl diphosphate tetrasaccharide.

Abstract Incubation of calf pancreas microsomes with synthetic α- d -Manp-(1→6)-β- d -Manp-(1→4)-β- d -GlcpNAc-(1→4)-α- d - GlcpNAc-PP-Dol and GDP- d -[14C]-mannose gave three major lipid-linked oligosaccharide diphosphates. After release of the phospholipid residue by mild acid hydrolysis, the corresponding [14C]oligosaccharides were analyzed by gel-filtration, liquid chromatography, degradation by endo-N-acetyl-β- d -glucosaminidases D and H, by jack bean α- d -mannosidase and Aspergillus oryzae (1→2)-α- d -mannosidase, acetolysis, and binding to concanavalin A-Sepharose. From the results it could be inferred that the following reaction took place in calf pancreas microsomes: α- d -Manp-(1→6)-β- d -Manp-(1→4)-β- d -GlcpNAc-(1→4)-α- d -GlcpNAc-PP-Dol + GDP- d -Man gave GDP + α- d -Manp-(1→3)-[α- d -Manp-(1→6)]-β- d -Manp-(1→4)-β- d -GlcpNAc-(1→4)-α- d -GlcpNAc-PP- Dol. The next products to be formed were α- d -Manp-(1→2)-α- d -Manp-(1→3)-[α- d -Manp-(1→6)]-β- d -Manp- (1→4)-β- d -GlcpNAc-(1→4)-α- d -GlcpNAc-PP-Dol, followed by α- d -Manp-(1→2)-α- d -Manp-(1→2)-α- d -Manp-(1→3)-[α- d -Manp-(1→6)]-β- d -Manp-(1→4)- β- d -GlcpNAc-(1→4)-α- d -GlcpNAc-PP-Dol. The mannose incorporation was enhanced by Triton X-100 and inhibited by Mn2+, and it occurred in the presence of either Mg2+ or EDTA. It is likely that the mannose donor was GDP-mannose since, under the conditions used, the formation of dolichyl mannosyl phosphate was negligible and the dolichyl heptasaccharide diphosphate accumulated.
Calculated inclusive neutron production from 400 GeV proton-nucleus collisions

Abstract Calculated inclusive neutron production from 400 GeV proton-nucleus collisions is presented and compared with experimental data. Target nuclei H, Be, Cu, and Pb are considered and the comparisons cover the laboratory energy range of 20–400 GeV, and angular range of 0.7–10 mrad. Moderately good agreement between the calculated and experimental data is found, but the agreement in the case of Be, Cu and Pb is significantly better than in the case of H.
Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 modulates prostaglandin E2 release from human arterial smooth muscle cells

Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs) catalyze the thioesterification of long-chain FAs into their acyl-CoA derivatives. Purified ACSL4 is an arachidonic acid (20:4)-preferring ACSL isoform, and ACSL4 is therefore a probable regulator of lipid mediator production in intact cells. Eicosanoids play important roles in vascular homeostasis and disease, yet the role of ACSL4 in vascular cells is largely unknown. In the present study, the ACSL4 splice variant expressed in human arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) was identified as variant 1. To investigate the function of ACSL4 in SMCs, ACSL4 variant 1 was overexpressed, knocked-down by small interfering RNA, or its enzymatic activity acutely inhibited in these cells. Overexpression of ACSL4 resulted in a markedly increased synthesis of arachidonoyl-CoA, increased 20:4 incorporation into phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and triacylglycerol, and reduced cellular levels of unesterified 20:4. Accordingly, secretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was blunted in ACSL4-overexpressing SMCs compared with controls. Conversely, acute pharmacological inhibition of ACSL4 activity resulted in increased release of PGE2. However, long-term downregulation of ACSL4 resulted in markedly reduced PGE2 secretion. Thus, ACSL4 modulates PGE2 release from human SMCs. ACSL4 may regulate a number of processes dependent on the release of arachidonic acid-derived lipid mediators in the arterial wall.
Subjectivity and the Address to the Other A Lacanian View of Some Impasses in Theory and Psychology

This paper remarks upon some enduring debates that both mark the field of psychology in general (the individual vs the social) and have taken new forms within emerging theoretical positions in the ...
Stroke in a Young Patient: A Sentinel Presentation of Neurosyphilis and HIV (P2.109)

