cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A neuromechanical computational model of spinal control of locomotion

We developed a neuromechanical computational model of cat locomotion that simulated the locomotor movements of cat hindlimbs controlled by spinal locomotor central pattern generators (CPGs, one per limb). In the closed-loop model, CPG operation was adjusted by afferent feedback from the hindlimbs. The CPG model was based on the previous two-level model [4] and included a half-center rhythm generator (RG), producing alternating flexor and extensor activities, and a pattern formation (PF) network operating under control of RG and controlling the synergetic activities of different hindlimb motoneuron pools. This basic model [4] was extended by incorporating additional neural circuits at the PF level allowing the CPG to generate the complex activity patterns of motoneurons controlling two-joint muscles. The model included reflex circuits, mediating reciprocal inhibition between antagonistic motoneurons, recurrent inhibition of motoneurons via Renshaw cells, and di-synaptic excitation of extensors by extensor afferents during stance phase of locomotion. The hindlimbs with the pelvis and trunk were modeled as a 10 degree-of-freedom sagittal plane system of rigid segments interconnected by frictionless revolute joints. The hindlimb interactions with the ground and other body segments were modeled as linear springs and dampers [1,2]. The two hindlimbs were driven by 18 muscle actuators representing major hindlimb muscles in the cat. The dynamics of each muscle-tendon unit was described by a Hill-type model extended to account for muscle mass, pennation angle, and force-length-velocity properties of muscle and tendon [1,2]. All muscles generated motion-dependent afferent signals which were calculated as functions of muscle length, velocity and force using modified regression equations from [3]. Parameters of the musculoskeletal model were identified by minimizing a mismatch between the computed (based on the recorded hindlimb muscle activity) and experimentally recorded changes in the joint angles, joint moments and ground reaction forces using the simulated annealing optimization algorithm [1,2]. The developed neuromechanical model demonstrated stable locomotion and exhibited realistic patterns of muscle activation, limb kinematics, and ground reaction force dynamics. The model was used for investigation of the role of afferent feedback and the CPG in control of locomotion under different conditions.
Self-Disclosure among Friends, Acquaintances, and Strangers:

The relationship between self-disclosure and degree of acquaintance was explored under the guise of collecting handwriting samples from 32 male and 36 female undergraduates. Results indicated that ...
GREBE: Integrating Rules and Precedents for Legal Analysis

GREBE (Generator of Recursive Exemplar-Based Explanations) is a Common Lisp implementation of the framework for integrating rules and precedents described in Chapters 2 and the model of ratio decidendi described in Chapter 3. Figure 4.1 depicts GREBE’s architecture schematically. The top-level components of GREBE consist of an explanation generator, a memo generator, and a knowledge base of rules and cases. When the explanation generator receives a new case and a proposition about that case, it attempts to construct an explanation for the proposition (and for the negation of the proposition) by back-chaining using any combination of rules and precedent constituents. If successful, the explanation generator outputs one or more explanations of the proposition (and its negation). The memorandum generator orders these explanations by a heuristic estimate of their strength. It then generates a natural-language equivalent of the explanations using a library of templates.
Marc D. Hauser (1996). The evolution of communication . Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Pp. xiii+760.

This volume impressively synthesises vast literatures from the fields of linguistics, bioacoustics, psychology, neurobiology, evolutionary biology, ethology and anthropology, and in the process raises a number of provocative questions regarding the contentious issue of human language origins. Because the book is so far-reaching, both in terms of the breadth of communicative phenomena which it covers and the depth in which it discusses them, a short review such as the present one can only scratch the surface of the wealth of information and ideas which it contains.This book was written to fill a perceived need for a text covering a wide range of issues in comparative communication, for which it is certainly well suited. Those interested in the production and perception of auditory and visual signals, as well as in issues as diverse as evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology, will find it an easily readable – or browseable – piece of work. As Hauser notes, he has ‘attempted to write a book that is aimed primarily at the expert while being useful to those wishing to pick out pieces...for undergraduate and graduate instruction’ (p. 14). The book is successful along both lines. It is extremely well organised and well indexed, making it easy to select case studies relevant to specific communicative phenomena (e.g. audition, vocalisation, acquisition, signed languages, etc.) or particular species (humans, monkeys, anurans, birds, etc.). Particularly useful are the large number of graphics and illustrations, as well as conceptual ‘boxes’ which succinctly summarise key concepts or theoretical perspectives which may be unfamiliar to some readers (e.g. statistical information theory, neural tuning curves, source-filter theory and sexual selection theory, to name just a few).
Reflection and Disagreement

