cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated hand-forearm ergometer data collection system

Handgrip contractions are a standard exercise modality to evaluate cardiovascular system performance. Most conventional ergometer systems of this nature are manually controlled, placing a burden on the researcher to guide subject activity while recording the resultant data. This paper presents updates to a hand-forearm ergometer system that automate the control and data-acquisition processes. A LabVIEW virtual instrument serves as the centerpiece for the system, providing the subject/researcher interfaces as well as coordinating data acquisition from both traditional and new sensors. Initial data indicate the viability of the system with regard to its ability to obtain consistent and physiologically meaningful data.
Large-scale finite state machines†

Abstract An earlier study established an embedding procedure by which arbitrary finite state machines could be embedded in the continuous state system setting. This article considers the multiple interconnection of finite state machines using the embedded structure.
Shallow Encoding and Forgetting Are Associated with Dependence in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Among Older Adults Living with HIV Infection

Aging and HIV are both risk factors for memory deficits and declines in real-world functioning. However, we know little about the profile of memory deficits driving instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) declines across the lifespan in HIV. This study examined 145 younger (<50 years) and 119 older (≥50 years) adults with HIV who completed the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II), the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition Logical Memory subtest (WMS-III LM), and a modified Lawton and Brody ADL questionnaire. No memory predictors of IADL dependence emerged in the younger cohort. In the older group, IADL dependence was uniquely associated with worse performance on all primary CVLT-II variables, as well as elevated recency effects. Poorer immediate and delayed recall of the WMS-III LM was also associated with IADL dependence, although recognition was intact. Findings suggest older HIV-infected adults with shallow encoding and forgetting are at risk for IADL dependence.
Decoding the Direction of Movements from Interneuron and Projection Cell Populations in the Basal Ganglia

Neuromotor prostheses (NMPs) seek to replace motor functions in paralyzed humans by controlling external devices directly from recording contacts placed within the brain (in effect, bypassing the damaged neural tissue). Studies to date have focused on cortical areas for NMP control, but deeper brain structures have also been implicated in generating motor commands. Recent studies combining non-invasive brain computer interface (BCI) experiments with functional brain imaging have revealed that the hemodynamic response related to activity of the Basal Ganglia (BG) increases significantly during BCI control. The BG has long been theorized to be involved in the selection of motor actions in the neocortex, and may be an ideal location for a discrete state NMP. In this report, we investigate the directional information contained in the firing rates of cells within the nuclei of the BG. Four Long-Evans rats performed a directional nose poke task while action potentials were recorded from 21 drivable tetrodes. Our preliminary analysis has identified 16 candidate interneurons and 8 primary cells from properties of the extracellular waveforms, and has determined the amount of directional information in each cell. Using an unsupervised classification decoder of the firing rates in the BG, we could predict the animal's movement direction correctly in >80% of the trials. We further analyzed the cell ensemble decoding and found that the proposed interneuron's directional information peaked ~100-175ms before the projection cells. The fast spiking interneurons of the striatum may be an important control source for NMPs as these cells are thought to play a large role in the selection of actions.
Mechanisms underlying the effects of amphetamine on particulate PKC activity.

Amphetamine stimulates particulate protein kinase C (PKC) activity that is associated with the outward-transport of dopamine (DA) (Giambalvo [2003] Synapse 49:125–133). This stimulatory effect requires intracellular calcium ([Ca]i) and endogenous DA and when DA release is diminished, the inward-transport of amphetamine inhibits PKC activity. This study examines the mechanisms involved. It was found that synaptoneurosomes incubated with amphetamine showed a dose-dependent increase in phospholipase C and A2 activities. Furthermore, pretreatments with the phospholipase C inhibitor D609 or the phospholipase A2 inhibitors quinacrine or p-bromophenacylbromide attenuated the amphetamine-induced increase in PKC activity. This suggests that both phospholipases were essential for the amphetamine-induced increase in PKC activity. The Na/Ca antiporter was also involved, since pretreatment with amiloride or benzamil attenuated the amphetamine-induced increase in PKC activity. Since these drugs by themselves increased PKC activity, the return to basal activity after addition of amphetamine suggests that, in the absence of Na/Ca exchange, amphetamine had an inhibitory effect on PKC activity. This inhibitory effect might be due to the activation of phospholipase A2 through an increase in intracellular pH induced by amphetamine. This was supported by the finding that pretreatment with dimethylamiloride, an inhibitor of the Na/H antiporter that increases intracellular [H+], attenuated the effects of amphetamine on PKC activity. Other drugs that decrease intracellular [H+] (ammonia, monensin) also inhibited PKC activity without Ca. In contrast to amphetamine, monensin had no effect on PKC activity with Ca. This could be related to its large differential effects on phospholipase A2 vs. phospholipase C activity. Thus, the monensin-mediated decrease in PKC activity seen without Ca was partially attenuated by pretreatment with quinacrine. Furthermore, when Na/Ca antiporter was inhibited with benzamil, monensin inhibited PKC activity. These results suggest that amphetamine, as well as monensin, may have dual effects on PKC activity, a Ca-dependent stimulatory effect via phospholipase C, and an inhibitory effect via phospholipase A2. Synapse 51:128–139, 2004. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The bardic mystery and the dew drop in the rose: The poet in the therapeutic process

