cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breaking the Stalemate: A Prospective Regulatory Framework for Unforeseen Research Uses of Human Tissue Samples and Health Information

A vast quantity of human tissue samples and human health information currently exists after collection for either research or clinical uses. Those samples and records could be an enormously valuable scientific resource if they could be used for new research, not foreseen at the time they were collected. Such use is very tempting, but very controversial, at least since the December 1995 publication of an important article by Ellen Wright Clayton, et al. That article pointed out many serious ethical and legal questions about doing such research without getting new informed consent from the subjects, a difficult and sometimes impracticable task. In spite of much discussion, and a report by the United States National Bioethics Advisory Commission, those questions remain largely unanswered. This has led continuing uncertainty about the use of these potential resources and, to some extent, has created a stalemate - no one knows whether those previously collected resources can or cannot be used. This article attempts to break that stalemate, at least for all such samples or information collected in the future. It begins by discussing and criticizing current positions on such uses, including the recent report of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, entitled Research Involving Human Biological Materials. It then proposes revisions to the existing human subjects regulations to create a new framework for unforeseen future uses of human tissue samples and health information collected in the future, which it argues would better protect the interests of the people who provide them. Such a framework, if adopted, would make clear under what conditions newly collected materials and information could be used for research not foreseen at the time of the collection. The article ends by suggesting a resolution for the problem of new uses of tissue and information collected before its regulatory scheme goes into effect.
Analysis of bleeding patterns and resumption of fertility following discontinuation of a long acting injectable contraceptive.

To assess the effects of Depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) upon the menstrual patterns and resumption of fertility in women who have discontinued usage 53 patients who had previously received DMPA were studied. 26 of the 53 women had not used oral contraceptive steroids after discontinuing DMPA the remaining 27 had used an oral contraceptive for varying amounts of time. 40 of the 53 women did not use an oral contraceptive prior to their initial bleeding episode after DMPA use. 48% of these women resumed normal cyclic bleeding. The remaining 21 all resumed bleeding within 6 months after DMPA discontinuation but bleeding was irregular. 8 of the 21 had heavy flow which was controlled with oral steroids. Of the total 53 patients 36 did not begin the use of oral contraceptives for at least 6 months after cessation of DMPA usage. 50% of them had cycles. It was estimated that ovulation returned to 93% of the group of women who could be studied after discontinuing DMPA. It would seem that the duration of time to the onset of regular menses is not related to the number of injections received. Of the patients who conceived the incicence of abnormal births did not differ from that of the general population. This drug seems to allow for normal endometrial response once the drugs effect has diminished. Since it is impossible to predict the time required for the drugs effect to diminish it is recommended that the drug be given to women who are not spacing their family.
The Ideal Food Pantry as Designed by Food Pantry Customers

Food pantries have the potential to address both food insecurity and poor diet quality by distributing a variety of nutritional foods at no cost to low-income families. However, because traditional food pantries pre-pack boxes for distribution, the capability of providing food based on family needs or preferences is limited. To better understand how the pantries may be able to adapt to better meet the needs of the clients, 64 clients were interviewed to determine their ideal pantry design. Questions addressed the foods it would carry, items that should never be carried, preferred selection process and other services the pantry would provide. Interviewers visited five diverse sites across Central Ohio to administer an open-ended questionnaire developed by experts in food pantry delivery. Interview data were coded, categorized by theme and primary pattern and used to develop a Word Cloud. The participants expressed sincere gratitude for these services, summarized by one client, “I am so grateful.” The customers preferred to choose their foods for two primary reasons: to meet food preferences; and to limit food waste. Many reported “choice” assists them inmeeting their personal, health-related, agespecific, ethnic and cultural preferences and needs. Many thought choice would provide an opportunity for more fresh foods and fewer boxed meals and canned goods,while also allowing the customer to have some snack items for their children. Toiletry items and health care were two items participants wished could be found in the pantries. Overall, the customers’ ideal pantry design was similar to a grocery store.
AFB Technology for Indirect-Fired Gas Turbine/Cogeneration Systems

The technology involved in coal-fired atmospheric fluidized bed (AFB) air heaters for indirect-fired gas turbine cogeneration systems differs in several respects from that already employed for AFB steam boilers. This paper presents the results to data from on ongoing research program aimed at adopting the AFB boiler firing concept to air heater service. A coal-fired air heater program has been underway since 1980 with an 18- by 18-inch AFB experimental unit. The goal is to resolve those technical issues of special importance to the indirect-fired gas turbine application which are amenable to resolution with short-term testing and small-scale hardware. The issues presently being researched include throttling to loads as low as 20 percent, safety accommodating sudden changes in load (and the interruption in cooling resulting from a turbine trip) and establishing the response characteristics of the AFB combustor/heat exchanger system as they relate to overall control system design. Other issues being evaluated include exploration of the limits of acceptable operation.The 18- by 18-inch AFB heater test facility is located at the Rockwell Thermodynamics Laboratory in California. A series of coal-burning tests of 12 to 24 hours duration have been conducted to establish the bed operating and heat transfer characteristics at loads between 20 and 135 percent of nominal. Control transient characteristics have been evaluated through simulated load changes and interruption of cooling. Heat exchanger material specimen probes and diagnostic probes for investigation of the corrosion/erosion aspects of heat exchanger materials have been exposed. Results to date indicate that an AFB combustion system will provide a good match to the demands of an indirect-fired gas turbine system.Copyright © 1983 by ASME
Abraham Maslow's Life and Unfinished Legacy

