cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distribution of oxygenated blood by transseptal left atrial cannulation during lung support in the open-chest model

The hemodynamic characteristics and anatomic configuration of the aortic root determine the extent of coronary bed filling by the de saturated blood ejected by the left ventricle during conventional lung support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), unless turbulence is created close to the coronary ostia by high-flow bypass ratios (>80 percent of cardiac output) or ascending aorta cannulation. Using a total right heart bypass preparation, we studied the effect of returning blood transseptally into the left atrium upstream to the coronary arteries by means of a specially designed double-lumen cannula inserted via the jugular vein. Desaturated blood was used in six dogs ventilated with 100 percent oxygen (Group A), and oxygenated blood was used in 10 hypoxic dogs (Group B). We observed homogeneous mixing of oxygenated and desaturated blood at wide ranges of bypass flow ratios (20 to 80 percent) as determined downstream to the left atrium, i.e., left ventricle, coronary artery branch, root of the aorta, and descending thoracic aorta. Adequate coronary oxygenation (Po2 ≥ 60 mm. Hg) was obtained with 40 percent of cardiac output oxygenation, a flow that could be met with a single superior vena cava (SVC) cannula through the major lumen of such a cannula. Total avoidance of high-pressure arterial cannulation and homogeneous distribution of oxygenated blood, regardless of the bypass flow ratio, by this technique are obvious advantages not available with conventional ECMO cannulations.
Isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone encoding ovine type I carbonic anhydrase.

To identify genes involved in the postnatal development of sheep ruminal epithelium, a lambda gt22a cDNA library was constructed from poly(A)+ RNA isolated from mature sheep ruminal epithelium. A plus/minus screening procedure was used to identify genes expressed in mature but not in neonatal ruminal epithelium. One of the cDNA clones isolated encodes an ovine carbonic anhydrase, based on nucleotide and deduced peptide sequence analysis. The deduced peptide is most closely related to eukaryotic type I carbonic anhydrase, based on comparison with all available carbonic anhydrase sequences. Northern blot hybridization confirmed that the amount of mRNA complementary to the carbonic anhydrase cDNA clone is more than five times higher in ruminal epithelium for mature sheep (12 wk old) than in ruminal epithelium from neonatal lambs (< 12h old). Messenger RNA complementary to this cDNA clone was found only in the epithelium of the ruminant forestomach compartments (i.e., rumen, reticulum, and omasum), but small amounts of hybridizable mRNA were also found in sheep skin. This carbonic anhydrase cDNA clone will allow the study of transcriptional regulation of the carbonic anhydrase gene during ruminal epithelial development.
Non-invasive inhaled nitric oxide in the treatment of hypoxemic respiratory failure in term and preterm infants.

Objectives Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is effective in conjunction with tracheal intubation (TI) and mechanical ventilation (MV) for treating arterial pulmonary hypertension and hypoxemic respiratory failure (HRF) in near-term and term newborns. Non-invasive respiratory support with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is increasingly used to avoid morbidity associated with TI and MV, yet the effectiveness of iNO delivery via nasal CPAP remains unknown. To evaluate the effectiveness of iNO delivered via the bubble nasal CPAP system in term and preterm newborns with HRF. Study design Electronic medical records from all infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during 2005 to 2014 (n=10, 895) were screened for treatment with iNO therapy for HRF. Detailed data on population characteristics and cardiorespiratory, iNO and respiratory support indices were abstracted for all infants, who were administered iNO non-invasively using bubble nasal CPAP. Change in relevant indices at baseline (before initiating non-invasive iNO) and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after non-invasive iNO therapy were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Of 795 infants treated with iNO (7.3% of total NICU admissions) over a 10-year period, 107 infants (13.4% of iNO treated) with birth weight 2448±1112 g and gestational age 35.3±5.8 weeks received iNO non-invasively. 25 infants received iNO exclusively non-invasively, whereas in remaining 82 infants non-invasive route followed invasive delivery via TI and MV. Indications for using non-invasive iNO included idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (39%), congenital heart disease (37%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (10%), meconium aspiration syndrome (9%) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (5%). Over the 24 h following initiation of non-invasive iNO, fractional oxygen requirements decreased (0.38 to 0.32; P Conclusions Initiation of iNO in infants on bubble nasal CPAP or continuation of iNO in infants transitioning from MV to bubble nasal CPAP is associated with improved oxygenation during HRF in term and preterm infants. Non-invasive iNO may have a synergistic effect with airway recruitment strategies such as nasal CPAP.
Significant Loss of Areal Bone Mineral Density Following Prolonged Bed Rest During Treatment With Teriparatide

We present of a case of severe osteoporosis with thoracic myelopathy secondary to nontraumatic T8 compression fracture managed nonsurgically with 3.5 months of bed rest. Despite treatment with teriparatide starting at initial presentation, 1-year follow-up dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scan revealed a significantly greater than expected 19% reduction in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) and a 6% reduction in total hip density. Daily alcohol consumption, severe osteoporosis at baseline, and immobilization secondary to transient myelopathy treated with strict bed rest all likely contributed to unexpected BMD findings.
Cardiac Imaging Methods for Chemotherapy-related Cardiotoxicity Screening and Related Radiation Exposure: Current Practice and Trends.

