cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increase in T-type calcium current in atrial myocytes from adult rats with growth hormone-secreting tumors.

Abstract Growth hormone (GH) has pronounced effects on protein synthesis and cell growth in cardiac muscle from adult animals, although the mechanism of its action is not understood. Because Ca2+ has been implicated as a regulator of mitogenic processes in a number of tissues, we investigated whether GH affects the transmembrane movement of Ca2+ through voltage-activated channels of cardiac myocytes. Atrial and ventricular myocytes were isolated from adult rats with GH-secreting tumors and studied electrophysiologically by using patch-clamp techniques. Tumor-bearing rats re-enter an active growth phase and double their body weight over age-matched controls 8 weeks after introduction of the tumor. Atrial myocytes from tumor-bearing animals showed a 3-fold increase in the density of T-type Ca2+ current compared with cells from control animals, although the voltage dependency of activation and inactivation of T-type current was not altered. The increase in T-current density of atrial myocytes preceded by at least a week any measurable change in heart weight, body weight, or myocyte size. L-type Ca2+ currents in atrial and ventricular cells were not affected. The results suggest that a tumor-derived growth factor, most likely GH, can cause a specific enhancement of T-type Ca2+ current in atrial myocytes.
Bacillus subtilis aminopeptidase: Specificity toward amino acyl-β-naphthylamides☆

Abstract The kinetic parameters for the hydrolyses of different l -α-amino acid-β-naphthylamides by Bacillus subtilis aminopeptidase have been measured for the native enzyme and for the enzyme activated in 5 m m Co(NO3)2. In most cases Co2+ activation decreased Km(app) values and increased kcat values, in other cases km(app) and kcat values were increased; for the remainder of the substrates tested km(app) values and kcat values were decreased. In all cases tested the ratios of ( k cat K m( app ) ) CO 2+ /( k cat K m( app )nativ ) were increased (2- to 108-fold). For the native enzyme the order of specificity toward the l -amino acid-β-naphthylamides was Arg > Met > Trp > Lys > Leu and for the Co2+ activated enzyme the order of specificity was Lys > Arg > Met > Trp > Leu. The native enzyme hydrolyzed Pro-β-naphthylamide, but not α-Glu-β-naphthylamide; Co2+ activation of the enzyme affected an appreciable rate of hydrolysis of the latter substrate.
Autonomous link spam detection in purely collaborative environments

Collaborative models (e.g., wikis) are an increasingly prevalent Web technology. However, the open-access that defines such systems can also be utilized for nefarious purposes. In particular, this paper examines the use of collaborative functionality to add inappropriate hyperlinks to destinations outside the host environment (i.e., link spam). The collaborative encyclopedia, Wikipedia, is the basis for our analysis.Recent research has exposed vulnerabilities in Wikipedia's link spam mitigation, finding that human editors are latent and dwindling in quantity. To this end, we propose and develop an autonomous classifier for link additions. Such a system presents unique challenges. For example, low barriers-to-entry invite a diversity of spam types, not just those with economic motivations. Moreover, issues can arise with how a link is presented (regardless of the destination).In this work, a spam corpus is extracted from over 235,000 link additions to English Wikipedia. From this, 40+ features are codified and analyzed. These indicators are computed using wiki metadata, landing site analysis, and external data sources. The resulting classifier attains 64% recall at 0.5% false-positives (ROC-AUC= 0.97). Such performance could enable egregious link additions to be blocked automatically with low false-positive rates, while prioritizing the remainder for human inspection. Finally, a live Wikipedia implementation of the technique has been developed.
A framework for reusing systems engineering products

As budgetary pressure on large complex systems continues to increase, the interest in reusing systems engineering products is emerging. Reuse is the idea of leveraging previously developed products (i.e., hardware, software, designs, outcomes of a process) into a new application for purposes of improving project attributes such as quality, cost, schedule, or risk. While reuse is well documented and commonly practiced in the domains of software and product–line development, limited research has been performed on the (deliberate or accidental) reuse of systems engineering products. This paper classifies such products as those generated as outputs of both the systems engineering process, including architecture elements, requirements, test plans, and interface specifications, as well as the overall system design process. Through reuse, systems engineers may not need to repeat certain development activities associated with these products, potentially reducing effort, or obtaining schedule/risk benefits through the utilization of heritage products. To begin addressing the topic of reuse from a systems engineering perspective, this paper presents a generalized framework for the reuse of systems engineering products; documenting the key considerations, activities, and resources necessary for effective reuse. Building on insight from systems engineering practitioners and previous work by the authors on systems engineering cost estimation, the framework is intended to serve as a tool for planning, executing, and managing reuse activities, as well as identifying reuse opportunities. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals. Inc. Syst Eng 16:
Cerebral cortical respiratory-related evoked potentials elicited by inspiratory occlusion in lambs

