cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intertester Reliability of a Modified Version of McKenzie's Lateral Shift Assessments Obtained on Patients With Low Back Pain

Background and Purpose. McKenzie described a two-step process for assessing patients with low back pain for a lateral shift. The purpose of this study was to determine whether reliable judgments about lateral shifts could be obtained. Subjects. Forty-nine patients with low back pain were each examined separately by two randomly paired physical therapists. Methods. Assessments of the presence and direction of lateral shifts (step 1) were obtained by use of a simple instrument. The relevance of the lateral shifts to the patients' pain complaints (step 1) also was assessed by use of the side-glide test sequence. Results. Generalized kappa coefficients were calculated to determine reliability. The kappa value for the two-step process of lateral shift assessment was .16. The percentage of agreement was 47%. Conclusion and Discussion. Each step in this two-step process was examined separately for possible sources of error. The kappa value for determinations of the presence and direction of lateral shifts was .00, indicating very poor reliability. The kappa value for the determination of the presence of a positive side-glide test sequence was .74, indicating high reliability. The role of lateral shift assessment in the McKenzie system should be reconsidered, given the strong research evidence for poor reliability of determinations of the presence and direction of lateral shifts.
Using geochemistry to identify the source of groundwater to Montezuma Well, a natural spring in Central Arizona, USA: part 2

Montezuma Well is a natural spring located within a “sinkhole” in the desert environment of the Verde Valley in Central Arizona. It is managed by the National Park Service as part of Montezuma Castle National Monument. Because of increasing development of groundwater in the area, this research was undertaken to better understand the sources of groundwater to Montezuma Well. The use of well logs and geophysics provides details on the geology in the area around Montezuma Well. This includes characterizing the extent and position of a basalt dike that intruded a deep fracture zone. This low permeability barrier forces groundwater to the surface at the Montezuma Well “pool” with sufficient velocity to entrain sand-sized particles from underlying bedrock. Permeable fractures along and above the basalt dike provide conduits that carry deep sourced carbon dioxide to the surface, which can dissolve carbonate minerals along the transport path in response to the added carbon dioxide. At the ground surface, CO2 degasses, depositing travertine. Geologic cross sections, rock geochemistry, and semi-quantitative groundwater flow modeling provide a hydrogeologic framework that indicates groundwater flow through a karstic limestone at depth (Redwall Limestone) as the most significant source of groundwater to Montezuma Well. Additional groundwater flow from the overlying formations (Verde Formation and Permian Sandstones) is a possibility, but significant flow from these units is not indicated.
Pulmonary Nocardiosis in the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: Diagnosis with Bronchoalveolar Lavage and Treatment with Non-Sulphur Containing Drugs

A patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) presented with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and pulmonary nocardiosis. The nocardial lesions appeared small and localized on chest radiograph. On two separate occasions, nocardial organisms were absent in transbronchial lung biopsy specimens, but were identified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid probably because the latter specimen sampled a larger area of lung. The patient was initially treated with trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) for both infections. When TMP/SMX was discontinued because of an adverse reaction, the nocardiosis promptly exacerbated but was then easily controlled with minocycline and amikacin followed by minocycline and cycloserine. Among patients with AIDS who have sulfamethoxazole hypersensitivity during treatment for nocardiosis, alternative drugs may be efficacious and may be particularly important in this setting because they have a lower incidence of toxicity.
High brightness injection-seeded table-top soft x-ray laser using a dense plasma amplifier

We demonstrated the generation of an extremely bright lambda=32.6 nm laser beam with high spatial coherence by saturated amplification of high harmonic seed pulses in a soft X-ray laser plasma amplifier created heating a titanium target.
Iron Nutrition and Premenopausal Women: Effects of Poor Iron Status on Physical and Neuropsychological Performance

Iron is a nutritionally essential trace element that functions through incorporation into proteins and enzymes, many of which contribute to physical and neuropsychological performance. Poor iron status, including iron deficiency (ID; diminished iron stores) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA; poor iron stores and diminished hemoglobin), affects billions of people worldwide. This review focuses on physical and neuropsychological outcomes associated with ID and IDA in premenopausal women, as the prevalence of ID and IDA is often greater in premenopausal women than other population demographics. Recent studies addressing the physiological effects of poor iron status on physical performance, including work productivity, voluntary activity, and athletic performance, are addressed. Similarly, the effects of iron status on neurological performance, including cognition, affect, and behavior, are summarized. Nutritional countermeasures for the prevention of poor iron status and the restoration of decrements in perfor...
Fatal work injuries involving natural disasters, 1992-2006.

