cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mock drunk driving crash: an exercise in injury prevention

Alcohol is a contributing factor in many car crashes around the world (Emergency Nurses Association 1995). Emergency nurses care for the victims of these crashes and are in an ideal position to share their experience with the community. A mock drunk driving crash illustrates the realities and consequences of impaired driving (Huber et al 1995). This event may be staged at secondary schools, universities or elsewhere in the community. Students from the participating agency play the roles of the victims. Police, fire, pre-hospital emergency care personnel and highway traffic patrol are dispatched to the crash scene, where they perform their duties as they would in a real situation. A follow-up session at the hospital or in a classroom provides an opportunity to address the consequences of drunk driving and discuss strategies for prevention.
Tradeoff between message and state information rates

We consider a communication problem where the sender has access to the channel state information and wishes to send both the message information and the state information across the channel. The novelty in characterizing the tradeoff between the message information rate and state estimation error arises primarily because of the instability of encoding and decoding the state information. The tradeoff region is typically difficult to obtain even for a simple channel. We characterize the optimal trade-off for the binary channel Y/sup n/=X/sup n//spl oplus/S/sup n//spl oplus/Z/sup n/, where S/sup n/ is available at the transmitter. We also prove the optimality of the extreme points of the conjectured tradeoff region for the additive Gaussian channel Y/sup n/=X/sup n/+S/sup n/+Z/sup n/, with S/sup n/ i.i.d./spl sim/N(0,Q) known at the encoder and unknown noise Z/sup n/ i.i.d./spl sim/N(0,N).
A novel adaptive nonlinear predistorter based on the direct learning algorithm

The nonlinear predistorter is an effective technique to compensate the nonlinear distortions existing in a digital communication system. However, available adaptive nonlinear predistorters are either based on the indirect learning algorithm, or are complicated in structure and computation. In this paper, we propose a novel adaptive nonlinear predistorter based on a direct learning algorithm: the adjoint nonlinear LMS algorithm. Because of the direct learning algorithm, our adaptive predistorter outperforms the other nonlinear predistorters that are based on the indirect learning method in the sense of mean square error (MSE). Moreover, compared with any other adaptive nonlinear predistorter based on the direct learning architecture, our predistorter has a simpler structure and lower computational complexity. Simulation results show the effectiveness of our nonlinear adaptive predistorter.
Design features of a planar hybrid/permanent magnet strong-focusing undulator for free electron laser (FEL) and synchrotron radiation (SR) applications

Insertion devices for Angstrom-wavelength free electron laser (FEL) amplifiers driven by multi-GeV electron beams generally require distributed focusing substantially stronger than their own natural focusing fields. Over the last several years a wide variety of focusing schemes and configurations have been proposed for undulators of this class, ranging from conventional current-driven quadrupoles external to the undulator magnets to permanent magnet (PM) lattices inserted into the insertion device gap. In this paper we present design studies of a flexible high-field hybrid/PM undulator with strong superimposed planar PM focusing proposed for a 1.5 Angstrom Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) driven by an electron beam with a 1 mm-mr normalized emittance. Attainable field parameters, tuning modes, and potential applications of the proposed structure are discussed.
Challenges of Location Tracking Techniques in Wireless Forensics

Comparing to wired networks, wireless networks provide several advantages. However, these advantages come at a price. Wireless networks do not carry over the same security features as its wired counterpart. An unprotected wireless network can be easily used by a hacker as a steppingstone in attacks. Due to the nature of wireless networks, it is very difficult to trace back to the hacker. In this paper, we overview the three current solutions for location tracking: closest access point, triangulation, and radio frequency fingerprinting. We summarize the limitations of the three solutions in tracing wireless hackers. Finally, we highlight a new approach that aims to overcome the limitations of the existing solutions.
Clinical Trials: New Opportunities

Human cognitive aging has been too long neglected and underappreciated for its critical importance to quality of life in old age. The articles in this session present novel approaches to improving cognitive function in normal aging persons with drugs and interventions that are based on findings in epidemiology, studies in aged animals, and in vitro research. In addition, since aging is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, these studies also have implications as interventions for prevention and treatment. As a field of research, new knowledge regarding the causes and mechanisms of cognitive aging are ripe for translation into human studies, with the application of this knowledge leading the development of interventions and therapeutics for the prevention of cognitive decline in old age and Alzheimer's disease.
Multiple phases of basin formation along the Stateline fault system in the Pahrump and Mesquite Valleys, Nevada and California

