cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Humanism/Humanistic Geography

Humanistic geography approaches research with the moral, epistemological (and sometimes metaphysical) principles and prejudices of humanism and the humanities. Geographers use the adjective humanistic primarily to denote a nonpositivist epistemology. Humanistic geography prospered after 1970 because it spoke to the millenarian fears and utopian hopes of the period. From phenomenology it adopted the concept of the life-world, a representation of reality constructed by the intentions and functional categories of particular human subjects, and it studied these ‘places’ phenomenologically and semiotically. Humanistic geography insisted that humans act, that is, deliberately cause things to happen, and are not mere passive, irresponsible agent of historical forces, hoping thereby to overcome the debilitating fatalism of structural thought and to properly understand the moral dimension of interpersonal relations. The fundamental humanistic method is interpretation, the attempt to understand the world as it appears to another person (to stand in his ‘place’). Humanistic geographers entered this inner world primarily through landscape symbols and descriptions, and in doing so realized the goals of humanistic scholarship and education. Humanistic geography remains viable, but since the 1990s has yielded to instrumental rationality and the will to power.
BlueBook: A Computerized Replacement for Paper Tests in Computer Science

This paper presents BlueBook, a lightweight, cross-platform, computer-based, open source examination environment that overcomes traditional hurdles with computerized testing for computer science courses. As opposed to paper exam testing, BlueBook allows students to type coding problems on their laptops in an environment similar to their normal programming routine (e.g., with syntax highlighting), but purposefully does not provide them the ability to compile and/or run their code. We seamlessly transitioned from paper exams to BlueBook and found that students appreciated the ability to type their responses. Additionally, we are just beginning to harness the benefits to grading by having student answers in digital form. In the paper, we discuss the pedagogical benefits and trade-offs to using a computerized exam format, and we argue that both the students and the graders benefit from it.
Aphemia: A rare presentation of an acute infarct (P3.277)

Objective: To describe a rare presentation of aphemia with a left inferior frontal gyrus infarct involving cortical and subcortical regions. Background: Stroke-related aphemia should be considered in the differential of acute loss of voluntary oral control resulting in loss of speech output with preserved comprehension and written communication. Design/Methods: A case report Results: A 43 year-old right handed female with untreated diabetes and hypertension presented with acute onset of loss of ability to speak and eat. Exam demonstrated a mild right lower facial droop, an inability to open the mouth, stick out the tongue, purse lips, voluntarily swallow, and spontaneously vocalize. Comprehension was intact and writing was fluent. MRI brain revealed an acute ischemic infarct of the left inferior frontal gyrus extending to the corona radiata. With speech therapy she experienced slow improvement and was discharged on a regular diet, able to vocalize simple words. Conclusions: Aphemia, or apraxia of speech, is a rare presentation of dominant inferior frontal gyrus infarction. Aphemia is primarily a disorder of articulation, whereas aphasia is a disorder of language. This patient lost her ability to produce speech but was able to comprehend and write fluently. Her deficit did not fit a classic aphasia pattern but rather represented an inability to voluntarily control her oral muscles, resulting in a transient apraxia of the muscles of articulation, chewing, and deglutition. Very few cases of acute aphemia due to stroke are described, all localized to the dominant inferior frontal gyrus. Initial differential included either structural oropharyngeal or functional speech disorder but work-up revealed an ischemic infarct. In cases of sudden loss of ability to speak with preserved comprehension and written communication, aphemia due to ischemic stroke of the dominant inferior frontal gyrus should be considered high on the differential. Disclosure: Dr. Stachyra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Davalos-Balderas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kass has received personal compensation for activities as an expert witness in litigation. Dr. Kass has received personal compensation as a speaker at non-commercial CME talks for primary care physicians. Dr. Kass has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for the Ethics and Medicolegal Issues for Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology and Continuum Audio.
Impact of Sex on Morbidity and Mortality Rates After Lower Extremity Interventions for Peripheral Arterial Disease: Observations From the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium

Objectives This study sought to examine sex-related differences in outcomes related to peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) procedures. Background Percutaneous PVI is frequently performed for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, little is known about sex-related differences related to PVI procedures. Methods We assessed the impact of sex among 12,379 patients (41% female) who underwent lower extremity (LE)-PVI from 2004 to 2009 at 16 hospitals participating in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium PVI registry. Multivariate propensity-matched analyses were performed to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics, procedural indications, and comorbidities on the basis of sex. Results Compared with men, women were older and have multilevel disease and critical limb ischemia. In a propensity-matched analysis, female sex was associated with a higher rate of vascular complications, transfusions, and embolism. No differences were observed for in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, or stroke or transient ischemic attack. Technical success was more commonly achieved in women (91.2% vs. 89.1%, p = 0.014), but because of a higher complication rate, the overall procedural success rates were similar in men and women (79.7% vs. 81.6%, p = 0.08). Conclusions Women represent a significant proportion of patients undergoing LE-PVI, have a more severe and complex disease process, and are at increased risk for adverse outcomes. Despite higher complications rates, women had similar procedural success compared with men, making PVI an effective treatment strategy among women with LE-PAD.
Cellular Mechanisms of Circadian Function in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

