cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studying Mechanisms Underlying Stroke Induced Movement Disorders Using 3-D Robotics

When chronic hemiparetic stroke survivors make reaching movements while lifting the paretic arm against gravity, their ability to generate the necessary independent joint movements for reaching degrades dramatically due to abnormal muscle coactivation patterns that couple shoulder abduction with elbow flexion. The neural mechanisms behind the appearance of abnormal coordination patterns during post-stroke recovery are largely unknown, but they are possibly related to a loss in cortical resolution and an increased usage of undamaged, indirect descending motor pathways via the brainstem. In order to investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for this behavior in chronic stroke survivors, we combine 3-D robotics with the mapping of brain activity during controlled reaching movements with different levels of robot-mediated limb support. Our results provide evidence for changes in cortical activity driving realistic upper-extremity reaching movements as shoulder abduction drive is increased and independent joint control becomes compromised in stroke survivors. The advantage of using robotics to study mechanisms underlying the loss of independent joint control is discussed.
Effect of Community Health Education on Plasma Cholesterol Levels and Diet: The Stanford Five-City Project

This paper examines the effects of community-wide health education on diet-related knowledge and behavior and on plasma cholesterol levels during an experimental field study in medium-sized cities in northern California. Samples of the population aged 12-74 years were drawn at baseline and every 2 years thereafter to obtain four cross-sectional surveys; participants aged 25-74 years are included in this paper (n = 6,814 or about 425 per city per survey). The baseline sample was asked to return to three follow-up surveys, also 2 years apart, constituting the cohort survey sample (n = 777). Diet was assessed by 24-hour recalls. In the serial cross-sectional survey samples, nutritional knowledge increased over time in both men and women in all cities; among women, this increase was significantly greater in the treatment cities. Plasma cholesterol declined significantly only in men and in neither sex was there evidence of a larger decline in treatment than in control cities. Dietary saturated fat intake tended to decline, but not significantly in either sex, and there was no evidence of treatment impact. Dietary cholesterol intake declined in both sexes. Results in the cohort samples were similar, except plasma cholesterol levels were unchanged over time in men and increased in women, and dietary saturated fat intake declined significantly among women. Secular improvements in knowledge of nutrition and in dietary cholesterol intake occurred during the early 1980s in both men and women in these four cities, while there was less consistent improvement in dietary saturated fat intake. Only nutritional knowledge among women achieved greater improvement in treatment cities than in control cities. Continued and greater change in nutrition probably requires more sustained effort and broader methods, including changes in the food supply.
Cholecystokinin at physiological levels evokes pancreatic enzyme secretion via a cholinergic pathway.

The mechanism by which physiological concentrations of cholecystokinin (CCK) evoke pancreatic exocrine secretion in humans was investigated. CCK octapeptide (CCK-8) dose dependently increased trypsin and lipase output in healthy humans. Atropine inhibited CCK-8 (10 ng.kg-1.h-1)-stimulated trypsin output by 84.0 +/- 7.7% and lipase output by 78.6 +/- 9.2%. The inhibition with atropine was much less with a CCK-8 dose of 40 ng.kg-1.h-1 (41.8 +/- 6.6% for trypsin and 46.3 +/- 7.3% for lipase). CCK-8 at 10 ng.kg-1.h-1 produced plasma CCK levels similar to postprandial levels (6.0 +/- 1.3 vs. 6.9 +/- 0.8 pM), whereas the 40-ng.kg-1.h-1 dose produced supraphysiological levels (18.4 +/- 3.1 pM). To evaluate if CCK might act via stimulation of cholinergic nerves, in vitro studies were performed using rat pancreas. CCK-8 (10 nM-10 microM) stimulated [3H]acetylcholine release from pancreatic lobules that was blocked by tetrodotoxin, a calcium-free medium, and the CCK antagonist L364,718. In conclusion, CCK-stimulated pancreatic enzyme secretion is dependent on cholinergic neural and noncholinergic pathways. In humans, CCK infusions, which produce plasma CCK levels similar to those seen postprandially, stimulate the pancreas predominantly via a pathway dependent on cholinergic innervation. Correlative in vitro experiments suggest that CCK may act by stimulation of neural acetylcholine release. In contrast, supraphysiological CCK infusions act in part via noncholinergic pathways.
Ab Initio Calculations on Large Molecules Using Molecular Fragments. Initial Studies on Prostaglandin Pgf1β

An initial study on prostaglandin PGF1β has been carried out using ab initio quantum mechanics (the molecular fragment technique) and the crystallographically observed conformation. Analysis of the resulting charge distribution and molecular orbital structure has been carried out, and possible reactive sites in the molecule have been identified.
Multi-camera/spectrometer design for instantaneous line Rayleigh/Raman/LIPF measurements in methane/air flames

