cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Convergent evolution of bright coloration and toxicity in frogs.

Brightly colored organisms abound in nature, and the evolutionary forces underlying this profusion of color have been the subject of scientific interest ever since Darwin. Aposematism, where color and pattern serve as advertisements of unprofitability to predators, is one of the main mechanisms thought to generate selection in favor of bright coloration and contrasting pattern. The theoretical underpinnings of aposematism, particularly the mechanisms whereby new bright mutants become established in a population, remain the subject of considerable interest (1). On an empirical level, a basic prediction is that brightly colored organisms will be unpalatable. Although many brightly colored organisms have proven to be toxic (2), the hypothesis of aposematism further predicts that the evolution of toxicity will occur before, or in tandem with, the evolution of bright coloration. Testing this prediction requires information on the evolutionary relationships of the species involved. Few studies have concomitantly analyzed the historical trajectories of both coloration and toxicity, thereby identifying the evolutionary sequence and association of both traits (3). In this issue of PNAS, Santos et al. (4) use phylogenetic analysis to investigate the evolution of coloration and toxicity in poison frogs of the family Dendrobatidae. The poison frogs of South America and Central America (toxic members of the family Dendrobatidae) provide a well known example of bright coloration associated with toxicity (in this case, the presence of lipophilic alkaloids in the skin) (5). The dendrobatids are a species-rich taxon (>200 species) with both brightly colored and cryptic members (Fig. 1). Traditionally, the brightly colored species were thought to form a monophyletic group, mainly on the basis of shared toxins (6). Most cryptic species were placed in the genus Colostethus although no shared derived characteristics united them (7). Colostethus has now been divided into several genera, but their phylogenetic relationships remain poorly understood (7 …
William Robertson: Exemplar of Politics and Public Management Rightly Understood

William Robertson, director of the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Street Services, is profi led here as an exemplary public administrator. Th e authors suggest that Robertson practices politics appropriately in his role in order to achieve great outcomes for his bureau, the citizens with whom he works, and the city as a whole. To adequately defi ne the ways in which Robertson uses politics, Sherry Arnstein’s “ladder of participation” is reconceptualized as a circle of participation in which Robertson uses multiple strategies of interaction with citizens, elected offi cials, employees, and peers. Lessons for public administrators are off ered based on Robertson’s example.
The inactivation of gentamicin and netilmicin by carbenicillin: its effect on Serratia marcescens.

Ten clinical isolates of Serratia marcescens were tested on MUELLER-HINTON agar containing gentamicin or netilmicin with carbenicillin. The isolates grew on plates where inactivation occurred, at higher antibiotic concentrations, but failed at lower concentrations. This growth response was individualistic and not closely related to the minimum inhibitory concentrations.
Exposing “Red Colonialism”: U.S. Propaganda at the United Nations, 1953–1963

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the United States sought to challenge the Soviet Union's credibility as a champion of decolonization by casting Soviet control of Central Asia, the Baltic republics, and Eastern Europe in imperial terms, or what U.S. officials came to call “Red Colonialism.” Waged in large measure at the United Nations (UN) and other international forums, the Red Colonialism campaign sought to contrast the evolutionary nature of Western colonialism with the seeming permanence of Soviet domination. The campaign underscored the U.S. government's preoccupation with the Soviet threat at a time when much of the developing world was focused on other matters, such as national self-determination, racial equality, and economic development. This article looks at the genesis and nature of the Red Colonialism campaign and explains why a variety of factors ultimately prevented it from gaining much traction at the UN.
Shoulder strength analysis using the Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer

The purpose of this study was to establish a data base of normal shoulder strength of young adults using the Cybex II dynamometer and specially designed fixation devices. Fifty healthy subjects aged 21 to 40 years old (26 men, 24 women) were tested. The mean peak torque values of their shoulders were measured at speeds of 0 degree, 60 degrees, 180 degrees, and 300 degrees per second. Mean peak torque values generally decreased as speed increased. Men were significantly stronger than women for all motions and speeds tested. Shoulder extension torque was greatest followed by adduction, flexion, internal rotation, abduction, and external rotation. Torque production tended to be greater on the dominant side.
Linear Tracking Control for Small-Scale Unmanned Helicopters

This paper presents a model-based tracking control design for small-scale unmanned helicopters. The design objective is for the helicopter to track predefined inertial position (or velocity) and heading reference trajectories. The controller is based on a nominal linear state-space model that successfully captures the small-scale helicopter coupled multivariable dynamics. The flight controller is composed of two feedback loops that regulate the tracking error of the longitudinal-lateral and heading-heave motion of the helicopter, respectively. The tracking error is determined by constructing a reference state generator based on the linear helicopter model and the reference outputs. The state generator can be systematically designed using the backstepping approach for systems in feedback form and by applying a physically meaningful approximation to the linear helicopter model. The controller performance is successfully tested using a realistic flight simulator.
Awareness of Iron Deficiency Anemia among Women of Reproductive Age in Hubei Province, China

