cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poétique tragique et pensée politique: La mise en scène de la souveraineté dans l'Œdipe de Voltaire

Written in 1718, only three years after Louis XIV's death, Voltaire's Œdipe reflects on the legacy of kings. The play draws a parallel between King Laius and the Greek hero Hercules, both of whom, having died shortly before the start of the dramatic action, are often evoked but only through memory. Instead, their spiritual successors embody their legacies. By incorporating the surprising presence of Philoctete—a character absent from the Oedipus myth of the Ancients—Voltaire suggests that heroism, rather than royalty alone, makes a lasting contribution to society. With this addition, the playwright creates an oppositional structure where Philoctete becomes Hercules's heir and a virtuous contrast to the doomed Œdipe. The play questions the supremacy of the royal figure by challenging royal representations of monarchical legacy. Voltaire returns to this contrast between heroic virtue and an illusory prestige in two later plays, Mahomet and Semiramis.
Structural Elements of the tRNA TΨC Loop Critical for Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Are Important for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Primer Selection

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) selects a host cell tRNA as the primer for the initiation of reverse transcription. In a previous study, transport of the intact tRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm during tRNA biogenesis was shown to be a requirement for the selection of the tRNA primer by HIV-1. To further examine the importance of tRNA structure for transport and the selection of the primer, yeast tRNA Phe mutants were designed such that the native tRNA structure would be disrupted to various extents. The capacity of the mutant tRNA Phe to complement a defective HIV-1 provirus that relies on the expression of yeast tRNA Phe for infectivity was determined. We found a direct relationship between intact tRNA conformation and the capacity to be selected by HIV-1 for use in reverse transcription. tRNA Phe mutants that retained the capacity for nucleocytoplasmic transport, indicative of overall intact conformation, complemented the defective provirus. The mutant tRNAs were not aminoacylated, and the levels of complementation were lower than that for wild-type tRNA Phe , which did undergo transport and aminoacylation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that HIV-1 primer selection is most dependent on a tRNA structure necessary for nucleocytoplasmic transport, consistent with primer selection occurring in the cytoplasm at or near the site of protein synthesis.
HLA‐B specificities and w4, w6 specificities are on the same polypeptide

The human alloantigenic specificities w4 and w6, which are products of a diallelic system genetically associated with the HLA-B locus, have been solubilized by papain digestion of membranes from the lymphoblastoid cell line, RPMI 4265. The w4 and w6 specificities copurified with the HLA-B locus products, HLA-B7 and HLA-B12. Sequential immunoprecipitation experiments were performed using alloantisera to HLA-B7, HLA-B12, w4 and w6, and a purified HLA-B7, B12, w4, w6 antigen pool labeled with 125I-Bolton-Hunter reagent. These experiments demonstrated directly that HLA-B7 and w6, which are genetically associated with each other, are different antigenic determinants on the same molecule, while HLA-B12 and w4, also genetically associated, are distinct antigenic determinants on a second molecule. Arguments are presented which suggest that the HLA-B determinants and w4, w6 determinants are in fact on the same polypeptide, and the genetic implications of the findings are discussed.
Stimulation of in Vitro Iodothyronine Synthesis in Thyroid Lobes from Rats Given a Low Iodine Diet, Propylthiouracil or TSH in Vivo

Feeding intact rats an iodinedeficientdiet for prolonged periods or propylthiouracilfor 10 or more days markedly stimulated in vitro labeled iodothyronine synthesis bytheir thyroid lobes. In vivo administration of 5 UTSH twice daily for 2 days also improved in vitro 131I-iodothyronine synthesis in both intactand hypophysectomized rats, but to a lesser extentthan the above dietary regimens. The stimulation of in vitro 131I-iodothyronine synthesis isprobably due to a combination of prolongedTSH stimulation of the thyroid gland in vivo combined with iodine depletion of the gland. In vitro triiodothyronine synthesis is apparentlymore dependent on TSH than is that of thyroxine.Earle’s solution seems to be a more satisfactorymedium for iodothyronine synthesis than isKrebs-Ringer phosphate. (Endocrinology 78: 715,1966)
A comparison of a social support physical activity intervention in weight management among post-partum Latinas

Weight gain during the childbearing years and failure to lose pregnancy weight after birth contribute to the development of obesity in postpartum Latinas. Madres para la Salud [Mothers for Health] was a 12-month, randomized controlled trial exploring a social support intervention with moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) seeking to effect changes in body fat, fat tissue inflammation, and depression symptoms in sedentary postpartum Latinas. This report describes the efficacy of the Madres intervention. The results show that while social support increased during the active intervention delivery, it declined to pre-intervention levels by the end of the intervention. There were significant achievements in aerobic and total steps across the 12 months of the intervention, and declines in body adiposity assessed with bioelectric impedance. Social support from family and friends mediated increases in aerobic PA resulting in decrease in percent body fat. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01908959 .
Brief communication "Improving the actual coverage of subsampling confidence intervals in atmospheric time series analysis"