A combined Rayleigh/Raman/Laser-Induced Predissociative Fluorescence (LIPF) technique is being developed to obtain instantaneous measurements of major species (CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, CO{sub 2}, and CO), temperature, and OH along a line in premixed methane-air flames. The design of the system is presented. A 0.75 meter spectrometer has been modified into a 0.65 meter spectrometer mounted with four cameras for data collection. An Intensified Photodiode Array (IPDA) is used to capture the Rayleigh scattering signal of the KrF excimer laser operating at 248 nm. The Raman scattering lines from H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O are recorded on an Intensified Charge Coupled Device camera (ICCD), while a backlit liquid nitrogen cooled Charge Coupled Device camera (LN/CCD) captures the remaining Raman lines from CO{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, CO, N{sub 2}, and CH{sub 4}. Another ICCD camera records the OH LIPF signal. A comparison of the accuracies of the cameras is also presented.
Exploiting the Inherent Metastasis of Leukemia to Improve Chemotherapeutic Approaches

Nearly all cancers are linked by the inexorable phenotype of metastasis as malignant growths have the capability to spread from their place of origin to distant sites throughout the body. While different cancers may have various propensities to migrate towards specific locations, they are all linked by this unifying principal. Unlike most neoplasms, leukemia has inherent cell motility as leukocytes are required to move throughout the vascular system, suggesting that no mutations are required for anchorage independent growth. As such, it seems likely that leukemias are inherently metastatic, endowed with cancer’s deadliest phenotype simply due to cell of origin. This article presents the biology of metastasis development and how leukemia cells are inherently provided this devastating phenotype. It is then elucidated how clinicians may be able to exploit the motility of leukemia and metastatic emboli of other cancer types through an approach known as Sonodynamic Therapy (SDT), a treatment modality that combines chemotherapeutic agents with ultrasonic irradiation to preferentially damage malignant cells. As experimental evidence has indicated, SDT is a promising therapeutic approach in need of clinical testing for further validation.
Abstract 3893: Inhalational temozolomide-a new mode of treating malignant gliomas

Temozolomide (TMZ) is the standard of care chemotherapy for treatment of malignant gliomas; it is currently delivered orally or intravenously. Perillyl alcohol is a monoterpene which has been used to treat patients with malignant gliomas via an intranasal delivery system. Recently, we have constructed a new chemical entity (NCE) by conjugating temozolomide to perillyl alcohol via a carbamate bond. This new compound has been named TMZ-POH (NEO212). This new compound has been tested in-vitro in a number of assays. Its mechanism of action does not appear to be MGMT mediated, as addition of O6-benzylguanine has no effect on its cytotoxicity in glioma cells regardless of their MGMT status. On the other hand, TMZ-POH appears to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in malignant glioma cells, as demonstrated by an increase in glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and the apoptotic protein CHOP expression. MTT assays demonstrate that TMZ-POH is effective in both temozolomide sensitive and resistant U251, U87, LN229 malignant glioma cell lines. IC50 for colony formation assays (CFA) was determined for U251 temozolomide sensitive and resistant cells to be 18 uM and not achieved (0-60 uM). TMZ-POH, on the other hand, had IC50 of 10 uM and 30 uM respectively for TMZ sensitive and resistant U251 glioma cells. MTT assays using glioblastoma cancer stem cells (CSC) demonstrated that TMZ-POH induced IC50 cytotoxicity at 200 uM, compared to no cytotoxicity in the TMZ treated CSC. Moreover, TMZ-POH demonstrated no toxicity on normal astrocytes. Treatment of glioma cells with TMZ alone, POH alone, TMZ dissolved in POH, and TMZ-POH demonstrated that TMZ-POH was two orders of magnitude more cytotoxic than TMZ dissolved in POH. These data lead us to conclude that TMZ-POH is a NCE which may be evaluated for potential intranasal drug delivery to treat patients with malignant gliomas. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3893. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3893
Role for 5-HT and ACh in submucosal reflexes mediating colonic secretion

Neural reflex pathways activated in response to mucosal stroking were investigated in segments of distal colon from guinea pigs. Stroking the mucosal surface of whole thickness or muscle-stripped segments with a brush at 1/s evoked an increase in short-circuit current (Isc) whose duration and amplitude were dependent on the number of strokes. The increase in Isc induced by mucosal stroking was virtually abolished by inhibitors of chloride secretion and by tetrodotoxin. The response was reduced by atropine, renzapride, and N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptophyl-5-hydroxytryptophan amide but not by mecamylamine, ketanserin, tropisetron, or SDZ-205-557. Mucosal application of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindalpine increased Isc, which was attenuated by tetrodotoxin and renzapride. The results suggest that mucosal stroking evokes chloride secretion by activating neural reflex pathways utilizing serotoninergic receptors, of the 5-HT1P class, as well as muscarinic receptors within the submucosal plexus.
Economic aspects of clinical decision making: applications of clinical decision analysis

