cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasticity of Cortical Projections after Stroke

Ischemic stroke produces cell death and disability, and a process of repair and partial recovery. Plasticity within cortical connections after stroke leads to partial recovery of function after the initial injury. Physiologically, cortical connections after stroke become hyperexcitable and more susceptible to the induction of LTP Stroke produces changes in the distribution and laterality of sensory, motor, and language representations within the brain that correlate with functional recovery. Anatomically, ischemic lesions induce axonal sprouting within local, intracortical projections and long distance, interhemispheric projections. This postischemic axonal sprouting establishes substantially new patterns of cortical connections with de-afferented or partially damaged brain areas. Axonal sprouting after ischemic lesions is induced by a transient pattern of synchronous, low-frequency neuronal activity in a network of cortical areas connected to the infarct. This pattern of neuronal activity that induces axonal sprouting in the adult after ischemic lesions resembles that seen in the developing brain during axonal elongation and synaptogenesis. Thus, stroke induces a process of remapping and reconnection within the adult brain through changes in neuronal activity that may involve a reactivation of developmental programs in areas connected to the infarct.
Asynchronous BVH construction for ray tracing dynamic scenes on parallel multi-core architectures

Recent developments have produced several techniques for interactive ray tracing of dynamic scenes. In particular, bounding volume hierarchies (BVHs) are efficient acceleration structures that handle complex triangle distributions and can accommodate deformable scenes by updating (refitting) the bounding primitive without restructuring the entire tree. Unfortunately, updating only the bounding primitive can result in a degradation of the quality of the BVH, and in some scenes will result in a dramatic deterioration of rendering performance. The typical method to avoid this degradation is to rebuild the BVH when a heuristic determines the tree is no longer efficient, but this rebuild results in a disruption of interactive system response.We present a method that removes this gradual decline in performance while enabling consistently fast BVH performance. We accomplish this by asynchronously rebuilding the BVH concurrently with rendering and animation, allowing the BVH to be restructured within a handful of frames.
Improving Broadcasting Performance by Clustering with Stability for Inter-Vehicle Communication

In this paper we propose a novel broadcasting scheme for vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) in the service of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Designing efficient broadcasting algorithms is critical as a fundamental service in supporting many other applications and protocols. Various broadcasting protocols have been proposed for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) in order to reduce the redundant retransmissions known as the "broadcast storm problem". By takings advantage of the unique features of vehicular networks, our cluster-based scheme provides an efficient and stable hierarchical network backbone, and in addition cluster heads and some selected gateway nodes are responsible for rebroadcasting. A simulation study has been conducted in an innovative and realistic vehicular network. The results show our scheme significantly reducing the number of retransmissions, while improving the reachability in comparison to other schemes.
Improved Cognitive Performance Following Aerobic Exercise Training in People With Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective To examine cognitive function in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) prior to and after participation in an aerobic exercise training program. Design Pre-post intervention study. Setting Medical research center. Participants Volunteer sample of individuals (N=7) (age, 33.3±7.9y) with chronic nonpenetrating TBI (injury severity: 3=mild, 4=moderate; time since most current injury: 4.0±5.5y) who were ambulatory. Intervention Twelve weeks of supervised vigorous aerobic exercise training performed 3 times a week for 30 minutes on a treadmill. Main outcome measures Cognitive function was assessed using the Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A), Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B), and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Sleep quality and depression were measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory, version 2 (BDI-II). Indices of cardiorespiratory fitness were used to examine the relation between improvements in cognitive function and cardiorespiratory fitness. Results After training, improvements in cognitive function were observed with greater scores on the TMT-A (10.3±6.8; P=.007), TMT-B (9.6±7.0; P=.011), and RBANS total scale (13.3±9.3; P=.009). No changes were observed in measures of the PSQI and BDI-II. The magnitude of cognitive improvements was also strongly related to the gains in cardiorespiratory fitness. Conclusions These findings suggest that vigorous aerobic exercise training may improve specific aspects of cognitive function in individuals with TBI and cardiorespiratory fitness gains may be a determinant of these improvements.
Dominant Epitopes of the C6 Diagnostic Peptide of Borrelia burgdorferi Are Largely Inaccessible to Antibody on the Parent VlsE Molecule

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a disease for which antibody-based detection assays are often required for diagnosis. The variable surface molecule VlsE and IR6, one of its invariable regions, are commonly targeted by the antibody response in infected individuals. A series of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays was performed to comparatively examine the antibody responses of North American LB patients (n = 37) to VlsE and invariable segments of this molecule. Both immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG responses to full-length VlsE and to peptides reproducing invariable regions 2, 4, and 6, as well as the invariable domains at the amino and carboxyl termini of VlsE, were assessed. The proportions and specificities of reactivity to the invariable segments were tested by using cognate peptides as competitors for VlsE binding by patient serum antibodies. IR6 epitopes (by the C6 peptide) were found to dominate the response to invariable segments. IR6 (C6)-specific antibodies were detected in 78% of the serum specimens, whereas 50% by competition with the added C6 peptide. The median percent inhibition was 45.5%. These findings indicate that IR6 epitopes are largely concealed from the VlsE molecular surface and that full-length VlsE-based diagnosis likely detects antibodies to conformational and/or variable region epitopes.
Prospects for Geography as an Interdisciplinary Discipline