In atmospheric time series analysis, where only one record is typically available, subsampling (which works under the weakest assumptions among resampling methods), is especially useful. In particular, it yields large-sample confidence intervals of asymptotically correct coverage probability. Atmospheric records, however, are often not long enough, causing a substandard coverage of subsampling confidence intervals. In the paper, the subsampling methodology is extended to become more applicable in such practically important cases.
When Is Assistance Helpful to Learning? Results in Combining Worked Examples and Intelligent Tutoring

When should instruction provide or withhold assistance? In three empirical studies, we have investigated whether worked examples, a high-assistance approach, studied in conjunction with tutored problems to be solved, a mid-level assistance approach, can lead to better learning. Contrary to prior results with untutoredproblem solving, a low-assistance approach, we found that worked examples alternating with isomorphic tutored problems did not produce more learning gains than tutored problems alone. However, the examples group across the three studies learned more efficiently than the tutored-alone group. Our studies, in conjunction with past studies, suggest that mid-level assistance leads to better learning than either lower or higher level assistance. However, while our results are illuminating, more work is needed to develop predictive theory for what combinations of assistance yield the most effective and efficient learning.
Review: probiotics are effective in preventing antibiotic associated diarrhoea.

(2002) BMJ 324, 1361. D’Souza AL, Rajkumar C, Cooke J, et al. . Probiotics in prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea: meta-analysis. . ; . : . –4 . [OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] QUESTION: In patients being treated with antibiotics, does co-administration with probiotics reduce the incidence of diarrhoea? Studies in any language (with English abstracts) were identified by searching Medline (1966–2000) with the terms probiotics, biotherapeutic agents, lactobacilli, antibiotic associated diarrhoea, and Clostridium difficile ; the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register; and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Studies were selected if they were randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trials of probiotic treatment given in combination with antibiotics and if diarrhoea prevention was reported. Studies of travellers’ diarrhoea and infectious diarrhoea were excluded. Data were extracted on sample size; type, dose, and duration of probiotic treatment; and antibiotic studied. The outcome of interest was prevention of diarrhoea. Diarrhoea was defined as a change from the normal bowel habit … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft.stitle%253DBMJ%26rft.issn%253D0007-1447%26rft.aulast%253DD%2527Souza%26rft.auinit1%253DA.%2BL%26rft.volume%253D324%26rft.issue%253D7350%26rft.spage%253D1361%26rft.epage%253D1361%26rft.atitle%253DProbiotics%2Bin%2Bprevention%2Bof%2Bantibiotic%2Bassociated%2Bdiarrhoea%253A%2Bmeta-analysis%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fbmj.324.7350.1361%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F12052801%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=bmj&resid=324/7350/1361&atom=%2Febnurs%2F6%2F1%2F16.atom
Farnesol kinase is involved in farnesol metabolism, ABA signaling and flower development in Arabidopsis

Summary Farnesol, which is toxic to plant cells at high concentrations, is sequentially phosphorylated to farnesyl phosphate and farnesyl diphosphate. However, the genes responsible for the sequential phosphorylation of farnesol have not been identified and the physiological role of farnesol phosphorylation has not been fully elucidated. To address these questions, we confirmed the presence of farnesol kinase activity in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) membranes and identified the corresponding gene (At5g58560, FOLK). Heterologous expression in recombinant yeast cells established farnesol as the preferred substrate of the FOLK-encoded kinase. Moreover, loss-of-function mutations in the FOLK gene abolished farnesol kinase activity, caused an abscisic acid-hypersensitive phenotype and promoted the development of supernumerary carpels under water-stress conditions. In wild-type plants, exogenous abscisic acid repressed FOLK gene expression. These observations demonstrate a role for farnesol kinase in negative regulation of abscisic acid signaling, and provide molecular evidence for a link between farnesol metabolism, abiotic stress signaling and flower development.
Expression of c-fos and BDNF mRNA in subregions of the prefrontal cortex of male and female rats after acute uncontrollable stress

Women exhibit higher lifetime prevalences of stress-related disorders than men. These disorders have been associated with changes in prefrontal cortex structure and function. Here, we examine the effects of acute inescapable stress, an animal model of behavioral depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, on plasma corticosterone (CORT) and on c-fos mRNA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA in regions of the prefrontal and frontal cortex in male and cycling female rats. Inescapable stress consisted of 100 1 mA tailshocks, and no-stress controls remained in their home cages. Rats were sacrificed immediately (0 min) or 60 min after termination of the stressor. CORT levels were increased at both 0 and 60 min post-stress termination relative to controls, and the increase was greater in females at both time points. c-fos mRNA expression increased at 0 min in prefrontal cortical regions, but this increase was greater in males than estrus and proestrus females. At 60 min, c-fos mRNA levels were lower than at 0 min in males but not females. No correlations between CORT and c-fos mRNA levels in prefrontal regions were observed in females in the stress groups, but significant correlations were observed in males in several prefrontal regions. BDNF mRNA expression was greater in control females than control males. Inescapable stress increased BDNF mRNA expression at 0 but not 60 min in males, but there was no effect of inescapable stress on BDNF mRNA in females. These results reveal sex differences in inescapable stress-induced gene expression that may have implications for differences in vulnerability to stress-related disorders.
Accuracy of Five Domestic Violence Screening Questions With Nongraphic Language

