cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dauvergne, Peter, and Jane Lister. 2013. Eco-Business: A Big-Brand Takeover of Sustainability. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

As Peter Dauvergne and Jane Lister’s important new book makes clear, business is the new “green.” But while “eco-businesses” may share many interests with environmentalists, in the end even the greenest businesses are “fundamentally aiming for the sustainability of big business, not... of people and the planet” (p. 2). When contemplating the merger of business and sustainability, we should proceed with caution. Strangely, many environmentalists don’t see it that way. Disillusioned with half-hearted “commitments” to sustainability, more and more of them have begun abandoning states and international organizations for the private sector. In the hope of jump-starting the stalled movement for sustainability, non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Sierra Club, and Greenpeace—have allied themselves with corporations such as Nike, Starbucks, Procter & Gamble, and Walmart. While such alliances may seem surprising, environmental strategists increasingly see them as preferable to working with posturing or politicized states and international organizations.Moreover, the urgency of the problemswe face demands pragmatism. As one NGO leader puts it, “right now, we need every weapon in our armory to deal with the challenges we’re facing... we don’t have time to get moral about this and question the integrity of using brands....” (quoted on p. 160). And, as boosters in the environmental community point out, working with the private sector has advantages. Money, for one: the big brands are well heeled and ready to share their wealth with like-mindedNGOs. In 2010, theWWF reaped about $20 million by partnering with Coca-Cola. Power, for another: by partnering with Walmart, EDF gets the opportunity to help shape the sustainability policies of a company with over 2 million employees, 100,000 suppliers, and annual sales of almost half a trillion dollars. As one environmentalist observes, “We could spend 50 years lobbying 75 national governments to change the regulatory framework for the way... commodities are grown and produced. Or these folks at Coke could make a [sustainability] decision... and the whole global supply chain changes overnight” (quoted on pp. 19–20). Compared to states and international organizations, businesses have an unparalleled command over resources, suppliers, commodity chains, and consumers that gives them the nimbleness, flexibility, and reach necessary to rapidly effect environmental reforms.
Fine‐Tuning the 3D Structure of Nonfullerene Electron Acceptors Toward High‐Performance Polymer Solar Cells

Arylene linkers in a series of new tetraaza-benzodifluoranthene diimide dimers enable tuning of the 3D molecular structure of nonfullerene electron acceptors, facilitating observation of dramatic variation of the power conversion efficiency from 2.6% to 6.4% as the twist angle between the monomeric building blocks in the dimer is varied.
Effects of Sustained Ventricular Pacing During Cardioplegic Arrest on Global and Regional Postischemic Left Ventricular Performance

Although coronary artery bypass graft surgery is frequently performed in patiejits with permanent ventricular pacemakers, the effects of pacemaker generator stimuli during cardioplegic arrest are unknown. This study was undertaken to detennine whether, during cardioplegic arrest in the presentee of a coronary occlusion, pacemaker stimuli accentuate postischemic LV damage. Twelve pigs were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass and subjected to 80 min ofischemic arrest with multiple doses of crystalloid potassium crystalloid caidioplegia supplemented with topical and systemic (28C) hypothermia. During arrest, the mid LAD was occluded with a snare that was released upon reperfusion. In all animals, epicardial ventricular pacing wires were placed and capture was confirmed. In 6 pigs, pacing was instituted prior to ischemic arrest and continued throughout the ischemic and postischemic periods. Six other pigs were not paced and served as controls. Pacemaker stimuli during arrest had no effect on LV temperature. There was no difference in postischemic Lt mass, compliance curves, wall-motion scores, or stroke xvork itidex between the paced and nonpaced hearts. We conclude that sustained pacemaker stimuli during cardioplegic arrest does not impair global and regional postischemic LV function.
Cutting Edge: Progesterone Directly Upregulates Vitamin D Receptor Gene Expression for Efficient Regulation of T Cells by Calcitriol

The two nuclear hormone receptor ligands progesterone and vitamin D (vit.D) play important roles in regulating T cells. The mechanism that connects these two hormones in regulating T cells has not been established. In this study, we report that progesterone is a novel inducer of vit.D receptor (VDR) in T cells and makes T cells highly sensitive to calcitriol. At the molecular level, the induction by progesterone is mediated by two progesterone receptor-binding elements in the intron region after the first noncoding exon of the human VDR gene. Increased expression of VDR by progesterone allows highly sensitive regulation of T cells by vit.D even when vit.D levels are suboptimal. This novel regulatory pathway allows enhanced induction of regulatory T cells but suppression of Th1 and Th17 cells by the two nuclear hormones. The results have significant ramifications in effective regulation of T cells to prevent adverse immune responses during pregnancy.
Naloxone attenuates serum corticosterone and augments serum glucose concentrations in broilers stimulated with adrenocorticotropin