Objective: To describe a case of ischemic stroke in a young patient which resulted in diagnosis of concomitant neurosyphilis and HIV infections. Background: Meningovascular syphilis is an early manifestation of neurosyphilis which can lead to an infectious endarteritis (Heubner’s arteritis) and subsequent ischemic stroke. In the present era, early neurosyphilis is most frequently seen in patients with concomitant HIV infection, and previous series have demonstrated that neurosyphilis is a common sentinel presentation of HIV. However, clinicians may fail to inquire about at-risk behaviors and test for these infections in young stroke patients. Design/Methods: This is a case report of a young patient with multifocal ischemic stroke admitted to our institution. Results: A 19 year-old male with a history of migraine headaches, worsened over several months, presented to a community hospital after awakening with left-sided hemiplegia, numbness, and slurred speech. MRI brain revealed multifocal ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory and right cerebellum. After an unrevealing initial workup, he was transferred to our academic facility for further investigation. Cerebral angiogram revealed focal areas of high-grade stenosis affecting multiple vessels, and delayed filling of the intracranial circulation suggestive of vasculitis. Serum RPR was reactive, and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed a neutrophilic pleocytosis with 423 WBC and reactive CSF VDRL. HIV testing returned positive. The patient disclosed a history of unprotected sexual relationships with multiple male partners. He did not have a personal history of sexually transmitted infections, nor was he aware of previous infected partners. Conclusions: Neurosyphilis should be a diagnostic consideration in young patients with ischemic stroke. Clinicians should be aware of the high incidence of concomitant syphilis and HIV in at-risk populations. Effort should be made to inquire about high-risk behaviors and initiate testing for these infections early in the diagnostic workup to avoid missing these crucial diagnoses. Disclosure: Dr. Flaherty has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cutting has received personal compensation for activities with F1000.
Auger-vacancy satellites in the decay of 21082Pb (RaD)

Abstract The L-Auger spectrum of 210 Bi from RaD ( 210 Pb) has been studied with a resolution of 0.18% and a very thin source but with some sacrifice in statistics. A total of 65 lines or line groups have been wholly or partially identified. The L 3 -MM lines, most of which result from filling L 3 vacancies created by the L 1 -L 3 M 4, 5 Coster-Kronig process, are displaced an average of −36±5 eV with respect to the energies expected from the L 1, 2 -MM spectra. This effect is the Auger analogue of the phenomenon of X-ray satellites. The L 3 -M 4 M 5 and L 3 -M 5 M 5 displacements agree within experimental error with predictions from the displacements of the strongest Lα 1 and Lα 2 X-ray satellites. We suggest the term Auger-vacancy satellites for these displaced Auger lines to distinguish them from the weak lines of the K-LL spectrum for which we suggest the term Auger Intermediate-Coupling Satellites. The ratio (L 1 -M 4 M 5 Auger Line)/L 1 -vacancies = R = 32.5±3.5, which may have importance in determining L 1 capture as distinct from L-capture, was also measured for the first time. The end-point of the low-energy beta spectrum of 210 Pb was found to be 17.0±0.5 keV.
Body mass index and acute asthma severity among children presenting to the emergency department

To determine the prevalence of obesity among children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute asthma, and to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and acute asthma severity in the ED setting. We analyzed data from a multicenter prospective cohort study during 1997-1998; 44 ED in 17 US states and two Canadian provinces enrolled 672 patients, age 5-17, with acute asthma. BMI and Pulmonary Index were collected in the ED. We defined overweight and obesity using age, sex, and race-specific BMI values from national and international databases. The prevalence of obesity was significantly higher among ED patients with acute asthma as compared with children from the general population (23% vs. 9-15%; p 0.2). Initial Pulmonary Index was the same across underweight, intermediate, and obese groups (3.7 +/- 2.4, 3.8 +/- 2.2, 3.7 +/- 2.3; p = 0.70). Admission status also did not vary across groups (22%, 22% and 23%; p = 0.98). Stratifying the analysis by age group and sex did not change these results. The prevalence of obesity among children presenting to the ED with acute asthma was significantly higher compared with children from the general population. BMI was not associated with markers of chronic and acute asthma severity. The results of this study support a positive association between obesity and asthma, and suggest that asthma exacerbations among obese children are very similar to those experienced by other children.
Capturing The Financial Benefits Of Electronic Medical Record Investments In The Small Medical Practice

This study examines the challenges faced by the small medical practice (1-2 providers) in capturing the financial benefits of investing in Electronic Medical Records (EMR). In particular the paper focuses on three key elements of the process: (A) A theoretical framework that explores the underlying principles that drive the variation in benefit capture and ROI associated with EMR investments; (B) The risk to reward levels that set an appropriate cost of capital for investments of this type; and (C) An understanding (and limit) of financial exposure during EMR projects.
Teaching NeuroImages: "Numb chin syndrome" in a patient with breast cancer