Respiratory-related evoked potentials (RREP) elicited by inspiratory mechanical loads have been recorded in humans. Early RREP peaks were hypothesized to be generated by activation of neurons in th...
Demonstration of local protein synthesis within dendrites using a new cell culture system that permits the isolation of living axons and dendrites from their cell bodies

The presence of polyribosomes within dendrites suggests a capability for local dendritic protein synthesis. However, local synthesis is difficult to evaluate because of rapid somatodendritic protein transport. The present study describes a two-surfaced culture system that allowed the separation of living axons and dendrites from their cell bodies of origin. Because this system eliminates the transport of proteins produced in the cell body, it was possible to study the extent of dendritic protein synthesis directly. Hippocampal neurons were plated on a Nucleopore polycarbonate membrane that was mounted on a thick matrix of proteins (Matrigel) fixed on a coverslip. As the neurons grew, axons and dendrites grew through the membrane into the Matrigel. To evaluate local protein synthesis within dendrites, the membrane with the cell bodies was removed, leaving a dense array of transected dendrites and axons on the coverslip with few contaminant cell bodies. Absence of cell bodies was confirmed by staining with the nuclear stain Hoechst 33258. Coverslips with isolated neurites were pulse labeled with 3H-leucine for 30 min, and fixed for autoradiography to identify sites of protein synthesis. Autoradiographic analyses revealed that isolated dendrites (immunochemically identified using antibodies against MAP2) became heavily labeled, whereas axons exhibited little if any labeling. The labeling was essentially eliminated when the neurites were pulse labeled with 3H-leucine in the presence of puromycin, whereas labeling was affected only minimally by chloramphenicol. The puromycin-sensitive incorporation of 3H-leucine in dendrites demonstrates that the polyribosomes previously described are active in protein synthesis. This system will allow a characterization of synthetic activity within isolated neurites and provide a new approach to identifying proteins that are produced within dendrites.
A statistical correlation between Ridge Crest offsets and spreading rate

Ridge crest offsets follow the statistical distribution, N = A exp [−B ln (L/Lo)], where N is the cumulative number of ridge crest offsets with lengths greater than L, Lo is the cutoff length, and A and B are constants. We measured A and B for the slow spreading mid-Atlantic ridge, the intermediate spreading Juan de Fuca Ridge, and the fast spreading east Pacific Rise. The predicted mean distances between offsets greater than 4 km long are 30, 32, and 74 km on the slow, intermediate and fast spreading ridge crests. These distances are in agreement with observations of other workers and calculations of modal ridge lengths.
SEED MOVEMENTS AND SEEDLING FATES IN DISTURBED SAGEBRUSH STEPPE ECOSYSTEMS: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESTORATION

Understanding species establishment patterns and community structure fol- lowing disturbance, and developing effective restoration methods requires knowledge of both the movements and fates of seeds. I used a restoration experiment in a severely disturbed sagebrush steppe ecosystem near Kemmerer, Wyoming to examine the effects of soil surface characteristics and seed morphology on seed entrapment and retention, and the effects of soil surface characteristics on soil water potential and seedling emergence and survival. Seeds of native species with awns, mucilaginous seedcoats, wings, hairy pappi, or no appendages were sown over soil surface treatments consisting of silty loam soil, sand, gravel, surface mulch, shrub mimics, and large and small holes. Seeds that lacked ap- pendages and that had small surface areas did not exhibit significant horizontal movement or redistribution. Seeds with appendages that resulted in exposure of a large surface area to the wind did exhibit significant redistribution, despite apparent adaptations for seed burial or retention. When the entire seed population was considered, the effectiveness of the treatments for trapping and retaining seeds was large holes . small holes $ gravel $ shrub mimics . soil $ sand. Surface mulch neither gained nor lost seeds. The most effective treatments for seedling emergence had among the least negative soil water potentials and included large holes, surface mulch, and sand. Gravel provided an inadequate growing medium, and both shrub mimics and small holes accumulated fine-textured soils resulting in highly negative water potentials and low seedling emergence. Once a seedling emerged, the probability of survival was reasonably high (56.3% over 2 yr) regardless of treatment. This study indicates that soil surfaces that trap and retain high densities of seeds with large surface areas may have little or no effect on seeds with small surface areas, and may or may not result in high seedling emergence and survival. Restoring diverse native ecosystems requires creating soil surface features that can trap and retain seeds with varying mor- phologies as well as provide favorable conditions for seedling establishment.
Revision Surgery for Exertional Anterior Compartment Syndrome of the Lower Leg Technique, Findings, and Results