The drive to examine broad-ranging problems that encompass a complex mix of phenomena and processes has spurred the conduct of research that bridges traditional disciplines. Geographers have played active roles in many interdisciplinary projects, because geography itself is inherently interdisciplinary. Geography builds on major emphases in spatial analysis, human–environment interaction, and place-based and regional analyses to encourage communication and interaction with myriad other disciplines. The active pursuit of inquiries related to space, place, and interactions, especially dynamics within and across spaces and places, leads many geographers to range far from the field's core and explore the peripheral realms where geographic perspectives and insights intersect with those from other fields. Scholars who have engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations cite many positive aspects in working with colleagues from other fields, and they affirm their desire to conduct interdisciplinary work in the futu...
Identifying predictors of resilience at inpatient and 3-month post-spinal cord injury

Objectives: To identify (1) changes in psychosocial factors, (2) relationships between psychosocial factors, and (3) significant predictors of resilience in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) during inpatient rehabilitation and at 3-month post-discharge.Design: Cross sectional with convenience sample based on inclusion/exclusion criteria.Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation hospital and community-based follow-up.Participants: Individuals with a SCI.Interventions: Not applicable.Outcome measures: Demographic, resilience, self-efficacy for managing a chronic health issue, depression, social roles/activity limitations, and pain.Results: The final sample consisted of 44 respondents (16 women and 28 men). Results of repeated measure analyses of variance indicated no significant changes in variables between inpatient and 3-month follow-up. Bivariate correlations revealed associations between resilience and self-efficacy at inpatient (r = 0.54, P < 0.001), and resilience and depression (r = −0.69, P < 0.001) and ...
Successful and unsuccessful problem solving approaches of novice programmers

Learning to program continues to be challenging for many students. This paper reports on problem-solving approaches undertaken by pair programming students. We examine reasons why some approaches lead to success while others lead to failure. We also identify some aspects of the Java language that appear to lead to student misconceptions. Finally, we provide suggestions for educators interested in helping students learn successful approaches and avoid unsuccessful ones.
Alternatives to platelet transfusions in the management of platelet dysfunction or thrombocytopenia

SUMMARY Alternatives to platelet transfusions are important in preventing the adverse events associated with platelet transfusions. The use of platelet alternatives has not been extensively compared with platelet transfusions, although studies suggest that bleeding can be controlled and transfusions prevented. A variety of pharmacologic agents are available, which generally work by augmenting different hemostatic mechanisms. In addition to pharmacologic agents, recombinant activated factor VII is available for controlling inherited qualitative platelet disorders such as Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia. For the treatment of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, the use of growth factors may shorten the duration of thrombocytopenia and prove to be an approach for reducing or preventing platelet transfusions. Although interesting research has been carried out for several decades in the aim of developing a platelet substitute, it is unlikely that a platelet substitute will be available for clinical use in the near future.
Gloria Anzaldúa's El Mundo Zurdo: Exploring a relational feminist theology of interconnectedness

This article critically departs from the second-wave feminism of first-generation Latina feminist and mujerista theology by focusing on Chicana queer feminist theorist Gloria Anzaldua’s relational epistemology. I argue that Anzaldua’s work is a new form of feminist theologising that stems from a radical commitment to interconnectedness and relationality. I enter into a conversation with Anzaldua in order to foreground new, productive, and creative ways to reflect on feminist standpoint epistemology and ontology, which in turn open up interesting avenues through which to think about the material and experiential dimensions of women’s theologising. I consider Anzaldua’s El Mundo Zurdo (The Left-Handed World) 1 and her fecund notion of spiritual activism in order to illuminate the centrality of relationality and interdependence when conceptualising new forms of women’s subjective engagements in the production of theology. 2
A cross-domain visual learning engine for interactive generation of instructional materials

We present the design and development of a Visual Learning Engine, a tool that can form the basis for interactive development of visually rich teaching and learning modules across multiple disciplines. The engine has three key features that makes it powerful and cross-disciplinary, (1) it is based on a finite state machine model, that supports concepts presented in any defined sequence, (2) instructional modules are designed and generated interactively using graphical interface widgets, facilitating non-programmers to use the system, and (3) ability to simultaneously present concepts and their visual representation that allows for a more intuitive and exploratory learning experience. We demonstrate a prototype of the learning engine by testing it on examples from Computer Science(sorting)algorithms, recursion) and Electrical Engineering (signal manipulations).
Validity Criteria for Performance-Related Qualitative Work: Toward a Reflexive, Evaluative, and Coconstructive Framework for Performance in/as Qualitative Inquiry

