cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LS-SCTP: a bandwidth aggregation technique for stream control transmission protocol

Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) specifications utilize the multiple paths capabilities between the sender and receiver for retransmission of lost data chunks and as a backup in case of primary path failure. Under normal conditions, all data chunks are sent on the primary path chosen by the SCTP user during the transport connection initiation. In this paper, we address in detail various aspects related to extending and engineering SCTP in order to utilize the available paths for simultaneous transmission of data chunks, while maintaining the SCTP congestion control on each path so as to ensure fair integration with other traffic in the network. The extended SCTP, referred to as Load-Sharing SCTP (LS-SCTP), is able to aggregate the bandwidth of all the active transmission paths between the communicating endpoints. LS-SCTP monitors the paths, and accordingly it chooses the paths that are suitable for load sharing. LS-SCTP retransmission mechanism accelerates the delivery of missing data to the receiver in order to prevent stalling the transport connection while waiting for missing data chunks. Simulation results show that LS-SCTP is extremely beneficial for networks with limited bandwidth, high loss rate and failure prone links.
What muscle cells know that nerves don't tell them

Abstract How do fast motoneurons come to be matched with fast muscle fibers and slow motoneurons with slow muscle fibers? New results show that the formation of fast and slow muscle fibers in embryonic birds does not require innervation. Information required for specific motor unit formation must be carried at least partly by muscle cells rather than totally by motoneurons, as thought previously.
The Coastal Barrier Resources Act: Has It Discouraged Coastal Development?

Despite an effort by Congress to design a market-based public policy to limit development on certain coastal barriers and protect the federal treasury from paying for recovery from expensive natural disasters, growth continued on these shifting sands. In enacting the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, federal policymakers may have overlooked the key role of state and local governments, as well as the role of local developers, landowners, and realtors in shaping development on coastal barriers. By itself, the act will not prevent development. In fact, it appears that development in areas designated under the act will occur if (1) development pressure is strong enough to overcome the disincentives posed by the act, and (2) state and local governments facilitate development. For example, a local government may substitute its own subsidies for those withdrawn by the federal government. Nothing in the act prevents this from occurring. This article examines the key forces affecting development in areas designated u...
Sensitization by annular surrounds: the effect of test stimulus size.

Abstract Studies of scotopic spatial sensitization have shown that the threshold for a small test probe is influenced by the diameter of the background disk against which it is presented. The present study indicates that the diameter of the test probe is also important. As the diameter of the probe is increased from 4.8′ to 2°, sensitization can still be demonstrated. But with increasing test probe size, the magnitude of sensitization decreases and the peak of the sensitization function shifts to a larger diameter of background disk, such that with probes larger than about 40′, the background producing the highest threshold tends to be the same size as the probe. Several possible explanations for the data are considered, including the hypothesis that edge interactions determine thresholds and the alternative suggestion that thresholds are set by size-tuned channels.
PREDICTING JOB PERFORMANCE OF YOUTH TRAINEES UNDER A JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT PROGRAM (JTPA): CRITERION VALIDATION OF A BEHAVIOR-BASED MEASURE OF WORK MATURITY

Current concepts of the construct of work maturity have focused on a cognitive developmental perspective. This study demonstrates the criterion-related validity of a behavior-based measure of work maturity. The work-maturity levels of 142 youth enrollees in a job training program sponsored by the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) were measured using a locally relevant, behavior-based instrument. Through factor and linear regression analyses, the construct of work maturity was defined and related to later job performance. Two work-maturity factors (Time Consciousness and Sociability) were found to predict a weighted composite criterion composed of ten job performance dimensions. In addition, the ability of individual dimensions to predict job performance was also examined. Future studies of work maturity that combine cognitive and behavioral measures are suggested.
Using prioritized relaxations to locate objects in points clouds for manipulation

This paper considers the problem of identifying objects of interest in laser range point clouds for the purposes of manipulation. One of the characteristics of perception for manipulation is that while it is unnecessary to label all objects in the scene, it may be very important to maximize the likelihood of correctly locating a desired object. This paper leverages this and proposes an approach for locating the most likely object configurations given an object parameterization and a point cloud. While many other approaches to object localization need to explicitly associate points with hypothesized objects, our proposed method avoids this by optimizing relaxations of the likelihood function rather than the exact likelihood. The result is a simple, efficient, and robust method for locating objects that makes few assumptions beyond the desired object parameterization and with few parameters that require tuning.
A dynamic spectrum access MAC appliqué for legacy military radios

