cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insights into CO2 adsorption and chemical fixation properties of VPI-100 metal–organic frameworks

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise as efficient CO2 adsorbents, as well as an emerging class of heterogeneous catalysts for conversion of CO2 to other useful chemicals. In this work, we synthesized and characterized two isostructural hafnium-based MOFs, denoted as Hf-VPI-100 (Cu) and Hf-VPI-100 (Ni). Both frameworks demonstrated high catalytic efficiency for cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides under ambient pressure. In situ PXRD, QCM and DRIFTs have been used to probe the interaction between the guest molecules (CO2/epoxide) and Hf-VPI-100. The crystal structures of these frameworks were preserved during the exposure to CO2 atmosphere up to 20 bar. The epoxide uptake per unit cell of VPI-100 and diffusion coefficients have been calculated by QCM analysis. Comparison of catalytic efficiency between Hf-VPI-100 and the previously reported Zr-based VPI-100, aided by electronic structure calculations revealed that the open metal centers in the metallocyclam act as the primary Lewis acid sites to facilitate the catalytic conversion of CO2.
Detection and Prevention of Attacks in MANETs by Improving the EAACK Protocol

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks are dynamic in nature and have no rigid or reliable network infrastructure by their very definition. They are expected to be self-governed and have dynamic wireless links which are not entirely reliable in terms of connectivity and security. Several factors could cause their degradation, such as attacks by malicious and selfish nodes which result in data carrying packets being dropped which in turn could cause breaks in communication between nodes in the network. This paper aims to address the issue of remedy and mitigation of the damage caused by packet drops. We proposed an improvement on the EAACK protocol to reduce the network overhead packet delivery ratio by using hybrid cryptography techniques DES due to its higher efficiency in block encryption, and RSA due to its management in key cipher. Comparing to the existing approaches, our simulated results show that hybrid cryptography techniques provide higher malicious behavior detection rates, and improve the performance. This research can also lead to more future efforts in using hybrid encryption based authentication techniques for attack detection/prevention in MANETs.
The Stressed Executive: Sources and Predictors of Stress Among Participants in an Executive Health Program:

BackgroundStress is highly prevalent in the U.S. society, especially in executives, and is a well-documented risk factor for a wide range of medical disorders. Knowledge of common sources of stress...
CommunityRx, an E-Prescribing System Connecting People to Community Resources.

The author discusses the creation of CommunityRx, an e-prescribing system that helps to connect patients with community health resources, following the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' request for health care innovations to advance health care's aim while stimulating the future workforce.
Substrate stiffness directs diverging vascular fates.

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) are excellent cell culture systems for elucidating developmental signals that may be part of the stem cell niche. Although stem cells are traditionally induced using predominately soluble signals, the mechanical environment of the niche can also play a role in directing cells towards differential cell lineages. Interested in diverging vascular fates, we set out to examine to what extent mechanical signaling played a role in endothelial cell and/or smooth muscle fate. Using chemically-defined staged vascular differentiation methods, vascular progenitor cells (VPC) fate was examined on single stiffness polyacrylamide hydrogels of 10 kPa, 40 kPa and >0.1 GPa. Emergence of vascular cell populations aligned with corresponding hydrogel stiffness: EC-lineages favoring the softer material and SMC lineages favoring the stiffest material. Statistical significance was observed on both cell lines on almost all days. Transcriptome analysis indicated that the populations on the varying stiffness emerge in distinct categories. Lastly, blocking studies show that αvβ1, and not αvβ6, activation mediates stiffness-directed vascular differentiation. Overall, these studies indicate that softer materials direct VPCs into a more EC-like fate compared to stiffer materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Although stem cells are traditionally induced using predominately soluble signals, the mechanical environment of the niche also plays a role in directing cell fate. Several studies have examined the stiffness-induced cell fate from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESCs). This is the first study that rigorously examines the role of matrix stiffness in diverging vascular fates from a purified population of vascular progenitor cells (VPCs). We show that the emergence of endothelial cell (EC) versus smooth muscle cell (SMC) populations corresponds with hydrogel stiffness: EC-lineages favoring the softness material and SMC lineages favoring the stiffest material, and that αvβ1 activation mediates this stiffness-directed vascular differentiation.
The impact of blood utilization guidelines on product usage

