cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formal models for control of flexible manufacturing cells: physical and system model

Most control implementations of flexible manufacturing cells have been developed specific to a particular facility, and no generic format or tools exist for the systematic planning and creation of control. This paper presents the first phase of research in automatic generation of control software. It focuses on the development of theoretical foundations and generic issues necessary to understand and implement control. Specific formal models are developed for the physical activities, system actions, and individual machines comprising the manufacturing cell. In a subsequent paper, the formal models presented here are used to provide the basis for creating context free control grammars which are used to automatically generate software for controlling flexible manufacturing cells. >
Elucidation of the Block to Herpes Simplex Virus Egress in the Absence of Tegument Protein UL16 Reveals a Novel Interaction with VP22

UL16 is a tegument protein of herpes simplex virus (HSV) that is conserved among all members of the Herpesviridae, but its function is poorly understood. Previous studies revealed that UL16 is associated with capsids in the cytoplasm and interacts with the membrane protein UL11, which suggested a “bridging” function during cytoplasmic envelopment, but this conjecture has not been tested. To gain further insight, cells infected with UL16-null mutants were examined by electron microscopy. No defects in the transport of capsids to cytoplasmic membranes were observed, but the wrapping of capsids with membranes was delayed. Moreover, clusters of cytoplasmic capsids were often observed, but only near membranes, where they were wrapped to produce multiple capsids within a single envelope. Normal virion production was restored when UL16 was expressed either by complementing cells or from a novel position in the HSV genome. When the composition of the UL16-null viruses was analyzed, a reduction in the packaging of glycoprotein E (gE) was observed, which was not surprising, since it has been reported that UL16 interacts with this glycoprotein. However, levels of the tegument protein VP22 were also dramatically reduced in virions, even though this gE-binding protein has been shown not to depend on its membrane partner for packaging. Cotransfection experiments revealed that UL16 and VP22 can interact in the absence of other viral proteins. These results extend the UL16 interaction network beyond its previously identified binding partners to include VP22 and provide evidence that UL16 plays an important function at the membrane during virion production.
Detecting retail events using moving edges

We present a moving object recognition system based on the characteristics of the object's edges. Our approach is formulated as an edge detection problem within two consecutive frames of a video sequence. The framework is evaluated in a retail environment for detecting dollies entering or leaving the back door of a store and in opening or closing a cashier's cash drawer. The system is trained manually with pre-recorded video sequence of a dolly entering a building and a cash drawer opening and closing. Once trained, the system is shown to be able to detect dollies and cash drawer actions reliably. The framework can be used to detect objects of any defined edge characteristics as a part of an event detection system for small retail businesses.
Dextroamphetamine (but Not Atomoxetine) Induces Reanimation from General Anesthesia: Implications for the Roles of Dopamine and Norepinephrine in Active Emergence

Methylphenidate induces reanimation (active emergence) from general anesthesia in rodents, and recent evidence suggests that dopaminergic neurotransmission is important in producing this effect. Dextroamphetamine causes the direct release of dopamine and norepinephrine, whereas atomoxetine is a selective reuptake inhibitor for norepinephrine. Like methylphenidate, both drugs are prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In this study, we tested the efficacy of dextroamphetamine and atomoxetine for inducing reanimation from general anesthesia in rats. Emergence from general anesthesia was defined by return of righting. During continuous sevoflurane anesthesia, dextroamphetamine dose-dependently induced behavioral arousal and restored righting, but atomoxetine did not (n = 6 each). When the D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH-23390 was administered prior to dextroamphetamine under the same conditions, righting was not restored (n = 6). After a single dose of propofol (8 mg/kg IV), the mean emergence times for rats that received normal saline (vehicle) and dextroamphetamine (1 mg/kg IV) were 641 sec and 404 sec, respectively (n = 8 each). The difference was statistically significant. Although atomoxetine reduced mean emergence time to 566 sec (n = 8), this decrease was not statistically significant. Spectral analysis of electroencephalogram recordings revealed that dextroamphetamine and atomoxetine both induced a shift in peak power from δ (0.1–4 Hz) to θ (4–8 Hz) during continuous sevoflurane general anesthesia, which was not observed when animals were pre-treated with SCH-23390. In summary, dextroamphetamine induces reanimation from general anesthesia in rodents, but atomoxetine does not induce an arousal response under the same experimental conditions. This supports the hypothesis that dopaminergic stimulation during general anesthesia produces a robust behavioral arousal response. In contrast, selective noradrenergic stimulation causes significant neurophysiological changes, but does not promote behavioral arousal during general anesthesia. We hypothesize that dextroamphetamine is more likely than atomoxetine to be clinically useful for restoring consciousness in anesthetized patients, mainly due to its stimulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission.
Guided percutaneous drainage for posttraumatic empyema thoracis