BackgroundRecurrent symptoms or failure after fasciotomy for exertional anterior compartment syndrome is not uncommon.HypothesisSymptoms from high compartment pressures can be secondary to involvement of the entire compartment or to localized constrictions from postsurgical fibrosis, as well as to entrapment of the superficial peroneal nerve.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.MethodsEighteen patients who underwent revision surgery for exertional anterior compartment syndrome were available for follow-up. All were athletes who had either a failure or a recurrence of symptoms at a mean of 23.5 months (range, 8-54 months) after the index fasciotomy. Pressure measurements using a slit catheter at rest, at 1 minute postexercise, and at 5 minutes postexercise were performed in 2 places within the compartment: in the area of the previous incision and in the proximal muscle belly of the tibialis anterior. Surgical technique consisted of a 2-incision approach with partial fasciectomy, exploration and de...
Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods

Objectives. I sought to examine whether pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use neighborhoods encourage enhanced levels of social and community engagement (i.e., social capital). Methods. The study investigated the relationship between neighborhood design and individual levels of social capital. Data were obtained from a household survey that measured the social capital of citizens living in neighborhoods that ranged from traditional, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented designs to modern, car-dependent suburban subdivisions in Galway, Ireland. Results. The analyses indicate that persons living in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have higher levels of social capital compared with those living in car-oriented suburbs. Respondents living in walkable neighborhoods were more likely to know their neighbors, participate politically, trust others, and be socially engaged. Conclusions. Walkable, mixed-use neighborhood designs can encourage the development of social capital.
We need more coverage, stat! classroom experience with the software ICU

For empirical software engineering to reach its fullest potential, we must develop effective, experiential approaches to learning about it in a classroom setting. In this paper, we report on a case study involving a new approach to classroom-based empirical software engineering called the “Software ICU”. In this approach, students learn about nine empirical project “vital signs” and use the Hackys-tat Framework to put their projects into a virtual “intensive care unit” where these vital signs can be assessed and monitored. We used both questionnaire and log data to gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. Our evaluation provides both quantitative and qualitative evidence concerning the overhead of the system; the relative utility of different vital signs; the frequency of use; and the perceived appropriateness outside of the classroom setting. In addition to benefits, we found evidence of measurement dysfunction induced directly by the presence of the Software ICU. We compare these results to case studies we performed in 2003 and 2006 using the Hackystat Framework but not the Software ICU. We use these findings to orient future research on empirical software engineering both inside and outside of the classroom.
Observations of the generation of eastward equatorial electric fields near dawn

Abstract. We report and discuss interesting observations of the variability of electric fields and ionospheric densities near sunrise in the equatorial ionosphere made by instruments onboard the Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite over six consecutive orbits. Electric field measurements were made by the Vector Electric Field Instrument (VEFI), and ionospheric plasma densities were measured by Planar Langmuir Probe (PLP). The data were obtained on 17 June 2008, a period of solar minimum conditions. Deep depletions in the equatorial plasma density were observed just before sunrise on three orbits, for which one of these depletions was accompanied by a very large eastward electric field associated with the density depletion, as previously described by de La Beaujardiere et al. (2009), Su et al. (2009) and Burke et al. (2009). The origin of this large eastward field (positive upward/meridional drift), which occurred when that component of the field is usually small and westward, is thought to be due to a large-scale Rayleigh–Taylor process. On three subsequent orbits, however, a distinctly different, second type of relationship between the electric field and plasma density near dawn was observed. Enhancements of the eastward electric field were also detected, one of them peaking around 3 mV m−1, but they were found to the east (later local time) of pre-dawn density perturbations. These observations represent sunrise enhancements of vertical drifts accompanied by eastward drifts such as those observed by the San Marco satellite (Aggson et al., 1995). Like the San Marco measurements, the enhancements occurred during winter solstice and low solar flux conditions in the Pacific longitude sector. While the evening equatorial ionosphere is believed to present the most dramatic examples of variability, our observations exemplify that the dawn sector can be highly variable as well.
Talking and tDCS Treatment for Stroke Survivors with Aphasia

s / Brain Stimulation 7 (2014) e1ee16 e6 computational analyses performed in our laboratory and their use in susceptible populations, such as in subjects with skull defects, obesity or after stroke. Though modeling for non-invasive brain stimulation is still in its development phase, it is predicted that with increased validation, dissemination, simplification and democratization of modeling tools, computational forward models of neuromodulation will become useful tools to guide the optimization of clinical electrotherapy.
Decision making for HIV prevention and treatment scale up: bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Background. Effectively controlling the HIV epidemic will require efficient use of limited resources. Despite ambitious global goals for HIV prevention and treatment scale up, few comprehensive practical tools exist to inform such decisions. Methods. We briefly summarize modeling approaches for resource allocation for epidemic control, and discuss the practical limitations of these models. We describe typical challenges of HIV resource allocation in practice and some of the tools used by decision makers. We identify the characteristics needed in a model that can effectively support planners in decision making about HIV prevention and treatment scale up. Results. An effective model to support HIV scale-up decisions will be flexible, with capability for parameter customization and incorporation of uncertainty. Such a model needs certain key technical features: it must capture epidemic effects; account for how intervention effectiveness depends on the target population and the level of scale up; capture bene...
Simultaneous unbiased estimates of multiple downed wood attributes in perpendicular distance sampling