In 2012, Frederick Memorial Hospital (FMH) revitalized their blood utilization guidelines to follow a more restrictive approach to blood product transfusions. With help from the American Red Cross and the American Association of Blood Banks, the blood utilization committee at FMH established a set of blood transfusion guidelines, and educated and enforced all ordering physicians to follow the new set of guidelines. Since the guidelines were established, the amount of red blood cell transfusions decreased by 34%, plasma transfusions decreased by 55%, and platelet transfusions decreased by 34%. These decreases have reduced the number of patients exposed to the possibility of transfusion-adverse reactions and related side effects. Reported transfusion reactions since 2012 decreased by 51%. By using a more restrictive set of guidelines the blood utilization committee was able to achieve their goals, which included 1) reducing the high cost associated with blood transfusion, 2) improving patient care, and 3) educating physicians regarding current transfusion protocols and techniques, while concurrently decreasing transfusion-related adverse events. The successful process used at FMH may be useful for other similar health care settings.
The Everyday Compensation (EComp) Questionnaire: Construct Validity and Associations with Diagnosis and Longitudinal Change in Cognition and Everyday Function in Older Adults.

Objective:The Everyday Compensation scale (EComp) is an informant-rated questionnaire designed to measure cognitively based compensatory strategies that support both everyday memory and executive function in the context of completing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Although previous findings provided early support for the usefulness of the initial version of EComp, the current paper further describes the development, refinement, and validation of EComp as a new assessment tool of compensation for IADLs.Method:Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine its factor structure. Convergent and predictive validity was evaluated by examining the relationship between EComp and markers of disease, including diagnosis, cognitive change, and trajectories of functional abilities.Results:CFA supported a general compensation factor after accounting for variance attributable to IADL domain-specific engagement. The clinical groups differed in compensatory strategy use, with those with dementia using significantly fewer compensatory strategies as compared to individuals with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. Greater levels of compensation were related to better cognitive functions (memory and executive function) and functional abilities, as well as slower rates of cognitive and functional decline over time. Importantly, higher levels of compensation were associated with less functional difficulties and subsequently slower rate of functional decline independent of the level of cognitive impairment.Conclusions:Engagement in compensatory strategies among older adults has important implications for prolonging functional independence, even in those with declining cognitive functioning. Results suggest that the revised EComp is likely to be useful in measuring cognitively based compensation in older adults.
On the Microstructure of Off-Eutectic Au-Ge Joints: A High-Temperature Joint

Joining delicate electronic components for high-temperature applications is challenging. Regular soldering with lead-free or lead-based materials is typically not suitable for high-temperature applications due to their low melting points. Using off-eutectic compounds for joints offer an easy and gentle process creating joints that can be formed at a lower process temperature than the final operation temperature. Microstructural evolution near the eutectic melting point is key to be able to form reliable joints. A layered Au/eutectic Au-Ge/Au structure was used to form Au-rich off-eutectic Au-Ge joints. Columnar-like structures of primary $$ \alpha $$-phase (Au) protruded through a Ge-rich off-eutectic Au-Ge mixture at the center of the joint. These structures connect the joined pieces with a single solid phase with a melting point of ca. 1064 °C. The microstructure coarsened when exposed to temperatures between 300 °C and 380 °C, i.e., near the eutectic melting point at 361 °C. Ge diffused and accumulated along grain boundaries between Au grains. Annealing above the eutectic melting point, Ge rapidly diffused and formed larger colonies of pure Ge surrounded by a Au matrix. This accords well with our previously published results demonstrating shear strength capacity of similar joints at temperatures well above the eutectic temperature.
Tissue-Specific Carcinogens as Soil to Seed BRCA1/2-Mutant Hereditary Cancers

Despite their ubiquitous expression, the inheritance of monoallelic germline mutations in breast cancer susceptibility gene type 1 or 2 (BRCA1/2) poses tissue-specific variations in cancer risks and primarily associate with familial breast and ovarian cancers. The molecular basis of this tissue-specific tumor incidence remains unknown and intriguing to cancer researchers. A plethora of recent reports support the idea that several nongenetic factors present in the tissue microenvironment could induce tumors in the mutant BRCA1/2 background. This Opinion article summarizes the recent advances on tissue-specific carcinogens and their complex crosstalk with the compromised DNA repair machinery of BRCA1/2-mutant cells. Finally, we present our perspective on the therapeutic and chemopreventive interpretations of these developments.
Perspectives for Seamless Integration of Bioelectronic Systems in Neuromedicine

The evolution of medicine has been a story that highlights the significance of diagnosis and treatment. With the discovery of electronic or electrochemical biosensors revolutionizing diagnosis, the capability of soft and hard electronic materials in stimulation-assisted therapy came under scrutiny. Arising from such investigations was the field of bioelectronics. However, beyond fundamental and proof-of-concept investigations, the clinical utility of the science and engineering in the field has been limited. Thus, to overcome the current hurdles, it is required that we adopt strategies to first identify or design the right set of nanomaterials with requisite properties. Following which, one must design or utilize an appropriate integration platform to combine sensing and stimulation. This is in conjunction with the fact that clinical applications require spatiotemporal sensing of a condition and a proportional dosage of stimulation for cure. This ultimately forms our goal toward seamless integration. In this chapter, we discuss optoelectronic and mechanical properties required for various stimulation modes and biological compatibility along with strategies for developing them. Further, we discuss the requirements for seamless integration of these materials on a platform along with potential strategies that hold promise.
Charcot in the ICU: functional tetraplegia after surgery.