This chapter deals with a fundamental component of the biological clock in mammals: the circadian rhythm of electrical activity in neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Even though the rhythm of electrical activity is probably not responsible for the generation of the intrinsic time-keeping mechanism (see below and other chapters), an understanding of the electrophysiologic changes associated with the circadian rhythm should eventually lead us to the cellular mechanism of the circadian clock. The circadian rhythm of spontaneous neuronal discharge in the SCN is the primary cellular expression of the clock and a well-established phenomenon. Electrical activity (i.e., action potentials and synaptic potentials) serves as a critical link between light input and the clock in the SCN, and mediates expressions of the clock such as behavioral and physiological circadian rhythms. Understanding the oscillations in neuronal excitability that underlie the circadian rhythm of firing rate in the SCN should provide a solid basis for studies of other cellular mechanisms (e.g., biochemical or genetic) that may drive the electrical output of the biological clock. Among the different circadian rhythms, the rhythm of neuronal activity in the mammalian SCN can be compared to the better understood ocular pacemakers of the marine mollusks Bulla and Aplysia to gain additional insight into its mechanism. In the following sections, we summarize information regarding the cellular mechanisms of generation and communication of the electrical rhythm in the SCN, as well as the mechanisms of resetting the clock and the transmission of information from the SCN. Possible future directions will also be discussed.
Mutant aminopeptidases of Pisum sativum. I. Developmental genetics and chemical characteristics.

Two forms of aminopeptidase (AmP) were found, by conventional zone electrophoresis, to be present in all tissues at various stages of normal development and differentiation of Pisum sativum. One of the enzymes (AmP-1) proved to be polymorphic, with alternate electrophoretic forms existing in different inbred pea strains, while the other enzyme (AmP-2) was found to be monomorphic. The AmP-1 variants are under the control of two codominant alleles (AmP-1 F and AmP-1 S) at the AmP-1 locus. The AmP-2 enzyme is most likely controlled by a separate genetic locus. Substrate specificity studies, using various α-amino acid naphthylamides as substrates, showed that the aminopeptidases of Pisum are not specific for leucine N-terminal residues. The AmP-1 and AmP-2 enzymes behaved quite differently with respect to substrate specificity and metal ion inhibition, suggesting differences in the biological function and relatedness of the two enzymes.
Racial/ethnic disparities in cortisol diurnal patterns and affect in adolescence.

Racial/ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to mental and physical health problems, but we know little about the psychobiological underpinnings of these disparities. In this study, we examined racial/ethnic differences in cortisol diurnal patterns and affect as initial steps toward elucidating long-term health disparities. A racially/ethnically diverse (39.5% White, 60.5% minority) sample of 370 adolescents (57.3% female) between the ages of 11.9 and 18 years (M = 14.65 years, SD = 1.39) participated in this study. These adolescents provided 16 cortisol samples (4 samples per day across 4 days), allowing the computation of diurnal cortisol slopes, the cortisol awakening response, and diurnal cortisol output (area under the curve), as well as daily diary ratings of high-arousal and low-arousal positive and negative affect. Consistent with prior research, we found that racial/ethnic minorities (particularly African American and Latino youth) exhibited flatter diurnal cortisol slopes compared to White youth, F (1, 344.7) = 5.26, p = .02, effect size g = 0.25. Furthermore, African American and Asian American youth reported lower levels of positive affect (both high arousal and low arousal) compared to White youth. Racial/ethnic differences in affect did not explain differences in cortisol patterns, suggesting a need to refine our models of relations between affect and hypothalamic– pituitary–adrenocortical activity. We conclude by proposing that a deeper understanding of cultural development may help elucidate the complex associations between affect and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical functioning and how they explain racial/ethnic differences in both affect and stress biology.
Effect of Radio Frequency Cold Plasma Treatment on Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) Flour and Dough Properties in Comparison to Hard and Soft Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Cold plasma is an emerging technology to improve microbiological safety as well as functionality of foods. This study compared the effect of radio frequency cold plasma on flour and dough properties of three members of the Triticeae tribe, soft as well as hard wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium, IWG). These three flour types differ in their protein content and composition and were evaluated for their solubility, solvent retention capacity, starch damage, GlutoPeak and Farinograph profiles, and protein secondary structures. Plasma treatment resulted in dehydration of flours but did not change protein content or solubility. Farinograph water absorption increased for all flours after plasma treatment (from 56.5–61.1 before to 71.0–81.6%) and coincided with higher solvent retention capacity for water and sodium carbonate. Plasma treatment under our conditions was found to cause starch damage to the extent of 3.46–6.62% in all samples, explaining the higher solvent retention capacity for sodium carbonate. However, Farinograph properties were changed differently in each flour type: dough development time and stability time decreased for hard wheat and increased for soft wheat but remained unchanged in intermediate wheatgrass. GlutoPeak parameters were also affected differently: peak torque for intermediate wheatgrass increased from 32 to 39.5 GlutoPeak units but was not different for the other two flours. Soft wheat did not always aggregate after plasma treatment, i.e., did not aggregate within the measurement time. It was also the only flour where protein secondary structures were changed after plasma treatment, exhibiting an increase from 15.2 to 27.9% in β-turns and a decrease from 59.4 to 47.9% in β-sheets. While this could be indicative of a better hydrated gluten network, plasma-treated soft wheat was the only flour where viscoelastic properties were changed and extensibility decreased. Further research is warranted to elucidate molecular changes underlying these effects.
Is Skin Color a Marker for Racial Discrimination? Explaining the Skin Color–Hypertension Relationship