Perpendicular distance sampling (PDS) is a fast probability-proportional-to-size method for inventory of downed wood. However, previous development of PDS had limited the method to estimating only one variable (such as volume per hectare, or surface area per hectare) at a time. Here, we develop a general design-unbiased estimator for PDS. We then show how that estimator can be used to develop simple measurement protocols that allow simultaneous, unbiased estimation of multiple downed wood variables, including logs per hectare, length of logs per hectare, surface area or area coverage per hectare, and volume per hectare.
Structural studies of the N-terminus of Connexin 32 using 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Abstract The amino terminus of gap junction proteins, connexins, plays a fundamental role in voltage gating and ion permeation. We have previously shown with 1 H NMR that the structure of the N-terminus of a representative connexin molecule contains a flexible turn around glycine 12 [P.E. Purnick, D.C. Benjamin, V.K. Verselis, T.A. Bargiello, T.L. Dowd, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 381 (2000) 181–190] allowing the N-terminus to reside at the cytoplasmic entry of the channel forming a voltage-sensor. Previous functional studies or neuropathies have shown that the mutation G12Y and G12S form non-functional channels while functional channels are formed from G12P. Using 2D 1 H NMR we show that similar to G12, the structure of the G12P mutant contains a more flexible turn around residue 12, whereas the G12S and G12Y mutants contain tighter, helical turns in this region. These results suggest an unconstrained turn is required around residue 12 to position the N-terminus within the pore allowing the formation of the cytoplasmic channel vestibule, which appears to be critical for proper channel function.
Entropy of Patterns of i.i.d. Sequences—Part I: General Bounds

Tight bounds on the block entropy of patterns of sequences generated by independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) sources are derived. A pattern of a sequence is a sequence of integer indices with each index representing the order of first occurrence of the respective symbol in the original sequence. Since a pattern is the result of data processing on the original sequence, its entropy cannot be larger. Bounds derived here describe the pattern entropy as function of the original i.i.d. source entropy, the alphabet size, the symbol probabilities, and their arrangement in the probability space. Matching upper and lower bounds derived provide a useful tool for very accurate approximations of pattern block entropies for various distributions, and for assessing the decrease of the pattern entropy from that of the original i.i.d. sequence.
Is duplex DNA a swollen random coil

Direct observation of the Brownian motion of linear and circular duplex DNA in the chain-length range from about 5 to 300 kilo-basepairs (kbp), as reported by Smith, Perkins, and Chu, [Macromolecules, 1996, 29, 1372–1373] and by Robertson, Laib, and Smith, [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2006, 103, 7310–7314] has indicated an effective mass-scaling exponent for diffusion, νH, of approximately 0.6, and this correlation was interpreted as implying that duplex DNA in this chain-length range can be described as a flexible polymer swollen by excluded volume interactions. However, we present computational evidence, based on our path-integration technique for computing transport properties, that indicates this inference needs to be reconsidered. Because of variable draining effects, the ratio Rh/Rg for random-coil polymers, including DNA, varies gradually throughout the chain-length range of interest, and does not stabilize to an asymptotic value until the chains are extremely long. This slow exponent crossover is particularly extended in stiff chains such as DNA. In particular, we find that if we take duplex DNA to be a worm-like chain comprised of a number of base pairs in the range between 5 and 300 kbp, then the effective exponent νH happens to be about 0.6, while the effective exponent, ν, for the radius of gyration, Rg, is about 0.52 and 0.51, with and without chain excluded volume, respectively. These results were obtained directly for a stiff lattice-chain model that agrees very well with the predictions of the continuum worm-like chain model. Based on these calculations and consistent experimental observations, we suggest that duplex DNA having a length below about 300 kbp is better described as a worm-like chain than a self-avoiding walk.
Hydrologic and Total Phosphorus Budgets of A Small West Virginia Impoundment

Hydrologic and total phosphorus budget data were obtained during a 24 month period for Spruce Knob Lake, Randolph County, West Virginia. Total phophorus retention was approximately 36% of input for both years despite differences in flushing rate. Based on total phosphorus and hydrologic data, Spruce Knob Lake is eutrophic. Predicted spring total phosphorus concentrations from the Dillon-Rigler nutrient budget model were in close agreement with actual observed concentrations. Application of literature models predicting total phosphorus retention based on flushing rate to Spruce Knob Lake data resulted in close agreement with actual retention values. Models based on hydraulic load were inadequate when applied to Spruce Knob Lake. Relative phosphorus residence time values (lake total phosphorus/inflow total phosphorus). for both years indicated that the lake has a low sedimentation rate. Mass balance data confirmed this low rate of sedimentation.
Video denoising using higher order optimal space-time adaptation

