cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary insulin index and insulin load in relation to biomarkers of glycemic control, plasma lipids, and inflammation markers

Background: Dietary glycemic index and load are widely used to estimate the effect of carbohydrate-containing foods on postprandial blood glucose concentrations and as surrogates for insulin response. The food insulin index (II) directly quantifies the postprandial insulin secretion of a food and takes into account foods with a low or no carbohydrate content. Objective: We investigated the average dietary II and insulin load (IL) in relation to biomarkers of glycemic control, plasma lipids, and inflammation markers. Design: In a cross-sectional setting and with the use of data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, we measured plasma concentrations of C-peptide, glycated hemoglobin (Hb A1c), HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in fasting blood samples of 4002 healthy men and women. The dietary II and IL were assessed from food-frequency questionnaires by using directly analyzed or published food II data. Results: After multivariate adjustment, participants in the highest quintile of II had 26% higher triglyceride concentrations than did participants in the lowest quintile of II (P for trend < 0.0001). This association was strongest in obese [body mass index (in kg/m2) ≥30] participants (difference between highest and lowest quintiles in the II: 72%; P for trend = 0.01). Dietary II was inversely associated with HDL cholesterol in obese participants (difference: −18%; P for trend = 0.03). Similar associations were seen for the IL. Dietary II and IL were not significantly associated with plasma C-peptide, Hb A1c, LDL cholesterol, CRP, or IL-6. Conclusion: Dietary II and IL were not associated with fasting biomarkers of glycemic control but may be physiologically relevant to plasma lipids, especially in obese individuals.
Scientific workflow design 2.0: Demonstrating streaming data collections in Kepler

Scientific workflow systems are used to integrate existing software components (actors) into larger analysis pipelines to perform in silico experiments. Current approaches for handling data in nested-collection structures, as required in many scientific domains, lead to many record-management actors (shims) that make the workflow structure overly complex, and as a consequence hard to construct, evolve and maintain. By constructing and executing workflows from bioinformatics and geosciences in the Kepler system, we will demonstrate how COMAD (Collection-Oriented Modeling and Design), an extension of conventional workflow design, addresses these shortcomings. In particular, COMAD provides a hierarchical data stream model (as in XML) and a novel declarative configuration language for actors that functions as a middleware layer between the workflow's data model (streaming nested collections) and the actor's data model (base data and lists thereof). Our approach allows actor developers to focus on the internal actor processing logic oblivious to the workflow structure. Actors can then be re-used in various workflows simply by adapting actor configurations. Due to streaming nested collections and declarative configurations, COMAD workflows can usually be realized as linear data processing pipelines, which often reflect the scientific data analysis intention better than conventional designs. This linear structure not only simplifies actor insertions and deletions (workflow evolution), but also decreases the overall complexity of the workflow, reducing future effort in maintenance.
Linear Universal Decoding for Compound Channels

Over discrete memoryless channels (DMC), linear decoders (maximizing additive metrics) afford several nice properties. In particular, if suitable encoders are employed, the use of decoding algorithms with manageable complexities is permitted. For a compound DMC, decoders that perform well without the channel's knowledge are required in order to achieve capacity. Several such decoders have been studied in the literature, however, there is no such known decoder which is linear. Hence, the problem of finding linear decoders achieving capacity for compound DMC is addressed, and it is shown that under minor concessions, such decoders exist and can be constructed. A geometric method based on the very noisy transformation is developed and used to solve this problem.
MHC class II-positive perivascular microglial cells mediate resistance to Cryptococcus neoformans brain infection.

Acquired resistance to the CNS pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is mediated by CD4(+) T lymphocytes primed by exposure to antigen in the context of major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) molecules. In mouse brain, parenchymal and perivascular microglial cells may express interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-inducible MHC class II marker and thus interact with CD4(+) T cells. Primed effector T cells are retained in the infected CNS if antigen is encountered in proper MHC context and may deliver signals that potentiate microglia to enhanced fungistasis. Vaccinated C57BL6/J mice resist an ordinarily lethal C. neoformans rechallenge, but identically treated congenic Abeta(o/o) mice (MHC class II-deficient; CD4(+) T-cell-deficient) do not. Nor can Abeta(o/o) mice be adoptively immunized by infusion of lymphocytes from vaccinated C57BL6/J donors, as are severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice (MHC class II-intact, lymphocyte-deficient). Chimeric (C57BL/6J:Abeta(o/o)) mice with class II expression likely on perivascular microglia only were, like SCID mice, capable of adoptive immunization against C. neoformans brain infection. To the contrary, chimeric mice with class II expression likely only on parenchymal microglia were not capable of effective adoptive immunization against C. neoformans brain infection. Therefore, in order to mediate resistance to infection, primed CD4(+) T cells must interact with the replenishable perivascular microglial subset that lies in close proximity to cerebral vasculature. Although T cells may supply help in the form of inflammatory cytokines to parenchymal microglia, expression of class II on these cells appears unnecessary for antifungal activity.
Clinical use of antenatal corticosteroids: benefits and risks.