How should you take into account the opinions of an advisor? When you completely defer to the advisor's judgment (the manner in which she responds to her evidence), then you should treat the advisor as a guru. Roughly, that means you should believe what you expect she would believe, if supplied with your extra evidence. When the advisor is your own future self, the resulting principle amounts to a version of the Reflection Principle---a version amended to handle cases of information loss. When you count an advisor as an epistemic peer, you should give her conclusions the same weight as your own. Denying that view---call it the ``equal weight view''---leads to absurdity: the absurdity that you could reasonably come to believe yourself to be an epistemic superior to an advisor simply by noting cases of disagreement with her, and taking it that she made most of the mistakes. Accepting the view seems to lead to another absurdity: that one should suspend judgment about everything that one's smart and well-informed friends disagree on, which means suspending judgment about almost everything interesting. But despite appearances, the equal weight view does not have this absurd consequence. Furthermore, the view can be generalized to handle cases involving not just epistemic peers, but also epistemic superiors and inferiors.
LECSIM: a levelized event driven compiled logic simulation

LECSIM is a highly efficient logic simulator which integrates the advantages of event driven interpretive simulation and levelized compiled simulation. Two techniques contribute to the high efficiency. First it employs the zero-delay simulation model with levelized event scheduling to eliminate most unnecessary evaluations. Second, it compiles the central event scheduler into simple local scheduling segments which reduces the overhead of event scheduling. Experimental results show that LECSIM runs about 8-77 time faster than traditional unit-delay event-driven interpretive simulator. LECSIM also provides the option of scheduling with respect to individual gates or with respect to fan-out free blocks. When the circuit is partitioned into fan-out free blocks, the speed increases by a factor of 2-3. With partitioning, the speed of LECSIM is only about 1.5-3.4 times slower than a levelized compiled simulation for the combinational circuits we have tested.
Moral reasoning in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

An inflated sense of responsibility often characterizes patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study, we asked OCD patients (n = 20) and control participants (n = 18) to resolve a series of moral dilemmas embedded in hypothetical scenarios. Each scenario required participants to choose one of two undesirable courses of action, both involving loss of life. The utilitarian option required them to act, thereby causing the death of one person, but indirectly saving the lives of others whose death would otherwise have occurred. The other option involved no action on their part, but their failure to act resulted in the deaths of people. The groups did not differ significantly in the options chosen, or in their latencies to resolve moral dilemmas. However, within the OCD group, the higher patients’ scores on the Responsibility Attitude Scale, the less likely they were to act to kill one person to save the lives of others. In summary, these data imply a stronger association between moral reasoning patterns and responsibility attitudes than to OCD per se.
Cardiovascular and Mortality Risk of Apparent Resistant Hypertension in Women With Suspected Myocardial Ischemia: A Report From the NHLBI‐Sponsored WISE Study

Background Women are more likely than men to develop resistant hypertension, which is associated with excess risk of major adverse outcomes; however, the impact of resistant hypertension in women with ischemia has not been explicitly studied. In this Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) analysis, we assessed long-term adverse outcomes associated with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) among women with suspected myocardial ischemia referred for coronary angiography. Methods and Results Women (n=927) were grouped according to baseline blood pressure (BP): normotensive (no hypertension history, BP <140/90 mm Hg, no antihypertensive drugs); controlled (BP <140/90 mm Hg and a hypertension diagnosis or on 1 to 3 drugs); uncontrolled (BP ≥140/90 mm Hg on ≤2 drugs); or aTRH (BP ≥140/90 mm Hg on 3 drugs or anyone on ≥4 drugs). Adverse outcomes (first occurrence of death [any cause], nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure or angina) were collected over 10 years of follow-up. Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension prevalence was 10.4% among those with hypertension. Women with aTRH had a greater incidence of adverse outcomes, compared with normotensive women (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 3.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.94 to 5.43), and women with controlled (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.26 to 2.49) and uncontrolled (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.27) hypertension; outcome differences were evident early in follow-up. Risk of all-cause death was greater in the aTRH group, compared to the normotensive women and women with controlled and uncontrolled hypertension. Conclusions In this cohort of women with evidence of ischemia, aTRH was associated with a profoundly increased long-term risk of major adverse events, including death, that emerged early during follow-up.
Nurr1 in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders

In mammals, the transcription factor Nurr1 is expressed early in development and continues to be detectable throughout the organism's lifetime. Nurr1 is involved in the establishment and maintenance of the dopaminergic phenotype within specific central nervous system neuronal subpopulations including the nigrostriatal dopamine system. This protein is reduced over the course of normal aging, which is a major risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, whether Nurr1 expression is affected by PD has not been documented. The present study examined the role of Nurr1 in the maintenance of the dopaminergic phenotype within neurons in substantia nigra in PD compared with patients with diagnoses of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) or Alzheimer's disease (AD) or age-matched-matched controls. In PD, the optical density (OD) of Nurr1 immunofluorescence was significantly decreased in nigral neurons containing alpha-synuclein-immunoreactive inclusions. Similarly, the OD of Nurr1 immunofluorescence intensity in the nigra of AD cases was decreased in neurons with neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). In contrast to PD and AD, the OD of Nurr1 immunofluorescence intensity was severely decreased in the neurons with or without NFTs in PSP cases. Decline of Nurr1-ir neuronal number and OD was observed within substantia nigra (SN) neurons in PD but not within hippocampal neurons. The decline in Nurr1-ir expression was correlated with loss of tyrosine hydroxylase immunofluorescence across the four groups. These data demonstrate that Nurr1 deficiency in dopaminergic neurons is associated with the intracellular pathology in both synucleinopathies and tauopathies.
Aggravated Lyme carditis in CD11a-/- and CD11c-/- mice.