Background. Guided percutaneous drainage (GPD) is used in the management of posttraumatic empyema thoracis; however, its equivalence to decortication has not been evaluated. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 12 patients who underwent GPD and nine who were treated with decortication. Results. No primarily GPD-managed empyemas necessitated a subsequent thoracotomy. The size and number of fibrinopurulent loculations treated by each technique were equivalent. Sterile purulent collections were found in 55.6% of decortication-treated patients and in 33% of patients who underwent GPD. Intrapleural analgesia was administered to 71.4% of decortication-treated patients and 28.6% of GPD-treated patients. Five patients undergoing decortication required patients. The catheter was left in place at discharge in 41.6% of GPD-treated patients and was removed on an outpatient basis. Conclusions. The efficacy of GPD in handling loculated pleural space infections equals that of decortication. An intensive care unit stay is avoided. The ability to discharge patients with external drainage catheters and the decreased requirement of pain control should reduce the number of inpatient hospital days. GPD is an effective first-line approach for posttraumatic empyema thoracis.
Family Psychiatry: From Research to Practice

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review current research evidence for clinicians involving families in the assessment and treatment of their patients. Method: Research on effects of family support on illness outcome and outcomes of family-centered treatment in medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry are reviewed. Results: Research in many medical fields shows that families have powerful influences on health that are equal to or surpass other risk factors and that brief family interventions increase health and decrease the risk of relapse in chronic illnesses. Research in psychiatry affirms that family interventions reduce the rate of relapse, improve recovery, and increase family well-being. Conclusions: Current evidence supports increased emphasis on family-oriented psychiatric practice.
The Psychosocial and Independent Living Donor Advocate Evaluation and Post-surgery Care of Living Donors

Solid organ transplantation as a treatment for end stage organ failure has been an accepted treatment option for decades. Despite advances in medicine and technology, and increased awareness of organ donation and transplantation, the gap between supply and demand continues to widen. Living donation has been an option that has increased the number of transplants despite the continued shortage of deceased organs. In the early 2000s live donor transplantation reached an all-time high in the United States. As a result, a consensus meeting was convened in 2000 to increase the oversight of living donor transplantation. Both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the United Network for Organ Sharing developed regulations that transplant programs performing live donor transplantation. These regulations and guidelines involve the education, evaluation, informed consent process and living donor follow-up care. Two areas in which had significant changes included the psychosocial and the independent living donor advocate (ILDA) evaluation. The purpose of this paper was to outline the current regulations and guidelines associated with the psychosocial and ILDA evaluation as well as provide further recommendations for the administration of a high quality evaluation of living donors. The goals and timing of the evaluation and education of donors; qualifications of the health care providers performing the evaluation; components of the evaluation; education provided to donors; documentation of the evaluation; participation in the selection committee meeting; post-decline and post-donation care of donors is described. Caveats including the paired donor exchange programs and non-directed and directed donation are also considered.
RF Cavity Primer for Cyclic Proton Accelerators

The purpose of this note is to describe the electrical and mechanical properties of particle accelerator rf cavities in a manner which will be useful to physics and engineering graduates entering the accelerator field. The discussion will be limited to proton (or antiproton) synchrotron accelerators or storage rings operating roughly in the range of 20 to 200 MHz. The very high gradient, fixed frequency UHF or microwave devices appropriate for electron machines and the somewhat lower frequency and broader bandwidth devices required for heavy ion accelerators are discussed extensively in other papers in this series.
Morphological Variation of the Baculum in Coyotes (Canis latrans)

Bacula are penile bones present in many species of mammals. There is great variation in the shape of this bone among the different species where it is present. Within most species there is not much variability in its shape. A small sample of coyote bacula previously described variations in their shape including curvatures and the presence or absence of dorsal ridges. This study expands the sample size to include 100 bacula and I describe the morphological variation that includes lateral curvature, profile shape, distal tip bend and dorsal ridge of these bones.
The Effects of North Atlantic SST and Sea Ice Anomalies on the Winter Circulation in CCM3. Part I: Main Features and Storm Track Characteristics of the Response