Clinical decision analysis as a basic tool for decision making is described, and potential applications of decision analysis in six areas of clinical practice are identified. Clinical decision analysis is a systematic method of describing clinical problems in a quantitative fashion, identifying possible courses of action, assessing the probability and value of outcomes, and then making a calculation to select the ultimate course of action. Clinical decision analysis provides a structure for clinical decision problems, helps clarify medical controversies, and encourages decision makers to speak a common language. Applications of clinical decision analysis in the areas of diagnostic testing, patient management, product and program selection, research and education, patient preferences, and health-care-policy evaluation are described. Decision analysis offers health professionals a tool for making quantifiable, cost-effective clinical decisions, especially in terms of clinical outcomes.
Minor Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack: Research and Practice

A majority of patients with ischemic stroke present with mild deficits for which aggressive management is not often pursued. Comprehensive work-up and appropriate intervention for minor strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) point toward better patient outcomes, lower costs, and fewer cases of disability. Imaging is a key modality to guide treatment and predict stroke recurrence. Patients with large vessel occlusions have been found to suffer worse outcomes and could benefit from intervention. Whether intravenous thrombolytic therapy decreases disability in minor stroke patients and whether acute endovascular intervention improves functional outcomes in patients with minor stroke and known large vessel occlusion remain controversial. Studies are ongoing to determine ideal antiplatelet therapy for stroke and TIA, while ongoing statin therapy, surgical management for patients with carotid stenosis, and anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation have all been proven to decrease the rate of stroke recurrence and improve outcomes. This review summarizes the current evidence and discusses the standard of care for patients with minor stroke and TIA.
The modern rhytidectomy

In recent years, significant evolutionary changes in the management of the aging face have occurred. These changes have resulted in dramatic improvements, not only in aesthetic results but also in longevity. This article attempts to collate these changes into a modern rhytidectomy technique.
A method for distinguishing between propagons, diffusions, and locons

The majority of intuition on phonon transport has been derived from studies of homogenous crystalline solids, where the atomic composition and structure are periodic. For this specific class of materials, the solutions to the equations of motions for the atoms (in the harmonic limit) result in plane wave modulated velocity fields for the normal modes of vibration. However, it has been known for several decades that whenever a system lacks periodicity, either compositional or structural, the normal modes of vibration can still be determined (in the harmonic limit), but the solutions take on different characteristics and many modes may not be plane wave modulated. Previous work has classified the types of vibrations into three primary categories, namely, propagons, diffusions, and locons. One can use the participation ratio to distinguish locons, from propagons and diffusons, which measures the extent to which a mode is localized. However, distinguishing between propagons and diffusons has remained a challenge, since both are spatially delocalized. Here, we present a new method that quantifies the extent to which a mode's character corresponds to a propagating mode, e.g., exhibits plane wave modulation. This then allows for clear and quantitative distinctions between propagons and diffusons. By resolving this issue quantitatively, one can now automate the classification of modes for any arbitrary material or structure, subject to a single constraint that the atoms must vibrate stably around their respective equilibrium sites. Several example test cases are studied including crystalline silicon and germanium, crystalline silicon with different defect concentrations, as well as amorphous silicon, germanium, and silica.
Observation of the collapse and revival of a Rydberg electronic wave packet

Quantum mechanical wave packet states can approach the classical ideal of a spatially localized particle traveling along a well defined trajectory. The uncertainty principle places a limitation on this localization. But, for bound systems excited appreciably above their ground states, this is not a very stringent limitation.
Vascular architecture in subharmonic breast images: A comparative study

Three algorithms for extracting vascular architecture in contrast-enhanced subharmonic imaging (SHI) were compared. Skeletonization of binary images was achieved by applying either sequential or parallel thinning or a non-iterative method using the distance transformation. The 2 iterative algorithms conditionally erode the vessel using local neighborhood patterns as sufficient condition, while the non-iterative method calculates the center line of the vessel directly. Results from 40 test images (letters and numbers) were compared based on data reduction efficiency, medial axis representation, connectivity and rotational invariance. In vivo grayscale SHI data was obtained from 16 breast lesions using a modified Logiq 9 scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI) and Cumulative Maximum Intensity (CMI) SHI images, which retain maximum intensity pixels from successive frames, were created. Lesion types were analyzed in terms of bifurcations and average vessel-chain length of the vascular architecture. All algorithms retained connectivity in vitro, but only the sequential algorithm was rotational invariant. The data reduction efficiency was better with sequential thinning (0.93±0.01) than with the other 2 methods (0.82±0.02 and 0.90±0.02 for parallel and distance transformation, respectively; p 0.4). In conclusion, 3 different algorithms for skeletonizing the vascular structures of breast lesions depicted in SHI mode were compared. Sequential thinning produced the best results in vitro and in vivo.
Plant Contamination by PCBs from Amended Soils.

