cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long time-scale simulations of in vivo diffusion using GPU hardware

To address the problem of performing long time simulations of biochemical pathways under in vivo cellular conditions, we have developed a lattice-based, reaction-diffusion model that uses the graphics processing unit (GPU) as a computational co-processor. The method has been specifically designed from the beginning to take advantage of the GPU's capacity to perform massively parallel calculations by not only executing a core set of mathematical calculations, but also running much of the underlying algorithmic logic on the GPU. In this study we present our three-dimensional model for in vivo diffusion that exploits the calculation capabilities of the GPU. The implementation of the diffusion operator on the GPU is subject to architectural constraints, and we discuss its structure and the trade-offs made to accommodate the GPU hardware.
The Provinciality of American Empire: ‘Liberal Exceptionalism’ and U.S. Colonial Rule, 1898–1912

The A. adresses recent claims that the United States, now (and again) an imperial nation, is an empire uniquely commited to democracy. This self-justifying model of "liberal exceptionalism" is easily picked apart, but the A. refuses to give blanket endorsement to the reverse proposition: namely, that U.S. imperialism has never been committed to human rights or social justice, that America's democratic ideals have been corrupted by empire. The latter critique is ahistorical, he contends, and locates the defining attributes of imperialism within the national character of the empire builders. Using material from Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa and Guam, the A. suggests that U.S. imperial policies are better understood as "provincial" , as localized responses to the "particularities" of the societies the United States ruled. American officials preached democratic reform when indigenous elites wanted it (as they did in the Philippines and Puerto Rico); they avoided it when their subject populations were thought to be "savages" or "innocents" who would only be disturbed by change (the situation in Samoa and Guam).
The role of ligand coordination on the cytotoxicity of cationic quantum dots in HeLa cells

The effect of ligand structure on the cytotoxicity of cationic CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) was systematically investigated using mono- and bidentate ligands. Monothiol-functionalized QDs are more cytotoxic than dithiol-functionalized QDs.
Mutation of the receptor tyrosine kinase gene Mertk in the retinal dystrophic RCS rat

Vertebrate photoreceptor cells are the basic sensory apparatus of the retina, capable of converting the energy of absorbed photons into neuronal signals. The proximal portions of mammalian photoreceptor outer segments are synthesized daily by cell bodies, and outer segment tips are shed with a circadian rhythm, resulting in a complete turnover of outer segments about every 9 days. The shed outer segments are phagocytosed by adjacent retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and metabolites are recycled to photoreceptors. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat is a widely studied, classic model of recessively inherited retinal degeneration in which the RPE fails to phagocytose shed outer segments, and photoreceptor cells subsequently die. We have used a positional cloning approach to study the rdy (retinal dystrophy) locus of the RCS rat. Within a 0.3 cM genetic inclusion interval, we have discovered a small deletion of RCS DNA that disrupts the gene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase Mertk. The deletion includes the splice acceptor site upstream of the second coding exon of Mertk and results in a shortened transcript that lacks this exon. The aberrant transcript joins the first and third coding exons, leading to a frameshift and a translation termination signal 20 codons after the AUG. The concordance of these and other data indicate that Mertk is probably the gene for rdy. Our results provide genetic evidence for an essential role of a receptor tyrosine kinase in a specialized form of phagocytosis and suggest a molecular model for ingestion of outer segments by RPE cells.
Quantifying the Value of Personalized Medicines: Evidence from COX-2 Inhibitors

We develop a conceptual framework for estimating the value of personalized medicines. We show that personalizing medicines generates value from two sources. The first is a market-expansion effect by persons who initiate treatment due to reduced pre-treatment uncertainty about the effectiveness or side effects of treatment. The second is a market-contraction effect due to discontinuation of treatment by persons unresponsive to treatment. We apply the conceptual framework to evaluate the value of a predictive test to assess whether patients are at elevated risk for cardiac complications from COX-2 inhibitors. We find that this predictive test would yield an overall value to patients of about $16 billion per year or $1284 per likely patient.
A Technical Foundation for RF CMOS Power Amplifiers: Part 3: Power Amplifier 3-Port Characteristics

Here in the third article of this series [1] (see ?A Series on CMOS Transmitter Techniques?), implications from the fact that all amplifiers are now, and have always been, three-port circuits are explored.
The role of APOE in cerebrovascular dysfunction