Abstract The effects of exogenous naloxone and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) on circulating concentrations of corticosterone and glucose in broilers were determined. Birds were injected i.m. at 0 and 2 h with either saline or naloxone, then i.v. at 2.5 h with either saline or ACTH. Control birds received saline at each injection. Blood samples were taken before the experiment started (0 min) and 30, 60, and 90 min after the last injection. Intramuscular injections of naloxone significantly reduced subsequent ACTH-stimulated increases in serum corticosterone; however, when followed by saline, naloxone elevated corticosterone by 90 min after the final injection of saline. Glucose levels were significantly elevated at 60 min in birds receiving ACTH i.v., but remained elevated through 90 min in birds pretreated with naloxone. Naloxone pretreatment attenuated serum corticosterone but augmented serum glucose concentrations in ACTH-stimulated broilers.
Ambivalence & Activism: Employment Discrimination in China

Chinese courts do not vigorously enforce many human rights, but a recent string of employment discrimination lawsuits suggests that, given the appropriate conditions, advocacy strategies, signals from above, and rights at issue, courts can help victims vindicate their constitutional and statutory rights to equality. Since 2008, carriers of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) have used the Employment Promotion Law to challenge hiring discrimination. Their high success rate suggests official support for making one potent form of discrimination illegal. Central to these lawsuits is a broad network of lawyers, activists and scholars who have advocated for protecting the rights of HBV carriers, suggesting a limited role for civil society actors in the field of law and policy.
Optimization of the bias current network for accurate on-chip thermal monitoring

Microprocessor chips employ increasingly larger number of thermal sensing devices. These devices are networked by an underlying infrastructure, which provides bias currents to sensing devices and collects measurements. In this work, we address the optimization of the bias current distribution network utilized by the sensing devices. We show that the choice between two fundamental topologies (the 2-wire and the 4-wire measurement) for this network has a non-negligible impact on the precision of the monitoring system. We also show that the 4-wire measurement principle supports the remote sensing technique better. However, it requires more routing resources. We thus propose a novel routing algorithm to minimize its routing cost. We also present a detailed evaluation of the quality of the resulting system in presence of process and thermal variations. Our Monte Carlo simulations using the IBM 10SF 65nm SPICE models show that the monitoring accuracies can be as high as 0.6°C under considerable amount of process and temperature variation. Moreover, by adopting a customized routing approach for the current mirror network, the total wire length of the bias current network can be reduced by as much as 42.74% and by 27.65% on average.
Transposon signatures: species‐specific molecular markers that utilize a class of multiple‐copy nuclear DNA

Transposable elements are mobile sequences found in nuclear genomes and can potentially serve as molecular markers in various phylogenetic and population genetic investigations. A PCR-based method that utilizes restriction site variation of element copies within a genome is developed. These patterns of site variation, referred to as transposon signatures, are useful in differentiating between closely related groups. Signature data using the magellan retrotransposon, for example, is useful in examining relationships within the genus Zea and Tripsacum. This method allows transposable elements, or even other multiple-copy nuclear DNA sequences, to be generally utilized as molecular markers in discriminating between other closely related species and subspecies.
Firm Value and Employee Attitudes on Workplace Quality

This paper investigates the relation between the value of a firm and employee attitudes on the firm's workplace quality—workplace attitudes. Workplace attitude refers to recognition of those organizational characteristics that enhance employee work experiences and assist employees in balancing their jobs and personal lives. Using inclusion on Fortune's annual list of “The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America” as a proxy for successful efforts in creating high workplace attitudes, we compare the market values of listed firms to the market values of nonlisted firms in the same industry matched on earnings. After controlling for book value, past operational performance, and research and development expense, we find that market values of listed firms exceed those of matched firms. We also provide evidence that firms ranked high on the Fortune list receive higher market values than those ranked lower on the list. Finally, the two‐year forward market returns for listed firms exceed the returns for the matc...
The Freeing of the Bent Woman and the Restoration of Israel : Luke 13.10-17 as Narrative Theology

Luc 13 : 10-17, la guerison de la femme infirme un jour de sabbat : un exemple de theologie narrative. Lecture serree du texte. Le contexte immediat : le chiasme de 12 : 49-13 : 35. La pericope dans le contexte general de Luc/Actes. Message de la guerison : elle est le signe eschatologique du triomphe du Royaume de Dieu| elle montre Jesus distinct de Dieu, mais pourtant Seigneur. Implications ecclesiologique et soteriologique egalement
A limited role for antibody in protective immunity induced by rCPAF and CpG vaccination against primary genital Chlamydia muridarum challenge