Functional neurological disorder is a condition in which a patient has physical findings that are not compatible with anatomical boundaries, have no structural substrate and are not representable of an established disease. General anaesthesia and surgery have been previously reported as precipitating factors for functional disorders and mostly involve dissociative (non-epileptic) seizures. We report a patient with no psychiatric history or prior abnormal examination who developed sudden-onset functional tetraplegia and sensory disturbances immediately after elective surgery, and who was subsequently discharged home several days later after nearly complete resolution of neurologic deficits. We highlight the features of this syndrome, including its unique postoperative presentation, unusual resolution and absence of any identifiable psycho-dynamic mechanism. We also introduce the tripod sign as a useful clinical tool in identifying functional tetraplegia.
Microturbulence-mediated route for energetic ion transport and Alfvénic mode amplitude oscillations in tokamaks

Abstract New regimes of Alfven eigenmode (AE) induced fast ion transport in tokamak plasmas are reported, in which microturbulence plays the role of a mediator of fast ion relaxation. Coulomb collisional scattering alone leads to small AE amplitudes and does not reproduce the steady state regimes observed in experiments. We show that in nonlinear regimes the sufficiently large effective pitch angle scattering due to microturbulence can lead to steady state AE amplitude evolution. This indicates a new route for fast ion losses, which is beyond the scenarios described in “Energetic ion transport by microturbulence is insignificant in tokamaks” [Pace et al. (2013) [9] ]. As a result, microturbulence can significantly increase the amplitude of AEs in predictive simulations of burning plasma experiments such as ITER.
Parallel Imaging: Acceleration with SENSE and SMASH

We have already seen many ways to image faster and better. Why do we need to develop another class of imaging techniques and another set of MRI acronyms? MR people do seem to be quite fond of those! Parallel imaging, it turns out, is a truly revolutionary development, a quantum leap, that overcomes many of the practical limitations of high-speed imaging techniques like EPI. Looking back at the improvements in gradient performance that we benefit from today, it is easy to imagine even faster imaging by using faster and more powerful gradient magnetic fields and spacing echoes closer together. Other than the practical limitation of achieving such high performance, there are other real issues surrounding such gradient-intensive techniques. Very-high-gradient duty cycles can and do lead to painful peripheral nerve stimulation, and close spacing of RF pulses increases power deposition creating safety concerns (see Chapter 11). Image quality can also suffer, especially in EPI, where magnetic susceptibility artifacts may manifest as severe signal loss and distortion. All of these issues become more problematic at higher field strength. Parallel imaging methods accelerate imaging without any of these nasty effects. Although they have only become available recently, we are likely to see widespread development and dissemination of these methods in the near future.
Risk factors for vertical transmission of Chagas disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infection from mother to infant accounts for a growing proportion of new cases of Chagas disease. However, no systematic reviews of risk factors for T. cruzi vertical transmission have been performed. Methods We performed a systematic review of the literature in PubMed, LILACS, and Embase databases, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were not excluded based on language, country of origin, or date of publication. Results Our literature review yielded 27 relevant studies examining a wide variety of risk factors, including maternal age, parasitic load, immunologic factors, vector exposure, and more. Several studies suggested that mothers with higher parasitic loads may have a greater risk of vertical transmission, and a meta-analysis of two studies found a significantly higher parasitic load among transmitting than non-transmitting mothers with T. cruzi infection. A second meta-analysis of ten studies demonstrated that maternal age was not significantly associated with vertical transmission risk. Conclusions The current literature suggests that high maternal parasitic load may be a risk factor for congenital Chagas disease among infants of T. cruzi seropositive mothers. Given the considerable heterogeneity and risk of bias among current literature, additional studies are warranted to assess potential risk factors for vertical transmission of T. cruzi infection.
Assessing the Quality, Content, and Readability of Freely Available Online Information for Patients Regarding Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Importance: One of the top ten causes of disability in the United States is vision loss, primarily due to age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. With an aging population...
Does Prenatal Exposure to CNS Stimulants Increase the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Adult Offspring

