cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VLSI architectures for recursive median filters

High sample rate array architectures, stack filter-based architectures, and sorting network-based architectures for computing recursive median filters are presented. The author develops nonpipelined architectures with lower sample periods than previous architectures, and then reduces the sample period further by pipelining. Pipelining is achieved by developing recursive algorithms that have additional delays in the feedback paths, and using the delays as pipeline latches. It is shown that for two levels of pipelining, the sample period of the array and stack filter-based architectures reduces by a factor of 2; the sample period is not, however, reduced proportionately for higher levels of pipelining because of the large implementation overhead. The sample period of sorting network-based architectures, however, can be reduced to any level for most-significant-bit-first implementations. >
A/r/t: A Poetic Montage.

The following poetic installation reflects on the artistic—scientistic divide that permeates how research practice is carried out and assessed even within the qualitative paradigm. Some poems question the art—science dichotomy and how it shapes truth-telling practices in both research and teaching. Other poems challenge the mind—body dichotomy. The poetic and prose-based installation is grounded in the researcher’s experience attempting to merge her artist—researcher—teacher (a/r/t) identities. The author employs a fragmented prose or montage style along with the poetry in an effort to mirror the (re)assembling of her a/r/t identities.
Prolonged sleep deprivation and continuous exercise: effects on melatonin, tympanic temperature, and cognitive function.

The purpose of this study was to examine tympanic temperature, melatonin, and cognitive function during a 36-hour endurance event. Nine male and three female participants took part in a 36-hour sustained endurance event without sleep (N = 12, mean age = 31.8 ± 5.0 yrs). Participants were stopped for data collection at checkpoints throughout the 36-hour event. Tympanic temperature was assessed, a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) was administered, and saliva samples were collected. Salivary melatonin was determined via immunoassay. During the 36 hours of competition, melatonin levels were negatively correlated with the day of the race (rs = -0.277, P = 0.039) and positively associated with nighttime (rs = 0.316, P = 0.021). Significant main effects of tympanic temperature (P 0.05). During the event tympanic temperature declined and was associated with an increase in lapses in attention. With sustained endurance events becoming more popular future research is warranted to evaluate the physiological impact of participation.
Surgical techniques: robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy with the da Vinci surgical system.

Background Advanced gynecologic pathology and the surgical limitations of conventional laparoscopy have often been cited as impediments to converting hysterectomy from a procedure predominantly performed by laparotomy to one accomplished by laparoscopy. Recently, the use of robotic technology as a means to facilitate the laparoscopic completion of a hysterectomy was introduced. Methods Application of robotic-assistance with the da Vinci surgical system to complete a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Results Advantages to this approach have been the improved dexterity and precision of the instruments coupled with three-dimensional imaging. Published preliminary data have shown feasibility and safety to this approach. Conclusion The following paper demonstrates a safe and efficient surgical technique for completing a robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy with the da Vinci Surgical System. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The sup-pf-2 mutations of Chlamydomonas alter the activity of the outer dynein arms by modification of the gamma-dynein heavy chain.

The sup-pf-2 mutation is a member of a group of dynein regulatory mutations that are capable of restoring motility to paralyzed central pair or radial spoke defective strains. Previous work has shown that the flagellar beat frequency is reduced in sup-pf-2, but little else was known about the sup-pf-2 phenotype (Huang, B., Z. Ramanis, and D.J.L. Luck. 1982. Cell. 28:115-125; Brokaw, C.J., and D.J.L. Luck. 1985. Cell Motil. 5:195-208). We have reexamined sup-pf-2 using improved biochemical and structural techniques and by the analysis of additional sup-pf-2 alleles. We have found that the sup-pf-2 mutations are associated with defects in the outer dynein arms. Biochemical analysis of sup-pf-2-1 axonemes indicates that both axonemal ATPase activity and outer arm polypeptides are reduced by 40-50% when compared with wild type. By thin-section EM, these defects correlate with an approximately 45% loss of outer dynein arm structures. Interestingly, this loss is biased toward a subset of outer doublets, resulting in a radial asymmetry that may reflect some aspect of outer arm assembly. The defects in outer arm assembly do not appear to result from defects in either the outer doublet microtubules or the outer arm docking structures, but rather appear to result from defects in outer dynein arm components. Analysis of new sup-pf-2 mutations indicates that the severity of the outer arm assembly defects varies with different alleles. Complementation tests and linkage analysis reveal that the sup-pf-2 mutations are alleles of the PF28/ODA2 locus, which is thought to encode the gamma-dynein heavy chain subunit of the outer arm. The sup-pf-2 mutations therefore appear to alter the activity of the outer dynein arms by modification of the gamma-dynein heavy chain.
Correlation between tumor burden and anticomplementary activity in sera from cancer patients