Mice deficient in B cells (μmT mice) were used to evaluate the role of antibody in enhanced chlamydial clearance and reduction of pathology afforded by vaccination with recombinant chlamydial protease-like activity factor (rCPAF). Enhanced, but comparable, chlamydial clearance was observed in μmT and wild-type (WT) mice after rCPAF+CpG vaccination. Chlamydia-induced pathology was present in mock-immunized animals, but at significantly greater levels in μmT than WT mice, whereas vaccinated μmT and WT mice exhibited similar reductions in pathology. Thus, antibodies may play a role in protection against chlamydial pathology after primary infection, but were largely dispensable in rCPAF+CpG-induced chlamydial clearance and reduction in pathology.
Performance and availability evaluation of NUMA architectures

A new approximation technique is proposed for obtaining analytic estimates of the performance of computing systems exhibiting non-uniform memory access (NUMA) times, where components are subject to failure and repair. The technique uses a multi-chain mean-value analysis together with a service time scaling factor derived to correct for the non-exponential (deterministic) service times found in most service units of a NUMA architecture. The new technique is seen to provide excellent agreement with simulation results in predicting both mean network cycle time and contention at the deterministic system devices. Availability estimation is based on a machine-repair model with deterministic repair (replacement). In this case, exact analysis is available using techniques from Markov regenerative stochastic Petri nets.
Compact Toeplitz operators on weighted harmonic Bergman spaces

We consider the Bergman spaces consisting of harmonic functions on the unit ball in R n that are squareintegrable with respect to radial weights. We will describe compactness for certain classes of Toeplitz operators on these harmonic Bergman spaces.
Meta-Theory in Nursing Necessary for Practice?

The author argues that the ever-growing body of nursing science should be the basis for both research and practice. Understanding the philosophical and scientific base of the discipline would ideally be required for both advanced practice and research.
Design considerations for penetrations in the TFTR radiation shield

The design of a radiation shield for the TFTR (Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor) D-T operation must take into account the fact that many machine components and diagnostics require penetrations through the shield. The design considerations and neutronics analyses leading to the final designs for various penetrations in the shield are described. Included are the considerations for the material selection, the penetration locations, and the sizes of the back and side shields required to prevent hot spots. The consequences of leaving minor diagnostic penetrations unshielded are addressed. >
Clinical, Anatomical, and Physiologic Relationship Between Sleep and Headache

The intimate relationship between sleep and headache has been recognized for centuries, yet the relationship remains clinically and nosologically complex. Headaches associated with nocturnal sleep have often been perceived as either the cause or result of disrupted sleep. An understanding of the anatomy and physiology of both conditions allows for a clearer understanding of this complex relationship and a more rational clinical and therapeutic approach. Recent biochemical and functional imaging studies in patients with primary headache disorders has lead to the identification of potential central generators which are also important for the regulation of normal sleep architecture. Medical conditions (e.g. obstructive sleep apnea, depression) that may disrupt sleep and lead to nocturnal or morning headache can often be identified on clinical evaluation or by polysomnography. In contrast, primary headache disorders which often occur during nocturnal sleep or upon awakening, such as migraine, cluster headache, chronic paroxysmal hemicrania, and hypnic headache, can readily be diagnosed through clinical evaluation and managed with appropriate medication. These disorders, when not associated with co-morbid mood disorders or medications/analgesics overuse, seldom lead to significant sleep disruption. Identifying and classifying the specific headache disorder in patients with both headache and sleep disturbances can facilitate an appropriate diagnostic evaluation. Patients with poorly defined nocturnal or awakening headaches should undergo polysomnography to exclude a treatable sleep disturbance, especially in the absence of an underlying psychological disorder or analgesic overuse syndrome. In patients with a well defined primary headache disorder, unless there are compelling historical or examination findings suggestive of a primary sleep disturbance, a formal sleep evaluation is seldom necessary.
Transcriptional Profiling of Clostridium difficile and Caco-2 Cells during Infection

Clostridium difficile is well recognized as the most common infectious cause of nosocomial diarrhea. The incidence and severity of C. difficile infection (CDI) is increasing worldwide. Here, we examined the transcriptional changes in the human colorectal epithelial Caco-2 cells and C. difficile simultaneously following the infection. A total of 271 transcripts in Caco-2 cells and 207 transcripts in C. difficile were significantly differentially-expressed in at least one time point during CDI. We utilized the gene ontology annotations and protein-protein network interactions to underline a framework of target molecules that could potentially play a key role during CDI. These genes included those associated with cellular metabolism, transcription, transport, cell communication, and signal transduction. Our data identified certain key factors that have previously been reported to be involved in CDI as well as novel determinants that may participate in a complex mechanism underlying host response to infection, bacterial adaptation and pathogenesis.
Lagrangian wrench distribution for cooperating robotic mechanisms

A systematic method for analysis of cooperating robotic mechanisms is investigated using constrained optimization. The wrench distribution problem is formulated as a quadratic optimization problem with a linear constraint. This leads to the definition of the Lagrangian screw, which is shown to be an important geometrical tool for analysis. The geometrical meaning of the distributed wrench field is explained in terms of the Lagrangian screw. Examples show that several previous investigations in the literature may be included as special cases. >
Dopaminergic pathway reconstruction by Akt/Rheb-induced axon regeneration.