Background: Radiation exposure is a serious concern with usage of serial multigated acquisition (MUGA) scans (7.8mSv/study) for chemotherapy-related cardiotoxicity (CRC) screening. The current practice with respect to the imaging modalities chosen for cardiotoxicity screening and related radiation exposure has not been studied. Materials and Methods: We performed a serial cross-sectional study from 2011 to 2014, evaluating the relative usage of the three imaging modalities for CRC screening. Results: MUGA scan usage decreased from 30.4% to 16.7%, echocardiogram (Echo) utilization increased from 68.7% to 80.4% and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) usage increased from 0.9% to 2.9% in the 4-year period. Estimated total radiation exposure and secondary cancer risk can increase significantly in certain subgroups when MUGA scan is employed for serial cardiac imaging. Conclusion: Increased awareness of radiation risks from MUGA, as well as increasing focus on early detection of cardiotoxicity using Echo and CMR, are possible reasons behind the observed trends.
Wavelet Analysis to Characterize the Dependency of Vehicular Emissions on Road Roughness

Decomposition and transformation algorithms are important tools in data analyses, including air pollution data processing, which has been a principal environmental concern for many decades. One of the main sources of air pollution is vehicular emissions, which contain harmful greenhouse gases. In addition to such factors as speed and acceleration affecting the quantity of emissions and fuel consumption, pavement roughness is an indirect factor. The portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) is used to collect on-road emissions data every second, and smartphone apps such as Roadroid are used to estimate road roughness. These data can be combined and correlated with vehicular activities such as speed, acceleration, and vehicle specific power and analyzed in detail to reveal the actual impact of roughness on emissions. However, analytical modeling can provide only an average estimation and does not retain local roughness and how it affects emissions. Such detailed information is necessary for pavement diag...
Hemorrhagic intracranial follicular dendritic cell sarcoma: A case report.

Background Follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcoma is an extremely rare neoplasm, which has only been reported once in the literature with an intracranial occurrence. Neither hemorrhagic presentation of an intracranial instance of FDC sarcoma nor its rapid recurrence has yet been published in the literature. Case Description We report the case of a 61-year-old female who presented with confusion and headaches secondary to a right frontal hemorrhagic lesion, and her subsequent presentations for recurrence of the lesion and finding of a new intracranial lesion. Immunohistopathologic analysis confirmed the diagnosis based on immunoreactivity for clusterin and CD 35. Conclusion As demonstrated in this case report, the presentation and progression of primary intracranial follicular dendritic cell sarcoma can often be misleading, and consideration for this rare entity should be made in cases of hemorrhagic dural-based lesions without a primary source of malignancy.
A Service-Learning Chemistry Course as a Model To Improve Undergraduate Scientific Communication Skills

Improving communication between people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and the public is critical to the future of STEM. Partnerships between institutions of higher education with K–12 schools are identified as one effective strategy to support community engagement. We have employed a service-learning model to develop a chemistry course (Chemistry 010) that engages undergraduate students in developing and teaching chemistry experiments for a secondary school audience. This service-learning course design provided us with the consistency and flexibility to sustain substantive learning experiences for both the undergraduates and secondary students. In addition to describing the model of this course in detail, we evaluate this course’s impact on undergraduate scientific communication skills. Analysis of reflections written by the undergraduates reveals that Chemistry 010 is an effective course structure for them to explore and assess their competencies to teach and communica...
Will imaging individual raphe nuclei in males with major depressive disorder enhance diagnostic sensitivity and specificity

BACKGROUND Positron emission tomography (PET) studies in major depressive disorder (MDD) have reported higher serotonin 1A (5-HT1A ) autoreceptor binding in the raphe. In males, the difference is so large that it can potentially be used as the first biological marker for MDD. However, the raphe includes several nuclei, which project to different regions of the brain and spinal cord and may be differentially involved in disease. We aimed to identify 5-HT1A differences in individual raphe nuclei using PET in order to determine whether use of subnuclei would provide greater sensitivity and specificity of diagnosing MDD. METHODS We identified individual nuclei using a hybrid set-level technique on an average [11 C]-WAY100635 PET image derived from 52 healthy volunteers (HV). We delineated three nuclei: dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), median raphe nucleus (MRN), and raphe magnus (RMg). An atlas image of these nuclei was created and nonlinearly warped to each subject (through an associated MRI) in a separate sample of 41 males (25 HV, 16 MDD) who underwent [11 C]-WAY100635 PET. RESULTS 5-HT1A binding was elevated in DRN in MDD (P < .01), and was not different in the RMg and MRN between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that combining DRN and MRN produces highest sensitivity (94%) and specificity (84%) to identify MDD. CONCLUSION In agreement with postmortem studies, we found higher 5-HT1A autoreceptor binding in MDD selectively in the DRN. 5-HT1A autoreceptor binding in the combined DRN and MRN is a better biomarker for MDD than in the raphe as a whole.
A magnetic reversal record