Abraham Maslow was a visionary who saw psychology as having great potential importance for management and organizational achievement. This article presents an overview of Maslow's life, together with a synopsis of his major concepts related to management theory. Maslow's unfinished projects are also highlighted, particularly his interest in methods of assessing self-actualization in the workplace. The author presents a new psychometric instrument for assessing self-actualization at work and offers empirical results with this instrument in Brazil. Finally, future avenues for research based on Maslow's unfinished legacy are discussed.
Sporobolomyces Roseus. I. Ultrastructure

Genera of the family Sporobolomycetaceae have been of interest to mycologists because they form ballistospores that are discharged at maturity by the drop excretion method. Because of the apparent similarity of the discharge of the ballistospores of the yeast-like Sporobolomyces roseus Kluyver & van Niel to the discharge of basidiospores, as described by Buller (3), Kluyver and van Niel (14) suggested that this and the related species of Sporobolomyces were Basidiomycetes. Al? though Kluyver and van Niel, and later Sainclivier (21), have postulated that the cells forming ballistospores were reduced basidia, the lack of a clear demonstration of a perfect stage has precluded a firm taxo? nomic disposition of these species. In their cytological study of "Torula rose No. 36" (= Sporobolo? myces roseus) Janssens and Mertens (12) described and illustrated oil globules and vacuoles. Although most cells were depicted as possessing a single, often irregular nucleus, binucleate cells were noted. In a more detailed cytological study of S\ roseus and related species, Guilliermond (8) verified some of Janssens and Mertens' (12) findings but maintained that the nucleus was consistently round and that the cells were always uninucleate. It is not possible to determine whether Guil? liermond examined the same isolate of S. roseus as used by Janssens and Mertens. Using "violet de Dahlia" as a vital stain, Guilliermond (8) studied the distribution and morphological variation of the mito? chondria.
Endoscopic carpal tunnel release.

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release is a new technique that shows promise in reducing postoperative pain and in shortening return-to-work times. Endoscopic carpal tunnel release, however, is a technically exacting procedure that requires careful attention to detail to avoid known complications. This article reviews the author’s experience with the Agee technique.
Laser shock XAFS studies at OMEGA facility

ABSTRACTState-of-the-art laser facilities offer an excellent opportunity for studying materials at Mbar-Gbar pressures by dynamical compression. This paper summarizes recent experiments on EXAFS measurements of compressed solid iron up to 5 Mbar using OMEGA laser facility. The X-ray source is produced by a spherical implosion, providing enough brightness and spectral smoothness required for EXAFS measurements. The compression path is tuned by laser pulse shaping to achieve off-hugoniot states. With an anharmonic model, the density, temperature and upper limit of strength of the compressed iron are determined from EXAFS data. Prospects of XAFS study of other materials are also discussed.
Lumbar Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus of Prematurity: Amyloid Precursor Protein, Soluble Amyloid Precursor Protein α, and L1 Cell Adhesion Molecule.

BACKGROUND Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is the most frequent, severe neurological complication of prematurity and is associated with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) in up to half of cases. PHH requires lifelong neurosurgical care and is associated with significant cognitive and psychomotor disability. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers may provide both diagnostic information for PHH and novel insights into its pathophysiology. OBJECTIVE To explore the diagnostic ability of candidate CSF biomarkers for PHH. METHODS Concentrations of amyloid precursor protein (APP), soluble APPα (sAPPα), soluble APPβ, neural cell adhesion molecule-1 (NCAM-1), L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), tau, phosphorylated tau, and total protein (TP) were measured in lumbar CSF from neonates in 6 groups: (1) no known neurological disease (n = 33); (2) IVH grades I to II (n = 13); (3) IVH grades III to IV (n = 12); (4) PHH (n = 12); (5) ventricular enlargement without hydrocephalus (n = 10); and (6) hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (n = 13). CSF protein levels were compared using analysis of variance, and logistic regression was performed to examine the predictive ability of each marker for PHH. RESULTS Lumbar CSF levels of APP, sAPPα, L1CAM, and TP were selectively increased in PHH compared with all other conditions (all P < .001). The sensitivity, specificity, and odds ratios of candidate CSF biomarkers for PHH were determined for APP, sAPPα, and L1CAM; cut points of 699, 514, and 113 ng/mL yielded odds ratios for PHH of 80.0, 200.0, and 68.75, respectively. CONCLUSION Lumbar CSF APP, sAPPα, L1CAM, and TP were selectively increased in PHH. These proteins, and sAPPα, in particular, hold promise as biomarkers of PHH and provide novel insight into PHH-associated neural injury and repair.
Uncertainty quantification of thermal image-based concrete diagnosis