Objective: To assess the level of awareness about causes, prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia among women of reproductive age in Hubei province, a south eastern province of China. Method: Cross sectional study was conducted by using a self designed standardized pretested questionnaire in peripheral areas of Wuhan city, the capital of Hubei province from January 2009 to December 2009.Women aged 18-45 years without any previous history of medical or gynecological problems were recruited. Results: A total 385 women were surveyed for Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA).77.9% women (n=300) were aware of the term IDA, with the highest proportion of 88.1% falling in age group 25-35 years. Most of the women were aware of the fact that their diet contains iron and its importance in health. Women who had children and of working class had greater knowledge about the iron deficiency anemia. Conclusion: Awareness regarding IDA is directly linked with the educational and social status of a community and is found to be increasing with the passage of time with exploration and accessibility to media and health care facilities. Women of younger ages are more concern about their own health and much careful about their expected babies in terms of nutritional facts as compared to the elder ladies.
Attitudes toward the unification of Western Europe and cross-national suicide rates: eight European countries, 1973-1990

Durkheim's (1897/1951) theory of political integration argues that when political crises occur, individuals band together to solve the problem at hand. As a result, this increased integration yields lower suicide rates. The purpose of this analysis is to examine a different component of the concept of political integration-that of attitudes. During the past couple of decades, individuals in eight Western European countries have been asked about their attitudes toward the unification of Western Europe. Cross-sectional time series analysis reveals that the attitudes individuals hold toward such an event are significantly related to suicide rates. Although Durkheim's theory of political integration focuses on events within a given country, the research herein finds that political integration exists on an international level as well. A reformulation of Durkheim's theory of political integration is put forth.
Multi-Constraint Mesh Partitioning for Contact/Impact Computations

We present a novel approach for decomposing contact/impact computations in which the mesh elements come in contact with each other during the course of the simulation. Effective decomposition of these computations poses a number of challenges as it needs to both balance the computations and minimize the amount of communication that is performed during the finite element and the contact search phase. Our approach achieves the first goal by partitioning the underlying mesh such that it simultaneously balances both the work that is performed during the finite element phase and that performed during contact search phase, while producing subdomains whose boundaries consist of piecewise axes-parallel lines or planes. The second goal is achieved by using a decision tree to decompose the space into rectangular or box-shaped regions that contain contact points from a single partition. Our experimental evaluation on a sequence of 100 meshes, shows that this new approach can reduce the overall communication overhead over existing algorithms.
CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER CAUSED BY EXCESS DIETARY CYSTINE

1. Cystine fed to young albino rats as 10 per cent of the diet resulted in: (a) Portal hemorrhagic necrosis, resembling eclampsia, within 3 or 4 days. (b) A high mortality rate. (c) Fatty infiltration of hepatic cells in all rats surviving the initial acute lesion. (d) Cirrhosis of the liver in rats surviving more than 2 weeks. 2. 5 per cent dietary cystine produced marked fatty infiltration of the liver, followed by portal hemorrhagic necrosis. Cirrhosis was present in one of the two rats on the diet for 6 weeks. 3. The livers of rats fed 5 or 10 per cent cystine diets followed by the McCollum stock diet, showed evidence of residual cellular damage, and of regeneration as shown by mitotic figures. 4. In this series of 30 rats on excess dietary cystine, a renal lesion was found in only one case.
High-affinity binding of [125I]RTI-55 to dopamine and serotonin transporters in rat brain

RTI-55 (3 beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropan-2 beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester), one of the most potent inhibitors of dopamine uptake reported to date, was radioiodinated and tested as a probe for the cocaine receptor in Sprague-Dawley rat brain. Saturation and kinetic studies in the striatum revealed that [125I]RTI-55 bound to both a high- and low-affinity site. The Kd for the high-affinity site was 0.2 nM, while the Kd for the low-affinity site was 5.8 nM. The corresponding number of binding sites in the striatum was 37 and 415 pmol/g protein. The pharmacological profile of specific [125I]RTI-55 binding in the striatum was consistent with that of the dopamine transporter. Additionally, [125I]RTI-55 was found to bind with high affinity to the cerebral cortex. Scatchard analysis revealed a single high-affinity component of 0.2 nM with a density of 2.5 pmol/g protein. The pharmacological profile demonstrated by [125I]RTI-55 in the cerebral cortex matched that of the serotonin transporter. Autoradiographic analysis of sagittal brain sections with [125I]RTI-55 binding was consistent with these findings. Specific binding of [125I]RTI-55 was blocked by dopamine uptake inhibitors in areas rich in dopaminergic nerve terminals. Conversely, serotonin uptake inhibitors blocked the binding of [125I]RTI-55 in brain areas rich in serotonergic neurons. These results demonstrate that [125I]RTI-55 may be a very useful ligand for the dopamine and serotonin transporters.
Logic and lattices for distributed programming