This article proposes working criteria for guiding and judging the validity of performance-related qualitative work based on Conquergood's dialogical performance and Madison's performance of possib...
A multi-wire error correction scheme for reliable and energy efficient SOC links using hamming product codes

A multi-wire error correction scheme, which combines Hamming product codes with type-II hybrid ARQ, is proposed for reliable and energy efficient SoC links. Also, a hard decision iterative decoding method, which can achieve the maximum error correction capability of Hamming product codes, is proposed. Simulation results show an improvement of up to four orders of magnitude in residual flit-error rate for multi-wire errors. For a given system reliability requirement, the proposed error control scheme can achieve 35% energy improvement over other error correction codes.
Hemolytic Anemia and Edema as the Initial Signs in Infants with Cystic Fibrosis Consider This Diagnosis Even in Absence of Pulmonary Symptoms

This is a report of five infants eventually proven to have cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, who presented with hemolytic anemia and edema. Since the sweat test is often unreliable in edermatous states, the possibility of cystic fibrosis should be considered. Use of either a protein hydrolysate or addition of pancreatic enzymes will improve nutritional status, and when edema disappears, a definite sweat test can be performed. Evidence of vitamin E deficiency in some of the cases is presented, and the possibility of this as a cause of anemia is raised.
Teachers' learning while constructing technology‐based instructional resources

Grounded in a constructionist paradigm, this study examined elementary school teachers' learning while creating technology-rich instructional materials. Sixteen teachers at an elementary school were interviewed about their experience. Using the components of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge as an analytical framework, inductive qualitative analysis indicated that these professional learning activities led to teachers' growth primarily in technological knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge. These findings as well as implications for designing professional learning activities for teachers are also shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Phylogeny of human β‐globin haplotypes and its implications for recent human evolution

The evolutionary histories and relationships among African, Eurasian, and Pacific Island populations are investigated by using observations on five polymorphic restriction sites in the beta-globin gene cluster. We present new data on 222 chromosomes from a global sample and combine these with previously published observations on 591 chromosomes. It is shown that the data are rich in rare haplotypes and that rare variants are not helpful for standard methods of population structure analysis. Consequently, a new approach is developed. We first consider the phylogeny of beta-globin haplotypes. The roles of mutation, gene conversion, and recombination in the generation of haplotype diversity are specifically focused upon. The relationships among human populations are then inferred from the phylogenetic relationships among the haplotypes, their presence or absence, and frequencies within populations. Questions regarding whether or not a phyletic process can account for relationships among the major geographical populations and whether or not an extant human population exhibits the qualities that would be expected of an ancestral group are addressed. The results of this analysis support an African origin for modern Homo sapiens and a phyletic structuring of the major geographical regions. However, it is shown that divergence times for the various populations cannot be determined from these data.
Nineteenth‐ and early twentieth‐century Estonian nationalism revisited

This article revisits the topic of Estonian nationalism during the second half of the nineteenth century and up to the eve of independence in the early twentieth century. It briefly surveys the treatment of the Estonian case in recent larger works on nationalism and then offers an assessment of various issues relating to Estonian nationalism in its early phase, including the suitability of a strictly modernist approach, nation formation and the question of the spread of national consciousness on a mass basis, and the role of cultural versus political aspects. The article also notes the deepening of research on nationalism in post-communist Estonia, especially studies of social mobilisation, ties with neighbouring Finland and Latvia, and the role of Russification. It concludes with a reassessment of the salient elements of Estonian national identity in this period.
Hormonal-sympathetic interactions in long-term regulation of arterial pressure: an hypothesis

The importance of the sympathetic nervous system in short-term regulation of arterial pressure is well accepted. However, the question of whether neural systems participate in long-term control of pressure has been debated for decades and remains unresolved. The principal argument against such a control system is that arterial baroreceptors adapt to sustained changes in arterial pressure. In addition, denervation of baroreceptors has minimal to no effect on basal levels of arterial pressure chronically. This argument assumes, however, that baroreceptors provide the primary chronic feedback signal to the central nervous system. An alternate model is proposed in which circulating hormones, primarily arginine vasopressin and angiotensin II, provide a long-term afferent signal to the central nervous system via binding to specific receptors in central sites lacking a blood-brain barrier (circumventricular organs). Studies suggest that the release of the hormones and the sympathetic response to alterations in their plasma concentrations are nonadaptive but may be gated by baroreceptor input. Evidence that this "hormonal-sympathetic reflex" model may explain the long-term alterations in sympathetic activity in response to chronic salt depletion and salt loading as well as congestive heart failure is presented. Finally, the role of an impaired hormonal sympathetic reflex in hypertension, specifically salt-dependent hypertension, is discussed.
Modification of Radiation Injury of Murine Intestinal Clonogenic Cells and B-16 Melanoma by PGI2 or Flurbiprofen