To assess the accuracy of 5 domestic violence screening questions designed with less graphic language that they may be appropriate when children are present, mothers (n = 400) were recruited from primary care waiting rooms. Sensitivities, specificities, and predictive values were calculated using the revised Conflict Tactic Scale. "How do you and your partner work out arguments?" was the best individual question (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.82, sensitivity 25%, specificity 97.7%). The 3-question combination with the domains of argument, safety, and manner of treating you and the children had the best results (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.86, sensitivity 45.5%, and specificity 94.6%). The high specificity suggests a less graphic and potentially more acceptable group of questions for introductory discussions about domestic violence.
Song for Pushkin

An imagined Russia–Soviet or otherwise–along with an imagined America have at times over the past century served as vehicles of hope in India as elsewhere. The American writer Jhumpa Lahiri tells the story of Gogol, the resentful son of Bengali migrants to Boston named by a father whose copy of the Russian’s works had once saved him from a train wreck. The story I recount here centers not on an Indian-origin Gogol but on an ‘America-returned’ Pushkin. But it, too, is an account of hope and the limit to hope, set in the aftermath of a time when India, America, and Russia stood as parallel dreamworlds offering a receptive humanity the future. If it is an account of homosexuality, it is because homosexuality has come to serve as a privileged marker both of hope and its limit in the aftermath of the three worlds. If it is an account told as a song, it is a song in the sense of the Sanskrit gita and how I would render it, as the recognition of an ethical universe one is asked to call into being. I sing in the face of Pushkin’s death. Ethics as a performative practice is offered here as a kind of mourning. The account: two men, Pushkin Chandra and Kuldeep, were found murdered on August 14, 2004, in New Delhi, at Chandra’s barsati, a small apartment adjoining his parents’ residence. The Chandras lived in a gated enclave known as Anand Lok, the Bliss World, in the south of the giant city. Within days, residents of Delhi, as well as a globally dispersed public stitched together through the consumption of Delhi-based media, were being offered frequent and lurid reporting on what quickly became known as the Pushkin Affair. The attention was based in part on Chandra’s social position; accounts referred to his father’s career in the prestigious Indian Administrative Service and to the posh surroundings of Anand Lok. But the extensive coverage emerged pri-
The Simplest Possible Presentation of the Life Cycle-Permanent Income Hypothesis and Ricardian Equivalence

In this paper, a set of simple numerical examples are used to illustrate the essence of the life cycle-permanent income hypothesis and Ricardian equivalence. The level of mathematical sophistication required of the reader is nothing more than grade school arithmetic. Since the simple Keynesian absolute income theory of consumption requires nothing more than elementary school mathematical competence, the playing field of the various theories is leveled for the novice reader.
Analysis on why Development Policies fail in Nigeria

The need to achieve development is of important to countries and development policies and plans are implemented with the aim of achieving economic development.
Comparative studies in detection of anti-HCV antibodies using Abbott IMx HCV, Serodia-HCV and DETECT-HCVTM

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been known to be a major etiologic agent of post .transfusion as well as sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis worldwide. The ELISA testing is the routine assay for detecting HCV antibodies. But it requires equipment and technical skill. Serodia O -HCV และ DETECT-HCV TM are test kits developed for the detection of anti-HCV. The principle of the test is passive haemagglutination and ELISA respectively. Objective: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of both test kits with Abbott IMx HCV. Method: Sera from 95 drug addict users who attended for treatment at Northern Drug Dependent Treatment Center of Chiang Mai and 69 pregnant women admitted at Mother and Child Hospital, Chiang Mai, are enrolled in this study. All sera samples are tested for anti-HCV by Serodia O -HCV and DETECT-HCV TM , and compared with Abbott IMx HCV as a standard test. Sensitivity and specificity were determined for both Serodia O -HCV and DETECT-HCV TM . Result: From serum sample 164 cases, anti-HCV was detected using Abbott IMx, Serodia O -HCV and DETECT- HCV TM as 67, 67 and 64 respectively. Three samples collected from drug addict patient could not be detected by DETECT-HCV T . The Serodia O -HCV showed complete concordance results with Abbott-IMx HCV. Conclusion: The sensitivity and specificity of Serodia O -HCV were 100% and 100% respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of DETECT-HCVTM were 95.6% and 100% respectively. This study demonstrated that Serodia O -HCV are comparable to Abbott IMx HCV and more practical testing in small laboratory where sample size is small. Bull Chiang Mai Assoc Med Sci 2010; 43: 63-69.
Size-Dependent Intercalation of Ions into Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite in Ionic Liquids: An Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscopy Study