There is interest in dynamically allocating spectrum due to the high degree of usage and interference in DoD wireless communications bands. While all bands may not always exhibit high usage, there are times and locations where radio usage is interrupted due to inability to access spectrum. With this in mind, the DoD has undertaken programs such as DARPA neXt Generation (XG) and Wireless Network After Next (WNAN) to develop methods for dynamic spectrum access (DSA). In DSA, a radio or set of radios may select to use a frequency channel at any given time on the basis of the sensed signal activity (or interference temperature) in that channel. Currently fielded military radios do not have such a DSA capability. The situation among DoD radios is such that there exist a variety of means of introducing DSA. Among these are: development of entirely new DoD radios, modification of the software load of current software-defined DoD radios to give them DSA capability, and finally the addition of a hardware and/or software applique to interface with existing DoD radios, particularly those not software-defined. Of course there will also be a class of DoD radios that are not suited for the addition of DSA capability. The DARPA WNAN Program is pursuing the first method above, by developing a new radio. The second method above is being pursued in the DARPA XG Program by modifying radio software to add DSA protocols and sensing. In this paper we consider a military radio set (the AN/PRC-117F and the like) which has the necessary features to allow a hardware/software sensing applique to be integrated with it resulting in a radio/sensor suite with cognitive features. This paper describes the design and implementation of such an applique, along with controlling software and its integration with the PRC-117F in a prototype fashion. The applique has been developed and tested in a laboratory environment.
Scientific Basis for Traditional Medicines in Renal Disease

Cordyceps Sinensis (CS) is a parasitic fungus that has been used as a Chinese medicine for a long time in the treatment of nephritis. In this study, we established an in vitro model that showed that cultured human mesangial cells (HMC) stimulated with interleukin-1 (IL-1) plus IL-6 can cause mesangial cell proliferation, increasing production of chemical mediators and superoxide anion. An in vivo model also proved that this culture medium might lead to renal injury with hematuria and proteinuria. We cultured HMC, and then an HMC activating model with HMC incubated with IL-1 and IL-6 was established. We fractionated the crude methanolic extracts from fruiting bodies of CS with the use of this in vitro inhibition of HMC activation model as our assay method. Then we established an IgAN animal model with R36A (Pneumococcal C-polysaccharide purified from Streptococcus pneumoniae) as antigen and anti-R36A IgA monoclonal antibody to form nephritogenic IgA-IC, which can induce hematuria and proteinuria in mice with IgA deposition in the mesangial area. The fruiting bodies were extracted by silica gel column chromatography. One out of 6 column fractions, F-2, significantly inhibited the HMC activation by IL-1 plus IL-6. The acute toxicity test with male institute of Cancer Research mice showed no liver toxicity or mutagenicity. The mice in the IgAN model fed with 1% F-2 in diet had significant reduction of hematuria and proteinuria together with histopathologic improvement. Therefore this fraction was then purified by silica gel column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, which yielded a purified compound H1-A, which can suppress the activated HMC and alleviate IgAN (Berger's disease) with clinical and histologic improvement. These results give us a new regimen for the treatment of patients with IgAN in the future.
Patient-Centered Care and Emergency Department Utilization A Path Analysis of the Mediating Effects of Care Coordination and Delays in Care

Increased emergency department (ED) overcrowding has renewed interest in identifying remedies for unnecessary ED utilization. One potential remedy receiving more attention is patient-centered care. Relatively little is known, however, about how patient-centered care might decrease ED utilization. This study examined two mediating processes by which four dimensions of patient-centered care may affect patients' reported ED visits. Cross-sectional path analysis of 8,140 chronically ill patients found that patients reporting higher levels of patient-centered care were less likely to have experienced problems of care coordination, and in turn were associated with decreased likelihood of having delayed care and fewer ED visits. These findings suggest that understanding how care is delivered, and not simply whether it is available or provided, is an important consideration in understanding ED utilization. Our findings suggest that fostering more fair and respectful relationships between patients and providers may be a particularly important way of reducing ED utilization.
Identification of a region of rat chromosome 1 that impairs the myogenic response and autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in fawn-hooded hypertensive rats

This study examined the effects of transfer of a 2.4-Mbp region of rat chromosome 1 (RNO1) from Brown Norway (BN) into fawn-hooded hypertensive (FHH) rats on autoregulation (AR) of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the myogenic response of middle cerebral arteries (MCAs). AR of CBF was poor in FHH and FHH.1BN AR− congenic strains that excluded the critical 2.4-Mbp region. In contrast, AR was restored in FHH.1BN AR+ congenic strains that included this region. The diameter of MCAs of FHH rats increased from 140 ± 14 to 157 ± 18 μm when transmural pressure was increased from 40 to 140 mmHg, but it decreased from 137 ± 5 to 94 ± 7 μm in FHH.1BN AR+ congenic strains. Transient occlusion of MCAs reduced CBF by 80% in all strains. However, the hyperemic response following ischemia was significantly greater in FHH and AR− rats than that seen in AR+ congenic strains (AR−, 173 ± 11% vs. AR+, 124 ± 5%). Infarct size and edema formation were also significantly greater in an AR− strain (38.6 ± 2.6 and 12.1 ± 2%) than in AR+ congenic strains (27.6 ± 1.8 and 6.5 ± 0.9%). These results indicate that there is a gene in the 2.4-Mbp region of RNO1 that alters the development of myogenic tone in cerebral arteries. Transfer of this region from BN to FHH rats restores AR of CBF and vascular reactivity and reduces cerebral injury after transient occlusion and reperfusion of the MCA.
Requirements reconnoitring at the juncture of domain and instance