The optimal spatial adaptation (OSA) method proposed by Boulanger and Kervrann (2006) has proven to be quite effective for spatially adaptive image denoising. This method, in addition to extending the non-local means (NLM) method of A. Buades et al. (2005), employs an iteratively growing window scheme, and a local estimate of the mean square error to very effectively remove noise from images. By adopting an iteratively growing space-time window, the method was recently extended to 3D for video denoising in J. Boulanger et al. (2007). In the present paper, we demonstrate a simple, but effective improvement on the OSA method in both 2- and 3D. We demonstrate that the OSA implicitly relies on a locally constant model of the underlying signal. Thereby, removing this constraint and introducing the possibility of higher order local regression models, we arrive at a relatively simple modification that results in an improvement in performance. While this improvement is observed in both 2D and 3D, we concentrate on demonstrating it in 3D for the application of video denoising.
Minimum Sampling of Trap Catches in Sterile Insect Release Programs

Trap sampling methods based upon the hypergeometric probability distribution are proposed for sterile insect release programs in which the sterile insects are marked. These protocols would save a significant portion of the labor required to score trapped adults in return for calculated error risks (95 or 99% CL). If all scored flies are marked (i.e., released), then 95, 77, and 63% of the flies in a trap must be scored for 95% CL that no more than one, two, or three native flies are actually present, respectively. Corresponding values are higher for 99% CL. If a less-stringent 100:1 (released: native) ratio is desired, then greater savings can be realized (e.g., 73% savings for trap size = 1,000 at 95% CL).
In vitro correction of Hurler fibroblasts with bovine testicular hyaluronidase.

SummaryBovine testicular hyaluroni-dase (endo-β-N-acetyl hexosaminidase) has a significant corrective effect on cultured Hurler fibroblasts. Nonspecificity of this effect is indicated by its equally strong corrective effect on Hunter fibroblasts. Although all specimens of hyaluronidase also possessed iduronidase activity, a separate corrective effect could be attributed to the endo-N-acetyl hexosaminidase activity of at least one hyaluronidase (Wyeth M-151) for four reasons: (i) its very low content of iduronidase activity; (ii) a decrease in intracel-lular macromolecular mucopolysaccharides (believed to be largely dermatan sulfate) with a corresponding increase in intracellu-lar and extracellular oligosaccharides; (iii) no measurable increase in iduronidase activity of hyaluronidase-treated cells despite near maximal correction; (iv) direct correlation between Hurler cell correction and hyaluronidase activity when enzymes of different strength were used at less than maximal correction.
Synthesis and Characterization of Dye-Labeled Poly(methacrylic acid) Grafted Silica Nanoparticles

The synthesis of dye-labeled poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) grafted silica nanoparticles was studied. Surface-initiated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of tert-butylmethacrylate (tBuMA) was conducted on dye-labeled CPDB coated silica nanoparticles followed by sequential removal of the thiocarbonylthio end groups and the tert-butyl moieties. Additionally, as a more straightforward strategy, direct polymerization of methacrylic acid on silica nanoparticles with a diameter size as small as 15 nm was conducted via the RAFT polymerization technique. A variety of PMAA brushes with different lengths and densities were prepared on nanoparticle surfaces via surface-initiated RAFT polymerization with excellent control and surface grafting densities as high as 0.65 chains/nm2. The grafted PMAA was methylated by trimethylsilyldiazomethane to conduct organic phase GPC characterization. The dye-labeled PMAA grafted nanoparticles provide a platform to bind biomolecules and to track ...
FOPEN Target Detection via Joint Space/Angle Variation

This letter demonstrates the detection of a man-made structure hidden beneath a forest canopy through exploitation of the joint spatial/aspect-angle variation exhibited by the structure's ultrahigh-resolution synthetic aperture radar signature. The variation produced by the structure alone is first determined from the signature of an unobscured copy of the target, and then, the correlation between this reference signature and that produced by the forested area is used to indicate the presence of additional hidden copies. The method essentially searches for spatially varying glint patterns that match the known patterns generated by the target. The algorithm is significantly more selective against tree trunks than using glints alone, without regard to their spatial variation.
Retained wooden foreign body in a child's parotid gland: a case report.