It is widely assumed that dark-skinned Blacks have higher rates of hypertension than their lighter-skinned cohorts because the former experience greater racial discrimination. However, there is no empirical evidence linking skin color to discrimination. This study tested the extent to which skin color is associated with differential exposure to discrimination for a sample of 300 Black adults. Results revealed that dark-skinned Blacks were 11 times more likely to experience frequent racial discrimination than their light-skinned counterparts; 67% of subjects reporting high discrimination were dark-skinned and only 8.5% were light-skinned. These preliminary findings suggest that skin color indeed may be a marker for racial discrimination and highlight the need to assess discrimination in studies of the skin color-hypertension relationship.
Heart rate variability and anxious arousal: Unique relations with sleep‐related problems in stress‐exposed adolescents

Sleep-related problems (SRPs) among adolescents are a growing concern. Theory and research suggest that emotional arousal may have cyclical relation with SRPs, but whether emotional dysregulation plays a role is not clear. We investigated associations between two physiological indices of emotion regulation (video baseline heart rate variability and change in heart rate variability to a stressor) and SRPs in a sample of 80 adolescents (ages 11-17 years; 51% female; 37.5% African American). The findings showed a negative relation between video baseline heart rate variability and SRPs, controlling for non-sleep-related anxiety disorder symptoms (β = -0.29) and general manifest anxiety (β = -0.25). We found no relation between change in heart rate variability to a stressor and SRPs when non-sleep-related anxious arousal was controlled. If replicated, findings illustrate the importance of physiological regulation of emotion influencing (or influenced by) SRPs during adolescence.
Outcomes of Palliative Care Consultations for Hospitalized Patients With Liver Disease.

Abstract Context Although palliative care (PC) has been shown to improve symptoms and end-of-life (EOL) care for patients with cancer, data are lacking on the patterns of use and outcomes of PC consultations for hospitalized patients with liver disease. Objectives We sought to characterize the patterns of use and outcomes of PC consultations for hospitalized patients with liver disease compared with patients with cancer. Methods We conducted an observational study using data from the Palliative Care Quality Network (PCQN). The PCQN contains prospectively collected data on 135,197 hospitalized patients receiving PC consultations at 88 PCQN sites between January 2013 and December 2017. The PCQN data set includes patient demographics, processes of care, and patient-level clinical outcomes. Results The cohort included 44,933 patients, of whom 4402 (9.8%) had liver disease and 40,531 (90.2%) had cancer. Patients with liver disease were younger (58.9 years vs. 65.2 years, P Conclusion Hospitalized patients with liver disease were more likely to have a PC referral to address goals of care compared with those with cancer and were more likely to die in the hospital. Despite late PC consultations, patients with liver disease experienced improvement in symptoms and clarification of their goals of care, similar to those with cancer.
Institutional Factors Associated With Burnout Among Assistant Professors.