A 51-year-old woman with breast cancer presented with progressive numbness and burning in the right lower gum and oral mucosa. Neurologic examination was normal except for reduced sensation in the right lower gum region. Inferior alveolar neuropathy from mandible metastasis was diagnosed (figures 1 and 2). “Numb chin syndrome” is characterized by decreased sensation in the chin or lower lip, oral mucosa, and gum. Median time from cancer diagnosis is 45.8 ± 51 months.1 Median age is 48 years.1 It occurs in a variety of cancers, most commonly breast.2 Sites of neoplastic trigeminal nerve compression/infiltration include the skull base, leptomeninges, or mandible, the latter affecting the mental or inferior alveolar branches. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the metastasis, typically with radiation therapy, can improve neurologic symptoms.
Wavelength recognizing switches: Architectures and system applications

We present and model possible system applications of a recently demonstrated wavelength recognizing switch (WRS). The switch allows all-optical self routing in very wide bandwidth networks. In this work, we discuss architectures using multiwavelength all-optical WRS devices, we analyze possible network access strategies and we assess the feasibility of cascading WRS devices. We conclude with a novel view of a higher level of data aggregation, where the basic switching unit is wavelength packet (multiple modulated wavelengths switched as a single entity).
Developing a validated assessment of fundamental CS1 concepts

Previous studies of student programming ability have raised questions about students' ability to problem solve, read and analyze code, and understand introductory computing concepts. However, it is unclear whether these results are the product of failures of student comprehension or our inability to accurately measure their performance. We propose a method for creating a language independent CS1 assessment instrument and present the results of our analysis used to define the common conceptual content that will serve as the framework for the exam. We conclude with a discussion of future work and our progress towards developing the assessment.
Workshop - writing better NSF education proposals

This workshop presents a framework for developing an idea in engineering education into a project suitable for an NSF education program and then writing a competitive proposal for that project. The workshop begins with strategies for evolving nascent ideas about engineering education into well formulated projects with clear outcomes and goals. Next, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in the engineering education proposals submitted in the CCLI Phase 1 competition in 2005 and 2006 is given. This analysis identified the most common strengths and weaknesses cited by the review panels in discussing the proposals. Finally, the workshop leaders discuss key elements of successful projects based on their experience as NSF program directors and present best practices for developing competitive proposals. The workshop is intended for faculty members who are seeking external support for educational research and development projects, particularly through the NSF CCLI program. Participants will develop a better understanding of the role that reviewers play in the proposal decision process, the factors that reviewers consider in evaluating proposals and approaches for anticipating and responding to these factors.
Toward the Integration of Theory and Practice: A Humanistic Approach

> crimination seems to settle over the profession of social work when faddish articles and books raise such poignant questions as "Is casework effective?" or "Can social work survive?"1 Although this article deals with a question bearing on the effectiveness of social work practice, the author's purpose is to try to clear the air rather than add to the existing miasma. There is a growing body of opinion and evidence suggesting that what many social workers do often has little connec tion with what they know in theoretical
A Broadband Monopole Antenna Enabled by an Ultrathin Anisotropic Metamaterial Coating

A new type of compact flexible anisotropic metamaterial (MM) coating is proposed, which greatly enhances the impedance bandwidth of a quarter-wave monopole to over an octave. The MM coating has a high effective permittivity for the tensor component oriented along the direction of the monopole. By properly choosing the radius and tensor parameter of the MM coating, another resonance at a higher frequency can be efficiently excited without affecting the fundamental mode of the monopole. Additionally, the similar current distributions on the monopole at both resonances make stable radiation patterns possible over the entire band. To experimentally verify the concept, an S-band MM coated monopole was designed, fabricated, and characterized, exhibiting a 2.14:1 bandwidth (2.15-4.6 GHz) with a VSWR of less than 2:1. The demonstrated MM coating has a radius of only λ/24 and extremely light weight, which renders it attractive for use in applications such as broadband arrays and portable wireless devices.
New Foundations for Imperative Logic: Pure Imperative Inference

Imperatives cannot be true, but they can be obeyed or binding: ‘Surrender!’ is obeyed if you surrender and is binding if you have a reason to surrender. A pure declarative argumentwhose premisses and conclusion are declarativesis valid exactly if, necessarily, its conclusion is true if the conjunction of its premisses is true; similarly, I suggest, a pure imperative argumentwhose premisses and conclusion are imperativesis obedience-valid (alternatively: bindingness-valid) exactly if, necessarily, its conclusion is obeyed (alternatively: binding) if the conjunction of its premisses is. I argue that there are two kinds of bindingness, and that a vacillation between two corresponding variants of bindingness-validity largely explains conflicting intuitions concerning the validity of some pure imperative arguments. I prove that for each of those two variants of bindingness-validity there is an equivalent variant of obedience-validity. Finally, I address alternative accounts of pure imperative inference.
O.J's Defense: A Reductio Ad Absurdum of the Economics of Ronald Coase and Richard Posner