The e4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE4) is associated with cognitive decline during aging, is the greatest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and has links to other neurodegenerative conditions that affect cognition. Increasing evidence indicates that APOE genotypes differentially modulate the function of the cerebrovasculature (CV), with apoE and its receptors expressed by different cell types at the CV interface (astrocytes, pericytes, smooth muscle cells, brain endothelial cells). However, research on the role of apoE in CV dysfunction has not advanced as quickly as other apoE-modulated pathways. This review will assess what aspects of the CV are modulated by APOE genotypes during aging and under disease states, discuss potential mechanisms, and summarize the therapeutic significance of the topic. We propose that APOE4 induces CV dysfunction through direct signaling at the CV, and indirectly via modulation of peripheral and central pathways. Further, that APOE4 predisposes the CV to damage by, and exacerbates the effects of, additional risk factors (such as sex, hypertension, and diabetes). ApoE4-induced detrimental CV changes include reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF), modified neuron-CBF coupling, increased blood-brain barrier leakiness, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, hemorrhages and disrupted transport of nutrients and toxins. The apoE4-induced detrimental changes may be linked to pericyte migration/activation, astrocyte activation, smooth muscle cell damage, basement membrane degradation and alterations in brain endothelial cells.
A Selected Bibliography of Two Species of Orius: the Minute Pirate Bug, Orius tristicolor, and Orius insidiosus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)

Many species of the hemipteran family Anthocoridae are known in the United States, but 2 emerge as the most abundant and economically important. These species, in the genus Orius, have wide distribution. O. tristicolor occurs transcontinentally in North America (Kelton 1963), and its distribution extends into Central and South America (Herring 1966). O. insidiosus is more common in the eastern U.S., but occurs southward from Utah and southern California into Mexico, Central and South America (Herring 1966).
Replacing Capabilities within a System-of-Systems: An Architectural Study on how to Simplify the National Airspace System

The National Airspace System (NAS) is an enterprise system-of-systems designed to provide safe and efficient air travel in the United States. While the system is effective at accomplishing these tasks, the initial design for the NAS predated much of the formal systems engineering processes known today. This produced a complex system architecture that is not well suited to meet the needs of future system use and impedes implementing new requirements into the current system. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently working on evolving the NAS into the Next Generation Air Traffic Control System (NextGen). With NextGen the FAA is applying classical systems engineering practices and can start to apply new practices from system-ofsystems engineering (SoSE). Since SoSE is a growing discipline most of the early research has focused on identifying an unambiguous definition for a system-of-systems and developing new system-of-systems. However, one of the key challenges with NextGen is not to develop a new system-of-systems but instead to improve upon the system performance by redesigning and simplifying the current NAS architecture. This paper expands on current system-of-system development research in order to explore how to simplify an existing system-of-systems architecture by replacing the capabilities of the current system. The NAS in its entirety is too large and too complex of a system to fully analyze in this paper, and so the scope will be limited to the surveillance capability of the NAS.
A Few Consumers Speak

A recent article by James O. Peckham in the JOURNAL OF MARKETING entitled “The Consumer Speaks” was of considerable interest to many readers.With real concern over the possibility that the Peckham ...
Further Studies of Integrated Control Methods against the Egyptian Alfalfa Weevil in California

The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyll), and the Egyptian alfalfa weevil, H. brunneipennis (Bohemian), are minor pests on alfalfa in California. Chemicals of indiscriminate toxieity directed against these two minor pests could initiate more serious pest problems in alfalfa. Several insecticides were evaluated for their effect on the Egyptian alfalfa weevil, on Bathyplectes cruculionis (Thoms.), a parasite of the two weevils, and on other parasites and predators of field crop pests. Heptachlor at low dosages of fl to 2.4 ounces per acre gave effective control of the two weevil larvae but had little effect on B. curculionis . At these low dosages heptachlor had little effect on Hippodamia conrergens G.-M. and Orius tristicolor (White) but had II moderate effeet on Trioxys utilis Mues., a parasite of the spotted alfalfa aphid ( Therioaphis maculate (Buckton)), and on Chrysopa spp., and Nabis ferus (Linn.). Demeton which is used to control aphid pests in alfalfa hay and seed in California, had little or no effect on the Egyptian alfalfa weevil larvae. It had a moderate effect on the weevil parasite B. curculionis and on N. ferus and O. tristicolor and it had a slightly greater effect on T. utilis and H. convergens . The biotic insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, had little, if any, effect on the Egyptian alfalfa weevil larvae and on the beneficial insects studied in these tests.
Fragmented Flows: Water Supply in Los Angeles County

In the Los Angeles metropolitan region, nearly 100 public and private entities are formally involved in the management and distribution of potable water—a legacy rooted in fragmented urban growth in the area and late 19th century convictions about local control of services. Yet, while policy debates focus on new forms of infrastructure, restructured pricing mechanisms, and other technical fixes, the complex institutional architecture of the present system has received little attention. In this paper, we trace the development of this system, describe its interconnections and disjunctures, and demonstrate the invisibility of water infrastructure in LA in multiple ways—through mapping, statistical analysis, and historical texts. Perverse blessings of past water abundance led to a complex, but less than resilient, system with users accustomed to cheap, easily accessible water. We describe the lack of transparency and accountability in the current system, as well as its shortcomings in building needed new infrastructure and instituting new water rate structures. Adapting to increasing water scarcity and likely droughts must include addressing the architecture of water management.
X-ray performance of enterobrosis by acute intussusception air enema in infants and children