Phenomenon: Factors related to individual circumstance and organizational climate are contributing to a worsening burnout problem among providers in healthcare settings. In the academic health cent...
A MODELING APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING PLANT ADAPTATION TO LOW TEMPERATURES

Research on plant adaptations to arctic environmental conditions has focused on determining the existence and magnitude of biological compensations of temperature-dependent physiological processes. Systems modeling can provide a framework for integrating information on diverse processes and morphological attributes as they are affected by arctic conditions.
High-entropy ceramics

Disordered multicomponent systems, occupying the mostly uncharted centres of phase diagrams, were proposed in 2004 as innovative materials with promising applications. The idea was to maximize the configurational entropy to stabilize (near) equimolar mixtures and achieve more robust systems, which became known as high-entropy materials. Initial research focused mainly on metal alloys and nitride films. In 2015, entropy stabilization was demonstrated in a mixture of oxides. Other high-entropy disordered ceramics rapidly followed, stimulating the addition of more components to obtain materials expressing a blend of properties, often highly enhanced. The systems were soon proven to be useful in wide-ranging technologies, including thermal barrier coatings, thermoelectrics, catalysts, batteries and wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant coatings. In this Review, we discuss the current state of the disordered ceramics field by examining the applications and the high-entropy features fuelling them, covering both theoretical predictions and experimental results. The influence of entropy is unavoidable and can no longer be ignored. In the space of ceramics, it leads to new materials that, both as bulk and thin films, will play important roles in technology in the decades to come. The valuable combination of disorder and non-metallic bonding gives rise to high-entropy ceramics. This Review explores the structures and chemistries of these versatile materials, and their applications in catalysis, water splitting, energy storage, thermoelectricity and thermal, environmental and wear protection.
Strategy and Cost: Carthaginian Naval Strategy in the First Punic War Reappraised

This article reassesses the quality and character of Carthaginian strategy during the First Punic War. It uses the ship count figures contained in Polybius’ account, combined with comparative evidence from the Athenian navy to estimate the relative cost of naval operations for both Carthage and Rome. It shows that, contrary to prevailing scholarly opinion, Carthage’s naval effort was no less extensive than Rome’s. In conclusion, it seeks to explain Carthaginian strategy as a result of limitations imposed by cost and geography. Consequently, the critical scholarly consensus rendered against Carthaginian strategy in this war is to be revised.
Functional phenotyping of the CYP2D6 probe drug codeine in the horse.

In humans, the drug metabolizing enzyme CYP2D6 is highly polymorphic resulting in substantial differences in the metabolism of drugs including anti-arrhythmics, neuroleptics, and opioids. The objective of this study was to phenotype a population of 100 horses from five different breeds and assess differences in the metabolic activity of the equine CYP2D6 homolog using codeine as a probe drug. Administration of a probe drug is a common method used for patient phenotyping in human medicine, whereby the ratio of parent drug to metabolite (metabolic ratio, MR) can be used to compare relative enzyme function between individuals. A single oral dose of codeine (0.6 mg/kg) was administered and plasma concentrations of codeine and its metabolites were determined using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The MR of codeine O-demethylation [(codeine)/(morphine + morphine-3-glucuronide + morphine-6-glucuronide)] was determined using the area under the plasma concentration-time curve extrapolated from time zero to infinity (AUC0-∞) for each analyte and used to group horses into predicted phenotypes (high-, moderate-, and low-MR). The MR of codeine O-demethylation ranged from 0.002 to 0.147 (median 0.018) among all horses. No significant difference in MR was observed between breeds, age, or sex. Of the 100 horses, 11 were classified as high-MR, 72 moderate-MR, and 17 low-MR. Codeine AUC0-∞ and O-demethylation MR were significantly different (p < 0.05) between all three groups. The mean ± SD MR was 0.089 ± 0.027, 0.022 ± 0.011, and 0.0095 ± 0.001 for high-, moderate-, and low-MR groups, respectively. The AUC for the morphine metabolites morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine-6-glucuronide were significantly different between high-and low-MR groups (p < 0.004 and p < 0.006). The MR calculated from plasma following codeine administration allowed for classification of horses into metabolic phenotypes within a large population. The range of codeine metabolism observed among horses suggests the presence of genetic polymorphisms in CYP2D82 of which codeine is a known substrate. Additional studies including CYP2D82 genotyping of high- and low-MR individuals are necessary to determine the presence of CYP2D polymorphisms and their functional implications with respect to the metabolism of therapeutics.
Industrial, large-scale model predictive control with structured neural networks

Abstract The design of neural networks (NNs) is presented for treating large, linear model predictive control (MPC) applications that are out of reach with available quadratic programming (QP) solvers. First, we introduce a new feedforward network architecture that enables practitioners to obtain offset-free closed-loop performance with NNs. Second, we discuss the data generation procedure to sample the state space relevant to training the NNs based on anticipated online setpoint changes and plant disturbances. Third, we use the input-to-state stability results available in the MPC literature and establish robustness properties of NN controllers. Finally, we present illustrative simulation studies on process control examples. We apply the NN design approach and compare the performance with online QP based MPC on an industrial crude distillation unit model with 252 states, 32 control inputs, and a control-sample horizon length of 140. Parallel computing is used for data generation and graphical processing units are used for network training. Anticipated plant operational scenarios with setpoints and disturbances that may change during operation must be sampled for NN training. After the offline design phase, NNs execute MPC three to five orders of magnitude faster than an available QP solver with less than 1% loss in the closed-loop performance.
Intelligent Hand Cricket