OBJECTIVE: Although a goal of disaster preparedness is to protect vulnerable populations from hazards, little research has explored the types of risks that workers face in their encounters with natural disasters. This study examines how workers are fatally injured in severe natural events. METHODS: A classification structure was created that identified the physical component of the disaster that led to the death and the pursuit of the worker as it relates to the disaster. Data on natural disasters from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for the years 1992 through 2006 were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 307 natural disaster deaths to workers were identified in 1992-2006. Most fatal occupational injuries were related to wildfires (80 fatalities), hurricanes (72 fatalities), and floods (62 fatalities). Compared with fatal occupational injuries in general, natural disaster fatalities involved more workers who were white and more workers who were working for the government. Most wildfire fatalities stemmed directly from exposure to fire and gases and occurred to those engaged in firefighting, whereas hurricane fatalities tended to occur more independently of disaster-produced hazards and to workers engaged in cleanup and reconstruction. Those deaths related to the 2005 hurricanes occurred a median of 36.5 days after landfall of the associated storm. Nearly half of the flood deaths occurred to passengers in motor vehicles. Other disasters included tornadoes (33 fatalities), landslides (17), avalanches (16), ice storms (14), and blizzards (9). CONCLUSIONS: Despite an increasing social emphasis on disaster preparation and response, there has been little increase in expert knowledge about how people actually perish in these large-scale events. Using a 2-way classification structure, this study identifies areas of emphasis in preventing occupational deaths from various natural disasters. Language: en
Recording Comparison of ECC versus Conventional Media at Equal Grain Size

Transition jitter and shape have been studied for “soft” exchange coupled composite (ECC) media and conventional perpendicular media using micromagnetic simulation. A realistic medium having nonuniform grain size has been employed. Media anisotropies are optimized to reduce the high density jitter for ECC and conventional media. Surprisingly, jitter is slightly decreased at high temperature for both media types. Eye diagrams show that short bit length amplitude is higher for ECC by approximately 10% at room temperature. This indicates that sharper transitions were obtained for ECC media particularly at 300 K where the thermal stability of ECC media presumably aids the write process.
Correction of Over-Exposed Images Captured by Cell-Phone Cameras

Due to the limited dynamic range of commonly used cell-phone camera sensors, the entire or part of an auto-exposure (AE) image may appear overexposed. In this paper, we present an over-exposure correction algorithm which utilizes one low-exposure (LE) image in addition to the AE image. It consists of registration, fusion, consistency verification, and merging components. Registration is achieved by using a one- dimensional grid correlation approach. A linear weighted summation of the AE and LE images is utilized to achieve fusion. A mechanism based on image entropy and brightness is developed to appropriately fuse subimages or blocks. Consistency verification and Gaussian smoothing are then applied to remove blocking artifacts. The results obtained show that the developed algorithm is more effective than the existing and comparable overexposure correction algorithms.
Effect of amino-oxyacetic acid (AOAA) on focal penicillin seizures

The biochemical and behavioral effects of the anticonvulsant amino-oxyacetic acid (AOAA) have been studied in a model of focal penicillin seizures in rats. At 20 mg/Kg AOAA treatment results in a progressive 11 fold increase in GABA levels in cortex over three hours. There is a decrease in aspartate, ketoglutarate, alanine and glutamine, and an initial decrease followed by an increase in pyruvate and glutamate. These results reflect a functional inhibition of several B-6 dependent aminotransferase enzymes. When rats are pretreated 30 min before the onset of focal penicillin seizures there is a 60% reduction in the number of discharges and a 34% reduction in seizure duration. Pretreatment beyond 75 min results in progressively less anticonvulsant effect, such that seizures eventually become more severe than control. There is an increase in the number and duration of discharges, seizure spikes become complex, and tonic-clonic events develop. Penicillin seizures do not cause a change in levels of GABA, but result in a decrease in glutamate within the focus. AOAA pretreatment initially prevents this decrease in glutamate but later accentuates it. The biochemical effects of AOAA are complex, but biphasic anticonvulsant properties coincide in time with a change in the balance of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids in the seizure focus.
Effect of long-term administration of porcine calcitonin in the development of dietary osteoporosis in cats.

Osteoporosis with increased bone resorption measured by quantitative microradiography developed in adult cats given a low calcium diet. The administration of porcine calcitonin at levels of 0.5 and 5.0 MRC U/kg of body weight/day over 5 months in a similar group of animals prevented the development of increased bone resorption seen in the control cats, although the serum calcium fell during 5 months in both the experimental and control animals. (Endocrinology85: 1196, 1969)
Two-step estimation of semiparametric censored regression models

Root-n-consistent estimators of the regression coecients in the linear censored regression model under conditional quantile restrictions on the error terms were pro- posed by Powell (Journal of Econometrics 25 (1984) 303-325, 32 (1986a) 143-155). While those estimators have desirable asymptotic properties under weak regularity conditions, simulation studies have shown these estimators to exhibit a small sam- ple bias in the opposite direction of the least squares bias for censored data. This paper introduces two-step estimators for these models which minimize convex objec- tive functions, and are designed to overcome thisnite-sample bias. The paper gives regularity conditions under which the proposed two-step estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal; a Monte Carlo study compares thenite sample behavior of the proposed methods with their one-step counterparts. ? 2001 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.
Conceptual Issues in Nursing Ethics Research