Periodically, the Earth's magnetic field reverses, and has done so hundreds of times in the past. What happens to the direction of the magnetic field during reversals remains a matter of debate, as do what constitute the best sources of palaeomagnetic information on the subject. Records from North Atlantic sedimentary cores now add fresh data on the two most recent, well-documented events. They are especially notable because the sediments concerned were deposited at comparatively high rates, and thus provide a high-resolution record.
Locating Defects in Software Architectures Through Debugging.

Defects in software architectures are difficult to locate and repair. A single architecture defect often affects the architecture in several widely separated places. As software products become larger and more complex so do their architectures. There is an increasing likelihood of defects being present and those defects require more effort to isolate. We view architecture debugging as a feedback mechanism that informs architecture definition of possible changes to the architecture that would repair the defects found during architecture evaluation.
Evidence for angiotensin mediation of the late histopathological effects of pulmonary fat embolism: Protection by losartan in a rat model.

AbstractPurpose: In a model of fat embolism using triolein-treated rats, we have reported that the acute pulmonary histopathological changes at 48 hrs were ameliorated by the angiotensin AT1 recept...
A sub-one quasi-norm-based similarity measure for collaborative filtering in recommender systems

Abstract Collaborative filtering (CF) is one of the most successful approaches for an online store to make personalized recommendations through its recommender systems . A neighborhood-based CF method makes recommendations to a target customer based on the similar preference of the target customer and those in the database. Similarity measuring between users directly contributes to an effective recommendation. In this paper, we propose a sub-one quasi-norm-based similarity measure for collaborative filtering in a recommender system. The proposed similarity measure shows its advantages over those commonly used similarity measures in the literature by making better use of rating values and deemphasizing the dissimilarity between users. Computational experiments using various real-life datasets clearly indicate the superiority of the proposed similarity measure, no matter in fully co-rated, sparsely co-rated or cold-start scenarios.
Discrimination between earthquakes and chemical explosions in Eastern Russia using amplitude ratios obtained from analog records

Amplitude data from 237 earthquakes (1.5<mb<4.9, 10<∆<916 km) and 247 chemical explosions (1.4<mb<3.9, 6<∆<752 km), recorded by short period analog seismometers in Eastern Russia, was used to calculate 1164 amplitude phase ratios of five different types: Pg(h)/Sg(h), Pg(z)/Sg(z), Pg(h)/Sg(z), Pg(z)/Sg(h), and full vector, where h is the horizontal component and z is the vertical component. These amplitude ratios were analyzed in two regions of the Yakutia and Magadan regions of Eastern Russia as earthquakeexplosion discriminants in four different ways: the raw phase ratio, the distancecorrected phase (DCP) ratio, the network-averaged phase (NAP) ratio, and the network-averaged distance-corrected phase (NADCP) ratio. Chemical explosions tended to show higher values than earthquakes for all types of amplitude ratios studied. The best earthquake-explosion discriminants found for both regions were Pg(h)/Sg(h), Pg(z)/Sg(h), and full vector NAP and NADCP ratios. These discriminants allowed for the classification of 86-92% of the ratios as being either earthquakes or explosions.
Racial Differences in Change in Physical Functioning in Older Male Veterans with HIV.

Abstract Little is known about longitudinal change in physical functioning of older African American/Black and White HIV-infected persons. We examined up to 10 years of data on African American (N ...
Scaling for Optimum Dynamic Range and Noise-Power Tradeoff: A Review of Analog Circuit Design Techniques

In a recent overview article [1], Prof. Yannis Tsividis reviewed the connection between dynamic range (DR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the signal bandwidth, and the required power dissipation for analog circuits. As a follow-up to that tutorial, this article reviews circuit design techniques available for optimizing the DR and the tradeoff between power dissipation and SNR. The discussion is restricted to the special cases of simple active-resistor-capacitor (active-RC), active-switched-capacitor (active-SC), and transconductancebased (Gm-C) circuits. However, the principles can easily be extended to other active or passive linear circuits. Proper scaling using the proposed methods can greatly improve the figures of merit of analog and mixedmode ICs.
Suicide in the Geriatric Population: Risk Factors, Identification, and Management