Prostaglandins (PC s) protect several types of cells in vivo from ionizing radiation. Many human tumors secrete excessive PG’s, which may result in some degree of tumor protection from radiation treatment. In contrast, PG-blocking agents might sensitize tumors to radiation. To assess a possible role of PG’s and PG-blocking agents in modifying normal tissue or tumor radiation sensitivity, either PGI2 (the most protective natural PG found to date) or Flurbiprofen (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor) was given to mice before irradiation with cesium-137. The effects of these agents on the radiosensitivity of intestinal clonogenic cells or a B-16 melanoma were measured. PGI2 increased the D° of intestinal clonogenic cell survival from about 1.15 ± 0.13 Gy in controls to 1.45 ± 0.15 Gy. Flurbiprofen had no effect on the intestinal clonogenic cell survival curve. PGI2 also protected the B-16 melanoma, but Flurbiprofen protected the melanoma to an even greater extent, mainly through an increase in the shoulder. Flurbiprofen may switch the arachidonic acid cascade to other pathways such as the 5-lipoxygenase pathway, and leukotrienes have also been shown to protect from radiation. Tumor radiosensitization may occur only through blocking all pathways of the cascade or by blocking tumor receptor sites.
Jamaica's Marijuana Decriminalization Conundrum

U.S. drug policy has, and continues to create tension between the United States and other countries. Using the August 2001 report of the Jamaican Commission on ganja, this paper uses the certification process to highlight some of the tensions inherent in the U.S. federal government's anti-marijuana legalization posture. This paper discusses the likelihood of the U.S. federal government changing the legal landscape for marijuana. It concludes by recommending, as potential solutions to address the tension between the US and its regional neighbours, regionalization of drug control and replacing the drug certification process with the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM). The question becomes, is there a policy entrepreneur willing to agitate for a change in the policy environment?
The Traveling Wave of Auto-Catalytic Systems-Monotone and Multi-Peak Solutions

This article studies propagating wave fronts of a reaction-diffusion system modeling an isothermal chemical reaction A+2B→3B involving two chemical species, a reactant A and an auto-catalyst B, whose diffusion coefficients, DA and DB, are un- equal due to different molecular weights and/or sizes. Explicit bounds c∗ and c ∗ that depend on DB/DA are derived such that there is a unique travelling wave of every speed c>c ∗ and there does not exist any travelling wave of speed c<c∗. Furthermore, the reaction-diffusion system of the Gray-Scott model of A+2B → 3B, and a linear decay B→C, where C is an inert product is also studied. The existence of multiple traveling waves which have distinctive number of local maxima or peaks is shown. It shows a new and very distinctive feature of Gray-Scott type of models in generating rich and structurally different traveling pulses.
Recurrent Malignancy in Osteoradionecrosis Specimen.

Purpose Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a well-known complication of head and neck radiation therapy. Statistically, the mandible is the most commonly affected site. The incidental finding of malignancy in the resection specimen has been documented but is somewhat rare. The aim of this review is to investigate the presence of recurrent carcinoma and sarcoma or new primary malignancies in resection specimens previously diagnosed and treated as ORN. Patients and Methods This study is a retrospective case series. We conducted a chart review of all cases managed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital. The inclusion criteria included a history of head and neck carcinoma treated with radiation of at least 6,000 cGy; clinical diagnosis of ORN; and surgical intervention with osseous resection for treatment of ORN. The study endpoint measured included microscopic evidence of malignancy in the resected ORN specimen. Additional data collected included gender, age, and type of primary pathology. Results A total of 564 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 14 had microscopic evidence of cancer in the specimen (2.48%) and 5 had a proven second primary malignancy in the foregut (1 in the lung, 0.18%, and 4 in the oropharynx, 0.70%). In 1 of the 14 patients, a high-grade sarcoma was diagnosed and the patient died within 1 year of diagnosis. In the treatment of our ORN patient population, a total of 19 malignancies were found collectively (3.37%). Of the 564 patients, 352 were men and 212 were women. The median age was 46 years (range, 33 to 97 years). Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma represented 531 cases in our sample, followed by 28 cases of salivary gland carcinoma and only 5 cases of sarcoma. Conclusions Although the finding of malignancy in ORN patients is relatively rare (3.37% in this study), oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be cognizant of its potential presence. The treatment of malignant disease is different than that of ORN, and a multidisciplinary treatment approach is recommended if a malignancy is diagnosed in an ORN patient.
The Effects of Service Attributes on Perceived Risk Components: A Structural Model