A total of 739 sera from cancer patients, noncancer patients and normal donors were analyzed for anticomplementary (AC) activity by the complement consumption method. The results were correlated with clinical stage and tumor burden. The incidence of AC activity in cancer and noncancer patients' sera was 53% (233/439) and 67% (100/150), respectively, as against 14% (20/140) in normal donors' sera. Among cancer patients, this incidence was lowest (42%) for melanoma sera and highest (65%) for lung carcinoma sera. With the exception of sarcoma sera, the incidence of AC activity did not differ significantly with clinical Stages I, II, or III. Sera from Stages II and III sarcoma patients had a significantly higher incidence of AC activity (73% and 63%, respectively) than Stage I (38%). There appeared to be a higher incidence of AC activity in sera of cancer patients with 1–100 g tumor burden than in those from patients with tumors greater than 100 g or less than 1 g. Follow-up of cancer patients with no evidence of disease or minimal tumor burden revealed that 42% (18/43) whose sera were AC-positive had tumor recurrence within 3 months and 90% (57/63) whose sera were AC-negative had no detectable tumor recurrence up to at least 6 months after the serum analysis.
A lightweight multi-session synchronous multimedia collaborative environment

Summary form only given. We present a software framework designed to provide transparent latecomer support and session recorder to a synchronous collaboration environment written in Java. The objective of this work is to develop a generic framework that can be easily integrated into other similar systems. The system supports not only Java applications and applets, but also Java media framework player allowing sharing of multimedia applications in a transparent way. In the meantime, we developed client synchronization for the system in order to minimize the network transmission latency and let all the clients see the same view of the shared application at the same time. In our design, we add a session recorder to the system. The collaboration server is responsible for recording events while clients send events to others through it.
Uveitis in developing countries

Uveitis, also referred to as intraocular inflammation, is a complex inflammatory process, involving primarily the uveal tract, with or without the involvement of adjacent intraocular structures. The underlying cause of the intraocular inflammation may reside in the uveal tract, retina, lens, or other ocular tissues. Uveitis is a leading cause of blindness in both developed and developing countries, including India. Although the inflammation can be due to a variety of causes - infections, systemic diseases, organ-specific autoimmune processes (primarily to T-cell-mediated Th2 and or Th17 processes), trauma, and primary or secondary ocular neoplasm presenting with clinical features of uveitis - the resulting uveal inflammation usually presents with similar symptoms that affect the patient's vision. Most patients with uveitis are diagnosed accurately and the disease is subclassified as granulomatous or nongranulomatous anterior, intermediate, posterior or pan uveitis; but determining the proper underlying etiology can be a challenge. The current issue, containing several articles from leaders in the field of uveitis, provides a clinically valid and prudent approach to determining the underlying causes of uveitis and lays out the current medical and surgical interventions that can be used to preserve vision and prevent blindness.
Classmates as Workmates: Informal Peer Activity In the Elementary School

Drawing on case study data from an American urban school, this paper examines the elementary school classroom as a setting for children's learning of culturally appropriate modes of informal work group behavior. Rather than representing an intrusive, disfunctional element in schoolroom social organization, pupil peer activity is strongly conditioned, in form and function, by the classroom situational context and by school-sponsored norms for peer conduct. School norms are communicated to children through both informal and formal channels, and are sanctioned in the classroom disciplinary process. Although several forms of peer activity occur at the expense of organizational goals, peer group activity takes a number of forms that evince cooperation with school goals and authority and that lend support to individual achievement. SCHOOLING, ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION, PEER BEHAVIOR, HIDDEN CURRICULUM, ANTHROPOLOGY AND EDUCATION.
Contextual Differences in Substance Use for Rural Appalachian Treatment-Seeking Women

Objective: To examine differences in substance use among a sample of women entering treatment from rural Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas. Participants: A total of 2,786 women participating in...
Hypocalcemic torsades de pointes

Torsades de pointes is a unique form of ventricular tachycardia that occurs in the presence of prolonged QT interval. Many predisposing factors have been identified. A classical form of torsades de pointes occurring in the presence of hypocalcemia and prolonged QT interval in an elderly woman is reported. In this patient the QT prolongation was markedly rate-dependent. Hypocalcemia was a postoperative complication following removal of parathyroid adenoma, performed earlier for hyperparathyroidism. Torsades de pointes did not recur after normalization of serum calcium. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first electrocardiographic documentation of hypocalcemic torsades de pointes.
Foodways and Resilience under Apocalyptic Conditions

Food is an active component of social and political process in times of daily plenty and in times of extreme scarcity. Routinized modes of foodways are hard to dislodge, even when resources and broad lifeways are violently disrupted. Ethnographic, ethnohistoric, and archaeological examples attest to the improvisational ability of individuals and communities when faced with food shortage. Using illustrations from around the world, I explore how approaches to linguistic practice contribute to discussions of starvation management. I posit that cultural redefinitions of food and foodways help to negotiate extreme circumstances and may extend even into postcrisis periods.
Stabilization of Memory States by Stochastic Facilitating Synapses