This study responds to Jungian therapist Kane's findings that most clients need therapists to help them descend into their own bodies and let their old selves die—that descent is renewing only if activated and supported by Self, not by memory of coerced death. Research of the ancient Bardic Mystery, which incorporates the Eleusynian, indicates such descent is renewing only when activated and supported by lyric, epic, and dramatic voices in harmonic relationships. Descriptive of Bardic Mystery and the poet's role of unweaving unwholesome lyric-epic-dramatic voice relationships, the study identifies implications for poet-therapist-client relationships.
Scale limits of free-silica seismic scatterers in the lower mantle

Abstract Lower mantle seismic scatterers are often interpreted in terms of subducted basaltic crust, which should contain free-silica phases that are seismically fast. However, free-silica phases are unstable in a peridotite lower mantle, as they react with ferropericlase (magnesiowustite) to form silicate perovskite. Nonetheless, conservative estimates and recent measurements of diffusion coefficients in silicate perovskite suggest that free-silica phases may persist as polycrystalline armored relics in lower mantle peridotite at length scales equivalent to those observed for seismic scatterers. Simple numerical simulations also suggest that polycrystalline silica may persist within subducted metabasalts.
Examining a curvilinear relationship between communication frequency and team performance in cross-functional project teams

The performance of a cross-functional team depends on the skillful and innovative combination of information and expertise from all team members. Communication is the medium through which team members share the information required for successful amalgamation. In this work, we postulate that both high and low levels of team communication can impede team performance, thus leading to a curvilinear relationship between team performance and team communication. To test this hypothesis, the relationships between face-to-face, e-mail, and telephone communication and team performance were examined for 60 cross-functional project teams. E-mail and face-to-face communication were curvilinearly associated with performance, but telephone communication was not. Further analysis of the communication frequency between colocations showed that e-mail is the only medium for which usage increased with distance.
Measuring Social “Informatization”: A Factor Analytic Approach*

Some scholars have argued that we are witnessing a new social revolution—social “informatization”—that is comparable in scope and impact to that of the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century. Others have argued that it is a much more modest phase in the ongoing development of communication and information-processing technology. While there are a number of reasons for disagreement about what exactly “informatization” is, and what its impact will be, two are paramount: (1) conceptual imprecision, and (2) issues of measurement. Using factor analysis, this study aims to clarify its conceptualization, and, then, rather than focusing on a single dimension (e.g., technological or economic), it will develop a comprehensive multiple-indicator measure that captures the economic, technological, and size (stock) dimensions of social informatization. We find that this measure of social informatization strongly correlates with the general level of socioeconomic development. This result implies that social informatization may be a more continuous and cumulative process than a disjunctive or discontinuous “revolution.” Social change has been and will remain one of the perennial topics of study for sociologists, as well as other social scientists. It is not an overstatement to say that sociology as an independent discipline emerged in large part from study of the changes that swept through European societies during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The drastic changes and the social instability, which the Industrial Revolution had brought into being, overwhelmed contemporary scholars, and made them diligent in seeking laws of social change and development. For instance, Auguste Comte specified overcoming this instability as the purpose of sociology, which he dubbed “the queen of the sciences” (Marshall 1994). It is often said that we are witnessing a new social revolution, perhaps even comparable to the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century. The essential aspect of the current social change is what we choose to call “social informatization.” Social informatization can be defined as the process by which the social capacity to generate, process, and transmit information increases. We prefer the term “social informatization” to “information society,” in part because the latter implies a dichotomy of societies as being either informational or noninformational. For this dichotomy to work, one would be able to identify a specific threshold, or Rubicon which objectively marks the dividing line, and this appears neither possible nor desirable. Rather, we agree with Webster (1994:17) when he states that “quantitative measures cannot of themselves
Acute coronary artery angioplasty during pregnancy

A 31-yr-old white female, prima-gravida at 30 weeks gestation, presented with an acute inferolateral myocardial infarction. Acute coronary arteriography revealed an occluded circumflex artery, which was angioplastied acutely. Previous acute interventions, alternatives, and risks are discussed.
Wondering About Things