Objective To analyze the clinical and X-ray features of enterobrosis caused by air enema,and reduce the occurrence of enterobrosis.Methods A total of 1 645 children with enterobrosis were enrolled,male 950,female 695,aged 2 months to 7 years old,mean age 3.6 years old.Six of them were enterobrosis by intussusceptions air enema,male 4,female 2,aged 3-32 months,mean age 17.5 months.The clinical symptoms,X-ray performance and surgical were retrospective analyzed,and the cause of intestinal perforation was concluded.Results There were crying,bellyache,vomit and bloody stools in all 6 cases,emerged enterobrosis in 4 cases in the first time and 2 others in the second time,X-ray showed pneumoperitoneum.There were 4 cases with ileum-colon intussusceptions,2 cases with ileum-ileum-colon intussusceptions and all with necrosis in the end of ileum certified by surgical operation and pathology.Conclusion It is demonstrated that the occurrence of enterobrosis could be reduced by knowing more about intussusceptions and do correctly to these cases with indications.
The Gentle Neoliberalism of Modern Anti-bullying Texts: Surveillance, Intervention, and Bystanders in Contemporary Bullying Discourse

The author argues for the concept of "gentle" neoliberalism to account for how discourse in anti-bullying texts has increasingly presented itself as gentle and kind, while simultaneously reinforcing systems of surveillance and control. Results, based on a grounded theory analysis of 22 anti-bullying books, reveal that the texts generally decoupled bullying from power relations based on sexuality, overlooking homophobia and heteronormativity and marginalizing the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Further, findings demonstrate a shift over time in the texts from an explicitly harsh description of the bullies to a seemingly kinder emphasis on reporting and intervening on behalf of the individual being bullied. This shift to interventionist discourse potentially expands mechanisms of control and reinforces inequalities based on race and social class, as bystanders are increasingly held accountable and students are encouraged to report their peers to authority figures. In response to neoliberal anti-bullying discourse, the author argues for scholarship and policy solutions that undermine unequal power structures and yet also oppose surveillance strategies of monitoring, reporting, and intervening.
Arachidonic acid metabolites mediate the radiation-induced increase in glomerular albumin permeability.

Radiation-induced renal injury is characterized by proteinuria, hypertension, and progressive decline in renal function. We have previously shown that in vivo or in vitro irradiation of glomeruli w...
Antiviral agents in respiratory infections

Viral respiratory illnesses are among the most common afflictions in the United States. Until recently, few agents were available to control these infections. Now, there are specific and nonspecific agents either to prevent or treat viral respiratory infections. For example, a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the common cold provided new insights into therapeutic intervention for that entity. In other instances (eg, influenza), the antiviral agent is so specific that there is a need for diagnostic information to guide therapy. Epidemiological clues, clinical symptoms, and some newer laboratory methods all contribute to the clinician's understanding of the cause of an individual respiratory illness and guide the choice of therapy. In other circumstances, information is being gradually developed that points toward the availability of a broad-spectrum antiviral drug with activity against at least five of the important respiratory viruses; its major limitation is that a cumbersome and expensive means of delivery to the patient is required. For such a drug to gain widespread use, a more practical method of delivery is necessary.
Fine-scale genetic structure among greater sage-grouse leks in central Nevada.

Mating systems that reduce dispersal and lead to non-random mating might increase the potential for genetic structure to arise at fine geographic scales. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have a lek-based mating system and exhibit high site fidelity and skewed mating ratios. We quantified population structure by analyzing variation at 27,866 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 140 males from ten leks (within five lek complexes) occurring in a small geographic region in central Nevada. Lek complexes, and to a lesser extent individual leks, formed statistically identifiable clusters in ordination analyses, providing evidence for fine-scale geographic genetic differentiation. Lek geography predicted genetic differentiation even at a small geographic scale, which could be sharpened by strong site fidelity. Relatedness was also higher among individuals within lek complexes (and leks), suggesting that reproductive skew, where few males participate in most of the successful matings, could also potentially contribute to genetic differentiation. Models incorporating a habitat resistance surface as a proxy for potentially reduced movement due to landscape features indicated that both geographic distance and habitat suitability (i.e. preferred habitat) predicted genetic structure, with no significant effect of man-made barriers to movement (i.e. power lines and roads). Finally, we illustrate how data sets containing fewer loci (<4000) had less statistical precision and failed to detect the full degree of genetic structure. Our results suggest that habitat features and lek site geography of sage-grouse shape fine scale genetic structure, and highlight how larger data sets can have increased precision and accuracy for quantifying ecologically relevant genetic structure over small geographic scales.
Emigrant Politics, Immigrant Engagement: Homeland Ties and Immigrant Political Identity in the United States