Empirical studies that have attempted to describe nurses' ethical practice have used conceptual frameworks derived primarily from the disciplines of bioethics and psychology. These frameworks have not incorporated important concepts developed by nursing theorists over the past two decades. This article points out flaws in the past research frameworks and proposes a synthesis of ethical theory, nursing practice contexts, and empirical research methods to enrich theoretical development in nursing ethics.
SP0187 Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Psoriatic Disease

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have been linked to an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome when compared to the general population. This session will review the evidence for the association between psoriatic disease and metabolic syndrome, biologic explanations for the epidemiologic association, and the relevance for clinical practice. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the Western European and United States ranges from 15-35% but has been found to be significantly elevated in patients with psoriasis compared to the general population in several studies. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of disorders that includes obesity, elevated fasting glucose, hypertension, and/or dyslipidemia (low high density lipoprotein and/or high triglycerides). This combination of disorders confers a significantly increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). It is possible that metabolic syndrome partially explains the increased risk of MACE reported in patients with psoriatic disease. The biologic basis for the link between psoriasis and metabolic syndrome is not entirely clear. Both psoriasis and obesity share increased levels of inflammatory cytokines which may promote insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. Shared genetic susceptibility loci have been identified but their impact is unclear. The individual disorders of metabolic syndrome should be identified and aggressively managed in patients with psoriatic disease. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
The association of energy intake bias with psychological scores of women.

Objective: Assess the association between reporting bias of dietary energy intake and the behavioral and psychological profiles in women. Design: At baseline a series of questionnaires were administered to 37 women, (the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), the Restraint Scale and Sorensen-Stunkard’s silhouettes). Subjects received training on how to record dietary records. Subjects recorded three days of dietary records to measure energy intake (EI) during a study to determine total energy expenditure (TEE) using doubly labeled water. Reporting accuracy (RA=EI/TEE×100) was determined for each subject. Statistical analysis of the data used a mixed effects model accounting for within subject variability to determine if the psychological scores were associated with reporting accuracy. Setting and subject: Women were recruited with local advertisements in Tucson, Arizona. The women had a mean (±1 s.d.) age of 43.6±9.3 yrs, body mass index (BMI) of 28.7±8.5 kg/m2 and total body fat (%TBF) of 31.9±7.3%. Results: Age and %TBF were significantly and inversely associated with RA. Furthermore, Social Desirability was negatively associated with RA. Body dissatisfaction and associating a smaller body size than one’s own as being more healthy were also associated with a lower RA. Conclusions: These results suggest that Social Desirability and self image of body shape are associated with RA. Modifications in subject training may reduce the effect of these factors on RA. Sponsorship: This project was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
GEAR1: A Global Earthquake Activity Rate Model Constructed from Geodetic Strain Rates and Smoothed Seismicity

Global earthquake activity rate model 1 (GEAR1) estimates the rate of shallow earthquakes with magnitudes 6–9 everywhere on Earth. It was designed to be reproducible and testable. Our preferred hybrid forecast is a log–linear blend of two parent forecasts based on the Global Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) catalog (smoothing 4602 m ≥5.767 shallow earthquakes, 1977–2004) and the Global Strain Rate Map version 2.1 (smoothing 22,415 Global Positioning System velocities), optimized to best forecast the 2005–2012 Global CMT catalog. Strain rate is a proxy for fault stress accumulation, and earthquakes indicate stress release, so a multiplicative blend is desirable, capturing the strengths of both approaches. This preferred hybrid forecast outperforms its seismicity and strain‐rate parents; the chance that this improvement stems from random seismicity fluctuations is less than 1%. The preferred hybrid is also tested against the independent parts of the International Seismological Centre‐Global Earthquake Model catalog ( m ≥6.8 during 1918–1976) with similar success. GEAR1 is an update of this preferred hybrid. Comparing GEAR1 to the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast Version 3 (UCERF3), net earthquake rates agree within 4% at m ≥5.8 and at m ≥7.0. The spatial distribution of UCERF3 epicentroids most resembles GEAR1 after UCERF3 is smoothed with a 30 km kernel. Because UCERF3 has been constructed to derive useful information from fault geometry, slip rates, paleoseismic data, and enhanced seismic catalogs (not used in our model), this is encouraging. To build parametric catastrophe bonds from GEAR1, one could calculate the magnitude for which there is a 1% (or any) annual probability of occurrence in local regions. Online Material: Discussion of forecast‐scoring metrics, tables of scoring results, and source code and data files needed to reproduce forecast.
The objects that lived: The 9/11 Museum and material transformation