Morphological changes of the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface during electrochemical intercalation–deintercalation process in pure ionic liquids (ILs) have been studied using electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM). The results show that electrochemical intercalation of ions into HOPG is strongly dependent on anionic size of the ILs used. Up to 0.8 V versus the Ag quasi reference, drastic reversible morphological changes of HOPG surface during anion intercalation–deintercalation were observed in [BMIM][HSO4], whereas these changes were absent in [BMIM][N(Tf)2]. However, at and above 1.2 V, the HOPG surface degrades in both the ILs to form carbon nanoparticles.
Large Diameter, CMOS-Manufacturable Photodetectors for over 2 Gbps Polymer Optical Fiber Applications

Lateral p-i-n photodetectors were fabricated in a CMOS-compatible process. The 200µm diameter devices had a bandwidth of 1.7 GHz, suitable for 2.5 Gbps operation. An unexpected illumination intensity dependance was observed and confirmed by simulation.
Inheritance of Rate of Growth in Bronze Turkeys

Abstract IT HAS been shown that much of the difference in percentage rate of growth of large and small strains and varieties of chickens occurs during the earlier months of the birds’ post hatching life. Thus Asmundson and Lerner (1934) found that Barred Plymouth Rocks grew more rapidly than Single Comb White Leghorns up to 16 weeks of age but not thereafter. Inherited differences in percentage rate of growth have been demonstrated between breeds of chickens (Lerner and Asmundson, 1932) and within breeds and varieties (Asmundson and Lerner, 1933). Inherited differences in weight have been shown for chickens based on mature weights (Waters, 1931) and about 8 weeks of age (Schnetzler, 1936). The inheritance of differences in gain and in weight at 8 weeks in turkeys has been reported by Abplanalp and Kosin (1952). They, Knox and Marsden (1944) and Asmundson (1948) have reported inherited differences in the weight of 24-week-old …
Wobblies! A graphic history of the Industrial Workers of the World, edited by Paul Buhle and Nicole Schulman

Wobblies! A Graphic History of the Industrial Workers of the World, edited by Paul Buhle and Nicole Schulman, relates the genesis, activities and central personalities behind the IWW (Industrial Wo...
Study on determination of benzene series in water by purge and trap in combination with gas chromatography

Objective:To establish an analytical method for the determination of 8 benzene series including benzene,toluene,p-Xylene,m-xylene,o-xylene,cumene,ethylbenze and styrene in water by purge and trap in combination with gas chromatography.Methods:Benzene series in water were purged by N2 and traped in the absorbed tube.The pyrolysate by heating the absorbed tube were separated and determined on the gas chromatography by an external standard method.Results:The linearity of 8 benzene series in the tested concentration range was good and the correlation coefficients were all more than 0.9990.The limits of quantification were found to be 0.0002 mg/L for the target compounds.The extraction recoveries were 90.2%~105.6% and the RSD all less than 5.0%.Conclusion:This method is simple,quick,sensitive,accurate and of no contamination for the determination of benzene series in water and it can be satisfactorily applied to the routine analysis.
The gifts of culture and of eloquence: An open letter to Michael J. Mahoney in reply to his article, "Scientific psychology and radical behaviorism".

Abstract In what seems to be a response to a paper by Skinner (1987), Mahoney (1989) provides evidence of unfamiliarity with and intellectual intolerance toward radical behaviorism by presenting a critique of it that includes a variety of improper and counterfactual attributions. For example, he argues that radical behaviorism is Cartesian rather than Baconian when the historical record shows the opposite, that it is fundamentally associationist when in fact it is selectionist, and that its philosophy of science is essentially that of operationalism and logical positivism when instead it moved on to other criteria decades ago. The details of Mahoney's history are sometimes flawed and sometimes unsubstantiated, as when he provides a distorted account of the origins of the Association for Behavior Analysis or when he makes undocumented claims about the banning of books. On examination, many of his arguments are couched in stylistic terms that share their rhetorical features with racial, ethnic, and religious stereotyping.
O-101 Introducing an ACP program in colorado: The kaiser permanente experience

Background Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) is a nonprofit, integrated health care delivery system providing comprehensive health services to > 600,000 members. Regional data reveal only 1 in 6 members have documented advance directives in the medical record. The quality of conversations is inconsistent and poorly understood. Aim Implement a systematic approach to ACP across all KPCO departments and care settings to better ensure patient-family values and treatment preferences are reliably known, documented, and followed. Methods In 2014, KPCO initiated implementation of a nationally recognised, evidence-based and staged approach to ACP. Initial steps included: casting vision and leveraging leadership support; building critical infrastructure; engaging and training teams; and measuring progress. Results To date, KPCO has built preliminary infrastructure and completed two waves of training. Faculty have certified 108 facilitators who have had nearly 800 conversations. Surveys show members are highly satisfied. Early shortcomings include: competing organisational priorities, time barriers, and inconsistent uptake of training. Successful teams share common features: an enthusiastic champion; ownership by the entire delivery team; middle management support and accountability; and a desire to learn and adapt. Discussion Early implementation of systematic ACP shows great promise. Speed of spread is largely governed by the organisation’s willingness to invest in critical infrastructure, teams’ commitments to work reprioritization, and the cultivation of a learning environment. Conclusion Adoption of an evidence-based, systematic approach to advance care planning in a large integrated health system is feasible. Success and speed of spread depend on widespread organisational commitment and adaptability.
Blantyre-Oslo Neurosurgery Program

(no abstract available) (Published: 3 June 2016) Citation: Glob Health Action 2016, 9: 32016 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v9.32016
Direct thrombin inhibitors.