Plants accumulated PCBs (Aroclors) from soil amended with lake sediment contaminated with Aroclors 1248, 1254, and 1260. Uptake into different parts of vegetable plants was investigated in the field by growing beets ( Beta vulgaris L .), turnips ( Brassica rapa L .) and beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L .). In beets and turnips, leaves accumulated larger concentrations of PCBs than the roots. In beans, leaves and pods contained higher concentrations than the stems, while only low concentrations were detected in the seeds. Bioaccumulation of Aroclors by plants was in the following order: Aroclor 1248 > 1254 > 1260. Relative to their concentration in the soil, the lower chlorinated PCB isomers which are more soluble in water and more volatile were more abundant in plants then the higher chlorinated isomers.
Towards a Heuristic Research Model Linking Early Socioeconomic Adversity and Youth Cumulative Disease Risk: An Integrative Review

This integrative review draws on previous empirical and theoretical work across multiple research traditions, including psychology, sociology, and neurology, to create a framework detailing pathways linking early socioeconomic adversity in childhood and adolescence to subsequent disease risk later in adolescence and young adulthood. A comprehensive search ultimately led to the socioeconomic adversity and disease risk model for youth, which is a heuristic research framework detailing four overarching pathways focused on early biological/genetic vulnerability, physiological responses (comprised of stress responses and hormonal activity), psychosocial resource trajectories, and behavioral and mental health trajectories as well as potential modifiers of these pathways. Other central constructs include brain development/neuroplasticity and adolescent life stressors. The heuristic research framework calls for an integrated perspective taking a long-view over early life course to explain cumulative physical disease risk by combining knowledge from developmental, social, neurocognitive, and biological sciences.
How Chemical Structure Determines Spatial Structure in Flame Profiles

Flames embody an array of highly complex physico-chemical phenomena. Their complexity is, in part, a consequence of fluid dynamical and other instabilities which render them prone to irregular behavior, or at least to complicated patterns in space-time. Another complexity is due to the large number of chemical reactions which nearly always contribute to the combustion process. Both of these difficulties are often ignored in analytical treatments, although some major advances achieved in the last decade have served to clarify a few issues in the first category. There have also been analyses illustrating the effects which multiple reactions may have on flames (e.g., see [5], [6], [7], [8], and [9], and related issues in [1]).
Renegotiating Spheres of Obligation: The Role of Hierarchy in Organizational Learning

To achieve organization-wide goals, sometimes multiple local groups must synchronize their learning activities. This paper uses an ethnographic study of a cancer treatment center to develop theory on organizational learning by identifying a process that helped synchronize learning across many local and interdependent groups by taking advantage of hierarchy. Change agents—in this case, consultants—identified the managers of the various groups that would need to change for an organization-wide goal to be achieved, and they met with each manager to renegotiate his or her formal obligations. Through the renegotiation process, the managers came to better understand the organization-wide goal, and the change agents better understood each group’s work. After the managers understood and accepted their renegotiated obligations, they changed how they administered resources and expectations in their groups, and the members of their respective groups adapted their practices in response. This process illustrates how t...
Yield of community-based tuberculosis targeted testing and treatment in foreign-born populations in the United States: A systematic review.

Objective To synthesize outputs and outcomes of community-based tuberculosis targeted testing and treatment (TTT) programs in foreign-born populations (FBP) in the United States (US). Methods We systematically searched five bibliographic databases and other key resources. Two reviewers independently applied eligibility criteria to screen citations and extracted data from included studies. We excluded studies that contained 90%). We used random-effects meta-analytic models to calculate pooled proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for community-based TTT cascade steps (e.g., recruited, tested and treated), and used them to create two hypothetical cascades for 100 individuals. Results Fifteen studies conducted in 10 US states met inclusion criteria. Studies were heterogeneous in recruitment strategies and mostly recruited participants born in Latin America. Of 100 hypothetical participants (predominantly FBP) reached by community-based TTT, 40.4 (95% CI 28.6 to 50.1) would have valid test results, 15.7 (95% CI 9.9 to 21.8) would test positive, and 3.6 (95% CI 1.4 to 6.0) would complete LTBI treatment. Likewise, of 100 hypothetical participants (majority FBP) reached, 77.9 (95% CI 54.0 to 92.1) would have valid test results, 26.5 (95% CI 18.0 to 33.5) would test positive, and 5.4 (95% CI 2.1 to 9.0) would complete LTBI treatment. Of those with valid test results, pooled proportions of LTBI test positive for predominantly FBP and majority FBP were 38.9% (95% CI 28.6 to 49.8) and 34.3% (95% CI 29.3 to 39.5), respectively. Conclusions We observed high attrition throughout the care cascade in FBP participating in LTBI community-based TTT studies. Few studies included cascade steps prior to LTBI diagnosis, limiting our review findings. Moreover, Asia-born populations in the US are substantially underrepresented in the FBP community-based TTT literature.
Vaccines for herpes simplex virus infections