Extant services literature has shown services to have higher overall perceived risk than goods. Furthermore, services are perceived as more risky than goods across all six components of perceived risk (financial, performance, physical, psychological, social, and time/convenience loss). If we can assume that consumers strive to reduce risk, then an important question is what causes the enhanced perception of risk for services? The present paper develops a conceptual framework linking the four major service attributes of intangibility, heterogeneity, inseparability, and perishability to the six perceived risk components to further explicate and understand previous research findings. Hypotheses are presented which suggest specific relationships between the individual constructs.
Skeletal records of community-level bleaching in Porites corals from Palau

Tropical Pacific sea surface temperature is projected to rise an additional 2–3 °C by the end of this century, driving an increase in the frequency and intensity of coral bleaching. With significant global coral reef cover already lost due to bleaching-induced mortality, efforts are underway to identify thermally tolerant coral communities that might survive projected warming. Massive, long-lived corals accrete skeletal bands of anomalously high density in response to episodes of thermal stress. These “stress bands” are potentially valuable proxies for thermal tolerance, but to date their application to questions of community bleaching history has been limited. Ecological surveys recorded bleaching of coral communities across the Palau archipelago during the 1998 and 2010 warm events. Between 2011 and 2015, we extracted skeletal cores from living Porites colonies at 10 sites spanning barrier reef and lagoon environments and quantified the proportion of stress bands present in each population during bleaching years. Across Palau, the prevalence of stress bands tracked the severity of thermal stress, with more stress bands occurring in 1998 (degree heating weeks = 13.57 °C-week) than during the less severe 2010 event (degree heating weeks = 4.86 °C-week). Stress band prevalence also varied by reef type, as more corals on the exposed barrier reef formed stress bands than did corals from sheltered lagoon environments. Comparison of Porites stress band prevalence with bleaching survey data revealed a strong correlation between percent community bleaching and the proportion of colonies with stress bands in each year. Conversely, annual calcification rates did not decline consistently during bleaching years nor did annually resolved calcification histories always track interannual variability in temperature. Our data suggest that stress bands in massive corals contain valuable information about spatial and temporal trends in coral reef bleaching and can aid in conservation efforts to identify temperature-tolerant coral reef communities.
Utilization of a High-Alkali Lignite Coal Ash for SO2 Capture in Power Generation

AbstractThis work explored the use of ashes of a low-sulfur, high-alkali lignite coal for partially capturing the sulfur dioxide emissions from combustion of a high-sulfur bituminous coal. The bitu...
Economic and battery health conscious vehicle-to-grid electric vehicle operation

Maximizing profits through vehicle-to-grid interactions are in conflict with the minimizing battery degradation costs, and thus a major customer concern. A holistic scheduling problem is, therefore, required to consider the impact of the charging power and that of the switching between vehicle-to-grid and grid-to-vehicle modes to account for battery health. In this paper, we propose a mixed-objective approach toward vehicle-to-grid interactions of a residential parking lot complex. The solution makes accommodation for battery health while considering the cost/profit model for the electric vehicles. We discuss the importance of system constraints in achieving both, valley filling and peak shaving. A moving horizon model is used to determine real-time schedules for the vehicles. Customer convenience is the central focus of the proposed methodology.
Neonatal Ebstein repair—where are we now?

Ebstein anomaly is a cardiomyopathy characterized by arrested delamination of the tricuspid valve leaflets. This results in displacement of the hinge points of the leaflets into the right ventricle (RV) cavity. The right ventricular myocardium, and in 10–15% the left ventricular myocardium, will have varying degrees of abnormalities in structure and function. The wide anatomic spectrum of Ebstein anomaly results in a highly variable clinical presentation ranging from the severely symptomatic newborn to the asymptomatic adult. Most infants with Ebstein anomaly and mild or moderate cardiomegaly will be asymptomatic at birth. However, when severe cardiomegaly, severe tricuspid regurgitation, and additional cardiac lesions coexist, the neonate can present with profound cyanosis, severe heart failure, and shock. Further complicating the management of the symptomatic neonate are elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, compromised lung volumes due to severe cardiomegaly and reduced effective RV size and function. This combination of findings can result in functional pulmonary atresia if the RV is inadequate to provide antegrade pulmonary blood flow. Despite maximal medical therapy using prostaglandin infusion to maintain ductal patency, inhaled nitric oxide to lower pulmonary vascular resistance, and inotropic support, some patients will require surgical intervention in the neonatal period. Surgical outcomes for neonatal Ebstein repair continue to be challenging although recent reports are demonstrating improved survival. Neonatal surgical options include tricuspid valvuloplasty, reduction atrioplasty and subtotal closure of the atrial septal defect (biventricular repair), or single ventricle palliation ultimately resulting in a Fontan procedure.
Ecocardiografía transesofágica intraoperatoria para evaluar el defecto tipo Gerbode