1. George A Fritsma, MS MT(ASCP)[⇑][1] 1. is the UAB Coagulation Service Coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL 1. Address for correspondence: George A Fritsma MS MT(ASCP) , Department of Pathology, 619 South 19th Street, West Pavilion, P230, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL 35233. gfritsma{at}path.uab.edu DIRECT THROMBIN INHIBITORS The direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) argatroban, hirudin, and ximelagatran form the newest class of anticoagulants. Unlike heparin, which depends on antithrombin (AT) to inhibit thrombin activity, and unlike Coumadin®, a vitamin K antagonist that attenuates thrombin production by reducing the activity of coagulation factors II, VII, IX, and X, the DTIs neutralize thrombin directly by occupying its catalytic or its fibrinogen binding sites or both. In clinical trials most DTIs match or exceed the clinical efficacy of heparin and Coumadin while creating no additional hemorrhagic risk. They require little laboratory monitoring, and when monitoring is necessary, the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) or the ecarin clotting time (ECT, snake venom derived) are used.1 The activated clotting time (ACT) may also be used during heart surgery or percutaneous cardiac interventions (PCI). The DTIs provide crucial alternatives for patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis (HIT) and are beginning to replace heparin and Coumadin in other prophylactic and therapeutic applications.2 Thrombin Injuries to veins or arteries expose subendothelial collagen and tissue factor and release von Willebrand factor. The collagen and von Willebrand factor combine to activate platelets, releasing platelet-stored coagulation factors, while tissue factor activates the coagulation mechanism to generate the protease thrombin from prothrombin (Figure 1).3 Thrombin activates additional platelets, activates factor V, VIII, and XI, cleaves fibrinogen to form fibrin polymer, triggers the protein C control protein pathway, activates thrombin activated fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), triggers inflammation, and stimulates cellular proliferation (Figure 2).4 Thrombin binds to fibrin polymer in clots… ABBREVIATIONS: ACT = activated clotting time; AT = antithrombin; DTI = direct thrombin inhibitor; EC = endothelial cell; ECT = ecarin clotting time; HIT = heparin-induced thrombocytopenia; INR = international normalized ratio; LMWH = low molecular weight heparin; PCI = percutaneous cardiac interventions; PT = prothrombin time; PTT = partial thromboplastin time; TAFI = thrombin activated fibrinolysis inhibitor; TF = tissue factor; UFH = unfractionated heparin. [1]: #corresp-1
A Lightweight Dynamic Optimization Methodology for Embedded Wireless Sensor Networks

This chapter proposes a lightweight dynamic optimization methodology for embedded wireless sensor networks (EWSNs), that intelligently selects appropriate initial tunable parameter value settings by evaluating application requirements, the relative importance of these requirements with respect to each other, and the magnitude in which each parameter effects each requirement. This one-shot operating state obtained from appropriate initial parameter value settings provides a high-quality operating state with minimal design space exploration for highly constrained applications. The chapter presents a dynamic optimization methodology to iteratively improve the one-shot operating state to provide an optimal or near-optimal operating state for less constrained applications. The chapter addresses a lightweight online greedy algorithm that leverages intelligent parameter arrangement to iteratively explore the design space, resulting in an operating state within 2% of the optimal operating state while exploring only 0.04% of the design space.
Cholesterol Enrichment Impairs Capacitative Calcium Entry, eNOS Phosphorylation & Shear Stress-Induced NO Production

Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by decreased production or availability of nitric oxide (NO), is widely believed to be the hallmark of early-stage atherosclerosis. In addition, hypercholesterolemia is considered a major risk factor for development of atherosclerosis and is associated with impaired flow-induced dilation. However, the mechanism by which elevated cholesterol levels leads to decreased production of NO is unclear. NO is released in response to shear stress and agonist-evoked changes in intracellular calcium. Although calcium signaling is complex, we have previously shown that NO production by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is preferentially activated by calcium influx via store-operated channels. We hypothesized that cholesterol enrichment altered this signaling pathway (known as capacitive calcium entry; CCE) ultimately leading to decreased NO. Our results show that cholesterol enrichment abolished ATP-induced eNOS phosphorylation and attenuated the calcium response by the preferential inhibition of CCE. Furthermore, cholesterol enrichment also inhibited shear stress-induced NO production and eNOS phosporylation, consistent with our previous results showing a significant role for ATP autocrine stimulation and subsequent activation of CCE in the endothelial flow response.
Sparkling Wine Quality Control