Two phases of deformation are needed to describe the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Pahrump and Mesquite basins in the southern Great Basin and eastern Mojave Desert, United States. By interpreting seismic reflection and gravity observations along with bedrock and surficial mapping, we infer an extensional phase of basin formation followed by a transtensional phase, in this area straddling the border of southern Nevada and southeastern California. We reprocessed ∼220 line km of industry seismic reflection data from the Pahrump and Mesquite Valleys to emphasize reflections in the basin fill, and combined these results with analysis of gravity data. The seismic lines portray the complex geometry of the Stateline fault system, a major Neogene dextral strike-slip system that passes through these valleys, and provide evidence for multiple ages of faulting along structures that bound the Pahrump basin. Locally thick sequences of preextensional Tertiary sedimentary rocks are cut by large-offset, relatively high-angle normal faults that record a phase of extensional basin formation that preceded transtension. The existence of preextensional basins beneath the Pahrump and Mesquite Valleys bears on tectonic reconstruction of the region and suggests that tilted ranges blocks to the west of these valleys need not restore to positions immediately adjacent to the Spring Mountains to the east. Subsequent dextral offset on the Stateline fault system resulted in the formation of steep-sided basins, local arching and tectonic inversion, and the burial of earlier-formed normal faults with coarse clastic detritus. Gravity models that are constrained to match the basin architecture observed in the seismic lines require lateral variations in basin-fill and bedrock density, and they confirm that the Paleozoic outcrop of Black Butte, a topographic high separating the Pahrump and Mesquite Valleys, is unrooted to underlying bedrock.
Selective disturbance of mental rotation by cortical stimulation

In order to plan activity, people must imagine the spatial consequences of potential actions. Two classes of mental spatial transformation can be distinguished: Object-based spatial transformations are imagined movements of objects, such as mental rotation. Egocentric perspective transformations are imagined changes in one's viewpoint, such as imagining one's self in the position of another person. Here we report a case in which electrical stimulation of the right parietal cortex selectively interfered with performance of a mental rotation task. Interference was selective to this stimulation site, and was task specific. Performance of the perspective transformation task, and a control for visual encoding and responding, were unimpaired by stimulation. This marks the first instance of the use of direct cortical stimulation to investigate mental spatial transformations.
Ginkgolide A-gold nanoparticles inhibit vascular smooth muscle proliferation and migration in vitro and reduce neointimal hyperplasia in a mouse model.

Background Neointimal formation is mediated by phenotypic changes in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) and is an important mediator of restenosis following arterial reconstruction. We conjugated antioxidant ginkgolide A (GA) to gold nanoparticles (GNP) to determine the effect of GA delivery on neointimal formation. Materials and Methods GA was conjugated to 80 nm GNP in an overnight incubation. Mouse P53LMAC01 vascular SMC were treated with various doses of GA-GNP, GA alone, GNP alone, and no treatment control. Cell proliferation and migration were analyzed, and superoxide anion levels and the phosphorylation status of ERK1/2 were determined. Mice underwent ligation of the common carotid artery along with local treatment with GNP (control) or GA-GNP. The carotid artery was harvested and subjected to immunohistochemical analysis. Results GA-GNP treatment significantly inhibited SMC proliferation and migration in vitro in comparison to GNP treatment alone, and the effect persisted for up to 72 h after treatment. Treatment with GA-GNP also reduced superoxide anion levels in vitro. PDGF-BB substantially induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation in GNP control cells; this PDGE-BB induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation was significantly inhibited in GA-GNP-treated cells compared with GNP only. GA-GNP significantly reduced neointimal hyperplasia after injury in mice, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining was reduced substantially in the arteries of mice treated with GA-GNP. Conclusions GA-GNP reduce vascular SMC proliferation and migration in vitro through reduced activation of ERK1/2. Local treatment with GA-GNP in areas of arterial injury reduced neointimal hyperplasia and subsequent stenosis.
A Case of the Philips Curve in the Formation of a Monetary Union

The European Monetary Union was established in 1992 as part of an effort to bring economic integration to new levels by creating a common currency area for Europe a monetary union that would abolish transaction costs of converting one European currency to another, and eliminating exchange rate variability and uncertainty among traders and investors. Since the formation of the European Monetary System in 1979, lowering inflation had become the main monetary policy priority. My research centers on the Phillips Curve, which implies that decreasing inflation rates would always be coupled with increasing unemployment rates. This study uses the trends of inflation and unemployment in these countries to test the validity of the Phillips Curve. Regression analysis found that inflation had a significant inverse relationship with unemployment. Further analysis found that the institutional effort towards disinflation during the implementation of the European Monetary System was a major cause of increasing unemployment in the 1980s -1990s.
Partisan Personality: The Psychological Differences Between Democrats and Republicans, and Independents Somewhere in Between

Focusing on the psychological underpinnings of partisanship, this study asks whether there is a difference in the personality profile for self-described Democrats and Republicans. Using a survey of young voters (N = 610), psychological measures such as the Big Five personality dimensions and locus of control were measured in conjunction with standard political interest variables such as political cynicism and political information efficacy. The results indicate supporters for the two major parties are wired differently, in line with previous findings about ideology. Democrats were driven by an external locus of control and Republicans by an internal locus. This research finds self-identified Independents as truly being somewhere in between.
Iron sulfide minerals at Cement oil field, Oklahoma: Implications for magnetic detection of oil fields