Objective A prevailing concept in neuroscience has been that the adult mammalian central nervous system is incapable of restorative axon regeneration. Recent evidence, however, has suggested that reactivation of intrinsic cellular programs regulated by Akt/mTor signaling may restore this ability.
Early prediction of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus from perinatal risk factors: a discriminant analysis model.

. Cotton, R. B., Lindstrom, D. P. and Stahlman, M. T. (Depaitment of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA). Early prediction of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus from perinatal risk factors: a discriminant analysis model. Acta Paediatr Scand, 70:723,.–A scoring system based on discriminant analysis was devised to predict, within 24 hours after birth, whether or not a premature infant will subsequently develop a symptomatic PDA. Five risk factors including birth weight, the diagnosis of hyaline membrane disease, intrauterine growth retardation, acute perinatal stress, and treatment with distending airway pressure were reduced to a discriminant score which separated infants with symptomatic PDA from infants without sympomatic PDA. Based on this score, the likelihood that an individual infant would later develop symptomatic PDA could be expressed as a probability function. When applied prospectively, this score predicted the correct outcome of 80 % of infants in a test population. This predictive model should be useful in clinical trials and other applications requiring a quantitative expression of risk for developing symptomatic ductus shunting.
Colocalization of the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL4 Protein with Infected Cell Protein 22 in Small, Dense Nuclear Structures Formed prior to Onset of DNA Synthesis

Herpes simplex virus 1 infected cell protein 22 (ICP22) localizes in small, dense nuclear bodies of primate cells early in infection and in the more diffuse replicative complexes after the onset of DNA synthesis. UL4, a γ2 protein, localizes in cytoplasm and in the small nuclear structures containing ICP22 but not in replicative complexes. In rabbit skin cells, both ICP22 and UL4 localize in the dense nuclear bodies late in infection. The results suggest that the small nuclear structures perform a function involving both proteins late in infection.
Septic Facet Joint Arthritis after a Corticosteroid Facet Injection

Lumbar facet joint injections are commonly employed in the treatment of low back pain and are considered to be relatively safe with few known complications. We report the case of septic facet arthritis following a periarticular facet injection in a patient with recurrent urinary tract infections. The literature is reviewed to identify epidemiological and clinical features of patients in whom septic facet arthritis developed after lumbar facet injection. The diagnosis of iatrogenic septic facet arthritis is often delayed because neurologic and constitutional signs and symptoms develop slowly. Serologic nonspecific markers of infection and appropriate imaging studies may be more sensitive for the early diagnosis of septic facet arthritis. Recalcitrant or worsening back pain after facet injections should prompt an investigation to rule out infectious causes.
EARLY EXPERIENCE AND PREY PREFERENCE IN THE LYNX SPIDER, OXYOPES SALTICUS HENTZ (ARANEAE: OXYOPIDAE)

Abstract This study was conducted to determine if early feeding experience can affect subsequent prey choice in lynx spiderlings (Oxyopes salticus). After emergence from the egg sac, three groups of 10 spiderlings were each fed exclusively for a one-week period on one of three naturally-occurring prey species (crickets): group 1 fed on nymphs of Oecanthus californicus; group 2 (Neobarrettia spinosa); group 3 (Ceuthophilus conicaudus). Following this, they were tested for subsequent prey preference in choice tests conducted in a plastic arena. Each spiderling was presented simultaneously with one individual of each prey species in a randomized design. Spiderlings exhibited a significant first preference for the original diet. Thus, experience with certain foods encountered by newly hatched spiderlings can affect subsequent prey preference in this species.
Environmental Regulatory Limits and Constraints and The Promise of Collaborative Environmental Governance in the United States