This essay analyzes the September 11 Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero in New York through the framework of memory and materiality. The 9/11 memorial and museum are both sites through which the material transformation of 9/11 is mediated—through preservation, re-creation, and fetishization and through narratives of absence, presence, and remains. I examine the meanings of material transformation in the dust that emerged in the wake of the twin towers’ fall, the design focus on absence, the material objects on display in the museum as survivor objects, and the merchandise for sale in the museum gift shop. The museum is a project of many contradictions in its varied roles as a historical museum, a tribute to those who died, a tourist destination, a patriotic nationalist project, and the repository of unidentified remains. This essay aims to reveal how 9/11 is defined through narratives of exceptionalism and material transformation.
Associations between perceived teaching behaviours and affect in upper elementary school students

ABSTRACTWe explored the associations between student-perceived teaching behaviours and negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) in upper elementary age students, both before and after controlling for perceived parenting behaviours. The Teaching Behaviour Questionnaire, the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children were completed by 777 third to fifth graders in nine elementary schools. Using two-level hierarchical linear model analyses, we found that (a) perceived instructional teaching behaviour was negatively associated with NA and positively associated with PA; (b) perceived organizational behaviour was not associated with either; (c) perceived socio-emotional teaching behaviour was positively associated with both; (d) perceived negative teaching behaviour was positively associated with NA but not associated with PA. When parenting behaviours were controlled for, the associations with NA but not with PA held up. We discuss the implications of the f...
Comparison of Potential Nerve Scar Agents in the Rat Model

Background An animal nerve scar model that can be used to identify potential therapies in the treatment of nerve scarring in patients has yet to be defined. The purpose of this study was to create an inexpensive, reproducible, and reliable nerve scar model in the rat. Methods Thirty rats underwent left tibial nerve transection and repair and were divided into three groups: 10 controls with transection and repair alone, 10 receiving topical application of talc powder onto the repair, and 10 receiving topical application of tetracycline onto the repair. Outcome measures included weekly extensor postural thrust (EPT) testing for 12 weeks, endpoint gastrocnemius weight ratios (left vs right), and histological analysis. Results The tetracycline group showed a significant difference in EPT testing at week 6 postoperatively ( p = 0.007) and had the lowest average EPT value at each time point over 12 weeks. Each group displayed a plateau in recovery, with the control and talc groups reaching plateau 1 week earlier (week 6) than the tetracycline group (week 7). At 12 weeks postoperatively, there was no significant difference in EPT testing ( p = 0.301) or gastrocnemius weight ratios ( p = 0.802). Histological analysis showed substantial nerve regeneration in the control group, an inflammatory response in the epineurium of the talc and tetracycline groups, but no migration of inflammation or interference of nerve regeneration in the endoneurial compartment. Conclusion These agents, and more importantly, this animal model are inadequate for developing a nerve scar. Identifying a better animal with more connective tissue should be further explored.
Churchill’s Conundrum

Late one night in 1943 one half-American British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, asked another half-American (who would much later be British Prime Minister), Harold Macmillan, if Oliver Cromwell had been a great man. Macmillan immediately replied in the affirmative. Churchill, for whom the study of British history was an intellectual pastime, mocked his younger colleague’s cocksure response. He said that Cromwell had after all ‘made one terrible mistake. Obsessed in his youth by the fear of Spain, he failed to observe the rise of France. Will that be said of me?’ Churchill’s first official biographer, his son Randolph, suggested that this comment in 1943 was made by the Prime Minister reflecting upon his own anxiety with Germany vis-a-vis his failure to detect the rapid growth of Russia.1 In this context Randolph’s analysis certainly rings true and therefore the natural response to Churchill’s rhetorical question should have been an unequivocal ‘Yes’. Nevertheless an alternative interpretation is also possible. This would be to keep ‘Germany’ as the replacement for ‘Spain’ but to introduce ‘America’ as the substitution for Churchill’s ‘France’ or Randolph’s ‘Russia’. In this context the analysis again would be correct. Churchill was obsessed with winning the war against Nazi Germany. The cost was that Britain would end the war severely weakened and with the future of the British Empire dependent upon the benevolence of the United States.
Geschlechterdifferenzierung bei Mädchen

Freuds Theorie der weiblichen Sexualitat ist nie vollig zufriedenstellend gewesen. Dennoch konnte man auch nicht ohne weiteres auf sie verzichten. Ein wesentlicher Grund dafur war die Tatsache, das einige ihrer Hauptthesen durch klinische Beobachtung bestatigt worden sind. Ein entscheidender Schub in der Entwicklung der Weiblichkeit last sich ungefahr im 3. Lebensjahr beobachten. Er wird ausgelost, weil der Geschlechtsunterschied dem Madchen nun in aller Scharfe bewust wird. Diese Erkenntnis ausert sich gewohnlich in dem Gefuhl, einen Verlust oder eine Verletzung erlitten zu haben, so als hatte das Madchen einmal mannliche Genitalien besessen und nun verloren. Mit diesem Gefuhl gehen in der Regel Neid und die Forderung nach Wiederherstellung einher. Infolgedessen verandern sich die Beziehungen des Madchens zu seiner Mutter und zu seinem Vater. Der Wunsch nach einem Baby tritt an die Stelle des fruheren Wunsches/ Anspruchs, ein Mann zu sein.
CMOS-compatible temperature insensitive silicon microring resonators