This paper investigates uncertainty quantification in internal damage diagnosis in concrete based on thermal imaging. Thermal imaging can be used for detection, localisation, as well as quantification of the damage. The proposed methodology for uncertainty quantification aggregates various sources of uncertainty introduced at each step of image processing. Further, global sensitivity analysis is applied to identify the dominant contributors to diagnosis uncertainty. Based on the results of uncertainty quantification and global sensitivity analysis, a Bayesian technique is formulated to identify the optimal values of parameters to be selected at each step of the image processing, in order to minimise the uncertainty in diagnosis. An illustrative example of damage diagnosis of a concrete slab is used to examine the effectiveness of the proposed uncertainty quantification and parameter selection methods.
Canal oriented development as waterfront place-making: an analysis of the built form

Place-making, as a thoughtful planning, design and management approach to creating communities, is critical not only to designers of the built environment, but also to developers and municipal officials who look to build and/or regenerate urban spaces that translate into vibrant successful places. Using criteria established in the Project for Public Places ‘What Makes a Successful Place?’ matrix, this paper applies onsite ethnographic research in analyzing three US canal oriented developments (CODs) to determine whether each place-based development has created a ‘successful’ place and used its canal feature as a development component in spurring urban growth and regeneration. More specifically, these canal-oriented CODs are assessed on the basis of how successful each is at (1) embracing the canal in its design and development, (2) intermingling the space with the greater urban form, and (3) connecting private and public spaces.
A structural design for digital filters

In this paper an approach to the design of nondistorting finite-memory digital filters is presented. The filter is considered as a multibranch system where each branch contains an extractor to select a particular input component, a functional operator to perform the desired operation (prediction, differentiation, smoothing, etc.) and an annihilator to enhance the noise rejection characteristics of the branch. Thus exact differentiation or prediction can be obtained with a considerable noise rejection figure. The complete removal of some undesirable components is also achieved. Design expressions for extractors, functional operators and annihilators are given and several applications relating mainly to computer-control systems are treated.
External Fixation in the Setting of Elbow Instability

The use of external fixators in the setting of elbow instability is a rare, but important tool in orthopedic surgeons’ armamentarium. They can be applied in a variety of clinical settings for added stabilization in the management of acute, complex, or chronic instability. Hinged external fixators offer the added benefit of early range of motion, but are technically difficult to place perfectly. Complications are common, and are mostly related to issues with pin sites. Future investigation is focused on minimizing complications and making hinged fixators easier to place on the center of axis of rotation.
The Role of Listening in E-Contact Center: Investigation for CRM Outcomes in Retailing Settings

As a part of the e-commerce transformation, contact centers have transformed to e-contact centers and offer more various channels for consumers to access. E-contact centers are now at the frontline to deal with not only the complaints but also requisitions of information about product information or order status instead of being a back supportive office (Anton, 2000). This transformation has also made it possible to guide different segment of consumers and making marketing more cost effective and efficient (Myers et al., 2004), and increased the value delivered to the consumers. However, companies are also facing issues of more effective management and service quality (Hart et al., 2006) while they invite more consumer-contacts through various channels in e-contact centers. Thus, managing service quality so as to maintain consumers’ experiences is likely to have important implications for e-contact center success. Active empathetic listening (AEL) (Comer and Drollinger, 1999) have been supported with its important role between salespeople and customers (Comer and Drollinger, 1999; Drollinger et al., 2006), and provide this current study a theoretical framework of employee behavior. The purpose of this study is, first, to examine the effects of AEL on interpersonal service quality in e-contact center context and, second, to investigate the role of interpersonal service quality in building up customer relationship, specifically to scrutinize the relation between interpersonal service quality and perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty.
Compliant endovascular balloon reduces the lethality of superior vena cava tears during transvenous lead extractions

Background Superior vena cava (SVC) lacerations have been identified as the most lethal complication encountered during cardiac implantable electronic device lead extraction. The case fatality rate of these events approximates 50% due to rapid exsanguination. A novel, compliant balloon specifically designed for use in the SVC may provide hemostasis in the event of endovascular perforation. By temporarily occluding the compromised vessel, the endovascular balloon should delay hemodynamic collapse, provide a more controlled surgical field for repair, and thereby reduce the mortality of SVC tears complicating transvenous lead extraction. Objective To assess the early impact of the compliant endovascular balloon on the management of SVC tears and survival outcomes. Methods We searched a publicly available, United States Food and Drug Administration–maintained database for adverse events from 1 manufacturer of lead extraction tools. Reports from July 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016 were reviewed by 2 physicians to identify instances of SVC tears. Extracting physicians were contacted for further case details. Confirmed SVC tears were analyzed for patient demographics, repair strategies, and index hospitalization mortality. Results Of the complications reported, 35 cases of surgically confirmed SVC tears were identified. One hundred percent of patients (9/9) were discharged alive when the endovascular balloon was properly utilized, compared to 50% of patients (13/26) when the device was not used ( P = .0131). Differences between all other variables analyzed were statistically insignificant. Conclusion During the study period, we observed a reduction in mortality in patients who suffered SVC tears while undergoing lead extraction when treatment included an endovascular balloon.
Animal seed dispersal and the diversity of tropical forest trees.