Resumen El defecto de Gerbode es una rara manifestacion de la comunicacion interventricular del ventriculo derecho a la auricula derecha, resultante de un defecto en la porcion membranosa del tabique interventricular. El defecto en cuestion puede ser congenito o adquirido y entre las causas adquiridas se encuentran complicaciones de los reemplazos de la valvula aortica y la endocarditis. La ecocardiografia intraoperatoria en tiempo real y la ecocardiografia en 3D son vitales para el diagnostico y la caracterizacion anatomica de la intercomunicacion. Se hace necesario comprender a fondo la ecocardiografia para visualizar la intercomunicacion a traves de distintos planos anatomicos, lo cual ayuda a la correccion quirurgica.
Magnetic Quantum Dots Steer and Detach Microtubules From Kinesin-Coated Surfaces.

Background: The microtubule (MT)-kinesin system has been extensively studied because of its role in cellular processes, as well as its potential use for controllably transporting objects at the nanoscale. Thus, there is substantial interest in methods to evaluate MT properties, including bending radius and the binding energy of kinesin motor proteins to MT tracks. Current methods to identify these properties include optical tweezers, microfluidic devices, and magnetic fields. Methods: Here, the use of magnetic quantum dots (i.e., MagDots) was evaluated as a method to study MT-kinesin interactions via applied magnetic forces. Magnetic fields were generated using a magnetic needle whose field gradient was quantified by finite element modeling (FEM). Results: Magnetic force was applied to MagDot-labeled MTs and demonstrated sufficient to steer and detach MTs from kinesin-coated surfaces. Taking advantage of the dual-functionality of MagDots, the magnetic force experienced by a single MagDot and the number of MagDots on MTs were determined. The total force exerted on MTs by MagDots was estimated to be ∼0.94-2.47 pN. Conclusions: This approach could potentially be used to interrogate MT properties and MT-kinesin interactions, enhancing our biological understanding of this system and enabling further development of MT shuttles for nanotransport.
Dynamic aspects of receptive field organization in area VI of the macaque monkey

We examined the effects of a moving background on the receptive field profiles of neurons in visual cortex of anesthetized macaque monkeys. An oscillating background pattern was presented entirely outside the classical receptive fieldtand the spatial sensitivity of the cell was mapped with small target stimuli flashed at different locations in the classical receptive field and at different phases relative to the background motion. Our results indicate that the receptive field profiles of many cells in area VI are modulated to a significant degree by background motion. In most of these cells, the motion-induced modulation is more complex than a simple change in gain or a translation in space.
The Nazi seizure of the International Education Review: a dark episode in the early professional development of comparative education

It was not until the 1930s that comparative education, with the initiation of dedicated courses and programmes at universities in various countries, that the field became internationally recognised...
Development of a Mechatronics Course Integrated With Lab

This paper reports the development of an introductory mechatronics course in Mechanical Engineering (ME) undergraduate program at Georgia Southern University. This an updated version of an existing required course in the ABET accredited BSME program. The course covers three broad areas: mechatronic instrumentation, computer based data acquisition and analysis, and microcontroller programming and interfacing. This is a required 3-credit course in the ME program with updated computing application specific content reinforcing theoretical foundation with hands-on learning activities of the existing course. The course has four contact hours per week with two hours of lecture and two hours of interactive session of problem solving and laboratory experiment. For each topic covered, students get the theoretical background and the hands-on experience in the laboratory setting. Both formative and summative assessment of the students’ performance in the course are planned. Both direct and indirect forms of assessment are considered. The paper reports the details of the course materials.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Embodied Education in Mixed and Mediated Realties

This chapter provides a summary of some of this lab’s immersive media and embodied STEM learning research. It focuses on the integration of gesture in learning, and a new gesture-based assessment. A taxonomy for embodiment in education is included. The chapter concludes with several design principles that the Embodied Games Lab has culled over the years while creating educational content that maximizes the affordances of virtual and mixed reality technologies and meshes those with best pedagogical practices.
Water-Resistant Polymeric Acid Membrane Catalyst for Acetone Detection in the Exhaled Breath of Diabetics.