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the rationale for the use of antenatal corticosteroids for human fetal maturation. 2. Delineate recommendations of the 1994 National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Antenatal Corticosteroids. 3. Review areas of controversy in the clinical use of antenatal corticosteroids. 4. Describe the potential risks of multiple courses of antenatal corticosteroids. 5. Delineate current recommendations for clinical use of antenatal corticosteroids to promote fetal maturation. Glucocorticoid administration initially was appreciated as a method for accelerating development of the intestine more than 40 years ago. Since that time, developmental effects of these agents have been defined in at least 16 tissues of mammals. More than 30 years ago, while studying the mechanism of initiation of labor in sheep, Liggins made the observation that infusion of corticosteroids into fetal lambs was associated with improved survival and decreased lung disease in animals delivered preterm. Subsequently, numerous studies in cell culture, animal models, and human fetal tissue have delineated the multiple effects of glucocorticoids on the developing lung. These include increases in both the total tissue and alveolar surfactant pools; a decrease in vascular permeability, with less protein leak into the alveolar spaces; enhanced clearance of lung water; maturation of parenchymal structure; increase in lung compliance and maximal lung volume; enhanced response to surfactant treatment; and improvement in respiratory function, outcome, and survival. (See accompanying article on scientific rationale for use of antenatal glucocorticoids.) In 1972, the first randomized clinical trial of administration of antenatal corticosteroids (ANCS) in humans demonstrated decreased mortality and a decreased incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants born at less than 34 weeks’ gestation, who were treated with betamethasone for at least 24 hours before delivery. Over the ensuing 20 years, multiple clinical investigations continued to document the effectiveness of ANCS on …
Factors responsible for mortality variation in the United States: a latent variable analysis

BACKGROUND: Factors including smoking, drinking, substance abuse, obesity, and health care have all been shown to affect health and longevity. The relative importance of each of these factors is disputed in the literature, and has been assessed through a number of methods. OBJECTIVE: This paper uses a novel approach to identify factors responsible for interstate mortality variation. It identifies factors through their imprint on mortality patterns and can therefore identify factors that are difficult or impossible to measure directly, such as sensitive health behaviors. METHODS: The analysis calculates age-standardized death rates by cause of death from 2000-2009 for white men and women separately. Only premature deaths between ages 20-64 are included. Latent variables responsible for mortality variation are then identified through a factor analysis conducted on a death-rate-by-state matrix. These unobserved latent variables are inferred from observed mortality data and interpreted based on their correlations with individual causes of death. RESULTS: Smoking and obesity, substance abuse, and rural/urban residence are the three factors that make the largest contributions to state-level mortality variation among males. The same factors are at work for women but are less vividly revealed. The identification of factors is supported by a review of epidemiologic studies and strengthened by correlations with observable behavioral variables. RESULTS are not sensitive to the choice of factor-analytic method used. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of interstate variation in mortality among white working-age adults in the United States is associated with a combination of smoking and obesity, substance abuse and rural/urban residence. Language: en
Penetrating Blast Injury to the Knee of a United States Soldier Treated with Allograft Mosaicplasty

OBJECTIVE This is the first report of successful allograft mosaicplasty treatment of a large osteochondral lesion of the knee caused by a blast fragment sustained during combat operations. The patient was able to return to active duty following rehabilitation. METHODS An active-duty infantryman sustained an osteochondral lesion of the medial femoral condyle caused by a metallic fragment of an explosively formed projectile. Initial treatment consisted of removal of the foreign body and primary closure. The patient continued to experience pain, mechanical symptoms, and repeated effusions after initial nonoperative treatment. Allograft mosaicplasty of the lesion utilizing two 18-mm-diameter fresh allograft osteochondral plugs was performed at 6 months post-injury. RESULTS At 2-year follow-up, the patient remains on active duty with marked improvement in symptoms. Two years postoperatively, his outcome scores are 72 of 100 on the Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis scoring index (WOMAC) and 60 of 100 on the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). His follow-up x-rays and MRI demonstrate intact articular cartilage and subchondral bone incorporation. CONCLUSION Penetrating injuries to joints are commonplace in the battlefield environment. Combat injuries to the knee are frequently associated with articular cartilage injury. While numerous cartilage restoration techniques have been used with success for the treatment of osteochondral injuries to the femoral condyles, no published reports describe the use of allograft mosaicplasty in this location for open, penetrating injuries with focal cartilage loss. This is the first documented use of allograft mosaicplasty for a traumatic osteochondral defect of the medial femoral condyle caused by a metallic projectile. The patient was able to return to active duty following rehabilitation. We demonstrate a high level of functioning is possible following allograft mosaicplasty of a large osteochondral lesion caused by penetrating ballistic trauma.
BayWave: BAYesian WAVElet-based image estimation