For those who have admired the astonishing diversity of wet tropical forests, it is a near-universal experience to have seen an interesting tree and then not encountered another of the same species for quite some distance. Indeed, this striking tendency of tropical trees to be widely separated from their own kind inspired a major theory to explain tropical diversity, independently proposed by two ecologists and now called the Janzen–Connell hypothesis (1). This theory proposes that seedlings fare badly if they are too close to their pest- and pathogen-carrying parents and that, in turn, such crowding-induced death prevents any one species from dominating large areas. Spatial patterns of tropical tree diversity also helped give rise to nonequilibrium ecology, in which the coexistence of many species is seen as being maintained by disturbances such as storm-caused treefalls that kill established individuals and free up space—in this case, light-filled gaps in the forest (Fig. 1)—that other species can colonize (2). More recently, observations on spatial distributions of tropical trees have helped launch and test neutral theory, which upends traditional niche-based ecological ideas with its assertion that competing species can coexist by being highly similar rather than highly different (3⇓–5). For the past half-century, indeed, almost any theory of diversity has at some point been evaluated by how well it could explain such legendary patterns as the existence of >200 tree species in 1 ha of Amazonian rainforest (e.g., refs. 6⇓⇓–9). While the study by Wandrag et al. (10) takes place on small tropical islands where trees are not exceptionally diverse, their results nonetheless lend significant new insights into the processes underlying diversity in tropical forests and other ecological communities. Fig. 1. Light-filled gap in forest on limestone in Palau. The large tree at Right is a strangler fig … [↵][1]1Email: spharrison{at}ucdavis.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Drug treatment of hypertension in older patients with diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: Hypertension is more prevalent in the elderly (age>65 years) diabetic population than in the general population and shows an increasing prevalence with advancing age. Both diabetes me...
Humidity- and Age-Tolerant Starch-Based Sponge for Loose-Fill Packaging

Loose-fill packaging sponges were extruded from mixtures of 54–62% hydroxypropylated (HP ≍ 5%) amylomaize V (50% amylose) and wheat starches, 17–24% synthetic polymer, ∼13% water, 7% blowing agent(s), and 0.5% nucleating agent. One product made from 28% HP wheat starch, 28% HP amylomaize V starch, 12% ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer, 8% polystyrene (PS), and 3% polystyrene maleic anhydride (PSMA) copolymer, plus the other raw materials, had a compressibility and resilience that matched those of expanded polystyrene (EPS), although its bulk density was four times higher. The starchy sponge showed 16% shrinkage in volume at 90% relative humidity and was 2% soluble in excess water, both at 25°C. After aging for 18 months near 25°C, the HP starchy sponge gave only a trace of fines in a simulated shipping test, compared to 20% fines from a biodegradable, starch-based, loose-fill sponge of commerce.
Tick Reproduction: Sperm Development and Cytogenetics

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the sperm development and cytogenetics of ticks. During the evolutionary divergence of the presumably monophyletic ticks, many features of the reproductive aspects of their life cycles have remained similar or, alternatively, they have coevolved. Some differences appear to be the result of selection pressures related to the particular parasitic strategies that were adopted. Saliva secreted by the male immediately prior to the transfer of the spermatophore, lubricates the male's mouthparts and the venters of both sexes, and prevents improper adhesion of the spermatophore. The repeated gonotrophic cycles of argasid females and the earlier production of spermatids by nidicolous species are features well adapted to the nest parasite habit of intermittent feedings and early matings. The single gonotrophic cycle of all ixodid females and the delayed spermatogenesis in most Metastriata species appear compatible with the more unpredictable and risky parasitic strategy of these species. The chapter also discusses the similarities and differences in the male reproductive structures and activities that are based on information derived from relatively few tick species. Clearly, the field of cytogenetics offers a promising and exciting area of study.
Complication of Penile Injection of Autologous Fat

AbstractA new penile enlargement procedure using injection of autologous fat obtained by liposuction has been publicized by the media. We report on a 36-year-old man who suffered 2 painful inflammatory nodules requiring surgical excision 3 months after undergoing this new penile enlargement procedure.
Intrapartum Maternal Cardiac Arrest: A Simulation Case for Multidisciplinary Providers

