cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cholecystokinin receptor antagonism of stimulated pancreatic and gastric secretion

The effects of cholecystokinin receptor antagonist, dipentyl-3,4-dichloroproglumide (DDP), on stimulated pancreatic and gastric secretion were studied in the rat. DDP dose-dependently inhibited cholecystokinin-stimulated amylase release from dispersed acinar cells. In uiuo, DDP inhibited cholecystokinin octapeptide-stimulated amylase and protein secretion. DDP also inhibited pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion in vivo. Meal-stimulated acid output was decreased by 34% (DDP 400 pg/kg/hr) but responsiveness to histamine or parachlorophenyl-y-aminobutyric acid was unchanged.
A minicomputer system for multiperson computer-assisted telephone interviewing

A computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) system has been developed which has new and extensive implications for almost every phase of survey research. CATI provides (1) schedule design assistance, (2) new interviewing capabilities and controls which eliminate procedural errors, (3) coding assistance, (4) sampling administration, (5) interview supervision, and (6) postinterview data processing.
A System for Measuring Penetration of Radioactive Ions Across Roots of Intact Plants

A technique was developed for estimating penetration of P(32) across roots of intact plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) by measuring the level of isotope in the xylem stream. Penetration was defined as movement from the root surface to the xylem sap. The xylem sap measurement for P(32) was made in the stem as the material ascended the plant in the transpiration stream. Stems were held near 0 degrees to arrest metabolic concentration of isotope adjacent to the xylem column. A 3 layer environment control system was constructed to allow stem chilling in a manner that would not interfere with the environments of the roots or foliage. Despite these precautions, some extra-xylary build-up of (32)P occurred in the chilled stem. The mathematical function of the extra-xylary fraction was derived, and the difference between this value and total P(32) in the stem represented xylem sap isotope.
Nonlinear modal models for sonic fatigue response prediction: a comparison of methods

Abstract Accurate prediction of sonic fatigue response is important in designing aircraft structures for long life. Early prediction methods were based on single-mode, linear models which were not accurate for complex structures or large-amplitude response levels. Direct time integration of full, nonlinear, finite element models can provide accurate results, but at a prohibitive computational expense. Recent methods reduce the finite element model to a low-order system of nonlinear modal equations. The modal equations can then be integrated in the time domain. The computational burden is greatly reduced and an accurate response prediction can be accomplished. In this paper, several methods used to construct the nonlinear modal models are compared using a clamped–clamped beam as an example problem.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy tube placement in healthy dogs and cats.

Background: Pancreatitis, hepatobiliary disease, and proximal gastrointestinal tract disorders are clinical situations where delivery of nutrients via jejunostomy tube is preferable to a feeding gastrostomy. A through description of the percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEG-J) technique and practical guidelines for irts use in small animals have not been reported. endoscopic gasrtrojejunosrtomy (PEG-J technique and practical guidelines for its use in small animals have not been reported Hypothesis: That a simple rtechnique of PEG-J tube placement in humans would be useful and safe in healthy dogs and cats Animals: Twelve healthy dogs and 5 healthy carts were included in the study Materials and Methods: Commericially prepared PEG-J tubes were modified for use in animals and positioned in the small intestine by endoscopic guidance. Eight dofgs and 5 cats were bolus fed enteral diets for 14 days. Complicartions associated with the use of the PEG-J tube and responses to bolus feedings were assessed Results: Jejunostomy tubes were placed disrtal to the caudal duodenal flexure in all dogs and cats. Complicartions associated with PEG-J tubes occurred in 5/12 dogs and 4/5 cats and inclded J-tube removal, local pain/inflammation, retrograde tube migration, and diarrhea. Bolus feeding (daily maintenance energy requirement [MER] divided q8h) through the jejunostomy catheter was well tolerated, maintained normal body weight, and was not associated with adverse gasrt rointestinal signs Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Placement of a PEG-J rtube is an effective, noninvasive technique for providing enteral nutritional support of healthy dogs and cats. Bolus-feeding techniques via PEG-J tubes maintain normal nutritional status in healthy dogs and carts. This procedure for jejunostomy feeding may be easily adapted for use in clinical practice outside of an intensive care facility
On the Local Environment Surrounding Pyrene in Near- and Supercritical Water:

We use steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to probe local solvent-solute interactions between pyrene (the solute) and supercritical water (SCW). Toward this end, we have developed a new fiber-optic-based titanium high-pressure optical cell which can withstand the temperatures and pressure needed to generate supercritical water. Static fluorescence measurements indicate that there is an increase in the local water density surrounding the pyrene molecules (clustering) up to five times the bulk fluid density. This extent of clustering is most prevalent at about one-half the critical density. Consistent with previous work on more mild supercritical fluids (e.g., CO2, CF3H, C2H6), the extent of this solute fluid clustering decreases as the system temperature and pressure are increased. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements show that the excited-state decay kinetics are exponentially activated and not themselves affected by this solute-fluid clustering process.
Touch screen technology in flight deck, how far is it helpful?