The most famous of all sparkling wines is unquestionably champagne—named for the French Province where it is produced.
Case 53: Be Aware

You are an associate professor in surgery at a famous university medical center. You get a phone call from a colleague, who is also an associate professor in surgery, at another university medical center. He tells you that he is including you as an author on a paper he is about to submit. He says he is doing this in appreciation of all the preliminary discussions you had with him before he started the study.
Gastric Outlet Obstruction

Although the incidence of peptic ulcer disease related gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) continues to decrease, acute care surgeons still deal with the management of GOO from a variety of benign and malignant causes. It is imperative to understand the potential etiologies of both benign and malignant GOO and the subsequent endoscopic and surgical management. We review common benign and malignant causes of GOO and the associated treatment algorithms.
Structure of the Trophozoite and Cyst

In a letter to the Royal Society in 1681, Anton van Leeuwenhoek reported the microscopic observations of his own diarrheic stool (Dobell, 1920). Unfortunately, he made no drawings of the organism he saw, but his description is detailed and vivid enough to convince many that what he saw was Giardia duodenalis. His letter is also the first association of this parasite with intestinal disease. Leeuwenhoek’s description of the trophozoite includes the presence of flagella (“sundry little paws”), the ventral disc, shape, size, and motile behavior. The first formal description of G. duodenalis was made by Lambl (1859), in which he describes size, shape, and the presence of the ventral disc. Grassi (1879, 1881) improved on previous work by describing the presence of flagella and nuclei in the trophozoite and making the first description of the cyst. Detailed light microscopic descriptions of the trophozoite and cyst have been published by Simon (1921) and Filice (1952). The monograph by Filice provides the most complete work on the morphology of the trophozoites and cysts of G. agilis, G. duodenalis, and G. muris. His proposed definitions of the three species are adopted in this chapter.
Interplay Betweeen Recursive System Identification and Adaptive Filtering in Communication Systems

Abstract Three successful applications of adaptive filtering in communications systems (network echo cancellation, differential pulse code modulation, and linear channel equalization) emerged concurrently just over 25 years ago. This paper surveys these topics with an emphasis on links with the work of recursive system identification experts.
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS : RECOGNIZING ITS VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem disease that predominantly affects women. Probable causative factors include genetic predisposition, complement deficiencies, persistence of antigen, drugs, and environmental factors. The widely varying presentations of SLE include skin, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, neuropsychiatric, systemic, hematologic, and immunologic manifestations. Milder symptoms can be managed with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antimalarial agents. Corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs are given in more severe disease.
Reaction of Glyceraldehyde (Aldotriose) with Proteins is a Prototype of Nonenzymic Glycation: Protein Cross-Linking as a Consequence of in Vitro Nonenzymic Glycation

Nonenzymic glycation, a post-translational protein modification reaction, is simply a reflection of the potential of the ‘aldehydic’ function of aldoses to form a reversible Schiff base adduct with the amino groups of proteins and the subsequent intramolecular rearrangement known as Amadori rearrangement to form a more stable ketoamine adduct1. The modification of hemoglobin (Hb) A by glucose, an aldohexose, to form Hb A1c is a continous chemical proccess that occurs in vivo, and is the first known example of nonenzymic glycation2. Besides Hb, many other proteins have been shown to undergo nonenzymic glycation in vivo. One of the long-range chemical consequences of in vivo nonenzymic glycation is the covalent cross-linking of proteins3.
Resilience Analysis of Climate Change Effects on Water Quality and Health

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the application of the resilience methodology to analyze quantitative engineering problems and demonstrate how this analysis can be used in making policy decisions in water quality and climate change problems. The resilience thinking is a relatively new paradigm which has found its roots in the analysis of social-ecological systems. Engineering and thus quantitative applications of this conceptual framework is at its infancy and the topics discussed in this paper may shed some light to this path which is full of mathematical and computational difficulties.
Anästhesie für peripartale Notfallsituationen

Bei fetalem Distress unklarer Ursache werden zunachst einige Masnahmen getroffen, welche darauf abzielen, das sich der Fetus in utero erholen kann. Zunachst sollte versucht werden, die Uteroplazentardurchblutung durch Lageveranderung zu normalisieren. Einer moglichen aortokavalen Kompression sollte dabei Beachtung geschenkt werden. Ein intravenoser Flussigkeitsbolus und eventuell die Gabe eines Vasopressors ist beim Vorliegen einer Hypotension indiziert. Routinemasig wird der Schwangeren auch Sauerstoff per Gesichtsmaske verabreicht. Bei uteriner Hyperstimulation mus eine Oxytocin-Infusion gestoppt und eventuell tokolytisch behandelt werden. Manche Geburtshelfer versuchen, eine mogliche intrauterine Nabelschnurkompression durch eine Amnioinfusion zu verbessern.
Contrasts in Presidential Campaign Commercials of 2004