Here you will find facts about and the opinions of an American astrophysicist who practiced in the second half of the twentieth century. The title explains why I did it. I invented some new ideas, I applied them to some astro objects, I computed things with pen and paper; I ended up thinking that I had succeeded in pushing the field ahead a bit. Attracted by Newtonian theory, I did some experiments too. I love hydrodynamics and magnetic fields in space. The math is beautiful, and the objects are stupendous in their brilliant displays. For some reason I meditated on gases between the stars, their pressures and motions. I left the stars to others, believing that their physics was under control. As I grew older, I had to decide whether to direct others rather than just myself and ended up at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics doing both. It was thrilling because I had never had management experience and was flying by the seat of my pants, as I guess other astrodirectors do. In the process, I adv...
Resting cortisol level, self-concept, and putative familial environment in adolescents at ultra high-risk for psychotic disorders

A growing body of evidence suggests that resting cortisol levels are elevated in patients with schizophrenia and closely tied to symptom severity. However, there is limited research on the biological stress system during the ultra high-risk (UHR) period immediately preceding the onset of psychosis, and cortisol has not been examined in relation to individual characteristics such as self-concept or potential stressors such as putative familial environment in this critical population. In the present study, salivary cortisol samples were collected on 37 UHR and 42 matched control adolescents, and these individuals were assessed with clinical interviews as well as a measure of self-concept. For a subsection of the sample (23 UHR and 20 control adolescents), a participating relative/caretaker was also assessed with an expressed emotion interview designed to gauge psychosocial environment. Consistent with previous studies, UHR participants exhibited elevated resting cortisol levels when compared with controls. In addition, UHR adolescents exhibited increased negative self-concept and their relatives/caretakers endorsed significantly fewer initial positive statements about the participant. Interestingly, a strong trend in the UHR group suggests that higher cortisol levels are associated with higher rates of critical statements from relatives/caretakers. Furthermore, elevated cortisol levels in the participants were associated with increased negative self-concept as well as fewer initial positive comments from relatives/caretakers. Results suggest that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) dysfunction is closely associated with both individual and environmental-level characteristics. Taken together, these findings support a neural diathesis-stress model of psychosis and future studies, designed to examine causal relationships, stand to inform both our understanding of pathogenic processes in the high-risk period as well as early intervention efforts.
Deadlock-free fine-grained thread migration

Several recent studies have proposed fine-grained, hardware-level thread migration in multicores as a solution to power, reliability, and memory coherence problems. The need for fast thread migration has been well documented, however, a fast, deadlock-free migration protocol is sorely lacking: existing solutions either deadlock or are too slow and cumbersome to ensure performance with frequent, fine-grained thread migrations. In this study, we introduce the Exclusive Native Context (ENC) protocol, a general, provably deadlock-free migration protocol for instruction-level thread migration architectures. Simple to implement, ENC does not require additional hardware beyond common migration-based architectures. Our evaluation using synthetic migrations and the SPLASH-2 application suite shows that ENC offers performance within 11.7% of an idealized deadlock-free migration protocol with infinite resources.
Medical modernisation, scientific research fields and the epistemic politics of health social movements

As health social movements (HSMs) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professions increasingly mount challenges to the authority of medical knowledge, the tendency for the medical research community and medical profession to dismiss such epistemic challenges (termed here 'paternalistic progressivism') and the corresponding response from challengers that medicine is corrupt (termed here 'medical devolution') has given way to a process of incorporation of challenges under the rubric of evidence-based research (termed here the epistemic dimension of 'medical modernization'). Under conditions of medical modernization the distinction between lay/alternative knowledge and scientific knowledge, upon which the epistemic authority of medicine rested, is submerged in a more complex field of competing scientific networks and research programmes. Furthermore, the older policy of transmitting science to an illiterate public and suppressing dissidents is replaced by an emerging system of the 'public shaping of science', in which there is both greater agency of social movement/lay advocacy organisations and greater recognition of the legitimacy of that agency. Indirect and direct forms of the public shaping of science are discussed, as are emergent problems of co-optation. Understanding the emergent epistemic politics that are characterised here as medical modernization requires an ongoing theoretical integration of medical sociology and the sociology of science.
Cardiac surgery in select nonagenarians: should we or shouldn't we?

Background Patients aged 90 years and older represent a rapidly growing subset of the population, many of whom are functionally limited by cardiovascular disease. Clinical decision making about cardiac surgical intervention in nonagenarians is hindered by a paucity of data examining survival outcomes in this population. Methods A consecutive series of nonagenarians who underwent cardiac operations between 1995 and 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Data collection included baseline preoperative clinical status, intraoperative characteristics, and perioperative course. Area under the Kaplan-Meier survival estimate method was used to calculate mean survival. Results Cardiac surgical procedures were done in 49 patients (51% male); their mean age was 91.9 years (range, 90 to 97 years). Operative mortality was 8% (n = 4). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models found preoperative chronic renal insufficiency (hazard ratio [HR], 4.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53 to 15.55; p = 0.007) and ejection fraction (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.00; p = 0.033) were independently associated with death. Overall mean survival was 5.1 ± 0.5 years (median, 5.2 years). Quality of life outcomes were similar to that of two related norm-based populations based on age and disease process. Conclusions Cardiac surgical procedures can be performed safely and with therapeutic benefit in carefully selected nonagenarians. We consider physiologic indicators, social factors, and patient preferences to be the main determinants in the patient selection process. Our results support the need for more proactive intervention in symptomatic nonagenarian patients as it relates to earlier consideration of elective, rather than emergency cardiac operations.
Racial Disparity in Blood Pressure: is Vitamin D a Factor?