In recent years there has been interest in achieving application-level consistency criteria without the latency and availability costs of strongly consistent storage infrastructure. A standard technique is to adopt a vocabulary of commutative operations; this avoids the risk of inconsistency due to message reordering. Another approach was recently captured by the CALM theorem, which proves that logically monotonic programs are guaranteed to be eventually consistent. In logic languages such as Bloom, CALM analysis can automatically verify that programs achieve consistency without coordination.In this paper we present BloomL, an extension to Bloom that takes inspiration from both of these traditions. BloomL generalizes Bloom to support lattices and extends the power of CALM analysis to whole programs containing arbitrary lattices. We show how the Bloom interpreter can be generalized to support efficient evaluation of lattice-based code using well-known strategies from logic programming. Finally, we use BloomL to develop several practical distributed programs, including a key-value store similar to Amazon Dynamo, and show how BloomL encourages the safe composition of small, easy-to-analyze lattices into larger programs.
Helping Teachers Automate Student Sketch Assessment

In this work, we propose a system to enable teachers to more easily automate the assessment of online, student-drawn diagrams. Similar to programming-by-demonstration, teachers specify the correct solutions by drawing their own "solution" diagrams, which the automated assessment system then uses to compare against students' diagrams to see if their diagrams match the solutions.
Development of a Highly Potent D2/D3 Agonist and a Partial Agonist from Structure–Activity Relationship Study of N6-(2-(4-(1H-Indol-5-yl)piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)-N6-propyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazole-2,6-diamine Analogues: Implication in the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Our structure–activity relationship studies with N6-(2-(4-(1H-indol-5-yl)piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)-N6-propyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazole-2,6-diamine derivatives led to development of a lead compound (−)-21a which exhibited very high affinity (Ki, D2 = 16.4 nM, D3 = 1.15 nM) and full agonist activity (EC50 (GTPγS); D2 = 3.23 and D3 = 1.41 nM) at both D2 and D3 receptors. A partial agonist molecule (−)-34 (EC50 (GTPγS); D2 = 21.6 (Emax = 27%) and D3 = 10.9 nM) was also identified. In a Parkinson’s disease (PD) animal model, (−)-21a was highly efficacious in reversing hypolocomotion in reserpinized rats with a long duration of action, indicating its potential as an anti-PD drug. Compound (−)-34 was also able to elevate locomotor activity in the above PD animal model significantly, implying its potential application in PD therapy. Furthermore, (−)-21a was shown to be neuroprotective in protecting neuronal PC12 from toxicity of 6-OHDA. This report, therefore, underpins the notion that a multifunctional drug...
Reason for Psychiatric Readmissions From the Emergency Department

Background- Frequent users of the ED contribute to the problem of overcrowding and are more likely to have psychiatric problems and a higher than average 90 day re-admittance rate. In addition, ED visits due to mental health problems have increased in recent years, thus driving up 90 day re-admission rates. Objectives – To determine the reasons for readmissions of psychiatric patients who had previously presented to the Emergency Department. Methods – This is a retrospective chart review of a random sample of 350 psychiatric patients who presented to the ED and had a return visit within 90 days. The study was IRB approved. Results- There was a significant difference (p = .01) between the reasons for psychiatric patients to be re-admitted to the hospital between their first, second, and third ED visit. The most common reason for admittance on the first visit was depression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. The most common reasons for the second and third visit however, were psychiatric (61.9%), musculoskeletal (9.2%), cardiovascular (5.7%), neurological (4.3%), and dermatological (3.2%). Conclusions- Psychiatric patients are not returning to the ED repeatedly for the same complaints or for only psychiatric complaints. A total of 30% of patients who presented for a second and third time within 90 days who were admitted for medical illness versus their initial psychiatric presentation.
Evolving insights into the synergy between erythropoietin and thrombopoietin and the bipotent erythroid/megakaryocytic progenitor cell.

Although the synergy between erythropoietin and thrombopoietin has previously been pointed out, the clonal demonstration of a human bipotent erythroid/megakaryocytic progenitor (MEP) was first published in Experimental Hematology (Papayannopoulou T, Brice M, Farrer D, Kaushansky K. Exp Hematol . 1996;24:660–669) and later in the same year in Blood (Debili N, Coulombel L, Croisille L, et al. Blood . 1996;88:1284–1296). This demonstration, and the fact that both bipotent and monopotent erythroid or megakaryocytic progenitors co-express markers of both lineages and respond to both lineage-specific transcription factors, has provided a background for the extensive use of MEP assessment by fluorescence-activated cell sorting in many subsequent studies. Beyond this, the demonstration of shared regulatory elements and the presence of single mutations affecting both lineages have inspired further studies to decipher how the shift in transcription factor networks occurs from one lineage to the other. Furthermore, in addition to shared effects, erythropoietin and thrombopoietin have additional independent effects. Most notable for thrombopoietin is its effect on hematopoietic stem cells illustrated by in vitro and in vivo approaches.
The trouble with targets [Spectral Lines]

Among technology leaders burdened with unmet and ill-defined goals, setting engineering targets is the rage, promising specific results to people, corporations, and government. Whether the demand is for capping the rise in Earth's temperature, creating therapies to halt memory loss in the elderly, or expanding farm output to meet the world's growing population, the answer is the same: Set targets.
Diaphragmatic fatigue assessed by 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy in vivo.

