cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Celiac disease: pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and associated autoimmune conditions.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by the ingestion of gluten. Classically, it presents with diarrhea and failure to thrive within the first couple of years of life. Diagnosis is based on abnormalities of small intestinal biopsy. However, screening for celiac disease can be initially performed using serologic markers with very high sensitivity and specificity for disease such as IgA antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (TG). With the advent of rapid screening methods and increased awareness of celiac disease, an increasing number of individuals who are otherwise asymptomatic (or have subclinical symptoms) are being diagnosed. The clinical manifestations of celiac disease that have been identified are extensive and varied and are no longer isolated to the gastrointestinal tract. Celiac disease has been associated with many other autoimmune conditions including autoimmune thyroid disease and type 1 diabetes. A series of seminal observations from early-recorded history has led what we now understand as a disease stemming from gluten intolerance. A condition similar to modern day celiac disease was described as early as the first century AD, where the classic symptoms of wasting and diarrhea were noted. By the 19th century, the link between diet and disease was initially appreciated when Dr. Mathew Baillie identified the benefits of a diet consisting largely of rice. In the early 20th century, a new dietary treatment was started consisting of a high-banana diet that helped reduced the previously high mortality of this condition. This diet specifically excluded bread and cereals, and became the cornerstone of therapy for celiac disease over the next several decades, although it was believed at that time that the essential component was the provision of bananas, and not from the exclusion of wheat. A breakthrough came when Professor Dicke in the Netherlands noted a paradoxical improvement in children with celiac disease during bread shortages in World War II. These same children experienced a clinical deterioration when Allied planes later dropped bread into the Netherlands. He subsequently produced a series of papers in the 1950’s that described the association of wheat and rye in the celiac condition. In the same decade, the offending component of wheat was identified by Charlotte Anderson as the “gluten mass” extracted from wheat. Physicians began performing small intestinal biopsies to aid in diagnosis of celiac disease in the 1960’s, and finally in 1997, transglutaminase was identified as the autoantigen in celiac disease (1). These observations have formed the basis for our current understanding of celiac disease and its treatment with a gluten free diet.
High-temperature iso-butene absorption diagnostic for shock tube kinetics using a pulsed quantum cascade laser near 11.3 μm

Abstract A high-bandwidth absorption sensing technique for iso-butene (iC 4 H 8 ) was developed to measure transient species concentration behind reflected shock waves for combustion kinetics studies. Direct measurements of iC 4 H 8 were enabled by monitoring absorption in the infrared near 11.3 μm using a novel pulsed external-cavity quantum cascade laser (ECQCL) with a repetition rate of 600 kHz. Optimal wavelength selection for high-temperature combustion gases was first determined by a spectral survey at 1000 K near the peak of the absorption band (878 cm −1 to 892 cm −1 ) using the ECQCL. Absorption cross section measurements of iC 4 H 8 at 881.4 cm −1 , the selected high-temperature wavelength, were then conducted from 800 K to 1800 K behind reflected shocks to characterize temperature dependence at modest pressures (4–8 atm). The species-specific technique was subsequently demonstrated by time-resolved (100 kHz) measurements of iso-butene decay during thermal decomposition (1280–1480 K). First-ever shock tube measurements of iC 4 H 8 yields from iso-octane pyrolysis (1070–1300 K) were also produced, with a detection limit of ∼100 ppm. Experimental results were compared to recent kinetic models to illustrate the potential of this diagnostic for analyzing combustion chemistry.
Development of a “Solar Patch” Calculator to Evaluate Heliostat-Field Irradiance as a Boundary Condition in CFD Models

A rigorous computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach to calculating temperature distributions, radiative and convective losses, and flow fields in a cavity receiver irradiated by a heliostat field is typically limited to the receiver domain alone for computational reasons. A CFD simulation cannot realistically yield a precise solution that includes the details within the vast domain of an entire heliostat field in addition to the detailed processes and features within a cavity receiver. Instead, the incoming field irradiance can be represented as a boundary condition on the receiver domain. This paper describes a program, the Solar Patch Calculator, written in Microsoft Excel VBA to characterize multiple beams emanating from a “solar patch” located at the aperture of a cavity receiver, in order to represent the incoming irradiance from any field of heliostats as a boundary condition on the receiver domain. This program accounts for cosine losses; receiver location; heliostat reflectivity, areas and locations; field location; time of day and day of year. This paper also describes the implementation of the boundary conditions calculated by this program into a Discrete Ordinates radiation model using Ansys® FLUENT (www.fluent.com ), and compares the results to experimental data and to results generated by the code DELSOL.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
A community sensing framework for threat detection in metropolitan area