Background Higher prevalence of hypertension among African Americans is a key cause of racial disparity in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Explanations for the difference in prevalence are incomplete. Emerging data suggest that low vitamin D levels may contribute.
Integrative noetic therapies as adjuncts to percutaneous intervention during unstable coronary syndromes: Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Training (MANTRA) feasibility pilot

Abstract Background Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for unstable coronary syndromes have substantial emotional and spiritual distress that may promote procedural complications. Noetic (nonpharmacologic) therapies may reduce anxiety, pain and distress, enhance the efficacy of pharmacologic agents, or affect short- and long-term procedural outcomes. Methods The Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Training (MANTRA) pilot study examined the feasibility of applying 4 noetic therapies—stress relaxation, imagery, touch therapy, and prayer—to patients in the setting of acute coronary interventions. Eligible patients had acute coronary syndromes and invasive angiography or PCI. Patients were randomized across 5 treatment groups: the 4 noetic and standard therapies. Questionnaires completed before PCI reflected patients' religious beliefs and anxiety. Index hospitalization end points included post-PCI ischemia, death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and urgent revascularization. Mortality was followed up for 6 months after hospitalization. Results Of eligible patients, 88% gave informed consent. Of 150 patients enrolled, 120 were assigned to noetic therapy; 118 (98%) completed their therapeutic assignments. All clinical end points were available for 100% of patients. Results were not statistically significant for any outcomes comparisons. There was a 25% to 30% absolute reduction in adverse periprocedural outcomes in patients treated with any noetic therapy compared with standard therapy. The lowest absolute complication rates were observed in patients assigned to off-site prayer. All mortality by 6-month follow-up was in the noetic therapies group. In patients with questionnaire scores indicating a high level of spiritual belief, a high level of personal spiritual activity, a low level of community-based religious involvement, or a high level of anxiety, noetic therapies appeared to show greater reduction in absolute in-hospital complication rates compared with standard therapy. Conclusions Acceptance of noetic adjuncts to invasive therapy for acute coronary syndromes was excellent, and logistics were feasible. No outcomes differences were significant; however, index hospitalization data consistently suggested a therapeutic benefit with noetic therapy. Of all noetic therapies, off-site intercessory prayer had the lowest short- and long-term absolute complication rates. Definitive demonstration of treatment effects of this magnitude would be feasible in a patient population about 4 times that of this pilot study. Absolute mortality differences make safety considerations a mandatory feature of future clinical trials in this area. (Am Heart J 2001;142:760-7.)
Inhibition of acinar apoptosis occurs during acute pancreatitis in the human homologue ΔF508 cystic fibrosis mouse

Previously, we found that the University of North Carolina cystic fibrosis (UNC-CF) mouse had more severe experimental acute pancreatitis (AP) than wild-type (WT) mice characterized by exuberant pa...
MODELING OF INTERPHASE FORMATION ON UNSIZED FIBERS IN THERMOSETTING COMPOSITES

The interphase is the region between the fiber and matrix whose properties strongly influence the overall composite behavior in terms of mechanical strength, chemical and thermal durability. The composition and thickness of the interphase region is governed by the processing conditions, in addition to the fiber surface treatments and other characteristics of the fiber and the resin materials. One of the strong contributing mechanisms to interphase formation is the preferential adsorption of matrix components onto the fiber surface, which takes place on the order of molecular scales. Chemical reaction in the matrix also happens simultaneously with the adsorption process. In this paper, a multi-layer adsorption-desorption-reaction model for a binary fluid mixture in contact with a solid surface is implemented to study the kinetics of interphase formation near bare fiber surfaces in thermosetting composite systems. Composition and thickness evolution of the interphase are predicted as functions of time. Conditions that lead to interphase formation upon vitrification are identified. Parametric studies are presented to investigate the effects of various nondimensional groups on the interphase region development.
Wealth, wealth indices and HIV risk in East Africa.