Prenatal exposure to an adverse uterine environment can have long lasting effects on adult offspring through DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and other epigenetic effects that alter gene expression and physiology. It is well-known that consumption of CNS stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine during pregnancy can adversely impact the offspring. However, most work in this area has focused on neurological and behavioral outcomes and has been limited to assessments in young offspring. The impact of prenatal exposure to these agents on the adult cardiovascular system has received relatively little attention. Evidence from both animal and human studies indicate that exposure to CNS stimulants during the gestational period can negatively impact the adult heart and vasculature, potentially leading to cardiovascular diseases later in life. This review discusses our current understanding of the impact of prenatal exposure to cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, and caffeine on the adult cardiovascular system.
Healthcare, Fear, Discrimination, and Racism

This chapter explores the relationship between racial discrimination, racism, stereotype threat, and health disparities and the role of fear in shaping attitudes of health providers and clinicians.
On the (Mis)Use of Critical Discourse in Architecture: “Experimental Criticism” and its Entanglement with Postreform Art Movement in China

Tracing the origins of “experimental criticism” in China’s postreform architectural production, this paper interrogates the established critical discourse centering on the experimental architects, formulated in China’s academic community during the early 2000s. Influenced by liberal art movements after the Cultural Revolution, the experimental architecture emerged as a marginal critique on political totalitarianism and cultural rigidity through installation-like, small-scale and conceptual projects. Despite its peripheral position in the state-regulated production system, experimental architecture was discovered and reframed by the European scholars as the revolutionary rebellions at the turn of the century. It ultimately became the sole protagonist of critical discourse around 2005-06 in Chinese scholarship. The hasty recontextualization of Western criticism and the absence of local architectural theoretical framework have left cultural differentiations unelaborated, resulting in a heated debate over the political implication and social commitment in experimental architecture’s criticality. Prioritizing formalistic operations over pragmatic concerns, the experimental architects were obsessed with the mobilization of Modernist architectural forms and Chinese cultural symbols. The tactful, flexible and even playful outlook of experimental architecture integrated the “Chinese wisdom” and kept in line with the goals and the approaches of the modern art movement. They stand as a problematic figure in the cross-cultural appropriation of architectural criticism to China.In recent years, renewed attention towards the experimental architecture and its successors has drastically increased in both Western and Chinese scholarship, yet the conceptual nuances of experimental criticism that were lost, distorted and reconstructed were never fully elaborated. This paper holds experimental architects’ marginalized position in the socialist production system and their deep entanglement with postreform art movement as the fundamental contributors to the specificities of experimental criticism, and further evaluates its influence on the succeeding commentary and practice paradigms of independent Chinese architects today.
Physical-layer network coding for mimo systems

The future wireless communication systems are required to meet the growing demands of reliability, bandwidth capacity, and mobility. However, as corruptions such as fading effects, thermal noise, are present in the channel, the occurrence of errors is unavoidable. Motivated by this, the work in this dissertation attempts to improve the system performance by way of exploiting schemes which statistically reduce the error rate, and in turn boost the system throughput. The network can be studied using a simplified model, the two-way relay channel, where two parties exchange messages via the assistance of a relay in between. In such scenarios, this dissertation performs theoretical analysis of the system, and derives closed-form and upper bound expressions of the error probability. These theoretical measurements are potentially helpful references for the practical system design. Additionally, several novel transmission methods including block relaying, permutation modulations for the physical-layer network coding, are proposed and discussed. Numerical simulation results are presented to support the validity of the conclusions.
The outcome of pregnancy in class A diabetes mellitus.

Abstract From 1962 to 1966, pregnant patients at the Maimonides Medical Center suspected of having abnormal carbohydrate tolerance on clinical grounds were tested by the rapid intravenous glucose tolerance test. A group of nondiabetic subjects was similarly tested. Thirty-eight of these pregnant women had abnormal intravenous tolerance tests and were considered as Class A diabetics. These gravidas and 352 control subjects with normal test results were followed to the completion of their pregnancies. The results of gestation in terms of mean infant weights, incidence of heavy infants, congenital anomalies, and perinatal survival were studied in relation to the degree of clinical risk for diabetes, maternal obesity, and normal or abnormal intravenous glucose tolerance tests. The results suggest that the uncomplicated Class A diabetic patient seen during a pregnancy does not have a significantly di$erent perinatal mortality rate from that of the general population. While she needs special attention, she does not require early termination of pregnancy.
Stressful Life Events and Cognitive Decline in Late Life: Moderation by Education and Age The Cache County Study