In this paper, a community sensing framework is proposed for detecting potential threat such as a dirty bomb in a metropolitan area. In wake of the recent bombing during the Boston marathon, it is clear that the task of detecting a potential threat in an open area is extremely difficult, since there does not exist a single choke point(s) for such social events in an unconstrained area. In this study, we propose a novel framework of a threat detection system using a community-based approach. Leveraging on the high penetration of smart phones and low cost and small form factor of certain sensors, such as the radiation sensor that can be carried on a key chain that has a Bluetooth module, critical measurements such as the nuclear radiation level can be measured by each sensor carried by a member of a community (such as an employee at an airport or a mall), and be sent to that person's smart phone, and eventually uploaded to a web portal using a corresponding app installed on the smart phone. The proposed system should be used as an augmented system in addition to the fixed detection system installed. Several challenges and issues of the proposed framework are identified, and a joint belief propagation and quickest detection method is proposed to detect and locate the potential threat with minimum delay while keeping the false alarm rate low. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Inhibition of Microglia Activation as a Phenotypic Assay in Early Drug Discovery

Complex biological processes such as inflammation, cell death, migration, proliferation, and the release of biologically active molecules can be used as outcomes in phenotypic assays during early stages of drug discovery. Although target-based approaches have been widely used over the past decades, a disproportionate number of first-in-class drugs have been identified using phenotypic screening. This review details phenotypic assays based on inhibition of microglial activation and their utility in primary and secondary screening, target validation, and pathway elucidation. The role of microglia, both in normal as well as in pathological conditions such as chronic neurodegenerative diseases, is reviewed. Methodologies to assess microglia activation in vitro are discussed in detail, and classes of therapeutic drugs known to decrease the proinflammatory and cytotoxic responses of activated microglia are appraised, including inhibitors of glutaminase, cystine/glutamate antiporter, nuclear factor κB, and mitogen-activated protein kinases.
"To Sing with the Spirit:" Psalms, Hymns and the Spirituality of Late Eighteen Century American Presbyterians

This paper contends that the contemporary discussion among theologians regarding the relationship between theology and spirituality can offer new insight into the eighteenth century religious world. This theological discussion has wrestled with, among other things, the questions of whether theology and spirituality are mutually exclusive and what exactly their relationship looks like. Resoundingly, theologians such as Alister McGrath, J. I. Packer, and Sandra Schneiders have concluded that any separation of the two represents a false dichotomy within Christianity. Accordingly, Christians are called to “the quest for a fulfilled and authentic Christian existence, involving the bringing together of the fundamental ideas of Christianity and the whole experience of living on the basis of, and within, the scope of the Christian faith.” Sound theology, then, necessitates living by the Spirit and vice versa. The benefit of this theological position for religious history lies in its reevaluation of the common categorization of Christians as either theologically or spiritually focused. By heeding the call of contemporary theologians and blurring these lines of distinction, historians can afford eighteen century American Christians the chance to better define themselves. Considered in this light, the actions of the Presbyterians, for instance, are freed from the manipulative “social control” framework as one of the “establishmentarian” churches. Instead, the Presbyterians reveal characteristics generally reserved for the democratically charged “sectarians,” such as a robust spiritual life compelled by music.
Finding Cost-Effective Applications for Expert Systems

Expert systems are one of the few areas of artificial intelligence which have successfully made the transition from research and development to practical application. The key to fielding a successful expert system is finding the right problem to solve. AI costs, including all the development and testing, are so high that the problems must be very important to justify the effort. This paper develops a systematic way of trying to predict the future. It provides robust decision-making criteria, which can be used to predict the success or failure of proposed expert systems. The methods focus on eliminating obviously unsuitable problems and performing risk assessments and cost evaluations of the program. These assessments include evaluation of need, problem complexity, value, user experience, and the processing speed required. If an application proves feasible, the information generated during the decision phase can be then used to speed the development process.
Professional vs. Personal Factors Related to Physicians' Attitudes toward Drug Testing.

Questionnaires concerning attitudes toward alcohol and drug testing in the workplace, personal experiences with these substances, professional experiences in treating abuses, religious and political ideology and other personal and professional characteristics were completed by 303 internists, family physicians, gastroenterologists and psychiatrists. Drug testing was most favored by those who more strongly believed in the efficacy of treatment for abusers, the seriousness of the drug problem, the illegality of drug abuse and that marijuana use should not be permissible. Many other personal but almost no professional characteristics were correlated with attitudes toward drug testing. Physicians' opinions about drug testing strongly reflected personal ideologies rather than medical training or clinical experience.
Lipid Metabolism in Pregnancy. III. Altered Lipid Composition in Intermediate, Very Low, Low, and High-Density Lipoprotein Fractions