CD18 hypomorph mice expressing reduced levels of the common β2 integrin chain develop aggravated Lyme carditis, compared to that developed by wild-type (WT) mice, upon infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The enhancement of Lyme carditis in these mice is characterized by increased macrophage infiltration, correlating with augmented expression of the monocyte/macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). The lack of CD18 results in the deficiency of all β2 integrins, i.e., CD11a/CD18 (LFA-1), CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1/CR3), CD11c/CD18 (p150,95/CR4), and CD11d/CD18. To determine the roles of the various β2 integrins in controlling the development of aggravated Lyme carditis, disease induction was analyzed in CD11a−/−, CD11b−/−, and CD11c−/− mice. CD11a−/− and CD11c−/− mice, but not CD11b−/− mice, developed aggravated Lyme carditis after exposure to B. burgdorferi. Similarly to CD18 hypomorph mice, CD11c−/− mice expressed higher levels of MCP-1, compared to both WT and CD11a−/− mice, as determined by in vitro analysis of MCP-1 secretion by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and in vivo analysis of MCP-1 mRNA expression in B. burgdorferi-infected hearts. On the other hand, CD11a deficiency was associated with heightened heart B. burgdorferi burden relative to that of WT mice. Overall, our results suggest that the increased severity of Lyme carditis in CD18 hypomorph mice is caused by deficiency in CD11a or CD11c, possibly via different mechanisms.
Use of packed rectification columns in extractive distillation

Resultats experimentaux obtenus avec quatre garnissages differents et dix agents de distillation extractive differents, pour la separation de l'acetate d'ethyle du melange acetate d'ethyle-ethanol-eau. Les resultats montrent que les colonnes a garnissage ne sont pas aussi efficaces que les colonnes a plateaux
The association between patellar alignment and patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis features—an MRI study

Objective. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between patellar alignment (using standard MRI images of extended knees) and MRI indices of patellofemoral (PF) osteoarthritis (OA) features. Methods. In this cross-sectional observational study, subjects were recruited to participate in the Boston Osteoarthritis of the Knee Study (BOKS). The association of patellar alignment [patellar length ratio (PLR), sulcus angle (SA), lateral patellar tilt angle (LPTA) and bisect offset (BO)] with measures of PF OA [cartilage morphology and bone marrow lesion (BML) in the medial and lateral PF compartment] were examined using a logistic regression model while adjusting for age, sex and BMI. Results. Study sample comprised 126 males (mean age 68.0, BMI 31.2) and 87 females (mean age 64.7, BMI 31.6). All measurements of patellar alignment were statistically significantly associated with cartilage morphology and BML in the lateral compartment of PF joint. PLR and SA were significantly associated with medial cartilage loss. With increasing PLR there was an increased prevalence of lateral and medial cartilage loss as well as of lateral BML. Increasing SA was positively associated with increased lateral and medial cartilage loss and lateral BML. LPTA range was negatively associated with lateral cartilage loss and BML. More laterally displaced patella (higher BO) was associated with increased lateral cartilage loss and BML. Conclusions. The results of our study clearly indicated that patellar alignment is associated with manifestations of PF OA such as cartilage thickness loss and BML.
Comparative Analysis of Urban Vegetation Scale and Abundance

Vegetation abundance and distribution are fundamental determinants of urban environmental conditions. Physical and ecological processes in urban environments are dependent on the distribution and scaling properties of urban vegetation. By comparing intraurban and interurban vegetation distributions in different urban settings, it is possible to quantify consistencies and variances that determine which properties may be assumed and which properties must be measured. Properties found to be consistent among and within urban settings may be assumed whereas those that are variable must be specifically measured. This paper presents a comparative analysis of vegetation abundance and spatial distribution in six diverse urban settings for the purpose of illustrating such consistencies and variances. High resolution (1-10 m) satellite imagery can detect urban vegetation down to the level of individual trees thereby providing a critical link between field observation and moderate resolution (10-100 m) imagery. Spectral Mixture Analysis and image segmentation are applied to Quickbird multispectral imagery to quantify vegetation abundance, density and patch size distributions in 6 cities. In each city, spectral mixing is found to be strongly linear and dominated by binary mixing continua between a non-reflective dark surface endmember and illuminated vegetation and high albedo substrate endmembers. These binary mixing continua illustrate the importance of fine scale (< 2.8 m) shadowing to urban reflectance in both vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces. Vegetation fraction distributions are similar in four of the six cities but differ in the two containing significant amounts of open canopy scrub vegetation. Patch size distributions are similar in all six cities with 40% to 50% of vegetated area composed of smaller patches (< 100 m equivalent diameter). These results suggest that the abundance of smaller patches of vegetation may play an important role in urban microclimate . While these six cities are not necessarily representative of all cities worldwide, the consistencies suggest that the combination of vegetation fraction distributions from high resolution spectral mixture analysis and patch size distributions from image segmentation could be used to characterize vegetation distributions elsewhere for comparison.
On parallel processing in computational fluid dynamics