Observed multidecadal trends in extratropical atmospheric flow, such as the positive trend in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, may be attributable to a number of causes. This study addresses the question of whether the atmospheric trends may be caused by observed trends in oceanic boundary forcing. Experiments were carried out using the NCAR atmospheric general circulation model with specified sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice anomalies confined to the North Atlantic sector. The spatial pattern of the anomalous forcing was chosen to be realistic in that it corresponds to the recent 40-yr trend in SST and sea ice, but the anomaly amplitude was exaggerated in order to make the response statistically more robust. The wintertime response to both types of forcing resembles the NAO to first order. Even for an exaggerated amplitude, the atmospheric response to the SST anomaly is quite weak compared to the observed positive trend in the NAO, but has the same sign, indicative of a weak positive feedback. The anomalies in sea ice extent are more efficient than SST anomalies at exciting an atmospheric response comparable in amplitude to the observed NAO trend. However, this atmospheric response has the opposite sign to the observed trend, indicative of a significant negative feedback associated with the sea ice forcing. Additional experiments using SST anomalies with opposite sign to the observed trend indicate that there are significant nonlinearities associated with the atmospheric response. The transient eddy response to the observed SST trend is consistent with the positive NAO response, with the North Atlantic storm track amplifying downstream and developing a more pronounced meridional tilt. In contrast, the storm track response to the observed sea ice trend corresponds to a weaker, southward-shifted, more zonal storm track, which is consistent with the negative NAO response.
Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) micelles for combination drug delivery: evaluation of paclitaxel, cyclopamine and gossypol in intraperitoneal xenograft models of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, characterized by a high rate of chemoresistance. Current treatment strategies for ovarian cancer focus on novel drug combinations of cytotoxic agents and molecular targeted agents or novel drug delivery strategies that often involve intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(e-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) micelles were loaded with paclitaxel (cytotoxic agent), cyclopamine (hedgehog inhibitor), and gossypol (Bcl-2 inhibitor). After physicochemical studies focusing on combination drug solubilization, 3-drug PEG-b-PCL micelles were evaluated in vitro in 2-D and 3-D cell culture and in vivo in xenograft models of ovarian cancer, tracking bioluminescence signals from ES-2 and SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cell lines after IP injection. 3-Drug PEG-b-PCL micelles were not significantly more potent in 2-D cell culture in comparison to paclitaxel; however, they disaggregated ES-2 tumor spheroids, whereas single drugs or 2-drug combinations only slowed growth of ES-2 tumor spheroids or had no noticeable effects. In ES-2 and SKOV3 xenograft models, 3-drug PEG-b-PCL micelles had significantly less tumor burden than paclitaxel based on bioluminescence imaging, 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT) PET imaging, and overall survival. (18)F-FLT-PET images clearly showed that 3-drug PEG-b-PCL micelles dramatically reduce tumor volumes over paclitaxel and vehicle controls. In summary, PEG-b-PCL micelles enable the IP combination drug delivery of paclitaxel, cyclopamine and gossypol, resulting in tumor growth inhibition and prolonged survival over paclitaxel alone. These results validate a novel treatment strategy for ovarian cancer based on drug combinations of cytotoxic agents and molecular targeted agents, delivered concurrently by a nanoscale drug delivery system, e.g. PEG-b-PCL micelles.
The Prevalence and Pattern of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Individuals With Diabetes

OBJECTIVE —This study compared the prevalence and pattern of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in individuals with and without diabetes and identified factors associated with CAM use. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —The 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative sample of the U.S. noninstitutionalized civilian population, was analyzed. Estimates of CAM use in individuals with common chronic conditions were determined, and estimates of CAM use in patients with diabetes were compared with that in individuals with chronic medical conditions. Patterns of use and costs of CAM use in patients with diabetes were compared with those in nondiabetic individuals. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of CAM use in individuals with diabetes, controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, educational level, and comorbidity. RESULTS —Individuals with diabetes were 1.6 times more likely to use CAM than individuals without diabetes (8 vs. 5%, P CONCLUSIONS —Diabetes is an independent predictor of CAM use in the general population and in individuals with diabetes. CAM use is more common in individuals aged ≥65 years and those with more than high school education.
Organizational Assimilation: A Multidimensional Reconceptualization and Measure:

The authors offer a multidimensional reconceptualization of organizational assimilation developed from a reexamination of the Organizational Assimilation Index (OAI). Using a sample of 656 employees in the United States, the OAI was extended to include a seventh factor and used to detect group differences between men and women, managers and nonmanagers, and members with lengthy and short organizational tenure. Evidence for construct validity was found in relationships between the OAI factors and related variables. Results demonstrate the utility of conceptualizing assimilation as a set of interrelated processes that fluctuate based on various characteristics of organizational membership. The authors discuss implications for assimilation research and offer directions for future scholarship in the area.
Fatal verapamil toxicity and hypokalemia

mented as causes of angina in patients who had normal coronary arteriograms.’ Unfortunately, coronary vasodilatory flow reserve before or during this study was not measured. One would antici- pate significant abnormality of the vasodilatory response. Syndrome X, a constellation of findings of chest pain, my- ocardial ischemia, ECG abnormalities, and normal coro- nary arteries, is the most likely diagnosis in this particular patient. This case emphasizes that cardiologists who per- form ergonovine tests should be aware that ECG alter- ations, particularly those of an atypical response, can occur in a patient with normal coronary arteries. Prolonged ischemia may be difficult to manage, and, although absent in this patient, adverse ischemic events may occur.
Power Density Performance Improvements for High Pressure Ripple Energy Harvesting

