cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breaking the Rules of the Game: Ethical Implications for Nursing Practice and Education:

Rules in games are fundamental to the ethics of practice. Rules provide a context or space where a game is defined and played. Throughout human life, games may be formalized with written and unwritten rules. Imaginations may be sparked in the creative structuring of new, informal games. Formal and informal rules can serve to provide direction for what may be viewed as decorum and appropriate behavior with professional groups. In this column, the author illuminates possible ethical meanings for rule-making and breaking with implications for nursing practice and education from a nursing theoretical perspective.
A dynamic student model in a cardiovascular intelligent tutoring system

Negative feedback in the human cardiovascular system is a domain that is rich in both declarative and procedural knowledge. The author outlines the design of a student model for that domain which contains both an overlay model and a bug library. The CIRCSIM-Tutor student modeler's strategy is to determine the most severe student problems as soon as possible. CIRCSIM-Tutor's objectives are limited. Its domain knowledge is finite. A small number of typical student 'bugs' can be anticipated. >
Ambulatory evaluation of nephrolithiasis: An update of a 1980 protocol

Evaluations of 1,270 patients with recurrent nephrolithiasis in an outpatient setting were analyzed for the purpose of updating the classification of nephrolithiasis. All but 4% had abnormal urinary biochemistry that placed them into one or more of 20 etiologic categories. A single diagnosis was documented in 41.3% of patients. The remaining 58.7% had more than one diagnosis. Hypercalciuric calcium (Ca) nephrolithiasis, encountered in 60.9% of patients, comprised six variants—absorptive hypercalciuria Type I and II, renal hypercalciuria, primary hyperparathyroidism, and unclassified hypercalciuria (renal phosphate leak and fasting hypercalciuria). Hyperuricosuria Ca nephrolithiasis (HUCN) and gouty diathesis (GD) accounted for 35.8% and 10.0% of patients, respectively. Distinguishing features were hyperuricosuria and normal urinary pH in HUCN, and normal urinary uric acid and low urinary pH (
Structural studies of sub monolayer Sn/Cu(0 0 1) structures

Helium atom scattering (HAS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have been used to investigate five ordered phases formed by Sn-evaporation and deposition on room temperature Cu(0 0 1) surfaces. Complementary Auger (AES) and electron diffraction (LEED) studies have also been performed. Glide plane symmetry has been noted in a p(2 � 6) phase. The c(4 � 8), p(3 p 2 � p 2), and c(4 � 4) phases exhibit measurable lateral relaxations. The c(4 � 8) and c(4 � 4) phases have Sn in distorted nearest-neighbor adsorption sites. New structural models are proposed for four Sn/Cu phases. Each of these models is discussed in light of the lateral stress relief mechanisms that are operative. STM topographic details are used to argue in favor of the prevalence of 2-D alloy-like structures in most phases. We speculate also on the necessity of subsurface vacancies in formation of the p2mg, p(2 � 6) ordered phase.
Calculations of Capture Efficiency of the Debunched Stack in ISABELLE

A computer program which simulates particle behavior in the longitudinal phase space has been developed to investigate the rebunching process and capture efficiency of the debunched stack in ISABELLE. A simple expression for a capture efficiency for an arbitrary initial distribution has been derived and used to estimate capture efficiencies for several assumed distributions.
THE GIANT RESONANCE IN INELASTIC ELECTRON SCATTERING

It is shown that Walecka’s version of the Goldhaber-Teller model of the «giant dipole» nuclear collective oscillations, generalized to spin-isospin vibrational modes by the author, may be used to describe the gross features of the inelastic electron scattering results in a semi-quantitative manner. We have obtained simple expressions for the longitudinal and transverse matrix elements leading to electric dipole (1−) and magnetic quadrupole (2−) collective states in12C and16O. The decay widths of these states were calculated also, using Wigners.R-matrix theory, and are generally in good agreement with the observed widths.
Tip-based nanoscale selective growth of discrete silicon nanowires by near-field laser illumination