Gesture recognition is a technology that uses optical character recognition to identify gestures, hand movements, etc. It has seen applications on various platforms like VR, AR, gaming consoles (Xbox Kinect), etc. The game of hand cricket has been very popular among school-going children. The game will allow the person to play a game of hand cricket against the computer. The system will use gesture recognition in real-time similar to that found in gaming consoles. Libraries like OpenCV help in real-time computer vision, convolutional neural network or CNN help in analysing the image. In our proposed work, we have developed a model that could recognize the gestures of a user correctly. To achieve this, we have implemented a classification model using an image classifier which groups a linear stack of layers into a Keras model. We have created our data set which consists of 1800 images in total. For every gesture, we have taken the 300 images using the webcam and converted those images into the binary image which consists of pixels that have only two colours.
Histamine receptor signaling in energy homeostasis

Histamine modulates several aspects of energy homeostasis. By activating histamine receptors in the hypothalamus the bioamine influences thermoregulation, its circadian rhythm, energy expenditure and feeding. These actions are brought about by activation of different histamine receptors and/or the recruitment of distinct neural pathways. In this review we describe the signaling mechanisms activated by histamine in the hypothalamus, the evidence for its role in modulating energy homeostasis as well as recent advances in the understanding of the cellular and neural network mechanisms involved. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Histamine Receptors'.
Eugenics, History of

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by D. Paul, volume 7, pp. 4896–4901, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Greening the switch

Active research is being conducted in reducing power consumption of all the components of the Internet. To that end, we propose schemes for power reduction in network switches -- Time Window Prediction, Power Save Mode and Lightweight Alternative. These schemes are adaptive to changing traffic patterns and automatically tune their parameters to guarantee a bounded and specified increase in latency. We propose a novel architecture for buffering ingress packets using shadow ports. We test our schemes on packet traces obtained from an enterprise network, and evaluate them using realistic power models for the switches. Our simple power reduction schemes produce power savings of upto 32% with minimal increase in latency or packet-loss. With appropriate hardware support in the form of Wake-on-Packet, shadow ports and fast transitioning of the ports between its high and low power states, these savings reach 90% of the optimal algorithm's savings.
Human gastric intrinsic factor expression is not restricted to parietal cells

Abstract Gastric parietal cells have been accepted as the only site of intrinsic factor production in the human stomach. In animals, however, intrinsic factor has been localised to various other cell types of foregut origin, including chief and enteroendocrine cells in gastric mucosa, and duct cells from salivary glands and pancreas. The availability of recombinant human intrinsic factor has led to production of high titre, monospecific antiserum which was used to reexamine the distribution and subcellular localisation of intrinsic factor in the human stomach. Immunolight microscopy revealed that most positively stained cells were gastric parietal cells, but at the margins of the anatomical regions (e.g. cardia/fundus, body/antrum) clusters of gastric chief cells and individual enteroendocrine cells were found to contain intrinsic factor. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated the highest antigen density on endocytic and apical membranes of parietal cells. Exocrine secretory granules of a subpopulation of chief cells, the secretory granules of some enteroendocrine cells, and the plasma membranes and smooth vesicles of endothelial cells of the lamina propria capillaries underlying enteroendocrine cells were also positive for the antigen. Labelling in all cells was specific, as it was abolished by preabsorption of the antisera with purified recombinant human intrinsic factor. These findings demonstrate a potential for cellular expression of human intrinsic factor in nonparietal cells. Because such expression occurs normally at the margins of anatomical gastric regions, it suggests that local factors may influence expression of intrinsic factor.
Management of Asymptomatically/Minimally Symptomatic Post-ERCP Serum Liver Test Elevations: First Do No Harm

Trauma to the major papilla and transient supraphysiologic biliary tract pressure during ERCP may produce transient serum liver test elevation. Further investigation of these abnormal serum tests may be costly, potentially hazardous, and unnecessary. Transient rises in post ERCP serum liver tests may be a common epiphenomenon that requires only careful clinical observation. Our aim was to study serum liver test results collected before and after ERCP in asymptomatic (or minimally symptomatic) patients and determine the natural clinical history of these patients, without further intervention. Data were collected prospectively as part of a larger study, and this subset of data on asymptomatic patients was then analyzed separately. All patients had serum liver tests done before ERCP, and 4 and 18-24 h after ERCP. Thirty-seven patients were evaluated. Sixteen of the 36 (43%) had an abnormal serum liver test after ERCP. Fifteen of the 36 had a biliary or pancreatic papillotomy done. Whether or not a patient had a papillotomy performed did not appear to influence the incidence of abnormal transient serum liver test rise. There were no biliary stents placed in any of the patients evaluated. There were two cases of post-ERCP pancreatitis (one mild; one moderate). There were no cases of cholangitis or persistent biliary tract obstruction. In conclusion, a transient rise in ERCP serum liver tests appears common following ERCP. In the absence of significant clinical signs or symptoms, these isolated serum laboratory test abnormalities should managed expectantly.
Effects of the Galilean moons on Jupiter flyby trajectories