Objective Stressful life events (SLE) have been associated with increased dementia risk, but their association with cognitive decline has been inconsistent. In a longitudinal population-based study of elderly individuals, we examined the association between SLE and cognitive decline, and the role of potential effect modifiers.
Hebb Synapses: Modeling of Neuronal Selectivity

Hebb synapses are modifiable synaptic connections that increase their efficacy when the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons are coactive. Such a learning rule has appealing computational properties but is not stable. Several modifications have been proposed to stabilize this rule. There is mounting experimental evidence that modifiable synapses exist in brain and form the basis for learning, memory and some aspects of development. Keywords: plasticity; learning; memory; development
A Preliminary Assessment of the Utility of Elongation Factor-1α in Elucidating Relationships Among Basal Mesostigmata

Phylogenetic relationships in the Mesostigmata are assessed using DNA sequence data for a segment of the elongation factor-1alpha gene. This is the first application of this nuclear protein coding gene to problems of higher relationships in Parasitiformes. Initial testing revealed extensive variability in nucleotide and corresponding amino acid sequences, both among and within mesostigmatid infraorders. However, accuracy, as assessed by the ability of these data to recover well-supported taxa, was inconsistent for all analyses using unweighted data. None of these analyses consistently recovered Mesostigmata, although less inclusive taxa, such as Uropodina and Trigynaspida, were often recovered. Accuracy was highest for an analysis using applied weighting on the nucleotide sequence data. The overall results provide support for monophyly of Uropodina, Trigynaspida, and a grouping of Zerconina, Parasitina, and Dermanyssina, and suggest close relationships between Heterozerconina and Sejina.
Vapor locking and heat transfer under transient and steady state conditions

The technology of stable superconducting magnets has become synonymous with the study and use of composite conductors. The composite conductor, a superconductor paralleled with a normal metal, helps provide magnet stability by supplying alternate electrical and thermal paths for the superconductor when it becomes normal. If these alternate paths of normal metal can carry the total transport current continuously and still remain below the transition temperature of the superconductor, the composite conductor is said to be cryostable. The operational definition of cryostability requires sufficient cooling to dissipate Joule heating.
Karyotype of leukemia cells consistently predicts for response to therapy and survival following salvage therapy in acute myeloblastic leukemia.

Following the introduction of anthracyclines and cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) into clinical practice in the late 1960s, response rates of 50%–80% in previously untreated patients with acute myeloblasts leukemia (AML) have been obtained [1, 2]. Despite a variety of postremission treatments the remission duration remains 12–15 months, with 20%–25% of patients staying in long-term disease-free state and possibly being cured [3, 4]. One-third of the patients who failed to achieve an initial complete remission do so because of persistence of leukemia cells [5], and 75%–80% of patients who achieve a remission have recurrence of leukemia [3, 4]. Both of these patient populations are eligible for salvage therapy.
Mass Spectrometric Analysis of the Editosome and Other Multiprotein Complexes in Trypanosoma brucei

The composition of the editosome, a multi-protein complex that catalyzes uridine insertion and deletion RNA editing to produce mature mitochondrial mRNAs in trypanosomes, was analyzed by mass spectrometry. The editosomes were isolated by column chromatography, glycerol gradient sedimentation, and monoclonal antibody affinity purifications. At least 16 proteins form the catalytic core of the editosome, and additional associated proteins were identified. Analyses of mitochondrial fractions identified several non-editosome proteins and multi-protein complexes. These studies contribute to the functional annotation of T. brucei genome.
Characterization studies for polyethylene formed by Co60 γ‐radiation under constant conditions in a nonflow system

Several properties of polyethylene, synthesized by Co60 gamma radiation have been investigated. The polymerization reactions were carried out in static experiments over a wide range of conditions. Measurements include molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, density, methyl group content, crystalline melting point, and melt index. The density of polyethylene formed at 20°C. was found to be 0.94 g./cc. This value appears to be independent of pressure from 170 to 1700 atm. and radiation intensity from 0.58 × 105 to 4.7 × 105 rads./hr. Increasing temperature results in increasing methyl group content and a decrease in density to 0.91 g./cc. at 200°C. The polymers formed, over the entire range of experimental conditions, were completely soluble in o-dichlorobenzene at 135°C. Intrinsic viscosities were determined and their dependence on temperature, pressure, intensity, and radiation dose are shown. An attempt was made to correlate melt index to molecular weight and molecular weight distribution.
The impact of biomedical innovation on longevity and health