Aeromagnetic anomalies at Cement oil field (Anadarko basin, Oklahoma) have been attributed to authigenic magnetite. The following characteristics of the magnetite, however, indicate that it is contamination introduced by drilling: (1) occurrence as sharp angular blades and as spheres, commonly with metallographic textures typical of industrial alloys and with associated steel and wustite (FeO); (2) presence only in well cuttings and absence from core and quarry samples; and (3) lack of association with detrital framework grains or with authigenic carbonate and sulfide minerals. Ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite occurs in well cuttings, cores, and quarry samples at Cement and is a possible natural source of the magnetic anomalies. Pyrrhotite, which is intergrown with more abundant FeS 2 minerals, formed as a result of hydrocarbon seepage. Pyrrhotite is confined to beds above oil and gas reservoirs. These beds, which lack detrital organic matter, contain higher mineral sulfide and lower mineral sulfate sulfur (1.7 and 0.1 wt %, respectively) than do correlative beds off the field (0.2 and 1.1 wt %, respectively). In the field, isotopic values of sulfide S show a systematic decrease upward through the Permian section from positive values (maximum, +12 per mil at ∼610-760 m depth) to negative values (-1 to -11 per mil between 32 and 230 m; -26 to -30 per mil at the surface). Geochemical results, together with time-temperature data derived from burial curves, limit the major sources of the sulfide in the Fe-S minerals to two possibilities. Isotopically heavy sulfide was generated either inorganically at temperatures >∼90 °C in beds beneath Permian beds, or by bacterial sulfate reduction at temperatures
Parent Perceptions of Child Vulnerability Are Associated With Functioning and Health Care Use in Children With Chronic Pain

Context. The extent to which parent variables are associated with the level of disability experienced by children with persistent pain has been an area of increasing research. Objectives. To evaluate the extent to which parent perceptions of their child’s vulnerability are associated with functioning and health care utilization among children with persistent pain. We also evaluated whether perceptions of child vulnerability contribute to an indirect relationship between parent distress and child functioning and/or child health care utilization. Methods. The study sample comprised 87 patients aged 6e18 years and a parent attending a chronic pain clinic. Children completed questionnaires on functional limitations, and parents completed questionnaires on parent distress, perceptions of child vulnerability, and extent of the child’s pain-related health care utilization. Hierarchical regression and bootstrapping mediation analyses were used to test study hypotheses. Results. Perceptions of child vulnerability were found to be clinically elevated in nearly half (46%) of parents/caregivers, and average child functional ability for the sample was substantially lower than healthy norms. Parent perceptions of greater child vulnerability were significantly associated with poorer child functioning and more child pain-related health care utilization regardless of child age, sex, and duration of persistent pain. Parent distress was found to be indirectly related to child health care utilization through parent perceptions of child vulnerability but directly related to child functioning. Conclusion. Parent perceptions of child vulnerability appear important for understanding levels of child functional limitations and health care utilization among children with chronic pain. J Pain Symptom Manage
Class Habitus: Middle‐Class Chinese Immigrant Parents' Investment in Their Newcomer Adolescents' L2 Acquisition and Social Integration

This ethnographic case study explores how two middle-class Chinese immigrant parents in a southeastern U.S. city facilitate their newcomer adolescents' second language acquisition and social integration. Data show that parents' inadequate English proficiency may not be a fixed constraining factor; their class habitus and cultural capital may enable them to work as change agents in their adolescents' integration process. This study highlights the positive impact of parents' active social integration on that of their adolescents. [middle-class Chinese immigrant parents, class habitus, newcomer adolescents, L2 acquisition, social integration]
Oral Intoxication of Mice with Shiga Toxin Type 2a (Stx2a) and Protection by Anti-Stx2a Monoclonal Antibody 11E10

Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains cause food-borne outbreaks of hemorrhagic colitis and, less commonly, a serious kidney-damaging sequela called the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Stx, the primary virulence factor expressed by STEC, is an AB5 toxin with two antigenically distinct forms, Stx1a and Stx2a. Although both toxins have similar biological activities, Stx2a is more frequently produced by STEC strains that cause HUS than is Stx1a. Here we asked whether Stx1a and Stx2a act differently when delivered orally by gavage. We found that Stx2a had a 50% lethal dose (LD50) of 2.9 μg, but no morbidity occurred after oral intoxication with up to 157 μg of Stx1a. We also compared several biochemical and histological parameters in mice intoxicated orally versus intraperitoneally with Stx2a. We discovered that both intoxication routes caused similar increases in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, indicative of kidney damage, as well as electrolyte imbalances and weight loss in the animals. Furthermore, kidney sections from Stx2a-intoxicated mice revealed multifocal, acute tubular necrosis (ATN). Of particular note, we detected Stx2a in kidney sections from orally intoxicated mice in the same region as the epithelial cell type in which ATN was detected. Lastly, we showed reduced renal damage, as determined by renal biomarkers and histopathology, and full protection of orally intoxicated mice with monoclonal antibody (MAb) 11E10 directed against the toxin A subunit; conversely, an irrelevant MAb had no therapeutic effect. Orally intoxicated mice could be rescued by MAb 11E10 6 h but not 24 h after Stx2a delivery.
Outsourcing Care How Peruvian Migrants Meet Transnational Family Obligations