Bistability within a small neural circuit can arise through an appropriate strength ofexcitatory recurrent feedback. The stability of a state of neural activity, measured bythe mean dwelling time before a noise-induced transition to another state, depends on theneural firing-rate curves, the net strength of excitatory feedback, the statistics ofspike times, and increases exponentially with the number of equivalent neurons in thecircuit. Here, we show that such stability is greatly enhanced by synaptic facilitationand reduced by synaptic depression. We take into account the alteration in times ofsynaptic vesicle release, by calculating distributions of inter-release intervals of asynapse, which differ from the distribution of its incoming interspike intervals when thesynapse is dynamic. In particular, release intervals produced by a Poisson spike trainhave a coefficient of variation greater than one when synapses are probabilistic andfacilitating, whereas the coefficient of variation is less than one when synapses aredepressing. However, in spite of the increased variability in postsynaptic input producedby facilitating synapses, their dominant effect is reduced synaptic efficacy at low inputrates compared to high rates, which increases the curvature of neural input-outputfunctions, leading to wider regions of bistability in parameter space and enhancedlifetimes of memory states. Our results are based on analytic methods with approximateformulae and bolstered by simulations of both Poisson processes and of circuits of noisyspiking model neurons.
The dysregulation of intracellular calcium in Alzheimer disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and is at present, incurable. The accumulation of toxic amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide aggregates in AD brain are thought to trigger the extensive synaptic loss and neurodegeneration linked to cognitive decline, an idea that underlies the 'amyloid hypothesis' of AD etiology in both the familal (FAD) and sporadic forms of the disease. Mutations causing FAD also result in the dysregulation of neuronal calcium (Ca2+) handling and may contribute to AD pathogenesis, an idea termed the 'calcium hypothesis' of AD. In particular, Ca2+ dysregulation by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in AD mouse models results in augmented cytosolic Ca2+ levels which can trigger signalling cascades that are detrimental to neuronal function and health. However, there is growing evidence to suggest that not all forms of Ca2+ dysregulation in AD neurons are harmful and some of them instead may be compensatory. These changes may help modulate neuronal excitability and slow AD pathology, especially in the early stages of the disease. Clearly, a better understanding of how dysregulation of neuronal Ca2+ handling contributes to neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in AD is needed as Ca2+ signalling modulators are targets of great interest as potential AD therapeutics.
Analysis of game playing agents with fingerprints

Evolutionary computation (EC) can create a vast number of strategies for playing simple games in a short time. Analysis of these strategies is typically more time-consuming than their production. As a result, analysis of strategies produced by an EC system is often lacking or restricted to the extraction of superficial summary statistics. This thesis presents a technique for extracting a functional signature from evolved agents that play games. This signature can be used as a visualization of agent behavior in games with two moves and also provides a numerical target for clustering and other forms of automatic analysis. The fingerprint can be used to induce a similarity measure on the space of game strategies. This thesis develops fingerprints in the context of the iterated prisoner's dilemma; we note that they can be computed for any two player simultaneous game with a finite set of moves. When using a clustering algorithm, the results are strongly influenced by the choice of the measure used to find the distance between or to compare the similarity of the data being clustered. The Euclidean metric, for example, rates a convex polytope as the most compact type of object and builds clusters that are contained in compact polytopes. Presented here is a general method, called multi-clustering, that compensates for the intrinsic shape of a metric or similarity measure. The method is tested on synthetic data sets that are natural for the Euclidean metric and on data sets designed to defeat k-means clustering with the Euclidean metric. Multi-clustering successfully discovers the designed cluster structure of all the synthetic data sets used with a minimum of parameter tuning. We then use multi-clustering and filtration on fingerprint data. Cellular representation is the practice of evolving a set of instructions for constructing a desired structure. This thesis presents a cellular encoding for finite state machines and specializes it to play the iterated prisoner's dilemma. The impact on the character and behavior of finite state agents of using the cellular representation is investigated. For the cellular representation resented a statistically significant drop in the level of cooperation is found. Other differences in the character of the automaton generated with a direct and cellular representation are reported.
Recovering 3-D shape and reflectance from a small number of photographs

There are computer graphics applications for which the shape and reflectance of complex objects, such as faces, cannot be obtained using specialized equipment due to cost and practical considerations. We present an image based technique that uses only a small number of example images, and assumes a parametric model of reflectance, to simultaneously and reliably recover the Bidirectional Reflectance Distributions Function (BRDF) and the 3-D shape of non-Lambertian objects. No information about the position and intensity of the light-sources or the position of the camera is required. We successfully apply this approach to human faces, accurately recovering their 3-D shape and BRDF. We use the recovered information to efficiently and accurately render photorealistic images of the faces under novel illumination conditions in which the rendered image intensity closely matches the intensity in real images. The accuracy of our technique is further demonstrated by the close resemblance of the skin BRDF recovered using our method, to the one measured with a method presented in the literature and in which a 3-D scanner was used.
Error-resilient image and video transmission over the Internet using unequal error protection