Growth of discrete silicon nanowires is reported with nanoscale location selectivity by employing near-field laser illumination. An uncoated dielectric atomic force microscope (AFM) tip provides a nanometer-scale light source that is sufficiently localized to induce nucleation and subsequent growth of a single nanowire under its optical near-field. Far-field laser-induced heating is additionally supplied to the substrate to both relieve the required near-field light budget and also assist stable epitaxial growth. Specific catalysts are selected for the nanowire growth by non-contact mode AFM imaging. Through real-time monitoring of the deflection of the AFM cantilever during the growth process, the gap between the tip and the sample and hence truly near-field illumination are maintained throughout the growth process. The study shows that tip-based near-field laser illumination could be an effective tool for the direct integration of semiconductor nanowires.
The Significance of Leg Mass in Modeling Quadrupedal Running Gaits

In modeling running gaits of biological and robotic quadrupeds, leg mass is often neglected. Analysis of the system angular momentum in a biological model and a robot model indicates that including leg mass is significant in capturing the roll motion in trotting and pacing. Leg mass has a more significant effect on the pitch motion in bounding and is most critical in accurately capturing the dynamics of galloping.
DEVELOPING CIRCADIAN RHYTHMICITY: Basic and Clinical Aspects

Increasing evidence indicates that the circadian timing system is a fundamental hemostatic system that potently influences human behavior and physiology throughout development. Circadian clock function begins during fetal life, and photic regulation of circadian phase is present at birth in primates. After birth, there is progressive maturation of the circadian system, with day-night rhythms in activity and hormone secretion developing between 1 and 3 months of age. Several disorders of the circadian system are now recognized and include clock disorders and problems related to inadequate entrainment of circadian phase. Treatments for several circadian system disorders are now available and include light therapy and melatonin. With the continued elucidation of circadian system development and influences on human physiology and illness, it is anticipated that consideration of circadian biology will become an increasingly important component of clinical care.
Evaluation of the feeding status of infants and young children under 2 years old in rural areas of Hubei province

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the current feeding status of infants and young children under 2 years old in rural areas of Hubei province. METHODS: The study was conducted by cluster random sampling from September 2009 to march 2010. The data on breastfeeding and complementary food supplement of the 1 197 infants and young children aged 0-23 months in 8 counties of Hubei province were collected through questionnaires. The feeding status was analyzed according to the WHO 2008 edition of Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices. RESULTS: A total of 1 197 children aged 0-23 months were investigated. The rate of ever breastfeeding of children aged 0-23 months reached up to 93.9% (1 124/1 197) while the percentage of early initiation of breastfeeding was only 22.0% (263/1 197). The rates of exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months continued breastfeeding for 1 year and continued breastfeeding for 2 years were 72.1% (277/384) 17.0% (26/153) and 4.9% (7/144) respectively. The median time of giving complementary food was the 6th month and the weaning time was the 9th month. The rate of complementary food supplemented from 6th-8th month in time was 61.8% (444/718) . The rates of minimum dietary diversity minimum meal frequency minimum acceptable diet and consumption of iron-rich or iron-fortified foods among children aged 6-23 months were 61.7% (502/813) 81.5% (663/813) 54.4% (442/813) and 50.1% (407/813) respectively. CONCLUSION: Late initiation of breastfeeding non-continued breastfeeding giving complementary food too early or too late inadequate category and frequency of complementary food and the low rate of consumption of iron-rich or iron-fortified foods were the main issues to be concerned on infant feeding in rural areas of Hubei province.
Chapter 8 Using Field Experiments to Understand Information as an Antidote to Corruption

In observational data, access to information is associated with lower levels of corruption. This chapter reviews a small but growing body of work that uses field experiments to explore the mechanisms behind this relationship. We present a typology for understanding this research based on the type of corruption being addressed (political vs. bureaucratic), the mechanism for accountability (retrospective vs. prospective), and the nature of the information provided (factual vs. prescriptive). We describe some of the tradeoffs involved in design decisions for such experiments and suggest directions for future research.
Minimizing Switched Capacitance