Image denoising is an important step in image compression and other image processing algorithms. Hard and soft thresholding algorithms are often used to denoise the images. Recently wavelet transform has been used as a tool to denoise the images. However, there are problems associated with the thresholding algorithms. There is no subjective way to determine the threshold. In this work, we implement a simple Bayesian theory to obtain optimal threshold for such algorithms. MATLAB simulations were performed to validate the working of Bayesian thresholding method.
Energy source lifetime optimization for a digital system through power management

We examine the energy consumption of a digital circuit with voltage scaling and observe its impact on the energy efficiency of the battery. We study the system with a power source under throughput constraints and we propose a method to find a right size of battery to satisfy given system requirements. For systems with limit on battery weight or volume, we suggest a right circuit voltage operating point. Maximizing battery lifetime, expressed in terms of clock cycles, depends upon a proper choice of the supply voltage and the corresponding clock frequency that the circuit would support. Analysis of various batteries shows that when no system performance requirement is specified, the optimum operating supply voltage can be in the subthreshold range.
Foundation of Religious Beliefs after Foundationalism: Wittgenstein between Nielsen and Phillips

L'A. developpe une conception wittgensteinienne du fondement des croyances religieuses apres le fondationnalisme. L'A. montre que l'appropriation de Wittgenstein par la philosophie de la religion -ce que K. Nielsen et D. Z. Phillips ont appele le fideisme de Wittgenstein- est faux: loin d'etre fideiste, Wittgenstein rejette la religion pour elle-meme
An image-rejection down-converter for low-IF receivers

Implemented in 4.1 mm2 in 130-nm CMOS, a dual-conversion image-rejection down-converter applied to the wireless code-division multiple-access (WCDMA) standard draws 13 mA from a single 1.8-V power supply. Using an IF of 2.5 MHz, the WCDMA image-rejection band is widened from 0.58-4.42 MHz to 0.48-5.2 MHz-a bandwidth ratio of 10.8-to accommodate process, voltage, and temperature variations in high-volume production. Ten samples are measured and fully characterized: average image-rejection ratio (IRR) is 46.6 dBc, gain is 12 dB, and noise figure is 10.8 dB. Typical IRR is 44.8, 46.5, and 47.5 dBc at -20degC, 25degC, and 80degC, respectively
Nucleotide sequence changes in thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus type 2 clones from an isolate of a patient treated with acyclovir.

To identify the nucleotide changes that occur in drug-induced thymidine kinase (TK) mutants of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), we compared the nucleotide sequences of the tk genes of two mutant HSV-2 clones isolated from a patient who had been treated with acyclovir [9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine; ACV] with the nucleotide sequence of the parental TK+ HSV-2(8703) strain isolated from the same patient. One of the mutants, TK-altered (TKA) HSV-2(9637), was ACV resistant but induced the incorporation of [14C]thymidine into the DNA of infected rabbit skin cells. The nucleotide sequence of the tk gene of mutant TKA HSV-2(9637) had a single change (G to A) at nucleotide 668, which would cause an arginine-to-histidine substitution at amino acid residue 223 of the TK polypeptide. The second ACV-resistant mutant, TK- HSV-2(8710), did not induce detectable incorporation of [14C]thymidine into the DNA of infected rabbit skin cells. This mutant exhibited a deletion of a single base at nucleotide 217 of its nucleotide sequence. This deletion would cause a frameshift mutation at amino acid residue 73 and chain termination at amino acid residue 86 of the TK polypeptide. The nucleotide sequence of TK+ HSV-2(8703) was the same as that of the laboratory strain, TK+ HSV-2(333). The nucleotide sequence of a bromodeoxyuridine-resistant TK- HSV-2(333) mutant of TK+ HSV-2(333) also exhibited a single-base deletion, but at nucleotide 439. This deletion would cause a frameshift mutation at amino acid residue 147 and chain termination at amino acid residue 182. The frameshift mutations of TK- HSV(8710) and TK- HSV-2(333), respectively, occurred in sequences in which C was repeated three times and G was repeated seven times. The results raise the possibility that TK- frameshift mutations of HSV-2 may be common. Images
The magic of relay mirrors

Laser weapon systems would be significantly enhanced with the addition of high altitude or space-borne relay mirrors. Such mirrors, operating alone with a directed energy source, or many in a series fashion, can be shown to effectively move the laser source to the last, so-called fighting mirror. This “magically” reduces the range to target and offers to enhance the performance of directed energy systems like the Airborne Laser and even ground-based or ship-based lasers. Recent development of high altitude airships will be shown to provide stationary positions for such relay mirrors thereby enabling many new and important applications for laser weapons. The technical challenges to achieve this capability are discussed.
Attribute Dimensions that Distinguish Master and Novice Physical Therapy Clinicians in Orthopedic Settings