Introduction Cardiac arrest in pregnancy is rare. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support courses rarely address interventions specific to obstetric patients, and knowledge gaps are frequent among pro...
Open-ended Practical Projects Improve Preparedness of Undergraduate Students for Aerospace Industry

The Aviation Technology Department in the College of Technology at Purdue University has been effective at graduating students who have mastered the technical knowledge and concepts taught in traditional academic settings. Through a well-established combination of courses, the program has also exposed its students to a variety of materials and processes that gives them practical knowledge about aerospace materials, sheet metal fabrication and repair, corrosion, heat treatment, and painting. Over the years, this approach has provided graduates with the knowledge and skills they’ve needed as they entered the job market after graduation. However, in recent years the program has gone through an extensive curriculum change designed to produce graduates who have the skills needed to be immediately productive in entry-level positions, and to move quickly to higher-level positions. This is accomplished by introducing project-based courses in which students are tasked to solve industry-like problems using Six Sigma tools, work in teams, and collaboration with companies and with instructors and students at other universities. Under this new paradigm, students do not just follow their professors’ instructions - they attempt to solve real-world open-ended problems with a range of possible solutions. This paper will provide some details and outcomes of this approach.
Utility of the D-KEFS Color Word Interference Test as an embedded measure of performance validity

AbstractObjective: The D-KEFS Color Word Interference Test (CWIT) is among the most commonly administered measures of verbally mediated processing speed and executive functioning. Previous research...
Dysregulated Cofilin 1/2 and Actin Depolymerization in Mouse Models of Cardiac Laminopathies and Heterozygous Lamin A/C Deficiency

Background Lamin A/C (LMNA) gene mutations can cause LMNA cardiomyopathy which accounts for 6-8% dilated cardiomyopathy. Alternations in cardiomyocyte contractile structure especially in actin filaments might underlie the mechanisms of LMNA cardiomyopathy. As actin-depolymerizing factors, cofilins are essential for the dynamics of actin filaments and both cofilin 1 and 2 are reported involving in the pathogenesis of certain LMNA cardiomyopathy. Objectives This study sought to investigate how cofilins and actin polymerization are dysregulated in mouse models of homozygous and heterozygous LMNA deficiency. We further explored related upstream signaling pathways. Methods Heterozygous mice harboring the targeted Lmna null mutation, Lmnatm1Stw, were inbred. Homozygous Lmna-/- mice were selected by genotype. We homogenized mouse hearts from 1-month-old homozygous Lmna-/- (KO), heterozygous Lmna+/- (hets) and wild type (WT) mice, and compared their levels of cofilin 1/2, phospho-cofilin 1/2, slingshot protein phosphatase 1 (SSH1), ERK1/2, phospho-ERK1/2 and LIM Domain Kinase 1 (LIMK1) by western blot. F-actin/G-actin ratio was tested using an in vivo assay kit. Fluorescent staining for F-actin and G-actin was performed in paraffin-embedded mouse heart tissue sections. Results Compared to WT, KO mice had minor decrease in total cofilin 1/2 and significant decrease in phospho-cofilin 1/2, suggesting more non-phosphorylated cofilins and more actin-depolymerizing activity. This explained the decreased F/G-actin ratio in KO mice. Hets demonstrated decreases in both total cofilin 1/ 2 and phospho-cofilin 1/2, suggesting they might not have more non-phosphorylated cofilins although cofilin phosphorylation had minor decrease compared to that of WT. This might be the reason why hets had similar F/G-actin ratio as WT. Fluorescent staining showed less F-actin and G-actin in KO heart tissue sections compared to those in WT and hets sections. In upstream study, we found significant decrease of SSH1 in hets and increase of SSH1 in KO mice. We also observed remarkable decrease of ERK2 in hets and increase of ERK1/2 in KO mice. In addition, we found notable decrease of LIMK1 in both hets and KO mice compared to WT. Conclusions Significant decrease in cofilin phosphorylation and increased actin depolymerization was observed in Lmna KO mice, which might be driven by higher SSH1, ERK1/2 and lower LIMK1 levels. Lmna hets also had decreased cofilin phosphorylation which might be due to less LIMK1. But their total cofilin level deceased as well and some mechanisms might keep cofilin phosphorylated (lower SSH1 and ERK2 levels), which might have prevented actin over-depolymerization.
Propranolol attenuates cognitive, learning, and memory deficits in a murine model of traumatic brain injury