This paper presents a new bit-plane-wise unequal error protection algorithm for progressive bitstreams transmitted over lossy networks. The proposed algorithm protects a compressed embedded bitstream generated by a 3-D SPIHT algorithm by assigning an unequal amount of forward error correction (FEC) to each bit-plane. The proposed algorithm reduces the amount of side information needed to send the size of each code to the decoder by limiting the number of quality levels to the number of bit-planes to be sent while providing a graceful degradation of picture quality as packet losses increase. We also apply our proposed algorithm to transmission of JPEG 2000 coded images over the Internet. To get additional error-resilience at high packet loss rates, we extend our algorithm to multiple-substream unequal error protection. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is simple, fast and robust in hostile network conditions and, therefore, can provide reasonable picture quality for video applications under varying network conditions.
Evaluation of ck-mb isoform analysis for early diagnosis of myocardial infarction

Measurement of CK-MB and its isoforms by high-voltage electrophoresis has been proposed as a sensitive test for early detection of myocardial infarction (MI). We performed a prospective study of this test in 231 patients presenting to the Emergency Department with symptoms consistent with ischemic chest pain. Blood specimens were obtained at 0, 1, and 3 h following presentation, and plasma was immediately frozen and analyzed within 1 week by high-voltage electrophoresis for total CK-MB and isoforms. The test was considered positive whenever total CK-MB was elevated (>6 U/L) or the cardiac isoform MB2 was relatively increased (MB2 > 2 U/L and MB2/MB1 > 1.7). This test had a sensitivity of 68% overall and 55% for specimens collected within 3 h of symptom onset. It was positive within 3 h of presentation in 36/39 (92%) of patients with confirmed MI. Specificity was 92% overall and did not vary with time after symptoms. The CK-MB alone, at the cutoff of 6 U/L, had lower sensitivity overall (56%; p = 0.01) and within 3 h of onset (39%; p = 0.03), and higher specificity overall (98%; p < 0.001). Lowering the cutoff for CK-MB alone to match the sensitivity of the isoform test caused a greater loss of specificity. It is concluded that analysis of CK-MB by high-voltage electrophoresis is an effective method for rapid diagnosis of MI, with the isoform analysis enhancing early sensitivity.
Bandwidth and gain improvement of a circularly polarized dual-rhombic loop antenna

We present a novel way to improve the performance of a circularly polarized (CP) dual-rhombic loop antenna. The bandwidth is enhanced by adding a pair of parasitic rhombic loops inside the dual-rhombic loop while the gain is increased with the help of a short backfire antenna (SBA). Good impedance matching is obtained by introducing a broadband balun. The addition of the parasitic elements leads to a bandwidth of 46% for $ axial ~ratio ~( AR) leq 2~ dB$ with an impedance bandwidth of 50% for $ VSWRleq 2$. The dual-rhombic loop excited SBA achieves an AR ( $leq 3~ dB$ ) bandwidth of 45% with an antenna gain of 11 dBi.
Antiobesity Effect of a Small Molecule Repressor of RORγ.

The orphan nuclear receptor RORγ is a key regulator for T helper 17 (TH17) cell differentiation, which regulates metabolic and circadian rhythm genes in peripheral tissues. Previously, it was shown that the small molecule inverse agonist of RORγ SR1555 [1-(4-((4′-(1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl) ethanone] suppressed TH17 differentiation and stimulated induced T regulatory (iTreg) cells. Here, we show that treatment of cultured pre-adipocyctes with SR1555 represses the expression of RORγ while leading to increased expression of FGF21 and adipoQ. Chronic administration of SR1555 to obese diabetic mice resulted in a modest reduction in food intake accompanied with significant reduction in fat mass, resulting in reduced body weight and improved insulin sensitivity. Analysis ex vivo of treated mice demonstrates that SR1555 induced expression of the thermogenic gene program in fat depots. Further studies in cultured cells showed that SR1555 inhibited activation of hormone-sensitive lipase and increased fatty acid oxidation. Combined, these results suggest that pharmacological repression of RORγ may represent a strategy for treatment of obesity by increasing thermogenesis and fatty acid oxidation, while inhibition of hormone-sensitive lipase activity results in a reduction of serum free fatty acids, leading to improved peripheral insulin sensitivity.
Stimulated emission from bulk field-ionized GaAs

High-field domains passing through n -type gallium arsenide pulsed above a critical field produce electron-hole pairs by impact ionization, resulting in emission of recombination radiation of band gap energy. Specimens have been made in a configuration that allows intense ionization to be produced at 78°K in material having initial electron densities of the order of 5 \times 10^{17} cm-3Above a certain threshold ionization density, stimulated emission occurs; the linewidth is of the order of 30 A and emission is mainly within an angle of 7 degrees to the normal to the plane parallel polished faces of the specimen. The threshold current varies little with temperature up to 170°K and above this increases linearly. At currents above the threshold, the spectrum broadens somewhat; the output power is measured to be about 3 watts. The near-field pattern shows that lasing occurs over small separated areas that vary in location from pulse to pulse. Overall power efficiency of the device is low; if, however, only the lasing areas are considered, the efficiency comes much nearer to the theoretical maximum which, it is argued, is about 5 percent. Time dependence of the spectral distribution is complicated and evidence is given to show that carrier heating is an important phenomenon. The lasing process is similar to that occurring in a junction diode laser; some points of difference are discussed. The output frequently shows an unexplained strong polarization.
An Aromatic Side Chain Is Required at Residue 8 of SU for Fusion of Ecotropic Murine Leukemia Virus

