cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction to cognitive development from a neuroscience perspective

This introduction provides a brief overview to the burgeoning field of developmental science and to the chapters in this volume. Rapid progress in research on human development has been made in recent years as novel methods and technologies for probing infant behavior and brain structure and function have revolutionized the field. These advances are leading people to ask new questions about the fundamental mechanisms that drive development change in key domains and contribute to their understanding of both universal and individual variations in human development.
A Theory of Neural Auditory Space

The topographical projection of sensory epithelia onto central neural structures is one of the most striking design features of the brain. This type of neuronal connectivity gives rise to the “maps” of the retina, cochlea and body surface in the central nervous system. Numerous studies have addressed themselves to the developmental mechanisms underlying the formation of topographical projections. Partly because of these trends, there has been relatively little discussioon of mapping as a physiological phenomenon rather than as an anatomical one. To the extent that the organization of a sensory representation strictly reflects the brain’s architectural requirements, including such factors as simple physical packing and routing and various embryological rules, questions about mapping reduce to those about the underlying anatomical projection; in this case, a physiological map is a byproduct of the brain’s architectural design.
Factors affecting BMI and hemoglobin levels of mothers and infants in Kuwait

OF THE THESIS FACTORS AFFECTING BMI AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVELS OF MOTHERS AND INFANTS IN KUWAIT by Ahmad R. AL-Haifi Florida International University, 2001 Miami, Florida Professor Fatma G. Huffman, Major Professor The purpose of this study was two-fold: to evaluate the problems of obesity and anemia among Kuwaiti mothers and their infants. The sample was made up of 254 mothers and their infants who were between the ages of 2 to 23 months. They were selected from those attending the Health Centers in Kuwait. The study measured the weight and height of mothers and their infants. The hemoglobin (Hb) levels of mothers and their infants were determined by collecting the capillary blood. During the interviews, the mothers were asked about infant feeding practices, number of pregnancies, educational level, and occupation. Based on the National Center for Health Statistics reference, 8.3% of the infants were overweight compared to 11.3% among American infants. The prevalences of overweight and obesity among mothers were 44.9% and 37.8%, respectively. Mothers who had a high number of pregnancies had a higher BMI than those who had fewer pregnancies (P= 0.001). Less educated mothers had a significantly higher number of pregnancies (P< 0.001). Non-
Numerical Aspects of the Neumann-Kelvin Problem

The Neumann-Kelvin problem for a surface ship traveling at a steady speed represents an approximate solution to the inviscid flow. In this article it is subjected to a range of numerical experiments, replacing the ship by a surface source distribution. A method of dealing with the main difficulty, the calculation of the influence of the various panels upon each other, is arrived at.
Integration of musculoskeletal physical therapy care in the patient-centred medical home (IMPaC): protocol for a single-site randomised clinical trial.

Introduction Annually, >50% of the US population reports musculoskeletal (MSK) pain to a provider, with direct healthcare costs exceeding $185 billion. The number of MSK complaints and the associated costs are projected to rise, increasing demand for and burden on providers. Establishing new care models to decrease inefficiencies may lower costs and optimise care delivery. The purpose of the Integration of Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Care in the Patient-Centred Medical Home (IMPaC) study is to compare initial evaluation by a physical therapist (PT) integrated into primary care versus initial evaluation by a primary care provider (PCP) for patients with an MSK complaint. Methods and analysis This single-site, randomised clinical trial will test the hypothesis that a PT within a primary care facility as the initial evaluating provider for patients with an MSK complaint will lower costs, improve utilisation (ie, reduced opioid prescriptions, imaging, physical therapy, emergency department visits and missed appointments) and increase patient satisfaction within 90 days of the index visit compared with PCP evaluation in the same location. Participants aged ≥18 years will be randomised with equal allocation and stratified by pain site (ie, back, knee, upper extremity and other). In the initial PT evaluation arm, patients will be assessed, treated and then instructed to complete a home exercise programme. The PCP cohort will undergo a usual PCP evaluation, and if a referral to physical therapy is made, patients will be randomised to onsite versus offsite physical therapy. Differences will be calculated and tested across the two arms. Ethics and dissemination Approval was received from the Duke University Institutional Review Board (01 May 2017) and the National Institutes of Health, National Centre for Advancing Translational Sciences (01 January 2017). Findings will be communicated via quarterly reports to funding bodies and disseminated through scientific publications. Trial registration number NCT03110211; Pre-results.
Association of an endophytic fungus with fescue toxicity in steers fed Kentucky 31 tall fescue seed or hay.