Foreign bodies can present a diagnostic challenge to even the experienced surgeon. In one review of 200 surgical cases involving retained foreign bodies, one-third of the cases had been initially m...
A Portrait of Delmore

It is possible to feel overwhelmed by Delmore Schwartz in death as it was in life. Twenty years after his death on 11 July 1966, the movement to resurrect Schwartz has taken a serious turn. The publication of Schwartz’s journals is just a ripple in the tide of Schwartziana that has been swelling since 1975, when Saul Bellow’s Humboldt’s Gift brought Schwartz back into public consciousness as the kibitzer maudit and insomniac laureate of his age. That wave includes Robert Phillips’ edition of Schwartz’s Letters, published in 1984; Schwartz’s Last and Lost Poems (1979); the collection of “bagatelles,” The Ego is Always at the Wheel (1986); James Atlas’s Delmore Schwartz: The Life of an American Poet (1977); the extended portrait of Schwartz in William Barrett’s The Truants (1982), and Bruce Bawer’s essay on Schwartz’s poetry in The Middle Generation: The Lives and Poetry of Delmore Schwartz, Randall Jarrell, John Berryman, and Robert Lowell (1986). Virtually forgotten after his death, Schwartz has now been brought back to life as a symbol of Jewish intellectual life and a small but vigorous cottage industry.
Rethinking Health-Based Environmental Standards and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to determine the stringency of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), arguably the most important federal environmental program, without considering the costs of achieving these standards. Instead, it must rely exclusively on health-related criteria. This Essay summarizes and updates arguments introduced in Rethinking Health Based Standards, 89 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1184 (2014) that health-based standards like the NAAQS generate stopping-point problems and inadequacy paradoxes. Stopping-point problems arise because there is no coherent, defensible way for EPA to set the permissible level of pollution based on health considerations alone. Inadequacy paradoxes arise when health-based standards are set at levels that are less stringent than those that would result from the application of cost-benefit analysis. The NAAQS provide a case study of both pathologies at work.
Ketogenic Diet Treatment for Pediatric Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus (P4.215)

Objective: We describe 10 pediatric patients in super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) who underwent ketogenic diet (KD) therapy. Background: Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus (SRSE) is defined as status epilepticus that continues for at least 24 hours after initiation of general anesthetic medications and includes cases in which status epilepticus recurs with reduction of anesthesia. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, sufficient protein diet that has been proven as an effective dietary therapy for some children with intractable epilepsy. Methods: An IRB approved retrospective review was performed at Phoenix Children’s Hospital on patients with SRSE undergoing KD therapy from 2011 to 2015. Data included age, gender, seizure etiology, concurrent treatments, and outcomes. Results: Ten children with SRSE, ages 2-16 years, were identified. 4/10 patients had immune mediated encephalitis. Other etiologies included Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, non-ketotic hyperglycinemia, PCDH19 and GABRG2 genetic epilepsy, New Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus, and Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome. 4/10 patients’ EEG features suggested focal SRSE, and 6/10 suggested generalized SRSE. Median hospital length was 61 days and median ICU length was 27 days. The median number of antiepileptic medications prior to KD initiation was 3.0 drugs, and the median after KD treatment was 3.5 drugs. Median duration of SRSE prior to KD was 18 days. 9/10 patients had resolution of SRSE in a median of 7 days after KD initiation. 8/9 patients with SRSE resolution were weaned off anesthesia within 15 days of KD initiation, and within 1 day of achieving ketonuria. 1/10 patients experienced side effects on KD requiring supplementation. Conclusions: In our experience, most patients achieved resolution of SRSE with KD therapy, and resolution occurred within days of initiation. KD was tolerated with little side effects, suggesting that it is a safe treatment for children with SRSE. Disclosure: Dr. Appavu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vanatta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Condie has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kerrigan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jarrar has nothing to disclose.
An Introduction to the Field of Forensic Economics

This chapter reviews the major issues regarding the calculation of economic damages in the context of civil litigation. We explain how economic experts provide a variety of services to the legal profession beyond calculation of economic losses. The process by which the expert arrives at an opinion of loss is not complicated but requires careful consideration of various facts and assumptions that touch upon every aspect of the expert’s work. The chapter emphasizes that the forensic economist creates an alternative universe of what would have occurred absent the injury or incident, but one grounded on known facts and economic and statistical trends. In its review of the key issues faced by economic experts, the chapter also notes a number of unresolved or disputed issues.
William Francis Rienhoff, Jr., MD - Halsted's Last Resident

: William Francis Rienhoff Jr. was a skilled and innovative surgeon whose career spanned over 4 decades of patient care, clinical investigative research, and surgical education. He was an unforgettable character for those who knew him. Colleagues, coworkers, and friends developed strong and divergent opinions of him. His professional life coincided with the early development of general and thoracic surgery to which he contributed.
Feedback control for resiliency in face of an attack