A reductio ad absurdum takes the principles of a doctrine, applies them exactly as their creators did only to an entirely different subject and with horrendous results, and thus shows what absurd conclusions are logically compatible with the original thesis. The entire article applies the tenets of the Chicago law and economics tradition, as adumbrated by two of its most distinguished practitioners, Coase and Posner. It shows that on the basis of this canon a case can be made out for freeing O.J. Simpson- even if he did indeed kill his wife. The article is an attempt to show that the libertarian reliance on personal and private property rights is a much more robust thesis than the Chicago precept of wealth maximization.
Characteristics of Spore Germination in a Mouse Model of Cutaneous Anthrax

Background Cutaneous infection is the most common form of human anthrax, but little is known about Bacillus anthracis spore germination in these infections. Methods We used experimental inoculations of B. anthracis Sterne spores or vegetative bacilli onto intact or abraded mouse flank skin, followed by evaluation of the infections and enumeration of germinating spores and vegetative bacilli. Results Bacilli developed from a spore inoculum after application onto abraded, but not intact, skin of the mice. Germination appeared to occur extracellularly at the skin surface before the development of a phagocytic response; in fact, vegetative bacilli were seen after inoculation of the spores on top of a filter that separated them from the host phagocytic cells below. Malachite green staining demonstrated that spores began germinating 1-3 h after inoculation onto abraded skin. Vegetative bacilli were found not to be capable of initiating infection in the absence of cutaneous abrasion. Conclusions The results indicate that epidermal damage is required for germination of B. anthracis spores in these infections; even so, spore germination by itself is not sufficient to produce infection of undamaged skin. In contrast to events in experimental inhalational anthrax, spore germination in these cutaneous infections appears to occur extracellularly.
Blood transfusion and adverse surgical outcomes: The good and the bad

Introduction Every experienced surgeon has a patient whose life was saved by a blood transfusion (the “good”). In contrast, an overwhelming amount of evidence suggests that perioperative blood transfusion can be associated with adverse surgical outcomes (the “bad”). We wondered what patient characteristics, if any, can explain this clinical dichotomy with certain patients benefiting from transfusion, whereas others are harmed by this intervention. Methods We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database containing patient information entered between 2010 and 2012 to identify differences in mortality and morbidity among patients receiving blood transfusion within 72 hours of their operative procedure compared with those who did not receive any blood. We calculated the relative risk of developing a serious complication or of operative mortality in propensity-stratified patients with equivalent predicted risk of developing a serious complication or operative mortality. Results There were 470,407 patients in the study group. Of these, 32,953 patients (7.0%) received at least a single blood transfusion within 72 hours of operation. The percent of transfused patients who died or developed serious morbidity was 11.3% and 55.4% compared with 1.3% and 6.1% in nontransfused patients (both P Conclusion We found that high-risk patients do not have a significant risk from blood transfusion, but low-risk patients have between an 8- and 10-fold excess risk of adverse outcomes when they receive a blood transfusion. We speculate that careful preoperative assessment of transfusion risk and intervention based on this assessment could minimize operative morbidity and mortality, especially because the patients at least risk are more likely to undergo elective operations and provide time for therapeutic interventions to improve transfusion risk profiles.
Central interactions between aldosterone and vasopressin on cardiovascular system

Although the presence of mineralocorticoid binding sites have been demonstrated in brain, little is known about their physiological role. The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible interactions between a relatively short 2-day central infusion of aldosterone (5 ng/h) and a diverse group of centrally acting pressor agents. The intracerebroventricular infusion of aldosterone selectively attenuated the pressor response produced by the injection of arginine vasopressin (AVP, 10-400 ng) into the lateral ventricle without altering the responses to ventricular administration of 50-200 ng angiotensin II (ANG II), 150 ng carbachol, and 0.5 and 1 M hypertonic sodium chloride. No aldosterone-vasopressin interaction occurred in rats receiving a simultaneous central infusion of aldosterone and RU 28318 [7 beta-hydroxy-3-oxo-7 alpha-propyl(17 alpha)-pregn-4-ene-21-potassium carboxylate], a specific mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist. Baroreflex reactivity and the pressor response to intravenous AVP were not modified by the aldosterone treatment, indicating that overall cardiovascular reactivity was not depressed. Because the vascular reactivity of the mesenteric artery to AVP and norepinephrine remained unchanged after 2 days of central aldosterone infusion, and because plasma levels of aldosterone were not altered, the selective inhibition by this mineralocorticoid of the central AVP response appears to be purely central in origin. This specific central effect of aldosterone is mediated through interaction with mineralocorticoid receptors.
Neonatal Hemochromatosis: Evaluation of the Neonate with Hepatic Failure