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to further investigate the work of master and novice clinicians within the practice setting. The sample consisted of three master clinicians and three novice clinicians practicing in orthopedic outpatient physical therapy settings in three different regions of the United States. Data collection by three researchers included observation of each clinician treating at least three patients, audiotaping of all treatment sessions, interviews with clinicians and patients, and a review of patient records. Analysis of the data within and across cases revealed five attribute dimensions that distinguished the master clinician from the novice clinician. One attribute dimension (ie, confidence in predicting patient outcomes) related to knowledge, and four attribute dimensions (ie, ability to control the environment, evaluation and use of patient illness and disease data, focus of verbal and nonverbal communication with patients, and importance of teaching to hands-on care) related to improvisational performance. Further investigations are needed to confirm these findings and add to the body of knowledge concerning the parameters of physical therapy that may affect the efficacy and quality of patient care.
Distribution and isolation of four laminin variants; tissue restricted distribution of heterotrimers assembled from five different subunits.

Abstract The distribution of subunits of the basement membrane proteins laminin and merosin in human and rabbit tissue was studied by immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies. The laminin A chain is present in epithelial, endothelial, and smooth muscle basement membranes. Merosin, as defined by its heavy chain M, is present in striated muscle and peripheral nerve. The A subunit colocalizes with at least two B subunits: B2 plus either B1 or the recently discovered B1 homologue S. The M subunit most often colocalizes with B1 and B2. Exceptions include the myotendinous junction, where M colocalizes with S, and the trophoblast basement membrane, where the M subunit colocalizes with S as well as B1. The presence of all five known subunits of the laminin family in placenta allowed isolation of their parent molecules in native form by the use of monoclonal antibodies in affinity chromatography. Four different heterotrimeric proteins could be identified: B1 chain-containing laminin (A-B1-B2), S chain-containing laminin (A-S-B2), B1-containing merosin (M-B1-B2), and S-containing merosin (M-S-B2). The data show that the proteins in the laminin family are heterotrimers composed of one heavy and two light chains; that most basement membranes contain predominantly one protein of the laminin family; and that laminin, as defined by the A subunit, has a much more restricted distribution than previously thought.
Highly accurate excited-state energies from direct computation of the 2-electron reduced density matrix by the anti-Hermitian contracted Schrödinger equation

ABSTRACTDirectly solving for the 2-electron reduced density matrix (2-RDM) via the anti-Hermitian contracted Schrodinger equation (ACSE) enables computations for excited states energies without the N-electron wave function. Of particular interest are excitations and dissociation curves that exhibit strong multi-reference correlation effects. The ground and excited states of the molecules HF, H2O, and N2 are examined at both equilibrium and non-equilibrium geometries to compare the ability of the ACSE and widely used ab initio techniques to treat strong multi-reference electron correlation. Calculations are performed with double-ζ basis sets for calibration with full configuration interaction (FCI). Multi-reference second-order perturbation theory (MRPT2) and the ACSE both provide qualitative precision with respect to FCI data, although the ACSE's capability to include higher order correlation effects permits near-FCI accuracy for ground and excited states and excitation energies.
A Vision-Based Proportional Navigation Guidance Law for UAS Sense and Avoid

This paper develops and presents simulation results for a collision avoidance guidance law to enable a UAV to sense and avoid non-cooperative air traffic. The Viola-Jones object recognition algorithm is used in conjunction with a Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi tracker in order to detect and track air traffic in image frames collected from an onboard video camera. The motion of the tracked aircraft in the image plane is then used to estimate the rate of change of the horizontal and vertical line-of-sight angles to the aircraft, which is in turn used in a proportional navigation based guidance law to minimize the probability of a collision. The principle of proportional navigation, which is pervasively used for missile intercept guidance laws, states that two vehicles are on a collision course if the rate of change of the line-of-sight angles is zero. The guidance law first determines if a collision avoidance maneuver is required based on the measured line-of-sight rates. If it is determined that the line-of-sight rates are small enough to indicate the risk of a collision, the guidance law then commands a maneuver to increase the magnitude of the line-of-sight rate to reduce the probability of a collision. Simulation results using this guidance law are presented using full six degree-offreedom models of general aviation aircraft.
A new approach to physiology, monitoring, and therapy of shock states.