This article examines television advertising used during the 2004 presidential campaign. Based on interviews with the advertising creators and coordinators and on repeated viewings by the author and his graduate and undergraduate students, it describes, analyzes, and evaluates the ads. The study reveals massive spending totaling $620 million—a 235% increase over 2000. Kerry, his party, and 527 groups supporting his candidacy outspent Bush, his party, and his 527 groups $358 million to $262 million. Kerry had double the Bush ads, mainly because of state-specific ad placement. Kerry stayed positive early and ended with more positive ads, whereas his 527s took up the negative attack against Bush. Bush ran the most negative campaign in presidential history. 527 group ads played a significant role in the campaign, both early and late in the campaign. These ads hurt both Kerry and Bush early and aided Bush in the closing days of the campaign.
Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Mediated Phosphorylations in Mouse Neuroblastoma N18 Cells: A Model for Studying Insulin and IGF-I Action on Neural Tissue

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I are traditionally believed to regulate metabolic and growth activities in peripheral target tissues (1). However, since both peptides are present in the brain, they probably also function as neuropeptides (2). Additional evidence for their ability to function on nervous tissue is the finding that specific insulin and IGF-I receptors are present throughout the brain (3,4). These receptors exhibit structures typical of insulin and IGF-I receptors, which are heterotetramers consisting of 2 alpha-subunits which bind the ligand and two beta-subunits which are autophosphorylated as a result of ligand binding. The subunits are covalently linked via disulfide bridges (5,6,7). An important difference between brain and peripheral insulin and IGF-I receptors is the size of the receptor alpha-subunit, which has been found to be approximately lOkDa smaller in receptors from the CNS (8,9). The basis for this difference lies primarily in the extent and pattern of alpha-subunit glycosylation (10,11). Upon autophosphoryl-ation, insulin and IGF-I beta-subunits act as tyrosine kinases, toward endogenous and exogenous substrates, and considerable evidence has accumulated to suggest that this cascade of phosphorylations is critical to insulin action (12,13,14).
Insights into the effect of compaction pressure and material properties on interfacial bonding strength of bilayer tablets

Abstract The interfacial bonding strength (IBS) of four different layer combinations between microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and lactose (Lac), i.e., MCC/MCC, Lac/Lac, MCC/Lac and Lac/MCC (1st/2nd) was assessed. In these studies, various first layer (P1) and second layer compaction pressures (P2) were used to test the hypothesis that IBS is controlled by bonding area (BA) and bonding strength (BS) interplay at the interface. The BA was evaluated by measurement of the surface waviness and porosity, while BS was assessed by the tablet strength at zero porosity. Lower P1 leads to higher porosity of the first layer, and higher P2 generally leads to greater surface waviness at the interface, both favor a larger BA and thereby higher IBS. However, higher P2 causes a larger difference in radial expansion when the two layers differ, which weakens IBS. The materials in the two layers determine BS, which follows the descending order of MCC/MCC > MCC/Lac (Lac/MCC) > Lac/Lac. The trends in the effects of these factors on IBS support the hypothesis.
Offline Policy Iteration Based Reinforcement Learning Controller for Online Robotic Knee Prosthesis Parameter Tuning

This paper aims to develop an optimal controller that can automatically provide personalized control of robotic knee prosthesis in order to best support gait of individual prosthesis wearers. We introduced a new reinforcement learning (RL) controller for this purpose based on the promising ability of RL controllers to solve optimal control problems through interactions with the environment without requiring an explicit system model. However, collecting data from a human-prosthesis system is expensive and thus the design of a RL controller has to take into account data and time efficiency. We therefore propose an offline policy iteration based reinforcement learning approach. Our solution is built on the finite state machine (FSM) impedance control framework, which is the most used prosthesis control method in commercial and prototypic robotic prosthesis. Under such a framework, we designed an approximate policy iteration algorithm to devise impedance parameter update rules for 12 prosthesis control parameters in order to meet individual users’ needs. The goal of the reinforcement learning-based control was to reproduce near-normal knee kinematics during gait. We tested the RL controller obtained from offline learning in real time experiment involving the same able-bodied human subject wearing a robotic lower limb prosthesis. Our results showed that the RL control resulted in good convergent behavior in kinematic states, and the offline learning control policy successfully adjusted the prosthesis control parameters to produce near-normal knee kinematics in 10 updates of the impedance control parameters.
Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing for Geolocation-Centric Monitoring and Characterization of Opioid-Related Social Media Chatter