A hydraulic pressure energy harvester (HPEH) device, which utilizes a housing in order to isolate a piezoelectric stack from the hydraulic fluid via a mechanical interface, generates power by converting the dynamic pressure within the system into electricity. Energy harvester prototypes were designed for generating low-power electricity from pressure ripples. These devices generate low-power electricity from off-resonance dynamic pressure excitation. The power produced per volume of piezoelectric material is analyzed to increase the power density; this is accomplished through evaluating piezoelectric stack characteristics, adding an inductor to the system circuit, and solving for optimal loading in order to achieve maximum power output. The prototype device utilizes a piezoelectric stack with high overall capacitance, which allows for inductance matching without using an active circuit. This work presents an electromechanical model and the experimental results of the HPEH devices using a parallel connection of inductive and resistive loads as the energy harvesting circuit. A non-ideal inductive load case is also considered and successfully modeled by accounting for the parasitic resistance of the inductive load. Various HPEH prototypes are fabricated, modeled, and compared in terms of their normalized power density levels, and milli-Watt level average power generation is demonstrated. The highest power density is reported for the single-crystal HPEH prototype.
Quantifying demographic uncertainty: Bayesian methods for integral projection models

Integral projection models (IPMs) are a powerful and popular approach to modeling population dynamics. Generalized linear models form the statistical backbone of an IPM. These models are typically fit using a frequentist approach. We suggest that hierarchical Bayesian statistical approaches offer important advantages over frequentist methods for building and interpreting IPMs, especially given the hierarchical nature of most demographic studies. Using a stochastic IPM for a desert cactus based on a 10-year study as a worked example, we highlight the application of a Bayesian approach for translating uncertainty in the vital rates (e.g., growth, survival, fertility) to uncertainty in population-level quantities derived from them (e.g., population growth rate). The best-fit demographic model, which would have been difficult to fit under a frequentist framework, allowed for spatial and temporal variation in vital rates and correlated responses to temporal variation across vital rates. The corresponding poste...
An Incentive Effect of Multiple Sourcing

We consider a supply chain with one manufacturer who assembles an end-product consisting of two components (A and B), where each component is purchased from multiple outside suppliers. The manufacturer’s decision as to the contract to offer each supplier is complicated by two factors: (1) each potential supplier is self-interested and privately-informed as to his marginal cost of production; and (2) any A parts delivered in excess of B parts (or vice versa) cannot be inventoried but must be disposed of at no value. Thus, the manufacturer must choose the contract to offer each so as to coordinate or balance their production, while taking into consideration their selfinterested behavior. We demonstrate that increasing the number of suppliers mitigates (but does not entirely eliminate) the production distortions arising from these two factors. Hence, we show that increasing the supplier base can have efficiency enhancing effects that have not been previously described in the literature.
Optimal production scheduling for energy efficiency improvement in biofuel feedstock preprocessing considering work-in-process particle separation

Biofuel is considered a promising alternative to traditional liquid transportation fuels. The large-scale substitution of biofuel can greatly enhance global energy security and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. One major concern of the broad adoption of biofuel is the intensive energy consumption in biofuel manufacturing. This paper focuses on the energy efficiency improvement of biofuel feedstock preprocessing, a major process of cellulosic biofuel manufacturing. An improved scheme of the feedstock preprocessing considering work-in-process particle separation is introduced to reduce energy waste and improve energy efficiency. A scheduling model based on the improved scheme is also developed to identify an optimal production schedule that can minimize the energy consumption of the feedstock preprocessing under production target constraint. A numerical case study is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The research outcome is expected to improve the energy efficiency and enhance the environmental sustainability of biomass feedstock preprocessing.
Nucleolar PARP-1 Expression Is Decreased in Alzheimer’s Disease: Consequences for Epigenetic Regulation of rDNA and Cognition