The surface glycoprotein (SU) of most gammaretroviruses contains a conserved histidine at its amino terminus. In ecotropic murine leukemia virus SU, replacement of histidine 8 with arginine (H8R) or deletion of H8 (H8del) abolishes infection and cell-cell fusion but has no effect on binding to the cellular receptor. We report here that an aromatic ring side chain is essential to the function of residue 8. The size of the aromatic ring appears to be important, as does its ability to form a hydrogen bond. In addition, infection by all of the nonaromatic amino acid substitutions could be partially rescued by the addition of two suppressor mutations (glutamine 227 to arginine [Q227R] and aspartate 243 to tyrosine [D243Y]) or by exposure to chlorpromazine, an agent that induces fusion pores in hemifusion intermediates to complete fusion, suggesting that, like the previously described H8R mutant, the mutants reported here also arrest membrane fusion at the hemifusion state. We propose that H8 is a key switch-point residue in the conformation changes that lead to membrane fusion and present a possible mechanism for how its substitution arrests fusion at the hemifusion state.
Characterization and modeling of the Haemophilus influenzae core and supragenomes based on the complete genomic sequences of Rd and 12 clinical nontypeable strains

The distributed genome hypothesis (DGH) posits that chronic bacterial pathogens utilize polyclonal infection and reassortment of genic characters to ensure persistence in the face of adaptive host defenses. Studies based on random sequencing of multiple strain libraries suggested that free-living bacterial species possess a supragenome that is much larger than the genome of any single bacterium. We derived high depth genomic coverage of nine nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) clinical isolates, bringing to 13 the number of sequenced NTHi genomes. Clustering identified 2,786 genes, of which 1,461 were common to all strains, with each of the remaining 1,328 found in a subset of strains; the number of clusters ranged from 1,686 to 1,878 per strain. Genic differences of between 96 and 585 were identified per strain pair. Comparisons of each of the NTHi strains with the Rd strain revealed between 107 and 158 insertions and 100 and 213 deletions per genome. The mean insertion and deletion sizes were 1,356 and 1,020 base-pairs, respectively, with mean maximum insertions and deletions of 26,977 and 37,299 base-pairs. This relatively large number of small rearrangements among strains is in keeping with what is known about the transformation mechanisms in this naturally competent pathogen. A finite supragenome model was developed to explain the distribution of genes among strains. The model predicts that the NTHi supragenome contains between 4,425 and 6,052 genes with most uncertainty regarding the number of rare genes, those that have a frequency of <0.1 among strains; collectively, these results support the DGH.
Cloning and expression of a zebrafish SCN1B ortholog and identification of a species-specific splice variant

Voltage-gated Na+ channel β1 (Scn1b) subunits are multi-functional proteins that play roles in current modulation, channel cell surface expression, cell adhesion, cell migration, and neurite outgrowth. We have shown previously that β1 modulates electrical excitability in vivo using a mouse model. Scn1b null mice exhibit spontaneous seizures and ataxia, slowed action potential conduction, decreased numbers of nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons, alterations in nodal architecture, and differences in Na+ channel α subunit localization. The early death of these mice at postnatal day 19, however, make them a challenging model system to study. As a first step toward development of an alternative model to investigate the physiological roles of β1 subunits in vivo we cloned two β1-like subunit cDNAs from D. rerio. Two β1-like subunit mRNAs from zebrafish, scn1ba_tv1 and scn1ba_tv2, arise from alternative splicing of scn1ba. The deduced amino acid sequences of Scn1ba_tv1 and Scn1ba_tv2 are identical except for their C-terminal domains. The C-terminus of Scn1ba_tv1 contains a tyrosine residue similar to that found to be critical for ankyrin association and Na+ channel modulation in mammalian β1. In contrast, Scn1ba_tv2 contains a unique, species-specific C-terminal domain that does not contain a tyrosine. Immunohistochemical analysis shows that, while the expression patterns of Scn1ba_tv1 and Scn1ba_tv2 overlap in some areas of the brain, retina, spinal cord, and skeletal muscle, only Scn1ba_tv1 is expressed in optic nerve where its staining pattern suggests nodal expression. Both scn1ba splice forms modulate Na+ currents expressed by zebrafish scn8aa, resulting in shifts in channel gating mode, increased current amplitude, negative shifts in the voltage dependence of current activation and inactivation, and increases in the rate of recovery from inactivation, similar to the function of mammalian β1 subunits. In contrast to mammalian β1, however, neither zebrafish subunit produces a complete shift to the fast gating mode and neither subunit produces complete channel inactivation or recovery from inactivation. These data add to our understanding of structure-function relationships in Na+ channel β1 subunits and establish zebrafish as an ideal system in which to determine the contribution of scn1ba to electrical excitability in vivo.
A comparison of the infectivity of Trichuris suis ova embryonated by four different methods