Previous research has implicated an endophytic fungus as being associated with fescue toxicity (summer syndrome) in cattle grazing Kentucky 31 tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) pastures. Hay and seed were harvested from Kentucky 31 pastures known to be either fungus-free or heavily infested with an endophytic fungus identified as Acremonium coenophialum Morgan-Jones and Gams. Four diets containing either 60% fungus-free seed, 60% fungus-infested seed, 85% fungus-free hay or 85% fungus-infested hay were group-fed to three steers each (avg wt 239 kg) in a 53-d feeding trial. Presence of the fungus reduced (P less than .05) daily gains (kg/d) in steers fed either the seed diets (.96 vs .20) or the hay diets (.66 vs .28). Feed intake was depressed 36% for the seed diets and 8% for the hay diets when the fungus was present. Rectal temperatures were elevated .6 C (P less than .05) for both groups receiving diets containing the fungus, but respiration rate was elevated only in the fungus-infested seed group. In vitro dry matter disappearance was not decreased by presence of the fungus. Steers receiving fungus from either seed or hay were nervous and highly excitable, which resulted in large variations in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations. The results of this experiment further implicate an endophytic fungus as being associated with fescue toxicity.
Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) Inhibitors and Ototoxicity: A Systematic Review.

Objective:This study explores the current literature regarding associations between phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors and ototoxicity and provides a detailed summary and discussion of the findings.Data Sources:A comprehensive electronic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library for
Sero-Occurrence of HBV/HCV Co-infection and Levels of Liver Enzymes among Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India: a Pilot Study.

Introduction: Hepatitis B and C viral infections share common modes of transmission and account for a large proportion of liver disease burden across the globe. Patients with Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection may have more severe liver disease and are potentially at higher risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to assess the sero-occurrence of HBV/HCV co-infection by examining the medical records of tertiary care hospital patients in Central India and determine the extent of liver damage based on liver function tests (LFTs).Methods: Patients with a positive test for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) over a period of 10 years were identified from laboratory records in a tertiary care facility in central India. Records of 51,075 consecutive non-duplicate blood samples were then screened for a positive HBV and HCV tests. LFT, liver enzymes, and bilirubin data were also extracted. Means and standard deviations were determined for continuous variables, and the difference in means was compared using a independent samples t-test. Associations between HBV/HCV co-infection status and demographic variables were calculated using Pearson’s Chi-squared test. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: In this study, 1674 (3.27%) screened patients were positive for HBsAg and the sero-occurrence of co-infection with HCV in HBsAg positive patients was reported in 28 individuals (1.67%). There was no significant gender difference for HBV/HCV co-infection (p>0.05). HBV/HCV co-infection was observed more frequently in the 31-60 year old age group (p=0.001). HBV/HCV co-infected patients had significantly higher levels of liver enzymes and bilirubin than those with HBsAg mono-infection (p=0.001).Conclusion: Liver function tests are potentially important predictors for HBV/HCV coinfection. Screening for HCV co-infection in HBsAg-positive patients is recommended in India. Detection of co-infection may enable timely preventive/therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing progression to hepatocellular carcinoma.
Large-scale tree mortality from Rapid Ohia Death negatively influences avifauna in lower Puna, Hawaii Island, USA

‘Ōhi'a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is the principle tree species in forests across the Hawaiian Islands and provides critical foraging and nesting habitat for native passerines. Rapid Ohia Death (ROD), caused by the vascular wilt fungus Ceratocystis lukuohia and the canker pathogen C. huliohia, was first detected in the Puna District of Hawaii Island in 2010. It affects all life stages of ‘ōhi'a and as of July 2018 had spread to an estimated 40,469 ha across Hawaii Island. To determine the impact of ROD on the forest bird community we conducted point counts in lowland ‘ōhi'a forest in 2016 and compared them to counts from 2003 to 2004, before the appearance of ROD. We found an increase in species diversity and a significant decrease in the densities of a native Hawaiian honeycreeper, the Hawaii Amakihi (Chlorodrepanus virens), and the nonnative Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus). Yellow-fronted Canary (Crithagra mozambica) and Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola), 2 nonnative passerines associated with the shrub layer and more open habitats, were only detected in 2016. Proportion of survey points occupied were comparable between survey periods, but relative abundances were generally lower. Hawaii Amakihi densities declined by 79% and Japanese White-eye densities declined by 33%. Our findings suggest that the loss of ‘ōhi'a canopy due primarily to ROD has adversely affected populations of native Hawaii Amakihi and nonnative Japanese White-eye, 2 of the most abundant species of lowland Hawaiian forests.
Microstructure Signature Evolution in Solder Joints, Solder Bumps, and Micro-Bumps Interconnection in A Large 2.5D FCBGA Package During Thermo-Mechanical Cycling