1. Hepatic failure in a newborn infant should raise the suspicion of neonatal hemochromatosis. 2. The diagnosis of neonatal hemochromatosis has implications for future pregnancies. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the pathophysiology underlying neonatal hemochromatosis. 2. Identify the characteristic presentation of neonates with neonatal hemochromatosis. 3. Understand the diagnostic evaluation of neonates presenting with acute liver failure. 4. Outline general pre- and postnatal management strategies for infants with or at high risk for neonatal hemochromatosis. An 1,870-g female infant is delivered at 32 6/7 weeks’ gestational age by a 25-year-old gravida 3, para 3 mother by emergency cesarean section for nonreassuring fetal status, anhydramnios, and a biophysical profile score of 2/10. The infant has Apgar scores of 7 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. She is transported back to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) while receiving 4 L/min of high-flow nasal cannula, at a fraction of inspired oxygen of 0.30. On admission, blood-tinged secretions are noted after placement of the nasogastric tube, along with oozing from the umbilical lines, which had been placed. Chest and abdominal radiographs are obtained and dilated bowel loops are noted, so a Replogle tube is placed and copious bloody secretions are removed. The infant becomes hypotensive (mean arterial pressure, 20 mm Hg), so normal saline bolus is given (×3) and blood products are empirically ordered for concerns about coagulopathy. Admission laboratory studies are notable for a hematocrit of 27%, international normalized ratio (INR) more than 10, partial thromboplastin time (PTT) greater than 100 seconds, fibrinogen less than 25 mg/dL (0.74 μmol/L), total protein 2.4 g/dL (24 g/L), albumin 1.7 g/dL (17 g/L), aspartate aminotransferease (AST) 40 IU/L (0.68 μkat/L), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 10 IU/L (0.17 μkat/L), total bilirubin 3.5 mg/dL (60 μmol/L, and conjugated bilirubin 0.7 mg/dL [12 μmol/L]). The infant is …
Strategies for state-wide implementation of supported employment: The Johnson & Johnson—Dartmouth Community Mental Health Program.

This paper reviews key strategies for implementing evidence-based supported employment statewide. The Johnson & Johnson-Dartmouth Community Mental Health Program collaborates with 9 states and the District of Columbia to implement supported employment in a sustainable way. Technical assistance and teambased training help agencies develop high fidelity programs that result in good employment outcomes for people with severe mental illness.
Why the Sexual Tipping Point® Model?

The editorial thread of Current Sexual Health Reports aspires to cultivate a biopsychosocial-behavioral and cultural perspective for the reader that also results in more healthcare professionals embracing the importance of a transdisciplinary approach that integrates counseling with current and emerging medical/surgical techniques for the treatment of male and female sexual disorders (Perelman in Curr Sex Health Rep, 7(1):1–2, 2015). Supporting a related goal in 2011, the author founded the MAP Education & Research Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to educating healthcare providers that sexual health is more than just biology. The Fund’s website, mapedfund.org, was just launched in order to offer the resources of its Sexual Tipping Point (STP) model for free! It remains critical to advance a model that would help students, professionals, and the public alike understand that sex is always both “Mental And Physical.” All the biopsychosocial-behavioral and cultural models of sexual dysfunction provide a compelling argument for sexual medicine treatments that integrate sex counseling and medical and/or surgical treatments. Given the choice of so many different biopsychosocial-cultural models, why embrace the Sexual Tipping Point model? Perhaps, the greatest advantage of the STP model is the ease with which it provides clinicians as well as their patients (and their partners) with a common sense explanation of sexual problems and potential solutions. At Weill Cornell Medicine, when contemplating the clinical need for understanding etiology, diagnosis, and treatment, we find the Sexual Tipping Point both helpful and convenient.
Erinnerungsarbeit am 20. Jahrhundert: Jenny Erpenbecks Roman “Aller Tage Abend”

This essay investigates a novel from 2012 by Jenny Erpenbeck, an East German author born in 1967 and a member of an influential intellectual family in the GDR. In the novel, Erpenbeck looks back at the history of European socialism in the twentieth century by depicting the life of a female protagonist patterned after Hedda Zinner, her own paternal grandmother. In its historical dimension, the novel is ultimately intended as a literary demonstration of not only the demise of utopian socialist thought after 1990, but also of the loss of philosophic idealism of the European Enlightenment. Erpenbeck’s refutation of the teleological dialectic of history as posited by Hegelian and Marxist concepts is achieved through the narrative structure of her novel. The author’s notion of the history of philosophy relies strongly on postmodernist ideas of accidental nature [Zufalligkeit] and the essential open-endedness of history.
Retrovirus-mediated transfer and expression of an allogeneic major histocompatibility complex class II DRB cDNA in swine bone marrow cultures