Perturbative effects of Jupiter moons on spacecraft flyby and postencounter heliocentric trajectories, noting precision targeting
The history and sociology of the scientific study of acupuncture.

Although known to the medical community in some form since the 19th century, acupuncture is only recently receiving concerted researh attention from the conventional medical and scientific community. The overall amount of scientific acupuncture research has doubled since the mid 1960's. Employing the approaches of the science, history, sociology and social relations of science, this article explores factors which explain why the present time is conducive to acupuncture research by the scientific and medical community. Perhaps this study of scientific acupuncture research will provide the basis for a later theory of scientific development.
Warm-season Thermodynamically-driven Rainfall Prediction with Support Vector Machines☆

Abstract Dynamic numerical weather prediction models have been designed to deal with large-scale, highly predictable midlatitude atmospheric patterns. However, the capability of these models to simulate thermodynamically driven warm-season rainfall events, such as afternoon airmass thunderstorm formation in subtropical summers, is highly limited. Current methods of addressing this issue have included ensemble numerical weather prediction simulations, where an ensemble mean of multiple simulations with varied model physics is used as an improved prediction over any individual ensemble member. These approaches still yield only modest skill primarily due to inherent biases in each ensemble member. As such, the current research will utilize machine learning to combine logically ensemble members into a single prediction of warm-season rainfall. In particular, a support vector machine classification scheme that employs members of a 30 member ensemble as predictors and observed rainfall patterns as a predictand will be formulated on multiple warm-season rainfall days in an effort to develop an improved prognosis of warm-season rainfall that can be implemented in operational meteorology forecasts. The primary goal of the work is to obtain a statistically significant improvement of predictive skill over currently utilized ensemble member approaches.
Acute exposure to ethanol affects Toll-like receptor signaling and subsequent responses: an overview of recent studies

Ethanol suppresses innate resistance to a variety of microbes, and findings of studies from both our laboratory and other laboratories indicate suppression of responses is mediated through two Toll-like receptors (TLRs): TLR3 and TLR4. In this article, we review recent findings from studies in our laboratory, indicating that ethanol also suppresses responses mediated through other TLRs. Considering the importance of TLR-mediated responses in innate immunity, this supports the possibility that suppression of these responses may constitute a major mechanism by which ethanol suppresses innate immunity. In addition, ethanol-induced changes in cellular signaling and in patterns of gene expression induced through TLR3 were examined in mouse peritoneal macrophages, and these results are reviewed in this article. Signaling through TLR3 was inhibited, and results of DNA microarray analysis supported the notion that inhibition of an interferon-related amplification loop might be responsible for suppression of gene expression for several effector molecules of innate immunity and inflammation not previously known to be altered by ethanol. Thus, ethanol alters responses through most or all mouse TLRs, and this suppresses expression of a wide range of innate immune mediators.
A Curvature-Adaptive Implicit Surface Reconstruction for Irregularly Spaced Points

A curvature-adaptive implicit surface reconstruction for noisy and irregularly spaced points in 3D is introduced. The reconstructed surface traces the zero crossings of a signed field obtained from the sum of first-derivative anisotropic Gaussians centered at the points. The standard deviations of the anisotropic Gaussians are adapted to surface curvatures estimated from local data. A key characteristic of the formulation is its ability to smooth more along edges than across them, thereby preserving shape details while smoothing noise. The behavior of the proposed method under various density and organization of points is investigated and surface reconstruction results are compared with those obtained by well-known methods in the literature.
An Integrative Model of the Pleiotropic Effects of Genistein and Cyclosporine a in Functional Upregulation of Alpha 7 nAChRs