Abstract Four methods for embryonating the eggs of Trichuris suis in the laboratory were compared. Eggs were mixed with moist vermiculite (method 1) or were suspended in a 0.2% potassium dichromate solution that was either aerated (2), non-aerated (3) or deoxygenated (4). It was shown that differences in the method of culture profoundly affected the ability of the fully developed eggs to hatch and the parasites to become established in pigs. Of the four methods compared, ova of highest infectivity were produced after culture in moist vermiculite.
Amprenavir-induced maculopapular exanthem followed by desensitization in a patient with late-stage human immunodeficiency virus.

Background Amprenavir, a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitor, is approved for the treatment of HIV infection in combination with other antiretroviral agents in treatment-naive and experienced patients. Amprenavir is generally well tolerated. However, cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to amprenavir occur in up to 28% of patients, with treatment discontinuation required in 3% of cases. Objective To report successful desensitization to amprenavir after the occurrence of a maculopapular exanthem in an HIV-infected patient with late-stage disease and limited antiretroviral treatment options. Methods Incremental doses of 0.025, 0.1, 0.25, 1, 2.5, 7.5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 600, and 1,200 mg of amprenavir oral solution were administered via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube at 20- to 30-minute intervals. Results The patient successfully tolerated amprenavir desensitization and has continued therapy without recurrence of rash at 19 months of follow-up. Conclusion Desensitization may permit the continued use of amprenavir in HIV-positive patients with a history of amprenavir-induced maculopapular eruptions who have limited alternate treatment options.
A Review: Pharmaceutical and Pharmacokinetic Aspect of Nanocrystalline Suspensions

Nanocrystals have emerged as a potential formulation strategy to eliminate the bioavailability-related problems by enhancing the initial dissolution rate and moderately super-saturating the thermodynamic solubility. This review contains an in-depth knowledge of, the processing method for formulation, an accurate quantitative assessment of the solubility and dissolution rates and their correlation to observe pharmacokinetic data. Poor aqueous solubility is considered the major hurdle in the development of pharmaceutical compounds. Because of a lack of understanding with regard to the change in the thermodynamic and kinetic properties (i.e., solubility and dissolution rate) upon nanosizing, we critically reviewed the literatures for solubility determination to understand the significance and accuracy of the implemented analytical method. In the latter part, we reviewed reports that have quantitatively studied the effect of the particle size and the surface area change on the initial dissolution rate enhancement using alternative approaches besides the sink condition dissolution. The lack of an apparent relationship between the dissolution rate enhancement and the observed bioavailability are discussed by reviewing the reported in vivo data on animal models along with the particle size and food effect. The review will provide comprehensive information to the pharmaceutical scientist in the area of nanoparticulate drug delivery.
Advising with Understanding: Considering Hermeneutic Theory in Academic Advising.

One might say that good advising requires understanding of those being advised. Yet, the way to achieve an accurate understanding of each advisee is unclear. An introduction to the field of hermeneutics, including an outline of Martin Heidegger's notion of human being and existential understanding, is presented to offer advisors a new opportunity to think closely about how to approach the work of understanding the advisee. Hermeneutic theory is presented, not as a new methodological approach to advising, but as a way of reconceptualizing what ought to be involved in the process of understanding the individual advisee.
Introducing XBRL Using an Instance Document Shell

XBRL is a very technical language and teaching the basics in an AIS course is made more difficult by the overhead of XML. Many AIS educators do not want to devote a large portion of a semester to XBRL and/or do not want to get into the technology in depth. XBRL can be taught from a less technical perspective by using the XBRL shell presented in this paper. This paper presents an XBRL shell, a case situation, and a number of "activities" for students to do to create an XBRL instance document. Each activity is preceded by explanations and examples of why and what is being done. The activities represent major steps necessary for the creation of XBRL instance documents can be completed in a computer lab or with paper and pencil. The paper is written from an AIS instructor's perspective and is designed to provide him or her with a relatively simple, straight-forward way to teach about XBRL instance documents.
A Modified Compensatory Price Program for Agriculture