Although the prevalence of suicide attempts among the geriatric population is lower than in other age groups, the proportion of attempts which result in suicide is greater. And when psychiatric hospitalization is deemed necessary, there is a presumption among referring providers and family members that the chosen inpatient setting has adequate resources and time for the evaluation and prevention of suicidal behavior. Therefore, an assessment of suicide risk in the geriatric psychiatric inpatient unit requires a more thorough evaluation than in the emergency department, community, or outpatient settings. This chapter reviews known risk factors in the aging population, strategies for appropriate assessment of suicidality, and recommendations for its management and prevention.
Catalysts for Achieving Sustained Improvement in the Quality of Undergraduate STEM Education

Promoting excellence in undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education at major research universities is necessary to ensure that we have the STEM-literate workfor...
Breastfeeding Motivators and Barriers in Women Receiving Medications for Opioid Use Disorder.

Background: Women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are encouraged to breastfeed, but have lower breastfeeding rates than the general population. Objective: We examined self-reported barriers and moti...
Optimizing mHealth Interventions with a Bandit

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions can improve health outcomes by intervening in the moment of need or in the right life circumstance. mHealth interventions are now technologically feasible because current off-the-shelf mobile phones can acquire and process data in real time to deliver relevant interventions in the moment. Learning which intervention to provide in the moment, however, is an optimization problem. This book chapter describes one algorithmic approach, a “bandit algorithm,” to optimize mHealth interventions. Bandit algorithms are well-studied and are commonly used in online recommendations (e.g., Google’s ad placement, or news recommendations). Below, we walk through simulated and real-world examples to demonstrate how bandit algorithms can be used to personalize and contextualize mHealth interventions. We conclude by discussing challenges in developing bandit-based mhealth interventions.
Structural Characterization of the Aurora Kinase B “DFG-flip” Using Metadynamics

Aurora kinase B (AKB), a Ser/Thr kinase that plays a crucial role in mitosis, is overexpressed in several cancers. Clinical inhibitors targeting AKB bind to the active DFG "in" conformation of the kinase. It would be beneficial, however, to understand if AKB is susceptible to type II kinase inhibitors that bind to the inactive, DFG "out" conformation, since type II inhibitors achieve higher kinome selectivity and higher potency in vivo. The DFG "out" conformation of AKB is not yet experimentally determined which makes the design of type II inhibitors exceedingly difficult. An alternate approach is to simulate the DFG "out" conformation from the experimentally determined DFG "in" conformation using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In this work, we employed metadynamics (MTD) approach to simulate the DFG "out" conformation of AKB by choosing the appropriate collective variables. We examined structural changes during the DFG-flip and determined the interactions crucial to stabilize the kinase in active and inactive states. Interestingly, the MTD approach also identified a unique transition state (DFG "up"), which can be targeted by small molecule inhibitors. Structural insights about these conformations is essential for structure-guided design of next-generation AKB inhibitors. This work also emphasizes the usefulness of MTD simulations in predicting macromolecular conformational changes at reduced computational costs.
Accounts and Attributions Following Marital Infidelity

Twenty-five individuals who had experienced infidelity in their marriage were interviewed to determine the relationship between the account, attribution, and outcome of the infidelity for the marri...
Randomized control trial of opioid- versus nonopioid-based analgesia after thyroidectomy.

Abstract Background Opioid-based analgesia is the most common method for pain control in the postoperative period. Limited data exist to compare the adequacy of pain control in the post thyroidectomy period with nonopioid-based analgesia. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of nonopioid-based, postoperative analgesia. Methods After institutional review board approval, patients were randomized to 1 of 2 pain control regimens. Sample size was calculated to assess for a pain score difference of 1 based on a visual analog scale. The control group received opioid-based, postoperative analgesia, whereas the study group received nonopioid-based analgesia of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Pain scores (measured on visual analog scale) and opioid use (converted to morphine equivalent dose) were measured after completion of the operation. Results The sample sizes for the study and control groups were 49 and 46 patients, respectively. The pain score for the study and control groups 1 hour after the operation (3.3 vs 3.9, P = .35), 6 hours after the operation (2.8 vs 3.0, P = .08), on postoperative day 1 (1.6 vs 2.4, P = .08) and on the first office visit (0.2 vs 0.1, P = .82) did not have a statistically significant difference. Morphine equivalent opioid requirement for pain control in the postoperative period was 0.8 vs 6.9 mg (P Conclusion In a randomized control trial, we showed that patients treated with nonopioid analgesia had similar pain scores to those treated with opioids, with the benefit of having lower opioid exposure in the perioperative period.
Computationally reconstructing cotranscriptional RNA folding from experimental data reveals rearrangement of non-native folding intermediates