Endogenous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetone in exhaled human breath are associated with metabolic conditions in the bloodstream. Development of compact, rapid detectors of exhaled breath chemical composition in clinical settings is challenging due to the small sample size that can be collected during a single exhalation as well as spectroscopic interference by the abundance of water. In this paper, we show that the activity of a catalytic polymer membrane (Nafion 117) toward the heterogeneous condensation reaction of immobilized resorcinol reagent with gas-phase acetone can be preserved even at 100% ambient relative humidity through the incorporation of organic acids such as vanillic or tiglic. The reaction produces a colored flavan product that permits highly selective and sensitive correlation to acetone concentration in exhaled breath. Such behavior suggests solvent displacement, analogous to homogeneous liquid-phase systems. However, unlike classic acid–base equilibria, the extent of ...
Exports and Growth: Learning from the Case of Southern U.S. Metropolitan Areas

The relationship between exports and economic growth is a paradigmatic element of modern economic growth policy, despite the absence of strong evidence of a connection. Until recently, data on expo...
Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That: Anti-Black Girl Violence in the Era of #SayHerName:

In the era of #BlackLivesMatter, anti-Black state violence is a primary focus. From police brutality to the Flint Water Crisis, organizers within the Movement for Black Lives draw important connect...
An Experience Sampling Study of User Reactions to Browser Warnings in the Field

Web browser warnings should help protect people from malware, phishing, and network attacks. Adhering to warnings keeps people safer online. Recent improvements in warning design have raised adherence rates, but they could still be higher. And prior work suggests many people still do not understand them. Thus, two challenges remain: increasing both comprehension and adherence rates. To dig deeper into user decision making and comprehension of warnings, we performed an experience sampling study of web browser security warnings, which involved surveying over 6,000 Chrome and Firefox users in situ to gather reasons for adhering or not to real warnings. We find these reasons are many and vary with context. Contrary to older prior work, we do not find a single dominant failure in modern warning design---like habituation---that prevents effective decisions. We conclude that further improvements to warnings will require solving a range of smaller contextual misunderstandings.
The Undecided Narratives of Becoming-Mother, Becoming-Ph.D.

Entering into both motherhood and the academy were decisions I did not take lightly. Those who know me well might call me indecisive, but it was with careful deliberation that I decided to become a mother and decided what I would do with my Ph.D. Using the concept of becoming, the feminist notion of the countermemory, and an emphasis on embodiment, this chapter interweaves my entangled narratives in, with, and outside of academia. In an institution that often neglects both the body and the unique experiences of women, here, I place value on the body (my body) and attempt to make visible my experiences as a woman who is both becoming-mother and becoming-Ph.D.
Static finite element stress intensity factors for annular cracks

Results of finite element static stress intensity factor calculations for an annular crack around a spherical inclusion (void) are presented and compared with those from approximate analytical methods.
Propagation and extinction behavior of methane/air premixed flames through straight and converging-diverging microchannels

Abstract Propagation and extinction behavior of a CH4/air premixed flame passing through straight and converging-diverging (C-D) microchannels (diameters ranging from 1 to 10 mm) were investigated both experimentally and numerically. The dynamic behavior of flame propagation inside the channels was experimentally studied by using CH∗ chemiluminescence and direct imaging. Three patterns of flame propagation were observed, i.e., the flame can survive, partially extinguish and then re-ignite downstream, or completely extinguish. Regime diagrams showing these different patterns as functions of channel geometry and equivalence ratio were generated for both the straight and C-D channels. Numerical simulations were carried out to explain the experimentally observed flame dynamics inside the channels using detailed CH4/air chemistry. In general, flames were easier to extinguish in C-D channels than in straight channels for a fixed channel diameter and equivalence ratio. Additionally, flames were harder to survive in C-D channels with larger exit-to-throat area ratios. Both heat loss and flame stretch were key factors that can generally cause flame extinction in narrow C-D channels. Heat loss was found to be the primary reason for flame extinction inside the microchannel in comparison with the stretch effect.
Novel regulatory mechanisms of mTOR signaling

As a master regulator of cellular processes ranging from cell growth and proliferation to differentiation, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is critically involved in a complex signaling network. mTOR appears to govern an amino acid sensing pathway that integrates with a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent mitogenic pathway to activate the downstream effectors. Recent findings have revealed some unexpected regulatory mechanisms of mTOR signaling. A direct link between mTOR and mitogenic signals is found to be mediated by the lipid second messenger phosphatidic acid. In addition, cytoplasmic-nuclear shuttling of mTOR appears to be required for the cytoplasmic functions of this protein. A new picture of the rapamycin-sensitive signaling network is emerging, with implications in putative upstream regulators and additional downstream targets for mTOR.
Family perception of and experience with family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: An integrative review