Descriptions of the sequence of hemodynamic and oxygen transport patterns in the various types of shock syndromes have shown reduced oxygen consumption (VO2) as the earliest pathophysiologic event that precedes the initial hypotensive crisis. Inadequate VO2 may be produced by low flow, as in hemorrhagic and cardiogenic shock, by increased metabolic need, as in traumatic and septic shock, and/or by maldistribution of flow in all types of shock. These physiologic patterns are also related to the degree of the shock state and its outcome; the patterns of the survivors and nonsurvivors can be predicted from these patterns with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity by multivariate analysis. Therapy directed toward optimizing the VO2 and its compensations to the range of survivors of life-threatening shock was shown to improve outcome in prospective clinical trials. A branched chain decision tree was developed for fluid resuscitation of critically ill postoperative patients. The algorithm was developed from decision rules based on objective physiologic heuristic data from survivors as the criteria. The improved mortality in prospective studies supports the hypothesis that compensatory responses of the survivors are major determinants of outcome. Therefore, therapy that supports these compensations and produces the survivor pattern will improve survival rates. These prospective studies confirm the validity of an organized, coherent physiologic approach in contrast to the traditional approach, the objectives of which are to restore hemodynamic and biochemical abnormalities to normal if and when they are discovered. The use of a branched chain decision tree helps to achieve these therapeutic goals expeditiously by providing a coherent, organized patient management plan. It is not necessary to wait for patients to develop cardiorespiratory deficits before initiating therapy. Therapy should be started to optimize the important variables as soon as possible after the onset of accidental trauma or before, during, and immediately after surgery in the high-risk patient.
Levels of Guardianship in Protecting Youth Against Exposure to Violence in the Community

Using hierarchical generalized linear modeling and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods data, the authors examine whether different types of guardianship protect youth against ...
Effects of Preparation Parameters on Reduction and Oxidation Reactivity of Cu-based Oxygen Carriers

Cu-based oxygen carriers with different binders( ZrO2,TiO2,SiO2) were prepared by mechanical mixing method and sol-gel method. The effects of preparation parameters( different binders,mass ratio of binder,sintering temperature and time) on the reduction and oxidation reactivity of oxygen carriers w ere investigated by thermogravimetric analyzer. The results show ed that the reactivity of the three types oxygen carriers increases in the order of Cu / Zr Cu / Ti Cu / Si. The oxygen carriers have the better reduction and oxidation reactivity w ith the higher content ratio of binders. The reduction reactivity decreases w ith the increasing of sintering temperature, w hile the effect of sintering temperature on the oxidation reactivity is little. The effects of sintering time both on reduction and oxidation reactivity are little,too. For Cu / Zr and Cu / Ti oxygen carriers,the sol-gel method is better than mechanical mixing. How ever,for Cu / Si oxygen carrier,the mechanical mixing method is better than sol-gel.
Chitosan: Effects on Wound Healing in Urogenital Tissue: Preliminary Report

Abstract We conducted a survey of the effect of chitosan on wounds of the genitourinary system in dogs. Wounds were made in the kidney, ureter and penile foreskin. Chitosan caused no adverse effects on urogenital wound healing. A decrease in fibrosis was seen in the wounds treated with chitosan in all tissues studied. These observations suggest that the morbidity of urogenital surgery may be decreased by treating the wounds with chitosan. (J. Urol, part 2, 140: 1134-1137, 1988)
The Limitations of Government Databases for Analyzing Fatal Officer-Involved Shootings in the United States:

Federal government databases recording officer-involved shooting fatalities are incomplete and unreliable. Voluntary reporting to the Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR), the National Vital Statist...
Case 44-1987: A 69-Year-Old Man with a Right Axillary Mass

Presentation of Case A 69-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of numbness of the right hand and a mass in the right axilla. He was well until two months earlier, when he began to notice numbness over the palmar aspect of the right thumb and index, middle, and third fingers. Two weeks before admission he felt a right axillary mass and observed that the numbness was increasing and that the flexors of the right thumb, index finger, and wrist were weak. He was seen at another hospital, where examination of a stool specimen for occult blood was reported . . .
Review: Shoah Presence: Architectural Representations of the Holocaust by Eran Neuman

Eran Neuman Shoah Presence: Architectural Representations of the Holocaust Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2014, 204 pp., 4 color and 66 b/w illus. $109.95, ISBN 9781409429234 Scholars have subjected postwar responses to the Holocaust in visual arts, memorials, and museums to much debate, particularly since the rapid expansion of the construction of monuments in North America and Europe beginning in the 1980s. Architectural historians have focused on key works such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as well as on canonical figures within contemporary practice who engage the topic, such as Peter Eisenman and Stanley Tigerman. In general, the books published to date have isolated specific sites or individuals. They have not systematically asked whether there is something common about responses in the built environment to the Jewish genocide—that is, whether there are stylistic or conceptual trends and patterns in those responses. In Shoah Presence Eran Neuman attempts to do just this by asking what happens when cultural forms try to engage this difficult history through representation. For him, the specificity of architecture as a medium has been overlooked by standard accounts of the cultural response to the Holocaust, which tend to favor narrative analyses of form rather than critical evaluations of the physical “presence” of architecture. He argues forcefully that the immediacy of architecture and its phenomenological relationship to viewers and their reality produce specific effects that engage history and memory in ways distinct from other cultural responses. Neuman introduces a more complex theoretical perspective than has previously been found in most architectural histories dealing with the Holocaust while not losing touch with institutional and social histories of some relevance. While the emphasis on the former can at times overwhelm the interest in the latter, on the whole his book represents an effective and evocative new take on cultural responses to the Holocaust and contemporary architectural practice. Neuman makes his agenda and his intellectual affinities clear early on. He is interested in the tension …
A Patient With Alcoholic Ketoacidosis and Profound Lactemia.