Immigrants are also emigrants, possessing social ties that link them to people and places left behind. Although this duality is inherent to the migration process, researchers typically separate the study of emigration from that of immigration. Using new survey data on Latino immigrant social and political engagement in the sending and receiving society, we assess how political attitudes and national allegiance are shaped by social and political ties acquired at home and abroad. We find that immigrants’ home country social ties yield modest political consequences, whereas the more important influences sustaining connections to homeland polities stem from premigration political experiences. Both cross-border social ties and premigration political experiences reinforce homeland national identities. Furthermore, the acquisition of U.S. citizenship tends to corrode homeland attachments and Latino immigrants are more likely to shift political allegiance from home to host state once legal status is obtained.
Multimodal Functional Imaging of the Sensorimotor Cortex with fMRI and Magnetic Source Imaging (MSI)

The clinical advent of echo planar imaging (EPI) combined with the appreciation of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast mechanism has given rise to rapid development in ‘functional magnetic resonance imaging’ (fMRI) of the cortical response to peripheral stimulation and cognitive task performance [1,2]. Studies tend to involve stimulation paradigms lasting from seconds to minutes, with high speed MR images being acquired at a rate of the order of 1/sec. The BOLD contrast mechanism relies on the fact that a regional cortical blood flow increase occurs in response to stimulation but that this is not accompanied by a concomitant increase in local tissue oxygen extraction [3]. This leads to a relative increase in the proportion of oxygenated to deoxygenated blood in the capillary bed. Since deoxyhemoglobin is paramagnetic (and thus accelerates transverse magnetization dephasing) such a change will lead to an attenuation of this dephasing effect and somewhat increased signal intensity on imaging sequences such as gradient-recalled-echo (GRE) and echo-planar imaging (EPI); small signal increases of up to 4% have been reported at clinical field strengths [1,2,4]. This hemodynamic response to stimulation is not instantaneous but exhibits a gradual approach towards a plateau level, with a time constant of the order of a few seconds. So hemodynamic rise-time essentially limits the meaningful temporal resolution achievable in such studies.
Stallion Semen Incubated with Hydrogen Peroxide Decreased DNA Fragmentation as Measured by the TUNEL Assay

Abstract Spermatozoa are highly specialized cells that are sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature and redox state. Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is a reactive oxygen species, and its presence is often associated with a decline in sperm function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of H 2 O 2 and heat stress on DNA damage, membrane integrity, and motility of stallion spermatozoa. Spermatozoa from three light-horse stallions were subjected to thermal stress, treatment with H 2 O 2 , or a combination of both. Treatments were organized using a 2 × 2 factorial design consisting of heat stress (control, 41°C) and potential oxidative stress (control, 50 μM H 2 O 2 ) for 1 hour. The experiments were repeated independently on all stallions. Primary motility parameters were measured using a computer-assisted sperm analysis, whereas DNA damage was assessed using the TUNEL assay. To evaluate membrane integrity, an amine reactive dye was utilized. DNA and membrane integrity were simultaneously assessed in the same flow cytometry assay. Sperm incubated at 41°C were observed to have decreased motility (76.2% vs. 66.6%; P 2 O 2 had decreased DNA damage (19.7% vs. 7.1%; P 2 O 2 on DNA damage, further studies need to be conducted to confirm these findings and to clarify any possible signaling mechanisms.
Sensitivity of conversion efficiency with variable load assignment in class-E resonant inverter and its derivatives

In this paper, we studied the sensitivity of conversion efficiency in class-E resonant inverter under variable load assignment (resistive and inductive loads within rated range). By performing simulation and mathematical analysis, we found that the on-resistance of switching devices has minor effect on efficiency reduction and thus the assumptions in mathematical analysis are acceptable for preliminary design. Due to the difference in resonant frequencies in on-state and off-state periods, a dc offset appears in output voltage at load side. The offset increases with the difference in resonant frequency and can be influenced by the impedance and power factor of load. The load impedance and power factor also strongly influence the zero-voltage switching (ZVS) and zero-derivative switching (ZDS) and thus would significantly reduce the conversion efficiency of resonant inverter. These conclusions are preliminarily validated by experimental tests. At 25% resistive load condition, the dc offset in output voltage reaches 14.3% of its peak value.
Heidegger and post-colonial fascism

Alexander Dugin is considered a fringe figure in contemporary Russia. Yet, his writings exert considerable influence and develop a virulent nationalism that exploits the vocabulary of post-colonial resistance in an unaccustomed way. Dugin should not be ignored, and this article gives a brief account of Dugin’s peculiar brand of post-colonial thinking by reference to its central source: Martin Heidegger. Specifically, the article examines how Dugin adapts the anti-metaphysical thinking of Heidegger’s most radical work of the 1930s – a thinking that seeks to renew Western thought in an other beginning – to the context of modern Russia as it tries to free itself from Western (American) domination. Dugin aims at nothing less than the creation of a new Russian identity and destiny that will not only save Russia but also, in a nod to Heidegger, renew the Western tradition itself from the “outside.” If Dugin’s political project is ambitious, so is his interpretation of Heidegger which attempts to bring out the f...
Requirement of CREB in Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis.