Objective The objective was to consider family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) from the perspective of the family member. Background FPDR has been a topic of interest internationally since the first report of this practice more than 25 years ago. Worldwide, many studies have provided insight into the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs); however, there is limited research on the perspective and experiences of family members. Design An integrative review was conducted. An electronic database search was conducted for the years from 1994-2017. Methods The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PyschINFO, Academic Search, SocINDEX, PubMed, ProQuest databases and Google Scholar were searched. Search terms were family perceptions, family presence and resuscitation. Results Twelve reviews met inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that family members view family presence as a fundamental right. Family members involved in a FPDR experience reported that their presence benefitted the patient and healthcare team. In an international sample of studies, family presence overall was viewed positively by family members and they voiced wanting to be given an option to be present during a loved one's resuscitation. Conclusions Findings support that family members' desire for FPDR; however, the literature reflects that HCPs do not always embrace the practice of FPDR. Stronger educational preparation of nurses and other HCPs related to FPDR is warranted. Policy initiatives include the formulation of policies that allow family presence during resuscitation of a family member. Relevance to clinical practice The findings are relevant for a clinical practice that promotes a more family-centred approach to allowing FPDR. Creating policy and providing FPDR education for HCPs based on evidence provide more consistency in clinical practice and help to eliminate the moral distress experienced by clinical nurses forced to make difficult decisions during a stressful event.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Atrazine and Clothianidin on Bi-doped SnO2–TinO2n–1 Electrocatalytic Reactive Electrochemical Membranes

This research focused on improving mineralization rates during the advanced electrochemical oxidation treatment of agricultural water contaminants. For the first time, bismuth-doped tin oxide (BDTO) catalysts were deposited on Magneli phase (Ti nO2 n-1, n = 4-6) reactive electrochemical membranes (REMs). Terephthalic acid (TA) was used as a OH• probe, whereas atrazine (ATZ) and clothianidin (CDN) were chosen as model agricultural water contaminants. The BDTO-deposited REMs (REM/BDTO) showed higher compound removal than the REM, due to enhanced OH• production. At 3.5 V/SHE, complete mineralization of TA, ATZ, and CDN was achieved for the REM/BDTO upon a single pass in the reactor (residence time ∼3.6 s). Energy consumption for REM/BDTO was as much as 31-fold lower than the REM, with minimal values per log removal of <0.53 kWh m-3 for TA (3.5 V/SHE), <0.42 kWh m-3 for ATZ (3.0 V/SHE), and 0.83 kWh m-3 for CDN (3.0 V/SHE). Density functional theory simulations provided potential dependent activation energy profiles for ATZ, CDN, and various oxidation products. Efficient mass transfer and a reaction mechanism involving direct electron transfer and reaction with OH• were responsible for the rapid and complete mineralization of ATZ and CDN at very short residence times.
Homo Forte: A Philosophical Tribute to Muscle

In this paper, I argue from a holistic standpoint for the intimate relationship between people and their muscles. While this stands as a direct tribute to muscle, it also serves as an acknowledgmen...
“She couldn’t simply write a letter.” Scenes of Reading in Ingeborg Bachmann’s The Book of Franza

This article contends that Ingeborg Bachmann’s The Book of Franza anticipates and significantly advances feminist critiques of writing and authorship by exposing and effectively deconstructing scenes of reading as the site where discursive power is exercised and significations are enforced by using “her” as a universal signifier. But it also performs a refusal to impart to the reader a subject that could be pinned down, identified, and hence objectified. Eluding containment by the patriarchal law, the subject has the chance to come into a law of its own as it vanishes and subsequently returns as a reader with a new type of leverage.
Combined Inhibition of STAT3 and DNA Repair in Palbociclib-Resistant ER-Positive Breast Cancer

Purpose: Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors are currently used in combination with endocrine therapy to treat advanced hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Although this treatment doubles time to progression compared with endocrine therapy alone, about 25%–35% of patients do not respond, and almost all patients eventually acquire resistance. Discerning the mechanisms of resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition is crucial in devising alternative treatment strategies. Experimental Design: Palbociclib-resistant cells (MCF-7 and T47D) were generated in a step-wise dose-escalading fashion. Whole-exome sequencing, genome-wide expression analysis, and proteomic analysis were performed in both resistant and parental (sensitive) cells. Pathway alteration was assessed mechanistically and pharmacologically. Biomarkers of altered pathways were examined in tumor samples from patients with palbociclib-treated breast cancer whose disease progressed while on treatment. Results: Palbociclib-resistant cells are cross-resistant to other CDK4/6 inhibitors and are also resistant to endocrine therapy (estrogen receptor downregulation). IL6/STAT3 pathway is induced, whereas DNA repair and estrogen receptor pathways are downregulated in the resistant cells. Combined inhibition of STAT3 and PARP significantly increased cell death in the resistant cells. Matched tumor samples from patients with breast cancer who progressed on palbociclib were examined for deregulation of estrogen receptor, DNA repair, and IL6/STAT3 signaling, and results revealed that these pathways are all altered as compared with the pretreatment tumor samples. Conclusions: Palbociclib resistance induces endocrine resistance, estrogen receptor downregulation, and alteration of IL6/STAT3 and DNA damage response pathways in cell lines and patient samples. Targeting IL6/STAT3 activity and DNA repair deficiency using a specific STAT3 inhibitor combined with a PARP inhibitor could effectively treat acquired resistance to palbociclib.