We tested whether fatigue of the piglet diaphragm is associated with inadequate oxidative metabolism as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). An MRS measured ratio of inorganic phosphate to phosphocreatine (Pi/PCr) > or = 1 was taken as evidence of inadequate oxidative metabolism. Piglets (n = 10) underwent phrenic nerve pacing for 90 min with stimulation frequency of 30 Hz and duty cycle of 0.33. In a separate group of six piglets PCr, Pi, ATP, and intracellular pH were measured by in vivo MRS, and diaphragmatic blood flow was measured with radioactive microspheres at control, 2, 10, 45, 60, and 90 min of pacing. Transdiaphragmatic pressure fell from 25 +/- 3 to 15 +/- 2 mmHg (61 +/- 5%) at 2 min and remained depressed in a separate group of four piglets (P < 0.05). Conversely, compound action potential amplitude remained constant for the first 10 min of pacing and fell to 68 +/- 5% of control at 45 min (P < 0.05). Pi/PCr rose from a control value of 0.32 +/- 0.06 to 0.92 +/- 0.23 at 2 min and 0.79 +/- 0.03 at 10 min (P < 0.05) before returning toward control at 45-90 min. O2 delivery increased from 4.6 +/- 1.2 to 24.7 +/- 4.8 ml.min-1.100 g-1 at 2 min and 18.4 +/- 2.2 ml.min-1.100 g-1 at 10 min (P < 0.05) but then fell to lower levels at 45-90 min. ATP and intracellular pH remained constant except for a decline in pH to 6.98 +/- 0.09 at 45 min (P < 0.05) from the control value of 7.26 +/- 0.06.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
What about African American older women and depressive symptoms

ABSTRACTDepression is a major problem among African American older women; however, they also tend to be understudied as members of a multiple minority and oppressed group. As matriarchs and grandmothers in their families and communities, depression often emerges and becomes a detrimental problem for these older African American women. This study, a secondary data analysis, utilized the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010 database to examine depression among older African American women. This article discusses the joint impact of age, social support, religion, caregiving, and physical health on depression among older community dwelling African American women. Findings indicate that age, physical health, and marital status as an aspect of social support were significant predictors of whether or not an older African American woman had ever had depression and whether or not she felt depressed in the past year. Receiving help from relatives as an aspect of social support also remained significant for partic...
Predicting incisional hernia after bariatric surgery: a risk stratification model based upon 2161 operations

Abstract Background Incisional hernia (IH) is a persistent cause of morbidity and diminished quality of life and a substantial source of healthcare resource utilization. The literature suggests prophylactic mesh augmentation reduces IH risk in bariatric surgery, but no predictive models are available. Objectives Identify factors associated with IH after bariatric surgery to develop a clinically actionable preoperative risk stratification tool to optimize outcomes and mitigate healthcare costs after bariatric surgery. Setting University hospital, United States. Methods All patients undergoing open or laparoscopic bariatric surgery from January 2005 to June 2013 at one institution were identified. Co-morbidities and operative characteristics were assessed. The primary outcome was surgically treated IH after index procedures. Patients with prior hernia, 2 were excluded. Cox hazard regression modeling with bootstrapped validation, risk factor stratification, and assessment of model performance were conducted. Results A total of 2161 bariatric patients were included, 2.4% of whom developed IH (follow-up 28.3±25.4 mo). Predictors for IH included open surgical approach (hazard ratio [HR] = 10.3), malnutrition (HR = 3.10), prior abdominal surgery (HR = 2.89), and body mass index>60 kg/m 2 (HR = 2.60). Based on these risk factors, patients were stratified into low-, moderate-, and high-risk categories for IH development. Of the high-risk patients, 15.2% developed IH compared with .6% of low-risk patients (C-statistic = .85). Treatment of IH and associated complications exceeded $3.5 million in healthcare costs. Conclusion Bariatric surgery conferred an IH risk of 2.4%. IH was associated with additional readmissions and complications and substantially greater costs and resource utilization. This risk stratification tool identifies candidates for prophylactic mesh augmentation, which may optimize outcomes while mitigating costs.
Strategic Considerations: Changing dynamics and future scenarios of cross‐strait relations

This article analyses the role of historical and external factors as well as changing domestic politics in shaping cross‐strait relations. It points out that while Beijing and Taipei are bogged down in a stalemate over the ‘one China’ issue, a dangerous arms race is escalating in the Taiwan Strait. The author suggests that a war in the Taiwan Strait is unlikely; however, economic integration will not bring Beijing and Taipei any closer politically. Meanwhile, Taipei is pursuing a course of ‘creeping independence’. To restart political negotiations, Beijing would have to specify what can be talked about under the ‘one China’ principle and Taipei would have to directly face the question of whether the ‘one China’ concept is a ‘political trap’ or a ‘safety valve’.
Vascular Mimicry: Concepts and Implications for Anti-Angiogenic Therapy.