Background β-blockers have been shown to improve survival after traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, the impact of continuous dosage of β-blockers on cognitive function has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that a daily dose of propranolol can improve memory, learning, and cognitive function following TBI. Study design Twenty male C57BL mice were subjected to a cortical-controlled moderate TBI. Two hours after TBI, animals were randomly allocated to either the β-blocker group (n = 10) or the placebo group (n = 10). Mice in the β-blocker group received intraperitoneal 4 mg/kg propranolol every 24 hours for 7 days while the placebo group received 4 mg/kg normal saline. Baseline novel object recognition and classic maze tests were done prior to TBI and then daily from Day 1 through 7 after TBI. Animals were sacrificed on Day 7. Serum biomarkers were measured using ELISA and brain sections were analyzed using western blot and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results Both the β-blocker and placebo groups had lower recognition index scores compared with the baseline following TBI. β-blocker mice had significantly higher novel object recognition scores compared with placebo mice 2 days after TBI. The β-blocker group required less time to complete the maze-test compared to placebo group after Day 4. There was no difference regarding the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The β-blocker group had lower levels of UCHL-1 and higher levels of Hsp-70 in brain lysate. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that more neurons in the hippocampal-CA1 area underwent apoptosis in the placebo group compared with the β-blocker group. Conclusion Postinjury propranolol administration results in improved memory, learning and cognitive functions in a murine model of moderate TBI. Propranolol increases the expression of antiapoptotic protein (Hsp-70) and decreases cell death in the hippocampal-CA1 area compared with the placebo.
A Finite Element Framework for Magneto-Actuated Large Deformation and Instability of Slender Magneto-Active Elastomers

In this paper, we present an efficient finite element framework for modeling the finite deformations of slender magneto-active elastomers (MAE) under applied magnetic fields or currents. For the co...
Push, pull, or push–pull? An alarm cue better guides sea lamprey towards capture devices than a mating pheromone during the reproductive migration

Widespread interest in the development of environmentally safe management actions has prompted research into the use of sensory cues to manipulate the movements of invasive species. The push–pull approach, for which attractive and repellent semiochemicals operate synergistically to guide individuals toward traps, has proven successful in insect pest management applications. We examined the effectiveness of a natural repellent (an alarm cue) and a natural attractant (a partial sex pheromone) in push-only (repel), pull-only (attract), and push–pull configurations, to guide invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) toward and into a target trap during spawning migration into rivers. Using PIT telemetry to monitor sea lamprey movement within the river, we found that the alarm cue was capable of strongly altering sea lamprey distribution, “pushing” them toward target areas and generating rates of encounter with trap entrances sufficient to achieve trapping-for-control targets. Encounter rate with trap entrances was not improved, but performed more consistently, with the addition of the attractant in the push–pull configuration. There was evidence this could stem from a transition in internal state of motivation, from migration to reproduction. Use of the attractant alone was ineffective. No odor combination improved trap captures. We conclude that push–pull strategies will prove effective in guiding sea lamprey movements and recommend two improvements for subsequent testing in management scenarios: (1) use of a superior attractant (e.g. a sea lamprey migratory cue derived from conspecific larvae), and (2) its subsequent application to a capture methodology based on the entrainment of individuals near trap entrances.
Black Phosphorus NEMS Resonant Infrared (IR) Detector

We report on the first experimental demonstration of two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (P) resonant nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) for infrared (IR) detection, enabled by black P vibrating channel transistors (VCTs). Resonant motions of the black P NEMS are excited and read out all-electrically, thanks to black P crystal's high field-effect mobility and highly efficient channel conductance modulation via resonant motion. Given the narrow direct bandgap ( $E_{\mathrm{g}}\approx 0.3\text{eV}$ ) intrinsically suited for infrared (IR) detection, the black P crystalline NEMS resonators are highly responsive, and readily detect IR radiation by utilizing resonance frequency shift upon absorption of incident IR. The measurements achieve excellent IR responsivity, $\Re=-0.31\ \text{kHz}/\mu\mathrm{W}$ , from a 2D black P drumhead NEMS resonator, at 785nm near infrared (NIR) wavelength. Toward enabling real-time IR sensing, we further demonstrate sensitive all-electrical transduction of resonances of 2D black P NEMS, in direct two-port transmission measurement of VCTs, by employing a local gate, thus evading the need of any conventional frequency down-mixing or conversion techniques.
Pharmacological modulation and genetic deletion of REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ regulates dendritic cell development

The nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ have been demonstrated to play key roles in the regulation of numerous physiological functions, such as metabolism and the circadian rhythm. Recent studies have established the REV-ERBs' roles in immunity, including macrophage and T cell responses. In contrast, their roles in dendritic cells have not been well defined. Dendritic cells are potent antigen presenting cells, connecting microbial sensing and innate immunity to adaptive immune responses. We demonstrate that both REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ expression is upregulated during the course of bone marrow derived dendritic cell (BMDC) differentiation. BMDCs from REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ deficient mice showed enhanced expression of maturation markers like CD86, MHCII, and proinflammatory cytokines. Conversely, treatment of BMDCs with a REV-ERB-specific agonist, SR9009, inhibited the expression of maturation markers and proinflammatory cytokines. Our study suggests the REV-ERBs act as negative regulators of dendritic cell development and activation. These results indicate that pharmacological modulation of REV-ERB activity could be an attractive strategy to modulate DC activation status and for DC-based therapies.
Reliability and Convergence of Conflict Effects