Many authors have expressed the view that a substantial portion of recent gains in longevity and health is due to biomedical research and innovation. This article describes the methodologies and findings of a number of studies based on observational data that have sought to measure the impact of biomedical innovation on the longevity and health of Americans and other populations during recent decades. Most of these studies have examined the impact of innovation in pharmaceuticals, the most research-intensive medical good or service. Two measures of medical innovation that have been used are the mean vintage of the medical goods or procedures used by an individual or population, and the number of distinct products (e.g. drugs) available for treating a condition. Longevity (e.g. time till death) is the health outcome that has been analyzed the most, but several studies have studied the impact of medical (i.e. pharmaceutical) innovation on the ability of people to work or engage in activities of daily living. Some studies have been based on cross-sectional patient-level data. Others have been based on longitudinal, region-level data; they have investigated whether regions (e.g. states) undergoing more rapid medical innovation have exhibited larger improvements in health. And some studies have been based on longitudinal, disease-level data; they have investigated whether the medical conditions undergoing more rapid innovation have exhibited larger gains in health outcomes. Innovation related to some specific major diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease and cancer) has been investigated, but the overall impact of innovation related to other major diseases (e.g. diabetes) has not. These studies provide considerable support for the hypothesis that a substantial portion of recent gains in longevity and health is due to biomedical research and innovation. It would be desirable to apply these methods to data from developing countries.
Independent rigid secondary classes for holomorphic foliations

A foliation ~on a smooth manifold M is said to transversely holomorphic if ~ ' is locally defined by submersions into ~", and the associated transition functions are biholomorphic. If M is also a complex manifold and the local submersions are holomorphic, then F is said to be holomorphic. The purpose of this paper is to study the characteristic classes of transversely holomorphic foliations. The universal chern classes for transversely holomorphic foliations of codimension n are shown to be independent up to degree 2n, above which they must vanish. Using this result, we then construct for all even complex codimensions the first examples of transversely holomorphic foliations for which a set of rigid secondary classes is non-trivial. Applications of the independence results we obtain are given to the study of BF2 r and to the study of the space of foliations on an open manifold. Heitsch showed that the secondary classes of a foliation divide into two categories [93: the variable classes are those whose value can change under a deformation of the foliation; rigid classes are those invariant under deformation. The examples of Baum-Bott [w 2] established that all of the variable classes of degree 2n+ 1 in codimension n are independently variable in Hz"+I(F~r The Baum-Bott examples are extended in [Theorem 5; 11], so that all of the variable classes in H*(W,,)| which are not products are independently variable in H*(FF~). The examples of Rasmussen [18] show that some of the decomposable classes can also vary. The natural question raised by these examples is whether any rigid classes are non-trivial in H*(FF,,~). We give a positive answer, using the dual homotopy techniques of [10] and a detailed study of the topology of the map v: BF, e-* BU,. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 1 gives the general non-triviality results for the chern classes and rigid secondary classes. Background material about secondary classes and dual homotopy invariants is presented in w 2. Section 3 gives specific results about codimension 2, and w 4 is devoted to the space of foliations. The proofs of Theorems 1.3 and 1.4 are deferred until w 5.
Open channel block of NMDA receptor responses evoked by tricyclic antidepressants

Abstract The action of desipramine (DMI) and promazine on the response of mouse hippocampal neurons to the excitatory amino acid N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) was investigated using whole-cell and single-channel recording. DMI at 20–50 BM was a potent, selective antagonist of responses to NMDA but not kainate or quisqualate. At −60 mV, the Kd for DMI block of responses to NMDA was 10 μM. The potency of DMI as an NMDA antagonist was highly voltage-dependent and behaved as though the Kd increased e-fold per 36 mV depolarization, reflecting an increase in the dissociation rate constant. Prior block of NMDA receptors with Mg 2+ prevented binding of DMI, suggesting an action in the open channel. Single-channel analysis showed a decrease in the open time and burst length distributions, consistent with binding of DMI to open channels. We suggest that the action of DMI on NMDA receptor channels is similar to that of MK-801 and does not reflect binding to other domains, such as the regulatory sites for Zn 2+ and glycine.
Connections of efferent fibers from hyperstriatal areas in chicken, raven, and African lovebird

Hyperstriatal lesions were produced by suction in chickens, ravens and African lovebirds. Efferent connections from the ablated regions were determined by examining serial sections stained by the Nauta-Gygax method. All three species utilize the septo-mesencephalic tract to reach other brain regions, but in two ravens degeneration is also observed in the lateral forebrain bundle. The nucleus superficialis parvocellularis, nucleus lateralis anterior, nucleus intercalatus, pretectal nucleus and optic tectum are sites of termination common to all three species. Terminations in other structures are found depending on the species examined and/or the rostro-caudal position of the lesion. The nucleus dorsolateralis anterior, lateral geniculate nucleus, nucleus tractus tecto-thalamici cruciati, nucleus hypothalamicus posterior, and medial and lateral pontine nuclei are areas which show degeneration in specific birds.
Comparison of inhibition effects of various isolated lignins on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