Summary The series of RNA folding events that occur during transcription can critically influence cellular RNA function. Here, we present reconstructing RNA dynamics from data (R2D2), a method to uncover details of cotranscriptional RNA folding. We model the folding of the Escherichia coli signal recognition particle (SRP) RNA and show that it requires specific local structural fluctuations within a key hairpin to engender efficient cotranscriptional conformational rearrangement into the functional structure. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations suggest that this rearrangement proceeds through an internal toehold-mediated strand-displacement mechanism, which can be disrupted with a point mutation that limits local structural fluctuations and rescued with compensating mutations that restore these fluctuations. Moreover, a cotranscriptional folding intermediate could be cleaved in vitro by recombinant E. coli RNase P, suggesting potential cotranscriptional processing. These results from experiment-guided multi-scale modeling demonstrate that even an RNA with a simple functional structure can undergo complex folding and processing during synthesis.
A Note on Argumentative Topology: Circularity and Syllogisms as Unsolved Problems.

In the last couple of years there were a few attempts to apply topological data analysis to text, and in particular to natural language inference. A recent work by Tymochko et al. suggests the possibility of capturing `the notion of logical shape in text,' using `topological delay embeddings,' a technique derived from dynamical systems, applied to word embeddings. In this note we reconstruct their argument and show, using several old and new examples, that the problem of connecting logic, topology and text is still very much unsolved. We conclude that there is no clear answer to the question: ``Can we find a circle in a circular argument?'' We point out some possible avenues of exploration. The code used in our experiment is also shown.
Prediction of Sepsis Related Mortality: An Optimization Approach

Sepsis is a condition that progresses quickly and is a major cause of mortality in hospitalized patients. Data-driven diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are essential to ensure early diagnosis and appropriate care. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is widely utilized in clinical practice to assess septic patients for organ dysfunction. The SOFA score uses points between 0 and 4 to quantify the level of dysfunction in six organ systems. These points are determined based on expert opinion and not informed by data, thus their usefulness can vary among different medical institutions depending on the targeted use. In this study, we propose multiple strategies to adjust the SOFA score using mixed-integer programming to improve the in-hospital mortality prediction of septic patients based on Electronic Health Records (EHRs). We use the same variables and threshold values of the original SOFA score in each strategy. Thus, the proposed approach takes advantage of optimization and data analysis while taking into account the medical expertise. Our results demonstrate a statistically significant improvement ( $p ) in the prediction of in-hospital mortality among patients susceptible to sepsis when implementing our proposed strategies. Area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) and accuracy values of 0.8928 and 0.8904 are achieved by optimizing the point values of the SOFA score.
Shifting Paradigms in Verification and Validation of AI-Enabled Systems: A Systems-Theoretic Perspective

There is a fundamental misalignment between current approaches to designing and executing verification and validation (VV this is the consequence of learning by the AI-enabled system. This misalignment makes existing approaches to designing and executing V&V strategies ineffective. In this chapter, we will provide a systems-theoretic explanation for (1) why learning capabilities originate a unique and unprecedented family of systems, and (2) why current V&V methods and processes are not fit for purpose. AI-enabled systems necessitate a paradigm shift in V&V activities. To enable this shift, we will delineate a set of theoretical advances and process transformations that could support such shift.
A life history graph approach to the analysis and comparison of life histories

Abstract Life histories are complex, multidimensional entities composed of a series of ongoing, often interrelated contexts, activities, and relationships. Each life domain contributes to the context within which events in other domains are shaped, and is in turn shaped by activities or events in other domains. Capturing these two key aspects of life histories – simultaneous dependence, and multidimensionality – is an important challenge for gerontology and life course research. In this paper we introduce a graph theoretic technique for exploratory analysis of life history data that speaks to this challenge. Using the notion of life history graphs, we represent a single life history as a series of spells (activities with specified start and end points) linked by their patterns of temporal overlap. Given multiple individuals, their associated life history graphs can be directly compared using distance-based methods that assess differences in the topologies of their respective spell structures while preserving qualitative differences between life domains (e.g., non-exchangeability of job and marital spells). Predicated on overlaps across life domains, our approach is designed to incorporate both the multidimensional structure of detailed life history data and the importance of simultaneity. Given a sample of individuals from a target population, our techniques can also be used to identify and test hypotheses regarding the factors that differentiate life histories within the population in question. Using data from the United States, England, China, and Vietnam, we demonstrate how our methods allow us to make comparisons both within and across populations.
Visualizing Planning for a Sustainable World

This chapter provides a theoretical and methodological approach for dealing with the challenges facing sustainable urban planning. It postulates that by moving our frame of reference from prediction to exploration and speculation we are able to focus attention on theory building and other pedagogic aspects of urban models. It especially exposes our assumptions about time and space and shows that in dynamic simulation models such assumptions are less limiting. Finally, the chapter discusses the advantages of simulation models while acknowledging certain complementarities with stochastic-empirical form of modeling.
Experimental toxemia in the pregnant primate