As in normal tissues, solid tumors depend on vascular networks to supply blood, oxygen, and nutrients. Tumor blood vessels are formed by common processes of neovascularization for example endothelial sprouting. However, some tumors have alternative and unexpected mechanisms of neovascularization at their disposal. In a process termed “vascular mimicry,” tumors create their own, tumor cell-lined channels for fluid transport independent of typical modes of angiogenesis. These tumor cell-lined conduits may express endothelial-selective markers and anti-coagulant factors which allow for anastamosis with host endothelium. In this review, we explore the current status of vascular mimicry research, highlighting recent evidence which strengthens the hypothesis for this unusual ability of tumor cells. Furthermore, we address the theoretical possibility that vascular mimicry provides a mechanism whereby tumors could escape anti-angiogenic therapies.
Maurice Wood: an appreciation.

Maurice Wood, BS, MB, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1941–1945, attended his 70th class reunion last year, traversing the Atlantic from his home in Stoney Creek at Wintergreen, Virginia, US. Dr Wood died at home on 11 March 2016, leaving a stunning legacy of friendship, doctoring, leadership, investigation, mentoring, and inspiration for generations of health professionals. His career was a tale set in both the UK and the US. In the UK he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1946–1949 as major and senior medical officer in the Middle East and as a GP from 1950–1971 in South Shields, England. During these years in practice he was Vice Chairman of the North East Faculty, Royal College of General Practitioners. He was a generalist full of curiosity about his patients and the community in which they dwelled, with particular …
Modification of Lymphocyte Responsiveness by Hormones Used in the Treatment of Urologic Malignancies

AbstractRecognition that the immune system may be important in regulating the clinical evolution of tumors and that corticosteroids suppress immune responses lends relevance to determining the concentrations in which sex hormones, currently used in the treatment of urologic malignancies, exert immunosuppressive effects.We have investigated the effects of the sex hormones, diethylstilbestrol, diethylstilbestrol diphosphate, testosterone and progesterone, on in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis as determined by 3H thymidine incorporation after stimulation with phytomitogens and alloantigens, and compared their effects to the effects of Cortisol. Compared to Cortisol these sex hormones are relatively weak suppressors of lymphocyte blastogenesis (Cortisol 10−7 M, progesterone 5 times 10−6 M, testosterone 5 times 10−5 M, diethylstilbestrol 5 times 10−5 M and diethylstilbestrol diphosphate 10−3 M) and probably are not significantly immunosuppressive in commonly used pharmacologic dosages.Similar results were obser...
Gelatinolytic And Caseinolytic Proteinase Activities In Human Prostatic Secretions

Seminal fluid contains a number of proteinase activities, many of which are secreted by the prostate gland. Our objective was to determine proteinase activities in human prostatic secretions which can degrade gelatin and/or casein. Prostatic secretions were collected by prostate massage from men with benign prostatic hyperplasia prior to surgery to relieve obstruction. Significant proteinase activities towards gelatin of about 81, 86, 94, 111, 115 and 163 Kd as well as less active forms of 23, 36, 38, 132, 137, and 148 Kd were detected using protein substrate-polyacrylamide gel zymography. In addition, Ca2+ stimulated activities of approximately 64, 66, 71 and 76 Kd; however, EDTA and EGTA inhibited all activities but the 23, 36 and 38 Kd forms (these were inhibited by benzamidine and epsilon-amino caproic acid). This suggests that the gelatinolytic activities of 64 Kd and greater were metalloproteinases and those of 23, 36, and 38 Kd were serine proteinases. Significant caseinolytic activities of 22, 25, 35, 37, 57, 90, 96, 102 and 116 Kd were found as well as several less active forms and a 12 Kd activity stimulated by Ca2+. Caseinolytic activities of 12, 14, 16, 96, 102, 116, and 126 Kd were inhibited by EDTA and EGTA indicating they are metalloproteinases. The 35, 37, 57 and 58 Kd caseinolytic activities were inhibited by benzamidine, and the 57 and 58 Kd forms by epsilon-aminocaproic acid suggesting they were serine proteinases. There was considerable variability among individuals in the molecular forms of proteinase activity expressed as well as the level of their activity. A significant decrease in the frequency of expression of the 132 Kd gelatinolytic activity was found in secretions from men with atypia or adenocarcinoma, as compared with men with benign prostatic hyperplasia alone. Our results show that human prostatic secretion contains a variety of proteinase activities. The expression of the 132 Kd gelatinolytic activity could prove useful in further evaluation of neoplastic prostatic disease.
Use of Quantile Regression to Characterize Solanezumab Effects across Percentiles of Disease Progression in EXPEDITION Alzheimer's Disease Trials (P7.102)