Abstract Background Alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA) is a complex syndrome that results from disrupted metabolism in the setting of excessive alcohol use and poor oral intake. Dehydration, glycogen depletion, high redox state, and release of stress hormones are the primary factors producing the characteristic anion gap metabolic acidosis with an elevated β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OH) and lactate. Case Report We present the case of a 47-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with metabolic acidosis and profoundly elevated lactate levels who had AKA. He recovered completely with intravenous fluids and parenteral glucose administration. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Emergency physicians should always consider the immediately life-threatening causes of a severe anion gap metabolic acidosis and treat aggressively based on the situation. This case highlights the fact that AKA can present with an impressively elevated lactate levels. Emergency physicians should keep AKA in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with a similar clinical picture.
Fault plane solutions for northeastern United States earthquakes

Abstract Fault plane solutions for eight earthquakes occurring in the northeastern United States have been determined using P -wave first motions and a computer algorithm for picking all valid solutions. The predominant mechanism in the area is thrust faulting, however the direction of the P axis is not consistent throughout the entire area. In central New England (Maine-New Hampshire), the P axis trends nearly E-W. In southeastern New England, the P axis trends N-S to NE-SW. In the Adirondacks region of New York, the P axis trends NE-SW as previously reported by Yang and Aggarwal (1981). Although the stress distribution appears to be complicated, as in the Central United States (Street et al. , 1974), an underlying E-W compressive stress may exist in the New England area. These small earthquakes may represent the response to local stress concentrations.
An efficient architecture for iterative soft reliability-based majority-logic non-binary LDPC decoding

Non-binary low-density parity-check (NB-LDPC) codes have better error-correcting performance than their binary counterparts at the cost of higher decoding complexity when the code length is moderate. Compared to other NB-LDPC decoding algorithms, the iterative reliability-based majority-logic decoding can achieve better performance-complexity tradeoff. In this paper, an efficient partial-parallel shift-message decoder architecture is proposed for cyclic NB-LDPC codes based on the iterative soft reliability-based majority-logic decoding (ISRB-MLGD) algorithm. The message shifting is implemented by memories concatenated with variable node units to reduce the area. Although the accumulated soft reliabilities in the ISRB algorithm require longer word length, and accordingly longer critical path and larger memory, the decoder architecture and control logic can be simplified. Particularly, the check node units are modified so that the message switching network can be eliminated. Compared to the iterative hard reliability-based decoder for a (255, 175) NB-LDPC code over GF(28), the proposed ISRB decoder can achieve around 0.8dB coding gain with less than three times hardware complexity.
Adult vernier thresholds do not increase with age; vernier bias does.

Vernier acuity and vernier bias were examined in persons aged 20 to 79 years using a method of adjustments. Vernier bias (mean error) showed a sharp increase between 35 and 45. Vernier acuity (standard deviation or precision of alignment) did not vary significantly with age. These different results indicate the importance of separate evaluation of acuity and bias. Vernier acuity is little affected by minor optical changes that occur with age. Therefore, normal vernier acuity in older persons suggests that the neural substrates which underlie fine-grain discrimination of object location are unaffected by aging over the range investigated. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:1004-1008,1989 Many visual functions decline with age. De Haan first documented the decrease of adult visual acuity with age. 1 Subsequently, the same general decline has been observed for visual acuity, 23 contrast sensitivity, 4 " 6 and dark adaptation. 7 The observed decline in the sensitivity of the human visual system may be caused by ocular optical changes, neural changes, or both. As humans age there are many optical and neural changes in the visual system. The pupil becomes more miotic 89 and the luminance transmission of the ocular media is impaired. 10
Sepsis in the Operating Room: A Simulation Case for Perioperative Providers

Introduction Sepsis should be included in the differential of any patient with unexplained organ dysfunction, whether or not an obvious infection is initially detected. Perioperative providers freq...
Intraspecific variation in traits reduces ability of trait-based models to predict community structure