Two popular finite difference techniques in computational fluid dynamics are parallelized and tested on a Sequent 20-processor Symmetry computer. Several parallel implementations are investigated in the context of the simple heat and the more complicated curvilinear grid mapping equations. Significant speedups are demonstrated with the largest ones resulting from more complex equations, larger size grids, and more stringent convergence criteria. A novel but intuitive approach in which processor loads are balanced between successive major computational tasks is presented, and shown to yield speedups which are closer to theoretical. >
The Story of Nitinol: The Serendipitous Discovery of the Memory Metal and Its Applications

The shape-retaining alloy Nitinol (Nickel Titanium Naval Ordance Laboratory), the “metal with a memory,” is revolutionizing manufacturing, engineering, and medicine as countless products that “think” for themselves enter the marketplace. This article recounts its discovery in 1959 by William J. Buehler of the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory, its subsequent development by Buehler and Frederick E. Wang, and its applications in orthopedic and cardiovascular surger, orthodontics, solid-state heat engines, “shrink-to-fit” pipe couplers for aircraft, safety products, eyeglass frames, and toys. The serendipitous nature of the discovery, the solid-to-solid (austenite to martensite) phase transition that produces the alloy’s unusual properties, its numbers practical applications, and the ready availability of samples make the alloy an ideal, exiting, and thought-provoking topic for cheistry course at all levels in both lecture and laboratory.
Towards individualized information navigation tools that adapt to user domain expertise

The navigation of information spaces can be accelerated by restructuring the ways in which the information space is presented to the user. Individuals with little expertise in the browsed subject benefit less from speedy access of material when fast access comes at the expense of the information being moved out of its original context and thereby rendered incoherent. To ensure that users with varying expertise will benefit from individualization it seems necessary to strike user/spl times/topic-specific compromises between maximizing access speed and minimizing loss of coherence.
Working better together: joint leadership development for doctors and managers

Abstract Traditionally, there have been tensions between frontline healthcare professionals and managers, with well-known stereotypes of difficult consultants and pen-pushing managers. Many junior doctors have limited management experience and have often never even met a manager prior to taking on a consultant role. Based on a successful programme pioneered by Dr Robert Klaber (Imperial, London) we have set-up an innovative scheme for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, pairing junior doctors and managers to learn and work together. Our aim was to cultivate positive attitudes and understanding between the two groups, break down inter-professional barriers, and to provide practical leadership experience and education. We recruited 60 managers and doctors to participate in shadowing, conversation, and quality improvement projects. Thought-provoking online materials, blogs, socials, and popular monthly workshops consisting of patient-focused debate and discussion around key leadership themes, have helped to support learning and cement shared values. Formal evaluation has demonstrated an improvement in how participants perceive their knowledge and ability based on key NHS Leadership Framework competencies. Participant feedback has been extremely positive, and everyone plans to continue to incorporate Paired Learning into their continuing professional development. We are now embedding Paired Learning in the on-going educational programme offered at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, whilst looking at extending the scheme to include different professional groups and other trusts across the region and nationally.
Heterologous expression of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alcohol acetyltransferase genes in Clostridium acetobutylicum and Escherichia coli for the production of isoamyl acetate

Esters are formed by the condensation of acids with alcohols. The esters isoamyl acetate and butyl butyrate are used for food and beverage flavorings. Alcohol acetyltransferase is one enzyme responsible for the production of esters from acetyl-CoA and different alcohol substrates. The genes ATF1 and ATF2, encoding alcohol acetyltransferases from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been sequenced and characterized. The production of acids and alcohols in mass quantities by the industrially important Clostridium acetobutylicum makes it a potential organism for exploitation of alcohol acetyltransferase activity. This report focuses on the heterologous expression of the alcohol acetyltransferases in Escherichia coli and C. acetobutylicum. ATF1 and ATF2 were cloned and expressed in E. coli and ATF2 was expressed in C. acetobutylicum. Isoamyl acetate production from the substrate isoamyl alcohol in E. coli and C. acetobutylicum cultures was determined by head-space gas analysis. Alcohol acetyltransferase I produced more than twice as much isoamyl acetate as alcohol acetyltransferase II when expressed from a high-copy expression vector. The effect of substrate levels on ester production was explored in the two bacterial hosts to demonstrate the efficacy of utilizing ATF1and ATF2 in bacteria for ester production.
Comments on "Model-based solution techniques for the source localization problem"

For original paper see ibid., vol. 8, p. 895-904, (Nov. 2000). The above-mentioned paper treats the problem of locating a source in a distributed parameter system. The aim of these comments is to point out some subtleties that must be taken into account when applying the techniques proposed in the above-mentioned paper since ignoring these may lead to erroneous results.
On the relationship of brain filaments to microtubules.