OBJECTIVE: Use quantile regression to characterize solanezumab effects in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients based on degree of disease progression. BACKGROUND: Twenty-seven percent of patients with clinically defined mild-to-moderate AD enrolled in 2 solanezumab trials had baseline assessments of amyloid status. Of those, 17[percnt] were negative and did not exhibit progressive decline typical of AD. Because comparison of solanezumab- and placebo-treatment effects on clinical progression in amyloid positive versus negative patients in the full cohort was precluded, we developed a novel statistical strategy to examine treatment effects in patients who did and did not show typical disease progression. DESIGN/METHODS: Quantile regression was used to examine solanezumab- and placebo-treatment differences in a pooled dataset. Patients demonstrating clinical decline typical of AD were represented in upper clinical-change percentiles; patients with a clinical course atypical of AD were represented in lower percentiles. This approach modeled change from baseline on 2 primary measures: Alzheimer9s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog14) and Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Inventory Instrumental domain (ADCS iADL). RESULTS: ADAS-Cog14 at Week 80: In patients with mild AD, solanezumab treatment effect was greater in the upper percentiles (AD-typical). Compared with placebo, solanezumab slowed disease progression by 1.27, 1.98, 2.55, and 3.07 points in the 30th, 40th, 60th, and 80th percentiles. In lower percentiles (AD-atypical), solanezumab showed less effect. ADCS-iADL at Week 80: In patients with mild AD, compared with placebo, solanezumab slowed disease progression by 0.47, 0.99, 1.79, and 1.69 points in the 30th, 40th, 60th, and 80th percentiles. In patients with moderate AD, solanezumab did not show effects across most percentiles on either measure. Conclusions: Results support design of current/future solanezumab trials to be limited to mild AD patients with evidence of amyloid pathology. Further, quantile regression is useful for retrospectively analyzing data when amyloid status was not uniformly determined. Disclosure: Dr. Chen has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company. Dr. Ma has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company as an employee. Dr. Sundell has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company as an employee. Dr. Alaka has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly and Company as an employee. Dr. Alaka holds stock and/or stock options in Eli Lilly and Company. Dr. Schuh has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company as an employee. Dr. Raskin has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company as an employee. Dr. Dean has received personal compensation for activities with Eli Lilly & Company. Dr. Dean holds stock and/or stock options in Eli Lilly & Company.
Propositions as Cognitive Acts

The paper reviews the central components of the cognitive theory of propositions and explains both its empirical advantages for theories of language and mind and its foundational metaphysical and epistemological advantages over other theories. It then answers a leading objection to the theory, before closing by raising the issue of how questions, which are the contents of interrogative sentences, and directives, which are the contents of imperative sentences, are related to propositions.
Is Endorsing Gambling as an Escape More a Trait or a State

Research has shown a strong relationship between disordered gambling and the contingency of escape, but it has yet to determine whether endorsing gambling as an escape is more the result of trait or state factors. Two hundred twenty four university students completed a self-report gambling questionnaire designed to measure the contingencies maintaining their gambling behavior. They also completed measures of the five major personality traits, their decision-making competencies, and their gambling history/experience. These indices were then used as predictors of endorsing gambling as an escape in a three-tiered hierarchical linear regression analysis. The personality factors of Agreeableness and the ability to apply decision rules were significant predictors of endorsing gambling as an escape, but personality measures together accounted for only a relatively small amount of variance (i.e., R2 = .165). The indices of gambling experience were significant predictors of escape scores and also accounted for a substantial amount of variance (R2 = .399). These results indicate that gambling as an escape is more influenced by state than trait factors, which has implications for both practitioners and researchers.
Thermoelectric module design strategy for solid-state refrigeration

Abstract In this paper, a new characterization factor for thermoelectric module design in thermoelectric refrigeration is presented with guidelines for practical design strategy. It has been general practice to optimize the geometric factor (G-factor), the ratio of the area to the leg length of a thermoelectric leg, and the number of leg pairs simultaneously to gain a minimum refrigeration temperature from a module for a refrigeration system. However, the B-factor, which is defined as the ratio between the leg length and the fill factor (ratio of the area filled with thermoelectric materials to the module area), allows for module optimization with only one parameter. To demonstrate, a theoretical model of a module was created with energy conservation equations. While disregarding electrical contact resistance, the number of leg pairs did not affect the obtainable maximum temperature difference or the power consumption of a module when utilizing the B-factor. The effects of contact resistance on the optimum B-factor were also evaluated and avoided when the leg length was increased. It was then found that using fewer legs in a module would produce a temperature difference that was less sensitive to a varying input current. The present theoretical approach was validated with experimental evidence.
Exploring the Clinical Utility of Relative Fundamental Frequency as an Objective Measure of Vocal Hyperfunction

Purpose Vocal hyperfunction, related to abnormal laryngeal muscle activity, is considered the proximal cause of primary muscle tension dysphonia (pMTD). Relative fundamental frequency (RFF) has bee...
A Solution to the Problem of “Extra Pay vs Time Off”