For nearly two decades the conviction that poverty fuels the spread of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa has been ubiquitous among epidemiologists and development workers. In 2005 however a team of epidemiologists published a comment in The Lancet drawing attention to some surprising findings: Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Kenya and Tanzania appear to demonstrate that HIV prevalence is highest among the wealthiest segments of those populations and lowest among the poor. In light of these findings the authors suggested that wealth rather than poverty may be the root cause of behavioral risk for HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. This interpretation of DHS findings depends on the validity of the measurement of wealth. I argue here that the DHS approach to measuring wealth is inconsistent with the complexities of contemporary African livelihoods. As a result the conclusion that wealth fuels the spread of HIV in East Africa may be misleading. (excerpt)
Individual differences in boldness positively correlate with heart rate in orb-weaving spiders of genus Larinioides

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of studies devoted to consistent individual differences in behavior, termed "behavioral syndromes" or animal "personality". In particular, ecologists and evolutionary biologists alike seek to explore the functional consequences of individuals' personalities and explanations for their general maintenance. Understand- ing the mechanistic underpinnings to personality is arguably key to a deeper understanding of their functional consequences and maintenance. In particular, consistent individual differences in metabolic rate have been proposed as a general explanation for the maintenance of consistent individual differences in boldness, aggressiveness, and activity level. In this paper we explore whether consistent individual differences in boldness are associated with heat rate, a proxy for metabolic rate, in two species of orb-weaving spider: Larinioides cornutus and L. patagiatus. We first documented consistent individual differences in boldness in L. cornutus but not L. patagiatus, as estimated by individuals' latency to resume movement following an aversive stimulus. We also measured individuals' heart rate twice in a separate situation. We then tested for an association between individuals' boldness and their heart rate during these two events. We found that increased boldness was associated with increased heart. Thus, indi- viduals that resumed movement quickly following an aversive stimulus also exhibited faster heart rates. Our studies provide fur- ther evidence that consistent individual differences in key physiological attributes, like metabolic rate, might be a general mecha- nism underlying consistent individual differences in behavior (Current Zoology 60(3): 387-391, 2014).
Thermodynamic Analysis of Hybrid Liquid-Air-Based Data Center Cooling Strategies

Energy savings in data center cooling systems equate to cost savings for the data center operator. Recently, investigators have considered alternative hybrid liquid-air technologies for data center thermal management such as in-row coolers, rear door heat exchangers, and overhead coolers. This study employs the in-house data center modeling tool Villanova Thermodynamic Analysis of Systems (VTAS) software package to ascertain the influence of hybrid liquid-air components on overall data center exergy destruction. The results show that the exergy destruction decreases for a hybrid liquid-air system using only an in-row cooler. As the in-row cooler removes a greater fraction of heat from the hot aisle, the total exergy destruction in the data center increases by a small amount. This analysis is extended for various configurations containing an in-row cooler, an overhead cooler, a rear door heat exchanger, and a CRAH unit to show that using hybrid liquid-air technologies without a CRAH unit is the most thermodynamically favorable.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Effect of fuel properties on first cycle fuel delivery in a SI engine

The fuel property effects on first cycle mixture preparation were assessed by measuring the in-cylinder fuel equivalence ratio (Φ) with a Fast Flame lonization Detector (FFID) using four different fuels. The Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) was varied between -6°C and 80°C. The Φ values increased with both ECT and amount of injected fuel mass. The delivery fraction (fraction of the injected.fuel that went into the combustible charge), however, increased with ECT but decreased with increase in injected fuel. The minimum required injected mass to produce a combustible mixture increased sharply with decrease in ECT below 20°C. There was, however, no single fuel parameter that would correlate with the measurements over the entire temperature range. Instead, the minimum required injected mass correlated to different distillation points on the ASTM distillation curve; e.g. at ECT of -6°C, it correlated to T20; at 40°C, it correlated to T50. Based on this data, an empirical procedure was established to assess the change of minimum required injected mass when the fuel properties were changed. A thermodynamics model was used to simulate the first cycle mixture preparation. The results were in good agreement with the data and thus quantitatively connected the fuel properties to the mixture preparation behavior.
Chromatic-aberration-corrected diffractive lenses for ultra-broadband focusing.

We exploit the inherent dispersion in diffractive optics to demonstrate planar chromatic-aberration-corrected lenses. Specifically, we designed, fabricated and characterized cylindrical diffractive lenses that efficiently focus the entire visible band (450 nm to 700 nm) onto a single line. These devices are essentially pixelated, multi-level microstructures. Experiments confirm an average optical efficiency of 25% for a three-wavelength apochromatic lens whose chromatic focus shift is only 1.3 μm and 25 μm in the lateral and axial directions, respectively. Super-achromatic performance over the continuous visible band is also demonstrated with averaged lateral and axial focus shifts of only 1.65 μm and 73.6 μm, respectively. These lenses are easy to fabricate using single-step grayscale lithography and can be inexpensively replicated. Furthermore, these devices are thin (<3 μm), error tolerant, has low aspect ratio (<1:1) and offer polarization-insensitive focusing, all significant advantages compared to alternatives that rely on metasurfaces. Lastly, our design methodology offers high design flexibility in numerical aperture and focal length, and is readily extended to 2D.
Tablet as researcher’s kit: An analysis of how social scientists use tablet computers in the field