Introduction of touch screen technology in the flight deck is getting considerable attention. Various flight deck tasks can be simplified and performed much more easily by the application of touch screen technology. The touch screen technology would be helpful in reducing flight deck workload and ensuring safety especially by reducing the head down scan time when used on the flight display. In consumer products, several researchers have proved that task completion times with touch screen devices will be lower when compared to other input devices. In this research paper, I will review earlier research of touch screen technology in consumer products involved in determining the response times (selection times), error rates, and impact of loss of sensory feedback and discuss how the research is applicable to flight deck. I have described my current study where I am planning to evaluate the task completion times of various piloting tasks with touch screen interfaces and model the selection times with human performance model Fitts' law to compare the results obtained from the model with the manual results and extrapolate for evaluating future touch screen interfaces.
Measurement of MacMullin Numbers for PEMFC Gas-Diffusion Media

A technique for measuring the MacMullin number is described and the values are reported for different carbon-cloth and carbon-paper gas-diffusion media GDM. This number provides the missing data to test the applicability of the commonly used Bruggeman equation for these porous structures. Analysis of the MacMullin number and porosity data show that only carbon-cloth GDM follow the Bruggeman equation and that carbon-paper GDM has a different relationship with porosity. These differences are
Reduced-order model feedback control design: numerical implementation in a thin shell model

Reduced-order models employing the Lagrange and popular proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) reduced-basis methods in numerical approximation and feedback control of systems are presented and numerically tested. The system under consideration is a thin cylindrical shell with surface-mounted piezoceramic actuators. Donnell-Mushtari equations, modified to include Kelvin-Voigt damping, are used to model the system dynamics. Basis functions constructed from Fourier polynomials tensored with cubic splines are employed in the Galerkin expansion of the full-order model. Reduced-basis elements are then formed from full order approximations of the exogenously excited shell taken at different time instances. Numerical examples illustrating the features of the reduced-basis methods are presented. As a first step toward investigating the behavior of the methods when implemented in physical systems, the use of reduced-order model feedback control gains in the full order model is considered and numerical examples are presented.
Physiological Perspectives on Leptin as a Regulator of Reproduction: Role in Timing Puberty

How nutrition regulates reproductive activity remains a major unsolved question of reproductive biology. Reducing the level of nutrition during adulthood can lead to infertility, primarily through reduction of GnRH secretion. Inquiry about such a mechanism has its roots in the search for cues timing the onset of fertility, because the tempo of sexual maturation is much more closely associated with body growth than with chronological age. Growth depends on the quantity and quality of food intake. When food availability is low, small, short-lived species with high metabolism and reduced growth may not even attain puberty before they die. In longer-lived species, puberty is delayed for months or even years until more food becomes available. To appreciate fully how the pubertal progression is timed will require understanding how peripheral signals relating information about energy metabolism are sensed by the brain and how such information is routed through pathways controlling GnRH secretion. Here, we provide some background and physiologic perspective on the question of whether the fat-derived hormone leptin is the unique peripheral signal, is an important signal, is but one of a constellation of signals, or is not a signal timing puberty.
An evolutionary trace method defines binding surfaces common to protein families

Abstract X-ray or NMR structures of proteins are often derived without their ligands, and even when the structure of a full complex is available, the area of contact that is functionally and energetically significant may be a specialized subset of the geometric interface deduced from the spatial proximity between ligands. Thus, even after a structure is solved, it remains a major theoretical and experimantal goal to localize protein functional interfaces and understand the role of their constituent residues. The evolutionary trace method is a systematic, transparent and novel predictive technique that identifies active sites and functional interfaces in proteins with known structure. It is based on the extraction of functionally important residues from sequence conservation patterns in homologous proteins, and on their mapping onto the protein surface to generate clusters identifying functional interfaces. The SH2 and SH3 modular signaling domains and the DNA binding domain of the nuclear hormone receptors provide tests for the accuracy and validity of our method. In each case, the evolutionary trace deliineates the functional epitope and identifies residues critical to the binding specificity. Based on mutational evolutionary analysis and on the structural homology of protein families, this simple and versatile approach should help focus site-directed mutagenesis studies of structure-function relationships in macromolecules, as well as studies of specificity in molecular recognitionl. More generally, it provedes an evolutionary perspective for judging the functional or structural role of each residue in a protein structure.
Hemodynamic Indexes Derived from Computed Tomography Angiography to Predict Pulmonary Embolism Related Mortality