Infections with herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) can have serious medical consequences. Although antiviral medications can suppress symptomatic disease, asymptomatic shedding and transmission, they neither cure nor alter the natural history of HSV infections. Manipulation of the immune response is one potential method to decrease disease burden. Current research on prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination approaches is discussed in this review, with a focus on compounds that have entered clinical trials or that display novel compositions or proposed mechanisms of action. One such vaccine is an alum and monophosphoryl lipid A-adjuvanted subunit glycoprotein D2 vaccine that has demonstrated activity in the prevention of HSV-2 infection and disease in HSV-uninfected women in a phase III clinical trial. Further confirmatory clinical trials of this vaccine are currently underway. Other vaccine formats also in development include attenuated live or replication-incompetent HSV-2 strains and technologies that target virus-specific CD8 T-cell responses.
Land, State Capacity, and Colonialism: Evidence From India:

Many authors have argued that colonial institutions influenced contemporary economic outcomes by influencing levels of economic inequality and political conflict. Such accounts neglect an additiona...
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Combined Dual Motor Nerve Transfers versus Alternative Surgical and Nonsurgical Management Strategies to Restore Shoulder Function Following Upper Brachial Plexus Injury.

BACKGROUND Restoration of shoulder function is an important treatment goal in upper brachial plexus injury (UBPI). Combined dual motor nerve transfer (CDNT) of spinal accessory to suprascapular and radial to axillary nerves demonstrates good functional recovery with minimal risk of perioperative complications. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CDNT vs alternative operative and nonoperative treatments for UBPI. METHODS A decision model was constructed to evaluate costs ($, third-party payer) and effectiveness (quality-adjusted life years [QALYs]) of CDNT compared to glenohumeral arthrodesis (GA), conservative management, and nontreatment strategies. Estimates for branch probabilities, costs, and QALYs were derived from published studies. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER, $/QALY) were calculated to compare the competing strategies. One-way, 2-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses with 100 000 iterations were performed to account for effects of uncertainty in model inputs. RESULTS Base case model demonstrated CDNT effectiveness, yielding an expected 21.04 lifetime QALYs, compared to 20.89 QALYs with GA, 19.68 QALYs with conservative management, and 19.15 QALYs with no treatment. The ICERs for CDNT, GA, and conservative management vs nontreatment were $5776.73/QALY, $10 483.52/QALY, and $882.47/QALY, respectively. Adjusting for potential income associated with increased likelihood of returning to work after clinical recovery demonstrated CDNT as the dominant strategy, with ICER = -$56 459.54/QALY relative to nontreatment. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed CDNT cost-effectiveness at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000/QALY in 78.47% and 81.97% of trials with and without income adjustment, respectively. Conservative management dominated in <1% of iterations. CONCLUSION CDNT and GA are cost-effective interventions to restore shoulder function in patients with UBPI.
Fundamentals of Banach Algebras and C*-Algebras

In this this first chapter, we lay the foundation for later discussion, giving elementary results in Banach algebras and C*-algebras. The first three sections are devoted to the general Banach algebras. The most important results in these sections are Theorem 2.5, Corollary 2.6, and Theorem 3.11, which are really fundamental in the theory of Banach algebras. Discussion of C*-algebras starts from Section 4. As an object of the theory of operator algebras, a C*-algebra is a uniformly closed self-adjoint algebra A of bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space ℌ. The major task of the theory of operator algebras is to find descriptions of the structure of {A,ℌ}. This problem splits into two problems: (a) Find descriptions of the algebraic structure of A alone; (b) Given an algebra A, find all possible pairs {B,ℜ} such that B is isomorphic to A as an abstract algebra.
Introduction and Comments

As the first speaker at the Symposium, I take the opportunity to thank the organizers of that meeting, and especially Dr. J. Palo and Mrs. L.-M. Palo for all the arrangements they made. I am sure that all the participants share my sentiments when I say that it was a privilege to meet in the historically significant and architecturally magnificent Finlandia Hall.
Ultra-high speed imaging for explosive-driven shocks in transparent media

An ultra-high-speed imaging system employing laser backlighting with spoiled coherence is developed to visualize shock waves driven into transparent media, such as air and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), through shock and detonation interaction. Resulting time-resolved image sequences yield two-dimensional visualizations of shock geometry as well as quantitative measurements of shock position history. One-dimensional measurements of detonator-driven shock position in both air and PMMA have recently been validated using simultaneous photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) measurements and predictive calculations. The imaging system is currently being utilized to visualize shock waves driven into air and PMMA samples through multiple interactions with detonating explosives. System development, implementation, and experimental data are discussed.
Classifying learner engagement through integration of multiple data sources

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) can provide effective instruction, but learners do not always use such systems effectively. In the present study, high school students' action sequences with a mathematics ITS were machine-classified into five finite-state machines indicating guessing strategies, appropriate help use, and independent problem solving; over 90% of problem events were categorized. Students were grouped via cluster analyses based on self reports of motivation. Motivation grouping predicted ITS strategic approach better than prior math achievement (as rated by classroom teachers). Learners who reported being disengaged in math were most likely to exhibit appropriate help use while working with the ITS, relative to average and high motivation learners. The results indicate that learners can readily report their motivation state and that these data predict how learners interact with the ITS.
ProteoStorm: An Ultrafast Metaproteomics Database Search Framework