(1957). A Solution to the Problem of “Extra Pay vs Time Off”. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 20-51.
Continuity of the West Napa–Franklin Fault Zone Inferred from Guided Waves Generated by Earthquakes Following the 24 August 2014 Mw 6.0 South Napa Earthquake

We measure peak ground velocities from fault‐zone guided waves (FZGWs), generated by on‐fault earthquakes associated with the 24 August 2014 M w 6.0 South Napa earthquake. The data were recorded on three arrays deployed across north and south of the 2014 surface rupture. The observed FZGWs indicate that the West Napa fault zone (WNFZ) and the Franklin fault (FF) are continuous in the subsurface for at least 75 km. Previously published potential‐field data indicate that the WNFZ extends northward to the Maacama fault (MF), and previous geologic mapping indicates that the FF extends southward to the Calaveras fault (CF); this suggests a total length of at least 110 km for the WNFZ–FF. Because the WNFZ–FF appears contiguous with the MF and CF, these faults apparently form a continuous Calaveras–Franklin–WNFZ–Maacama (CFWM) fault that is second only in length (∼300 km) to the San Andreas fault in the San Francisco Bay area. The long distances over which we observe FZGWs, coupled with their high amplitudes (2–10 times the S waves) suggest that strong shaking from large earthquakes on any part of the CFWM fault may cause far‐field amplified fault‐zone shaking. We interpret guided waves and seismicity cross sections to indicate multiple upper crustal splays of the WNFZ–FF, including a northward extension of the Southhampton fault, which may cause strong shaking in the Napa Valley and the Vallejo area. Based on travel times from each earthquake to each recording array, we estimate average P ‐, S ‐, and guided‐wave velocities within the WNFZ–FF (4.8–5.7, 2.2–3.2, and 1.1–2.8 km/s, respectively), with FZGW velocities ranging from 58% to 93% of the average S ‐wave velocities.
Models of the Control of Production, Distribution and Metabolism of Thyroid Hormones in Several Species: Comparative Aspects

Abstract Models describing the dynamics of thyroid hormone production, distribution, metabolism and excretion in several mammalian and teleost species are presented. They represent various levels of hierarchical detail and control over the disposition of these hormones and their metabolites, in the human, the rat, the sheep and the Coho Salmon. All are based on real laboratory data, collected chiefly in our own laboratories. Objectives/applications of each model are discussed, along with some of the philosophy of our modeling approach. The same minimal realization model is obtained for all mammalian species, from blood-borne data only. More complex but similar structures are obtained when data from additional (tissue) sampling ports are included. Comparative analyses of mammalian models show several remarkable similarities across the species. This is especially true between the rat and the human, when physiological parameters are normalized by body weight or size, or when relative pool sizes and fluxes are compared across species. The rat and human have numerous (normalized) metabolic indices in common. The sheep is also similar in this grouping, with differences attributed to behavioral patterns and very different dietary habits. Similarities in thyroid function are also noted between the human, amphibians and the salmon, in utero or during developmental periods. Methods for ‘interval analysis’ of unidentifiable parameters in these models also are briefly discussed.
Simulated Mechanism for Palladium-Catalyzed, Directed γ-Arylation of Piperidine

Quantum chemical reaction path finding methods are herein used to investigate the mechanism of Pd-catalyzed distal functionalization of piperidine, as reported by Sanford. These methods allowed navigation of a complex reaction landscape with multiple reactants interacting at all key steps of the proposed catalytic cycle. A multistep cycle is shown to conceptually begin with substrate ligation and Pd(II)-catalyzed C–H activation, which occurs through concerted metalation–deprotonation. In subsequent steps, the kinetic and thermodynamic profiles for oxidative addition, reductive elimination, and catalyst regeneration show why excess Cs salts and ArI were required in the experiment. Specifically, excess ArI is necessary to thermodynamically overcome the high energy of the C–H activated intermediate and allow oxidative addition to be favorable, and excess Cs salt is needed to sequester reaction byproducts during oxidative addition and catalyst regeneration. The overall catalytic profile is consistent with rat...
Antibiotic Use in Hospitalized Children With Respiratory Viruses Detected by Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Background:Multiplex polymerase chain reaction–based methods are increasingly used to detect respiratory pathogens in children. While rapid identification of viruses has been shown to reduce antibiotic use, the impact of detecting specific viruses on antibiotic utilization has not been ascertained.
Transabdominal fetal pulse oximetry: The case of fetal signal optimization