Questions Is it possible to predict the composition of local plant assemblages? Trait-based approaches have offered some promise, especially in cases where deterministic processes such as environmental filtering and niche differentiation shape communities. In this study, we asked how much intraspecific variation contributes to trait distributions within and among plant communities, and whether trait distributions resulting from environmental filtering and niche differentiation can predict accurately the relative species abundances of montane plant species in local communities. Location West Elk Mountains, Colorado, USA. Methods We collected functional trait, species composition, and environmental data from 14 sites along a broad climate gradient in Colorado, USA ranging in elevation from 2480 to 3560 m. We partitioned the variation within and among sites into intraspecific and interspecific components, and compared the results to values from a recent global meta-analysis which examined intraspecific trait variability patterns. We also used these data to parameterize statistical models that have been shown to reproduce patterns associated with the processes of environmental filtering and niche differentiation. We fit two models to the data, one assuming that niche differentiation is invariant among sites, and another assuming that niche differentiation varies among sites. Results and Conclusion We found that the trait-based models performed worse at predicting species relative abundances in local communities than did a null model assuming equal abundances of all species. One plausible explanation for the poor performance of the models is that intraspecific variation in functional traits, which in our system was higher than the global averages documented in the meta-analysis, swamped the effects of interspecific variation in functional traits along the climatic gradient. In particular, almost all variation in root traits was within rather than among species, even among sites. Our results suggest that a greater focus be placed on measuring intraspecific trait variability and determining its consequences for community assembly and ecosystem properties. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The underappreciated risk of thrombosis and bleeding in patients with myelofibrosis: a review

Bleeding and thrombosis are long recognized complications of myelofibrosis (MF) and contribute significantly to its morbidity and mortality. However, so far, few studies have evaluated the frequency of these events, their characteristics, and their prognostic impact. Based on these studies, thrombotic events in MF are about as common as in essential thrombocytemia (ET) but less common than in polycythemia vera (PV), while bleeding events are relatively more common in MF than in ET or PV. The emergence of the concept of prefibrotic primary MF (PMF), which is associated with a higher frequency of thrombohemorrhagic complications than ET, and the growing evidence that prefibrotic PMF may also have a different thrombotic and bleeding risk profiles than fibrotic (overt) PMF have emphasized the need for a reappraisal of the risk of thrombosis and hemorrhage in patients with MF. In this review, we discuss the frequency of thrombosis and bleeding in patients with MF, including prefibrotic PMF and their established and potential risk factors.
Birth Complications and Outcomes

The two most commonly identified birth complications resulting in long-term neurodevelopmental impairment are premature delivery and perinatal asphyxia accompanied by hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. In this article, the epidemiology and etiology of preterm delivery as well as the resulting infant mortality are described. The most common morbidities associated with premature birth are discussed with a focus on long-term outcomes. The section on hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy focuses on the mechanism of injury and the clinical features that are most often associated with an adverse outcome. Hypothermia, a new and promising neuroprotective therapy for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, is also explained.
USEFULNESS OF BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY MARKERS DERIVED FROM AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING IN DETECTING AUTONOMIC FAILURE

Increased BP lability is a hallmark of autonomic dysfunction, which may be captured by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). However, usefulness of different measures of BP variability (BPV) in detecting autonomic failure (AF) has not been determined. We assessed BPV in 273 patients undergoing
White riot: race, institutions, and the 2016 U.S. election

The 2016 election highlights two major—and closely related—gaps in the American politics subfield. First, Americanists who study contemporary politics have avoided questions about whether instituti...
MD Simulation Study of Glass Transition and Short Time Dynamics in Polymer Liquids

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on models of polyethylene (and n-alkane) liquids at their realistic bulk densities. The united atom approximation has been adopted. On stepwise cooling of the system under a constant pressure, the temperature coefficient of specific volume changes abruptly at a temperature mimicking the glass transition phenomenon observed in laboratory. The results of the simulation runs, lasting for the order of nanoseconds, were analyzed to investigate the short time dynamics of bond reorientation. The distribution of bond reorientation angle is much broader than is expected from a rotational diffusion with a single diffusion coefficient. Similarly the time-correlation function of bond reorientation is non-exponential and can be fitted well by the stretched exponential function. Attempts to explain these behaviors by assuming a superposition of rotational diffusion processes is met with many contradictions. Explanation is instead offered on the basis of the observed anisotropy of the bond reorientation motion, i.e., the finding that the chain axis reorients much more slowly than a vector attached perpendicular to the chain axis. Such anisotropy results from the intramolecular and intermolecular constraints to the motion of the chain imposed by the segments in the neighborhood.
Language Training in the Everyday Environment: Teaching Functional Sign Use to a Retarded Child