The hyperlipidemia of pregnancy consists primarily of an increase in triglyceride with lesser rises in cholesterol and phospholipid. As a further characterization, we have analyzed all lipids in the major lipoprotein subfractions in fasting pregnant and non-pregnant women. An elevated triglyceride in the major lipoprotein fractions in pregnancy is confirmed. The triglyceride rises in VLDL and IDL (density 1.006-1.019 lipoprotein) are associated with proportional rises in cholesterol and phospholipid. The result is a 3-4-fold increase of compositionally unchanged lipoprotein lipid. Contrasting changes are seen in LDL, density 1.019-1.063 lipoprotein, and HDL. In these fractions, triglyceride rises more than cholesterol and phospholipid. As a result, an increase in triglyceride on a percentage basis tends to reduce the contribution of the other two lipids. Nonetheless, on an absolute basis HDL cholesterol is not significantly reduced. The proportional increases in all lipids of VLDL and IDL fractions are consistent with increased VLDL production in pregnancy as suggested by data from animal systems. However, alterations in removal are not rules out. Maintenance of the HDL cholesterol level distinguishes pregnancy from other endogenous hypertriglyceridemias where HDL cholesterol is reduced. One may speculate that these physiological adaptations in material lipid transport can serve the increased energy needs of the mother, supply steroid hormone precursors for the placenta, and provide cholesterol and essential fatty acids for the fetus.
Modular Design: A Plug and Play Approach to Sensory Modules, Actuation Platforms, and Task Descriptions for Robotics and Automation Applications

In this paper, the RISCWare framework is proposed as a robotic middleware for the modular design of sensory modules, actuation platforms, and task descriptions. This framework will be used to customize robotic platforms by simply defining the available sensing devices, actuation platforms and required tasks. In addition, this framework will significantly increase the capability of robotic industries in the analysis, design, and development of autonomous mobile platforms. RISCWare is comprised of three modules. The first module encapsulates the sensors, which gather information about the remote or local environment. The second module defines the platforms, manipulators, and actuation methods. The last module describes the tasks that the robotic platforms will perform such as teleoperation, navigation, obstacle avoidance, manipulation, 3-D reconstruction, and map building. The objective is to design a middleware framework to allow a user to plug in new sensors, tasks or actuation hardware, resulting in a fully functional operational system. Furthermore, the user is able to install and uninstall hardware/software components through system lifetime with ease and modularity. In addition, when hardware devices are plugged into the framework, they are automatically detected by the middleware layer, which loads the appropriate software and avails the device for applications usage. This automatic detection and configuration of devices make it efficient and seamless for end users to add and use new devices and software applications. Several experiments, performed on the RISCbot II mobile robot, are implemented to evaluate the RISCWare framework with respect to applicability and resource utilization.
Short-term effects of topical levobunolol on the human retinal circulation.

Purpose: The effect of topical levobunolol HCl 0.5% on the retinal circulation was studied on 15 normal volunteers aged 21-54 years (32 ± 10 years). Methods: In a double-masked, randomised design, one eye of each subject received a drop of levobunolol HCl 0.5% (LEV) and the fellow eye received a drop of artificial tears (TEAR). Leucocyte velocity (VBFS) and density in the retinal macular microcirculation were measured by the blue-field simulation technique. Venous diameter (D), maximum erythrocyte velocity (Vmax) and volumetric blood flow rate (Q) were measured in a major temporal vein by laser Doppler velocimetry and monochromatic fundus photography. Results: The following average changes from baseline were observed 2 hours after treatment: heart rate, −4.6 ± 8.3% (p = 0.04); intraocular pressure, −31.7 10.6% (p = 0.0001); and perfusion pressure, 15.4 14.4% (p = 0.02) in LEV eyes; no statistically dgnificant changes in IOP and perfusion pressure were seen in TEAR eyes. When each eye was compared with its own baseline, there were no significant changes in VBFS, density, D, Vmax and Q in LEV eyes. In TEAR eyes, there were no significant changes in VBFS, density, Vmax and Q, but a significant change in D (−1.8 ± 2.6%; P = 0.02) was observed. A significant average percentage increase in Q of 10.9 ± 19.2% (paired t-test between the change after LEV and the Aange after TEAR, p = 0.044) was seen in LEV eyes when compared with TEAR eyes. Twelve of the 15 subjest demonstrated a relative increase in Q in the LEV eyes in comparison with the TEAR eyes, while 3 subjects showed the opposite. Conclusion: A significant difference in the effect of levobunolol between the two eyes was detected, even though there was no statistically significant effect when each eye was compared with its baseline.
Shifting patterns of bilateral coordination and lateral dominance in the leg movements of young infants

Patterns of interlimb coordination and lateral preference of spontaneous leg kicks were described for 8 normal human infants observed biweekly from 2 to 26 weeks of age. Newborn infants showed a high percentage of alternating movements, which were often supplanted by unilateral movements between 1 and 4 months. Simultaneous (in-phase) kicks matured later than alternating kicks. No consistent lateral preferences were detected. The developmental course was marked by variability and discontinuities within each infant. We propose that asynchronous and asymmetrical maturation of subcortical tracts and/or muscle strength could account for these behavioral shifts.
Modeling of Guided Waves for Detection of Linear and Nonlinear Structural Damage