The ability to rapidly reconnoitre requirements, i.e., construct, critique, contrast and complete a system's requirements, necessitates dealing with the inherent nature of requirements (their incompleteness, inconsistency, ambiguity, etc.). It is shown how such explorations can be sustained by linking a network of domain requirements with instantiations of those requirements for a particular instance of that domain. >
Viral IP Address Assignment

We propose a viral address assignment scheme for wire-less ad hoc networks. In this scheme, a node has multiple addresses and each address of the node corresponds to a logical location of the node in the network. Further, addresses are allocated in a contagious fashion to mimic a viral growth. We study some of the issues in such a scheme.
Joint analysis of differential mobility spectrometer and mass spectrometer features for tuberculosis biomarkers

In this article, we present results of recent efforts to identify biomarkers for tuberculosis using a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS). We focus specifically on the capability of exploiting a data collection system that employs a DMS in parallel with a mass spectrometer. This system permits previously developed algorithms for DMS to be used in conjunction with a device considered a gold-standard for chemical identification, making it a unique discovery tool for the determination of biomarkers.
Adaptation of ovine fetal pancreatic insulin secretion to chronic hypoglycaemia and euglycaemic correction

Fetal pancreatic adaptations to relative hypoglycaemia, a characteristic of intra-uterine growth restriction, may limit pancreatic β-cell capacity to produce and/or secrete insulin. The objective of this study was to measure β-cell responsiveness in hypoglycaemic (H) fetal sheep and ascertain whether a 5 day euglycaemic recovery period would restore insulin secretion capacity. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was measured in euglycaemic (E) control fetuses, fetuses made hypoglycaemic for 14 days, and in a subset of 14-day hypoglycaemic fetuses returned to euglycaemia for 5 days (R fetuses). Hypoglycaemia significantly decreased plasma insulin concentrations in H (0.13 ± 0.01 ng ml−1) and R fetuses (0.11 ± 0.01 ng ml−1); insulin concentrations returned to euglycaemic control values (0.30 ± 0.01 ng ml−1) in R fetuses (0.29 ± 0.04 ng ml−1) during their euglycaemic recovery period. Mean steady-state plasma insulin concentration during the GSIS study was reduced in H fetuses (0.40 ± 0.07 vs. 0.92 ± 0.10 ng ml−1 in E), but increased (P < 0.05) in R fetuses (0.73 ± 0.10 ng ml−1) to concentrations not different from those in the E group. Nonlinear modelling of GSIS showed that response time was greater (P < 0.01) in both H (15.6 ± 2.8 min) and R (15.4 ± 1.5 min) than in E fetuses (6.3 ± 1.1 min). In addition, insulin secretion responsiveness to arginine was reduced by hypoglycaemia (0.98 ± 0.11 ng ml−1 in H vs. 1.82 ± 0.17 ng ml−1 in E, P < 0.05) and did not recover (1.21 ± 0.15 ng ml−1 in R, P < 0.05vs. E). Thus, a 5 day euglycaemic recovery period from chronic hypoglycaemia reestablished GSIS to normal levels, but there was a persistent reduction of β-cell responsiveness to glucose and arginine. We conclude that programming of pancreatic insulin secretion responsiveness can occur in response to fetal glucose deprivation, indicating a possible mechanism for establishing, in fetal life, a predisposition to type 2 diabetes.
Modern methods in the astrometry of double stars

The techniques for studying double stars continue to evolve in a predictable way. The most recent major breakthroughs have been the area scanner and speckle interferometry. On the horizon looms the application of large format CCDs which will replace the photographic plate for many astrometric problems.
Epitaxial Growth of L1 $_{0}$ –FePt Granular Thin Films on TiC/RuAl Underlayers

Highly ordered L10 FePt-oxide thin films with perpendicular texture and small grains were fabricated on a TiC underlayer along with a RuAl small grain size layer and a MgO seedlayer. The epitaxial growth from the MgO seedlayer to the TiC\RuAl grain size defining underlayer to FePt magnetic layer was studied. Perpendicular texture can be further improved by adjusting the thickness of each layer to optimize the in-plane stain. From our microstructure study, TiC/RuAl grain size defining layer was found effective in reducing the volume fraction of oxide in the film and the center-to-center grain size of FePt grains. With a thin Ag sacrificial layer inserted between TiC and FePt magnetic layer, a smaller grain size can be achieved, the ordering temperature was lowered, and the (001) texture of FePt was enhanced.
Airway Management in Pierre Robin Sequence: Patterns of Practice