Pulmonary embolism (PE) induces an acute increase in the right ventricle afterload that can lead to right-ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and eventually to circulatory collapse. Hemodynamic status and presence of RVD are important determinants of adverse outcomes in acute PE. Technologic progress allows computed tomography angiography (CTA) to give more information than accurate diagnosis of PE. It may also provide an insight into hemodynamics and right-ventricular function. Proximal localization of emboli, reflux of contrast medium to the hepatic veins, and right-to-left short-axis ventricular diameter ratio seem to be the most relevant CTA predictors of 30-day mortality. These elements require little postprocessing time, an advantage in the emergency room. We herein review the prognostic value of RVD and other CTA mortality predictors for patients with acute PE.
On the Uses of Heresy: Leonard Feeney, Mary Douglas, and the Notre Dame Football Team

On the afternoon of 6 September 1952, the readers of the Boston Pilor the voice of the Roman Catholic archdiocese found on the front page of their usually staid weekly the text of a trenchant letter from the Holy Office in Rome. The text, dated August 8, addressed a group of Boston Catholics who had kicked up a fuss over the ancient theological dictum, extra ecclesiam nulla salus ("outside the church there is no salvation")a phrase going back to St. Cyprian in the third century and one of the pillars of orthodoxy for Christian believers.2 The letter was actually an ambivalent affair: it declared unequivocally that all Christians were "bound in faith" to the truth of that dictum ("No one will be saved who, knowing the church to be divinely established, withholds obedience from the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth"). At the same time, however, it allowed that a person might be "in the church" by no more than "implicit desire" an interpretation that had achieved almost normative status among Catholic theologians by the mid-
Voices of Yugoslav Jewry

Voices of Yugoslav Jewry. Paul Benjamin Cordiejew. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1999. ix. 479 pp., appendix, notes, bibliography, index.
Measurement and Management of Hyperlipidemia for the Primary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease

Background: As part of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) two expert panel reports (1988, 1993) recommend serum cholesterol measurements in all adults aged 20 years and older and cholesterol­ lowering treatment for those with abnormal levels. Methods: All major drug intervention trials for primary prevention of coronary heart disease were re­ viewed. Similarly, selected studies on risks of dyslipidemia and benefit of therapy for the elderly and for women without coronary heart disease were analyzed. These studies were evaluated to test the soundness of the NCEP panel's recommendations. Results and Conclusions: Five major randomized drug intervention trials for primary prevention of coronary heart disease showed that cholestyramine, gemfibrozil, clofibrate, and pravastatin can reduce the rate of nonfatal myocardial infarctions in middle-aged men. All-cause and ischemic heart disease mortality were increased by clofibrate and unaffected by the other three drugs. Extrapolation of these findings to women and older and younger men is unwarranted because there is no evidence that either diet or drugs provide primary protection from coronary heart disease in these groups. It is uncertain whether dyslipi­ demia is a risk factor for coronary heart disease in the elderly. The annual cost of drugs for full implementa­ tion of the panel's recommendations ranges from $6 billion to $11.5 billion and an additional $13 billion will be required for initial screening, classifying, and monitoring serum cholesterol levels. Potential adverse consequences of a national program include possible risks from low cholesterol levels, drug side-effects, and disease labeling. 0 Am Board Fam Pract 1998;11:12-22.)
Airway blood flow reactivity in smokers.

Abstract Cigarette smoking has been associated with impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation responses in the brachial and coronary arteries (endothelial dysfunction). The aim of the present study was to determine if the airway circulation is also affected and if airway treatment has an effect on endothelial function. Airway blood flow ( Q aw ) responses to inhaled albuterol as an index of endothelial function were measured in age-matched healthy current smokers, healthy ex-smokers, ex-smokers with COPD and healthy lifetime non-smokers; in the ex-smokers with COPD, the albuterol responsiveness was repeated after a 4-week treatment with an inhaled glucocorticoid/ β 2 -adrenergic agonist combination drug. Mean baseline Q aw was similar in the four groups. Albuterol inhalation increased mean Q aw in lifetime non-smokers (50.1±8.3%; p 0.0 5 ) and in healthy ex-smokers (37.2±3.4%; p 0.0 5 ) but not in healthy current smokers (13.9±3.2%; p =NS) and ex-smokers with COPD (9.7±4.5%; p =NS). While drug treatment per se did not change Q aw significantly, it restored albuterol responsiveness (+67.6±11.1%; p 0.0 5 ) in the ex-smokers with COPD. Thus, cigarette smoking is associated with endothelial dysfunction in the airway, with a partial recovery of endothelial function after smoking cessation in healthy ex-smokers but not in ex-smokers with COPD. In the latter, combined glucocorticoid/ β 2 -adrenergic agonist treatment restores albuterol responsiveness.
The Politics of Research Production, Promotion, and Utilization in Educational Policy:

Researchers have noted with concern the often weak link between research evidence and policymaking, particularly in some areas such as education. In this introductory essay—dedicated to the late Ca...
Chemotherapy alone for laryngeal preservation--is it possible?