— A method has been developed for the isolation of a previously undescribed fibrous protein from rat brain. The newly isolated material consists of bundles of tightly packed 70-80 A diameter filaments. Based on studies employing degenerated rat optic nerve, it is proposed that these filaments correspond to the well-described astrocyte filaments observed in sectioned preparations of mammalian brain. The purified filaments are stable over a wide temperature range, are not disrupted by colchicine, and exhibit limited solubility in the absence of denaturants or detergents. In neutral SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the filament protein runs as a single band with an apparent molecular weight of 57,000 daltons. This preparation also migrates as a single band in alkaline urea gels, and as a well-resolved doublet on discontinuous SDS-urea gels. In all three electrophoretic systems, the filament subunits co-migrate with rat brain tubulin. Comparative peptide maps of the filament subunits and tubulin indicate a large degree of homology. Our results suggest that microtubules and astrocyte filaments are composed of the same or very similar protein subunits.
Psychotropic actions of BW 234U in the treatment of inpatient schizophrenics: A dose-range study

In a 28-day, dose-range study, 11 chronic schizophrenic inpatients newly admitted to the hospital with acute exacerbations were administered a new antipsychotic, BW 234U, in daily doses ranging from 100 to 400 mg/day on a fixed/flexible schedule to determine therapeutic dose range, safety, and psychotropic activity with special regard to possible antiaggressive action. The results of weekly assessments with standard psychiatric rating instruments indicate that BW 234U has dual psychotropic action—an antipsychotic and an activating effect—that may have potential value in the treatment of depressive illness. The drug appears to be relatively free from neurologic, cardiovascular, anticholinergic, and CNS-depressant side effects.
The New Kid on the Block: RET in Lung Cancer

RET has recently been identified as a potential new oncogenic driver in a subset of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Drilon and colleagues report preliminary trial data with a RET inhibitor in RET fusion-positive NSCLC, validating RET as a therapeutic target in lung cancer.
Self-Enforcing Trade Agreements, Dispute Settlement and Separation of Powers

In an environment where international trade agreements must be enforced via promises of future cooperation, the presence of an import-competing lobby has important implications for optimal punishments, and therefore dispute resolution procedures. When lobbies work to disrupt trade agreements, the optimal punishment must balance two, conflicting objectives. Longer punishments help to enforce cooperation by increasing the government's costs of defecting, but because the lobby prefers the punishment outcome, this also incentivizes lobbying effort and with it political pressure to break the agreement. Thus the model generates new predictions for the design of mechanisms for resolving trade disputes: within the class of Nash-reversion punishments, there is an optimal length for dispute resolutions procedures, and it depends directly on the political influence of the lobbies. Trade agreement tariffs are shown to be increasing in the political influence of the lobbies, as well as their patience levels.
Mimicking nature: Self-strengthening properties in a dental adhesive.

Abstract Chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis provoke a cascade of events that undermine methacrylate-based adhesives and the bond formed at the tooth/composite interface. Infiltration of noxious agents, e.g. enzymes, bacteria, and so forth, into the spaces created by the defective bond will ultimately lead to failure of the composite restoration. This paper reports a novel, synthetic resin that provides enhanced hydrolytic stability as a result of intrinsic reinforcement of the polymer network. The behavior of this novel resin, which contains γ-methacryloxyproyl trimethoxysilane (MPS) as its Si-based compound, is reminiscent of self-strengthening properties found in nature. The efforts in this paper are focused on two essential aspects: the visible-light irradiation induced (photoacid-induced) sol–gel reaction and the mechanism leading to intrinsic self-strengthening. The FTIR band at 2840 cm−1 corresponding to CH3 symmetric stretch in –Si–O–CH3 was used to evaluate the sol–gel reaction. Results from the real-time FTIR indicated that the newly developed resin showed a limited sol–gel reaction ( Statement of Significance A self-strengthening dental adhesive system was developed through a dual curing process, which involves the free radical photopolymerization followed by slow hydrolysis and condensation (photoacid-induced sol–gel reaction) of alkoxylsilane groups. The concept of “living” photoacid-induced sol–gel reaction with visible-light irradiation was confirmed in the polymer. The sol–gel reaction was retarded by the polymethacrylate network, which was generated first; the network extended the life and retained the activity of silanol groups. The self-strengthening behavior was evaluated by monitoring the mechanical properties of the hybrid copolymers under wet conditions. The present research demonstrates the sol–gel reaction in highly crosslinked network as a potentially powerful strategy to prolong the functional lifetime of engineered biomaterials in wet environments.
Simple shielding reduces dose to the contralateral breast during prone breast cancer radiotherapy