Objectives: To report survey results from American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association members on the practice patterns of airway obstruction management in patients with Pierre Robin sequence. Design: A 10-question online survey was sent and the data were reviewed. Setting: Online survey of members of the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association. Patients: Surveys assessed management patterns of patients with Pierre Robin sequence whom a surgeon member of the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association treated for airway obstruction. Interventions: The survey comprised data on management strategies for airway obstruction in Pierre Robin sequence, including tracheostomy, tongue-lip adhesion, mandibular distraction, and treatments that falls in the “other” category. Results: A total of 87 American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association members completed the survey. Respondents' results were analyzed as a whole and by individual subspecialty: plastic surgery (n = 33), oromaxillofacial surgery (n = ...
Theory for why dioecious plants have equal length sex chromosomes

Dioecy and sex chromosomes almost certainly evolved from ancestral hermaphrodites that only possessed autosomes. There is a growing body of evidence that genes for female or male function were then epigenetically suppressed in some of these hermaphrodites, creating the first males or females and nascent sex chromosomes. The incipient sex-determining epigenetic signals, such as cytosine methylation, then drove Muller's ratchet in many animals, resulting in shorter Y chromosomes. Based on this theory of sex chromosome evolution and limited data on gametophyte gene expression, I argue that plants should be largely immune from Muller's ratchet and therefore retain their ancestral state of equal length sex chromosomes, unless they incur chromosomal rearrangements or large-scale insertions of duplicated genomes. Usually heteromorphic sex chromosomes canalize dioecy, but extensive polyploidy or polysomy can provide an escape from this canalized dioecy. This theory implies that dioecy due to heteromorphic sex chromosomes should be evolutionarily ephemeral in bryophytes and homosporous pteridophytes because of their extraordinarily high incidences of polyploidy. And, if anything, these very high incidences of polyploidy are responsible for translocation or gradual addition of beneficial genes, rather than gradual reduction in the length of a sex chromosome.
Second-order corrections to the muon anomalous magnetic moment in alternative electroweak models

We study the second-order weak correction to the muon anomalous magnetic moment in alternative electroweak gauge theories. The gauge-boson contributions are constrained by low-energy weak-interaction phenomenology. We examine the Higgs-boson contributions in three classes of models and find that they are potentially the dominant effect. Contributions of lepton-number-violating Higgs-boson interactions are calculated and included in the analysis. Severe limits on the spontaneous-symmetry-breaking scales and Yukawa couplings are found in some scenarios which have a separate scale for fermion masses, including the standard model with more than one doublet and a left-right model which naturally explains small neutrino masses. Higgs-boson effects may be detectable when order-of-magnitude improvements are made in the measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic moment.
Calcium transport in the nephron

Ionized and complexed calcium are filtered at the glomerulus and more than 95% of the filtered load is reabsorbed along the length of the nephron. In the proximal convoluted tubule calcium is absorbed in proportion to sodium and water, suggesting a passive mechanism. The high permeability of this segment is compatible with passive transport, but evidence for active transport has been advanced. A role for Ca2+-ATPase and/or for a Ca2+/Na+ antiport has also been proposed. The straight portion of the proximal tubule appears to transport calcium actively but little is known about the mechanism and regulation of calcium absorption in this segment. Both passive and active transport of calcium in the thick ascending limb have been demonstrated, and heterogeneity in the function of medullary and cortical segments has been proposed. Definite evidence has been advanced for avid active calcium absorption in the distal convoluted tubule. Both chlorothiazide and parathyroid hormone enhance the transport of calcium in this segment. The granular portion of the collecting tubule resembles in its properties and function the distal convoluted tubule. The light portion, however, is incapable of transporting calcium. The distal tubule and collecting tubule may be the final regulators of urinary excretion of calcium but much more data are required before this view can be adopted.
Design of Protein–Peptide Interaction Modules for Assembling Supramolecular Structures in Vivo and in Vitro

Synthetic biology and protein origami both require protein building blocks that behave in a reliable, predictable fashion. In particular, we require protein interaction modules with known specificity and affinity. Here, we describe three designed TRAP (Tetratricopeptide Repeat Affinity Protein)-peptide interaction pairs that are functional in vivo. We show that each TRAP binds to its cognate peptide and exhibits low cross-reactivity with the peptides bound by the other TRAPs. In addition, we demonstrate that the TRAP-peptide interactions are functional in many cellular contexts. In extensions of these designs, we show that the binding affinity of a TRAP-peptide pair can be systematically varied. The TRAP-peptide pairs we present thus represent a powerful set of new building blocks that are suitable for a variety of applications.
Cholinesterase activity and potassium permeability in human erythrocytes.