Holsinger et al 1 report the results of a phase II trial testing chemotherapy alone as definitive treatment for preservation of the larynx in selected patients with stages II to IV laryngeal cancer. This study is the first of its kind in the United States, even though the approach has been tried in France by Laccourreye et al 2,3 in patients with T1 to T3N0 glottic cancers. In their study, Holsinger et al were careful to select patients with T2 to T4 cancers of the glottic or supraglottic larynx who could be treated with conservation laryngeal surgery. Using a regimen of cisplatin plus ifosfamide plus paclitaxel (TIP), chemotherapy alone proved successful, with no local or regional failures in 10 patients (32%) demonstrating biopsy-confirmed complete response (CR) out of 31 patients enrolled. These results are important because they underscore the sensitivity of squamous cell cancer of the larynx to cisplatin-based chemotherapy, the potential for chemotherapy as a single-modality treatment option in selected patients with laryngeal cancer, conservation laryngeal surgery as an organ-preserving option for appropriate patients selected by an experienced team, and the importance of a multidisciplinary care team in the evaluation, management, and follow-up of patients with head and neck cancer. Seven years were required for the accrual of nine patients with T3 or T4, N0 or N1 cancers suitable for conservation laryngeal surgery, in addition to the 22 patients with T2N0 or N1 cancers who were identified as being at high risk for recurrence with altered fractionation radiotherapy, and who were also candidates for conservation laryngeal surgery. These 31 patients, all of whom had excellent performance status, received either three or four cycles of TIP followed by response assessment. All patients achieved either a CR or partial response to TIP. If a CR was determined on the basis of imaging, endoscopic examination, and negative biopsy, additional cycles of TIP were administered (up to a maximum of six cycles), after which patients were rigorously monitored. Patients with less than a biopsy-proven CR underwent appropriate laryngeal surgery, with or without neck dissection and radiation, as indicated. A high rate of laryngeal preservation was achieved (83%; 95% CI, 65 to 94), significantly better than the rate of 60%, which had been determined— on the basis of previous studies 4,5 of stage III and IV laryngeal cancers treated for organ preservation in patients in whom total laryngectomy would otherwise have been required— sufficient for declaring the treatment a success. Clearly, the bar had been set too low for this patient group, in which stage II disease was predominant, and which was suitable for conservation laryngeal surgery from the outset. The estimated survival outcomes at 5 years were an overall survival of 83% (95% CI, 70 to 98) and a recurrence-free survival (deaths not resulting from study cancer were censored) of 73% (95% CI, 58 to 91), suggesting that the treatment approach was not detrimental. Standard of care management of laryngeal cancer varies with
Beyond Function-Behavior-Structure

Our research is investigating the relationship between design problem formulation and creative outcome. Our research is investigating the relationship between design problem formulation and creative outcome. Towards that goal we have conducted experiments with designers engaged in problem formulation. In order to analyze such empirical data, a formal representation is needed. One popular model is Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) and its several variants. Our problem map (P-map) model shares many features with FBS but also has important differences. We introduce a hierarchical representation not only in each of the F, B, S domains but in additional domains (requirements and issues). We also identify generic inter and intra-domain relationships between these entities, leading to a more expressive and flexible model that is domain independent and well suited for representing problem formulations of designers with different expertise levels and creativity. We have used the model for coding protocol data in a formal predicate logic language (Answer Set Prolog).
Identification and characterization of falcilysin, a metallopeptidase involved in hemoglobin catabolism within the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

Abstract The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum degrades hemoglobin in its acidic food vacuole for use as a major nutrient source. A novel metallopeptidase activity, falcilysin, was purified from food vacuoles and characterized. Falcilysin appears to function downstream of the aspartic proteases plasmepsins I and II and the cysteine protease falcipain in the hemoglobin proteolytic pathway. It is unable to cleave hemoglobin or denatured globin but readily destroys peptide fragments of hemoglobin. Falcilysin cleavage sites along the α and β chains of hemoglobin are polar in character, with charged residues located in the P1 and/or P4′ positions. In contrast, plasmepsins I and II and falcipain prefer hydrophobic residues around the scissile bond. The gene encoding falcilysin has been cloned. Its coding sequence exhibits features characteristic of clan ME family M16 metallopeptidases, including an “inverted” HXXEH active site motif. Falcilysin shares primary structural features with M16 family members such as insulysin, mitochondrial processing peptidase, nardilysin, and pitrilysin as well as with data base hypothetical proteins that are potential M16 family members. The characterization of falcilysin increases our understanding of hemoglobin catabolism in P. falciparum and the unusual M16 family of metallopeptidases.
Influence of temperature on the physiological performance of zoochlorellae in two intertidal hosts (Anthopleura elegantissima and A. xanthogrammica)

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi LIST OF FIGURES viii LIST OF TABLES x INTRODUCTION 1 MATERIALS AND METHODS 7 Collection of specimens 7 Laboratory measurements of temperature tolerance 9 Algal cell density, mitotic index and protein analysis 11 Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence in E. marina 13 Field temperature measurements 16 Statistical analysis 17 RESULTS 19 Laboratory measurements of temperature tolerance 19 Algal cell density and mitotic index 22 Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence in E. marina 25 Field temperature measurements 33 DISCUSSION 37 Overview 37 Host response 37 Symbiont response 39 Field temperature measurements 42 Broader implications 45 LITERATURE CITED 48
How Long Do States Receive Aid? Examining the Duration of US Foreign Aid Allocations, 1951-2000