Our goal was to design a prone breast shield for the contralateral breast and study its efficacy in decreasing scatter radiation to the contralateral breast in a prone breast phantom setup receiving radiation therapy designed for breast cancer. We constructed a prone breast phantom setup consisting of (1) A thermoplastic mask with a left-sided depression created by a water balloon for a breast shape; (2) 2 plastic bags to hold water in the thermoplastic mask depression; (3) 2000mL of water to fill the thermoplastic mask depression to create a water-based false breast; (4) 1-cm thick bolus placed in the contralateral breast holder; (5) 2 lead (Pb) sheets, each 0.1-cm thick for blocking scatter radiation in the contralateral bolus-based false breast; (6) a prone breast board to hold the thermoplastic mask, water, bolus, and lead; (7) 9cm solid water on top of the breast board to simulate body; (8) a diode was used to verify dose for each treatment field of the treated water-based breast; (9) metal-oxide-semiconductor-field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters to measure dose to the contralateral bolus-based breast. The phantom prone breast setup was CT simulated and treatment was designed with 95% isodose line covering the treated breast. The maximum dose was 107.1%. Megavoltage (MV) port images ensured accurate setup. Measurements were done using diodes on the treated water-based breast and MOSFET dosimeters at the medial and lateral sides of the contralateral bolus-based breast without and with the Pb shield. Five treatments were done for each of the 3 data sets and recorded individually for statistical purposes. All treatments were completed with 6MV photons at 200cGy per treatment. The dose contributions from each of the 3 data sets including 15 treatments total without and with the prone lead shield to the medial and lateral portions of contralateral bolus-based breast were averaged individually. Unshielded dose means were 37.11 and 2.94cGy, and shielded dose means were 12.68 and 1.54cGy, respectively. When comparing medial and lateral portions of the contralateral bolus-based doses without and with Pb, the shield significantly reduced dose to both sides of the contralateral breast (medial p = 2.64 × 10(-14), lateral p = 4.91 × 10(-6)). The prone 0.2-cm Pb shield significantly reduced scatter dose to the contralateral breast on the order of 2 to 3 times. Reductions may be clinically relevant for women younger than 45 years by decreasing the risk of contralateral radiation-induced breast cancer in patients receiving radiation therapy for breast cancer. This shield is simple as it would be a part of the prone breast board during treatments, but future studies are warranted for safety and efficacy clinically.
Escherichia coli O104 in Feedlot Cattle Feces: Prevalence, Isolation and Characterization.

Escherichia coli O104:H4, an hybrid pathotype of Shiga toxigenic and enteroaggregative E. coli, involved in a major foodborne outbreak in Germany in 2011, has not been detected in cattle feces. Serogroup O104 with H type other than H4 has been reported to cause human illnesses, but their prevalence and characteristics in cattle have not been reported. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of E. coli O104 in feces of feedlot cattle, by culture and PCR detection methods, and characterize the isolated strains. Rectal fecal samples from a total of 757 cattle originating from 29 feedlots were collected at a Midwest commercial slaughter plant. Fecal samples, enriched in E. coli broth, were subjected to culture and PCR methods of detection. The culture method involved immunomagnetic separation with O104-specific beads and plating on a selective chromogenic medium, followed by serogroup confirmation of pooled colonies by PCR. If pooled colonies were positive for the wzxO104 gene, then colonies were tested individually to identify wzxO104-positive serogroup and associated genes of the hybrid strains. Extracted DNA from feces were also tested by a multiplex PCR to detect wzxO104-positive serogroup and associated major genes of the O104 hybrid pathotype. Because wzxO104 has been shown to be present in E. coli O8/O9/O9a, wzxO104-positive isolates and extracted DNA from fecal samples were also tested by a PCR targeting wbdDO8/O9/O9a, a gene specific for E. coli O8/O9/O9a serogroups. Model-adjusted prevalence estimates of E. coli O104 (positive for wzxO104 and negative for wbdDO8/O9/O9a) at the feedlot level were 5.7% and 21.2%, and at the sample level were 0.5% and 25.9% by culture and PCR, respectively. The McNemar’s test indicated that there was a significant difference (P < 0.01) between the proportions of samples that tested positive for wzxO104 and samples that were positive for wzxO104, but negative for wbdDO8/O9/O9a by PCR and culture methods. A total of 143 isolates, positive for the wzxO104, were obtained in pure culture from 146 positive fecal samples. Ninety-two of the 143 isolates (64.3%) also tested positive for the wbdDO8/O9/O9a, indicating that only 51 (35.7%) isolates truly belonged to the O104 serogroup (positive for wzxO104 and negative for wbdDO8/O9/O9a). All 51 isolates tested negative for eae, and 16 tested positive for stx1 gene of the subtype 1c. Thirteen of the 16 stx1-positive O104 isolates were from one feedlot. The predominant serotype was O104:H7. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that stx1-positive O104:H7 isolates had 62.4% homology to the German outbreak strain and 67.9% to 77.5% homology to human diarrheagenic O104:H7 strains. The 13 isolates obtained from the same feedlot were of the same PFGE subtype with 100% Dice similarity. Although cattle do not harbor the O104:H4 pathotype, they do harbor and shed Shiga toxigenic O104 in the feces and the predominant serotype was O104:H7.
Kinetic and structural investigations into the allosteric and pH effect on the substrate specificity of human epithelial 15-lipoxygenase-2.