In the previous chapter, power dissipation was minimized in CMOS circuits by aggressive supply voltage scaling. Since CMOS circuits do not dissipate power if they are not switching, another approach to low power design is to reduce the switching activity to the minimal level required to perform the computation. This can range from simply powering down the complete circuit or portions of it, to more sophisticated schemes in which the clocks are gated or optimized circuit architectures are used which minimize the number of transitions. The focus of this chapter is on minimizing the switched capacitance at all levels of the design. The following sections describe a system level approach to minimize the switched capacitance which involves optimizing algorithms, architectures, logic design, circuit design, and physical design.
Characterization of Polyketide Synthase Machinery from the pks Island Facilitates Isolation of a Candidate Precolibactin

Colibactin is a human gut bacterial genotoxin of unknown structure that has been linked to colon cancer. The biosynthesis of this elusive metabolite is directed by the pks gene cluster, which encodes a hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase-polyketide synthase (NRPS-PKS) assembly line that is hypothesized to use the unusual polyketide building block aminomalonate. This biosynthetic pathway is thought to initially produce an inactive intermediate (precolibactin) that is processed to the active toxin. Here, we report the first in vitro biochemical characterization of the PKS components of the pks enzymatic assembly line. We evaluate PKS extender unit utilization and show that ClbG, a freestanding acyltransferase (AT) from the pks gene cluster, recognizes aminomalonyl-acyl carrier protein (AM-ACP) and transfers this building block to multiple PKS modules, including a cis-AT PKS ClbI. We also use genetics to explore the in vivo role of ClbG in colibactin and precolibactin biosynthesis. Unexpectedly, production of previously identified pks-associated metabolites is dramatically increased in a ΔclbP/ΔclbG mutant strain, enabling the first structure elucidation of a bithiazole-containing candidate precolibactin. This work provides new insights into the unusual biosynthetic capabilities of the pks gene cluster, offers further support for the hypothesis that colibactin directly damages DNA, and suggests that additional, uncharacterized pks-derived metabolites containing aminomalonate play critical roles in genotoxicity.
Signal Perception in Plants: Hepta-ß-Glucoside Elicitor Binding Proteins in Soybean

Living organisms utilize a large number of signal molecules to regulate their growth and development. Furthermore, the cells that make up an organism have evolved complex and diverse mechanisms for perceiving and responding to signal molecules originating not only from within the organism, but also from the external environment. Biochemical analysis of the interactions between plants and microbes has contributed to a greater understanding of the molecular basis for signal perception and transduction in plant cells (for recent reviews, see [1–3]). Research in this area has led to the discovery of new classes of signal molecules and provided useful model systems for molecular studies on signal perception, signal transduction, and gene regulation in plants. This article will give an overview of our studies of one plant signal transduction system, the induction of phytoalexin accumulation by oligoglucoside elicitors. Our research to date has focussed on the first stage of this signal transduction system, the specific recognition by plant receptors of molecules (elicitors) that induce phytoalexin accumulation.
More insights on a peer tutoring model for small schools with limited funding and resources

Peer tutoring has been used in a variety of contexts and a variety of institutions to both improve learning and retention for the classroom students and to improve the confidence and knowledge base of the peer tutor. Much of the current literature focuses on how to implement peer tutoring with a fairly large program, including at least one graduate teaching assistant and multiple undergraduates who have recently taken the course. In addition, these peers were trained outside of the normal classroom hours and paid to participate. While useful at larger institutions with sufficient resources to pay and train students, this model is generally unworkable at a smaller institution without funding or a critical mass of students to enable formal training outside of the classroom. This paper describes a different model that involves the university's Academic Support Center (ASC) staff and credit as opposed to payment. This method has been used with over 9 peer tutors across a range of 7 classes, with generally good success. This paper describes the basics of the program developed in collaboration with the university's ASC, describing the basic structure of the educational experience, benefits and potential pitfalls. While no formal analysis has been done on results, the positive benefits of other peer tutoring research appears to be present in this model based on anecdotal evidence. The original idea was highlighted in a lightning talk at SIGCSE 2015. This paper goes into substantially more detail offering increased insights as well as specifics on how the program is run.
Avidin Binds to Condensed Chromatin