When do states stop receiving aid? Drawing on research on the end of cooperation, this paper hypothesizes that changes in a recipient's economy, regime type, and human rights record, as well as economic and security changes in the donor-recipient relationship are likely to explain the termination of aid. This is tested on all US aid recipients from 1951-2000. Results indicate that the economic need and growth rate of a recipient state as well as the presence of a militarized dispute strongly influence how long a state receives aid. Some support was found for the human rights behavior of recipient states.
Production of E 6 heavy leptons at supercollider energies

We evaluate the cross sections in $\mathrm{pp}$ collisions at 10-40 TeV for the production of very heavy charged and neutral exotic leptons that occur in the 27 representation of ${\mathrm{E}}_{6}$. Drell-Yan and gluon-fusion subprocesses are considered. The exotic-lepton decays can lead to distinctive final states with two or four $W$ bosons and like-sign $W$ pairs.
A cost and outcome model of fertility treatment in a managed care environment

Objective To build a financial model of a fertility practice operating under managed care. Design Financial model in Microsoft Excel (Redmond, Washington) Setting University-affiliated infertility practice, assuming primary care referral of patients and total revenue a function of the capitation contract. Patient(s) Female infertility patients and their partners with assumed mean age of 35 years. Main Outcome Measure(s) Breakeven capitation rate. Result(s) Every other month ovulation induction produced the lowest breakeven capitation rates in the model. Breakeven capitation rates increased from $0.85 up to $4.70 per member per month as utilization increased from 0.1% to 1% of health plan members. Decreasing the cost of an IVF-ET cycle $2,050 decreased breakeven capitation rates from $0.05 up to $0.80 per member per month as utilization of fertility services increases from 0.1% to 1% of health plan members. Decreasing average yearly pregnancy rate from 56% to 41% increased breakeven capitation rate from $0.10 to $0.80 per member per month across similar utilization. The average cost of pregnancy per year ranged from $6,787 to $21,075. Conclusion(s) As utilization of fertility services increases, cost reductions no longer exist to offset increasing breakeven capitation rates. Financial modeling, using actual data, can evaluate any medical decision in terms of outcome and the cost of that outcome. Modeling is an effective means for physicians to educate themselves concerning the cost of their fertility and medical decisions.
Air Pollutants Changes at Two Monitoring Spots of Shanghai,2002-2005

[Objective] To analyze the time-spatial variation of air pollutants,i.e.SO2,NO2 and PM10,at two monitoring spots of Shanghai from 2002 to 2005.[Methods] Daily average air SO2,NO2 and PM10 levels during 2002 through 2005 from two environmental monitoring spots(spot A in urban district and spot B in suburb district) of Shanghai were collected.The variation of pollutant levels by month,season and year was analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test and Kruskal-Wallis test,and the correlation between pollutants in the two sites was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis using SPSS 11.5.[Results] The monthly SO2 level in spot B was higher than that in spot A in January,February,March,May,September,and October(P 0.01 or P 0.05).The monthly NO2 level in spot B was higher than that in spot A in July and December(P 0.01).Except February,March and May,the monthly PM10 level in spot B was higher than that in spot A(P 0.01 or P 0.05).The variation of monthly SO2,NO2 and PM10 levels from January to December showed a "V" shape fluctuation in both spots.The seasonal level of SO2 in spot B was higher than that in spot A in spring,autumn and winter(P 0.01).The seasonal level of NO2 in spot B was higher than that in spot A in summer(P 0.05).The seasonal level of PM10 in spot B was all higher than that in spot A(P 0.01).Almost all air pollutant levels in the two spots were higher in winter and lower in summer.From 2002 through 2005,in spot A,air SO2 level was ascending year after year,variations of air PM10 and NO2 was not distinct.As for spot B,variations of air NO2 was not distinct,but air SO2 and PM10 levels were decreasing because of the comprehensive treatment of local government.According to Ambient Air Quality Standard,GB 3095—1996,the SO2,NO2 and PM10 levels of the two monitoring spots both exceeded limits,especially PM10 followed by SO2,whereas problems in spot B was more serious than that in spot A.There was a weak correlation among the levels of the three air pollutants,which was more stronger in spot A than in spot B,especially the correlation between NO2 and PM10.[Conclusion] Generally,the air quality in the two spots was acceptable.The air pollution in site B was more serious than that in site A,and a weak correlation was observed among air pollutants SO2,NO2 and PM10.
A Collaborative Learning Network Approach to Improvement: The CUSP Learning Network.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Collaborative improvement networks draw on the science of collaborative organizational learning and communities of practice to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, coaching, and local adaption. Although significant improvements in patient safety and quality have been achieved through collaborative methods, insight regarding how collaborative networks are used by members is needed. Improvement Strategy The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) Learning Network is a multi-institutional collaborative network that is designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and coaching specifically related to CUSP. Member organizations implement all or part of the CUSP methodology to improve organizational safety culture, patient safety, and care quality. Qualitative case studies developed by participating members examine the impact of network participation across three levels of analysis (unit, hospital, health system). In addition, results of a satisfaction survey designed to evaluate member experiences were collected to inform network development. Results Common themes across case studies suggest that members found value in collaborative learning and sharing strategies across organizational boundaries related to a specific improvement strategy. Conclusion The CUSP Learning Network is an example of network-based collaborative learning in action. Although this learning network focuses on a particular improvement methodology—CUSP—there is clear potential for member-driven learning networks to grow around other methods or topic areas. Such collaborative learning networks may offer a way to develop an infrastructure for longer-term support of improvement efforts and to more quickly diffuse creative sustainment strategies.
Unified Nusselt- and Sherwood-number correlations in axisymmetric finite-gap stagnation and rotating-disk flows