Migration from Peru has increased dramatically over the past decade, but the social and relational repercussions of these transnational movements have not yet been fully explored. Examination of the way migrants manage their responsibilities to dependent kin in Peru reveals that child fostering makes it possible for adults to migrate in search of better work opportunities by ensuring care for their children and company for their older relatives. For Peruvians engaging in labor migration, child fostering tempers some of the challenges of continuing to participate in established social networks from a distance.
Multidrug Resistance in Bacteria

Large amounts of antibiotics used for human therapy, as well as for farm animals and even for fish in aquaculture, resulted in the selection of pathogenic bacteria resistant to multiple drugs. Multidrug resistance in bacteria may be generated by one of two mechanisms. First, these bacteria may accumulate multiple genes, each coding for resistance to a single drug, within a single cell. This accumulation occurs typically on resistance (R) plasmids. Second, multidrug resistance may also occur by the increased expression of genes that code for multidrug efflux pumps, extruding a wide range of drugs. This review discusses our current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in both types of resistance.
Clinical and Pharmacological Studies of Ticarcillin in Gram-Negative Infections

Abstract Twenty-seven patients with serious gram-negative infections were treated with ticarcillin in an average daily dosage of 237 mg/kg (range, 174 to 307 mg/kg). Ticarcillin was bactericidal for all infecting organisms in concentrations ranging from 31.2 to 125 μg/ml. Five of 8 patients (62%) with overwhelming Pseudomonas pneumonia were cured or improved, and 9 of 12 (75%) were cured of pneumonia caused by other gram-negative organisms. Of six extrapulmonary infections caused by Pseudomonas, five (83%) were cured or improved. In seven cases, the infecting organism reisolated during therapy was more resistant to ticarcillin than the primary isolate. The serum half-life of ticarcillin in three patients with renal failure was 11.2 ± 1.0 h, and during hemodialysis it decreased to 6.3 ± 1.8 h. There were two episodes of superinfection with resistant organisms. Thirteen patients (48%) manifested eosinophilia, one of whom had severe urticaria. Prolongation of bleeding time was attributable to ticarcillin in two patients. Ticarcillin appears to be effective for therapy of serious gram-negative infections in dosages 30 to 50% less than those recommended for carbenicillin.
Editorial Comment—Spasticity After Stroke: What’s the Catch?

Motor deficits are the most common impairment acutely after stroke and persist in nearly half of all patients.1,2 Although much focus is on hemiparesis in this setting, injury to the motor system does not produce a homogenous clinical syndrome. Instead, weakness may be accompanied by other negative findings such as slowness and fatigue and by positive findings such as synkinesia and spasticity. Spasticity is a state of increased tone with exaggerated reflexes resulting from upper motor neuron injury. It is a condition of many contrasts. Reduced activity in one area, the descending motor tracts, results in increased activity in another area, the skeletal muscles. Spasticity is common across neurological conditions, yet accurate measurement is difficult. It is associated …
Kingfisher: Cost-aware elasticity in the cloud

In this paper we present Kingfisher, a cost-aware system that provides efficient support for elasticity in the cloud by (i) leveraging multiple mechanisms to reduce the time to transition to new configurations, and (ii) optimizing the selection of a virtual server configuration that minimizes the cost. We have implemented a prototype of Kingfisher and have evaluated its efficacy on a laboratory cloud platform. Our experiments with varying application workloads demonstrate that Kingfisher is able to (i) decrease the cost of virtual server resources by as much as 24% compared to the current cost-unaware approach, (ii) reduce by an order of magnitude the time to transition to a new configuration through multiple elasticity mechanisms in the cloud, and (iii), illustrate the opportunity for further design alternatives which trade-off the cost of server resources with the time required to scale the application.
Causes of respiratory failure