Lipoxygenases, important enzymes in inflammation, can regulate their substrate specificity by allosteric interactions with their own hydroperoxide products. In this work, addition of both 13-(S)-hydroxy-(9Z,11E)-octadecadienoic acid [13-(S)-HODE] and 13-(S)-hydroperoxy-(6Z,9Z,11E)-octadecatrienoic acid to human epithelial 15-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX-2) increases the kcat/KM substrate specificity ratio of arachidonic acid (AA) and γ-linolenic acid (GLA) by 4-fold. 13-(S)-HODE achieves this change by activating kcat/KMAA but inhibiting kcat/KMGLA, which indicates that the allosteric structural changes at the active site discriminate between the length and unsaturation differences of AA and GLA to achieve opposite kinetic effects. The substrate specificity ratio is further increased, 11-fold in total, with an increase in pH, suggesting mechanistic differences between the pH and allosteric effects. Interestingly, the loss of the PLAT domain affects substrate specificity but does not eliminate the allosteric pro...
Personality Correlates of Barksdale Self-Esteem Index Scores among Nursing Students: A Validation Study

Barksdale Self-esteem Index scores were correlated with scales of the Omnibus Personality Inventory and Seeman's Powerlessness scale for 188 graduating nursing students. The Barksdale Index was positively correlated with Omnibus Personality Inventory scales which measure Personal Integration and Intellectual Disposition Category and negatively correlated with scales which measure Impulse Expression, Anxiety Level, and Practical Outlook. In addition, the self-esteem measure was negatively related to Powerlessness. The pattern of correlations is viewed as validating the Barksdale Index when related to Omnibus Personality Inventory scales and to Inventory factor groupings which indicate emotional maturity, psychological adjustment, and a tendency to behave intellectually.
Combinatorialization of Fungal Polyketide Synthase–Peptide Synthetase Hybrid Proteins

The programming of the fungal polyketide synthase (PKS) is quite complex, with a simple domain architecture leading to elaborate products. An additional level of complexity has been found within PKS-based pathways where the PKS is fused to a single module nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) to synthesize polyketides conjugated to amino acids. Here, we sought to understand the communication between these modules that enable correct formation of polyketide-peptide hybrid products. To do so, we fused together the genes that are responsible for forming five highly chemically diverse fungal natural products in a total of 57 different combinations, comprising 34 distinct module swaps. Gene fusions were formed with the idea of testing the connection and compatibility of the PKS and NRPS modules mediated by the acyl carrier protein (ACP), condensation (C) and ketoreductase (KR) domains. The resulting recombinant gene fusions were analyzed in a high-yielding expression platform to avail six new compounds, inclu...
A controlled clinical trial of dichloroacetate for treatment of lactic acidosis in adults. The Dichloroacetate-Lactic Acidosis Study Group.

Abstract Background. Mortality is very high in lactic acidosis, and there is no satisfactory treatment other than treatment of the underlying cause. Uncontrolled studies have suggested that dichloroacetate, which stimulates the oxidation of lactate to acetyl-coenzyme A and carbon dioxide, might reduce morbidity and improve survival among patients with this condition. Methods. We conducted a placebo-controlled, randomized trial of intravenous sodium dichloroacetate therapy in 252 patients with lactic acidosis; 126 were assigned to receive dichloroacetate and 126 to receive placebo. The entry criteria included an arterial-blood lactate concentration of ≥5.0 mmol per liter and either an arterial-blood pH of ≤7.35 or a base deficit of ≥6 mmol per liter. The mean (±SD) arterial-blood lactate concentrations before treatment were 11.6±7.0 mmol per liter in the dichloroacetate-treated patients and 10.4±5.5 mmol per liter in the placebo group, and the mean initial arterial-blood pH values were 7.24±0.12 and 7.24±0...
Imaging in Lung Transplantation: Surgical Considerations of Donor and Recipient

Modifications in recipient and donor criteria and innovations in donor management hold promise for increasing rates of lung transplantation, yet availability of donors remains a limiting resource. Imaging is critical in the work-up of donor and recipient including identification of conditions that may portend to poor posttransplant outcomes or necessitate modifications in surgical technique. This article describes the radiologic principles that guide selection of patients and surgical procedures in lung transplantation.
A location algorithm of inner-knuckle-print based on dimension reduction

Considering the difficulty of accurately and fast location of ROI of inner-knuckle-print,a new location algorithm is presented forward based on dimension reduction.This algorithm transforms 2-dimension image data to two 1-dimension data by projecting the binary image in vertical and horizontal direction,and then aligns ROI images through the comparison of the two 1-dimension data.This leads to rapid and efficient recognition.The experimental results verify that it is rapid and effective than traditional methods.
Cholera surveillance in Yulin city during 2005-2011