This paper develops a unified analysis of stagnation flow heat and mass transport, considering both semi-infinite domains and finite gaps, with and without rotation of the stagnation surface. An important objective is to derive Nusselt- and Sherwood-number correlations that represent heat and mass transport at the stagnation surface. The approach is based on computationally solving the governing conservation equations in similarity form as a boundary-value problem. The formulation considers ideal gases and incompressible fluids. The correlated results depend on fluid properties in terms of Prandtl, Schmidt, and Damkohler numbers. Heterogeneous chemistry at the stagnation surface is represented as a single first-order reaction. A composite Reynolds number represents the combination of stagnation flows with and without stagnation-surface rotation.
Certified Symbolic Execution

We propose a certification approach for checking the analysis results produced by symbolic execution. Given a program P under test, an analysis producer performs symbolic execution on P and creates a certificate C that represents the results of symbolic execution. The analysis consumer checks the validity of C with respect to P using efficient symbolic re-execution of P. The certificates are simple to create and easy to validate. Each certificate is a list of witnesses that include: test inputs that validate path feasibility without requiring any constraint solving; and infeasibility summaries that provide hints on how to efficiently establish path infeasibility. To account for incompleteness in symbolic execution (due to incompleteness of the backend solver), the certificate also contains an incompleteness summary. Our approach deploys constraint slicing and other heuristics as performance optimizations. Experimental results using a prototype certification tool based on Symbolic PathFinder for Java show that certification can be 3X to 370X (on average, 75X) faster than traditional symbolic execution. We also show the benefits of the approach for the reliability assessment of a software component under different probabilistic environment conditions.
Making Minds: How Theory of Mind Develops, by Wellman, Henry M.

The literary critic reviewing a novel probably does not know the author, or write fiction, or find cherished beliefs cast into doubt. The reviewer of a scientific text, by contrast, might have know...
Surface configuration of mesothelial cells in effusions. A comparative light microscopic and scanning electron microscopic study.

Surface configuration of mesothelial cells identified by light microscopy (LM) has been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been shown that mesothelial cells may have a variable SEM appearance. The surfaces of a small proportion of mesothelial cells are covered by regular microvilli (MV) and show openings of the pinocytotic vesicles. The surfaces of the majority of these cells are covered by vesicles or blebs. An intermediate population of mesothelial cells, i.e., cells displaying side-by-side blebs and MV, has also been observed. The latter cells no longer display pinocytotic vesicles. Occasional mesothelial cells have smooth surfaces. It has been shown by LM and transmission electron microscopy that cells with blebs are viable and capable of mitotic activity. It is concluded that mesothelial cells, detached from their epithelial setting, lose microvilli and pinocytotic vesicles and acquire surface blebs. The possible relationship between mesothelial cells and macrophages based on surface features has been discussed.
Endoscopy and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Achieving safe endoscopic skills is quintessential for a pediatric gastroenterologist to effectively manage various gastrointestinal conditions. This has become more important as the latest international guidelines stress on the importance of complete bowel workup for surveillance and reassessment of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. A pediatric endoscopist needs to have more refined and age-appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic skills as compared to their adult counterpart. This chapter details the essential principles required to achieve safe and effective endoscopic skills including patient preparation, update on use of prophylactic antibiotic, equipment required, and step-by-step approach to achieve full ileocolonoscopy and enteroscopy, including double balloon enteroscopy. A section is dedicated to pediatric inflammatory bowel disease including endoscopic findings, classification, treatment targets, and new scoring system for assessing disease severity. New advances in endo-diagnostic gastrointestinal procedures including wireless capsule endoscopy, colon capsule endoscopy, high magnification chromoscopic colonoscopy, confocal LASER endoscopy, and endosonography are also discussed.
Reconstruction of the repetitive antifreeze glycoprotein genomic loci in the cold-water gadids Boreogadus saida and Microgadus tomcod.