Synaptic dysfunction is thought to play a major role in memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). PARP-1 has been identified as an epigenetic regulator of plasticity and memory. Thus, we hypothesize that PARP-1 may be altered in postmortem hippocampus of individuals with AD compared to age-matched controls without neurologic disease. We found a reduced level of PARP-1 nucleolar immunohistochemical staining in hippocampal pyramidal cells in AD. Nucleolar PARP-1 staining ranged from dispersed and less intense to entirely absent in AD compared to the distinct nucleolar localization in hippocampal pyramidal neurons in controls. In cases of AD, the percentage of hippocampal pyramidal cells with nucleoli that were positive for both PARP-1 and the nucleolar marker fibrillarin was significantly lower than in controls. PARP-1 nucleolar expression emerges as a sensitive marker of functional changes in AD and suggests a novel role for PARP-1 dysregulation in AD pathology.
Abstract A40: Epigenetic modification of human colon cancer by the green tea polyphenol EGCG

Silencing of regulatory genes through hypermethylation of CpG islands is an important mechanism in tumorigenesis of numerous cancers. We have previously shown that Retinoid X Receptor alpha (RXRα) is silenced in tumors of the colon cancer AOM-APC/min+ mouse model. Upon treatment with green tea, RXRα expression was restored and intestinal tumorigenesis was inhibited. We examined human colonic tumor microarrays by immunohistochemcial staining and found a marked decrease in RXR expression in tumor tissue compared to normal matched tissues, inversely β-Catenin levels increased. To determine how RXRα loss is reversed in human cancers by green tea, we treated HT-29 (methylation insensitive) and HCT116 (methylation sensitive) human colon cancer cell lines with different concentrations of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG - major polyphenolic compound in green tea). We found by western blotting nuclear protein fractions that EGCG can restore RXRα levels in HCT116 cells in a dose dependant manner. Using these same lysates, we probed for presence of the most common DNA Methyltransferases (DNMTs) and Histone Deacetylases (HDACs). We found that expression of DNMTs as well as HDACs was inhibited in a dose dependent manner following treatment with EGCG. Additionally we examined by real time PCR, the message levels of DNMTs in cells treated with EGCG to determine if they correlate with the observed downregulation in protein expression. We can conclude that the silencing of RXRα may be due in part to by repressing effects of EGCG on DNMT as well as HDAC activity. Our results here show that EGCG, a common dietary compound, can modulate the reversal of gene-silencing involved colon carcinogenesis and maybe a possible avenue for colon cancer therapy and demonstrates be one potential mechanism of cancer chemoprevention in green tea that outlines a new epigenetic pathway. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):A40.
Short-term memory using a visual shadowing procedure

Lists were constructed with digits serving as buffers and consonant items as targets, the targets being placed at various intervals from the end of the lists. All items were colored either red or black and Ss called out the color of the characters at a fast rate. At the end of each list Ss attempted to recall the consonant target item. Short-term memory functions were obtained which yielded a high recall rate at the zero retention interval and relatively low recall rate after a 6 sec. retention interval.
Secular Schools? Religious Practices in New York and Viginia Public Schools Since World War II

Scholars examining the controversy over church-state relations in the modern era have concentrated almost exclusively on its constitutional aspects. This is to be expected since the U.S. Supreme Court has handed down epic decisions that have drawn an increasingly sharper picture of the First Amendment's guideline concerning the government's involvement in religion. The Court did, in fact, lead the way in establishing or reestablishing the doctrine called “separation of church and state.” But the Court touched off a furious debate within the states that has intermittently yet persistently influenced public policy since the early 1960s. It is time that scholars examine more closely the participants outside of the Court.
Ultra-microdetermination of arginine by a compound microbiological assay method.

SummaryIt has been shown that the sensitivity of a microbiological assay method may be compounded by employing a secondary microbiological assay to determine the D-lactic acid component of the products obtained from the response of the original assay. Sensitivities of up to several thousand times those realized by the standard microbiological procedures have been shown to be possible theoretically in compound assays. The method described for the compound assay of arginine, designed purposely to be of relatively low sensitivity, was approximately 144 times as sensitive as the standard microbiological method for this amino acid. The average percentages of arginine found in casein (3.49%), gelatin (9.04%), and silk fibroin (1.02%), respectively, by the compound assay were found to be approximately the same as those (3.67%, 8.78%, and 1.02%, respectively) by the standard method, although the probable errors ranged from 3.2% to 6.1% for the individual assays by the former method compared to 0.7% to 1.2% for th...
Intracerebral Hemorrhage Location and Functional Outcomes of Patients: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Purpose Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has the highest mortality rate among all strokes. While ICH location, lobar versus non-lobar, has been established as a predictor of mortality, less is known regarding the relationship between more specific ICH locations and functional outcome. This review summarizes current work studying how ICH location affects outcome, with an emphasis on how studies designate regions of interest.
On the Finance Monitoring

Finance monitoring is an important component of the monitoring mechanism of national economy, a must for the development of market economy, the main method to ensure the sustained development of market economy and the effective way of adjusting and controlling on a national scale. To enhance finance monitoring, the paper puts forward some ideas in terms of perfecting the law system of finance monitoring, perfecting the institutions of finance monitoring, establishing the network of finance monitoring and so forth.
Macromolecular photoinitiators enhance the hydrophilicity and lubricity of natural rubber