CREB is a nuclear transcription factor that plays an important role in regulating cellular proliferation, memory, and glucose homeostasis. We previously demonstrated that CREB is overexpressed in bone marrow cells from a subset of patients with acute leukemia at diagnosis. Furthermore, CREB overexpression is associated with an increased risk of relapse and decreased event-free survival in adult AML patients. Transgenic mice that overexpress CREB in myeloid cells developed myeloproliferative/myelodysplastic syndrome after one year. To further understand the role of CREB in leukemogenesis and in normal hematopoiesis, we employed RNA interference methods to inhibit CREB expression. To achieve sustained, CREB-specific gene knockdown in leukemia and normal hematopoietic cells, a lentiviral-based small hairpin (shRNA) approach was taken. Three CREB specific shRNAs were generated and tested for efficiency of gene knockdown in 293T cells. Knockdown efficiency approached 90 percent by Western blot analysis compared to vector alone and luciferase controls. Human myeloid leukemia cell lines, K562, TF1, and MV411, were then infected with CREB shRNA lentivirus, sorted for GFP expression, and analyzed using quantitative real time (qRT)-PCR, Western blot analysis, and growth and viability assays. Lentiviral CREB-shRNA achieved between 50 to 90 percent knockdown of CREB compared to control shRNAs at the protein and mRNA levels. To control for non-specific effects, we performed qRT-PCR analysis of the interferon response gene, OAS1, which was not upregulated in cells transduced with CREB shRNA constructs. Within 72 hours, cells transduced with CREB shRNA had decreased proliferation and survival. Similar results were obtained with murine leukemia cells (NFS60 and BA/F3 bcr-abl).To study the role of CREB in normal hematopoiesis, both primary murine and human hematopoietic cells were transduced with our shRNA constructs, and methylcellulose-based colony assays were performed. Primary hematopoietic cells infected with CREB shRNA lentivirus demonstrated a 5-fold decrease in colony number compared to control virus-infected cells (p
Development of switchable polymers to address the dilemma of stability and cargo release in polycationic nucleic acid carriers.

Abstract Cationic polymer gene delivery vehicles that effectively resist premature serum degradation often have difficulty releasing their nucleic acid cargoes. In this work, we report a pH-sensitive polymer (SP), poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate)-co-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block- poly(propargyl methacrylate-graft-propyl-(4-methoxy-benzylidene)-amine) (p(PMA-PMBA)–b-(p(OEGMA-DMAEMA)), for successful in vitro and in vivo gene transfer. In the physiological condition, the hydrophobization of p(OEGMA-DMAEMA) polycations by p(PMA-PMBA) significantly enhanced the stability of its polyplexes counterpart. In endosomes, the polymer undergoes an acid-triggered hydrophilic transition through the cleavage of benzoic imines, thus allowing the vector to quickly release nucleic acid cargo due to the loss of hydrophobic functionalization. Compared to a pH-insensitive polymer (IP), SP exhibited more significant luciferase plasmid delivery efficiency with HeLa cells in vitro and with in vivo intraventricular brain injections. Therefore, the polymer designed here is a good solution to address the dilemma of stability and cargo release in gene delivery, and may have broad potential applications in therapeutic agent delivery.
Macular hole closure following spontaneous release of vitreomacular traction

We describe the temporal changes observed with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in the left eye of a 65-year-old man who developed a stage 1 macular hole secondary to vitreomacular traction (VMT). After 1 month, VMT had resolved spontaneously with a complete posterior vitreous detachment. Following VMT resolution, macular hole demonstrated progressive improvement and outer retinal disruption recovered spontaneously. This report highlights the importance of observation before any intervention for cases of stage 1 macular hole associated with VMT.
Security Challenges in the 21st Century: The Changing Nature of Risk, Security and Sustainability

Security concerns facing the United States today are broader and more complex than at any time in our history. They range from concerns arising from threats to systems that allow society to control intergroup and interpersonal conflict to more recently recognized concerns associated with threats to social and economic systems, and threats to the natural/environmental systems on upon which society depends. Each major type of threat represents a form of “fat-tailed risk,” where extreme consequences are far more likely than expected but possess significant uncertainty regarding their severity and timing. Each type of threat shares the common characteristic that some elements are non-negotiable because they contain requirements that society must address to avoid or suffer irreparable consequences. Based on these assessments, we discuss the implications of societal threats on the development of global institutions, cooperation, social justice and human rights.
Inaugural Address of the Incoming President: Caring for patients and frontline pharmacy staff

> As leaders in health-system pharmacy, we should support our staff by serving as their advocates. > > ![Figure][1] It is a privilege to have the opportunity to serve you, ASHP, and the profession. Please indulge me for a moment as I recognize a few special people who have provided
Global dynamics for switching systems and their extensions by linear differential equations.