Abstract Antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) are a novel evolutionary innovation in members of the northern cod fish family (Gadidae), crucial in preventing death from inoculative freezing by environmental ice in their frigid Arctic and sub-Arctic habitats. However, the genomic origin and molecular mechanism of evolution of this novel life-saving adaptive genetic trait remained to be definitively determined. To this end, we constructed large insert genomic DNA BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) libraries for two AFGP-bearing gadids, the high-Arctic polar cod Boreogadus saida and the cold-temperate Atlantic tomcod Microgadus tomcod, to isolate and sequence their AFGP genomic regions for fine resolution evolutionary analyses. The BAC library construction encountered poor cloning efficiency initially, which we resolved by pretreating the agarose-embedded erythrocyte DNA with a cationic detergent, a method that may be of general use to BAC cloning for teleost species and/or where erythrocytes are the source of input DNA. The polar cod BAC library encompassed 92,160 clones with an average insert size of 94.7 kbp, and the Atlantic tomcod library contained 73,728 clones with an average insert size of 89.6 kbp. The genome sizes of B. saida and M. tomcod were estimated by cell flow cytometry to be 836 Mbp and 645 Mbp respectively, thus their BAC libraries have approximately 10- and 9.7-fold genome coverage respectively. The inclusiveness and depth of coverage were empirically confirmed by screening the libraries with three housekeeping genes. The BAC clones that mapped to the AFGP genomic loci of the two gadids were then isolated by screening the BAC libraries with gadid AFGP gene probes. Eight minimal tiling path (MTP) clones were identified for B. saida, sequenced, and assembled. The B. saida AFGP locus reconstruction produced both haplotypes, and the locus comprises three distinct AFGP gene clusters, containing a total of 16 AFGP genes and spanning a combined distance of 512 kbp. The M. tomcod AFGP locus is much smaller at approximately 80 kbp, and contains only three AFGP genes. Fluorescent in situ hybridization with an AFGP gene probe showed the AFGP locus in both species occupies a single chromosomal location. The large AFGP locus with its high gene dosage in B. saida is consistent with its chronically freezing high Arctic habitats, while the small gene family in M. tomcod correlates with its milder habitats in lower latitudes. The results from this study provided the data for fine resolution sequence analyses that would yield insight into the molecular mechanisms and history of gadid AFGP gene evolution driven by northern hemisphere glaciation.
RaMWAS: fast methylome-wide association study pipeline for enrichment platforms

Motivation Enrichment-based technologies can provide measurements of DNA methylation at tens of millions of CpGs for thousands of samples. Existing tools for methylome-wide association studies cannot analyze datasets of this size and lack important features like principal component analysis, combined analysis with SNP data and outcome predictions that are based on all informative methylation sites. Results We present a Bioconductor R package called RaMWAS with a full set of tools for large-scale methylome-wide association studies. It is free, cross-platform, open source, memory efficient and fast. Availability and implementation Release version and vignettes with small case study at bioconductor.org/packages/ramwas Development version at github.com/andreyshabalin/ramwas. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Long-Range Static and Dynamic Thermal Crosstalk in Silicon-Nitride (SiNx) Photonic Integrated Circuits

We experimentally investigate long-range (> 1-mm) static and dynamic thermal crosstalk in a silicon-nitride photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platform and identify a thermal crosstalk floor that depends strongly on modulation frequency and buried oxide thickness.
Mechanisms and Approaches for Overcoming Enzalutamide Resistance in Prostate Cancer

Enzalutamide, a second-generation small-molecule inhibitor of the androgen receptor (AR), has been approved for patients who failed with androgen deprivation therapy and have developed castration-resistant prostate cancer. More than 80% of these patients develop bone metastases. The binding of enzalutamide to the AR prevents the nuclear translocation of the receptor, thus inactivating androgen signaling. However, prostate cancer cells eventually develop resistance to enzalutamide treatment. Studies have found resistance both in patients and in laboratory models. The mechanisms of and approaches to overcoming such resistance are significant issues that need to be addressed. In this review, we focus on the major mechanisms of acquired enzalutamide resistance, including genetic mutations and splice variants of the AR, signaling pathways that bypass androgen signaling, intratumoral androgen biosynthesis by prostate tumor cells, lineage plasticity, and contributions from the tumor microenvironment. Approaches for overcoming these mechanisms to enzalutamide resistance along with the associated problems and solutions are discussed. Emerging questions, concerns, and new opportunities in studying enzalutamide resistance will be addressed as well.
Discovery of Novel and Clinically Relevant Markers in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Esophageal Cancer Specimen