Importance Automatic curation of consumer-generated, opioid-related social media big data may enable real-time monitoring of the opioid epidemic in the United States. Objective To develop and validate an automatic text-processing pipeline for geospatial and temporal analysis of opioid-mentioning social media chatter. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted from December 1, 2017, to August 31, 2019, and used more than 3 years of publicly available social media posts on Twitter, dated from January 1, 2012, to October 31, 2015, that were geolocated in Pennsylvania. Opioid-mentioning tweets were extracted using prescription and illicit opioid names, including street names and misspellings. Social media posts (tweets) (n = 9006) were manually categorized into 4 classes, and training and evaluation of several machine learning algorithms were performed. Temporal and geospatial patterns were analyzed with the best-performing classifier on unlabeled data. Main Outcomes and Measures Pearson and Spearman correlations of county- and substate-level abuse-indicating tweet rates with opioid overdose death rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database and with 4 metrics from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 3 years were calculated. Classifier performances were measured through microaveraged F1 scores (harmonic mean of precision and recall) or accuracies and 95% CIs. Results A total of 9006 social media posts were annotated, of which 1748 (19.4%) were related to abuse, 2001 (22.2%) were related to information, 4830 (53.6%) were unrelated, and 427 (4.7%) were not in the English language. Yearly rates of abuse-indicating social media post showed statistically significant correlation with county-level opioid-related overdose death rates (n = 75) for 3 years (Pearsonr = 0.451,P Conclusions and Relevance The correlations obtained in this study suggest that a social media–based approach reliant on supervised machine learning may be suitable for geolocation-centric monitoring of the US opioid epidemic in near real time.
Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound: Identification of Neovascularization Permits Characterization of Vulnerable Carotid Plaques:

Objective:Carotid atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) represents an ongoing health problem and is responsible for a significant proportion of all cerebral ischemic events (CIEs).Method:A review...
Fusarium Hardlock Associated With Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae) Injury in Southeastern Cotton

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is an important insect pest in cotton that feeds on reproductive fruit, contributing to yield loss. Economically damaging infestations of L. lineolaris have doubled in Virginia since 2013. Escalation of L. lineolaris abundance may increase Fusarium hardlock disease observed in this region, compounding economic losses. Research has linked Fusarium hardlock with fungal species Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum. Field and greenhouse experiments were performed to investigate (i) Fusarium hardlock occurrence in field plots managed and unmanaged for L. lineolaris, (ii) severity of F. verticillioides infection of cotton bolls with and without the presence of L. lineolaris feeding in a greenhouse setting, and (iii) Fusarium species composition and prevalence within field-collected L. lineolaris and cotton lint with and without insect feeding injury and hardlock symptoms present. Nearly twice the amount of hardlock (i.e., proportion of hardlocked locules) occurred in field-collected bolls with L. lineolaris feeding symptoms (0.40 ± 0.02) compared with bolls without (0.21 ± 0.01). Based on real-time quantitative PCR, cotton bolls exposed to F. verticillioides inoculum and caged with L. lineolaris adults had greater levels of F. verticillioides DNA compared with untreated bolls. F. proliferatum, F. verticillioides, and F. fujikuroi were isolated from field-collected L. lineolaris and hardlocked cotton lint at harvest. These findings suggest that the presence of L. lineolaris is associated with an increased risk of Fusarium hardlock in Southeastern cotton, and both should be carefully managed using timely insecticide applications and cultural control practices to minimize yield loss.
NASA’s Space Launch System: Progress Toward Launch

The Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s cornerstone launch capability for a new generation of deep space exploration, has begun assembly at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in preparation for launch in 2021. SLS will provide an unparalleled launch capability for human and robotic deep space exploration missions. Its proven propulsion system, upgrade path to more powerful vehicles, and high-volume payload fairings make it the foundation for ambitious and demanding as part of the Artemis program. Artemis is NASA’s 21st-century plan to put boots on the Moon and to perform sustainable, long-term science in deep space, with eyes toward sending explorers to Mars. The initial SLS vehicle to fly, Block 1 in the crew configuration – with the new Orion spacecraft – is scheduled to lift off from revitalized launch facilities at KSC in 2021 for an uncrewed test flight known as Artemis I. Manufacturing is complete on the vehicle and all elements have been delivered to the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program, except the core stage. The program’s all-new development, the core stage is currently in the midst of a “Green Run” test campaign at Stennis Space Center (SSC). Eight progressively more challenging tests in the Green Run series will culminate in a hot-fire of four flight-proven liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen (LH2/LOX) RS25 engines. Following the Green Run hotfiring, the core stage will ship to KSC. Already at KSC, aft sections of the fivesegment solid rocket boosters are being assembled. Previously delivered elements, including the upper stage, are undergoing final checkouts in preparation for stacking. An exciting 2021 will include such milestones as stacking SLS and Orion in KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), modal testing, roll out to Launch Pad 39B, Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR), and launch. Teams across the country are preparing for launch by finalizing procedures, defining launch constraints and flight rules, training console operators, performing simulations, and more. With the SLS Block 1 vehicle for Artemis I nearing integration and launch, the second Block 1 vehicle in the crew configuration, which will carry astronauts on an Artemis II hybrid lunar flyby mission, has several elements manufactured. In fact, the solid rocket motor segments and RS-25 engines are complete. Those program elements are processing hardware for the third flight and working toward manufacturing the second SLS variant to fly, Block 1B, which will onramp a powerful new upper stage, the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS).
Music and mindfulness meditation: Comparing four music stimuli composed under similar principles:

Mindfulness meditation has frequently used sound and music as an important component. However, research on effective music stimuli is scarce. After a series of studies evaluating the most effective...