Abstract Switching systems use piecewise constant nonlinearities to model gene regulatory networks. This choice provides advantages in the analysis of behavior and allows the global description of dynamics in terms of Morse graphs associated to nodes of a parameter graph. The parameter graph captures spatial characteristics of a decomposition of parameter space into domains with identical Morse graphs. However, there are many cellular processes that do not exhibit threshold-like behavior and thus are not well described by a switching system. We consider a class of extensions of switching systems formed by a mixture of switching interactions and chains of variables governed by linear differential equations. We show that the parameter graphs associated to the switching system and any of its extensions are identical. For each parameter graph node, there is an order-preserving map from the Morse graph of the switching system to the Morse graph of any of its extensions. We provide counterexamples that show why possible stronger relationships between the Morse graphs are not valid.
Fluid and Dietary Management of Acute Diarrhea

Patients who develop diarrhea generally experience an excess loss of fluid and electrolytes via the gastrointestinal tract. If vomiting complicates the illness, this loss is compounded. Continued loss of fluid and/or electrolytes leads to dehydration, which is the most severe complication of diarrheal disease. Children and especially infants are more susceptible to dehydration because of the greater rate of water turnover in relation to their total body weight.1,2 Elderly patients and patients of any age with an underlying disorder such as cardiovascular disease are more susceptible to dehydration and its sequelae. Maintaining optimal hydration and electrolyte balance is critical in any patient with diarrhea. This chapter will deal with fluid and electrolyte and dietary management of patients with diarrhea.
In Silico Preliminary Association of Ammonia Metabolism Genes GLS, CPS1, and GLUL with Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Major Depressive Disorder, and Type 2 Diabetes

Ammonia is a toxic by-product of protein catabolism and is involved in changes in glutamate metabolism. Therefore, ammonia metabolism genes may link a range of diseases involving glutamate signaling such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We analyzed data from a National Institute on Aging study with a family-based design to determine if 45 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in glutaminase (GLS), carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), or glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL) genes were associated with AD, MDD, or T2D using PLINK software. HAPLOVIEW software was used to calculate linkage disequilibrium measures for the SNPs. Next, we analyzed the associated variations for potential effects on transcriptional control sites to identify possible functional effects of the SNPs. Of the SNPs that passed the quality control tests, four SNPs in the GLS gene were significantly associated with AD, two SNPs in the GLS gene were associated with T2D, and one SNP in the GLUL gene and three SNPs in the CPS1 gene were associated with MDD before Bonferroni correction. The in silico bioinformatic analysis suggested probable functional roles for six associated SNPs. Glutamate signaling pathways have been implicated in all these diseases, and other studies have detected similar brain pathologies such as cortical thinning in AD, MDD, and T2D. Taken together, these data potentially link GLS with AD, GLS with T2D, and CPS1 and GLUL with MDD and stimulate the generation of testable hypotheses that may help explain the molecular basis of pathologies shared by these disorders.
Inter-scanner Variation Independent Descriptors for Constrained Diffeomorphic Demons Registration of Retina OCT.

Purpose: OCT offers high in-plane micrometer resolution, enabling studies of neurodegenerative and ocular-disease mechanisms via imaging of the retina at low cost. An important component to such studies is inter-scanner deformable image registration. Image quality of OCT, however, is suboptimal with poor signal-to-noise ratio and through-plane resolution. Geometry of OCT is additionally improperly defined. We developed a diffeomorphic deformable registration method incorporating constraints accommodating the improper geometry and a decentralized-modality-insensitiveneighborhood-descriptors (D-MIND) robust against degradation of OCT image quality and inter-scanner variability. Method: The method, called D-MIND Demons, estimates diffeomorphisms using D-MINDs under constraints on the direction of velocity fields in a MIND-Demons framework. Descriptiveness of D-MINDs with/without denoising was ranked against four other shape/texture-based descriptors. Performance of D-MIND Demons and its variants incorporating other descriptors was compared for cross-scanner, intra- and inter-subject deformable registration using clinical retina OCT data. Result: D-MINDs outperformed other descriptors with the difference in mutual descriptiveness between high-contrast and homogenous regions > 0.2. Among Demons variants, D-MIND-Demons was computationally efficient, demonstrating robustness against OCT image degradation (noise, speckle, intensity-non-uniformity, and poor throughplane resolution) and consistent registration accuracy [(4±4 μm) and (4±6 μm) in cross-scanner intra- and inter-subject registration] regardless of denoising. Conclusions: A promising method for cross-scanner, intra- and inter-subject OCT image registration has been developed for ophthalmological and neurological studies of retinal structures. The approach could assist image segmentation, evaluation of longitudinal disease progression, and patient population analysis, which in turn, facilitate diagnosis and patient-specific treatment.
The non-human primate kidney transcriptome in fetal development.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the repertoire of non-human primate kidney genes expressed throughout development. The present work establishes an understanding of the primate renal transcriptome during fetal development in the context of renal maturation. METHODS The baboon kidney transcriptome was characterized at 60-day gestation (DG), 90 DG, 125 DG, 140 DG, 160 DG and adulthood (6-12 years) using gene arrays and validated by QRT-PCR. Pathway and cluster analyses were used to characterize gene expression in the context of biological pathways. RESULTS Pathway analysis indicated activation of pathways not previously reported as relevant to kidney development. Cluster analysis also revealed gene splice variants with discordant expression profiles during development. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first detailed genetic analysis of the developing primate kidney, and our findings of discordant expression of gene splice variants suggest that gene arrays likely provide a simplified view and demonstrate the need to study the fetal renal proteome.
Efficiency measurements for a digital-holography system