Large body-size and heterogeneously integrated packages have become essential for high-performance computing applications. As an example, designs such as silicon interposer-based 2.5D packages have enabled the integration of high-performance silicon and memory in close proximity, greatly increasing the bandwidth and throughput of these devices. Within such a package, the interaction among the many sub-components and materials creates a complex thermo-mechanical response in the interconnections, which includes micro-bumps and C4 bumps. In addition, such components frequently require a high-layer count and high-thickness PCB, which creates a challenge for the reliability of the solder joints. As a result, the overall reliability of PCB assembly needs to be evaluated at every level of the interconnect. In this study, a large 2.5D flip chip package was subject to temperature cycling testing. This component was also attached to a PCB, and the entire assembly went through temperature cycling as well. Over the duration of testing, a series of microstructure evaluations were performed at the micro-bump, C4 bump, and solder joint level. Each analysis included polarized optical imaging, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), EBSD (Electron Backscatter Diffraction) and strain contour analysis. With these techniques, the methodology was able to not only observe the degradation and microstructure evolution, but was also able to reveal the damage by collecting high-resolution strain / stress distribution data at critical locations such as corner bumps and solder joints. These data provided insight into metallurgical processes that alter the grain structure of solder joints at different dimensions and locations, and ultimately the details of the failure mechanisms and processes.
Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Miranda Warnings

When the Supreme Court first adopted the Miranda rule, it was new and exotic. At times, it was said to be a prophylactic rule, subject to amendment or revocation by Congress. Eventually it became an accepted part of American life. As that happened, it also became more than prophylactic. Today, even though aspects of it may be confusing, Miranda is built into the American culture. As such, the United States Supreme Court has properly come to view it as a fully constitutional rule.
The CER Experiment

When controversy over the SUPPORT study of extremely premature infants erupted six years ago, the research and bioethics community appeared split over the requirements of informed consent. Heated d...
ABBREVIATED DAPT FOLLOWED BY P2Y12 MONOTHERAPY AS COMPARED TO STANDARD DAPT POST-PCI: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

At least 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy [DAPT] after percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] was recommended following reports of increased stent thrombosis in patients treated with first generation drug eluting stents [DES]. However in the present era of second generation and newer DES,
Targeting Cell Contractile Forces: A Novel Minimally Invasive Treatment Strategy for Fibrosis

Fibrosis is a complication of tendon injury where excessive scar tissue accumulates in and around the injured tissue, leading to painful and restricted joint motion. Unfortunately, fibrosis tends to recur after surgery, creating a need for alternative approaches to disrupt scar tissue. We posited a strategy founded on mechanobiological principles that collagen under tension generated by fibroblasts is resistant to degradation by collagenases. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that blebbistatin, a drug that inhibits cellular contractile forces, would increase the susceptibility of scar tissue to collagenase degradation. Decellularized tendon scaffolds (DTS) were treated with bacterial collagenase with or without external or cell-mediated internal tension. External tension producing strains of 2–4% significantly reduced collagen degradation compared with non-tensioned controls. Internal tension exerted by human fibroblasts seeded on DTS significantly reduced the area of the scaffolds compared to acellular controls and inhibited collagen degradation compared to free-floating DTS. Treatment of cell-seeded DTS with 50 mM blebbistatin restored susceptibility to collagenase degradation, which was significantly greater than in untreated controls (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that therapies combining collagenases with drugs that reduce cell force generation should be considered in cases of tendon fibrosis that do not respond to physiotherapy.
Winning, Defined? Text-Mining Arbitration Decisions

Who wins in consumer arbitration? Historically, this question has been nearly impossible to answer, as most arbitration proceedings are a private black box, and arbitral forums release only limited summary statistics. One exception is the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which arbitrates virtually all disputes between investors and stockbroker-dealers, and makes all of its nearly 60,000 written arbitration decisions publicly available in an online database. This Article is the first to use computational text analysis tools to study these decisions, and to construct a measure of the claimants’ win, loss, and settlement rates. It is the first installment in an original data analytics project that aggregates dispersed public data and document sets to assess the efficacy of arbitration outcome transparency as an investment protection measure. This Article makes three main contributions. First, the results of our novel study provide a more granular picture of customer experiences in the FINRA forum. We identify settlement as the most frequent outcome, followed by claimant losses, and then wins. In twenty percent of cases, we identify the presence of multiple outcomes per arbitration decision, where a claimant lost some claims but won or settled others, for example. This suggests a greater complexity and nuance in the notion of a “win” than FINRA’s outcome measure – and previous scholarship – have recognized. Second, we discovered that the structure of FINRA’s written arbitration decisions prevents further exploration of the amounts of compensatory damages that claimants recover, if any, compared to the amounts requested. Our final contribution is therefore a set of recommendations to FINRA – applicable to other private dispute resolution forums as well – to increase data access, usability, and transparency.
Construction of Quasi-diabatic Hamiltonians That Accurately Represent ab Initio Determined Adiabatic Electronic States Coupled by Conical Intersections for Systems on the Order of 15 Atoms. Application to Cyclopentoxide Photoelectron Detachment in the Full 39 Degrees of Freedom