There are many causes of respiratory failure in veterinary patients. Assessment of oxygenation is imperative for the diagnosis and monitoring of these patients. Oxygen therapy should be instituted when hypoxemia is diagnosed to prevent tissue hypoxia, end-organ damage, and death. Methods of administering oxygen include commercial oxygen cages, mask oxygen, nasal cannulation (for dogs), and intubation. Mechanical ventilation is an option in many referral hospitals for patients who are severely hypoxemic and are not responding to inspired oxygen concentrations achieved with other methods of oxygen administration. One rule of thumb used to assess need for mechanical ventilation is a PaO2 of less than 50 mm Hg despite aggressive oxygen therapy, or a PaCO2 of greater than 50 mm Hg despite treatment for causes of hypoventilation. A mechanical ventilator has the ability to vary the FiO2 by increments of one, from 21% to 100% (0.21-1) oxygen in inspired gas. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is also available on most ventilators. PEEP allows the alveoli to remain open on expiration, allowing gas exchange to occur in both inspiration and expiration. PEEP also helps diseased alveoli to inflate, increasing the available surface area for gas exchange and improving arterial blood oxygen tension. Because patients requiring mechanical ventilation have severe respiratory failure that did not respond to conventional oxygen therapy, the prognosis is guarded for most of these patients unless ventilation is instituted due to primary hypoventilation and lung parenchyma is normal. Hypoxemia caused by respiratory failure is a common problem in small animal veterinary patients. Assessment of blood oxygenation and continual monitoring of respiratory rate and effort are essential in management of these patients. Oxygen therapy should be instituted if hypoxemia is diagnosed. The prognosis depends on the underlying disease process and response to treatment with an enriched oxygen environment.
Upgrading electromagnetic shielding of a military shelter

When equipped with EMI (electromagnetic interference) kits, a family of standard shelters built for the Department of Defense (DoD) provides approximately 60 dB of shielding to a plane-wave electric field (377 /spl Omega/). In an effort to upgrade the level of electromagnetic shielding from 60 to 80 dB, one of the shelters was redesigned with only minor changes in the design. An innovative design technique was conceived for sealing seams; for this technique, a preliminary laboratory test showed over 100 dB of shielding when the shielded enclosure is exposed to a plane wave at 1 GHz.
New high-precision comparison of electron and positron g factors.

Single electrons and positrons have been alternately isolated in the same compensated Penning trap in order to form the geonium pseudoatom under nearly identical conditions. For each, the g-factor anomaly is obtained by measurement of both the spin-cyclotron difference frequency and the cyclotron frequency. A search for systematic effects uncovered a small (but common) residual shift due to the cyclotron excitation field. Extrapolation to zero power yields ${e}^{+}$ and ${e}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ g factors with a smaller statistical error and a new particle-antiparticle comparison: g(${e}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$)/ g(${e}^{+}$)=1+(0.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}$. . AE
Linking Planning Theories with Factors Influencing Local Environmental-Plan Quality

The major planning theories provide a theoretical foundation for environmental planning. This study extends the major planning theories and develops a robust conceptual framework to measure the key factors influencing local environmental-plan quality. A random sample of forty Californian local comprehensive land-use plans and associated planning processes is analyzed to identify the critical factors influencing environmental-plan quality. Results from multiple regression analysis indicate that regular updating, environmental-information management and sharing, and planners contribute significantly to local environmental-plan quality. The findings expand established planning theories and practice by suggesting ways to improve local environmental-plan quality.
Information synthesis: a new approach to explore secondary information in scientific literature

Advances in both technology and publishing practices continue to increase the quantity of scientific literature that is available electronically. In this paper, we introduce the Information Synthesis process, a new approach that enables scientists to visualize, explore, and resolve contradictory findings that are inevitable when multiple empirical studies explore the same natural phenomena. Central to the Information Synthesis approach is a cyber-infrastructure that provides a scientist with both primary and secondary information from an article and structured information resources. To demonstrate this approach, we have developed the Multi-User, Information Extraction for Information Synthesis (METIS) System. METIS is an interactive system that automates critical tasks within the Information Synthesis process. We provide two case-studies that demonstrate the utility of the Information Synthesis approach.
Multiple Realizability Intuitions and the Functionalist Conception of the Mind

: A popular argument supporting functionalism has been what is commonly called the “multiple realizability” argument. One version of this argument uses thought experiments designed to show that minds could be composed of different types of material. This article offers a metaphilosophical analysis of this argument and shows that it fails to provide a strong case for functionalism. The multiple realizability argument is best understood as an inference-to-the-best-explanation argument, whereby a functionalist account of our mental concepts serves to explain our multiple realizability intuitions. I show that the argument is inadequate because alternative accounts of our mental concepts exist that provide equally plausible explanations for these intuitions. Moreover, in the case of our qualia concepts, a nonfunctionalist account explains several other intuitions that functionalism cannot explain. Thus, despite its popularity, the intuition-based version of the multiple realizability argument is a poor reason for accepting functionalism.
Chapter 29. New Directions in Positron Emission Tomography