This paper compares efficiency measurements to predictions for a digital-holography system operating in the off-axis image plane recording geometry. We use a highly coherent 532 nm laser source, an extended Spectralon object, and an Si focal-plane array to perform digital-holographic detection, which provides access to an estimate of the complex-optical field and is of utility to long-range imaging applications. In the experiments, digitalholographic detection results from the interference of a signal beam with a reference beam. The signal beam was created from the active illumination of the extended Spectralon object and the reference beam from a local oscillator which is split off from the master-oscillator 532 nm laser source. To compare efficiency measurements to predictions, an expression was developed for the signal-to-noise ratio, which contains many multiplicative terms with respect to total-system efficiency. In the best case, the measured total efficiency was 15.2% ± 5.8% as compared to the predicted 16.4%. The results show that the polarization and the fringe-integration efficiency terms play the largest role in the total-system efficiency.
Direct Optical Imaging of Superfluid 4He Droplets on a Cesium Surface

The recent discovery that 4 He does not wet the surface of cesium makes possible the study of superfluid droplets. We have used a long focal length microscope to study superfluid 4 He droplets on a cesium surface. We find that 4 He droplets do not flow freely over the surfaces we prepare. Rather, they remain stationary even when the surface is inclined by as much as 10° to the horizontal. The contact angle, the angle between the surface and the liquid-vapor interface is also highly hysteretic. At 1.2 K, where the advancing angle is near 25°, the receding angle varies between 0° and 7°, depending on the cesium film.
Characterizing the effects of airborne vibration on human body vibration response.

Background Exposure to high intensity, low frequency noise can cause whole-body vibration. Such exposures to airborne vibration can reach the limits of human tolerance and have been associated with physiological and pathological disorders. The objective of this study was to characterize human body vibration response during exposures to operational airborne vibration. Methods Triaxial body accelerations were collected at multiple anatomical sites with the subject located at selected crew positions during ground-based engine runup tests on several military tactical aircraft. The acceleration time histories were processed in one-third octave frequency bands and compared with the one-third octave band noise data. Results The most significant finding was the occurrence of a resonance peak in the fore-and-aft (X) chest acceleration in the frequency bands between 63 and 100 Hz. Both the chest acceleration and associated noise level increased as the subject moved aft of the exhaust outlet, coinciding with the report of increasing chest vibration. A relatively linear relationship was found between the overall chest accelerations and noise levels between 5 and 250 Hz. An approach to developing combined noise and vibration exposure criteria was proposed. Conclusions The resonance observed in the upper torso strongly suggested that airborne vibration in the 60 to 100 Hz frequency band may be an important contributing factor in the generation of subjective symptoms and possibly physiological and pathological disorders. Additional field and laboratory studies are required to validate the relationship between the biodynamic responses, noise levels, and physiological and pathological consequences.
Racial differences in drug response: isoproterenol effects before and after propranolol.

The aim of this study was to determine in young, healthy men the relative contribution of pharmacodynamic factors inherent between two groups known to respond differently to hypertensive therapy. Black (n = 10) and white (n = 10) men received an isoproterenol sensitivity test before and after propranolol (0.1 mg/kg, then 50 µg/min). There were greater increases (twofold) in systolic BP following the 1.0- and 1.5-µg isoproterenol dose (P < 0.05) in the black group. During propranolol there were no differences in free (1)-propranolol concentrations between the groups; however, propranolol decreased resting heart rate in the white group more than in the black group (P < 0.05). Cardiac index decreased less in the black group compared to the white group (P < 0.05). Following the second isoproterenol challenge, there again were greater increases in systolic BP in the black group at both the 10- and the 20-µg isoproterenol dose (P < 0.05). Our study has highlighted the importance of cross-racial studies in evaluating drug effects.
A Survey of Cannabis Acute Effects and Withdrawal Symptoms: Differential Responses Across User Types and Age.