We present, for systems of moderate dimension, a fitting framework to construct quasi-diabatic Hamiltonians that accurately represent ab initio adiabatic electronic structure data including the eff...
Public Grants Awarded to Private Firms: A Mixed Duopoly Analysis

Abstract The literature presents conflicting arguments on the social value of public grants awarded to private firms. Some of the prominent examples are those associated with public grants for medical research awarded by the National Institute of Health to private healthcare providers. This study evaluates the social welfare impact of such public grants to private sector in a mixed duopoly model. The results generate equilibrium-based conditions that could be responsible for the enhancing or deteriorating social welfare effect of public grants awarded to private healthcare providers. The status of the competing public healthcare providers turns out to be a crucial factor. The results have policy implications for public granting agencies and for state governments in charge of public healthcare providers.
Topical Corneal Cross-Linking Solution Delivered Via Corneal Reservoir in Dutch-Belted Rabbits.

Purpose A topical corneal cross-linking solution that can be used as an adjunct or replacement to standard photochemical cross-linking (UV-riboflavin) methods remain an attractive possibility. Optimal concentration and delivery method for such topical corneal stabilization in the living rabbit eye were developed. Methods A series of experiments were carried out using Dutch-belted rabbits (3 months old, weighing 1.0-1.5 kg) and topical cross-linking solutions (sodium hydroxymethylglycinate) (10-250 mM) delivered via corneal reservoir. The application regimen included a one-time 30-minute application (10-40 mM sodium hydroxymethylglycinate) as well as a once per week 5-minute application (250 mM sodium hydroxymethylglycinate) for 7 weeks. Animals were evaluated serially for changes in IOP, pachymetry, epithelial integrity, and endothelial cell counts. Keratocyte changes were identified using intravital laser scanning confocal microscopy. Post mortem efficacy was evaluated by mechanical inflation testing. Results Overall, there were very few differences observed in right eye treated versus left eye controls with respect to intraocular pressure, pachymetry, and endothelial cell counts, although 30-minute cross-linking techniques did cause transient increases in thickness resolving within 7 days. Epithelial damage was noted in all of the 30-minute applications and fully resolved within 72 hours. Keratocyte changes were significant, showing a wound healing pattern similar to that after riboflavin UVA photochemical cross-linking in rabbits and humans. Surprisingly, post mortem inflation testing showed that the lower concentration of 20 mM delivered over 30 minutes showed the most profound stiffening/strengthening effect. Conclusions Topical cross-linking conditions that are safe and can increase corneal stiffness/strength in the living rabbit eye have been identified. Translational relevance A topical corneal cross-linking solution delivered via corneal reservoir is shown to be both safe and effective at increasing tissue strength in living rabbit eyes and could now be tested in patients suffering from keratoconus and other conditions marked by corneal tissue weakness.
Mapping Micro-Level Decision-Making for Alligator Management in North Carolina

Human-carnivore interactions represent a grand challenge to conservation decision-making and legitimacy across all levels of governance. Human populations continue to encroach upon and devastate carnivore habitats and populations, intensifying interactions between a variety of biodiversity interests and beneficiaries. As a result, carnivores most intensely impact those living in their midst, demanding increased attention by local decision makers, who are often best suited to catering to the needs of communities most affected. Their views and desires can serve as a forerunner of public trust and acceptance of policies created. However, due to the complexity of decisions about carnivores, these actors are often overlooked in the formal decision process. To address this need, we applied multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to a case study of American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) conservation in 10 coastal North Carolina counties to identify and postulate legitimate outcomes. We surveyed 25 local decision makers who are or may be responsible for management decisions concerning the American alligator and asked them to evaluate and indicate the level of importance of salient alligator management elements. Results indicate that decision makers strongly favored the wildlife and social factors when making alligator management decisions, as well as the criteria human well-being, attitudes towards alligators, education programs, and storm mitigation. Respondents favored highly managed and balanced management alternatives to maximize preferred criteria and achieve legitimate alligator management at the local level. These results demonstrate that local decision makers are capable of identifying what is important to alligator management decisions, and can provide an insightful look at trade-offs that need to or could be made to achieve optimal alligator outcomes. We conclude that local decision makers should become more involved in shaping carnivore outcomes to enhance legitimacy of alligator policy and help achieve conservation targets. Future research will need to further expand understandings of local decision makers’ decision-making process in other carnivore contexts. Researchers will want to consider using and refining decision analysis to cut through the complexity of carnivore conservation decision-making that exists across wide geopolitical expanses.
Marriage Story: A Tale of Divorce, Love...and the Law

Noah Baumbach’s 2019 narrative feature film Marriage Story, with its nuanced capture of a relationship’s dissolution and the impact on the inter-generational family members, has generated much commentary from lawyers and other professionals. Using Marriage Story as a primary framing device, this article examines the lessons that we can learn as educators, scholars, and practitioners from this celluloid depiction of the legal and emotional aspects of divorce and child custody proceedings, the role of family lawyers and other professionals, their concomitant ethical responsibilities, and the use of appropriate dispute resolution processes.
Comparing the Efficacy of Interprofessional versus Single Profession Teams in Promoting Quality Conversations About Advance Care Planning