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the design and synthesis of radiotracers labeled with the short lived cyclotron produced nuclides and the application of positron emission tomography (PET) to the study of brain, heart, and tumor metabolism. In terms of information content, the PET scan is quite different from X-ray CT (Computed Tomography), NMRI (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging), or SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). With PET, various radiotracers are used to visualize and quantitate different biochemical processes. In a PET study, a radiotracer labeled with a short-lived positron emitting isotope is administered either by intravenous injection or inhalation. The four major positron emitters used to label organic molecules are Carbon-11, Fluorine-18, Nitrogen-13, and Oxygen-15. At least two measurements are usually made in a PET study: the concentration of labeled compound in a volume element of tissue and the arterial input function. The current growth of the PET field and its widespread application problems in biology and medicine was stimulated by the development of a method for measuring the regional brain glucose metabolism. The observation of disease-associated abnormalities in neurotransmitter properties in postmortem human brain tissue has provided an impetus for the development of radiotracers for in vivo studies. A number of positron emitter labeled amino acids has been investigated as tracers for the quantitative measurement of the regional incorporation of amino acids into protein. Radiotracers have been developed to probe the biochemical abnormalities that underlie heart disease and to assess the viability of myocardial tissue so that appropriate treatments can be chosen. Myocardial blood flow, myocardial substrate metabolism, neuronal viability, and receptor status have all been biochemical targets for radiotracer development. The application of radiotracers in oncology has also developed in the detection of malignant tissue, in the characterization of tumor tissue etc.
Standards Are Good (For) Business: Standardised Comparison and the Private Sector in Education.

The article examines how and why the method of comparison against standards has benefited non-state actors and businesses in the education sector. Drawing on brief examples from international standard schools in Qatar, Indonesia and Mongolia, the author examines how the global education industry uses the reference to ‘international standards’ as a selling point to roll out their own school reform package. Besides a critical examination of the selling points, she also explores why governments find the purchase of products and services from businesses appealing. Finally, she analyses how governments justify the purchase of expensive educational products and services that they otherwise would receive for free or at a considerably lower price. The author frames her analyses against the backdrop of theories on policy borrowing/lending as well as methodological discussions in the field of comparative education.
Bayesian estimation of non-rigid mechanical parameters using temporal sequences of deformation samples

Material property has great importance in medical robotics. The mechanical properties of the human soft tissue, are important to characterize the tissue deformation of each patient. The (recovered) elasticity parameters can assist surgeons to perform better pre-op surgical planning and enable medical robots to carry out personalized surgical procedures. In this paper, we present a novel algorithm on mechanical-property estimation from a temporal sequence of deformation samples. It does not require an external force-application measurement device or landmark-based displacement tracking. We test our approach on the reconstruction the Young's modulus of a human heart and further validate the results derived from videos using known parameters of tennis and foam balls.
Outside Over There: My Book House Divides the World, 1919–1954

AbstractThe rise of mass-marketed literature specifically targeting child readers is a significant if often overlooked piece of a larger historical pattern in which contending cultural groups attempt to control the words and worlds available to different groups within and between societies. The work of Olive Beaupre Miller, author/editor from 1919–1954 of My Book House for Children, a series of books offering “children’s classic literature graded from infancy to secondary school” (Taylor, 1986, p. 85), encapsulates this struggle in the early 20th century in the United States. Shunned by publishing elites for her mass-marketing techniques, Miller nonetheless shared their desire to preserve and pass on a classic Western literary canon. Her mass-marketing techniques, however, breached class boundaries, placing classic literature, along with evolutionary frameworks regarding human development, race, ethnicity and gender, in the homes of working class and immigrant families. Examining these books illuminates s...
Health Disparities: Access and Utilization

This chapter focuses on disparities in access and utilization of health services by older adults of racial and ethnic backgrounds. It highlights the data challenges associated with frequent exclusion of this population from clinical research and consequent irrelevance or unavailability of evidence-based information to support clinical practice guidelines recommendations, and how this affects clinical practice and systems of care. Systematic approaches to identify, analyze, and address disparities; change providers and systems; and educate health care professionals are discussed.
Choosing a Good Basic Science or Translational Research Mentor

More than intellect, background, credentials, or skillsets, the ability to identify an effective professional mentor is arguably the most important predictor of achieving success in academic surgery. The healthy mentor-protege relationship can be elusive, and establishing a dysfunctional mentor relationship can have abortive effects on the trajectory of one’s career. This chapter outlines some reflections and strategies that may help one identify and build an effective professional mentor relationship.
Device-Free RF Human Body Fall Detection and Localization in Industrial Workplaces