The possibility of inducing transplantation tolerance by somatic gene transfer is under investigation in our miniature swine model. As a crucial step in this project, we have used a retroviral vector engineered to express both a drug-resistance gene (Neo) and a swine class II DRB cDNA to transduce porcine bone marrow (BM) cells. Analysis of cultured swine fibroblasts exposed to high-titer viral supernatants demonstrated that drug resistance had been conferred and that transferred vector sequences were transcribed appropriately. Similar transduction studies with swine BM demonstrated the transfer of drug resistance to as high as 14% of colony-forming unit-granulocyte- macrophage (CFU-GM). Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of cDNA, vector-derived allogeneic DRB transcripts were detected in colonies derived from primitive CFU-Mix and high proliferative potential-colony- forming cell (HPP-CFC), as well as in drug-resistant GM colonies grown from transduced bone marrow (BM) maintained in long-term BM cultures (LTBMCs) for up to 5 weeks. These results indicate that a significant proportion of both colony-forming progenitors and LTBMC-initiating cells were transduced with the DRB-recombinant retroviral vector and that both vector-derived genes were expressed in the differentiated progeny of these cells.
Interactions between nicotine and drugs of abuse: a review of preclinical findings

ABSTRACTPolysubstance abuse is common among substance-use disorder patients, and nicotine is one of the most commonly co-used substances. Epidemiological and clinical laboratory studies suggest that nicotine, when combined with other drugs of abuse, increases intake of one or both substances. This review focuses on the preclinical literature regarding nicotine’s interaction with alcohol, stimulants (i.e., cocaine, amphetamines), opioids (i.e., morphine, heroin), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The current understanding of how these various classes of abused drugs may interact with nicotine on behavioral, physiological, and pharmacological indices that may be important in maintaining co-use of one or both substances in human populations are highlighted. Suggestions as to future areas of research and gaps in knowledge are offered.
Opposing Roles of Tyrosine Kinase Receptors Mer and Axl Determine Clinical Outcomes in Experimental Immune-Mediated Nephritis

Glomerulonephritis is one of the most severe manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus, with considerable morbidity and mortality. There remains a major unmet need for successful management of lupus nephritis. TAM family receptor tyrosine kinases (Mer and Axl) play an important role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis in the kidney. Mer is constitutively expressed in the glomeruli; Axl expression is inducible in glomeruli under inflammatory conditions. To investigate the distinct functions of Axl and Mer in lupus nephritis, we compared the severity of nephrotoxic serum glomerulonephritis in wild-type (WT), Axl-knockout (KO), Mer-KO, and Axl/Mer-KO mice. Mer-KO mice developed severe glomerulonephritis, with significantly decreased survival and increased blood urea nitrogen levels compared with WT mice given the same treatment. However, nephrotoxic serum-treated Axl-KO mice had significantly increased survival rates and improved renal function compared with similarly treated WT, Mer-KO, and Axl/Mer-KO mice. Interestingly, mice lacking both Axl and Mer developed kidney inflammation comparable to WT mice. Western blot analysis revealed significantly increased Stat3 phosphorylation and caspase-1 activation in the kidneys of nephritic Mer-KO mice. In contrast, Axl-deficient nephrotoxic serum-injected mice showed decreased Akt phosphorylation and Bcl-xL upregulation. Thus, the reciprocal activation of Axl and Mer receptor tyrosine kinases has a major impact on the outcome of renal inflammation.
Experimental evaluation of the energy efficiency of a grid-connected NiMH battery system

Energy efficiency is considered a critical technical parameter for the performance evaluation, sizing, and design of control strategies of grid-connected battery systems. Therefore, measurement of the energy efficiency of grid-connected battery systems is necessary. In this paper, the experimental evaluation and measurement of the energy efficiency of a small-scale grid-connected NiMH battery system are presented. The studied system consists of 3 Ah NiMH battery packs interfaced to the grid via a conventional power conditioning converter. First, the energy efficiency of two battery packs with different voltage ratings was evaluated at various battery current rates. Next, the energy efficiency of the power conditioning converter was measured for charging and discharging scenarios at the different current settings. Finally, the effect of the charge recovery phenomenon on the battery energy performance was investigated under the charge and discharge conditions of the primary frequency control application.
Association of prophylactic endotracheal intubation in critically ill patients with upper GI bleeding and cardiopulmonary unplanned events