PURPOSE The study compared the impact of educating learners in interprofessional versus single profession teams using the Respecting Choices First Steps® Advance Care Planning training method. METHODS Learners in an academic program were grouped into either interprofessional or single profession teams and participated separately in Respecting Choices® Facilitator training. A PICOT question was formulated: In ACP facilitators and their clients what is the effect of an ACP educational initiative on attitudes, knowledge and behaviors when the initiative is delivered by an interprofessional compared to a single profession team of learners during a year-long pilot study? RESULTS 1. Confidence in the subject matter increased in ACP facilitators pre- to post test. 2. Interprofessional knowledge and attitudes were not different in the two teams. 3. Clients attending ACP workshops improved their scores pre- to post workshop but no difference was observed between clients of the interprofessional and the single profession team. CONCLUSION Preliminary steps beyond grouping learners into teams consisting of multiple professions will be required to impact their effectiveness over a single profession team.
Shallow seismicity patterns in the northwestern section of the Mexico Subduction Zone

Abstract This study characterizes subduction related seismicity with local deployments along the northwestern section of the Mexico Subduction Zone where 4 portions of the plate interface have ruptured in 1973, 1985, 1995, and 2003. It has been proposed that the subducted boundary between the Cocos and Rivera plates occurs beneath this region, as indicated by inland volcanic activity, a gap in tectonic tremor, and the Manzanillo Trough and Colima Graben, which are depressions thought to be associated with the splitting of the two plates after subduction. Data from 50 broadband stations that comprised the MARS seismic array, deployed from January 2006 to June 2007, were processed with the software program Antelope and its generalized source location algorithm, genloc, to detect and locate earthquakes within the network. Slab surface depth contours from the resulting catalog indicate a change in subduction trajectory between the Rivera and Cocos plates. The earthquake locations are spatially anti-correlated with tectonic tremor, supporting the idea that they represent different types of fault slip. Hypocentral patterns also reveal areas of more intense seismic activity (clusters) that appear to be associated with the 2003 and 1973 megathrust rupture regions. Seismicity concentrated inland of the 2003 rupture is consistent with slip on a shallowly dipping trajectory for the Rivera plate interface as opposed to crustal faulting in the overriding North American plate. A prominent cluster of seismicity within the suspected 1973 rupture zone appears to be a commonly active portion of the megathrust as it has been active during three previous deployments. We support these interpretations by determining focal mechanisms and detailed relocations of the largest events within the 1973 and inland 2003 clusters, which indicate primarily thrust mechanisms near the plate interface.
Knowledge engineering for intelligent tutoring systems: assessing semi-automatic skill encoding methods

Building a mapping between items and their related knowledge components, while difficult and time consuming, is central to the task of developing affective intelligent tutoring systems. Improving performance on this task by creating a semi-automatic skill encoding system would facilitate the development of such systems. The goal of this project is to explore techniques involved in text classification to the end of improving the time required to correctly tag items with their associated skills.
Crosstalk reduction in wavelength division multiplexed analog links through polarization modulation

The crosstalk produced by polarization modulation and amplitude modulation for a 25 km, 200 GHz spaced, wavelength division multiplexed analog link is compared. Polarization modulation results in an improvement of up to 35 dB
Morphogenesis of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus and a Related Human Virus (Strain 229E)

Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and strain 229E, a virus recently recovered from patients with colds, have been shown to possess a similar distinctive morphology in negatively stained preparations. An electron microscopic study of the morphogenesis of IBV in the chorioallantoic membrane and of strain 229E in WI-38 cells was performed. In infected cells, round electron-dense particles 82 mmu in diameter were observed to form by a process of budding from membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasmic vesicles. The particles in IBV-infected cells were similar in size and shape to those in strain 229E-infected cells but showed certain differences in internal structure. The evidence that the particles represent virions and the implications of these findings in the classification of this virus group are discussed.
Adult-onset cyclic neutropenia is associated with increased large granular lymphocytes

Human cyclic neutropenia occurs in adults as well as children. Clinical illness is similar in the childhood and adult diseases, but distinctly different modes of onset suggest heterogeneity in its pathophysiology. We studied seven patients with cyclic neutropenia, three with disease acquired in adulthood, and four with the childhood-onset disorder. All three patients with adult-onset cyclic neutropenia had increased numbers of circulating large granular lymphocytes (LGL), whereas the four children with cyclic neutropenia had normal LGL counts. LGL from patients with adult-onset cyclic neutropenia expressed cell surface antigens HNK-1 (three of three patients) and IgG Fc receptors (two of three patients), although natural killer activity was low. Two of these patients were treated with alternate-day steroids, resulting in decreased LGL counts and abrogation of neutrophil cycling. We suggest that adult-onset cyclic neutropenia may be distinguished from the childhood-onset form of the disease by increased numbers of LGL. Furthermore, increased LGL may identify a subset of patients with cyclic neutropenia who respond to steroid therapy.
The Current Health of Metropolitan Labour Markets in the United States