This paper presents an analytical approach to modeling guided Lamb waves interacting with linear and nonlinear structural damage. The active sensing process using piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) was modeled in the following four steps: (1) guided waves generation by transmitter PWAS (T-PWAS); (2) Lamb wave multi-mode dispersive propagation in the host structure; (3) linear and nonlinear interaction between Lamb waves and damage; (4) guided waves detection by receiver PWAS (R-PWAS). Structural damage was modeled as a new wave source, where guided waves are transmitted, reflected, and mode-converted. In addition, when guided waves interact with nonlinear damage, nonlinear higher harmonics will also be present. Real time sensing signal at R-PWAS was obtained, as well as the time-space wave field and the frequency-wavenumber representation. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) called WaveFormRevealer (WFR) was developed based on this analytical model. High frequency guided wave propagation in thick plates was done first. Beside fundamental modes (S0 and A0), higher wave modes were also observed. These analytical results were verified by experiments. Analytical simulation of linear interaction between Lamb waves and a notch was done next and compared with experiments. New wave packets due to mode conversion at the notch were observed. Subsequently, the nonlinear interaction between Lamb waves and a breathing crack was investigated using a contact finite element model (FEM). Distinctive nonlinear effects were noticed in both FEM simulation and analytical solutions. The paper finishes with summary, conclusions, and suggestions for future work.
Review of residue-based selenium toxicity thresholds for freshwater fish

A variety of guidelines have been proposed in recent years for linking selenium concentrations in the whole body of fish or in diet with adverse effects in fish. Diverging viewpoints seem to be forming separating groups supporting either the low-selenium guidelines proposed by the government and academic researchers or the high-selenium guidelines proposed by other researchers. Recently, an article was published that reviewed selected studies and recommended guidelines for selenium concentrations in the whole body of fish and in diet that were higher than those proposed by other researchers (approximately 4 microg/g in whole body and 3-4 microg/g in diet). That article also recommended separating guidelines for coldwater fish (6 microg/g in whole body and 11 microg/g in diet) and warmwater fish (9 microg/g in whole body and 10 microg/g in diet). The approaches, information, and guidelines presented in the article are reviewed and problems in their interpretation and conclusions are discussed. The majority of the selenium literature supports a whole-body threshold of 4 microg/g in fish and 3 microg/g in diet.
Comparison of detection of Bovine virus diarrhea virus antigen in various types of tissue and fluid samples collected from persistently infected cattle.

Bovine viral diarrhea viruses are economically important pathogens of cattle. Most infections in susceptible animals are acquired from animals persistently infected with the virus. Surveillance pro...
Response Time Analysis of the Abort-and-Restart Model under Symmetric Multiprocessing

The Priority-Based Functional Reactive Programming (P-FRP) paradigm, aims to improve the programming of embedded microcontrollers. The combination of purely functional programming and cleanly-abortable event handlers, communicating via transactional memory (TM), makes it possible to write programs as stateless collections of functions, thus making them amenable to proofs and type safety. P-FRP implements executions as function evaluations, therefore, there are no "incomplete" function evaluations, as in the case of a task's interruption. To use P-FRP in the SMP (Symmetric Multiprocessor) environment, we must first understand the response time of programs written in its anticipated multiprocessor extension. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is the response time analysis for the Abort-and-Restart (ANR) event handler semantics of P-FRP for SMP Real-Time systems. ANR is neither a synchronization protocol nor a true scheduling policy. Instead, it is a policy for running tasks where the most important task is scheduled first. Results are derived for both fixed-priority (i.e., Rate Monotonic) and dynamic-priority (i.e., Earliest Deadline First) scheduling. We can say that the Abort-and-Restart and the TM models are similar, but also distinct, thus allowing our results to be adaptable for the analysis of TM.
A history of the concept of branding: practice and theory

Purpose – This inquiry aims to contribute to the literature on the historical developments that have influenced the origin, uses, and meanings of branding.Design/methodology/approach – In this qualitative work an historical methodology was followed and, according to Howell and Prevenier's guidelines, a wide variety of sources were selected of the data presented. Moreover, this study draws on three important perspectives – that of the practitioner, the scholar, and the consumer – in order to offer a thorough view of the relevant issues concerning the evolution of branding.Findings – The investigation suggests that various forces (e.g., the media, economic developments during the Second World War, marketing research and theorizing) have enacted a comprehensive transformation in the concept of branding. First, the paper offers evidence of the link between fire/burning and the origin of branding. Second, it shows that, in its early days, branding was characterized as a phenomenon with limited applicability. T...
Glucosinolate, carotene and cadmium content of Brassica oleracea grown on municipal sewage sludge