SummaryInhibition of human erythrocyte cholinesterase with or without exogenous AcCh had no effect on loss of potassium from cells during storage at 4°C or during incubation at 37.5°C. The re-entry at 37.5°G of potassium into cells previously stored for 24 hours at 4°C to permit its leakage into the serum was also unaffected.
To Unfold or not to Unfold? Structural Insights of Peroxidase-Active Cardiolipin-Bound Cytochrome c by Solid-State NMR

Cytochrome c (cyt-c) plays a key role in activating intrinsic apoptosis, a closely regulated cell death mechanism. Complete understanding of this process has implications for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's disease, as well as cancer. A pivotal signaling event in this apoptotic pathway is the peroxidation of the mitochondrial lipid cardiolipin (CL) by cyt-c. Cyt-c gains CL-specific lipid peroxidase activity by binding to CL during apoptosis, but exactly what structural changes lead to its proapoptotic activity have remained elusive. We have performed both structural and functional measurements to determine changes in structure and dynamics of cyt-c that accompany the activation of its peroxidase function upon binding to CL. Specifically, we used FTIR and multidimensional magic-angle-spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (ssNMR) on samples mimicking proapoptotic conditions that trigger cyt-c's peroxidase activity. Comparison to FTIR and solution NMR data for the soluble protein revealed that cyt-c did not experience major unfolding upon membrane binding. We probed the protein-lipid interactions via ssNMR on both the protein and the lipids, and additionally used fluorescence quenching measurements of resonance energy transfer between the cyt-c heme and fluorescently labeled lipids. We conclude that increases in peroxidase activity of peripherally CL-bound cyt-c do not result from extensive unfolding of cyt-c. We instead propose an alternative mechanism in which localized structural changes, rather than global unfolding, in the CL-bound protein may be enough to allow for significant lipid peroxidation function to arise.
Altering cell fates in sea urchin embryos by overexpressing SpOtx, an orthodenticle-related protein

While many general features of cell fate specification in the sea urchin embryo are understood, specific factors associated with these events remain unidentified. SpOtx, an orthodenticle-related protein, has been implicated as a transcriptional activator of the aboral ectoderm-specific Spec2a gene. Here, we present evidence that SpOtx has the potential to alter cell fates. SpOtx was found in the cytoplasm of early cleavage stage embryos and was translocated into nuclei between the 60- and 120-cell stage, coincident with Spec gene activation. Eggs injected with SpOtx mRNA developed into epithelial balls of aboral ectoderm suggesting that SpOtx redirected nonaboral ectoderm cells to an aboral ectoderm fate. At least three distinct domains on SpOtx, the homeobox and regions in the N-terminal and C-terminal halves of the protein, were required for the morphological alterations. These same N-terminal and C-terminal regions were shown to be transactivation domains in a yeast transactivation assay, indicating that the biological effects of overexpressing SpOtx were due to its action as a transcription factor. Our results suggest that SpOtx is involved in aboral ectoderm differentiation by activating aboral ectoderm-specific genes and that modulating its expression can lead to changes in cell fate.
Cutaneous metastasis of adenocarcinoma of the rectum and sigmoid.

Malignant tumors are characterized by their ability to form metastases. Adenocarcinomas of the rectum and sigmoid have this ability, and often the site selected is far removed from the original lesion. Two cases of cutaneous metastasis of adenocarcinoma of the rectum and sigmoid are presented, and the possible routes for their arrival at the site are discussed.
The determinants of mobility: Do ethnic variables influence the decision to move?

Recently, an advisory panel to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development indicated that relatively little was known about the importance of different race related attitudes (including but not limited to racial prejudice) in affecting the willingness to move into racially mixed communities (National Academy of Sciences, 1972). This statement is equally valid concerning the state of existing knowledge about the influence of these factors on the willingness to remain in racially changing communities. Three race related attitudes have been mentioned in the literature as affecting the willingness to remain: (1) racial prejudice; (2) perceptions of the neighborhood’s current racial composition; and (3) expectations of future racial changes. Few, if any, studies however have examined the relative importance of these characteristics in explaining variations in mobility in particular racially changing communities. This will be one of the major aims of this chapter.
The Many-Faceted Lysosome

Research is uncovering more and more roles for this cellular structure in the production of disease—most firmly thus far in connective tissue disorders, where lysosomal enzymes apparently mediate joint injury. But lysosomes have also been implicated in a host of other pathologic states, including congestive failure and neoplasia.
Evaluation of SLIce Dithered Enhanced Resolution Simultaneous MultiSlice (SLIDER-SMS) for human fMRI.

Abstract High isotropic resolution fMRI is challenging primarily due to long repetition times (TR) and insufficient SNR, especially at lower field strengths. Recently, Simultaneous Multi-Slice (SMS) imaging with blipped-CAIPI has substantially reduced scan time and improved SNR efficiency of fMRI. Similarly, super-resolution techniques utilizing sub- voxel spatial shifts in the slice direction have increased both resolution and SNR efficiency. Here we demonstrate the synergistic combination of SLIce Dithered Enhanced Resolution (SLIDER) and SMS for high-resolution, high-SNR whole brain fMRI in comparison to standard resolution fMRI data as well as high-resolution data. With SLIDER-SMS, high spatial frequency information is recovered (unaliased) even in absence of super-resolution deblurring algorithms. Additionally we find that BOLD CNR (as measured by t-value in a visual checkerboard paradigm) is improved by as much as 100% relative to traditionally acquired high- resolution data. Using this gain in CNR, we are able to obtain unprecedented nominally isotropic resolutions at 3 T (0.66 mm) and 7 T (0.45 mm).
The female continence mechanism measured by high resolution manometry: Urethral bulking versus midurethral sling.