Recent work in attentional control has suggested that conflict effects measured across different tasks are not reliable and by extension unrelated. The lack of correlation between these conflict effects is in juxtaposition not only to theoretical predictions of a domain-general attentional control mechanism but also to a large body of individual differences research that has used these tasks to show evidence for an attentional control construct and its relatedness to other psychological constructs. In an effort to address this, we fit hierarchical models to each task that modeled trial-to-trial variability in response times to assess the extent to which the parameter estimates for the conflict effect correlated across tasks. We compared this method of assessing shared variance to more traditional summed difference score estimates of the conflict effect by analyzing data from a large-scale individual differences experiment, in which N = 582 subjects completed a Stroop, Flanker, and Simon task. Across tasks, we found that while the reliability of the conflict was sufficiently high and the between-task conflict effect significantly correlated, the magnitude of the between-task correlation was low. We discuss the implications of these results as providing more support for a domain-specific than domain-general attentional control mechanism.
Stochastic Modeling of an Infectious Disease Part III-A: Analysis of Time-Nonhomogeneous Models

We extend our BDI (birth-death-immigration) process based stochastic model of an infectious disease to time-nonhomogeneous cases. First, we discuss the deterministic model, and derive the expected value of the infection process. Then as an application we consider that a government issues a decree to its citizens to curtail their activities that may incur further infections and show how the public's tardy response may further increase infections and prolong the epidemic much longer than one might think. We seek to solve a partial differential equation for the probability generating function. We find, however, that an exact solution is obtainable only for the BD process, i.e., no arrivals of the infected from outside. The coefficient of variation for the nonhomogeneous BD process is found to be well over unity. This result implies that the variations among different sample paths will be as large as in the negative binomial distribution with r<1, which was found in Part I for the homogeneous BDI model. In the final section, we illustrate, using our running example, how much information we can derive from the time dependent PMF (probability mass function) P_k(t)=Pr[I(t)=k]. We present graphical plots of the PMF at various t's, and cross-sections of this function at various k's. A mesh plot of the function over the (k, t) plane summarizes the above numerous plots. The results of this paper reinforce our earlier claim (see Abstract of Part II) that it would be a futile effort to attempt to identify all possible reasons why environments of similar situations differ so much in their epidemic patterns. Mere "luck" plays a more significant role than most of us may believe. We should be prepared for a worse possible scenario, which only a stochastic model can provide with probabilistic qualification. An empirical validation of the above results will be given in Part III-B.
Be happy when your stomach is: Figurative extensions of the body in MalakMalak

Abstract In this paper I provide a description of the role of body-part terms in expressions of emotion and other semantic extensions in MalakMalak, a non-Pama-Nyungan language of the Daly River area. Body-based expressions denote events, emotions, personality traits, significant places and people and are used to refer to times and number. Particularly central in the language are men ‘stomach’, pundu ‘head’ and tjewurr ‘ear’ associated respectively with basic emotions, states of mind and reason. The figurative extensions of these body parts are discussed systematically, and compared with what is known for other languages of the Daly River region. The article also explores the grammatical make up of body-based emotional collocations, and in particular the role of noun incorporation. In MalakMalak, noun incorporation is a central part of forming predicates with body parts, but uncommon in any other semantic domain of the language and only lexemes denoting basic emotions may also incorporate closed-class adjectives.
Contraception for Women with Hematologic Abnormalities

Women with hematologic disorders have increased maternal and fetal risks with pregnancy. Contraceptive counseling should play a significant role in the routine health care of these patients in order to minimize the risk of unintended pregnancy. The most effective methods of long-term reversible contraception (intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the subdermal implant) are usually safe for use in women with hematologic disorders and should be offered as top-tier methods. The levonorgestrel IUD and combined hormonal contraception can often improve hematologic parameters and symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding in addition to protecting against unintended pregnancy. Barrier methods are less effective contraceptive options and do not have the benefit of improved bleeding profiles and hematologic parameters. Sterilization is often appropriate for women who do not desire future fertility. Hysteroscopic sterilization minimizes blood loss and anesthesia risks, which are important considerations for women with hematologic abnormalities.
A Concise History of Japan

Preface Chronology Introduction 1. The birth of the Yamato state, 14,500 BCE-710 CE 2. The courtly age, 710-1185 3. The rise of Samurai rule, 1185-1336 4. Medieval Japan and the warring states period, 1336-1573 5. Japan's encounter with Europe, 1542-1640 6. Unifying the realm, 1560-1603 7. Early modern Japan, 1600-1800 8. The rise of imperial nationalism, 1770-1854 9. Meiji enlightenment, 1868-1912 10. Meiji's discontents, 1868-1920 11. The birth of Japan's imperial state, 1800-1910 12. Empire and imperial democracy, 1905-31 13. The Pacific War, 1931-45 14. Japan's postwar history, 1945-present 15. Natural disasters and the edge of history Glossary Further reading Index.
Selective Degree Elevation for Multi-Sided Bézier Patches