Abstract Broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage grown on municipal sewage sludge-amended soil were analyzed by HPLC for glucosinolates and β-carotene. Cadmium was also determined in these vegetables. A number of quantitative changes in specific glucosinolate levels were observed in broccoli harvested from sludge-amended soil, but the total glucosinolate content in broccoli or brussels sprouts was not changed. Cabbage grown on sludge-amended soil was significantly lower in glucosinolates and β-carotene and significantly higher in cadmium. Although it is unlikely that cadmium caused these reduced levels of glucosinolates and β-carotene, municipal sewage sludge-amended soil appears to change the constituents of specific Brassica vegetables associated with their quality and healthful attributes.
Antagonizing XIAP-mediated caspase-3 inhibition: Achilles' heel of cancers?

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Schimmer et al. report the identification of small molecule antagonists of XIAP that overcome its inhibition of caspase-3. It was remarkable that the compounds directly induced cell death in tumor cells while having little toxicity on normal cells. This suggests that caspases are already activated in tumor cells, which is different from the caspase activation status in normal mammalian cells. In comparison with Smac peptides targeting XIAP-mediated caspase-9 inhibition, which do not directly induce cell death, it appears that liberating downstream caspases rather than upstream caspases may be a preferred strategy for cancer drug discovery.
Strength balance and implicit strength measurement: New considerations for research on strengths of character

Jack of all trades, master of none seems apropos to character strengths. Research indicates that readily endorsed and intrinsically motivating strengths (i.e. signature strengths) are most useful in promoting well-being; improving less-developed strengths receives less emphasis. Unfortunately, that research focuses exclusively on explicit self-report. We tested whether strength balance (i.e. jack of all strengths) impacts well-being beyond mastering signature strengths by conducting a multivariate regression with signature strengths and strength balance predicting life satisfaction and psychological need (relatedness, competency, and autonomy) satisfaction. We also developed a novel, strength-based implicit association test (IAT) to complement explicit measurement. Our study (N = 140 adults) results suggest that signature strengths and strength balance uniquely predicted greater well-being. Though our IAT possessed poor internal consistency, it provides valuable information regarding the design of future ...
The immunofluorescent localization of regulatory and catalytic subunits of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in neuronal and glial cell types of the central nervous system.

Abstract The cellular localization of the regulatory (RI and RII) and catalytic components of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in selected areas of the central nervous system was determined using a selective and sensitive immunofluorescent technique. The neuronal and glial distribution was similar for the three subunits, however, each unit exhibited differences in the pattern of subcellular localization. Whereas the catalytic unit was confined to intranuclear loci, RI and RII were identified within both the cytoplasm and nucleus, with RII in addition showing distinct staining of the nuclear membrane. A granular distribution of RI in the cell soma further distinguished the cytological localization of these two regulatory components in this cellular compartment. The contrasting distribution of the subunits suggests possible functional differences between the regulatory and catalytic components of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, which are discussed with regard to the role of this enzyme in mediating the physiological effects of cyclic AMP in the central nervous system.
Testing Antiepileptic Drugs in Children

Few drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration specifically for the treatment of pediatric patients with epilepsy in the United States. There are many factors that make tests of drugs in this group different from studies among adults. This report reviews issues that must be considered in designing studies that will help bring to market antiepileptic drugs for children. Information on the wide variety of antiepileptic drugs rapidly being developed can only be obtained through well-controlled, well-designed clinical trials. Despite the obstacles and pitfalls, trials among the pediatric population are necessary to establish the unique efficacy and safety profile of each drug and to determine the target population most likely to benefit from each drug. (J Child Neurol 1994;9(Suppl):S26-S32)
Performing extracomunitari : Mocking migrants in Veneto barzellette

In Italy, barzellette are short funny stories that speakers perform in various social events with large groups of friends, relatives, or colleagues. In Northern Italy, where a strong anti-immigration platform has been implemented by two influential political parties of the Veneto region, barzellette are performed to represent certain immigrant groups, especially the so-called extracomunitari. In this article, I examine the performative power of multidialectal language play in race-based humor through an analysis of two such joking events. I show how Veneto speakers perform barzellette in their local language, Veneto dialect, to mock immigrant voices, using approaches that purport, not necessarily in a deliberate fashion, to ‘contain’ or ‘conceal’ their racist remarks in their local code. In this way, they sharpen an exclusionary divide between an ‘us’, as insiders, as the local speakers of this language, and a ‘them’, as outsiders, or the immigrant ‘others’, who do not share this code. I thus examine issues of covert racist discourse within an ‘unmarked’ framework in which race and racializing discourses are embedded in social and cultural patterns. (Code-shifting, jokes, Lega Nord, migration, race, racialized discourse, Veneto dialect)*
Capabilities and Constitutional Law: ‘Perception’ against Lofty Formalism