Current technology used for monitoring fetal well-being has been ineffective at reducing rates of harm to the fetus during the intrapartum period, yet its adoption has significantly increased the number of emergency C-sections performed. Transabdominal fetal pulse oximetry (TFO) aims to reduce the number of surgical interventions through non-invasive measurements of fetal oxygen saturation. When developing an optode for TFO, it is important to select design parameters that will maximize the measurement of the fetal signal. In this paper, we optimize the source-detector distance and wavelengths through Monte Carlo simulations using a multi-layered tissue model for various fetal depths. The results were validated by developing an optical probe with two wavelengths of light to observe pulsating arterial tissue through an optical phantom that mimics the maternal abdomen as a step towards oximetry. Our results show that 735nm and 850nm seem to be the optimal selection of peak wavelengths of light sources to obtain a stronger fetal signal for the fetal depths between 2–5 cm. Improving the signal sensitivity is approached by increasing the spacing between the source and detector, and is limited by the noise-equivalent power of the detector.
Nanoladders Facilitate Directional Axonal Outgrowth and Regeneration

After injuries, axonal regeneration over long distance is challenging due to lack of orientation guidance. Biocompatible scaffolds have been used to mimic the native organization of axons to guide and facilitate axonal regeneration. Those scaffolds are of great importance in achieving functional connections of the nervous system. We have developed a nanoladder scaffold to guide directional outgrowth and facilitate regeneration of axons. The nanoladders, composed of micron-scale stripes and nanoscale protrusions, were fabricated on the glass substrate using photolithography and reactive ion etching methods. Embryonic neurons cultured on the nanoladder scaffold showed significant neurite elongation and axonal alignment in parallel with the nanoladder direction. Furthermore, the nanoladders promoted axonal regeneration and functional connection between organotypic spinal cord slices over 1 mm apart. Multimodality imaging studies revealed that such neuronal regeneration was supported by directional outgrowth ...
Constrained Convolutional Neural Networks: A New Approach Towards General Purpose Image Manipulation Detection

Identifying the authenticity and processing history of an image is an important task in multimedia forensics. By analyzing traces left by different image manipulations, researchers have been able to develop several algorithms capable of detecting targeted editing operations. While this approach has led to the development of several successful forensic algorithms, an important problem remains: creating forensic detectors for different image manipulations is a difficult and time consuming process. Furthermore, forensic analysts need general purpose forensic algorithms capable of detecting multiple different image manipulations. In this paper, we address both of these problems by proposing a new general purpose forensic approach using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). While CNNs are capable of learning classification features directly from data, in their existing form they tend to learn features representative of an image’s content. To overcome this issue, we have developed a new type of CNN layer, called a constrained convolutional layer, that is able to jointly suppress an image’s content and adaptively learn manipulation detection features. Through a series of experiments, we show that our proposed constrained CNN is able to learn manipulation detection features directly from data. Our experimental results demonstrate that our CNN can detect multiple different editing operations with up to 99.97% accuracy and outperform the existing state-of-the-art general purpose manipulation detector. Furthermore, our constrained CNN can still accurately detect image manipulations in realistic scenarios where there is a source camera model mismatch between the training and testing data.
Origen de las pymes en Colombia: ¿consecuencia de una acertada política nacional de emprendimiento o fruto de la ausencia de oportunidades laborales para los colombianos?

Este articulo pretende identificar la verdadera razon por la cual un emprendedor colombiano decide abrir una empresa en Colombia. Si bien el Gobierno Nacional a partir del ano 2009, presento un documento con la Politica Nacional de Emprendimiento, desafortunadamente Colombia ha sido historicamente un pais que se caracteriza por la informalidad en el mercado laboral. Por lo tanto, se presenta un analisis sobre el rol del Estado frente a la Politica Nacional de Emprendimiento, asi como los cuatro indicadores de medicion mundial que el Gobierno Colombiano debe considerar, para que la politica de emprendimiento nacional tenga una correcta medicion. Tambien se toma en consideracion las principales motivaciones que tiene un emprendedor colombiano para la apertura de una empresa, asi como la presentacion de datos contundentes, sobre la discriminacion sistematica que tiene el sexo femenino en el mercado laboral colombiano. Se destacan algunos resultados obtenidos en un estudio del Global Entrepreneurship Monitor – GEM sobre el emprendimiento en Colombia. Finalmente, se realiza un breve repaso sobre el marco juridico del emprendimiento a nivel nacional.
Experimental investigation of the effect of static load on rolling tire noise

Tire noise radiation is a prominent noise pollution source and it is affected by many different parameters. Here, the effect of static load on tire noise radiation was investigated in a laboratory environment. The measurements were conducted by using the Tire Pavement Testing Apparatus (TPTA), on which a loaded tire can be run at speeds up to 50 km/hr; the tire noise was measured using a nearfield microphone method. The tire loading was varied from 500 to 1300 pounds, several different concrete pavements were used, and both narrow band and 1/3-octave band spectra were recorded. It was found generally that increased loading caused an increase in radiated noise below 1 kHz, but at the same time a decrease in levels in the 1 kHz to 1.7 kHz range. To identify whether the latter effect was the result of an acoustical resonance, both normal tires and fibrous-material-filled tire were tested and compared: the fibrous material had essentially no effect, so it was concluded that the high frequency load-reversal effect related to structural wave propagation in the tire. Static tire mobility measurements were also performed to identify the wave-types that could be responsible for this effect.