We have identified several distinct mechanisms by which inhibitors of tyrosine kinases (genistein) and calcineurin/PP2B (cyclosporine A, CsA) produce functional upregulation of α7 Rs expressed in Xenopus oocytes. These effects varied with the duration of drug exposure and time course of expression. Genistein's potentiation of peak currents was greater early in expression (2 vs. 5 days following α7-cRNA injection), and for prolonged drug exposures (24 hr vs 1 min). CsA's potentiation was limited to 24 hr exposure and was independent of expression time. When combined 5-days post-injection, genistein and CsA produced a facilitation greater than either alone: 5-6 fold for CsA + 1 min genistein vs. 2.6-fold for CsA and 2.3-fold for 1 min genistein; 8.5 fold for CsA + 24 hr genistein vs. 2.6 fold for CsA and 4.3 fold for 24 hr genistein. Similarly, 2-days following cRNA injections, 24 hr CsA plus 1 min genistein produced facilitation greater than either alone: 4.5 fold vs. 1.5 for CsA and 2.8 for genistein. However, the combination of CsA and genistein (24 hr) produced facilitation (5.3 fold) that was less than genistein alone: 1.5 for CsA, and 12 for genistein. We propose a model to explain this pattern that assumes: 1) 1 min genistein's effects are exclusively PAM, while 24 hr genistein's effects are PAM and non-PAM (all effects are positive), 2) the effects of CsA alone are net positive, but reflect two opposing processes. CsA facilitates currents by increasing surface membrane numbers of α7-Rs and/or single-channel gating. But CsA also inhibits cRNA-translation and/or chaperoning of α7-Rs. The inhibitory effect is greater early in expression, reducing the number of functional α7-Rs distal to the ER/Golgi pathway that genistein can positively interact with.
Periodic conformations of deoxyribonucleic acids.

The conformation of a deoxyribonucleotide unit in a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule can be defined by six angles, each of which specifies the relative orientations between two groups of atoms adjacent to a covalent bond. With the assumption that these atoms are hard spheres with fixed van der Waal radii, conformations are sought to minimize their overlapping. The additional requirement of the polymer having a periodic structure further reduces the allowable conformations.
Is there a role for ultrasound and electrical stimulation following injury to tendon and nerve

Ultrasound (US) and electrical stimulation have been widely used in hand therapy to promote recovery after nerve and tendon injuries. There is support for the use of low-dosage continuous wave and pulsed US for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Iontophoresis with dexamethasone sodium phosphate can relieve pain in acute elbow tendonitis, but there is no support for phonophoresis for any tendonitis. Animal model research supports the use of low-dosage US to improve the mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon when initiated immediately after tenorrhaphy. There are no studies available which have examined US applied to tendons in humans after repair. Electrical stimulation has been extensively studied in animal models after nerve axonotmesis and neurotmesis with nerve repair, with some support of enhancing recovery. There is a void in the literature on the use of electrical stimulation for humans after nerve transection and repair.
On the asymptotic execution time of multi-tasked processes on tandem processors

Abstract Consider an ordered set of processes, each consisting of K ϵ Z + tasks, to be processed by a system of K processors in tandem. Each process, immediately after havings its i- th (1≤i task served by the i- th processor, is queued up on a first-come-first-served basis for processing of its (i+1)- st task by the (i+1)- st processor, until all its tasks have been served. Define the execution time to be the time to serve all the processes in the set. Given that the processes form a stationary and ergodic sequence, as far as the processing times of the tasks are concernec, the asymptotic execution time is first explicitly computed, as the number of processes tends to infinity. This is done by using subadditive ergodic theory and certain results from the stability theory of tandem queueing networks. Then, design issues of such systems are discussed.
Patient-physician web messaging. The impact on message volume and satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Patients want electronic access to providers. Providers fear being overwhelmed by unreimbursed messages.
Transition and film boiling from horizontal strips

Measurements of heat flux and surface temperature fluctuations are reported for transition and film boiling of Freon 113 from flattened horizontal stainless steel tubes. The strip width is found to have a definite effect upon the heat flux in the film boiling regime. Photographic measurements indicate the absence of any appreciable long-range periodicities, from which it is inferred that random turbulent effects are quite important. Also, a spectrum of bubble diameter, frequencies, and spacings is observed. On the other hand, some short-time spatial periodicities were observed, and the theoretical values of the parameters fell well within the experimental range. Based upon the photographic and heat transfer measurements, a recommended expression for the minimum heat flux was developed.
Biodistribution and Tumor-Targeting Potential of Poly(Ethylene Glycol)-Modified Gelatin Nanoparticles