Much recent research on US labour markets has turned to tracing out the dramatic changes that accompanied and followed the events of the Great Recession (2007–2009). But to date this research has led to more temporal as opposed to spatial detail about those changes. This paper uses an online data set to assess the relative economic health (performance) of the US's more than 350 metropolitan labour markets during and after the Great Recession. These data address both the current level (e.g. unemployment rate) and the recent trend (e.g. 3-year job growth) in the economic health of those labour markets. Multivariate analysis generates one sub-index for level and a second sub-index for trend and then an overall performance index is calculated. But, after recognising that heterogeneity in these labour markets exists according to their different sizes, this paper re-examines those online data using four separate population size classes. New indices are then generated reflecting the relative sizes of the metropolitan labour markets and the new rankings that follow differ in important ways from the original rankings. The findings also indicate a disjuncture now exists between the economic health of Snowbelt versus Sunbelt cities. Coming immediately out of the Great Recession the average economic health of Northern cities is much better than that of Southern cities.
Abstract 13: Relations of Midlife Exercise Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and Fitness to Late Life Brain Structure and Function

Background: Exaggerated blood pressure (BP) and vascular stiffness have been associated with lower cognitive performance and brain atrophy in older age. The brain is a high-flow, low impedance organ that is susceptible to fluctuation in BP. Poor cardiovascular (CV) fitness is also emerging as a factor associated with cognitive decline in older age. The BP and heart rate (HR) response to exercise are impacted by CV fitness; and exercise BP is also highly determined by vascular stiffness. The objective of this investigation was to examine whether poor fitness and exaggerated BP and HR response to exercise in midlife are associated with worse brain morphology in later life. Methods: A subset of Framingham Offspring Study participants (n=1340, 54.5% F) free from dementia and CV disease underwent an exercise treadmill test (the modified Bruce protocol) in midlife [mean age of 41±9 y] and continued until exhaustion or until 85% HR maximum (age- and sex- predicted) was reached. Exercise test duration was used to...
Two new species of phacelia (Hydrophyllaceae) from California

Phacelia cookei andP. stebbinsii, thus far found only in California, are described as new. The former is apparently endemic to ashy volcanic sand on Mt. Shasta; the latter is found on metamorphic rock cliffs in Eldorado County.
Federal Administration of Rural Electrification.

Origin. The Rural Electrification Administration began as one of the “temporary” and “emergency” units in Roosevelt's collection of alphabetical agencies under executive order 7037 of May 11, 1935. The expressed purpose of the President was to promote the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in rural areas. Morris L. Cooke, noted management engineer who had served as a member of the Power Authority of New York when Roosevelt was governor, was chosen administrator. Money for loans to cooperatives, public bodies, and private companies was made available from relief funds, with the stipulation that borrowers must use at least 90 per cent relief labor in construction work. All money was to be repaid; no part of the federal funds was to be used for grants or subsidies.
Properties of (1−x)PZT–xSKN Ceramics Sintered at Low Temperature Using Li2CO3

The densification of a Sr, K, Nb (SKN)-doped PZT ceramic has been modified using different flux chemistries. The most successful flux is Li2CO3 of which a 0.9 mol% addition promotes almost complete densification at 900°C. Structure property relationships in the Li2CO3 flux-sintered (1−x)PZT–xSKN system (0.01<x<0.05) are compared with conventionally sintered material. Consequences of flux interactions include increased conductivity and a shift in the optimum (1−x)PZT–xSKN composition. The flux sintered PZT–0.03SKN composition exhibits a high field d33 piezoelectric coefficient of 640 pm/V and a Curie temperature of ∼350°C. The unipolar polarization hysteresis loss is ∼23 kJ/m3 and varies little with temperature up to 150°C. Finally, we demonstrate successful cofiring of a multilayer structure at 900°C using Li2CO3-fluxed PZT–SKN and pure silver electrodes.
Information sources used by Millennial restaurant wine consumers.

An on-line survey was used to identify information sources used by U.S. Millennials for restaurant wine purchases based on experience, involvement, and subjective and objective wine knowledge. The most to least used information sources include wine list, server, self, and friends, respectively. Standard multiple regression determined that level of experience influenced the use of personal information sources. More experience and higher levels of subjective knowledge and objective knowledge all pointed to the use of self as an information source. No significant differences were found among generational segments.
Presence of functional luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptors in human breast cell lines: implications supporting the premise that hCG protects women against breast cancer.