Abstract Objectives: There is a rapidly evolving legal and medical culture around cannabis, with corresponding changes in the demographics of users. For instance, the percentage of the aging popula...
Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine: Where Things Stand for Feline Health

As frustration with conventional medicine deepens, people are seeking novel approaches to health care for themselves and their pets. Not only are many alternative therapies comparatively inexpensiv...
Standing up the space force: Knowns and unknowns

Creation of a Space Force became possible when President Trump announced his decision to support such an organization. This followed on earlier congressional efforts to create a Space Corps, one th...
Utility of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Preserve Quadriceps Muscle Fiber Size and Contractility After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Reconstruction: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Blinded Trial.

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and reconstruction (ACLR) promote quadriceps muscle atrophy and weakness that can persist for years, suggesting the need for more effective reha...
Does the Media’s Anti-Western Bias Affect its Portrayal of NGOs in the Muslim World? Assessing Newspapers in Pakistan

The media has a major influence on public opinions and legitimacy for NGOs, which can have a serious impact on the effectiveness of NGOs’ programs. However, media biases often affect the framing of media objects. For instance, western countries are often portrayed negatively by the media of the Muslims countries. This anti-western bias is less prevalent in English-language media when compared to the local languages newspapers as the English-language media generally target the elites who often hold less anti-western opinions than the general population. As NGOs are usually considered a western construct in the Muslim world, I test whether the media’s sensitivity to its consumers’ sentiments extends to the coverage of NGOs by comparing English and local language (Urdu) newspapers in Pakistan. I confirm that Urdu newspapers portray NGOs more negatively than English-language newspapers and are more likely to question NGOs’ effectiveness and accountability.
A small-scale study of nonlinear blood rheology shows rapid transient transitions

The mechanical properties of human blood are incompletely understood and constitute an underdeveloped area of study, prohibiting mechanically-based clinical diagnoses. Using the unique transient rheological signature of a blood sample, there is a possibility that blood rheology measurements could be used as a method of diagnosis and/or differentiation. We present here the response of blood to large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) and reversing flow ramps, where hysteresis curves are typically formed. Results of these tests are visualized by blood “mechanical contours” that have the advantage of depicting the evolving mechanical properties of the material over a wide range of flow conditions. The sequence of physical process (SPP) method is applied to elucidate the changes undergone by the blood during the transient flows. This method is advantageous because it allows for the analysis of a wide range of transient flow protocols, rather than being restricted to strictly sinusoidal functions. We show a novel approach to the analysis of the large amplitude oscillatory shear tests in the form of mechanical contour maps. We also show the Cole-Cole plots and analysis for LAOS measurements using the same blood measurements. This allows a complete picture of the mechanical properties of the blood and a possible basis for comparison to pathological mechanical markers moving forward.
Essential but Undefined - Reimagining How Policymakers Identify Safety-Net Hospitals.

Essential but Undefined Safety-net hospitals provide essential care to patients regardless of their insurance coverage, financial circumstances, or immigration status, and they often operate with t...
Wives walking away: concubinage, adultery, and violence in late colonial Bahia

This article re-examines colonial Latin American violence and adultery through the lens of concubinage and female migration. It re-evaluates heterosexual domestic violence, the socially-acceptable ...
Against intentionalism

Intentionalism is the claim that the phenomenological properties of a perceptual experience supervene on its intentional properties. The paper presents a counter-example to this claim, one that concerns visual grouping phenomenology. I argue that this example is superior to superficially similar examples involving grouping phenomenology offered by Peacocke (Sense and Content, Oxford: Oxford University Press), because the standard intentionalist responses to Peacocke’s examples cannot be extended to mine. If Intentionalism fails, it is impossible to reduce the phenomenology of an experience to its content.
A Vision Based Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithm for UAV Obstacle Avoidance

Integration of reinforcement learning with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to achieve autonomous flight has been an active research area in recent years. An important part focuses on obstacle detection and avoidance for UAVs navigating through an environment. Exploration in an unseen environment can be tackled with Deep Q-Network (DQN). However, value exploration with uniform sampling of actions may lead to redundant states, where often the environments inherently bear sparse rewards. To resolve this, we present two techniques for improving exploration for UAV obstacle avoidance. The first is a convergence-based approach that uses convergence error to iterate through unexplored actions and temporal threshold to balance exploration and exploitation. The second is a guidance-based approach using a Domain Network which uses a Gaussian mixture distribution to compare previously seen states to a predicted next state in order to select the next action. Performance and evaluation of these approaches were implemented in multiple 3-D simulation environments, with variation in complexity. The proposed approach demonstrates a two-fold improvement in average rewards compared to state of the art.
What Is “Indoctrination”?

“Indoctrination” is a term which refers to the intent to impose ideas or beliefs upon people in areas that ultimately call for individual reflection, decision-making, and choice. It is a distasteful activity because it is aimed at limiting the individual’s ability to think and choose. Religious or moral education are not necessarily indoctrination and it is possible to create a Jewish education that is not indoctrination.