The protein avidin has been conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate and then used to treat cells and chromosome preparations. Fluorescence microscopy reveals that this protein is bound by areas of the specimen containing condensed chromatin.
Trimedlure and the Mating Competitiveness of Irradiated Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Males of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), are attracted to trimedlure, a synthetic lure widely used in monitoring and eradication programs. Previous work with wild males revealed that males exposed to trimedlure had a mating advantage over unexposed males under laboratory conditions. Here, I report the results of experiments that examine whether trimedlure increased the mating competitiveness of irradiated males from a long established, laboratory colony (designated Maui-53 for location and year [1953] founders were field-collected) relative to (unexposed) nonirradiated males from a recently established laboratory colony (designated Maui-95). Maui-95 males achieved a disproportionately large number of matings when tested against unexposed Maui-53 males on field-caged host plants. However, in tests conducted 1 d after exposure, Maui-53 males mated significantly more often than Maui-95 males. In tests conducted 3 and 7 d after exposure, Maui-53 males had the same mating success as Maui-95 males. Additional field studies revealed that both unexposed and exposed Maui-53 males spent more time pheromone-calling than Maui-95 males and consequently attracted greater numbers of females. Exposure to trimedlure resulted in a slight, but nonsignificant, increase in the calling activity of Maui-53 males. Implications of these results for control efforts of C. capitata are discussed.
Bridging hepatic necrosis. Etiology and prognosis

The probable etiology and outcome of bridging hepatic necrosis found on a liver biopsy performed within three months of the onset of clinical illness was evaluated in 42 consecutive patients with this finding. Eighteen of the patients (43%) had a probable drug etiology for their hepatitis. Ten patients had HBSAG-positive acute hepatitis. Fourteen patients had neither drug-induced disease nor proven HBSAg-positive hepatitis. One patient from the drug-induced group died, but the other 17 had complete clinical recovery. Eight of ten in the hepatitis B antigen-postive group cleared their antigen and had complete clinical recovery. Chronic hepatitis developed in two who remained persistently HGSAg positive. Eight of the patients in the group with unknown etiology recovered, while six developed evidence of active chronic liver disease. This incidence of active chronic liver disease is significantly greater than that found in the drug-induced group (P less than 0.02). We conclude that drug-induced hepatitiis accounts for a significant proportion of patients of acute hepatitis who have bridging hepatic necrosis on liver biopsy. However, in these drug-induced cases the finding of bridging hepatic necrosis does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of development of active chronic liver disease.
Development and validation of a highly sensitive and robust LC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization method for quantification of rosuvastatin in small volume human plasma samples and its application to a clinical study.

A high-throughput, simple, highly sensitive and specific LC-MS/MS method (liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry) has been developed for the estimation of rosuvastatin (CAS 287714-41-4, RST) with 100 µl human plasma using atorvastatin (CAS 134523-00-5) as an internal standard (IS). The API-4000 LC-MS/MS was operated under the multiple reaction-monitoring mode (MRM) using the electro spray ion-ization technique. The assay procedure involved direct precipitation of RST and IS from plasma with acetonitrile. Sample preparation with this method yielded clean extracts and consistent recoveries: 91.39 % for RST and 99.28 % for IS. The total chromatographic run time was 3.5 min and the elution of RST and IS occurred at 2.5 and 3.1 min, respectively; this was achieved with a mobile phase consisting of 0.05 mol/L formic acid: acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.50 ml/min on an Inertsil ODS-3 column (4.6 × 100 mm, 3.0 µm). The developed method was validated in human plasma with a limit of quantitation of 0.05 ng/ml. A linear response function was established for the range of concentrations of 0.05 to 50.0 ng/ml with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.999. The inter- and intra-day precision in the measurement of RST quality control (QC) samples at 0.05, 0.15, 25 and 40 ng/ml were in the range of 6.55 to 11.40 % relative standard deviation (RSD) and 1.76 to 11.17 % RSD, respectively. Accuracy in the measurement of QC samples for RST was in the range of 95.02 to 101.37 % of the nominal values. RST was stable in the battery of stability studies viz., bench-top, auto-sampler and freeze-thaw cycles. The stability of RST was established for 1 month at –80 °C. The application of the assay to a clinical study confirmed the utility of the assay to derive human pharmacokinetic parameters.
Presynaptic internal calcium release enhances transmission at mossy fiber-CA3 synapses