We investigated MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines and immortalized mammary epithelial HBL-100 cells for the presence of functional LH/hCG receptors. The results revealed that all three breast cell lines contain LH/hCG receptor mRNA transcripts and receptor proteins that can bind 125 I-hCG. The MCF-7 cells, however, contain higher levels than the others. Culturing MCF-7 cells with highly purified hCG resulted in a dose- and time-dependent significant decrease in steady-state estradiol receptor mRNA and protein levels as compared to controls, with the maximal decrease occurring after 4 h of culture with 10 ng/ml hCG. The studies on cell growth demonstrated that hCG treatment in the presence of minimal or no fetal bovine serum had a time-dependent significant inhibitory effect on MCF-7 and HBL-100, but not on MDA-MB-231 cells. In summary, our results demonstrate that human breast cell lines contain functional LH/hCG receptors. The hCG effects in MCF-7 cells are consistent with a premise that hCG protects women against breast cancer.
Etched glass microarrays with differential resonance for enhanced contrast and sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance imaging analysis.

We report the fabrication and characterization of gold-coated etched glass array substrates for surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) analysis with significantly enhanced performance, in particular image contrast and sensitivity. The etching of the glass substrate induces a variation in the resonance condition and thus in the resonance angle between the etched wells and the surrounding area, leading to the isolation of the array spot resonance with a significant reduction of the background signal. FDTD simulations show arrays with large spots and minimal spot-to-spot spacing yield ideal differential resonance conditions, which are verified by experimental results. Simulations also indicate the etched well structure exhibits enhanced SPR electric field intensity by 3-fold as compared to standard planar gold chips. Changes in the bulk sensitivity of the etched arrays have been obtained at the 10–4 RIU level based on image intensity difference. The strong image contrast allows for improved microarray imag...
A Computer-Controlled Pump and Realistic, Anthropomorphic Respiratory Phantom for Validating Image-Guided Systems

The development of image-guided interventions requires validation studies to evaluate new protocols. So far, these validation studies have been limited to animal models and to software and physical phantoms that simulate respiratory motion but cannot accommodate needle punctures in a realistic manner. We have built a computer-controlled pump that drives an anthropomorphic respiratory phantom for simulating natural breathing patterns. This pump consists of a power supply, a motion controller with servo amplifier, linear actuator, and custom fabricated pump assembly. By generating several sample waveforms, we were able to simulate typical breathing patterns. Using this pump, we were able to produce chest wall movements similar to typical chest wall movements observed in humans. This system has potential applications for evaluating new respiratory compensation algorithms and may facilitate improved testing of image-guided protocols under realistic interventional conditions.
Surgical Pearls: Laparoscopic Removal of Uterine Remnants in Patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome

Abstract Background Females with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome may require surgical removal of uterine remnant(s) which can be accomplished with a laparoscopic approach, described in this case series. Cases Nine females with MRKH and pelvic pain were treated with laparoscopic resection of uterine remnants without major complication. The following management recommendations are offered: (1) preoperative evaluation for urinary tract anomalies and postoperative cystoscopy; (2) medial traction of the remnant to allow adequate exposure of the pelvic sidewall; (3) awareness of possible anomalous vascular supply to uterine remnant; (4) individualized management of associated endometriosis; (5) careful use of surgical terminology, avoiding use of the word hysterectomy. Summary and Conclusion Laparoscopic removal of uterine remnant(s) is safe and effective.
A Novel Mutation in the Switch 3 Region of Gsα in a Patient with Albright Hereditary Osteodystrophy Impairs GDP Binding and Receptor Activation

Abstract Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), a disorder characterized by skeletal abnormalities and obesity, is associated with heterozygous inactivating mutations in the gene for Gsα. A novel Gsα mutation encoding the substitution of tryptophan for a nonconserved arginine within the switch 3 region (Gsα R258W) was identified in an AHO patient. Although reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction studies demonstrated that mRNA expression from wild type and mutant alleles was similar, Gsα expression in erythrocyte membranes from the affected patient was reduced by 50%. A Gsα R258W cDNA, as well as one with arginine replaced by alanine (Gsα R258A), was generated, and the biochemical properties of in vitrotranscription/translation products were examined. When reconstituted with cyc− membranes, both mutant proteins were able to stimulate adenylyl cyclase normally in the presence of guanosine- 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTPγS) but had decreased ability in the presence of isoproterenol or AlF4 − (a mixture of 10 μmAlCl3 and 10 mm NaF). The ability of each mutant to bind and be activated by GTPγS or AlF4 − was assessed by trypsin protection assays. Both mutants were protected normally by GTPγS but showed reduced protection in the presence of AlF4 −. The addition of excess GDP (2 mm) was able to rescue the ability of AlF4 − to protect the mutants, suggesting that they might have reduced affinity for GDP. A Gsα R258A mutant purified from Escherichia coli had decreased affinity for GDP and an apparent rate of GDP release that was 10-fold greater than that of wild type Gsα. Sucrose density gradient analysis demonstrated that both Gsα R258W and Gsα R258A were thermolabile at higher temperatures and that denaturation of both mutants was prevented by the presence of 0.1 mm GTPγS or 2 mm GDP. The crystal structure of Gsα demonstrates that Arg258 interacts with a conserved residue in the helical domain (Gln170). Arg258 substitutions would be predicted to open the cleft between the GTPase and helical domains, allowing for increased GDP release in the inactive state, resulting in enhanced thermolability and reduced AlF4 −-induced adenylyl cyclase stimulation and trypsin protection, since activation by AlF4 − requires bound GDP.
Fragrance material review on 1-phenyl-3-methyl-3-pentyl acetate.