Distributed Denial of Service(DDoS) attacks are inevitable. The existing defensive mechanisms are relatively outdated. In this paper, we present a passive mechanism to reduce the impact of an attack on the network. We designed and implemented a robust feedback architecture, to maintain the stability of the network despite attacks. During an attack, the controller of the feedback architecture detects the irregularities in the response time and the necessary changes are made to the configuration to maintain the network in steady state. In this approach first, we model the network using black-box system identification technique. Second, we validate the model with test data by conducting various experiments such as varying the network topology. Last, we test the model with the feedback architecture built in our lab environment. Results show that the feedback architecture provides an average model fit accuracy with positive results.1
PPARs: regulators of metabolism and as therapeutic targets in cardiovascular disease. Part I: PPAR-α

This article provides a comprehensive review about the molecular and metabolic actions of PPAR-α. It describes its structural features, ligand specificity, gene transcription mechanisms, functional characteristics and target genes. In addition, recent progress with the use of loss of function and gain of function mouse models in the discovery of diverse biological functions of PPAR-α, particularly in the vascular system and the status of the development of new single, dual, pan and partial PPAR agonists (PPAR modulators) in the clinical management of metabolic diseases are presented. This review also summarizes the clinical outcomes from a large number of clinical trials aimed at evaluating the atheroprotective actions of current clinically used PPAR-α agonists, fibrates and statin–fibrate combination therapy.
Thickness Characterization of Tungsten Diselenide Using Electron Reflectivity Oscillations

In this work, low-energy electron microscopy is employed to probe structural as well as electronic information in few-layer WSe2 on epitaxial graphene on SiC. The emergence of unoccupied states in the WSe2–graphene heterostructures is studied using spectroscopic low-energy electron reflectivity. Reflectivity minima corresponding to specific WSe2 states that are localized between the monolayers of each vertical heterostructure are shown to reveal the number of layers for each point on the surface. A theory for the origin of these states is developed and utilized to explain the experimentally observed featured in the WSe2 electron reflectivity. This method allows for unambiguous counting of WSe2 layers, and furthermore may be applied to other 2D transition metal dichalcogenide materials.
Subthreshold voltage reference with nwell/psub diode leakage compensation for low-power high-temperature systems

This paper proposes a voltage reference operating up to 170 °C for low-power high-temperature systems. The proposed circuit buffers body voltages to avoid degradation of temperature coefficient from nwell/psub diode leakage. For low power overhead, it measures the diode leakage and adaptively adjusts the bias current of the buffers. This enables low power consumption at low temperature, which can allow an energy harvester to recharge a battery in the target system. Prototype chips, fabricated in a 180 nm CMOS process, show a ±3σ inaccuracy of 3.4% from 0 °C to 170 °C after single trim at 80 °C and a line sensitivity of 0.088 %/V from 1.8 V to 3.6 V. It consumes 76.3 pA at room temperature and 177 nA at 170 °C from 1.8 V.
USEFULNESS OF INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND FOR DETECTING ATHEROSCLEROSIS PROGRESSION OR REGRESSION.

Atherosclerosis as the major contributor to coronary artery disease and mortality: Atherosclerosis is the major cause of death in the United States, despite recent evidence suggesting an overall reduction in cardiovascular mortality (1–6). Findings of the International Atherosclerosis Project (7) and others (8) indicate that cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are related to the overall extent of atherosclerosis. The ubiquitous nature of atherosclerosis, even in young subjects, is well established (9). Likewise, the contribution of dyslipidemia as the most powerful predictor of coronary artery disease, with the exception of age, is well understood (10,11). Therefore, reduction (ideally, prevention) of atherosclerosis should have a major impact on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this regard, both the treatment options to reduce atherosclerosis and the imaging modalities to document the progression or regression of atherosclerosis are important.
Comparing Fear of Crime and Crime Statistics on a University Campus

Campus crime at colleges and universities has resulted in a call for more safety and preventive measures from policymakers, students, to citizens. While research highlights students’ fear on campus crime, few studies have examined this topic from a spatial and cognitive perspective. In this chapter the authors report on a novel methodology to compare campus crime data with participants’ self-reported cognitive fear of crime maps. In this study, 313 undergraduate students provided fear of crime maps at a middle-sized university in the southwestern United States. The students’ perceptions were aggregated and compared to university crime statistics to produce five bivariate maps. These maps represent perceived fear of crime in relation to four broadly observed crime categories namely burglary, theft, harassment, and sexual assault. In this research effort, students’ fear of crime is aligned with data for actual burglary and theft occurrences but their fear is exaggerated for harassment and sexual assault. The implications of this study are multifold, extending from potential safety improvements and better decision-making (e.g., aid law enforcement to target specific areas for crime monitoring) to developing educational workshops to dispel myths and present facts on campus safety. The introduced bivariate mapping technique provides another step towards safer university and college campuses.
Focused Echocardiography in the ICU