In order to develop a safe and effective systemically-administered delivery system for solid tumors, the biodistribution of control gelatin and poly(ethylene-glycol) modified (PEGylated) gelatin nanoparticles was examined in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)-bearing female C57BL6 mice. Type B gelatin and PEGylated gelatin nanoparticles were radiolabeled (125I) for the in vivo biodistribution studies after intravenous (i.v.) administration through the tail vein in LLC-bearing mice. At various time intervals, the tumor-bearing mice were sacrificed and tumor, blood, and major organs were harvested for analysis of radioactivity corresponding to the localization of the nanoparticles. Percent recovered dose was determined and normalized to the weight of the tissue or fluid sample. Non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed to determine the long-circulating property and preferential tumor targeting potential of PEGylated gelatin nanoparticles in vivo. From the radioactivity in plasma and various organs collected, it was evident that the majority of PEGylated nanoparticles were present either in the blood pool or taken up by the tumor mass and liver. For instance, after 3 hours, the PEGylated gelatin nanoparticles were almost 2-fold higher in the blood pool than the control gelatin nanoparticles. PEGylated gelatin nanoparticles remained in the blood pool for a longer period of time due to the steric repulsion effect of the PEG chains as compared to the control gelatin nanoparticles. In addition, approximately 4–5% of the recovered dose of PEGylated gelatin nanoparticles was present in the tumor mass for up to 12 hours. The plasma and the tumor half-lives, area-under-the-curve, and the mean residence time of the PEGylated gelatin nanoparticles were significantly greater than those of the control gelatin nanoparticles. The results of the study confirmed long-circulating property and preferential tumor targeting potential of PEGylated gelatin nanoparticles in a murine tumor model.
Cross-couplings of alkyl halides with heteroaromatic halides, in water at room temperature

Abstract Zn-mediated, Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions between heteroaromatic and alkyl halides can be done at room temperature in pure water using a commercially available Pd catalyst and PTS, a nanomicelle-forming amphiphile. Notably, zinc metal inserts selectively into a carbon sp 3 -halide bond, while palladium adds oxidatively to a carbon sp 2 -bond.
White light-mediated DNA strand breaks in lens epithelial cells.

Abstract It was hypothesized that white light can induce DNA single-strand breaks/alkali labile sites in lens epithelial cells during the dissection process when lenses are being collected for study. Dissection of lenses in white light significantly increased ‘Integrated Intensity’ ( P = 0.0216), an index of DNA single strand breaks/alkali labile sites, using the alkaline microgel electrophoresis assay. In addition, we investigated the DNA damaging effect of visible light in a human lymphocyte model in which cells were exposed to white light, red light or minimal indirect light for 5 min. Results of these experiments confirm our conclusion that visible light induces DNA damage in cells. These findings may be relevant in a genotoxicity study on cells ex vivo.
Generation and detection of THz waves with photomixers

Two low-temperature-grown GaAs photomixers were used to construct a transmit-and-receive module that is frequency agile over the band 25 GHz to 2 THz, or 6.3 octaves. A photomixer transmitter emits the THz difference frequency of two detuned diode lasers. A photomixer receiver then linearly detects the THz wave by homodyne down conversion. The concept was demonstrated using microwave and submillimeter-wave photomixers. Compared to time-domain photoconductive sampling, the photomixer transceiver offers improved frequency resolution, spectral brightness, system size, and cost.
Direct mechanical measurements of the elasticity of single DNA molecules by using magnetic beads

Single DNA molecules were chemically attached by one end to a glass surface and by their other end to a magnetic bead. Equilibrium positions of the beads were observed in an optical microscope while the beads were acted on by known magnetic and hydrodynamic forces. Extension versus force curves were obtained for individual DNA molecules at three different salt concentrations with forces between 10(-14) and 10(-11) newtons. Deviations from the force curves predicted by the freely jointed chain model suggest that DNA has significant local curvature in solution. Ethidium bromide and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole had little effect on the elastic response of the molecules, but their extent of intercalation was directly measured. Conversely, the effect of bend-inducing cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) was large and supports the hypothesis of natural curvature in DNA.
The distribution of argentaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the sulfamerazine treated rat

Eine direkte Korrelation zwischen Serotoninspiegel und der Zahl der argentaffinen Zellen im gastro-intestinalen Trakt normaler Ratten und solcher, die nach Sulfamerazinbehandlung einen hoheren Serotoninspiegel aufweisen, wird festgestellt.
Western blot analysis of porcine corpus luteum heparin binding proteins using antibodies to acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor

The 105,000 X g supernatant from homogenates of porcine corpora lutea was chromatographed on a heparin Sepharose affinity column. Bound protein was batch eluted and analyzed on Western blots using antibodies to acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF). The antibody to acidic FGF reacted specifically with at least four protein bands ranging from 21 to 50 kDa. Three antibodies to human basic FGF (145 residues) generated against either the N-terminal sequence (1-12), the internal sequence (33-43), or the C-terminal end (135-145) also reacted specifically with a total of four different bands. The apparent molecular weights ranged between 20 and 55 kDa. The luteal extract also expressed message for acidic FGF. The results show that there may exist a family of FGF-like molecules in the corpus luteum and demonstrates for the first time the presence of acidic FGF in that tissue.