FARM prices affect producers' incomes and influence production and consumption. Farm price policy has been in large measure a tug of war between the desire to use prices to improve farmers' incomes and the necessity of recognizing the allocative powers of price. This necessity is argued formally by numerous economists and, perhaps more effectively, by the realities of the market. The conflict between income objectives and resource allocation objectives has been so clear that it is common among economists to say that price may be used for either but not for both. Despite this, we as a nation continue to try to devise a price program that supports farm income and handles production and consumption problems well enough to be administratively feasible and politically acceptable. The emphasis on the incompatibility of income support and resource allocation as objectives of price policy may have diverted economists' attention from possibilities of achieving the compromise that is so widely sought. This paper investigates one such possibility. A basic assumption of the paper, believed to be generally supported by theory and research on the behavior of supply in agriculture, is that the importance of prices in allocating resources depends mainly upon their significance for marginal revenue rather than upon their relation to the absolute level of total income. That is, the inducement for a farmer to cut down on one enterprise and to substitute or expand another, or to increase or decrease total output, depends on the changes in income expected to result much more than on the level of income. This is hardly a startling conclusion, but it has been given very little recognition in actual or proposed price programs. Uusually it is assumed that if price is to be used to support farm income, the farmer must be paid a price that overvalues his marginal production. Or, the other way round, it has been assumed that if price is to guide farmers in making adjustments along the margin, then the whole of their income must be determined by the value of the marginal product. The result has been farm programs that call for support of prices at above equilibrium levels, that overvalue farmers' marginal production, and that necessitate controls on production, diversion to storage, and subsidies for expansion of markets to make them work. Moreover, it is not clear that they do work except in times of persistent inflation. An alternative program would have to be cumbersome indeed to cause more direct and indirect complications than are now before us.
A Machine Learning Approach to False Alarm Detection for Critical Arrhythmia Alarms

High false alarm rates in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a common problem that leads to alarm desensitization -- a phenomenon called alarm fatigue. Alarm fatigue can cause longer response time or missing of important alarms. In this work, we propose a methodology to identify false alarms generated by ICU bedside monitors. The novelty in our approach lies in the extraction of 216 relevant features to capture the characteristics of all alarms, from both arterial blood pressure (ABP) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. Our multivariate approach mitigates the imprecision caused by existing heartbeat/peak detection algorithms. Unlike existing methods on ICU false alarm detection, our approach does not require separate techniques for different types of alarms. The experimental results show that our approach can achieve high accuracy on false alarm detection, and can be generalized for different types of alarms.
Aldicarb Metabolism in Twospotted Spider Mites

Tetranychus urticae Koch rapidly absorbed and metabolized aldicarb. Aldicarb sulfoxide or 2-methyl-2-(methylsulfinyl) propionaldehyde O -(methylcarbamoyl) oxime, the major organosoluble metabolite, comprised 55.1 and 47.4%, respectively, of the organosoluble radioactive material after exposure intervals of 6 and 24 h. Absorption and metabolism of aldicarb sulfoxide-14C by twospotted spider mites proceeded at a slower rate than that of aldicarb. Major identified organosoluble metabolites of aldicarb sulfoxide after 24 h were aldicarb oxime sulfoxide or 2-methyl-2-(methylsulfinyl) propionaldehyde oxime (16.7%) and aldicarb oxime sulfone or 2-methyl-2-(methylsulfonyl) propionaldehyde oxime (18.2%).
The neurogenetics genie: Testing for the Huntington's disease mutation

Even though the discovery of the HD gene will make genetic testing much easier to perform, until there is an effective treatment, it will be no easier for HD families to learn who among them carries the mutation. We believe that the standard of care for obtaining genetic testing for HD, as well as for other inherited neurodegenerative disorders, must continue to include extensive counseling, psychological assessment and support, a neurologic examination, and post-test follow-up. We advocate a flexible approach consistent with the individual's particular needs, but we emphasize that it is essential that these basic elements be adequately addressed.
Autohemorrhage in Two Stoneflies (Plecoptera) and its Effectiveness as a Defense Mechanism

Adults of the stoneflies Pteronarcys proteus Newman and Peltoperla maria Needham and Smith autohemorrhage at the intersegmental membranes of the coxial and tibio-femoral joints of the legs when subjected to traumatizing stimuli. Autohemorrhage in both species of stoneflies is an effective defense mechanism against certain ants. There is some evidence to suggest that a “popping” sound accompanying autohemorrhage in P. proteus may delay attack of certain vertebrate predators.
L2 andL3 subshell fluorescence and Coster-Kronig yields forZ=96 from the decay of249Cf

TheL2 andL3 subshell fluorescence and Coster-Kronig yields forZ=96 have been measured by theK-L x-ray coincidence method with high resolution Si(Li) and Ge(Li) x-ray detectors. The results ν2=0.650±0.036, ω2=0.552±0.032, ω3=0.515±0.034, andf23=0.188±0.019 agree fairly well with theory. New measurements of theL x-ray singles spectra of244Cm and238Pu with a high resolution Si(Li) detector permitted reevaluation of the values of ω2 andf23 forZ=92 and 94 reported by Byrneet al. The revised values atZ=92 are ω2=0.529±0.035 andf23=0.23±0.12, and atZ=94, ω2=0.523±0.023 andf23=0.24±0.08. These revised values are in much better agreement with theory and with current experiments.
Stewardship of the pharmacy enterprise

The implementation of health care reform has accelerated the need to achieve significant financial efficiencies within our organizations. One way to be successful in this new paradigm is to create economies of scale that minimize the infrastructure costs associated with running individual or small
Application of Support Vector Machine Regression Algorithm in Robot Absolute Error Compensation