Various isolated soluble and insoluble lignins isolated from ammonia recycle percolation (ARP), dilute sulfuric acid, and hot-water pretreatments and two commercially available lignins (alkali and organo-solv lignin) were tested to evaluate their inhibitory effects on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects by adding various isolated lignins in the enzyme hydrolysis. The results showed that enzyme reaction was generally inhibited by addition of lignins. The order of lignins from most to least inhibitory effects were alkali, ARP-soluble, water-soluble, acid-soluble, ARP-insoluble, and organo-solv lignins. With 0.344 g ARP-soluble or alkali lignin/g-glucan lignin loadings, 72-h digestibilities were decreased by 16% and 20%, respectively. It was also observed that the digestibilities were decreased, as the lignin loadings increased. The hindering effect by ARP-insoluble or organosolv lignin was not significant.
Financial impact of alternative workplace strategies

Alternative workplace strategies cost money to implement. There are benefits to these strategies which, up to a point, justify the investment. After that point, however, more aggressive strategies must be justified through offsetting reductions in facilities costs. At the extreme, organisations can actually implement alternative workplace strategies expressly for the purpose of reducing facilities costs and achieving overall infrastructure cost savings in the process. The US General Services Administration developed the Cost per Person Model in 1999 to help customers measure cost according to a more inclusive workplace definition. The spreadsheet tool was designed to track the overall cost per person of providing facilities, information technology and telecommunications services. The model recognises that alternative work environments are part of the overall cost equation. Also, the Cost per Person Model was designed as a tool for assessing the financial impacts of various alternative workplace strategies. In practice, the costs of aggressive alternative workplace strategies can be offset by reduced facilities costs. This paper summarises the professional use of the model over the first four years of its existence, including several actual case applications. The paper also discusses features of the redesigned version of the model introduced in 2003. Finally, the author suggests that organisations can determine optimal levels of alternative workplace strategy applications, and that additional research and case studies using the Cost per Person Model can help form the basis for an understanding of how today’s organisations provide workplace services in a knowledge‐based work environment.
Replacement of an Intracorporeal Left Ventricular Assist Device

An intracorporeal left ventricular assist device was placed as a bridge to cardiac transplantation in a 51-year-old man after an acute myocardial infarction. After 126 days of support, the left ventricular assist device malfunctioned. The pump, which had a tear in its pneumatic drive line, was successfully replaced.
Plasma membrane microdomains

Several lines of evidence indicate that the lipids in the plasma membrane of animal cells are inhomogeneously distributed, and that various types of specialized lipid domains play an important role in many biological processes. The characteristics of these domains, such as size, composition and dynamics, are currently under active investigation. It appears that there are many different types of membrane domains in the plasma membrane, and perhaps the entire membrane should be viewed as a mosaic of microdomains.
Visual orientation in children's discrimination learning under constant, variable, and covariable delay of reinforcement ☆

Abstract Sixty-four first-grade children learned a two-choice, simultaneous discrimination under one of four conditions of delayed reinforcement: (a) constant 2-sec delay; (b) constant 16-sec delay; (c) 2- and 30-sec variable delay; and (d) 2- and 30-sec covariable delay. The response measures consisted of acquisition data, visual orienting responses (eye movements), starting speeds, and response speeds. The results indicated that (a) constant 16-sec delay produced poorer discrimination performance than constant 2-sec delay; (b) constant 16-sec delay resulted in more visual orienting than constant 2-sec delay; (c) discrimination performance under covariable delay was superior to performance under constant 16-sec delay; and (d) differences in starting speeds between learners and nonlearners were not correlated with differences in the number of orienting responses. Alternative interpretations of delayed reinforcement effects were discussed.
Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy: Selected Geochemical Applications

Comprehensive and accurate data on the relative and absolute abundances of the elements are critical to a better understanding of the principles governing their crustal distribution and migration processes. Many geochemically coherent pairs or groups of elements (e.g., the halogens and the rare earths) are difficult to determine chemically. Microanalytical methods combining chemical and x-ray fluorescence techniques have been developed not only to determine these elements rapidly and accurately, but also to provide total analyses of milligram quantities of rare geologic specimens. One of these methods (solution-dilution) is virtually free of matrix effects and is adaptable to the analysis of trace or major constituents. These methods have proven invaluable in the microdetermination of Sc, Y, and the individual rare-earth elements in minerals or rare-earth separates on as little as 1 mg of total sample. Other applications have been the determination of iron in silicates, bromine and iodine in well waters, and the total analysis of small amounts of chromium, sulfide, and carbonate minerals.
Psychiatric Correlates of Severe Reading Disabilities in an Incarcerated Delinquent Population