Summary Shotgun metaproteomics has the potential to reveal the functional landscape of microbial communities but lacks appropriate methods for complex samples with unknown compositions. In the absence of prior taxonomic information, tandem mass spectra would be searched against large pan-microbial databases, which requires heavy computational workload and reduces sensitivity. We present ProteoStorm, an efficient database search framework for large-scale metaproteomics studies, which identifies high-confidence peptide-spectrum matches (PSMs) while achieving a two-to-three orders-of-magnitude speedup over popular tools. A reanalysis of a urinary tract infection (UTI) dataset of 110 individuals revealed a complex pattern of polymicrobial expression, including sub-types of UTIs, cases of bacterial vaginosis, and evidence of no underlying disease. Importantly, compared to the initial UTI study that restricted the search database to a manually curated list of 20 genera, ProteoStorm identified additional genera that were previously unreported, including a case of infection with the rare pathogen Propionimicrobium.
Ambidexterity and Senior Leadership: Paradoxical practices to explore and exploit simultaneously

Ambidexterity enables organizational adaptation, yet exploring and exploiting simultaneously imposes dual challenges of inertia and inconsistencies on senior leaders. While extant research has iden...
Chapter 5 – Entropy and exergy

This chapter describes entropy and exergy concepts in detail. Entropy is a thermodynamic potential and is not conserved; it gives a quantitative measure of irreversibility. It can be used to distinguish between reversible and irreversible processes. The concept of entropy is associated with biological systems and the existence of all living beings is based on entropy export. The entropy balance is analogous to energy balance relation and some concepts of entropy have been presented. Exergy is the maximum amount of work that is performed theoretically by bringing a resource into equilibrium with its surrounding through a reversible process. It is a function of both the physical properties of a resource and its environment. Exergy is described as a useful concept not only in engineering but also for a proper resource management and reducing environmental destruction. The main components of the exergy are the kinetic exergy, potential exergy, physical exergy, and chemical exergy. Energy is conserved in every process and cannot be destroyed but can be converted to another form.
Acknowledging Scientific Contributions

That first issue of evaluating the importance of a scientific finding turns principally on two factors: informativeness and fruitfulness. Informativeness hinges on the extent of its alteration of the preexisting state of knowledge. Does it add but little to what is already known, or does it add a great deal? Or does it subtract by undermining ideas in which one once had confidence? Does it perhaps even have cataclysmic implications and require us to “go back to the old drawing board” and rethink the entire matter? Fruitfulness, by contrast, is a matter of what can be done with the discovery at issue. Does it open new avenues of progress leading to further insights and findings?
In praise of my mentors and mentees: mentoring as an institution of African literature

Mentoring represents an Institution of the African literature association. Consolidating this great tradition begins, for every member, to express gratitude to the mentors of the past and present. ...
Practically Emotional: Young Men’s Perspectives on What Works in Reentry Programs

The rate of criminal recidivism in the United States peaks among young adult men (ages 18–24), suggesting this population needs extra support during reentry. Government and nonprofit reentry progra...
Rebutting Distortions of How the Sanctity of Life Doctrine Applies to the Periviable

In the September article "Should Parents of Neonates with Bleak Prognosis Be Encouraged to Opt for Another Child with Better Odds? On the Notion of Moral Replaceability," (Tannsjo 2018, S552-57), the author contrasts how three different moral philosophies can be applied to medical decision-making for periviable babies. Unfortunately, the sanctity of life doctrine is critically misrepresented. Unlike what is stated in the article, this doctrine is not a framework that unconditionally advises the resuscitation of all extremely premature babies at all costs under any circumstances. Instead, by considering the degree of usefulness and burdensomeness of medical treatments, the sanctity of life doctrine exercises a prudent stewardship over finite resources while simultaneously honoring the inherent dignity in every human being.
Towards Effective Interface Designs for Collaborative HRI in Manufacturing: Metrics and Measures

We present a comprehensive framework and test methodology for the evaluation of human-machine interfaces (HMI) and human-robot interactions (HRI) in collaborative manufacturing applications. An overview of the challenges that face current- and next-generation collaborative robot systems is presented, specifically focused on the interactions between man and machine, and a series of objectively quantitative and subjectively qualitative metrics are given to guide the development and assessment of interfaces and interactions. A generalized set of guidelines for the design of HMI is also proposed to address these challenges and thereby enable effective and intuitive diagnostics and error corrections when process failures occur. These guidelines are aimed at aiding researchers in developing effective interface and interaction technologies, maximizing operator situation awareness in human-robot collaborative manufacturing teams, promoting effective process and system diagnostics reporting, and enabling faster responses to equipment or application errors.
Initial diameter effects on combustion of unsupported equi-volume n-heptane/iso-octane mixture droplets and the transition to cool flame behavior: Experimental observations and detailed numerical modeling