Technological advancements in portable ultrasound units have helped bring high-quality imaging to the bedside of the critically ill patient. The ability to obtain images of a quality that approaches traditional echocardiography imaging systems, including Doppler measurements, has enabled clinicians to obtain dynamic information about cardiac function and cardiopulmonary interaction that was not previously possible. Ultrasound examination, including focused echocardiography, has now become an integral part of care in many critical care units. The availability of transesophageal transducers for portable units has extended the utility of this diagnostic tool in critically ill patients.
Family Psychotherapy for Seizure Disorders

This chapter provides an overview of seizure disorders, with an emphasis on therapeutic and psychoeducational techniques for family members. First, common types of seizure disorders are reviewed, followed by typical treatment modalities, including medications. Information is provided to the caregiver and family regarding how to care for a loved one during a seizure as well as other beneficial suggestions from the psychotherapist for coping with seizures and their aftereffects. The impact of epilepsy on cognition, communication, and language is reviewed, followed by “helpful hints” to reduce the disruptiveness of these difficulties on daily functioning. Ideas include neurorehabilitation and various compensations. Typical mood problems in the loved one with epilepsy are reviewed, as well as the emotional repercussions for the caregiver and tier supports. Particular attention is given to psychotherapy methods to combat the propensity for families to be overprotective. The interference of epilepsy on the loved one’s ability to drive, work, go to school, socialize, and attain quality of life are reviewed, with coping strategies provided to the family so as to best assist their loved one. Lastly, an illustrative case study of a loved one with epilepsy is depicted, with an emphasis on the psychotherapy which aided her parents and sister.
Interval Estimation Based on Censored Samples from the Weibull Distribution

The focus of this paper is on interval estimation for percentiles of the Weibull and extreme value distributions based on failure censored samples. Standard large sample methods based on a t-like statistic are generally considered inadequate unless samp..
“We didn’t tell everybody because everybody didn’t need to know”: an examination of parental disability-disclosure of Spina Bifida

AbstractThis qualitative study sheds light on the process that parents go through as they learn of a spina bifida diagnosis and the communication strategies that are used to discuss an expected dis...
Constituent power and constitution making in Latin America

This chapter, for a forthcoming edited handbook on comparative constitution-making (co-edited with Hanna Lerner), surveys constitution-making in Latin America since 1990. It classifies the nine constitution-making episodes in the region along two dimensions: (1) whether they were constrained or unconstrained by the existing constitutional order, and (2) whether they were drafted unilaterally or by a more consensual coalition of actors. An examination of recent regional constitution-making reveals that original constituent power theory, or the theory that the “people” retain the power to remake the constituted powers in the existing constitutional order, has played a major role in most recent exercises of constitution-making. The main practical function of the doctrine has been to allow powerful political forces to remake their constitutional orders unilaterally, evading a need to negotiate with the opposition. Clarifying this function is useful for developing a practical rather than theoretical critique of the harm often done by constituent power theory, and for highlighting the desirability of alternative conceptions of constitution-making. In many cases, reliance on replacement clauses found in existing constitutions themselves is likely to be a superior alternative.
An Inhibitor of the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Lacks Therapeutic Efficacy Following Neonatal Hypoxia Ischemia in Mice

Abstract Neonatal hypoxic ischemic (HI) brain injury causes lifelong neurologic disability. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the only approved therapy that partially mitigates mortality and morbidity. Therapies specifically targeting HI-induced brain cell death are currently lacking. Intracellular calcium dysregulation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction through the formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) are drivers of HI cellular injury. GNX-4728, a small molecule direct inhibitor of the mPTP that increases mitochondrial calcium retention capacity, is highly effective in adult neurodegenerative disease models and could have potential as a therapy in neonatal HI. A dose of GNX-4728, equivalent to that used in animal models, 300 mg/kg, IP was highly toxic in p10 mice. We then tested the hypothesis that acute administration of 30 mg/kg, IP of GNX-4728 immediately after HI in a neonatal mouse model would provide neuroprotection. This non-lethal lower dose of GNX-4728 (30 mg/kg, IP) improved the respiratory control ratio of neonatal female HI brain tissue but not in males. Brain injury, assessed histologically with a novel metric approach at 1 and 30 days after HI, was not mitigated by GNX-4728. Our work demonstrates that a small molecule inhibitor of the mPTP has i) an age related toxicity, ii) a sex-related brain mitoprotective profile after HI but iii) this is not sufficient to attenuate forebrain HI neuropathology.
Stigma and suicide risk among the LGBTQ population: Are anxiety and depression to blame and can connectedness to the LGBTQ community help?

LGBTQ individuals may be at risk for suicidal behavior due to perceived stigma and psychopathology. However, protective factors, such as community connectedness, may reduce risk. We examined depres...