We investigated the correlation between presynaptic internal Ca2+ release and postsynaptic responses to stimulation of the mossy fiber pathway in acute slices of two-week old rats.Excitatory postsynaptic currents(EPSCs)were recorded from CA3 somata by whole-cell voltage clamp with high internal BAPTA in response to stimulation of the mossy fiber pathway at 20,50,and 100 Hz.Ryano-dine,at concentrations of 10 μmol/L and 50 μmol/L,decreased both EPSC amplitudes and the time integral(area)of the EPSC in two-week old rats.Cyclopiazonic acid(CPA,30 μmol/L)decreased both EPSC amplitudes and areas in response to 10 stimuli at 100 Hz.Optical measurements of presynaptic Ca2+ levels showed that bath-applied ryanodine(10 μmol/L and 50 μmol/L)or CPA(30 μmol/L)reduced the calcium signal in response to trains of stimuli.Taken together,these results suggest that the calcium released from presynaptic internal stores can contribute to transmitter release from mossy fiber boutons.
In situ end labelling of DNA to detect apoptotic cell death in a variety of human tumours.

The present studies illustrate clinical applications of in situ end labelling (ISEL) of DNA to detect apoptosis in a variety of human malignancies including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS, n=10), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL, n=10), head and neck cancer (n = 3), breast cancer (n = 1) and cervical cancer (n = 1). These studies also describe a new in situ double labelling technique to detect apoptosis and proliferation (S-phase cells) simultaneously in the same section of plastic embedded tissue. In vivo intravenous infusions of thymidine analogues (i.e. bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and/or iododeoxyuridine (IUdR)) followed by their detection with a specific monoclonal antibody in a plastic embedded biopsy, combined with ISEL in the same section, facilitated simultaneous estimations of apoptosis and proliferation. The most salient finding of these studies was excessive apoptosis in MDS including the cells in S-phase as indicated by uniquely double labelled cells in their bone marrow biopsies. On the other hand, a very low degree of apoptosis was observed in NHL and other solid tumours. Moreover, the solid tumours exhibited definite compartments of apoptosis and proliferation. Further experiments are underway to confirm these findings in a larger study in order to design appropriate therapeutic modalities for these disorders.
Driving Clinical and Translational Research Using Biomedical Informatics

The conduct of clinical and translational research projects is complex and often computationally intensive due to multiple types of co-occurring information needs. At every step, from project conceptualization to design to implementation, a variety of data and knowledge resources are either consumed or produced. As such, the conduct of clinical and translational research requires the availability of comprehensive and systematic data, information, and knowledge management tools and methods. The importance of such platforms and techniques is greatly amplified when projects involve geographically or temporally distributed teams, as well as when their scientific aims correspond with the need to collect, manage, and analyze multi-dimensional or heterogeneous data sets (for example, when a study involves the collection and integrative analysis of patient-derived clinical and bio-molecular phenotypes). In this chapter, we will review the basic types of studies that may be conducted in a clinical or translational research context, and the information needs associated with such paradigms. We will then introduce the broad classes of informatics theories and methods capable of addressing such requirements. Finally, we will discuss the way in which such study designs and enabling or predisposing informatics mechanisms can be contextualized in the “real world”, spanning a spectrum from the lab to the laptop to the living room.
Stimulation of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus increases brown adipose tissue nerve activity via hypothalamic paraventricular and dorsomedial nuclei

Hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARCN) stimulation elicited increases in sympathetic nerve activity (IBATSNA) and temperature (TBAT) of interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT). The role of hypothalamic dorsomedial (DMN) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei in mediating these responses was studied in urethane-anesthetized, artificially ventilated, male Wistar rats. In different groups of rats, inhibition of neurons in the DMN and PVN by microinjections of muscimol attenuated the increases in IBATSNA and TBAT elicited by microinjections of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid into the ipsilateral ARCN. In other groups of rats, blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors by combined microinjections of D(-)-2-amino-7-phosphono-heptanoic acid (D-AP7) and NBQX into the DMN and PVN attenuated increases in IBATSNA and TBAT elicited by ARCN stimulation. Blockade of melanocortin 3/4 receptors in the DMN and PVN in other groups of rats resulted in attenuation of increases in IBATSNA and TBAT elicited by ipsilateral ARCN stimulation. Microinjections of Fluoro-Gold into the DMN resulted in retrograde labeling of cells in the ipsilateral ARCN, and some of these cells contained proopiomelanocortin (POMC), α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), or vesicular glutamate transporter-3. Since similar projections from ARCN to the PVN have been reported by us and others, these results indicate that neurons containing POMC, α-MSH, and glutamate project from the ARCN to the DMN and PVN. Stimulation of ARCN results in the release of α-MSH and glutamate in the DMN and PVN which, in turn, cause increases in IBATSNA and TBAT.
Die Welt aus den Fugen: Erschlägt ein ,Ziegel‘ Deutschlands Macht und Wohlstand?

Dieser Beitrag zielt auf die Rekonstruktion grundlegender Handlungsregeln deutscher Ausenpolitik im Rahmen ihrer strategischen Positionierung gegenuber der BRIC(S)-Kooperation. Ausgehend von einer krisenhaften Gegenwartsdiagnose der aktuellen weltpolitischen Gemengelage wird deren zentrales Charakteristikum in einer fortschreitenden Erosion der hegemonialen Dominanz der Vereinigten Staaten und dem zeitgleichen, signifikanten Bedeutungsverlust ihrer Partner aus dem Zirkel der Industrienationen identifiziert. Jenseits der globalen Nachkriegsarchitektur scheint sich im Zuge dessen eine zunehmend polyzentrische Weltordnung zu etablieren, fur die ein rasanter Aufstieg von Entwicklungs- und Schwellenlandern als konstitutiv erachtet werden kann, welche ihr Streben nach globaler Gestaltungsmacht immer selbstbewusster artikulieren. Auf dem derzeitigen Zenit ihrer Macht und ihres Ansehens ist die Bundesrepublik daher wie nie zuvor dazu gezwungen, Strategien zu entwickeln, um ihren tradierten Wohlstand und Einfluss in einer globalisierten Weltgemeinschaft zu behaupten. Entlang einer Dekodierung diesbezuglicher Uberzeugungen deutscher Ausenpolitk(er) zeichnet diese Untersuchung wesentliche Grundzuge einer solchen Strategiebildung im Hinblick auf Deutschlands Agieren gegenuber den BRIC(S)-Nationen nach. Uberdies werden zentrale Dilemmata aufgezeigt, die es in diesem Kontext zukunftig zu uberwinden gilt.
DODBMS/CIM: a distributed object-oriented database management system for CIM applications

With the coming of advanced database applications such as CIM (computer integrated manufacturing), the conventional database systems (e.g. relational, network and hierarchical) are no longer adequate for the new requirements. One of the most promising approaches is the object-orientation concept. We present DODBMS/CIM (Distributed Object-oriented Database Management System for CIM applications). We adopt OSAM* (Object-oriented and Semantic Association data Model) as its global data model to support the rich semantics and complex data elements in CIM. Also, we adopt an open architecture and flexible transaction processing. In this paper, we present the system architecture, the global data model and language, and the implementation techniques of global transaction management and global query optimization. >
Antibotulinal Effectiveness of Nisin in Pasteurized Process Cheese Spreads.

Pasteurized process cheese spreads were prepared at moisture levels ranging from 52 to 57% with added sodium chloride at levels from 0 to 2.0%, with disodium phosphate levels ranging from 1.4 to 2.5%, and with nisin levels of 0 to 250 ppm. Clostridium botulinum spores were added at a level of approximately 1000 spores per gram of cheese spread except for control batches and one experiment where the spore levels were varied (10–1000 spores/g). The cheese spreads were incubated at 30°C for up to 48 weeks. Nisin is an effective antibotulinal agent in pasteurized process cheese spreads. Addition of nisin allows formulation of pasteurized process cheese spreads with reduced sodium levels (addition of 1.4% disodium phosphate and no added sodium chloride) or slightly higher moisture levels (55–57%) by comparison to typical commercial pasteurized process cheese spreads. Higher levels of nisin (100 and 250 ppm) were required to prevent outgrowth of botulinal spores in cheese spreads with highest moisture levels or...
Fast plane segmentation with line primitives for RGB-D sensor:

This article presents a fast and robust plane segmentation approach for RGB-D type sensor, which detects plane candidates by line segments extracted from 2-D scanline projected from row or column points. It neither requires high computation to calculate local normals for the entire point cloud as most of approaches do nor randomly chooses plane candidates such as RANSAC-like approaches. First, a line extraction algorithm is utilized to extract line segments. Second, the plane candidates are detected by estimating local normal of points lying on line segments. Finally, the plane having most inlier is recursively extracted from the plane candidates as the result plane. Experiments were conducted with different data sets and the segmentation performances were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. We demonstrated the efficiency and robustness of our proposed approach, especially in the none plane scenario, the approach needs little computational cost.
Surface Sialic Acid Prevents Loss of GPIbα during Platelet Storage and Rescues In Vivo Survival of Murine Platelets.

Platelet processing and storage are associated with platelet lesion, e.g. shape change, activation, release reaction and apoptosis, which is partially due to loss of surface receptors. Surface sialic acid is considered to be a key determinant for the survival of circulating blood cells and glycoproteins. However, its role in platelet receptor loss and platelet survival is unclear. In this study, the relationship between surface sialic acid and platelet receptor loss was investigated in vitro and in vivo . Murine platelets stored at room temperature for 6 hours lost surface sialic acid, as evidenced by flow cytometry using FITC conjugated RCA I lectin, which recognizes exposed galactose residues. This loss correlated with a 30–60% loss of surface receptors GPIbα and GPV, but not GPIX and integrin αIIbβ3, as measured by flow cytometry. Treatment of murine platelets with the neuraminidase (NA) substrate fetuin partially decreases the loss of GPIbα and GPV to 10–20%. In vitro , sialic acid was cleaved from the platelet surface by adding NA (α2-3,6,8-NA ( V. cholerae ) or α2-3,6,-NA ( C. perfringens )) to murine platelets. Removal of sialic acid correlated with the removal of 50–60% of surface GPIbα and GPV, but not GPIX and integrin αIIbβ3. Addition of fetuin, or the more specific NA inhibitor 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-, sodium salt (DANA), completely prevented this loss, as determined by both flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Murine platelets treated with α2-3,6,8-NA ( V. cholerae ) ± the addition of DANA were labeled with the green dye CMFDA and transfused into age-, strain- and sex-matched C57BL/6 mice to measure platelet survival. NA-treated platelets were cleared within minutes after transfusion, whereas the addition of DANA rescued platelet survival to control-count increments. Our study shows that inhibiting the loss of surface sialic acid prevents platelet surface GPIbα and GPV loss during storage in vitro and rescues platelet survival in vivo .
Changes in brain function after manipulation of the cervical spine.

OBJECTIVE To ascertain whether manipulation of the cervical spine is associated with changes in brain function. DESIGN Physiological cortical maps were used as an integer of brain activity before and after manipulation of the cervical spine in a large (500 subjects), double-blind controlled study. SETTING Institutional clinic Participants: Adult volunteers. INTERVENTION Five hundred subjects were divided into six comparative groups and underwent specific manipulation of the second cervical motion segment. Blinded examiners obtained reproducible pre- and postmanipulative cortical maps, which were subjected to statistical analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Brain activity was demonstrated by reproducible circumferential measurements of cortical hemispheric blind-spot maps before and after manipulation of the second cervical motion segment. Twelve null hypotheses were developed. The critical alpha level was adjusted in accordance with Bonferroni's theorem to .004 (.05 divided by 12) to reduce the likelihood of wrongly rejecting the null hypothesis (i.e., committing a Type I error). RESULTS Manipulation of the cervical spine on the side of an enlarged cortical map is associated with increased contralateral cortical activity with strong statistical significance (p < .001). Manipulation of the cervical spine on the side opposite an enlarged cortical map is associated with decreased cortical activity with strong statistical significance (p < .001). Manipulation of the cervical spine was specific for changes in only one cortical hemisphere with strong statistical significance (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Accurate reproducible maps of cortical responses can be used to measure the neurological consequences of spinal joint manipulation. Cervical manipulation activates specific neurological pathways. Manipulation of the cervical spine may be associated with an increase or a decrease in brain function depending upon the side of the manipulation and the cortical hemisphericity of a patient.
Integrative Priming of Compositional and Locative Relations.