Author(s): Wasenda, Erika J; Kirby, Anna C; Lukacz, Emily S; Nager, Charles W | Abstract: AIMS:Traditional technology to characterize urethral pressure changes during dynamic conditions is limited by slow response times or artifact-inducing withdrawal maneuvers. The 8F high-resolution manometry (HRM) catheter (ManoScan™ ESO, Covidien) has advantages of fast response times and the ability to measure urethral pressures along the urethral length without withdrawal. Our objective was to determine static and dynamic maximum urethral closure pressures (MUCPs) and resting functional urethral length (FUL) in women using HRM before and after transurethral bulking and compare results to other women who underwent midurethral sling (MUS). METHODS:We recorded rest, cough, and strain MUCPs and FUL in 24 women before and after transurethral bulking with polydimethylsiloxane (Macroplastique®) using the HRM catheter and compared these changes to HRM values from 26 women who had the same measures before and after MUS. RESULTS:At rest, MUCPs increased minimally after both urethral bulking and MUS (3 vs 0.4 cm H2 O respectively, P = 0.4). Under dynamic conditions there were statistically insignificant small increases in MUCP and these increases were markedly less than after MUS (cough: 1.5 vs 63.8 cm H2 O, P l 0.001 and strain: 11.5 vs 57.7 cm H2 O, P l 0.001). FUL increased by 0.5 cm after transurethral bulking (P = 0.003), and decreased by 0.25 cm after MUS placement (P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS:The mechanism of continence after urethral bulking differs from MUS. While MUS increases dynamic MUCP, bulking may rely on increasing the length of the continence zone.
Information literacy on the web: How visual and textual cues contribute to website credibility assessments

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgetown University, 2009.; Includes bibliographical references. One of the most important literacy skills in today's information society is the ability to determine the credibility of the information one finds on the World Wide Web. Users must be able to sort through a staggering number of sources while discerning which of them will provide the best information. In this study, 70 participants assessed the credibility of websites with either a low design quality or high design quality, and either low credibility or high credibility. The high credibility webpage had textual cues such as author name, credentials, and references, while the low credibility webpage lacked these elements and instead had advertisements present on the page. The high design quality webpage had an organized layout with colors and photographs, while the low design quality webpage was disorganized, with no colors or pictures. The purpose of the study was to understand if students relied more on textual or visual cues in determining the credibility of websites, and to understand if this affected their recall of those cues one week later. The results indicate that when viewing a low credibility website, high design quality will not compensate for the lack of credibility, but when viewing a high credibility website, the design quality will supplement the credibility rating. This indicates that the textual cues (or lack thereof) were more important than the visual cues in determining website credibility. The recall test also indicated that credibility perception does impact the participants' recall of both visual and textual cues. Implications are discussed in light of Information Literacy standards and evolutions.
Protocol for the Imagine HEALTH Study: Guided imagery lifestyle intervention to improve obesity-related behaviors and salivary cortisol patterns in predominantly Latino adolescents.

Abstract Innovative lifestyle interventions are needed to reduce type 2 diabetes risk in adolescents. This report describes the protocol of the Imagine HEALTH cluster randomized control trial, that tests an intervention based in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and uses lifestyle education combined with the mind-body, complementary health modality of guided imagery (GI), to address obesity prevention and treatment in predominantly Latino adolescents. The primary aim is to determine the unique effects of each of the three major components of the 12-week lifestyle intervention (lifestyle education, stress reduction guided imagery, and lifestyle behavior guided imagery) compared to control on primary outcomes of physical activity (accelerometry), dietary intake (3-day recall), and stress biomarker levels (salivary cortisol). Secondary aims assess changes compared to controls in psychosocial outcomes (stress, well-being, depression), diabetes-related metabolic outcomes (adiposity, insulin resistance), maintenance of outcome changes for one year post-intervention, and SDT-based mediation of intervention effects. The development and rationale for each of the intervention components, study design, and outcome measurement processes are described. Adolescent participants recruited from four urban schools are cluster randomized by school into one of four arms of the 12-week (3-month) intervention, followed by 6 months of maintenance and 6 months of no contact. Outcome measures are assessed at the end of each period (3-, 9-, and 15-months). Results to date show successful recruitment of 97% of the target study population. Future results will demonstrate the effects of this integrative intervention on primary and secondary outcome measures in adolescents at risk for lifestyle-related metabolic disease.
Differential involvement of amygdalar NMDA receptors across variants of contextual fear conditioning in adolescent rats.