Collaborative governance has become a common theme in the literatures on environmental policy and the impacts of public administration and management on environmental governance. Research has addressed the structures and dynamics of effective collaboration and the perceived costs and benefits of this approach. However, a significant knowledge gap persists regarding whether collaborative efforts lead to improved environmental outcomes and the potential of collaboration to address existing regulatory limits and constraints. Public policy scholars have studied the limitations of iconic statutes such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act. These regulations based on a command-and-control approach have been criticized for being inefficient, expensive, inflexible and often, inadequate in addressing complex policy problems. However, a systematic analysis of the limits and constraints of the US environmental regulatory framework has not been undertaken to a large extent in the existing literature on collaboration. Further, the literature is limited in explicitly testing whether collaborative governance approaches such as public voluntary environmental programs (VEPs) can address the constraints of environmental regulations. The paper offers a conceptual framework to describe a type of limits and constraints of the US environmental regulatory framework. The paper analyzes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) — a public voluntary environmental program lead by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), established in 2009 during the Obama Administration. Findings from the semi-structured interviews of GLRI participants and analysis of archival documents show that the GLRI has been largely a successful program in terms of achieving its objectives. The key characteristics that are attributed to its success are funding and bipartisan political support. The challenge of the GLRI, however, remains in terms of developing strong metrics to evaluate the outcomes of the GLRI and integrating climate change into its projects. The findings have important implications for practitioners, academics, and those interested in the evolving role of US federal agencies such as the EPA from being a regulator to a change agent developing creative solutions to address our contemporary environmental challenges.
Diastereoselective One-Pot Knoevenagel Condensation/Corey–Chaykovsky Cyclopropanation

Efforts to substitute the cyclopropane ring in a series of aryl cyclopropylnitriles led to the discovery of an operationally simple one-pot method for Knoevenagel condensation and subsequent Corey-Chaykovsky cyclopropanation giving diastereomerically pure products as a racemic mixture of enantiomers. Method development and results for variably substituted aryl acetonitriles and aldehydes in the reaction are reported. A concise synthesis of (±)-bicifadine in two steps is provided to demonstrate the utility of the method.
A Gross Study of the Nervous System of the Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus Fasciatus (Dallas)

Although Oncopeltus fasciatus is an insect frequently used as a subject for experimentation, relatively little has been published regarding its morphology and biology. Hood (1937) discussed the anatomy of the digestive tract and included a sketch of the nervous system. Butt (1949) reported the embryonic development of the milkweed bug and Niswander (1951) studied the life history and respiration. Elson (1937) included an excellent description of the nervous systems of the Hemiptera in general. Cazal (1948), in describing the post-cerebral glands of insects, included a drawing of the nervous system of Lygaeus equestris, a representative of the family Lygaeidae, as is Oncopeltus fasciatus. Andre (1934) reported on the biology of the milkweed bug. Other papers contain descriptions of nervous systems of various Hemiptera not closely related to the milkweed bug.
Interactions between methylene blue and erythrocytes of several mammalian species, in vitro.

SummaryInteractions between methylene blue (MB) and erythrocytes of the cat, dog, and man were studied in vitro. Feline red blood cells (RBC) were more susceptible to Heinz body formation in the presence of MB than those of the other species. Erythrocytes of the cat and dog were unable to concentrate MB intracellularly as readily as human RBC. In addition, feline and canine RBC were unable to maintain their reduced glutathione (GSH) at preincubation levels when incubated with MB at a concentration which produced no significant decrease in GSH in human cells. These differences in dye concentration and glutathione “instability” are discussed in relation to the greater susceptibility of feline erythrocytes to Heinz body formation.
Effects of age, weight and combination other antiepileptic drug on valproic acid clearance

OBJECTIVE To study the effects on valproic acid clearance.METHODS 156 epileptic outpatients received valproic acid as monopharmacy or in combination with either the antiepileptic drug were monitored during their clinical routine care. The effect of age, total body weight and combination with either the antiepileptic drug on the rate of valproic acid clearance were evaluated. The relationship between serum concentration of valproic acid and curative effect and side effect were studied. RESULTS The result has showed that the rate of valproic acid clearance decreased with the increasing rate of age, total body weight and increased when combination with carbamazepine and phe-nobarbitone.CONCLUSION Those effects of age, total body weight and combination with either the antiepileptic drug on the rate of valproic acid clearance are obviously.
A FRET Investigation on the Effects of Tropomyosin D230N and Cardiac Troponin T R92L Mutants on the Tropomyosin Overlap Structure

Cardiac thin filament protein mutants cause changes in protein structure and dynamics. This results in the pathological tissue remodeling seen in patients with hypertrophic (HCM) and dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathies. We propose that two mutations, alpha-tropomyosin (Tm) D230N, which is known to cause DCM, and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) R92L, which causes HCM, differentially affect the structure of the Tm overlap. To investigate the effects of these mutations on this important domain, we used time resolved Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). Fully reconstituted thin filaments were labeled with probes measuring the distance between cTnT and Tm.Given that the baseline structure is still unknown in this region, the results inform the interactions of the five helices that contribute to the Tm overlap. The cTnT R92L and Tm D230N mutants result in opposite effects on measured distances at the overlap region when compared to wild-type. This occurred between residues 100 and 127 of cTnT and residues 271 and 279 of Tm. The effects are located at the C-terminus of Tm, near a conserved hydrophobic core and a cTnT binding region. These opposing effects on distances at the overlap reflect an altered primary interaction between cTnT and Tm. Ongoing experiments investigating the N-terminal portion of Tm will be informative about propagation of effects across the overlap domain.
Gaits classification of normal vs. patients by wireless gait sensor and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier

Due to the serious concerns of fall risks for patients with balance disorders, it is desirable to be able to objectively identify these patients in real-time dynamic gait testing using inexpensive wearable sensors. In this work, we took a total of 49 gait tests from 7 human subjects (3 normal subjects and 4 patients), where each person performed 7 Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) tests by wearing a wireless gait sensor on the T4 thoracic vertebra. The raw gait data is wirelessly transmitted to a near-by PC for real-time gait data collection. To objectively identify the patients from the gait data, we used 4 different types of Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers based on the 6 features extracted from the raw gait data: Linear SVM, Quadratic SVM, Cubic SVM, and Gaussian SVM. The Linear SVM, Quadratic SVM and Cubic SVM all achieved impressive 98% classification accuracy, with 95.2% sensitivity and 100% specificity in this work. However, the Gaussian SVM classifier only achieved 87.8% accuracy, 71.7% sensitivity, and 100% specificity. The results obtained with this small number of human subjects indicates that in the near future, we should be able to objectively identify balance-disorder patients from normal subjects during real-time dynamic gaits testing using intelligent SVM classifiers.
Religion, Sex, and Science: Some Historical Quandries

Western beliefs about the ‘proper’ role of sexuality were set by St. Augustine early in the development of the Christian Church. His ideas were influenced by some of the ascetic beliefs of the time as well as his own personal experiences. The medical tradition was different, emphasizing sexuality as a biological fact and as a necessary and pleasurable aspect of life. In general, however, medical views were descriptive and not prescriptive. In the 18th century development of new medical theories emphasizing homeostasis seemed to give support to the Augustinian views and there was an outpouring of books about the dangers of sex. It was not until the end of the 19th century, with the discovery of bacteria as major causal factor of disease, that scientific views challenged the traditional religious assumptions. Public attitudes and opinions slowly changed to more positive attitudes about sexual matters. Gradually religious views also reinterpreted to conform to the new findings.
Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma Presenting with Acute Airway Obstruction.

We describe a case of a 24-year-old male presenting urgently with a juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) with difficulty breathing, inability to swallow, and respiratory distress following throat swelling. The swelling was reduced with administration of dexamethasone and the JNA was surgically resected within 48 hours. This presentation was atypical given the acuity of presentation and the patient’s older age.
Flicker noise characteristics of advanced MOS technologies

The flicker noise behavior of MOSFETs fabricated by different technologies were characterized. It was found that the technology has very significant effects on the noise characteristics and that all the results can be explained within a unified framework with an oxide trap density distribution. Hot-carrier stressing of n-channel MOSFETs can result in a very large increase of flicker noise, whereas for p-channel MOSFETs the noise is hardly affected. Random telegraph noise is observed in some deep-submicron MOSFETs with very small channel area. A detailed analysis of the telegraph noise suggests that the mobility fluctuation induced by charge trapping plays an important role in the origin of the flicker noise. A novel flicker-noise model incorporating both carrier number and mobility fluctuations is proposed. >
Family PArtners in Lifestyle Support (PALS): Family-based weight loss for African American adults with type 2 diabetes.

Objective To develop and test a family-centered behavioral weight loss intervention for African American adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods In this randomized trial, dyads consisting of an African American adult with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes (index participant) paired with a family partner with overweight or obesity but not diagnosed with diabetes were assigned in a 2:1 ratio to a 20-week special intervention (SI) or delayed intervention (DI) control group. The primary outcome was weight loss among index participants at the 20-week follow-up. Results One hundred eight participants (54 dyads—36 (SI) and 18 (DI) dyads) were enrolled: 81% females; mean age, 51 years; mean weight,103 kg; and mean BMI, 37 kg/m2. At post-intervention, 96 participants (89%) returned for follow-up measures. Among index participants, mean difference in weight loss between groups was −5.0 kg, P <0.0001 (−3.6 kg loss among SI; 1.4 kg gain in DI). SI index participants showed significantly greater improvements in hemoglobin A1c, depressive symptoms, family interactions, and dietary, physical activity, and diabetes self-care behaviors. SI family partners also had significant weight loss (−3.9 kg (SI) vs. −1.0 kg (DI), P = 0.02). Conclusions A family-centered, behavioral weight loss intervention led to clinically significant short-term weight loss among family dyads.
SCL/TAL1 Regulates Erythropoietin Receptor Expression.

The basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factor SCL/TAL1, is required for erythropoiesis during development, and conditional deletion in adult hematopoiesis results in hematopoietic stem cells with a competitive repopulation disadvantage and defective erythropoiesis in vitro. However, adult mice with a conditional SCL/TAL1 deletion survive with mild anemia, suggesting defective erythroid proliferation and indicating that SCL/TAL1 is important, but not essential in mature red blood cell production. We find that during erythroid differentiation of primary human hematopoietic CD34+ cells, SCL/TAL1 expression peaks at day 8–10 following erythropoietin (EPO) stimulation, concomitant with peak expression of GATA-1 and EKLF. Treatment with SCL/TAL1 antisense oligonucleotides during erythroid differentiation markedly decreases erythroid differentiation as indicated by decreased expression of GATA-1 and both b- and g-globin expression, along with the absence of the characteristic decrease in GATA-2. Microarray analysis of erythroid cells overexpressing SCL/TAL1 indicate increased gene expression for b- and g-globin, and other genes related to erythropoiesis including EPO receptor (EPO-R), and these results are confirmed in stable cell lines with increasing SCL/TAL1 expression. Examination of EPO-R transcription regulation indicates that E-boxes in the 5′ UTR can bind SCL/TAL1 in vitro and, in addition to the GATA-1 binding motif, provide transcription activity in reporter gene assays. These data indicate that in addition to the importance of SCL/TAL1 DNA binding for proliferation of BFU-E and expression of glycophorin A and protein 4.2, SCL/TAL1 is also necessary for high level expression of EPO-R. Reduction in EPO-R expression likely contributes to the anemia associated with the conditional adult deletion of SCL/TAL1 and to the proliferative defect of erythroid cells observed in vitro. Early expression of SCL/TAL1 in hematopoietic cells may activate expression of EPO-R prior to EPO stimulation of erythropoiesis and induction of GATA-1.
Effect of River Mining on Cropping System in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh

About 52 per cent of the population in India depends on agriculture for its livelihood. Proper utilisation of land resource halts the process of land degradation and increases productivity. The factors of land degradation may include improper agricultural practices, indiscriminate extraction of sand and stones from the rivers, etc. The indiscriminate sand and stone extraction from the rivers affects the water availability for irrigation and thereby affecting the productivity of the crops. The study was conducted in a hill State (Himachal Pradesh) of India. The Neugal is a small river among different rivers of the hill State and its water is used for irrigation and drinking by the people of the catchment area. The river has become a victim of sand and stone mining as the extraction has increased over the years due to urbanisation and economic development. Water level of the river has also gone down and during the summer the people of the region experience water crises. Therefore, the study was conducted in the catchment area irrigated by this river to analyse the effect of sand and stone extraction on the cropping pattern. The study suggests that the farmers should be educated to go for high value and low water-requiring and demand-driven crops in their production programme. Prudent efforts should be made by government agencies for systematic / scientific extraction of mining materials and control the over-exploitation of river mining materials so that water table of rivers may not affect the cropping system adversely. The study concluded that river mining causes drying up of water sources, lowering of water table, soil erosion and shortage of water. Therefore, efforts should be made to address these issues by enforcing suitable laws and regulations.
Kant on the place of cognition in the progression of our representations

I argue for a new delimitation of what Kant means by ‘cognition [Erkenntnis]’, on the basis of the intermediate, transitional place that Kant gives to cognition in the ‘progression [Stufenleiter]’ of our representations and our consciousness of them. I show how cognition differs from mental acts lying earlier on this progression—such as sensing, intuiting, and perceiving—and also how cognition differs from acts lying later on this progression—such as explaining, having insight, and comprehending. I also argue that cognition should not be confused with ‘knowledge [Wissen]’, insofar as knowledge represents the culmination of a separate orthogonal progression of acts of ‘holding-true’. Along the way, I show how having in focus the specific progression from representation, to consciousness, to cognition (and beyond) allows us to better appreciate the architectonic significance of the progression of Kant’s analysis in the first Critique (and beyond), and also helps to illuminate the unity of Kant’s account of cognition itself across its variety of (empirical, mathematical, philosophical) forms.
Mite-Impermeable Covers Decrease Hospital Visits in Kids with Asthma.

In children with house dust mite allergies and asthma, the use of mite-impermeable bedding decreases the frequency of asthma exacerbations.
Transmural perfusion gradients distal to various degrees of coronary artery stenosis during resting flow or at maximal vasodilation.