Abstract In order to develop a model for the study of eclamptogenic toxemia, a series of experiments were carried out on 31 female baboons. In Group 1, consisting of 10 animals, metal clips were placed around the uterine arteries in order to partially occlude then, and the ovarian vessels were transected. The animals were subsequently mated. Nine developed hypertension and proteinuria, and one aborted. The renal lesions in these animals were indistinguishable from those described in human toxemia. Group 2 consisted of three of the 10 baboons from Group 1, which became pregnant a second time. They again developed hypertension and proteinuria. In Group 3, three baboons at 100 days of gestation were treated as in Group 1 with similar results. Groups 4 and 5 served as pregnant (3) and nonpregnant (15) controls. It is concluded that a toxemia model has been developed in a subhuman primate. This model will prove useful in the further study of eclamptogenic toxemia.
Information and Transformation at Swiss Re: Maximizing Economic Value

In 2007 Swiss RE was striving to maximize economic value, a metric that would allow the company to assess its performance over time despite the volatility of the reinsurance industry. Maximizing economic value required that decision makers throughout the company understood the risk profiles of individual investments and the performance profiles of individual investment instruments. Swiss RE management had recognized several years earlier that the firm had to globalize processes and share data to provide needed information to decision makers. This case describes Swiss RE's journey from a regional to a global firm and highlights the role of information technology in enabling the standardization and sharing of the firm's global processes and data. Swiss Re was still working in 2007 to drive the benefits of its global process environment, but decision makers were learning to take advantage of enhanced information.
Second factor analysis study of physical fitness tests.

Abstract The hypothesis was tested that the domain of physical fitness can be defined by the 4 factors of upper body strength and endurance, trunk strength and endurance, leg strength and endurance, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Physical fitness was defined in this study as being muscular strength and endurance and cardiorespiratory endurance. In the first factor analysis study (2), 3 hypothesized factors were supported; however, the factors identified were not the same for men and women. In this second study, 13 fitness items were administered to 109 college women and 97 college men. Data were analyzed using 8 derived factor solutions. Findings in this study did support the 4 hypothesized factors. Fitness tests for diagnostic evaluation of all factors were identifiable but the factors of trunk strength and endurance and leg strength and endurance were not identifiable for the women and men with the same fitness tests.
Rethinking the Uniformity Norm in Commercial Law: Optimal Institutional Design for Regulating Incomplete Contracts

This paper begins with the claim that the state's primary role in uniformly enforcing commercial contracts is to regulate incomplete contracts efficiently. This role requires the state to perform two interdependent but conceptually distinct functions. The first is an interpretive function -- the task of correctly (and uniformly) interpreting the meaning of the contract terms chosen by parties to allocate contract risk. The second is a standardizing function -- the task of creating broadly suitable default rules or assigning standard meanings to widely used contract terms. Correct interpretation argues for a "textualist" or plain meaning interpretation of the express terms used in incomplete contracts. The task of generating useful defaults argues, on the other hand, for contextualizing incomplete contracts so that courts can find out about commercial practice. Thus, the first goal seems to require keeping context out whenever possible, and the second goal seems to require incorporating context as often as possible. As a consequence, the law is apparently forced to trade off one goal against the other. The UCC has quite clearly chosen the strategy of incorporation; it adopts a pervasive standard of commercial reasonableness that requires context to supply meaning to many of its generic default rules. But curiously, the Code fails even at the one task it was explicitly designed to do. Under the Code there has been very little production of standardized defaults. Moreover, the Code, intent on incorporation, fails at the first enterprise -- reliable and predictable interpretation of contractual text. Surprisingly, the development of standardized defaults has been much more successful under the common law, in those areas of contract law such as commercial services to which the Code does not extend. And these courts have also retained more traditional plain meaning and parol evidence rules and thus have reinforced their textualist interpretive strategy. The result is that both kinds of efficiency gains -- the creation of a fairly uniform menu of standardized defaults, with regular additions of new terms to the menu and stable (i.e., uniform) interpretation of express terms, are seen much more in the common law than under the Code. I argue that the inefficiencies of the Code are a product of the codification enterprise itself -- of trying to introduce a civil-law approach into a largely successful common law system. Because gaps are filled with reference to the internal norms of the Code rather than the external contractual context, interpretation is both contextual and self-referential--the worst of both worlds.
Potential mechanisms of neuropathic pain in diabetes