A mild and facile strategy to coat natural rubber (NR) with a hydrophilic coating is described that uses light and photoinitiator copolymers. Five high molecular weight photoinitiator copolymers, composed of hydrophilic (e.g., 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate [HEA], poly(ethylene glycol) [PEG], N-vinylpyrrolidone [NVP], N-isopropylacrylamide [NIDAM], and acrylic acid [AA]) and hydrophobic benzophenone (BP) units, are synthesized and evaluated for coating NR on UV irradiation. When the HEA/BP, NVP/BP, and AA/BP macromolecular photoinitiators attach to the NR surface, the latter becomes hydrophilic. The resulting hydrophilic coatings on NR sheets are analyzed via FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, and transwell cytotoxicity assays using NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. The addition of high molecular weight hydrophilic polymers (e.g., polyvinylpyrrolidone and poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)) to the coating further enhances the coating's hydrophilicity and lubricity. The application of these non-cytotoxic, hydrophilic, and lubricious coatings on NR expands current applications and usage of NR. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43930.
National Public Health Informatics, United States

Informaticians looking at national public health information management in the US may ask, “Who designed it this way?” Most systems are not straightforward or easy to understand, in part due to their historical evolution in a decentralized federal structure that located most public health authority at the state level. Thus, many national systems have been built from the bottom-up in a heterogeneous fashion based on voluntary cooperation, sometimes induced through federal funding. In other cases, federal powers related to interstate commerce or national defense gave rise to centralized systems. More recently, federal agencies have played an important role in convening stakeholders, coordinating practice and information standards, and using funding to support implementation and induce conformance to standards. This chapter describes local, state and federal public health roles in the United States, points to collaborative products defining information requirements for various public health activities, outlines the evolution toward national information exchange standards, and describes health informatics roles (highlighting several important regulations) played by several federal and national agencies.
Exposing hidden parts of the SE process: MBSE patterns and tools for tracking and traceability

An interesting benefit of applying Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is that the rigor and coordination intrinsic to MBSE forces us to apply Systems Engineering to our own traditional activities, processes, and products, which results in richer, more expressive models, more powerful reasoning, and a clearer and more effective Systems Engineering (SE) process. Our MBSE frameworks and languages contain semantic richness sufficient to describe our systems at any particular point in time, often with an emphasis on the description of the system at major milestones. This is unarguably a real asset. However, when we apply MBSE in service of missions that are in development, rapidly evolving, of a larger scale, and where interpersonal communication is a critical part of the design process, we discover that our frameworks and languages are still not quite rich enough to enable us to ask the kinds of questions and get the kinds of answers we want in order to address the concerns of day to day work. This paper will discuss some patterns and tools we have developed to help address some of the not-always-explicit SE concerns that we have identified through our MBSE work. Particularly, this paper will discuss flexible yet practical methods for defining and capturing maturity, workflow, and agreement traceability within our system models, extensible ways to perform and track model audits, and ways to report and interact with this knowledge in the context of MBSE applied to support NASA's Europa Project.
An Idea Whose Time Has Arrived

A brief history of behavioral pediatrics provides the background for the definition and current status of the new discipline. The changing role of the pediatrician is reflected in the changing concerns of the field.
Mitoepigenetics and Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Mitoepigenetics encompasses an epigenetic system of bidirectional communication between the nucleus and mitochondria and includes the following key elements. First, mitochondrial DNA is subject to epigenetic marking by cytosine methylation and hydroxymethylation via processes collectively termed mitochondrial epigenetics. Second, mitochondrial activity, mitochondrial DNA copy number, and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes modulate the methylation pattern of nuclear DNA. Third, nuclear epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the expression of nuclear DNA-encoded genes influence mitochondrial physiology directly by modifying the expression of a number of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes. In spite of its relatively short history, the emphasis on epigenetic components of neuropsychiatric illnesses has already generated an important body of knowledge. Compared with these studies, research in mitoepigenetics is still in the nascent stage. Nevertheless, several key observations important for the development of this field have been made in the area of neuroscience. Some aspects of mitoepigenetics, such as mitochondrial epigenetics, still require a full characterization of the mechanisms involved and a conclusive evaluation of functional implications of epigenetic mitochondrial DNA modifications. Other aspects, such as mitochondrial regulation of nuclear epigenetics and the epigenetic regulation of nDNA-encoded mitochondrial genes, appear to be more advanced. This chapter summarizes the current state of central nervous system-related mitoepigenetic research and points to emerging future directions.
Linkages between Land Use, Invasive Fishes, and Prairie Pothole Wetland Condition