This paper presents a method to selectively elevate the degree of an S-Patch of arbitrary dimension. We consider not only S-Patches with 2D domains but 3D and higher-dimensional domains as well, of which volumetric cage deformations are a subset. We show how to selectively insert control points of a higher degree patch into a lower degree patch while maintaining the polynomial reproduction order of the original patch. This process allows the user to elevate the degree of only one portion of the patch to add new degrees of freedom or maintain continuity with adjacent patches without elevating the degree of the entire patch, which could create far more degrees of freedom than necessary. Finally we show an application to cage-based deformations where we increase the number of control points by elevating the degree of a subset of cage faces. The result is a cage deformation with higher degree triangular Bezier functions on a subset of cage faces but no interior control points.
60 Forensic bioaffinity-based assay to determine blood sample age

Chemical and biochemical techniques are the main scientific support of criminal investigations and, in subsequent prosecutions, utilized for the analysis of biological traces at crime scenes (Maynt...
Purification of Synechococcus lividus by Equilibrium Centrifugation and Its Synchronization by Differential Centrifugation

A culture of the thermophilic, unicellular, blue-green alga Synechococcus lividus was freed from two thermophilic bacteria by use of equilibrium (isopycnic) centrifugation in Ficoll density gradients. After removal of the bacteria, the alga would grow only on agar plates in a high carbon dioxide atmosphere. Intermittent illumination, equilibrium centrifugation, and differential centrifugation were tested as techniques for obtaining synchronized cultures of the alga. Daughter cells selected by differential centrifugation in Ficoll density gradients yielded the best synchrony, and a cross-wall index of 85% was observed during the period of cell division.
The Sexual Harassment Coercive Offer

There is disagreement in the coercion literature over whether an offer, which necessarily lacks a threat, could be coercive, which tends to imply at least some affinity with coercion, which, in paradigm cases, includes a threat. In one difficult sexual harassment case, someone is offered a promotion in exchange for sex, but there is, due to the arrangement of the case, no implied threat or repercussion for refusal. I argue this case counts as coercive since the offer-making attempts to recast the agent's self-image simply by making the offer: the harasser attempts to define his employee as a sexualized object in the workplace to whom it is acceptable to make this kind of offer. Yet, such an offer can only be acceptably made to a woman who would accept sexual intrusions in her career, and it can never be right to assume others are willing to have their business lives sexualized. Thus, the offer is coercive in its disrespect for the employee's autonomy, although it involves no threat.
Gαs-Induced Neurodegeneration inCaenorhabditis elegans

We describe a genetic model for neurodegeneration in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . Constitutive activation of the GTP-binding protein Gα s induces neurodegeneration. Neuron loss occurs in two phases whereby affected cells undergo a swelling response in young larvae and subsequently die sometime during larval development. Different neural cell types vary greatly in their susceptibility to Gα s -induced cytotoxicity, ranging from 0 to 88% of cells affected. Mutations that prevent programmed cell death do not prevent Gα s -induced killing, suggesting that these deaths do not occur by apoptosis. Mutations in three genes protect against Gα s -induced cell deaths. The acy-1 gene is absolutely required for neurodegeneration, and the predicted ACY-1 protein is highly similar (40% identical) to mammalian adenylyl cyclases. Thus, G s -induced neurodegeneration is mediated by the second messenger cAMP. Mutations in the unc-36 and eat-4 genes are partially neuroprotective, which indicates that endogenous signaling modulates the severity of the neurotoxic effects of Gα s . These experiments define an intracellular signaling cascade that triggers a necrotic form of neurodegeneration.
In Vivo Models for Male Reproductive Toxicology

In Vivo Models for Male Reproductive Toxicology (Rochelle W. Tyl, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina). Assessment of male reproductive function requires a specific set of evaluations of the various steps in successful mating from sperm production to copulation to fertilization to production of a viable litter. This unit outlines the measurements that are standard for determining the effects of treatment with toxicant on the reproductive capacity of male mice and rats.
Identification of a signal for rapid export of proteins from the nucleus

Active nuclear import of protein is controlled by nuclear localization signals (NLSs), but nuclear export is not understood well. Nuclear trafficking of the catalytic (C) subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK) is critical for regulation of gene expression. The heat-stable inhibitor (PKl) of cAPK contains a nuclear export signal (NES) that triggers rapid, active net extrusion of the C-PKl complex from the nucleus. This NES (residues 35-49), fused or conjugated to heterologous proteins, was sufficient for rapid nuclear export. Hydrophobic residues were critical. The NES is a slightly weaker signal than the SV40 NLS. A sequence containing only residues 37-46, LALKLAGLDI, is also sufficient for nuclear export. This is an example of a protein-based NES having no obvious association with RNA. A similar sequence, LQLPPLERLTL, from Rev, an RNA-binding protein of HIV-1, also is an NES.