AbstractTablet computers (or just tablets) are often discussed in context with their relationship with books as an informational portal. For the most part, the analysis of tablets has dealt with frequent tablet activities, locations of use and contextual factors. It is fair also to note how the tablet has become a central nexus of production tools for the content creator. Tablets represent a platform both for distributing content to multiple audiences and providing the tools necessary to produce content on the fly. Tablets allow the user to capture thoughts on a screen that is slightly smaller than that of a traditional laptop (10 vs. 13 inches), while maintaining a level of portability and usability beyond what a traditional laptop can provide. This ability to quickly capture thoughts and ideas is extremely handy to academics in the field, specifically researchers, as they conduct research or present knowledge to the larger population. This study will look at how researchers are using tablets to replace ...
Microbiology: Oxacillin-Resistant Phenotypes of Staphylococcus aureus

Infections caused by oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are a growing problem in the United States, accounting for considerable morbidity, mortality, and expense. The increasing incidence of these infections has led to frequent empiric use of broader spectrum antibiotics to treat these more resistant pathogens, contributing to further worsening of the resistance among gram-positive organisms. Three main mechanisms of oxacillin resistance in S aureus are described: (1) classic resistance, (2) modified S aureus phenotype, and (3) hyper-^-lactamase production. Correctly identifying the mechanism of resistance in S aureus isolates should lead to substantial changes in antibiotic use and in infection control protocols. These modifications in clinical practices could lead to cost savings, as well as a decreased potential for further antibiotic resistance.
In Opposition Highly Effective Liquid Phase Chromatography Determination Health Foods Ferulic Acid Content

Objective To establish the method of ferulic acid in health foods with reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography.Method The reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography was composed.Chromatographic column: Aichrom Bond-1 C_18 4.6 mm×150 mm,5 μm.The mobile phase consisted of acetonitril and 0.085% phostrate acid(20∶80);the wave length was 320 nm;speeds of flow were 1.0 ml/min;column box temperature was 30℃.Results The ferulic acid appeared the good linear relationship from 1.0-10.0 μg/ml(r=0.999?8).The average return-ratio is 90.3%-94.2%.The relatively standard deviations respectively is 6.00%-7.51%.Conclusion This method is simple,accurate,can satisfy the health foods the asafoetida acid content examination request.
The reactor noise threshold

Time-domain noise analysis techniques such as the Rossi-[alpha], the variance-to-mean, and the interval-distribution methods can be used to measure fundamental reactor parameters in a wise variety of reactor systems, provided the power level of the system is not too high. Simple expressions have been derived that define the maximum power level (i.e., the reactor noise threshold) above which time-domain reactor noise techniques are likely to fail in subcritical, critical, and supercritical systems.
Computational model for timing of delivery in an obese population.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the impact on stillbirth risk, cesarean deliveries, and delivery-related healthcare cost associated with induction of labor compared to expectant management of term pregnancies in an obese population. METHODS A decision analysis model was designed to compare the delivery and cost outcomes associated with a hypothetical cohort of 100,000 term pregnancies, complicated by obesity, that were planning a vaginal delivery. The model predicted stillbirths, cesarean deliveries, and total delivery-related health care cost from routine induction at 39 weeks compared to expectant management and routine induction each week from 40 to 42 weeks. RESULTS There were 387 stillbirths avoided by routine induction at 39 weeks compared to the worst-case model of expectant management with induction at 42 weeks. 9234 cesarean deliveries were avoided by routine induction at 39 weeks compared to the worst-case model of expectant management and induction at 41 weeks (30,888 vs. 40,122) . Routine induction at 39 weeks showed a savings in delivery-related health care cost of 30 million dollars compared to the worst-case model of expectant management and induction at 41 weeks (536 million vs. 566 million). CONCLUSION Utilizing this computational model, routine induction at 39 weeks minimizes stillbirths, cesarean deliveries, and delivery-related health care cost.
CRT-600.16 Atherothrombosis in 153 Patients with Premature Coronary Artery Disease <= Age 45

In 153 patients who sustained premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) events ≤ age 45, we evaluated the contribution of thrombosis to atherosclerosis-atherothrombosis. Measures of thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis were obtained in 153 patients with CVD ≤ age 45 compared to 110 healthy normal
Optimization of Ultrathin ALD Tantalum Nitride Films for Zero-Thickness Liner Applications

A metal-organic atomic layer deposition (ALD) tantalum nitride process has been demonstrated for zero-thickness liner applications in advanced copper metallization schemes. Utilizing a commercially available ALD reactor, this process employs a liquid tantalum source (tertbutylimido tris(diethylamido) tantalum—TBTDET) and ammonia as the reactants. Key functionality data addressing the self-limiting nature of ALD film growth with respect to key process parameters including processing temperature and the substrate surface exposures to TBTDET and ammonia have been obtained, leading to the establishment of an optimized ALD processing window. Highly conformal, continuous, and smooth growth over high aspect ratio structures is exhibited, and incubation periods appear to be relatively substrate independent. Preliminary thermal and electrical copper barrier performance testing of the deposited films indicates that they hold promise for use in emerging nanoscale interconnect applications.
Physiological Effects of Early Incremental Mobilization of a Patient with Acute Intracerebral and Intraventricular Hemorrhage Requiring Dual External Ventricular Drainage