In the North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), agricultural and developed land uses may affect wetland condition by influencing contaminant inputs and invasions by fishes. To improve understanding of human impacts on wetlands, we quantified relationships between land use, physical attributes (herbicides, chloride, turbidity, wetland size), and biological attributes (tiger salamander [Ambystoma tigrinum] abundance; fish, plant, and invertebrate assemblages) of 45 permanently-ponded Iowa wetlands. Wetland area and water-column chloride concentration increased as cropped and developed land-covers increased in the watershed. However, we did not find strong relationships between land-cover type and biological attributes, with the exception of plant cover, which declined as water-column herbicide concentration increased. Fish abundance was an especially important determinant of wetland condition. As fish abundance increased, turbidity increased, and plant cover declined. Tiger salamander abundance and macroinvertebrate taxon richness also declined as fish abundance increased. Our findings suggest that in Iowa PPR wetlands, chloride concentration is an indicator of land-use intensity, and plant abundance can be predicted to some extent by herbicide concentrations. However, wetlands with low macroinvertebrate diversity, plant abundance, and salamander abundance tend to be those with high fish abundance.
On the propagation speed of excitation waves

The authors show that the propagation speed in the singular limit (with no recovery processes) is a homogeneous function of the order 1/2 with respect to the "intensive" shape parameters of the I-V curve and derive appropriate general scaling laws. The authors also introduce a new simple iterative procedure for solving the nonlinear eigenvalue problem.
Outcomes in an obstetrical population with hereditary thrombophilia and high tobacco use.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine birth outcomes in women treated or untreated for thrombophilia during pregnancies affected or not by tobacco exposure.Methods: This was a retrosp...
ASPECTS DU MESSIANISME QUÉBÉCOIS

Pauvres et opprimes, les Quebecois pouvaient sembler predestines a jouer un role providentiel dans l'economie du salut de l'Amerique: l'enseignement de l'Eglise catholique allait dans ce sens, donnant une explication a la misere du peuple. Aujourd'hui on peut dire de ce messianisme Quebecois: on n'y croit plus, mais on en garde l'empreinte.
Treatment of acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in the U.S. remains heterogeneous: Current and future points of clinical equipoise

Background The purpose of this survey was to describe current practices in the U.S. for treatment of acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP), compare these with prior U.S. and current Canadian practices, and identify areas of clinical equipoise. Study design and methods A research team member administered the survey by telephone. Questions included an estimate of the annual patient volume treated, apheresis and medical therapy practices for acquired TTP. Results 32 centers from 22 states were surveyed. ADAMTS13 activity is used for confirmation of the diagnosis of acquired TTP (97%). Most commonly, daily plasma exchange (therapeutic plasma exchange [TPE]) is initiated with plasma as replacement fluid (91%) at 1.0 Plasma Volume (72%) and stopped with a platelet count of 150 × 109 /L (66%), and then TPE is tapered off (69%). Compared with a U.S. survey from 1998, a greater proportion of centers use plasma exclusively as the replacement fluid exclusively (29/32 vs 2/14 in 1998; P Conclusion Treatment of acquired TTP in the U.S. remains heterogeneous. Points of clinical equipoise identified were PV exchanged (1.0 vs >1.0), tapering of TPE versus none, and rituximab use.
Opto-Hydrodynamic Trapping for Multiaxial Single-Cell Biomechanics

In this chapter, a unique experimental platform is described for singlecell biomechanics. An optical tweezer with minimal applied laser power has successfully suspended biologic cells at the geometric center of a microfluidic crossjunction. The resulting flow environment creates a unique multiaxial load application to isolated cells with site-specific normal and shear stresses resulting in a physically extended state. Computational fluid dynamics combined with multiphysics modeling has characterized the fluid environment and solid cellular strain response in three-dimensions to accompany experimental cell stimulation. These models will guide future microfluidic experiments as well as provide a framework for characterizing cytoskeletal structures influencing the stress on strain response.
Self-control, parental crime, and discipline across three generations

The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between self-control, parental crime, and use of discipline across three generations. Data spanning 30 years from the National Longitudin...
Humanlike substitutions to Ω-loop D of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c only modestly affect dynamics and peroxidase activity.