Abstract In standard contextual fear conditioning (sCFC), learning of the context and formation of the context-shock association occur in the same training session whereas in the context preexposure facilitation effect (CPFE) learning the context (preexposure) and the context-shock association (training) are separated by 24 h. In both procedures conditioned freezing can be measured immediately (post-shock test) or during a 24-hour retention test. In adult rats, disrupting basolateral amygdala (BLA) activity or plasticity during training on sCFC impairs both post-shock and retention freezing [Maren et al, 1996; 1]. This manipulation on the training day of the CPFE disrupts retention freezing but effects on post-shock freezing are unknown [Matus-Amat et al, 2007; 2]. Experiment 1 extended this literature from adult to adolescent rats and to the role of BLA activity and plasticity in post-shock freezing during the CPFE. Intra-BLA infusions of muscimol prior to the training day of the CPFE disrupted both post-shock and retention freezing in Postnatal Day (PD) 31–33 rats. In the second two experiments, intra-BLA infusions of APV prior to the training day of sCFC disrupted retention but not post-shock freezing, while infusions of APV prior to training of the CPFE disrupt both post-shock and retention freezing. Our findings suggest that the BLA plasticity plays a different role in the CPFE vs. sCFC. Its role in the CPFE is similar in both adolescent and adult rats, while the role of the BLA in post-shock freezing during sCFC may differ across age or across studies that employ different procedures or parameters.
Ultrasound manipulation of 3D dynamic user-specified patterns of particles in air

Ultrasound noncontact particle manipulation (NPM) employs the convergence of the acoustic radiation force associated with an ultrasound wave field to levitate and manipulate particles in a fluid medium. We use multiple phased arrays of ultrasound transducers to dynamically manipulate a 3D pattern of particles along a user-specified trajectory. We numerically simulate the ultrasound NPM method and experimentally validate it by creating dynamic 3D patterns of expanded polystyrene particles in air, and observe good quantitative agreement. The method allows manipulating an entire user-specified pattern of particles and sub-sets of a pattern to traverse a user-specified trajectory in 3D. This experimental demonstration shows that ultrasound NPM can be implemented in engineering applications such as containerless transport and measurement, and manufacturing of engineered materials.
The role of the facet capsular ligament in providing spinal stability

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common type of pain in America, and spinal instability is a primary cause. The facet capsular ligament (FCL) encloses the articulating joints of the spine and is of particular interest due to its high innervation - as instability ensues, high stretch values likely are a cause of this pain. Therefore, this work investigated the FCL's role in providing stability to the lumbar spine. A previously validated finite element model of the L4-L5 spinal motion segment was used to simulate pure moment bending in multiple planes. FCL failure was simulated and the following outcome measures were calculated: helical axes of motion, range of motion (ROM), bending stiffness, facet joint space, and FCL stretch. ROM increased, bending stiffness decreased, and altered helical axis patterns were observed with the removal of the FCL. Additionally, a large increase in FCL stretch was measured with diminished FCL mechanical competency, providing support that the FCL plays an important role in spinal stability.
Omadacycline — The Newest Tetracycline

Omadacycline was the second antibiotic of the tetracycline class to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018. Results of two phase 3, double-blind, randomized clinical trials o...
Evaluation of a peer- and self-grading process for clinical writing assignments

Abstract Objectives As class sizes in pharmacy education increase, faculty must develop new assessment strategies for essay writing assignments. This study evaluated accuracy and student perceptions of an innovative grading process that utilizes both peer- and self-assessment. Methods Four SOAP note sessions were evaluated. Each session included four activities: a writing workshop, assessment workshop, and reflection session. For each assessment workshop students scored their note and a blinded peer's note using a grading form, facilitated by a faculty-led discussion. In a subsequent reflection session, students reviewed their peer- and self-assigned grades and could petition for faculty review if desired. The average self-, peer-, and final-grades were compared for each of the four SOAP note sessions using ANOVA. After the fourth session, students completed an anonymous 10-question Likert-scale survey regarding their perceptions of the process and three open-response questions. Survey results were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results Approximately 140 students participated. No difference was found between the average self-, peer-, and final-grades for all four sessions (p > 0.05). The survey response rate was 65% (91/140). Survey questions were grouped into three themes. The majority of students either strongly agreed or agreed that sessions were well organized and effective (≥84%), assessment workshops enhanced learning (≥68%), and the scoring method was fair (≥72%). The lowest score (mean 2.53 on a 4-point scale) reflected satisfaction with peer-provided feedback. When asked what they liked most, respondents most commonly cited that faculty-led review and discussion enhanced clinical knowledge. Implications The combination of a peer- and self-assessment process was accurate, well-received, and can be used to decrease faculty workload.
Synaptic Proteome Alterations in the Primary Auditory Cortex of Individuals With Schizophrenia