Abstract This study reports an experimental and numerical investigation of droplet combustion of a miscible n-heptane/iso-octane mixture at a fixed mixture fraction (equi-volume) for initial diameters (Do) in the range of 0.8 mm ≤ Do
Geometrical distortions and a correction algorithm in single-shot PG-FROG measurements

Pulse-width measurements in a single-shot geometry are convenient for high-energy pulses and low-repetition-rate lasers. However, if the signal beam does not propagate along the bisector of the incoming beams, inherent problems due to the finite thickness of the nonlinear medium degrade the temporal resolution. For example, for a single-shot PG-FROG, the signal propagates in the direction of one of the beams. Figure 1 shows the wave fronts of both beams at a time t and at a later time t + T. The angle between the two beams is 2Θ, the angle between the normal of the Kerr medium of thickness, is l and the propagation direction of the signal is ϕ. The smearing problem due to the finite thickness of the nonlinear medium can be clearly seen in the case of 10-fs pulses. Geometry, not dispersion, is the limiting factor for the case considered here; dispersion due to the Kerr medium would broaden the pulse by less than 10%. However, Fig. 1 shows that the temporal width of the measured signal broadens from 10 fs to 20 fs because of to the geometry (Θ = 4, ϕ = 0, I = 400 μm, and the index of refraction is 1.5)—an increase of 100%.
Design Science Research Problems … Where Do They Come From?

Effective and impactful design science research requires appropriate research conduct, and an appropriate research problem. Scholars in the DSR community continue to clarify the foundations for appropriate research conduct. In contrast, few guidelines or guardrails have been proposed to identify and develop research problems. Without such guidance, DSR efforts run the risk of pursuing problems that are either un-important or not-well-formulated. In this paper, I draw on writings beyond the DSR community to develop considerations that DSR scholars can use to identify and develop research problems, acknowledging their evolving ontological status. The paper describes an approach, articulates these considerations, and develops arguments that can help the identification and development of research problems for DSR efforts.
Environmental enrichment prevents stress-induced epigenetic changes in the expression of glucocorticoid receptor and corticotrophin releasing hormone in the central nucleus of the amygdala to inhibit visceral hypersensitivity.

Abstract Introduction Stress is a known trigger for the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that presents with abnormal bowel habits and abdominal pain due to visceral hypersensitivity. While behavioral therapies have been used to attenuate IBS symptoms, the underlying mechanisms by which these therapies interact with stress-induced pathology remains to be delineated. Here we use a rat model to test the hypothesis that exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) inhibits stress-induced changes within the brain-gut axis to prevent visceral and somatic hypersensitivity and colonic hyperpermeability. Methods Female rats (n = 8/group) were housed in EE one week before and one week during exposure to water avoidance stress (WAS) while controls were housed in standard cages (SH). One day after the final WAS exposure, colonic and somatic sensitivity were assessed by the visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) and withdrawal threshold elicited by an electronic von Frey on the hind paw of the rats respectively. All rats were returned to SH for 3 weeks before colonic and somatic sensitivity were reassessed on day 28. The rats were then immediately euthanized and the spinal cord was collected to assess changes in neuronal activation (assessed via ERK phosphorylation) in response to noxious CRD. A separate cohort of animals (n = 8/group) that did not undergo behavioral assessments was euthanized the day after the final WAS exposure and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) was collected to investigate WAS and EE induced epigenetic changes at the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) promoter. The colon from these rats was also collected to assess colonic permeability via changes in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) in vitro. Results Exposure to stress persistently increased VMR to CRD (P Conclusion Our data reveals that behavioral therapies can produce long lasting molecular and epigenetic changes that can prevent stress-induced pathologies even after completion of the therapy. These results highlight the potential mechanisms by which behavioral therapies may ameliorate visceral pain associated stress-related pathologies such as the irritable bowel syndrome.
Carrier transport in unipolar barrier infrared detectors

We examine carrier transport in unipolar barrier infrared photodetectors and discuss aspects of barrier, contact, and absorber properties that can affect minority carrier collection. In a barrier infrared detector the unipolar barrier should block only the majority carriers while allowing the un-impeded flow of the minority carriers. Under the right conditions, unipolar barrier doping can reduce generation-recombination dark current without affecting minority carrier extraction. In an nBn structure, ideally with an electron unipolar barrier, improper barrier doping or barrier-absorber valence band offset could also block minority carriers and result in higher turn-on bias. We also examined the temperature-dependent turn-on bias in an n+Bn device and showed that observed behavior may be attributed to contact doping. Hole mobility in n-doped type-II superlattice (T2SL) is believed to be very low because of the extremely large effective mass along the growth direction. In practice MWIR and LWIR barrier infrared detectors with n-type T2SL absorbers have demonstrated good optical response. A closer inspection of the T2SL band structure offers a possible explanation as to why the hole mobility may not be as poor as suggested by the simple effective mass picture.
Frustration theory: Alternatives and additions to frustration theory