We demonstrate a passively temperature stabilized silicon electro-optic modulator, consisting of a ring resonator coupled to a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with tailored mode confinement. We show 2 GHz modulation over 40°C temperature range.
Glia Maturation Factor-Gamma Negatively Modulates Fatty Acid-Induced Inflammation in Macrophages Via PI3K/AKT Pathway

Abstract 1096 The macrophage-mediated inflammatory response plays a critical role in the development of obesity-related tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. Free-fatty acids (FFAs) are well-characterized factors causing production of inflammatory factors and insulin resistance. Glia maturation factor-gamma (GMFG), a member of the ADF/cofilin family of proteins that regulate actin cytoskeleton reorganization, is preferentially expressed in inflammatory cells, but its function in the macrophages immune response remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether GMFG may affect FFAs-induced inflammatory reaction in macrophages. We show here that silencing of GMFG (80% inhibition of the endogenous expression levels) by transfected with GMFG siRNA significantly enhanced FFAs-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 compared to transfected non-targeting silencing siRNA in human peripheral blood monocytes-derived macrophage (1.2 × 10 4 ± 224.2 vs. 4.6 × 10 3 ± 98.4 molecules/ng, P 3 ± 56.1 vs. 2.3 × 10 2 ± 8.4 molecules/ng, P =0.001; 1.3 × 10 7 ± 5.8 × 10 5 vs. 4.9 × 10 6 ± 2.8 × 10 5 molecules/ng, P 2 ± 38.6 vs. 5.6 × 10 2 ± 31.1 ng/mL, P 2 ± 31.3 vs. 2.2 × 10 2 ± 22.7 ng/mL, P 3 ± 205.5 vs. 1.3 × 10 3 ± 113.9 ng/mL, P 4 ± 204.8 vs. 1.3 × 10 4 ± 153.9 molecules/ng, P 3 ± 31.3 vs. 9.2 × 10 2 ± 22.7 ng/mL, P Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Retrospective study of nonmucinous appendiceal adenocarcinomas: role of systemic chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery

Mucinous appendiceal adenocarcinomas (AAs) are the most common histological subset of AAs. Nonmucinous AAs have been infrequently studied. We performed a single-center retrospective study to investigate this histological subtype. We reviewed 172 patient records with nonmucinous AAs treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center from Jan, 1990 to Jun, 2015 and recorded patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. Response rate (RR) was assessed semi-quantitatively (response/no response) according to the treating physician’s findings. Survival outcomes were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method and compared using the log-rank test. Median age at diagnosis was 52.9 years. Most patients presented with advanced-stage disease: stage I-II (35%), stage III (15%), and stage IV (50%). Moderate and poorly differentiated histology was seen in 56% and 44% tumors, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) of all patients was stage-dependent and was 88.5, 39.2, and 28.3 months for stages I-II, stage III, and stage IV disease, respectively (p < 0.0001). In patients with metastatic disease, only 10% had extraperitoneal disease without peritoneal involvement. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) was attempted in 31/69 (45%) patients with disease confined to the peritoneum. Complete CRS was achieved in 18. Median OS for patients receiving complete CRS was 48.6 months. Systemic chemotherapy was administered to 109 (86%) patients with metastatic disease; a large majority of patients received either an oxaliplatin-based (55%) or irinotecan-based (27%) regimen. Chemotherapy resulted in a semi-quantitative RR of 54% and median time to progression (TTP) of 9.4 months (95% CI, 8.03–11.50). Patients who received combination chemotherapy (either oxaliplatin or irinotecan-based) showed significantly longer median OS (p = 0.003), compared to those receiving fluoropyrimidine monotherapy. This is one of the first studies to report specifically on nonmucinous AAs. Nonmucinous AAs presented with moderate or poorly differentiated histology with a predilection for peritoneal metastasis. Systemic chemotherapy is active in this AA subtype. Though CRS was infrequently used, complete CRS appears beneficial and warrants further investigation.
Functional RNA structures throughout the Hepatitis C Virus genome

The single-stranded Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genome adopts a set of elaborate RNA structures that are involved in every stage of the viral lifecycle. Recent advances in chemical probing, sequencing, and structural biology have facilitated analysis of RNA folding on a genome-wide scale, revealing novel structures and networks of interactions. These studies have underscored the active role played by RNA in every function of HCV and they open the door to new types of RNA-targeted therapeutics.
Affectionate Communication Is Associated With Emotional and Relational Resources in the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship

ABSTRACTGrounded in affection exchange theory (AET; Floyd, 2006), this study examined the extent to which affection received from grandparents is associated with grandchildren’s perceptions of their grandparents and their grandparent-grandchild relationship (in the form of emotional closeness, shared family identity, and perceived availability of social support). Young adult grandchildren (N = 171) completed several instruments in reference to their relationship with a specific grandparent. The results of multiple regression analyses generally supported the hypotheses that received affection is associated positively with grandchildren’s perceptions of their grandparents and their grandparent-grandchild relationship. These findings support AET’s utility in the grandparent-grandchild relationship and the notion that grandparents often influence their grandchildren’s perceptions of their family.
Locus Techniques for Shortest Path Problems in Robotics

Abstract Let P be a set of obstacles in a workspace. We describe two locus techniques which, given a source point s and a description of P . partition the free space such that for subsequent goal points generically denoted by g . the shortest s -to- g obstacle-avoiding path is found efficiently. In the first case P is a convex polyhedron which has s and g on its boundary. In the second case P is a set of disjoint polyhedra and s and g are external to them. Both techniques are based on a generalization of Voronoi diagrams to accommodate more general geometries.
The Potential of Potentiality Arguments

We contend that both the defenders and critics of potentiality arguments in the abortion debate have failed to appreciate the morally relevant aspects of potential. Crucial for understanding the moral significance of potentiality is the fact that mindless organisms have interests but only in their healthy development. Unlike most kinds of organisms that develop minds, the operations of a healthy human mind are of a sophistication and range that bestows them with great value and enables their possessors to obtain unrivaled levels of well-being. Thus the frustration of those interests in healthy mental development is a great harm. Since the healthy development that is in the fetus’s interest can require all sorts of extrinsic interventions, the morally relevant potential isn’t limited to that which is intrinsic, active, normal or probable. And given those real or hypothesized non-human beings that are supposed to show the absurdity of protecting potential are not unhealthy if the mere possibility of their personhood isn’t actualized, then it follows that they don’t have any interests frustrated by that potential going untapped. So potentiality properly construed in terms of healthy development is not susceptible to reductio, unlike understandings of potentiality as metaphysical or physical possibility.
Blood pressure effects of adiposity in non-overweight children aged 6-17 years.

AbstractBackground: Obesity is a well-established risk factor of elevated blood pressure; however, the relationships between normal weight status and the risk of hypertension and pre-hypertension are not clear.Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the blood pressure effects of adiposity in non-overweight children.Methods and results: In total, 588 097 non-overweight children aged 6–17 years were included from the National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health. A non-linear relationship was found between age- and gender-standardised body mass index (BMI) z-score and pre-hypertension and hypertension, respectively. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals [ORs (95% CIs)] of pre-hypertension were 0.61 (0.59–0.63), 0.67 (0.65–0.68), 0.83 (0.83–0.84), 1.00 (reference), 1.13 (1.12–1.14), 1.18 (1.16–1.20) and 1.20 (1.18–1.22) for BMI z-scores of −1.2, −1.0, −0.5, 0 (reference), 0.5, 0.7 and 0.8, respectively. The ORs (95% CIs) of hypertension were 0.56 (0.54–0.58), 0.62 (0.61–0.64), 0.81 (0.80–0.8...
Alfie Evans case: how we refer to palliative care

Much of the journalism, some of the legal opinions, and some of the testimony and statements by clinicians about Alfie Evans and Charlie Gard have contained statements like “the patient should …
Cell cycle parameters in Aedes albopictus mosquito cells

We have analyzed cell cycle parameters for the Aedes albopictus C7-10 mosquito cell line, which has been systematically developed for somatic cell genetics, expression of transfected genes, and synthesis of hormone-inducible proteins. In rapidly cycling cells, we measured a generation time of 10-12 h. The duration of mitosis (M) was < or = 1 h, and the DNA synthesis phase (S) required 6 h. Unlike Drosophila melanogaster Kc cells, in which the G2 gap is substantially longer than G1, in C7-10 cells G1 and G2 each lasted approximately 2 h. In these cells, the duration of both S and G2 was independent of the population doubling time, and the increase in population doubling time as cells approached confluency was due to prolongation of G1. When treated with the insect steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, C7-10 mosquito cells complete the cycle in progress before undergoing a reversible arrest.
Efficient Pixel-accurate Rendering of Animated Curved Surfaces