Regional myocardial perfusion (assessed by 15 μ tracer microspheres) was determined at various levels of stenosis of the left circumflex coronary artery in anesthetized dogs. Measurements during control and at three levels of stenosis produced by a micrometer-driven mechanical occluder were made in each heart. No change was found in the transmural distribution of coronary blood flow until 93% stenosis. At levels above 93% stenosis there was a linear decrease in subendocardial perfusion with only minor changes in subepicardial perfusion. During maximal vasodilation produced by reactive hyperemia, the decrease in subendocardial flow was observed at levels greater than 60% stenosis. It is concluded that the subendocardium of the left ventricle has a large vasodilator reserve and severe stenoses are required to disrupt flow when autoregulation is intact. When autoregulation is abolished, reduction in subendocardial flow occurs at lesser degrees of stenosis.
Prediction of School and Behavior Problems in Children Followed from Birth to Age Eight

For a number of years in the late 1960s and early 1970s there was astonishing agreement among those interested in child welfare that the best way to serve children’s interests was through the early detection of learning and behavior problems. This belief was due in part to the outcomes of two major longitudinal studies—the Kauai study (Werner, Bierman, & French, 1971; Werner & Smith, 1977) and the National Collaborative Perinatal Study (Broman, Nichols, & Kennedy, 1975). Both of these had demonstrated that perinatal status variables had significant, although modest, relationships with later cognitive and motor development (Smith, Flick, Ferris, & Sellman, 1972; Werner et al., 1971). Moreover, it appeared that the effects of these perinatal status variables were mediated by the quality of the environment in which the child was raised.
Maximize Data for Post Approval Changes

During the life of a drug product, it is almost certain that at some point, changes will be made, for example to the manufacturing process, the API material, or the formulation. For each change, it is necessary to demonstrate the acceptability of the proposed change, in order to prove that the specified change does not have an adverse effect on the product. The type of change will determine what type of stability data will be required to support it and to understand the impact on the stability profile of the drug product. An appropriate stability design must be developed to understand the impact of the change on the stability profile of the drug product and to demonstrate the acceptability of the proposed change. The type of change will dictate the amount of data needed and the type of regulatory reporting required. Guidance documents provide direction on the reporting category for different types of changes. For a proposed study design or data package that is different from the guidance documents, it is best to discuss the proposal with the regulatory agency first to obtain their opinion. This presentation will review the various reporting categories and provide stability strategies to support some specific types of changes, including some case examples of stability designs that have been conducted.
Assessment of diet and consumption dynamics of the adult piscivorous fish community in Spirit Lake, Iowa

Determining the importance of prey taxa in the diets of predacious species is a frequent objective in fisheries research. Several indices of prey importance are in common use, and all give different results owing to their emphasis on different aspects of fish diets. We explored these differences by empirically comparing four well-known indices [percent weight (%W), percent occurrence (%0), percent number (%N), and percent index of relative importance (%IRI)], as well as a modified %IRI (%MIRI), using an extensive data set on the diets of six fish species in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Correlations among all indices were positive, but were weaker among component indices (%W, %0, and %N) than were correlations of either compound index (%IRI and %MIRI) with component indices, or between the two compound indices. Correlation strength of %MIRI with the three component indices varied greatly (%N<%0<%W), whereas the correlation strength of %IRI with component indices was similar. Importance values based on %W, %MIRI, and %N depend more on prey size than those from %IRI and %0; %W and %MIRI emphasized importance of large prey taxa, whereas %N emphasized small prey in diets. %IRI and %0 were similarly unbiased with respect to prey size, but %0 yielded substantially higher importance values than all other indices. Thus, for use as a general index of dietary importance, we believe %IRI provides the
Wet stable and mechanically robust cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) based hydrogel

Abstract Freeze dried, highly porous materials made from cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) hydrogels are capable of absorbing and storing a significant quantity of liquid inside their 3D structure, with total absorption capacity increasing linearly with porosity. One of the challenges of freeze dried high porosity CNF gels is their propensity to break down rapidly in aqueous environments. Here we explore a method to overcome this deficiency by incorporating methacrylate functionalized carboxymethyl cellulose (MetCMC) into the CNF system followed by UV irradiation leading to crosslinking of the methacrylate groups of MetCMC. The resultant polymer composite matrix successfully maintains a robust 3D structure, without collapsing, even when rewetted and stored in water. When freeze dried, the CNF-MetCMC composite maintains its size and shape whereas air drying induces significant shrinkage. In contrast, air dried CNF-MetCMC hydrogels swell when rewetted. Swelling and shrinkage of CNF-MetCMC hydrogels were tuned by controlling the ratio between CNF and MetCMC in the composite. The crosslinking between the methacrylate groups of MetCMC also enhances the dry and wet modulus of CNF-MetCMC gels significantly. We invoke a simple model involving a balance between hydrogen bonding and crosslinking to explain these data.
Early Indicators of Renal Disease in Parenteral Substance Abusers

ESRD due to parenteral narcotic abuse is a significant medical and social problem. In an attempt to study this clinical entity, we analyzed the hospital records of 249 apparently healthy parenteral substance abusers (SA), for the presence of proteinuria, hematuria, and mild azotemia. We found an overall incidence of renal abnormalities of 14%. Patients who are male, black and abusers of heroin appear to be at greatest risk for renal abnormalities. All groups of SA, however, had a high incidence of renal abnormalities and merit further investigation.