Abstract The neuropsychiatric status and reading grade level of 59 adolescent incarcerated male delinquents were studied. Contrary to expectation, there were no significant neurological differences between the severely reading-disabled subjects and the better readers, although abnormal EEGs, choreiform movements, and inability to skip were somewhat more characteristic of the poorer readers. The most striking differences were psychiatric in that paranoid ideation, illogical thought processes, and visual hallucinations were significantly more prevalent in the group of especially poor readers. They also had problems with calculation and short-term memory. Poor readers were more violent than better readers. The findings of severe behavior problems and reading disability are considered in relation to Piagetian cognitive theory.
Exercise-induced shear stress is associated with changes in plasma von Willebrand factor in older humans.

Shear stress is the frictional force of blood against the endothelium, a stimulus for endothelial activation and the release of von Willebrand factor (vWF). This study tested the hypothesis that the increase in shear stress associated with exercise correlates with plasma vWF. Young (n = 14, 25.7 ± 5.4 years) and older (n = 13, 65.6 ± 10.7 years) individuals participated in 30 min of dynamic handgrip exercise at a moderate intensity. Brachial artery diameter and blood flow were measured using ultrasound Doppler and blood samples were collected before, immediately after, and following 30 min of recovery from exercise with plasma levels of vWF. Plasma levels of vWF increased (P < 0.05) by 6 ± 2% in young individuals and 4 ± 1% in older individuals immediately after exercise. The change in plasma vWF was linearly correlated with the increase in shear stress during exercise in older individuals (post-exercise: r = 0.78, 30 min recovery: r = 0.77, P < 0.01), but no association was found in the young individuals. These changes in plasma levels of vWF in humans suggest that aging influences endothelial activation and hemostasis.
Imperative functional programming

Our intuitive idea of a function is that it describes the dependence of one quantity upon another. There is no condition on what kind of quantities are involved. They could be integers, Turing machines, binary search trees, window hierarchies, digital circuits or whatever. The possibilities are endless. The idea of functional programming is that functions are described applicatively, by plugging together other functions. This recursive dependence of functions on other functions bottoms out with the primitive operators. If the primitive operators are “effective,” i.e., they can be used to calculate, compute, construct or build one quantity from another, then all functions expressed applicatively are similarly effective. Imperative functional programming is the application of these ideas to imperative computations. Quantities here are imperative computations and functions denote dependences between imperative computations. Effectiveness of a function means that a computation produced from it can be effectively carried out whenever the input computations can be effectively carried out. It is often felt that imperative computations and functional programming are in conflict. Adding imperative computations to a functional programming language is found to destroy its “referential transparency.” See, for example, [Abelson et al., 1985, Sec. 3.1] for a discussion of the issue. However, in languages where such issues arise, imperative computations are thrown together by extending or modifying functional computation. The idea that functions denote dependences is lost in the process. In contrast, imperative functional programming does not involve altering functional computation in any way. It merely applies it to a new context, that of imperative compu-
A patient-centred approach to treatment with incretin-based agents in patients with type 2 diabetes

Summary What is known and Objective The 2012 position statement from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) recommends a haemoglobin A1c level of <7% for most patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Initial therapy consists of lifestyle changes plus metformin, with an emphasis on a patient-centred approach to management. Addition of incretin-based therapy is recommended as an add-on after metformin failure, and later on in combination with basal insulin. Basal insulin is recommended from the onset in patients with A1c ≥10%. The possibility of incorporating incretin-based therapy in the patient-centred approach will be investigated both in the literature and clinical experience. Comment Incretin-based therapy targets multiple dysfunctional organ systems in T2D and provides sustained glycaemic control, with extraglycaemic benefits and low risk of hypoglycaemia. To initiate an incretin-based therapy that best fits an individual patient's needs, the patient's A1c level, preference and comorbid conditions should be considered along with any drug safety and adherence-related issues. What is new and Conclusion There is good evidence to support the patient-centred approach to T2D management. This approach allows patient treatment goals and personal preferences to be matched with the clinical profile(s) of one or more agents to formulate a treatment plan that can best achieve the goals. Incretin-based therapies are an important class of agents to consider after metformin monotherapy failure and later in combination with basal insulin. By matching patient needs with the clinical profiles of the various treatment options, pharmacists can actively engage in the practice of patient-centred care and management.