Recent trials have challenged the notion that very early mobility benefits patients with acute stroke. It is unclear how cerebral autoregulatory impairments, prevalent in this population, could be affected by mobilization. The safety of mobilizing patients who have external ventricular drainage (EVD) devices for cerebrospinal fluid diversion and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is another concern due to risk of device dislodgment and potential elevation in ICP. We report hemodynamic and ICP responses during progressive, device-assisted mobility interventions performed in a critically ill patient with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) requiring two EVDs. A 55-year-old man was admitted to the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit with an acute thalamic ICH and complex intraventricular hemorrhage requiring placement of two EVDs. Progressive mobilization was achieved using mobility technology devices. Range of motion exercises were performed initially, progressing to supine cycle ergometry followed by incremental verticalization using a tilt table. Physiological parameters were recorded before and after the interventions. All mobility interventions were completed without any adverse event or clinically detectable change in the patient’s neurological state. Physiological parameters including hemodynamic variables and ICP remained within prescribed goals throughout. Progressive, device-assisted early mobilization was feasible and safe in this critically ill patient with hemorrhagic stroke when titrated by an interdisciplinary team of skilled healthcare professionals. Studies are needed to gain insight into the hemodynamic and neurophysiological responses associated with early mobility in acute stroke to identify subsets of patients who are most likely to benefit from this intervention.
Quinean holism, analyticity, and diachronic rational norms

I argue that Quinean naturalists’ holism-based arguments against analyticity and apriority are more difficult to resist than is generally supposed, for two reasons. First, although opponents of naturalism sometimes dismiss these arguments on the grounds that the holistic premises on which they depend are unacceptably radical, it turns out that the sort of holism required by these arguments is actually quite minimal. And second, although it’s true, as Grice and Strawson pointed out long ago, that these arguments can succeed only if there isn’t any principled criterion for meaning change, such a criterion turns out to be hard to come by. David Chalmers has recently argued that such a criterion must exist, since the norms governing belief revision are subject to obvious exceptions that can be explained only by appeal to meaning change. But this, I argue, is incorrect: if choices about how to use language are themselves rationally assessable (as naturalists can and should take them to be), then there are no such exceptions to be explained. To show that this is so, I formulate a new kind of coherence norm that may be useful for reasoning formally about the relationship between meaning and evidence.
Synthesis of BODIPY-Peptide Conjugates for Fluorescence Labeling of EGFR Overexpressing Cells.

Regioselective functionalization of 2,3,5,6,8-pentachloro-BODIPY 1 produced unsymmetric BODIPY 5, bearing an isothiocyanate group suitable for conjugation, in only four steps. The X-ray structure of 5 reveals a nearly planar BODIPY core with aryl dihedral angles in the range 47.4–62.9°. Conjugation of 5 to two EGFR-targeting pegylated peptides, 3PEG-LARLLT (6) and 3PEG-GYHWYGYTPQNVI (7), under mild conditions (30 min at room temperature), afforded BODIPY conjugates 8 and 9 in 50–80% isolated yields. These conjugates showed red-shifted absorption and emission spectra compared with 5, in the near-IR region, and were evaluated as potential fluorescence imaging agents for EGFR overexpressing cells. SPR and docking investigations suggested that conjugate 8 bearing the LARLLT sequence binds to EGFR more effectively than 9 bearing the GYHWYGYTPQNVI peptide, in part due to the lower solubility of 9, and its tendency for aggregation at concentrations above 10 μM. Studies in human carcinoma HEp2 cells overexpressin...
Polycythemia Vera — Clinical Aspects

Polycythemia vera (PV) is an acquired hematopoietic stem cell disorder characterized by the overproduction of red cells, white cells, and platelets in the absence of a defined stimulus. Although involvement of a multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cell is a characteristic of PV, erythrocytosis is the feature that not only sets it apart from its companion myeloproliferative disorders, but also provides insight into its pathogenesis and is related to the major complications of PV, thrombosis, and hemorrhage. The diagnosis of PV requires careful clinical assessment of the myeloproliferative phenotype in the individual patient, and optimal management of PV requires the knowledge of its natural history and complications. This chapter is focused on these concepts and concludes with a strategy for the management of PV.
Regulatory effects of IL-15 on allergen-induced airway obstruction