Objective:To understand the pollution state of fishery products and external environmental water and the existence state of Vibrio cholerae for discovering the case of cholera promptly and providing scientific basis for prevention and control of cholera.Methods:The active monitoring was adopted in patients with diarrhea,external environmental water,fishery products,food and focus groups in Yulin during 2005-2011.Results:Totally 15922 various samples were collected in 7 years,and Vibrio cholerae were found in 36 samples,total positive rate was 0.23%.The positive rates of Vibrio cholerae from 2005 to 2011 were 0.06%,0.67%,0.04%,0.29%,0.16%,0.00%,0.47% respectively,and the positive rate of water was 0.26%.The positive rate of fishery products was 0.55%,the positive rate of the patients with diarrhea and high risk population was 0.00%.Test results of foods were negative.Conclusion:There are Vibrio cholerae in external environmental water and fishery products in Yulin city.It is necessary to enhance monitoring to understand their pollution timely,so as to take specific measures to prevent and control the occurrence and spread of cholera.
Hypervascular acoustic neuroma.

AbstractThe authors present a patient with a large acoustic neuroma that exhibited an unusual vascular architecture. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated multiple flow voids in and around the mass. At .surgery, intra- and extratumoral vascularity was arterialized due to luxurious shunting. Two attempts at removal produced severe engorgement and pulsatility of the surrounding brain, dramatically narrowing the operative exposure. Piecemeal resection of the tumor seemed to redistribute blood flow resulting in engorgement of the surrounding brain, analogous to perfusion breakthrough following AVM resection. Treatment strategies similar to those used for AVM resection may be indicated when encountering a hypervascular tumor. [Neural Res 1998; 20: 748-750]
A Novel PQ Control Strategy of Microgrid with Single-Phase Connected to Grid

Based on the power hypothesis of feed-forward decoupling, PQ control is typical of the micro network control strategy, through the SPLL and d–q transformation module power and power factor control module and current control module to establish PQ control model, and in the original basis of ordinary phase lock loop to instantaneous reactive power phase lock loop. Finally using two half-bridge inverter dc micro-source to simulate practice single-phase parallel in MATLAB/Simulink simulation, it is concluded that using the control strategy of the micro-source in connection with power grid after a relatively short period of time, keeps the current in parallel and power grid voltage synchronization, output active power constant.
The Transatlantic Century: The depression and transatlantic new deals

The Roaring Twenties came to an abrupt end with the American stock market crash in the fall of 1929, which ignited a downward spiral of United States bank collapses, home foreclosures, currency instability, and acute price deflation. As the financial crisis spread to the real economy, production dropped precipitously, millions were thrown out of work, businesses closed, farmers went bankrupt, and confidence evaporated. America ceased to be the exceptional exemplar of unprecedented prosperity and the alluring, if disturbing, model of modernity that it had been. And it could no longer aid European economies, which lurched into crises that devastated agriculture, industry, and finance and destroyed the tenuous political and social stability of the mid and late twenties. Transatlantic economic conflicts and political tensions multiplied. Only the Soviet Union remained immune from the ravages of the depression, but the growth and modernization achieved through forced industrialization and collectivization proved enormously socially disruptive, politically divisive, and, for many, fatal. The depression was not the final crisis of capitalism, as many on the communist left hoped and initially predicted. But it was, in the words of the economist John Maynard Keynes, “the greatest catastrophe due almost to entirely economic causes of the modern world.” The depression destroyed the institutions, ideas, and networks that had structured transatlantic relations. Laissez-faire ideology, self-regulating markets, and the noninterventionist liberal state were called into question. Globalization, already slowed by war, economic turmoil, and political restructuring in the 1920s, virtually stopped, as the gold standard collapsed and trade and capital flows diminished significantly. By 1931 Montagu Norman, governor of the Bank of England, feared that “unless drastic measures are taken to save it, the capitalist system throughout the civilized world will be wrecked within a year.”
Discussion of Hammond’s Paper

In his paper Peter Hammond suggests an ingenious formal model — the multivalued game form — as a tool for modelling rights. While the traditional method of modelling rights using social choice rules has been criticized and game forms have been suggested as a superior alternative, Hammond’s construct has the advantage of including both the traditional social choice models and game forms as special cases. I will argue below that this is not enough. Such a formal generalization may be neither necessary nor sufficient. To answer significant questions about rights and their role in social decision-making we need to go a step further. We need a model which is rich enough to allow simultaneously for the intuitive ethical considerations which underlie traditional social choice and game form models of rights.
All vapor-deposited lead-free doped CsSnBr3 planar solar cells

Abstract We demonstrate all thermal vapor-deposited CsSnBr 3 perovskite solar cells. The cell architecture consists of a planar CsSnBr 3 heterojunction where the perovskite layer is grown by thin sequential deposition of SnBr 2 and CsBr allowing for immediate reaction. While other halides of CsSnX 3 (e.g. X=Cl, I) are extremely air sensitive and change color within seconds, illumination tests performed on unencapsulated CsSnBr 3 devices in ambient air show no change over the span of hours. Further, we evaluate the impact of low-temperature annealing and incorporation of various fluoride passivating dopant profiles via vapor deposition. Our results demonstrate an exciting alternative pathway to develop all-inorganic lead-free perovskite photovoltaics.