Importance Findings from unbiased genetic studies have consistently implicated synaptic protein networks in schizophrenia, but the molecular pathologic features within these networks and their contribution to the synaptic and circuit deficits thought to underlie disease symptoms remain unknown. Objective To determine whether protein levels are altered within synapses from the primary auditory cortex (A1) of individuals with schizophrenia and, if so, whether these differences are restricted to the synapse or occur throughout the gray matter. Design, Setting, and Participants This paired case-control study included tissue samples from individuals with schizophrenia obtained from the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner. An independent panel of health care professionals made consensusDSM-IVdiagnoses. Each tissue sample from an individual with schizophrenia was matched by sex, age, and postmortem interval with 1 sample from an unaffected control individual. Targeted mass spectrometry was used to measure protein levels in A1 gray matter homogenate and synaptosome preparations. All experimenters were blinded to diagnosis. Mass spectrometry data were collected from September 26 through November 4, 2016, and analyzed from November 3, 2016, to July 15, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary measures were homogenate and synaptosome protein levels and their coregulation network features. Hypotheses generated before data collection were (1) that levels of canonical postsynaptic proteins in A1 synaptosome preparations would differ between individuals with schizophrenia and controls and (2) that these differences would not be explained by changes in total A1 homogenate protein levels. Results Synaptosome and homogenate protein levels were investigated in 48 individuals with a schizophrenia diagnosis and 48 controls (mean age in both groups, 48 years [range, 17-83 years]); each group included 35 males (73%) and 13 females (27%). Robust alterations (statistical cutoff set at an adjusted LimmaP Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest a robust and highly coordinated rearrangement of the synaptic proteome. In line with unbiased genetic findings, alterations in synaptic levels of postsynaptic proteins were identified, providing a road map to identify the specific cells and circuits that are impaired in individuals with schizophrenia A1.
Do Political Finance Reforms Reduce Corruption

Reformers claim that public subsidies and regulation of political finance reduce corruption in politics, while observers worry that they have no impact on corruption, or even increase it. Despite national-level debates and billions of dollars spent, few studies have tested this relationship. The authors argue that political finance reform mitigates corruption by reducing private money's importance in politics and increasing the sanctions for corrupt behavior. Elite interviews from Paraguay's political finance reform illustrate the argument and elaborate the theoretical mechanisms. The study evaluates the argument using an original dataset measuring political subsidies from 175 countries from 1900–2015, as well as disaggregated corruption measures from the Varieties of Democracy project. The findings support the thesis that political finance reform reduces corruption, even in countries where such reforms are unevenly implemented.
China’s intellectual property rights policies: A strategic view

A widely held view is that China can somehow “steal” its way into prosperity and thus it is in the Chinese government’s best interest to keep IP protection weak. Absent from this view is firms’ strategic decisions regarding innovation, imitation, and knowledge transfer, decisions that are beyond state control. Therefore, a party that builds its legitimacy on economic growth will have to balance the benefit of strong rule of law in stimulating innovation with the potential erosion of control, and the result is far from clear. In fact, given the dynamic, interactive nature of technological development, IP policies in most countries have been, and will continue to be, the result of a delicate balance among various stakeholders. China is no exception.
A Dynamic Algorithm for Fog Computing Data Processing Decision Optimization

Continuing Cloud service challenges like vendor lock-in and security in addition the Cloud clients' increased reliance on the service are motivating large Cloud tenants to build their own Clouds. Cloud providers still have the advantage (cost, availability and expertise) and therefore, a hybrid approach is still the first choice for Cloud clients aspiring to achieve partial independence. This promotes utilizing Fog computing architectures where resources rented from Cloud providers are supplemented by nodes on the edge of network that have limited computational capacity but are closer to request source. Fog nodes offer an opportunity to filter and process requests on the edge of the network in order to distribute the load and minimize the network congestion caused by low-value data. A question is, in turn, posed to Cloud architects on how to optimize the decision as to where to perform each step of the request service. The aim is to mitigate both the risk of pushing high loads to the Cloud servers which increases the cost; and the risk of localizing the whole process and losing the benefits from Cloud services. We build upon our previous work to solve this problem by proposing a novel dynamic programming algorithm to optimize the data processing decision for requests in a Fog environment. The dynamic programming algorithm achieves closer results to the optimal solution by reaching optimal increments of solutions from previous steps in feasible time. Initial experimental results comparing 5 heuristic algorithms are presented with the purpose of offering insight into contradicting factors impacting the problem (cost, network capacity, node and Cloud capacity).
Integrated Optical Phased Arrays: LiDAR, Communications, Augmented Reality, and Beyond

Recent integrated optical phased array architectures, results, and applications will be reviewed, including beam steering for LiDAR and communications, near-field optical manipulation, and holographic displays for augmented reality.
Cooperation and spillovers in healthcare R&D: Theory and evidence

Abstract This study tests the hypothesis that the research and development activity that is taking place in medical schools will influence the research and development activity that is occurring in hospitals, and vice-versa. To do so, we present a game in which the flow (short run) and level (long run) of research and development activities in medical schools determines the flow and level of research and development endeavors in hospitals (and vice-versa). The division of labor that occurs in our game entails the specialization in basic research by medical schools that leads to application and refinement of the results from that work by hospital practitioners. In turn, the refinements made by hospital practitioners informs further medical school research. Empirical support for our hypothesis is provided using data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and the National Science Foundation.