Due to the ineffectiveness of chemoradiation and targeted therapy in esophageal anticancer care and the subsequent low survival rates, we constructed a high throughput method to discover and investigate new markers with prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic clinical utility. This was accomplished by developing a quick, inexpensive, and dependable platform to simultaneously quantify thousands of proteins which subsequently revealed novel markers involved in the pathogenesis of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) via discovery mass spectrometry paired with conservative biostatistics. Our method uncovered a perfect storm of tumor suppressors being downregulated, proliferation markers ramped up, and chemoresistance markers overexpressed-many of which could serve as new therapy targets for EAC. The 12 markers discovered by this method are novel regarding their involvement in the pathogenesis of EAC. The molecular oncology arena now has a dozen new proteomic targets suitable for validation and elucidation of their clinical utility via gene knockdown in cellular and animal models. This new method can be replicated and applied to other cancers or disease states for research and development and discovery-based investigations. Our findings, which serve as a proof of concept, will hopefully motivate research groups to further expound on the molecular processes involved in the aggressiveness of EAC and other solid tumor diseases, ultimately leading to improved patient management strategies.
Deviantnoe povedenie: The Graffiti Collective Zachem’s Social and Artistic Practices

Abstract This article analyzes the experimental documentary film Deviantnoe povedenie ( Deviance , 2011) by and about Zachem (Why, What for), and argues that the Russian graffiti collective’s social and artistic practices comprise strategies for questioning assumptions about status quo, normativity, strict categories, and clear boundaries. The first part looks at graffiti as a social behavior, which was considered “deviant” in the Soviet-era and which still bears that legacy in contemporary Russia. The second part examines graffiti and film as intermedial art practices that problematize the boundaries of artistic forms, and it investigates the implications of remediating graffiti. The article suggests that the graffiti collective’s practice of asking zachem , why, in the public sphere is a methodology that it extends to its own creative practices.
A genetic algorithm for finding an optimal curing strategy for epidemic spreading in weighted networks

Contact networks have been recognized to have a central role in the dynamic behavior of spreading processes. The availability of cost-optimal curing strategies, able to control the epidemic propagation, are of primary importance for the design of efficient treatments reducing the number of infected individuals and the extinction time of the infection. In this paper, we investigate the use of Genetic Algorithms for solving the problem of finding an optimal curing strategy in a network where a virus spreads following the Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) epidemic model. Exploiting the N-Intertwined Mean-Field Approximation (NIMFA) of the SIS spreading process, we propose a constrained genetic algorithm which determines specific curing rates to each node composing the network, in order to minimize the total curing cost, while suppressing the epidemic. Experiments on both synthetic and real-world networks show that the approach finds solutions whose curing cost is lower than that obtained by a classical baseline method.
Epithelial Sodium Channels in the Adult Lung – Important Modulators of Pulmonary Health and Disease

Absorption of excess fluid from the airways and alveolar lumen requires active vectorial transepithelial transport of sodium ions (Na+) by alveolar type II and possibly type I cells. The rate-limiting step in this process is the activity of the heterotrimeric apical membrane epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). Pharmacologic inhibitors and genetic manipulations that disrupt Na+ transport result in fluid accumulation within the lung and failure of gas exchange. The importance of Na+ transport in the lung is also demonstrated in conditions such as ARDS, where abnormal absorption of Na+ contributes to the pathophysiology of pulmonary disease. ENaC expression and function is influenced by diverse factors, such as oxygen tension, glucocorticoids, and cytoskeletal proteins. In addition, ENaC dysfunction has been shown to be induced by purinergic nucleotide activation of P2Y receptors (in paramyxoviral bronchiolitis) and reactive species (in acute lung injury). Finally, βadrenergic agonists have been shown experimentally to reverse defects in ENaC function, and improve hypoxemia and pulmonary edema, and may provide a novel therapeutic modality for ARDS, although some viral lung pathogens appear to induce insensitivity to their actions.
Conditioning and the cerebellum

Mathematical models of learning that describe the effects of training with no regard for motor output are incomplete and consequently difficult to represent within natural systems. This chapter summarizes our efforts to reconcile a model that describes real-time topographical features of the classically conditioned nictitating membrane response (NMR) of the rabbit with knowledge about the cerebellum, the brain region thought to be most crucial for NMR conditioning. The NMR is a protective response resulting from retraction of the eyeball and the passive sweeping of the NM over the eye. The conditioned NMR is a graded, adaptive response.
Lemur variegatus subcinctus (Ruffed lemur)

These karyotypes are prepared from skin biopsies. The male was identified by Dennis A. Merritt, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA, the female by C. A. Hill, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California, USA. The latter was donated by Dr. D. H. Wurster-Hill, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. These animals belong to the subspecies L. r. subcinctus (black and white ruffed lemur) but two specimens of L. r. ruber (red ruffed lemur) observed by Wurster-Hill and Benirschke have identical karyotypes. Pairing of the male chromosomes was achieved by Giemsa-banding, but that of the female is arbitrary. Unlike most lemurs, this species has a submetacentric X, a fact already described by Chu and Swomley (1961).