Abstract Abnormal sensations and pain are features of approximately 10% of all cases of diabetic neuropathy and can cause marked diminution in the quality of life for these patients. The quality and distribution of pain are variable, although descriptions of burning pain in the hands and feet are commonly reported. Like other neuropathic pain states, painful diabetic neuropathy has an unknown pathogenesis and, in many cases, is not alleviated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or opiates. In the last decade, a number of behavioral and physiologic studies have revealed indices of sensory dysfunction in animal models of diabetes. These include hyperalgesia to mechanical and noxious chemical stimuli and allodynia to light touch. Animal models of painful diabetic neuropathy have been used to investigate the therapeutic potential of a range of experimental agents and also to explore potential etiologic mechanisms. There is relatively little evidence to suggest that the peripheral sensory nerves of diabetic rodents exhibit spontaneous activity or increased responsiveness to peripheral stimuli. Indeed, the weight of evidence suggests that sensory input to the spinal cord is decreased rather than increased in diabetic rodents. Aberrant spinal or supraspinal modulation of sensory processing may therefore be involved in generating allodynia and hyperalgesia in these models. Studies have supported a role for spinally mediated hyperalgesia in diabetic rats that may reflect either a response to diminished peripheral input or a consequence of hyperglycemia on local or descending modulatory systems. Elucidating the effects of diabetes on spinal sensory processing may assist development of novel therapeutic strategies for preventing and alleviating painful diabetic neuropathy.
ASe der Physik

Die topologische Struktur der physikalischen Welt ist unabhangig von Masgrosen. Die ubliche Methode der Behandlung topologischer Eigenschaften von Raum und Zeit in der Physik macht aber von Masgrosen Gebrauch, namlich von Koordinatensystemen. Ein solches System ordnet jedem Raum-Zeit-Punkt ein Quadrupel reeller Zahlen zu, auf Grund gewisser willkurlicher Konventionen. Nachtraglich wird dann in der Topologie diese Willkurlichkeit wieder eliminiert, indem nur diejenigen Eigenschaften betrachtet werden, die bei beliebigen Transformationen gewisser Art von einem Koordinatensystem zu einem andern invariant bleiben. Dieses ubliche Verfahren ist mathematisch bequem, weil es die gelaufigen und wirksamen Hilfsmittel der reellen Zahlen und ihrer Funktionen benutzt; aber es ist sozusagen methodisch unrein.
Experimental tests of the stereoelectkoic effect at phosphoru: Michaelis-Arbusov reactivity of phosphite esters

Abstract Whereas triethyl phosphite readily reacts with benzoyl chloride to yield the Michaelis-Arbusov product, diethyl benzoyl phosphonate, 1-methyl-4-phospha-3,5,8-trioxabi)cyclo[2.2.2]octane, 1 , is essentially unreactive, even at a higher temperature. The bicyclic phosphite 1 also reacts slower than the triethyl phosphite 2 In an oxidation with t-butyl hydroperoxide. These results are interpreted in terms of the stereoelectronic effect.
Optimization of perpendicular anisotropy of Ta-inserted double CoFeB/MgO interface MTJ's for STT-MRAM

Abstract Ta inserts in double magnetic tunnel junctions have been shown to induce perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We fabricated the central layers of a CoFeB/MgO based double magnetic tunnel junction with a Ta insertion layer between the free layers of the magnetic tunnel junctions. The thickness of the Ta insert and CoFeB layer were varied from 0.5 to 1.1 nm and 0.9 to 1.7 nm respectively, to find which minimum thickness of Ta will induce perpendicular anisotropy in the MTJ. FMR studies were performed to measure the interfacial anisotropy Ku,i. We demonstrated that the most effective stack minimized the CoFeB thickness while maximizing the Ta thickness. This was balanced with the need to keep both CoFeB layers from decoupling or becoming magnetically dead.
Navigation assistive system for the blind using a portable depth sensor

The lightweight and low-cost 3-dimensional depth sensors have gained much attention in the computer vision and robotics community. While its performance has been proven successful in the robotics community, these sensors have not been utilized successfully for many assistive devices. Leveraging on this gap, this paper presents the design, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of a haptic feedback system for the blind using 3-D depth sensors. The proposed portable system interprets the visual scene using the depth sensor, converts it into distance map, processes, and evaluates this information using a tablet computer. In addition, it provides haptic cues to the user through an array of vibration motors woven into the gloves. Throughout preliminary evaluation, this system has shown to successfully identify, track, and present closest objects, closest humans, multiple humans, and perform real-time distance measurements.
Spin matrices for gravitons and the Humblet decomposition of the angular momentum of gravitational radiation in the linearized theory

We develop spin matrices for a classical gravitational field in the linearized theory which satisfy angular-momentum commutation relations and are appropriate for a spin angular momentum of two. The same spin matrices come out of a decomposition of the angular momentum density of the linearized gravitational field into orbital and spin parts, similar to that carried out by Humblet for the electromagnetic field. To achieve this decomposition, we use the momentum density for the gravitational field obtained from the Landau-Lifshitz pseudo-tensor in the weak gravity limit. We note a formal connection between the spin angular momenta of gravitational and electromagnetic fields using the Kaluza-Klein idea.
Dentin Matrix Protein 1 (DMP1): New and Important Roles for Biomineralization and Phosphate Homeostasis