To efficiently animate and render large models consisting of bi-cubic patches in real time, we split the rendering into pose-dependent, view-dependent (Compute-Shader supported) and pure rendering passes. This split avoids recomputation of curved patches from control structures and minimizes overhead due to data transfer – and it integrates nicely with a technique to determine a near-minimal tessellation of the patches while guaranteeing sub-pixel accuracy. Our DX11 implementation generates and accurately renders 141,000 animated bi-cubic patches of a scene in the movie ‘Elephant’s Dream’ at more than 300 frames per second on a 1440×900 screen using one GTX 580 card.
Plasma Simulation Data Through the Hololens

The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) demonstrates scientific visualization with Microsoft's Hololens [1]. In a mixed reality (MR) environment this tool allows the scientist to see their data geometry as a holographic image with the ability to freely walk around and view the model as if it were a free-floating object.We presented our first complete prototype at the SC17 conference [2] in Denver. This shows a looping animation representing 300 timesteps of data from a mirror machine magnetic confinement simulation, and includes a short narration voice-over. The data is a rotating cylinder of plasma density that gradually loses stability resulting in collapse. Physicist Wendell Horton, from the Institute for Fusion Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, uses TACC's Stampede2 supercomputer for his simulations investigating plasma turbulence as applied to research in nuclear fusion and Earth's ionosphere.Currently we're using ParaView [3] and Unity [4] software to build the visualization content and are experimenting with more elaborate plasma visualizations with planned additional projects.
Why Global Warming Is A Controversial Issue

The debate about global warming is about the outcome of a gamble. We are betting that the benefits of our industrial and agricultural activities — increasing standards of living for the rich and poor alike —will outweigh possible adverse consequences of an unfortunate by-product of our activities, an increase in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases that could lead to global warming and global climate changes. Some experts are warning that we are making poor bets, that global warming has started and that disasters are imminent. Others assure us that the chances of global warming are so remote that the outcome of our wager will definitely be in our favor. The impasse is disquieting because the issue is of vital importance to each of us; it concerns the habitability of our planet. How long will it be before the experts resolve their differences? How long before it is imperative that we take action?
Lemierre's syndrome: One rare disease-Two case studies

What is known and objective Lemierre's syndrome is often misdiagnosed as a common cold or viral infection. Fusobacterium necrophorum is the most common causative organism. The recommended treatment regimen is 6 weeks of a beta-lactam antibiotic along with metronidazole. Case description We present two cases of Lemierre's syndrome with internal jugular vein thrombophlebitis and positive blood cultures for F. necrophorum. The first case was successfully treated with 6 weeks of a beta-lactam antibiotic and 4 weeks of metronidazole, while the second case was successfully treated with 4 weeks of a beta-lactam antibiotic and 2 weeks of metronidazole. What is new and conclusion Two cases of Lemierre's syndrome were treated successfully with only 2-4 weeks of metronidazole therapy. Shorter duration of metronidazole therapy should be explored in future studies.
ORNITHOPTER AERODYNAMIC EXPERIMENTS

The analysis of the flight of insects, birds and ornithopters is difficult because there is limited aerodynamic theory applicable for the large amplitude unsteady wing motions. Furthermore the complex wing shapes and wing motions encountered in insect and bird flight entails complex aerodynamic interactions. A systematic theoretical and experimental study has been pursued by the senior author for the past several years to gain a better understanding of the aerodynamic, dynamic and mechanical problems of flapping wing flight. The primary intent has been to establish a strong technical base necessary for the development of the ornithopter as an alternative to the helicopter. The helicopter is best suited for hovering flight and suffers greatly reduced efficiency as forward speed is increased. On the other hand, the ornithopter can achieve hovering flight, albeit with much more mechanical complexity, but promises high efficiency in forward flight. The method of attack for this study of the ornithopter has been to depart gradually from the conventional aircraft configuration so that the large body of knowledge accumulated in the development of the airplane could be applied to the study of the ornithopter. In this paper the results of the aerodynamic studies are presented because of their applicability to the modeling of insect and bird flight.
Prevalence of SAMS in Observational and Clinical Trials

Statins are well-tolerated by the majority of patients. However, a sizeable portion of patients report statin-associated muscle symptoms, or SAMS. Establishing the rate of SAMS in the statin-using population has been problematic. Both observational and clinical trials have produced widely disparate estimates of SAMS prevalence, due in part to methodological variance in patient selection, definition of SAMS, study design, and data collection techniques. Moreover, SAMS estimates involve a sizeable portion of patients whose muscle complaints are attributable to factors other than the statin itself, and distinguishing patients who are truly statin intolerant due to SAMS is methodologically difficult.
Intercellular communication and tissue growth : V. A cancer cell strain that fails to make permeable membrane junctions with normal cells.