Background and Aims Prophylactic endotracheal intubation (PEI) is often advocated to mitigate the risk of cardiopulmonary adverse events in patients presenting with brisk upper GI bleeding (UGIB). However, the benefit of such a measure remains controversial. Our study aimed to compare the incidence of cardiopulmonary unplanned events between critically ill patients with brisk UGIB who underwent endotracheal intubation versus those who did not. Methods Patients aged 18 years or older who presented at Cleveland Clinic between 2011 and 2014 with hematemesis and/or patients with melena with consequential hypovolemic shock were included. The primary outcome was a composite of several cardiopulmonary unplanned events (pneumonia, pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, persistent shock/hypotension after the procedure, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrest) occurring within 48 hours of the endoscopic procedure. Propensity score matching was used to match each patient 1:1 in variables that could influence the decision to intubate. These included Glasgow Blatchford Score, Charleston Comorbidity Index, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores. Results Two hundred patients were included in the final analysis. The baseline characteristics, comorbidity scores, and prognostic scores were similar between the 2 groups. The overall cardiopulmonary unplanned event rates were significantly higher in the intubated group compared with the nonintubated group (20% vs 6%, P = .008), which remained significant ( P = .012) after adjusting for the presence of esophageal varices. Conclusions PEI before an EGD for brisk UGIB in critically ill patients is associated with an increased risk of unplanned cardiopulmonary events. The benefits and risks of intubation should be carefully weighed when considering airway protection before an EGD in this group of patients.
Multiplexed lasing in tissues

Biolasers are an emerging technology for next generation biochemical detection and clinical applications. Progress has recently been made to achieve lasing from biomolecules and single living cells. Tissues, which consist of cells embedded in extracellular matrix, mimic more closely the actual complex biological environment in a living body and therefore are of more practical significance. Here, we developed a highly versatile tissue laser platform, in which tissues stained with fluorophores are sandwiched in a high-Q Fabry-Perot microcavity. Distinct lasing emissions from muscle and adipose tissues stained respectively with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY), and hybrid muscle/adipose tissue with dual-staining were achieved with a threshold of only ~10 μJ/mm2. Additionally, we investigated how tissue structure/geometry, tissue thickness, and staining dye concentration affect the tissue laser. It is further found that, despite large fluorescence spectral overlap between FITC and BODIPY in tissues, their lasing emissions could be clearly distinguished and controlled due to their narrow lasing bands and different lasing thresholds, thus enabling highly multiplexed detection. Our tissue laser platform can be broadly applicable to various types of tissues/diseases. It provides a new tool for a wide range of biological and biomedical applications, such as diagnostics/screening of tissues and identification/monitoring of biological transformations in tissue engineering.
The effect of asymmetric surface topography on dust dynamics on airless bodies

Abstract Without a significant atmosphere or global magnetic field, the lunar surface is exposed to micrometeoroid bombardment, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and the solar wind. Micrometeoroid bombardment grinds the surface into a regolith comprised of dust grains ranging in size from 10 nm to 1 mm (Grun et al., 2011). Incident UV radiation and solar wind electrons and ions electrically charge the surface forming a plasma sheath whose structure is dependent on both the plasma and surface properties (Campanell, 2013; Guernsey and Fu, 1970; Poppe and Horanyi, 2010; Nitter et al., 1998). Dust grains that are liberated from the surface can collect additional charge and interact with the plasma sheath. These interactions have been suggested to explain a variety of phenomena observed on airless bodies including horizon glow and dust ponding (Colwell et al., 2005; Hughes et al., 2008; Poppe et al., 2012; Wang et al., 2009). The effect of surface topography on the plasma environment and ensuing dust dynamics is poorly understood and serves as the focus of this paper. We present the results of a three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) code used to model the dayside near-surface lunar plasma environment at a variety of solar zenith angles (SZA) for two different topographies. Using the results of the PIC code, we model the effects on dust dynamics and bulk transport. The simulations also address dust transport on smaller bodies such as asteroid 433 Eros and comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to identify effects of reduced gravity.
Circumferential pedicled omental flap for protection of portomesenteric venous reconstruction and gastroduodenal artery stump following pancreatoduodenectomy

Abstract This video demonstrates a technique for creation of an omental tissue barrier to protect a portomesenteric vein reconstruction or gastroduodenal artery (GDA) stump. Following routine pancreatoduodenectomy reconstruction, a generous tongue of omentum is mobilized off the transverse colon ensuring to preserve the feeding branches from the left gastroepiploic artery. The omentum is then passed behind the pancreatojejunostomy above the vein repair site. It is grasped superiorly and passed anterior to the pancreatojejunostomy to exclude the GDA stump. The flap is then secured to the blind end of the jejunum with suture thereby completing the circumferential wrap. Care must be taken in obese patients to trim the flap so it can fit behind the pancreas without devascularizing it or causing tension on the pancreatojejunostomy. If a closed suction drain is desired, it can be passed from the patient's right either in front of or behind the hepaticojejunostomy and placed around the flap. This technique is most applicable to patients with moderate to high risk of pancreatic fistula (small pancreatic duct and/or soft gland) after undergoing PD with an intact omentum. This circumferential, pedicled omental flap is an easy, reproducible, and durable method to protect vascular structures and repairs from pancreatic fistulas.
Quark and lepton masses from a U(1)×Z 2 flavor symmetry