Previously, non-collagenous matrix proteins, such as DMP1, were viewed with little biological interest. The last decade of research has increased our understanding of DMP1, as it is now widely recognized that this protein is expressed in non-mineralized tissues, as well as in cancerous lesions. Protein chemistry studies have shown that the full length of DMP1, as a precursor, is cleaved into two distinct forms: the C-terminal and N-terminal fragments. Functional studies have demonstrated that DMP1 is essential in the maturation of odontoblasts and osteoblasts, as well as in mineralization via local and systemic mechanisms. The identification of DMP1 mutations in humans has led to the discovery of a novel disease: autosomal-recessive hypophosphatemic rickets. Furthermore, the regulation of phosphate homeostasis by DMP1 through FGF23, a newly identified hormone that is released from bone and targeted in the kidneys, sets a new direction for research that associates biomineralization with phosphate regulation.
Methylmercury effects on regeneration and ecdysis in fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator, U. pugnax) after short-term and chronic pre-exposure

Methylmercury (meHg) inhibits limb regeneration and molting in fiddler crabs. The present study shows that, inUca pugilator from a clean site, the inhibitory effects of 0.5 Μg/ml meHg were unaffected by short term pre-exposure to low levels (0.06 or 0.1 Μg/ml) of meHg under laboratory conditions. Chronic exposure tests onUca pugnax showed that the inhibitory effects of meHg varied with the sex of the crabs and the level of contamination at the site of collection. These effects were less pronounced in crabs from an area subjected to heavy metal pollution (Piles Creek, Linden, NJ) than in crabs from a relatively cleaner area (Big Sheeps-head Creek, Tuckerton, NJ). The order of susceptibility to meHg according to its interaction with sex and site from least susceptible to most was: Piles Creek females, Piles Creek males, Tuckerton males, Tuckerton females. Residue analysis showed that all groups absorbed equivalent amounts of mercury, but only the females from Piles Creek were able to depurate to near control levels after two weeks in clean water.
Production trees: a compact representation of parsed programs

Abstract syntax trees were devised as a compact alternative to parse trees, because parse trees are known to require excessive amounts of storage to represent parsed programs. However, the savings that abstract syntax trees actually achieve have never been precisely described because the necessary analysis has been missing. Without it, one can only measure particular cases that may not adequately represent all the possible behaviors.We introduce a data structure, production trees, that are more compact than either abstract syntax trees or parse trees. Further, we develop the necessary analysis to characterize the storage requirements of parse trees, abstract syntax trees, and production trees and relate the size of all three to the size of the program's text. The analysis yields the parameters needed to characterize these storage behaviors over their entire range. We flesh out the analysis by measuring these parameters for a sample of “C” programs. For these programs, production trees were from 1/15 to 1/23 the size of the corresponding parse tree, l/2.7 the size of a (minimal) abstract syntax tree, and averaged only 2.83 times the size of the program text.
P1-S1.22 HSV-2 prevalence across a pastoral landscape: transmission and transition among the Himba and Tjimba populations

Background Sexual partnerships take multiple forms among the Himba and Tjimba people living in Northwestern Namibia, including polygynous and monogamous marriage, and long- and short-term extra-marital partnerships. We hypothesised that HSV-2 prevalence would be higher in regions that are connected to local urban areas, because these should be sites of more frequent anonymous partner exchange. Methods In 2009, we surveyed 30 villages, obtaining HSV-2 status (using the BioKit Rapid Test for HSV-2) and demographics, home village, recent travel patterns and sex partnerships (n=446). We estimated prevalence (a) for the entire population (b) for all women and men and c) for individual villages. Logistic regression models were fit to test the correlation between risk of infection and travel patterns. Results Overall HSV-2 prevalence was 36.5%, with higher rates among women (50.5%) than men (23.3%). In contrast to expectation, the highest HSV-2 prevalences were found in some of the most remote regions. To explore this further, we built a network model that superimposes travel patterns onto sex partnership data. Using this model, we observed that older travel corridors (eg, travel from home village to extended-family associated villages) were more associated with higher HSV-2 transmission than newer corridors (eg, travel to local cities to hang out). Ethnographic interviews suggest that differences in the nature of relationships that occur in urban areas (eg, lower contact frequency, higher condom use) may explain the difference between observed and predicted. Conclusions In this population cultural and economic transitions that lead to more travel into urban areas were not associated with increase in HSV2 prevalence, probably because these relationships are deemed more risky. Shifting attitudes about sex and sex partnerships are likely to affect future STD transmission in this population.