A method is described for testing communication between a normal and a cancerous cell in culture without inserting microprobes into either cell; microprobes are put into other normal cells coupled to the normal cell in question. It is shown with this method that a cell strain (class-A), of epithelial morphology, isolated from Morris' liver tumor (H-5123) fails to make communicative junctions with several types of normal cells; small inorganic ions and fluorescein do not pass from the normal cells to the class-A cells (they do pass from the normal cells to normal cells, even between normal cells of different type). The class-A cells also appear incapable of junctional communication among themselves. The cells of class-A are cancerous: they are not 'contact inhibited' by each other or by the normal cells and they form malignant tumors when injected into test animals. Another cell strain (class-B), of fibroblastic morphology, derived from the same liver tumor as class-A makes communicative junctions readily. This strain is 'contact inhibited' and does not produce tumors when injected into the animals.
The History of the Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been a source of fascination for more than 100 years. Most early investigations centered on the mechanisms of the arrhythmia (reentry versus automaticity; site of origin; approaches to treatment or prevention; and the clinical consequences), specifically tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy and the potential for lethal events in special circumstances (eg, preexcitation syndromes). The current increased interest in AF has been heightened by increasing information on the clinical volume and number of patients affected. Recent data identify a current prevalence rate of 6 million patients in the United States, which is predicted to become 12 million by 2030.
Role of conjecture mapping in applying a game-based strategy towards a case library: a view from educational design research

Despite the prevalence of case-based reasoning in systems design, many of the established design principles are based on theory rather than empirical studies. This study describes the evolution of a case library learning environment and its transition to a game-based learning approach using educational design research (EDR). We discuss our iterative processes of design and development and situate these processes within the broader framework of educational design research. We discuss how the earlier versions of the problem-based learning environment were based on design principles extracted from case-based reasoning theory. Subsequent studies caused us to rethink the intersection of theory and design, along with its impact on learning outcomes. Using a variety of data collections (e.g. analytics, causal maps) and EDR strategies (e.g. conjecture maps), we identify the following new design principles based on CBR theory: emergent design principles that focused on optimal case length, mechanisms to prompt case retrieval and decision-making, and visual presentation. Implications for problem-based reasoning, case-based theory, and interface design are discussed.
Context: Separating the forest and the trees—Wavelet contextual conditioning for AI

Abstract This chapter discusses challenges related to artificial intelligence (AI) and contextual data used for data-driven decision support and presents discrete wavelet transformation (DWT) as a viable preprocessing step for dealing with contextual variability. Current methods often do not give ample consideration to preprocessing and typically couple AI algorithms tightly to the problem domain, making them brittle in varied contexts. DWT-based decomposition trees may provide a means of preprocessing training data while providing data reduction and separating data trends from contextual fluctuations. A method for selecting a preferred decomposition level is proposed, and both the DWT preprocessing augmentation and the preferred level selection methodology are evaluated through simulation.
Evaluating the efficacy of topical vancomycin powder in the treatment of open lower extremity fractures

IntroductionOptimal management of lower extremity fractures includes early antibiotics administration, thorough irrigation and debridement, consideration of soft tissue injury, and definitive skele...
Vehicle emissions-exposure alters expression of systemic and tissue-specific components of the renin-angiotensin system and promotes outcomes associated with cardiovascular disease and obesity in wild-type C57BL/6 male mice.

Abstract Exposure to air pollution from traffic-generated sources is known to contribute to the etiology of inflammatory diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity; however, the signaling pathways involved are still under investigation. Dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) can contribute to CVD and alter lipid storage and inflammation in adipose tissue. Our previous exposure studies revealed that traffic-generated emissions increase RAS signaling, further exacerbated by a high-fat diet. Thus, we investigated the hypothesis that exposure to engine emissions increases systemic and local adipocyte RAS signaling, promoting the expression of factors involved in CVD and obesity. Male C57BL/6 mice (6–8 wk old) were fed either a high-fat (HF, n = 16) or low-fat (LF, n = 16) diet, beginning 30d prior to exposures, and then exposed via inhalation to either filtered air (FA, controls) or a mixture of diesel engine + gasoline engine vehicle emissions (MVE: 100 μg PM/m3) via whole-body inhalation for 6 h/d, 7 d/wk, 30d. Endpoints were assessed via immunofluorescence and RT-qPCR. MVE-exposure promoted vascular adhesion factors (VCAM-1, ICAM-1) expression, monocyte/macrophage sequestration, and oxidative stress in the vasculature, associated with increased angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1) expression. In the kidney, MVE-exposure promoted the expression of renin, AT1, and AT2 receptors. In adipose tissue, both HF-diet and MVE-exposure mediated increased epididymal fat pad weight and adipocyte hypertrophy, associated with increased angiotensinogen and AT1 receptor expression; however, these outcomes were further exacerbated in the MVE + HF group. MVE-exposure also induced inflammation, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and leptin, while reducing insulin receptor and glucose transporter, GLUT4, expression in adipose tissue. Our results indicate that MVE-exposure promotes systemic and local adipose RAS signaling, associated with increased expression of factors contributing to CVD and obesity, further exacerbated by HF diet consumption.