What are people actually able to do and to be? 1 In developing my version of the capabilities approach (CA) as a partial account of basic social justice, I have emphasized repeatedly its links with...
Tidal dynamical considerations constrain the state of an ocean on Enceladus

Abstract In previous work, solutions to the non-dissipative Laplace Tidal Equations (LTE) were used to provide bounds on the heat generated by the response of a subsurface ocean on Enceladus to an obliquity component of tidal forces. Here we improve these bounds using solutions from the LTE with a generic dissipation term explicitly added. We find solutions for a wider range of ocean tidal responses that include both unstratified (barotropic) and stratified (baroclinic) flow responses to obliquity as well as eccentricity components of the tidal forces. We consolidate the results in three ocean tidal scenarios on Enceladus that can explain the high heat fluxes (∼7 mW/m 2 globally averaged) inferred from measurements by the Cassini spacecraft: (1) a deep (1–50 km) barotropic ocean responding to obliquity tidal forces, where obliquity is at least 0.1°; (2) a shallow (∼360 m) barotropic ocean responding to eccentricity tidal forces; (3) a stratified (baroclinic) ocean responding to eccentricity tidal forces where the density-weighted “equivalent depth” (typically much smaller than the ocean’s physical depth) is near 360 m. The ocean is assumed to be global, but extensions for a semi-global case are also described. A more general result which is independent of the specific scenarios proposed is that an ocean attempting to freeze (with an associated decrease in its liquid depth, which affects the ocean’s dynamical response to the tidal forcing) must first pass through resonant configurations with a greatly increased generation of ocean tidal heat (exceeding 1 W/m 2 to 1 kW/m 2 ) that would act to halt further freezing and stagnate the ocean state in this configuration so long as there is still orbital energy to provide the tidal forces. With an additional assumption that the ocean has evolved from a more energetic state where the depth of the liquid ocean was greater, we obtain the three scenarios proposed.
The function of the preoptic, mammilaris lateralis and ruber nuclei in normal and sexually inactive male chickens

Male chickens were lesioned and canulated at five weeks of age. Lesions were located in the mammilaris lateralis (ML) and Ruber (Ru) nuclei. Cannulas filled with testosterone propionate (TP) were positioned in the praeopticus paraventricularis magnocellularis (PPM) area of the hypothalamus. The mating behavior of lesioned birds was tested at maturity while mating behavior of cannulated birds was evaluated at eight weeks of age. Males hatched from eggs dipped in 2 g% TP were designated TP birds. The TP birds exhibited a marked decrease in their sexual behavior responses and lesioning did not alter this effect. TP birds with cannulas in the PPM nuclei were stimulated to attempt to mate. These data indicate that TP birds failed to mate because of an interference in the development of the PPM nuclei. Bilateral lesions in the ML nuclei did not significantly influence sexual behavior while lesions in the Ru nuclei increased the sexual response. Therefore, the mammilaris region in the chicken's hypothalamus does not inhibit mating behavior while the Ru nucleus may be an inhibitory center for mating behavior in the chicken.
Addressing Measurement Error Bias in Nurse Staffing Research

The past decade has witnessed the publication of a number of studies examining the relationship between hospital registered nurse (RN) staffing and quality of care (American Nurses Association 1997, 2000; Kovner and Gergen 1998; Lichtig, Knauf, and Milholland 1999; Aiken et al. 2002; Kovner et al. 2002; Needleman et al. 2002; Cho et al. 2003; Unruh 2003; Mark et al. 2004). While the effects of nurse staffing on quality of care (measured as mortality, length of stay, and/or a variety of complications) are not entirely consistent, the studies begin to characterize the impact of nurse staffing on the various outcomes. Caution is warranted, however, as all of these studies are based on nurse staffing estimates derived from datasets that are deficient in several respects. To overcome these deficiencies, researchers must rely on various ad hoc rules, particularly as they apply to the allocation of nurse staffing to the inpatient hospital setting. These methods are subject to errors in measurement, meaning that, at best, estimates of the effect of RN staffing on quality of care will be attenuated (biased toward 0). At worst, allocated staffing may serve as a proxy variable for actual staffing, obscuring the estimate of the parameter relating staffing level, and quality of care. The state of California, however, through its Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) requires hospitals to report productive staffing hours for specific service units (inpatient daily hospital services, ancillary services, and ambulatory services) so that inpatient acute care staffing may be calculated directly. Because of the level of detail provided in the California data, several authors have developed staffing allocation methods that rely on information from this data. The approach and purpose of this paper is different: we use the OSHPD inpatient staffing information to assess the performance of different staffing allocation methods and the size of the attenuation bias introduced by measurement error. We then summarize estimation strategies designed to overcome the attenuation bias, and provide evidence on whether the assumptions underlying these strategies are satisfied in the OSHPD data.
Agent-based models in translational systems biology