Background Airway obstruction is a physiologic feature of asthma, and IL-15 might have an important role in asthma pathogenesis. Objective We tested the hypothesis that regulation of IL-15 is critical for preservation of allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway resistance, and compliance in response to methacholine. Methods Airway inflammation, AHR, resistance, and compliance were assessed in Il15 gene–deficient mice and IL-15–overexpressing mice in an allergen-induced murine model of asthma. We assessed eosinophil numbers by using anti–major basic protein immunostaining, goblet cell hyperplasia by using periodic acid–Schiff staining, and cytokine and chemokine levels by performing quantitative PCR and ELISA. Results We made a novel observation that IL-15 deficiency promotes baseline airway resistance in naive mice. Moreover, rIL-15 delivery to the lung downregulates expression of proinflammatory cytokines and improves allergen-induced AHR, airway resistance, and compliance. These observations were further validated in doxycycline-inducible CC10–IL-15 bitransgenic mice. Doxycycline-exposed, Aspergillus species extract–challenged CC10–IL-15 bitransgenic mice exhibited significantly reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and decreased goblet cell hyperplasia. Airway obstruction, including AHR and airway resistance, was diminished in allergen-challenged doxycycline-exposed compared with non–doxycycline-exposed CC10–IL-15 bitransgenic mice. Mechanistically, we observed that IL-15–mediated protection of airway obstruction is associated with induced IFN-γ– and IL-10–producing regulatory CD4 + CD25 + forkhead box p3 (Foxp3) + T cells. Additionally, we found that a human IL-15 agonist (ALT-803) improved airway resistance and compliance in an experimental asthma model. Conclusion We report our novel finding that IL-15 has a potent inhibitory effect on the airway obstruction that occurs in response to environmental allergens.
Changing trends in international marriages between Korean men and Southeast Asian women, 1993–2013

Korea witnessed a large increase in the fraction of men marrying spouses from Southeast Asia. In the 1990s, about one per cent of Korean men’s new marriages were to Southeast Asian women but by 200...
Venous Complications in One Versus Two Vein Anastomoses in Head and Neck Free Flaps.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to compare rates of reexploration and flap failure in patients with 1- and 2-vein anastomoses in free flap reconstructions.Methods:Retrospective chart review...
BODIES AT LIBERTY IN KATHY ACKER’S DON QUIXOTE

AbstractKathy Acker’s work has been praised for the way it highlights the transformative potential of the body in contact with the world. Often, however, such contact also reminds us of the danger involved in the use of the body to disrupt social convention. “Bodies at Liberty” mines this tension, considering Acker alongside three contemporary theorists – Michel Serres, Jean-Luc Nancy, and Mari Ruti – whose disparate theories of embodiment each offer accounts of exposure, vulnerability, and relation as strategies for envisioning human frailty as grounds for meaning-making in our lives. Read together, these texts become examples of the body’s ways of guiding our attention toward new paradigms for thriving and bonding in precarious times.
Neuregulin-1 attenuates experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) pathogenesis by regulating ErbB4/AKT/STAT3 signaling

Human cerebral malaria (HCM) is a severe form of malaria characterized by sequestration of infected erythrocytes (IRBCs) in brain microvessels, increased levels of circulating free heme and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, brain swelling, vascular dysfunction, coma, and increased mortality. Neuregulin-1β (NRG-1) encoded by the gene NRG1, is a member of a family of polypeptide growth factors required for normal development of the nervous system and the heart. Utilizing an experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) model (Plasmodium berghei ANKA in C57BL/6), we reported that NRG-1 played a cytoprotective role in ECM and that circulating levels were inversely correlated with ECM severity. Intravenous infusion of NRG-1 reduced ECM mortality in mice by promoting a robust anti-inflammatory response coupled with reduction in accumulation of IRBCs in microvessels and reduced tissue damage. In the current study, we examined how NRG-1 treatment attenuates pathogenesis and mortality associated with ECM. We examined whether NRG-1 protects against CXCL10- and heme-induced apoptosis using human brain microvascular endothelial (hCMEC/D3) cells and M059K neuroglial cells. hCMEC/D3 cells grown in a monolayer and a co-culture system with 30 μM heme and NRG-1 (100 ng/ml) were used to examine the role of NRG-1 on blood brain barrier (BBB) integrity. Using the in vivo ECM model, we examined whether the reduction of mortality was associated with the activation of ErbB4 and AKT and inactivation of STAT3 signaling pathways. For data analysis, unpaired t test or one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s or Bonferroni’s post test was applied. We determined that NRG-1 protects against cell death/apoptosis of human brain microvascular endothelial cells and neroglial cells, the two major components of BBB. NRG-1 treatment improved heme-induced disruption of the in vitro BBB model consisting of hCMEC/D3 and human M059K cells. In the ECM murine model, NRG-1 treatment stimulated ErbB4 phosphorylation (pErbB4) followed by activation of AKT and inactivation of STAT3, which attenuated ECM mortality. Our results indicate a potential pathway by which NRG-1 treatment maintains BBB integrity in vitro, attenuates ECM-induced tissue injury, and reduces mortality. Furthermore, we postulate that augmenting NRG-1 during ECM therapy may be an effective adjunctive therapy to reduce CNS tissue injury and potentially increase the effectiveness of current anti-malaria therapy against human cerebral malaria (HCM).