In Chapters 3, 4, and 5, we addressed the role of frustrative and, generally, of disruptive factors in the acquisition and extinction of responses in a variety of experimental paradigms. The results of these experiments have been discussed in the context of a more general conceptualization of arousal, suppression, persistence, and regression: We have alluded to “generality” and “transfer” of persistence and, in the case of the theoretical and experimental treatment of the role of prediscrimination experience in subsequent discrimination learning, to “resistance to discrimination” as another form of transfer of persistence. In other versions of a discrimination learning experiment, the within-subjects PRF experiment and the DNC experiments, the “generalized PREE” and the emergence in extinction of ritualized behaviors have also reflected, or at least implied, transfer of persistence. If we now look back to the first chapter and to Table 1.2, we can regard Chapters 3, 4, and 5 as a detailed elaboration of the first two of the six steps in the psychobiological study of related behavior effects. I will now undertake a brief general discussion of the theory. This will focus on the breadth of experimental particulars the theory encompasses and will compare its scope with other theories with which it has some explanatory overlap. In A Brief History of Time , Stephen Hawking (1988) writes the following: “A theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements: It must accurately describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model that contains only a few arbitrary elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations” (p. 9).
Role of Endothelial Cells as Antigen Presenting Cells in Transplantation and Inflammatory Responses

Human capillary endothelial cells (EC), unlike rodent, constitutively express MHC class II antigens, raising the question of whether they can cause direct stimulation of resting T cells. Although previous reports have demonstrated an alloproliferative response between cultured human EC and resting T lymphocytes, they have not stringently proven the absence of contaminating leucocytes in both the stimulator and responder populations.
Education for Sustainability in Primary Science Education

Science education has an important role in education for sustainability (EfS). While the so-called “four pillars” of environmental, economic, social and political factors underpin EfS, scientific literacy is essential in terms of understanding many sustainability issues and their possible solutions, particularly in relation to the environment.
Profiling Learning Preferences of Undergraduate Students

Students learn in different ways, so it is expected that teaching methods should also vary. It is believed that identifying strong learning styles among students will help improve instruction by providing course delivery strategies tailored to different learning preferences. As a consequence, the purpose of this study was to employ cluster analysis to identify the cognitive learning dimensions on the Index of Learning Styles. The first major finding shows that the five-cluster was identified in this group of students. The second major finding shows that among 88 undergraduate students, the majority were concrete and holistic thinkers.
“Switched” Precordial Leads

To the Editor: In the article on “switched” precordial leads by Hurst,1 an ECG is shown in which leads V1 and V3 have been switched. Hurst states that the V1 lead wire was erroneously plugged into the V3 receptacle, and the lead wire labeled V3 was erroneously plugged into the V …
The Nature of Science and the Problem of Demarcation

The tremendous success of science as a mode of inquiry into the nature of the universe is a matter of wonderment. The technology derived from scientific knowledge is equally wondrous: the high-rise buildings of our cities, thruways and long span-bridges, rockets that bring men to the moon, telephones that provide instant communication across continents, computers that perform complex calculations in millionths of a second, vaccines and drugs that keep bacterial parasites at bay, gene therapies that replace DNA in defective cells. All these remarkable achievements bear witness to the validity of the scientific knowledge from which they originated. No other kind of knowledge affects human life so pervasively and drastically.
Role of lysine 758 of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I as assessed by site-directed mutagenesis.

Lys-758 of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I has been implicated in the process of substrate dNTP binding (Basu, A., and Modak, M. J. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 1704-1709). To confirm and define the role of Lys-758 in the catalytic mechanism, we carried out site-directed mutagenesis of this residue. Catalytic activity of the purified mutant enzymes, K758A and K758R, showed severe reduction in the polymerase activity but little difference in the 3‘–>5‘ exonuclease activity. Most interestingly, the catalytic ability of both mutant enzymes was maximally affected (300-1,000-fold decrease in kcat) with poly(dA).(dT)15 as template-primer (TP), whereas the ability to use poly(dC) templates decreased by only 20-fold in K758A and remained nearly unchanged with K758R. Kinetic characterization showed that Km(dNTP) increased moderately only with K758A, whereas Kd(TP) remained unchanged for both the mutants. However, binary complex formation between K758A and dNTP, but not between K758A and TP, was severely reduced. Analysis of the processive mode of DNA synthesis by K758A indicated that the mutant enzyme pauses at dA bases but does not dissociate from TP, suggesting a defect in its translocation ability. Thus, Lys-758 in polymerase I appears to participate in two distinct functions: (a) it facilitates the dNTP binding, and (b) it is required for the translocation along the template polynucleotide.