Agent-based modeling is an object-oriented, discrete event, population-focused method for the computational representation of dynamic systems. Agent-based models (ABMs) treat systems as aggregates of populations of interacting components governed by rules. This means of system representation allows ABMs to map well to how biological knowledge is represented and communicated. As a result, agent-based modeling is an intuitive means by which biomedical researchers can represent their knowledge in a dynamic computational form and in so doing can lower the threshold for the general biological researcher to engage in computational modeling. ABMs are particularly suited for representing the behavior of populations of cells (i.e., “cell-as-agents”) but have also been used to model lower level processes, such as molecular interactions when spatial and structural properties are involved, as well as higher level systems, such as in human populations in epidemiological studies. For purposes of its use in translational systems biology, we focus on the use of cell/tissue-as-agent ABMs and demonstrate how agent-based modeling can serve as an integrating framework for dynamic knowledge representation of biological systems.
Operational current to frequency converter

Voltage or current-controlled oscillators with linear tuning characteristics are needed for Analog to Digital Conversion (ADC). The constant of proportionality between its input control-variable (voltage or current) and output frequency is called conversion-gain. We describe an operational current-to-frequency converter that has a large open-loop conversion-gain like in an operational transconductance element in which the input and output variables are dissimilar. The difference between a current-controlled oscillator and current to frequency converter is that the transfer characteristic of the latter passes through the origin. Such a building block is meant for use in negative feedback circuit-configurations. Here the feedback network dominates the closed-loop transfer characteristics. The ability of such a technique to trade gain for improving linearity and reducing process, voltage and temperature variations, is well known. The idea here is to provide a building block to configure ADC's with different resolutions over a wide range of sampling rates below 1 GHz. We present the architecture of such a device and its achievable performance via simulations using the models of a typical 65nm process technology.
I. The Development of the Hering‐Breuer Inflation Reflex

Summary The Hering-Breuer inflation reflex has been studied in babies of varying postmenstrual ages. The strength of the reflex was assessed by relating the relative increase of the length of the breathing cycle to the transpulmonary pressure when the airway was occluded. The Hering-Breuer inflation reflex was found to be very weak at a postmenstrual age of 32 weeks. It was then found to increase to a maximum strength at a postmenstrual age of 36 to 38 weeks. Later on there was a decline of the strength of the reflex. The significance of the findings in relation to the frequent occurrence of periodic and irregular respiratory rhythm in infants of low gestational age has been discussed.
Queen–worker–brood coadaptation rather than conflict may drive colony resource allocation in the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus

Conflicts of interest among genetically heterogeneous nestmates in social insect colonies have been emphasized as driving colony resource allocation. However, potential intracolonial conflicts may not actually be realized so that resource allocation could be shaped primarily by among-colony selection that maximizes colony productivity. To elucidate the causal basis of patterns of resource allocation, I experimentally manipulated three fundamental aspects of colony social structure (relatedness among workers, relatedness among larvae, and queen presence) in the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus and measured effects on colony resource allocation to new workers, gynes, and males. The experimental manipulations had widespread effects on patterns of colony resource allocation, but there was little evidence for realized conflicts over the sex ratio and caste ratio. Decreasing nestmate relatedness caused decreased colony productivity, suggesting that more closely related nestmates have more favorably interacting phenotypes. Together, these results suggest that resource allocation in T. curvispinosus may be shaped more by among-colony selection than intracolonial conflict, leading to queen–worker–brood coadaptation.
Job Satisfaction: How Do Social Workers Fare with Other Interdisciplinary Team Members in Hospice Settings?:

The purpose of this study was to investigate job satisfaction among hospice interdisciplinary team members, which included social workers, nurses, and other professionals (i.e., home health aides and spiritual care providers.) Interdisciplinary team members (N = 76) from four hospices in the midwest participated in the study. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that significant differences in satisfaction resulted in the areas of distributive justice, autonomy, and opportunity between social workers, nurses, and other interdisciplinary team members.
Electrochemical performance of (La,Sr)(Co,Fe)O3–(Ce,Gd)O3 composite cathodes

Abstract La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF) and LSCF–Ce0.8Gd0.2O3 (GDC) composite cathodes on YSZ electrolytes were studied for potential applications in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Impedance spectroscopy measurements were performed in oxygen partial pressures ranging from 10−3 to 1 atm over a temperature range from 500 to 750 °C. The LSCF electrodes yielded low-current interfacial resistance values that were a factor of 10 lower than for (La,Sr)MnO3 cathodes. The addition of 50 vol.% GDC to LSCF resulted in an additional factor of ≈10 decrease in the polarization resistance. Polarization resistance values for the LSCF–GDC cathodes were as low as 0.01 Ω cm2 at 750 °C and 0.33 Ω cm2 at 600 °C.
Attentional disruption in the presence of negative automatic thoughts