The effects of an integrative language training model on the functional use of sign language by a developmentally retarded child were assessed with a multiple-baseline design across two activities. The integrative model was comprised of two language training strategies: delay and incidental teaching. During baseline, the experimenter initiated a 10-second delay during naturally occurring language opportunities to evoke sign initiations. The intervention phase involved the use of the delay followed by a modified incidental teaching procedure. Probes were administered to assess generalization across trainers and across novel opportunities. The results indicated that the intervention increased sign initiations relative to baseline and decreased prompts required. Sign initiations generalized to a second trainer and to novel language opportunities. A second experiment was undertaken to correct a procedural flaw that became apparent during Experiment 1. Rather than allowing the child to form incorrect signs pri...
Development of a Mobile Platform for Service Robots

The development of a mobile platform is presented in this paper, which consists of system overview, motion control, obstacle avoidance and implementation of the system. The hardware platform is equipped with two driven wheels (differential drive) including shaft encoders for motion tracking. The system also contained several infra-red (IR) sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance. A camera was equipped on the system to record and send the images/video of the environment back to the central control room. The control software of the system is based on a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and Windows CE platform. The DSP is the main motion control unit for the system. It is responsible for the movement of the system, environmental sensing and decision making. Windows CE is used for the function of wireless networking and communication with the central control room. Finally, several experiments were conducted to verify the current capability of the mobile robot platform. From the results of experiments, the mobile platform shows satisfactory performance in motion control, positioning, patrolling and monitoring the environment.
Structural Load Monitoring Systems for Military Aircraft in the Polish Armed Forces with Examples of Selected Activities

Airplanes and helicopters currently operated by the Polish Armed Forces have been introduced into service without any load monitoring systems. The only exception is the F-16 and its Aircraft Structural Integrity Program.
Neurexin directs partner-specific synaptic connectivity in C. elegans

In neural circuits, individual neurons often make projections onto multiple postsynaptic partners. Here, we investigate molecular mechanisms by which these divergent connections are generated, using dyadic synapses in C. elegans as a model. We report that C. elegans nrx-1/neurexin directs divergent connectivity through differential actions at synapses with partnering neurons and muscles. We show that cholinergic outputs onto neurons are, unexpectedly, located at previously undefined spine-like protrusions from GABAergic dendrites. Both these spine-like features and cholinergic receptor clustering are strikingly disrupted in the absence of nrx-1. Excitatory transmission onto GABAergic neurons, but not neuromuscular transmission, is also disrupted. Our data indicate that NRX-1 located at presynaptic sites specifically directs postsynaptic development in GABAergic neurons. Our findings provide evidence that individual neurons can direct differential patterns of connectivity with their post-synaptic partners through partner-specific utilization of synaptic organizers, offering a novel view into molecular control of divergent connectivity.
Analyzing and Improving Cartesian Stiffness Control Stability of Series Elastic Tendon-Driven Robotic Hands

Robust and dexterous manipulation is identified as one of the critical challenges in the field of robotic hand design and control. A key requirement of dexterous manipulation is the ability to modulate fingertip force directions and magnitudes. Cartesian stiffness control is a strategy to generate position dependent fingertip forces. However the stability conditions for the Cartesian stiffness controllers vary nonlinearly because of dependency on the manipulator's configuration and loading forces. The challenge is enhanced in case of tendon-driven robotic hands due to passive joint coupling. In this work, we derive a generalized passivity based stability boundary for Cartesian stiffness. We then present a methodology to analyze the stability boundaries of Cartesian stiffness controlled series elastic tendon-driven robotic fingers. We also present a solution to improve stability by optimizing the arrangement of optimized passive compliance in parallel to the actuators based on the stability criteria. Our analysis not only allows for informed design of new robotic hands but also applies to improving performance of existing robotic hands.
A reinvestigation into accounting quality following global IFRS adoption: Evidence via earnings distributions

Abstract Despite over 140 countries adopting IFRS in some form, its effect on accounting quality remains unclear. Potential explanations for divergent findings in the literature include the focus on a narrow sample of EU countries and the use of noisy discretionary accrual models to measure accounting quality. This study circumvents these issues by investigating the impact mandatory IFRS adoption has on accounting quality using earnings distributions. Using a sample of 5691 firms in 46 countries that have adopted IFRS, I find that while the distribution discontinuity does not completely disappear, it decreases in severity for both a total and a constant sample of firms. Results are consistent for both EU and non-EU countries and are more pronounced for countries with high enforcement and where users' demand for high quality reporting is high. Furthermore, I investigate the level of discretionary accruals and real earnings management around the earnings benchmark and conclude that a systematic relationship cannot be found for either method pre- or post-IFRS adoption.
Catalytic α-Selective Deuteration of Styrene Derivatives.

We report an operationally simple protocol for the catalytic α-deuteration of styrenes. This process proceeds via the base-catalyzed reversible addition of methanol to styrenes in DMSO-d6 solvent. The concentration of methanol is shown to be critical for high yields and selectivities over multiple competing side reactions. The synthetic utility of α-deuterated styrenes for accessing deuterium-labeled chiral benzylic stereocenters is demonstrated.