Abstract A toxicologic and dermatologic review of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-3-pentyl acetate when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented. 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-3-pentyl acetate is a member of the fragrance structural group Aryl Alkyl Alcohol Simple Acid Esters (AAASAE). The AAASAE fragrance ingredients are prepared by reacting an aryl alkyl alcohol with a simple carboxylic acid (a chain of 1–4 carbons) to generate formate, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate and carbonate esters. This review contains a detailed summary of all available toxicology and dermatology papers that are related to this individual fragrance ingredient and is not intended as a stand-alone document. Available data for 1-phenyl-3-methyl-3-pentyl acetate were evaluated, then summarized, and includes physical properties, acute toxicity, skin irritation, and skin sensitization data. A safety assessment of the entire AAASAE will be published simultaneously with this document. Please refer to Belsito et al. (2012) for an overall assessment of the safe use of this material and all AAASAE in fragrances. Belsito, D., Bickers, D., Bruze, M., Calow, P., Dagli, M., Fryer, A.D., Greim, H., Hanifin, J.H., Miyachi, Y., Saurat, J.H., Sipes, I.G., 2012. A toxicologic and dermatologic assessment of aryl alkyl alcohol simple acid esters when used as fragrance ingredients.
The Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-induced Microvascular Permeability Requires Rac and Reactive Oxygen Species

Vascular permeability is a complex process involving the coordinated regulation of multiple signaling pathways in the endothelial cell. It has long been documented that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) greatly enhances microvascular permeability; however, the molecular mechanisms controlling VEGF-induced permeability remain unknown. Treatment of microvascular endothelial cells with VEGF led to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. ROS are required for VEGF-induced permeability as treatment with the free radical scavenger, N-acetylcysteine, inhibited this effect. Additionally, treatment with VEGF caused ROS-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of both vascular-endothelial (VE)-cadherin and β-catenin. Rac1 was required for the VEGF-induced increase in permeability and adherens junction protein phosphorylation. Knockdown of Rac1 inhibited VEGF-induced ROS production consistent with Rac lying upstream of ROS in this pathway. Collectively, these data suggest that VEGF leads to a Rac-mediated generation of ROS, which, in turn, elevates the tyrosine phosphorylation of VE-cadherin and β-catenin, ultimately regulating adherens junction integrity.
An algorithm for computer aided design problems

A large class of engineering design problems including multivariable feedback systems, can be transcribed into the form P: min{f0(x)|gj(x)?0 j = 1,.., q, j??? max fj(x,?)?0, j = 1,..., m}, with each ?j a bounded interval of the real line. In this paper we give several examples of such transcriptions, including that of an i.s.e., PID controller design for a single-input single-output system subject to a phase-margin constraint and a peak overshoot-settling time problem. We then present scaling procedures for the search vector in the Polak-Mayne [1] algorithm which solves P, as well as a new, self-scaling, algorithm for solving P. This new algorithm is related to the Pironneau-Polak [6] dual method of feasible directions. The use of scaling in such methods is most important since it leads to substantial savings in computing time.
Emissions comparisons from alternative fuel buses and diesel buses with a chassis dynamometer testing facility

The use of alternative fuels is considered to be an effective measure to meet strict emissions regulations of particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). In response to these requirements, emissions data from in-use alternative fuel and diesel-powered heavy-duty vehicles have been measured and collected from 32 transit agencies in 17 states using the two West Virginia University (WVU) transportable heavy-duty vehicle emissions testing laboratories (THDVETLs). More than 600 tests have been performed on over 300 buses and heavy trucks operating on alternative fuels such as natural gas, methanol, and ethanol and also operating on conventional fuel diesel. Regulated emissions of PM, NOx, carbon monoxide (CO), and total hydrocarbon (HC) have been measured and analyzed. In this study, emissions data from alternative fuel buses and diesel control buses are carefully compared. The results show that natural gas, methanol, and ethanol have a strong potential to reduce PM and NOx emissions levels. (A)