The present study examined attentional disruption in the presence of negative automatic thoughts specific to panic and social anxiety. Participants with panic disorder (n = 18), participants with social phobia (n = 19), and nonanxious participants (n = 19) completed a dichotic listening task in which they shadowed ambiguous passages heard in their dominant ear while ignoring lists of panic-related, social anxiety-related, or control automatic thoughts that were presented in their non-dominant ear. In addition, they completed a simultaneous simple reaction time task. Both patient groups made more shadowing distortions than the nonanxious group. Panic participants committed more shadowing omissions in trials in which they heard panic-related automatic thoughts as compared to trials in which they heard other automatic thoughts. Results suggest that both patient groups experienced some disruption on this demanding task but that only panic patients exhibited an anxiety-specific attentional bias.
Progesterone treatment for brain injury: an update

Traumatic brain injury is a significant clinical problem for which there is still no effective treatment. Recent laboratory and clinical data demonstrate a potentially beneficial role for neurosteroids, such as progesterone and allopregnanolone, in the treatment of traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke and some neurodegenerative disorders. Unlike single-target agents, progesterone affects many of the molecular and physiological processes in the cascade of secondary damage after a traumatic brain injury. This article updates a 2006 Future Neurology review of the research on progesterone and its metabolites in the treatment of traumatic brain injury, and presents new evidence that vitamin D deficiency can reduce progesterone neuroprotection, while combining progesterone with vitamin D produces better functional outcomes after TBI compared with eithertreatment alone.
The impact of a brief mindfulness meditation intervention on cognitive control and error-related performance monitoring.

Meditation is associated with positive health behaviors and improved cognitive control. One mechanism for the relationship between meditation and cognitive control is changes in activity of the anterior cingulate cortex-mediated neural pathways. The error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) components of the scalp-recorded event-related potential (ERP) represent cingulate-mediated functions of performance monitoring that may be modulated by mindfulness meditation. We utilized a flanker task, an experimental design, and a brief mindfulness intervention in a sample of 55 healthy non-meditators (n = 28 randomly assigned to the mindfulness group and n = 27 randomly assigned to the control group) to examine autonomic nervous system functions as measured by blood pressure and indices of cognitive control as measured by response times, error rates, post-error slowing, and the ERN and Pe components of the ERP. Systolic blood pressure significantly differentiated groups following the mindfulness intervention and following the flanker task. There were non-significant differences between the mindfulness and control groups for response times, post-error slowing, and error rates on the flanker task. Amplitude and latency of the ERN did not differ between groups; however, amplitude of the Pe was significantly smaller in individuals in the mindfulness group than in the control group. Findings suggest that a brief mindfulness intervention is associated with reduced autonomic arousal and decreased amplitude of the Pe, an ERP associated with error awareness, attention, and motivational salience, but does not alter amplitude of the ERN or behavioral performance. Implications for brief mindfulness interventions and state versus trait affect theories of the ERN are discussed. Future research examining graded levels of mindfulness and tracking error awareness will clarify relationship between mindfulness and performance monitoring.
The perfect crystal, thermal vacancies and the thermal expansion coefficient of aluminium

Abstract The thermal expansion coefficient of an Al perfect crystal is predicted by our α VKTV model. Thermal defect contributions and their formation parameters are determined by subtracting model results from various macroscopic expansion coefficient measurements. The results are compared with extensive theoretical and experimental determinations of the vacancy formation parameters for Al. The formation parameters obtained here are 0.67eV for the enthalpy and 2.66k for the entropy. The vacancy concentration estimated at the melting point is 3.4 × 10−3. Our approach provides a basis for the calculation of the hightemperature—pressure properties of Al and serves as a guide for other defect-free theoretical calculations. The method can be extended to other fcc crystals.
Case study: selective laser sintering of the USUSat II small satellite structure

Purpose – This paper illustrates an effective application of rapid prototyping (RP) to produce a high definition polymer model of a satellite structure prior to final machining of the aluminum panels. The benefits when using this type of model in the design and assembly stages of satellite fabrication make clear that RP can and should play an important role in the design and fabrication of small satellite structures.Design/methodology/approach – Selective laser sintering was utilized to produce a full‐scale model of a novel modular small satellite structure. This model was then used as a tool for quality control, fit check, assembly process verification, mock‐up, and as a model for manufacturing tooling design.Findings – This case study illustrates that the use of RP to create a model early in the design cycle is beneficial from a cost and time perspective even when applied to a product which will be produced in a quantity of one. In addition, the merits of RP mesh well with modular designs and for applic...