Abstract Structural studies of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c (L.J. McClelland, T.-C. Mou, M.E. Jeakins-Cooley, S.R. Sprang, B.E. Bowler, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111 (2014) 6648–6653) show that modest movement of Ω-loop D (residues 70–85, average RMSD versus the native structure: 0.81 A) permits loss of Met80-heme ligation creating an available coordination site to catalyze the peroxidase activity mediated by cytochrome c early in apoptosis. However, Ala81 and Gly83 move significantly (RMSDs of 2.18 and 1.26 A, respectively). Ala81 and Gly83 evolve to Ile and Val, respectively, in human cytochrome c and peroxidase activity decreases 25-fold relative to the yeast protein at pH 7. To test the hypothesis that these residues evolved to restrict the peroxidase activity of cytochrome c, A81I and G83V variants of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c were prepared. For both variants, the apparent pKa of the alkaline transition increases by 0.2 to 0.3 relative to the wild type (WT) protein and the rate of opening the heme crevice is slowed. The cooperativity of acid unfolding is decreased for the G83V variant. At pH 7 and 8, the catalytic rate constant, kcat, for the peroxidase activity of both variants decreases relative to WT, consistent with the effects on alkaline isomerization. Below pH 7, the loss in the cooperativity of acid unfolding causes kcat for peroxidase activity to increase for the G83V variant relative to WT. Neither variant decreases kcat to the level of the human protein, indicating that other residues also contribute to the low peroxidase activity of human cytochrome c.
Career Indecision Profile-65 Scores: Test–Retest Reliability and Measurement Equivalence in College and Noncollege Samples

The Career Indecision Profile-65 (CIP-65) is a relatively new measure of career indecision that appears to have promise for use in career counseling and research. We sought to expand the informatio...
Abnormal Flow Cytometry Profiles in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis

Flow cytometry was performed on bladder cells from patients with interstitial cystitis and control patients. Cells were processed in standard fashion for flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining and analysis was restricted to samples with sufficient cells for cytokeratin gating and acceptable coefficients of variation. Of 14 interstitial cystitis patients 4 (29%) demonstrated aneuploid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiles as evidenced by a discrete peak with a DNA index of 1.2 or greater in the cytokeratin positive population. The aneuploid peak accounted for up to 54% of the cytokeratin positive population in these samples. No such aneuploid DNA profiles were evident in specimens obtained from control patients. A significant DNA tetraploid population, as evidenced by a 4C (G2) peak greater than 20%, was observed in 6 of 14 interstitial cystitis patients (43%) and 8 of 11 controls (72%). Manual counting of the per cent of binucleated cytokeratin positive cells in the cytokeratin stained population and nuclear preparations of several samples for flow analysis indicate that apparent DNA tetraploidy in the interstitial cystitis and control patients is due to an abundance of binucleated cells. Aneuploid DNA profiles on barbotage specimens from interstitial cystitis patients may reflect a real karyotypic abnormality or altered chromosome complement (true aneuploidy), abnormal chromatin structure or abnormal cytoplasmic binding of the propidium iodide stain. This finding may signal an underlying abnormality of the epithelial cell population in some patients with the clinical diagnosis of interstitial cystitis.
Area and International Studies: Law

Area and international studies, and law have become increasingly interwoven, especially over the final third of the twentieth century. This is evidenced in scholarship in each field that is attentive to the other. In the legal academy, this relationship has manifested itself chiefly in the expansion of work in foreign, comparative, and international law, while in area and international studies it is apparent in such disparate concerns as social history's increasing utilization of legal materials and the intensifying interest of economists and international affairs scholars in the impact of growing legalization on international institutions. The concern of these fields with one another is also borne out in law school curricula, new journals, and the availability of funding. The principal reason for the growing relationship of area and international studies, and law lies in economic globalization, although the expansion of other legal regimes (concerning matters such as human rights and the environment) and political transitions underway in many parts of the world have also had an impact. The foregoing integration notwithstanding, however, area and international studies still stand at the periphery of legal studies. In significant measure, this is owing to the basic differences in these fields of inquiry, with law aspiring toward the universal and area and, to a lesser degree, international studies concerned, by definition, with the particular.
The Sex Police in History

Jean Gerson, Simon Andre Tissot, and John Harvey Kellogg in the 14th, 18th, and 19th centuries, respectively, advocated the policing of sexual behavior, particularly masturbation in boys. Contemporary manifestations of the policing of sex are victimology and the recovered memory movement. Both historical and contemporary sex policing efforts suffer from the lack of scientific methodology and faulty reasoning regarding causality, as in the revival of prepsychoanalytic Freudian infantile seduction theory. Exigency theory provides a theoretical framework with which to examine sexual transgression, nonjudgmentally, under the rubric of treatment and cure rather than crime and punishment.
ADDITION OF DULAGLUTIDE FOR A HIGH DOSE INSULIN REQUIRING PATIENT WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A REMARKABLE RESPONSE

ABSTRACT Objective: Despite the availability of several new classes of antidiabetic medications, a large proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus fail to achieve optimal glycemic control. Addi...