The support vector machine regression algorithm was studied,and it was used successfully in robot absolute error compensation.A multiple support vector solution strategy was proposed,and the problem of multiple inputs and multiple outputs of robot absolute error compensation was solved.Two error compensation methods were proposed based on support vector machine regression algorithm,and the validation was proved by simulation and tests.The simulation tests show that robot absolute error is improved over 95% in average.
The Role of Excretory Urography in the Evaluation of Girls with Urinary Tract Infection

Excretory urography and cystography were done in 200 girls from less than 1 year to 14 years old with a history of urinary tract infections. In 147 girls (73.5 per cent) the excretory urogram and cystogram were normal. Reflux was demonstrated on voiding cystourethrography in 19.5 per cent of the patients. Only 3 patients were found to have a normal voiding cystourethrogram and a significant abnormal excretory urogram. In only 1 patient (0.5 per cent) was an abnormality (an ectopic obstructed ureter) identified, which was amenable to intervention. We conclude that in the evaluation of girls with urinary tract infection an excretory urogram is indicated only in the presence of vesicoureteral reflux.
Survival and Toxicity After Cisplatin Plus Etoposide Versus Carboplatin Plus Etoposide for Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients

Purpose:Elderly patients with cancer are under-represented in clinical trials and risk greater toxicity from chemotherapy. These patients and their physicians need better evidence to decide among guideline-recommended regimens. We test whether patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES SCLC) have noninferior survival and less hospital-based health care after carboplatin/etoposide compared with cisplatin/etoposide.Methods:We analyzed SEER-Medicare data for beneficiaries with ES SCLC diagnosed at age 67 years and older between 1995 and 2009. Among patients treated with first-line chemotherapy in the ambulatory setting, 831 received cisplatin/etoposide and 2,846 received carboplatin/etoposide. Propensity score matching (2:1 ratio) yielded 778 cisplatin/etoposide and 1,502 carboplatin/etoposide patients.Results:Survival was nearly identical in the two groups: 35.7 weeks for cisplatin/etoposide and 35.9 weeks for carboplatin/etoposide. The hazard ratio of 1 (95% CI, 0.91 to 1.09) excluded our pre...
An Ethnoarchaeological Approach to the Detection of Navajo and Anasazi Remains on Black Mesa, Arizona

ABSTRACTA broad and comprehensive data base representing highly diverse prehistoric and historical sites is available on Black Mesa, Arizona. Our growing awareness of the kinds of physical remains represented by specific classes of Navajo structures has led us to reconsider the relationship between analogous Anasazi structures and the evidence for those structures. Criteria for designating prehistoric remains as structures may be unrealistically rigorous, especially considering how ephemeral many of the Navajo structural remains are. Data gathered from excavations of prehistoric and historic sites on Black Mesa indicate that certain attributes of temporary seasonal habitations are similar. The ethnoarchaeological data make us particularly cognizant of structural information which is easily lost and procedures for better data recovery. If certain classes of behavior are to be accurately represented in the archaeological record, archaeologists must become increasingly more sensitive to the effects of natura...
Post Merger Integration bei einem Versicherungsunternehmen

Fusionen, Akquisitionen und Ubernahmen nehmen weltwe it zu. Auch nach demabsehbaren Ende der Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise wird die derzeitige Fusionsflaute wohl nur eine „Delle“ in einem langfristig steigenden Trend sein. Der Grund hierfur ist sehr einfach: Organisatorisches Wachstum allein kann das Uberleben eines Unternehmens langfristig nicht absichern. Externes, „anorganisches“ Wachstum ist fur Unternehmen die einzige Moglichkeit, starker und schneller zu wachsen als ihre Wettbewerber. Eine optimale Unternehmensgrose, bei der ein Unternehmen bleiben und sich fortan nicht mehr weiterentwickeln sollte, gibt es nicht. Wer langfristig existieren will, muss wachsen, um auch die Moglichkeit von Karrieren im Unternehmen zuzulassen. Diese Erkenntnis ist in globalisierten globalisierten Branchen mittlerweile unstrittig.
Exact and Heuristic Algorithms for Risk‐Aware Stochastic Physical Search

We consider an intelligent agent seeking to obtain an item from one of several physical locations, where the cost to obtain the item at each location is stochastic. We study risk-aware stochastic physical search (RA-SPS), where both the cost to travel and the cost to obtain the item are taken from the same budget and where the objective is to maximize the probability of success while minimizing the required budget. This type of problem models many task-planning scenarios, such as space exploration, shopping, or surveillance. In these types of scenarios, the actual cost of completing an objective at a location may only be revealed when an agent physically arrives at the location, and the agent may need to use a single resource to both search for and acquire the item of interest. We present exact and heuristic algorithms for solving RA-SPS problems on complete metric graphs. We first formulate the problem as mixed integer linear programming problem. We then develop custom branch and bound algorithms that result in a dramatic reduction in computation time. Using these algorithms, we generate empirical insights into the hardness landscape of the RA-SPS problem and compare the performance of several heuristics.