We show that solutions for the masses and mixings of the quarks and leptons based on a $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{Z}_{2}$ horizontal symmetry are possible. The seesaw mechanism is shown to work consistently in the presence of the discrete symmetry. The discrete symmetry results in the phenomenologically useful suppressions of elements of the Yukawa matrices. The quark and lepton masses, the CKM mixing angles, and the neutrino mixing angles are accommodated at the order of magnitude level.
Incoherent-based tunable frequency structured illumination microscopy

A simple illumination system based on a Fresnel biprism illuminated by the diffracted field of an incoherent linear source is experimentally verified for the generation of a 1D structured pattern with a tunable modulation frequency.
A Functional Approach to Global Constitutionalism

Along with discussions of global governance, global administrative law, and fragmentation, international legal scholars and other social scientists have increasingly engaged in debates over the causes and effects of global constitutionalization. These debates often suffer from imprecise and disparate definitions of the phenomena addressed, substitution of normative advocacy for scholarship, and analysis that is bounded within a particular type of international law or international legal structure. RULING THE WORLD? CONSTITUTIONALISM, INTERNATIONAL LAW AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE (Cambridge University Press 2009) is the product of a three-year project that brought leading scholars together to create a comprehensive and integrated framework for understanding global constitutionalization. This paper, which will appear as the introduction to the volume, sets the stage for this project and establishes a coherent framework for analysis of global constitutionalization. We argue that global constitutionalization has three functions: (i) enabling the production of international law, (ii) constraining the production of international law, and (iii) supplementing domestic constitutionalization in order to respond to globalization. We explain how each of these functions is carried out in constitutional mechanisms, such as allocation of legislative authority, supremacy, stability, fundamental rights, judicial review, and accountability. As we do so, we contextualize and taxonomize some of the most important developments that have led to the current fascination with global constitutionalization. The functional approach to global constitutionalization developed in this paper provides a set of conceptual and analytical tools that can be used to identify and evaluate constitutional developments in various international domains. After outlining this approach, we provide a "constitutional matrix" that identifies which constitutional functions and mechanisms are found in various international legal regimes, including the UN, the EU, the WTO, and the human rights regime. This constitutional matrix provides a tool for comparison and analysis of different constitutional settlements. We conclude with some brief observations regarding constitutional pluralism, constitutional coordination, and constitutional synthesis.
Automatic detection and labeling of self-stimulatory behavioral patterns in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

An infrastructure to record, detect and label the behavioral patterns of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been developed. The system incorporates 2 different sensor platforms which are wearable and static. The wearable system is based on accelerometer which detects behavioral patterns of a subject, while the static sensors are microphones and cameras which captures the sounds, images and videos of the subjects within a room. The video also provides ground truth for wearable sensor data analysis. The system labels the segment of video data upon detection of the autistic behavior. That is, it stores the time of the video when the activities are detected. Time-Frequency methods are used to extract features and Hidden Markov Model (HMM) are used for analyzing the accelerometer signal. Using these methods, we are able to achieve 91.5% of classification rate for behavioral patterns studied in this paper which is used to label and save data.
Natural history of a Balaustium sp. (Parasitengona: Erythraeidae) from eastern North America, with emphasis on moisture and temperature requirements.

Xeric-suitability and heat tolerance by having a low water loss rate (3%/h) and high upper lethal temperature (48°C) are reported for adults of a Balaustium sp., which match typical hot, dry Balaus...
Cross-term analysis in frequency-difference-based source localization methods

In previous work, it has been shown that a quadratic product of frequency-domain acoustic fields at different frequencies but the same spatial location leads to an auxiliary field which may contain field information at frequencies below the original signal’s bandwidth (Worthmann, Song and Dowling, 2015, JASA 138, 3549-3562). This quadratic product, termed the frequency-difference autoproduct, has been shown to be valuable for beamforming and source localization in the presence of environmental mismatch and/or array sparseness. However, in a multipath environment, this quadratic product leads to undesired cross-terms. Bandwidth averaging procedures have been found to suppress some of their detrimental influences in some cases, but not all. Additionally, the poor dynamic range observed in frequency-difference beamforming and frequency-difference matched field processing are associated with the imperfect mitigation of these cross-terms. In this presentation, the nature of these cross-terms is analyzed, and signal processing tools are developed which attempt to robustly mitigate the detrimental effects of these cross terms. These signal processing tools can be used to potentially improve localization performance when using frequency-difference autoproduct-based source localization schemes. [Sponsored by ONR and NSF]
Complications of Minimally Invasive Thyroidectomy

In recent years, minimally invasive thyroid (MIT) surgery has become a well-recognized adjunct to the traditional standard cervicotomy for thyroid diseases. It has been postulated that this procedure potentially could achieve the same results as those obtained with traditional surgery in the setting of less trauma, earlier hospital discharges, less postoperative pain, and better cosmetic results.