Fall detection and localization of human operators inside a workspace are major issues in ensuring a safe working environment. Recent research has shown that the perturbations of the radio-frequency (RF) signals commonly adopted for wireless communications can also be used as sensing tools for device-free human motion detection. Device-free RF-based human sensing applications range from tag-less body localization to detection and monitoring of human well-being (e-Health). In this paper, we propose a real-time system for human body motion sensing with special focus on joint body localization and fall detection. The proposed system continuously monitors and processes the RF signals emitted by industry-compliant radio devices operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and supporting machine-to-machine communication functions. Human-induced diffraction and multipath phenomena that affect RF signal propagation are leveraged for body localization while for fall detection a hidden Markov model is applied to discern different postures of the operator and to detect safety-relevant events by tracking the received signal strength indicator footprints. Fall detection performances are corroborated by extensive experimental measurements in different settings. In addition, we propose also a sensor fusion tool that is able to integrate the device-free RF-based sensing system within an industrial image sensors framework. Preliminary results, conducted during field trial measurements, confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of localization accuracy, and sensitivity/specificity to correctly detect a fall event from preimpact postures.
PREDOMINANT MICROORGANISMS ON RAW PLANT FOODS1,2

Considerable variation was observed in the microbial populations present on raw plant foods. Equipment contamination and microbial growth on the product following harvest often were responsible for high microbial counts. Because of these factors, vegetables protected by a pod or husk frequently were more heavily contaminated than those exposed to soil and air throughout their growth history. Similar types of microorganisms were isolated from raw and post-blanch samples of peas and green beans. The samples recontaminated after the blanch generally contained a higher proportion of catalase-negative cocci. Some of the properties of the more numerous groups are presented. Many of the isolates were sufficiently different from “type” cultures that they could not be readily placed into described species.
Using Morpholinos to Examine Gene Function During Fin Regeneration

In the zebrafish regenerating fin, specific gene-targeting morpholinos have been widely utilized to assess gene function. Unlike in embryos, injection of standard morpholinos in the adult regenerating fin is not sufficient for cellular uptake. Rather, morpholinos are first injected extracellularly into the blastemal compartment, followed by electroporation for cellular uptake. Knockdown phenotypes are evaluated 1-4 days post electroporation. This chapter provides a description of the reagents, equipment, and procedure for successful injection and electroporation of morpholinos into the regenerating fin.
All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Peptide Amphiphile Assemblies That Spontaneously Form Twisted and Helical Ribbon Structures

Self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles (PAs) has been an active research area as the assemblies can be programmed into variously shaped nanostructures. Although cylindrical micelles are common structures, gold-binding peptide conjugates can self-assemble into chiral nanofibers with single or double helices. When gold nanoparticles bind to the helices, the resulting chiral nanoparticle assemblies have a collective plasmonic circular dichroism signal that can serve as nanoscale circular polarizers or chiroptical sensors. A better atomic-level understanding of the factors which lead to helical PA assemblies is therefore of significant importance. In this study we show that all-atom molecular dynamics simulations can describe the spontaneous structural transformation from a planar assembly of PAs to a twisted assembly or to a helical ribbon. The twist angle and the helical diameter calculated from the simulations closely match the experimental results, with the oxidation of a single Met residue in each PA leadi...
Nutritional Recommendations for Athletes

Athletes train to achieve optimal performance at their particular sport by maximizing training stimulus, adaptation, and fine-tuning their skills. Incorporation of dietary strategies that support training goals and delay fatigue during an event are of the utmost importance to both athlete and coach. Sports nutrition is an evolving research area providing scientifically validated information for performance improvement. This chapter outlines energy needs for athletes and provides novel recommendations for macro- and micronutrient intake supported by science.
Color versus Texture Coding to Improve Visual Search Performance

An experiment is reported in which the relative effectiveness of color coding, texture coding, and no coding of target borders to speed visual search is determined. The following independent variab...
Smoking during pregnancy in relation to grandchild birth weight and BMI trajectories.

Background Maternal smoking has been linked to lower birth weight and higher risk of childhood obesity. However, it is unknown whether grand-maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with grandchildren birth weight and body mass index (BMI) trajectories. Methods We investigated associations of smoking during pregnancy with birth weight, risks of overweight and BMI trajectories among 46,858 mother-child dyads and 6,583 grandmother-mother-child triads of three cohort studies of related individuals. Smoking during pregnancy was reported by mothers, and anthropometric data were provided by participants in each cohort. Results Compared to grandchildren of non-smoking women, grandchildren of women who smoked more than 14 cigarettes per day throughout pregnancy were 70 g (95% CI: 12, 129 g; P for trend = 0.01) heavier at birth, and 18% (95% CI: 4%, 34%; P for trend = 0.01) more likely to become overweight. The mean BMI of grandchildren of women who smoked during pregnancy was 0.45 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.75 kg/m2; P for trend = 0.006) higher through adolescence and young adulthood than that of grandchildren of non-smoking mothers. Conclusions Grandmothers' smoking during pregnancy was associated with higher birth weight, higher risk of overweight, and higher BMI through adolescence and young adulthood.
Becoming DataONE Tier-4 Member Node: Steps taken by the Nevada Research Data Center

The Nevada Research Data Center (NRDC) joined up with DataONE by becoming a Member Node to help with their goal of preserving and sharing scientific data. The NRDC is an NSF funded data management center for several climate based research groups across Nevada. DataONE is a collaboration that seeks to conserve scientific data and make researching global ecological issues easier. We brought our Member Node up to Tier 4, which allows us to make replication of other Member Nodes' data for safekeeping. By becoming a Member Node with DataONE, we expect that the projects supported by NRDC will have higher visibility, for the benefit of interested researchers and data users everywhere, who will have straightforward access to the many existing NRDC datasets (currently totaling over 2.1 billion of environmental data measurements). In this paper, we first describe the DataONE model of linked data repositories and then provide details of the configuration and development steps performed to fulfill the requirements of becoming Tier 4 (maximum possible) Member Node with DataONE. The significance of this work is also briefly discussed in the paper, and planned directions of future work are outlined.
Precarious maintenance of simple DNA repeats in eukaryotes

In this review, we discuss how two evolutionarily conserved pathways at the interface of DNA replication and repair, template switching and break-induced replication, lead to the deleterious large-scale expansion of trinucleotide DNA repeats that cause numerous hereditary diseases. We highlight that these pathways, which originated in prokaryotes, may be subsequently hijacked to maintain long DNA microsatellites in eukaryotes. We suggest that the negative mutagenic outcomes of these pathways, exemplified by repeat expansion diseases, are likely outweighed by their positive role in maintaining functional repetitive regions of the genome such as telomeres and centromeres.
The press and slavery in America, 1791–1859

In this valuable new study of newspaper reports of several antebellum slave rebellions, Gabrial examines resistance from small riots and conspiracies to large-scale revolts. While historians are li...
Monitoring bone marrow proliferative activity with FLT during chemoradiation therapy of pelvic cancers

1439 Objectives To monitor the proliferative activity of bone marrow within and outside of the radiation field (RT) with serial FLT imaging during chemoradiation therapy of pelvic cancers. Methods Subjects (N=19) with pelvic cancer (6 rectal, 5 anal, 6 cervical, 1 vaginal, 1 bladder) scheduled to be treated with radio- and chemotherapy (3 capecitibine, 6 mitomycin/5FU, 3 5FU, 7 cisplatin) were serially imaged with [18F]fluorothymidine (FLT) at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks and at 30 days post-end of therapy. Spinal marrow VOIs were defined in the sacrum, lumbar and thoracic spine by using a 50% maximum pixel value threshold on the baseline images. Subsequent images were co-registered to the baseline images (PFUSION PMOD) and the same VOIs were applied to measure changes from baseline. Results were scaled in SUV units at 60 minutes post-injection. Results FLT uptake in marrow within the RT field (sacrum) decreased 78%±6% at wk 1 and 82%±7% at wk 2 (MANOVA p Conclusions Pelvic chemoradiation significantly altered the whole-body marrow uptake of FLT. Marrow in the radiation field experienced significant reductions that were tending to reverse by 30 d post-therapy. Marrow outside of the radiation field, in most subjects, maintained or increased FLT uptake even with exposure to chemotherapy. Research Support R01 CA169336-02 (McGuire, PI)
Focal Status Epilepticus

Focal status epilepticus (FSE) is a condition in which there is an electrically discrete, continuously discharging epileptic disturbance of the brain associated with a definable neurological deficit or behavioral correlate. Its clinical features depend entirely on the region of cortex involved. When FSE involves an area of the brain responsible for motor activity, focal motor status epilepticus (also known as epilepsia partialis continua, or EPC) is present. This chapter begins by reviewing the classification system and epidemiology of FSE. There are many potential etiologies of FSE, representing a diverse array of central nervous system disorders. The pathophysiology of FSE is only partially understood, but some possible explanations are presented. The clinical semiology, associated electroencephalographic and radiological findings, and differential diagnosis of FSE are discussed in detail. Finally, the available treatment options for FSE, which include medications, surgery, and noninvasive brain stimulation, are reviewed.
The Human Microbiota, Infectious Disease, and Global Health: Challenges and Opportunities

Despite significant advances in treating infectious diseases worldwide, morbidity and mortality associated with pathogen infection remains extraordinarily high and represents a critical scientific and global health challenge. Current strategies to combat these infectious agents include a combination of vaccines, small molecule drugs, increased hygiene standards, and disease-specific interventions. While these approaches have helped to drastically reduce the incidence and number of deaths associated with infection, continued investment in current strategies and the development of novel therapeutic approaches will be required to address these global health threats. Recently, human- and vector-associated microbiotas, the assemblages of microorganisms living on and within their hosts, have emerged as a potentially important factor mediating both infection risk and disease progression. These complex microbial communities are involved in intricate and dynamic interactions with both pathogens as well as the inna...