Integrative priming refers to the facilitated recognition of a target word (bench) as a real word following a prime (park). Prior integrative priming studies have used a wide variety of integrative relations including temporal (summer rain), topical (travel book), locative (forest river), and compositional (peach pie) relations. Yet differences in the types of integrative relations may yield differences in the underlying explanatory processes of integrative priming. In this study, we compared the magnitude, time course, and three theoretically based correlates of integrative priming for compositional (stone table) and locative (patio table) pairs in a lexical decision task across four stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs; 50, 300, 800, and 1600 ms). Based on the Complementary Role Activation theory, integrative ratings (the extent to which the prime and target can be combined into a meaningful phrase) were predicted to facilitate target RTs. Based on the Embodied Conceptual Combination (ECCo) theory, the local co-occurrence of the prime and target, and the ability to perceptually simulate (visually experience) the prime-target pair were tested as predictors. In comparison to unrelated pairs (nose table), target RTs were faster for the compositional and locative pairs, though did not differ between these relations. In support of the Complementary Role Activation theory, integrative ratings predicted target RTs above and beyond our control variables. In support of the ECCo theory, co-occurrence emerged as an early predictor of target RTs, and visual experience ratings was a reliable predictor at the 300 ms SOA, though only for the compositional relations.
Computed Tomographic Angiography in the Diagnosis of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Advanced CT scanners produce high-resolution datasets. With the use of image post-processing tools, reconstructions are made in any direction, and three-dimensional models are generated for time-effective image analysis. Because of the non-invasive character of CTA and high resolution images, CTA has become the diagnostic method of choice in peripheral artery disease. Overall this results in an increased exposure to radiation and a higher incidence of allergic and contrast-induced nephrotoxic reactions. By adjusting the acquisition parameters on a patient-to-patient basis, specific protocols can be created reducing radiation and contrast exposure without compromising image quality.
Determination of γ / γ ′ Lattice Misfit in Ni-Based Single-Crystal Superalloys at High Temperatures by Neutron Diffraction

Constrained γ/γ′ lattice misfit as a function of temperature (room temperature, 871 °C, 982 °C, 1093 °C, and 1204 °C) is measured by neutron diffraction on the first-generation Ni-based single-crystal superalloy Rene N4 and second-generation superalloys Rene N5, CMSX4, and PWA1484. All the alloys studied show negative misfit at temperatures above 871 °C. For Rene N4, Rene N5, and PWA1484, the misfit becomes less negative at temperatures above 1093 °C, possibly due to either the chemistry effect or internal stress relaxation. The magnitude of the misfit shows a qualitative agreement with Caron’s misfit model based on Vegard’s coefficients. The Re-free alloy Rene N4 was found to have a larger γ lattice parameter and γ/γ′ misfit due to higher fractions of Cr, Ti, and Mo. After 100 hours of annealing at high temperatures, Rene N5 shows a more negative misfit than the misfit after the standard heat treatment.
Acute head pain.

The case of a patient presenting to the Emergency Department with acute head pain is presented in this article. The case is discussed from the standpoint of the meaning of the historical features in the case, and the physical examination features. The differential diagnosis of acute head pain in the Emergency Department is discussed. Potential diagnostic strategies and initial therapeutic regimens are covered.
Running-in of aluminum/steel contacts under starved lubrication: Part II. Effects on scuffing

Abstract In this second part, the two aspects of run-in, i.e. surface smoothing and film formation, analyzed in Part I for different run-in procedures, are discussed in relation to the observed scuffing resistance of run-in components. Scuffing tests are run at different sliding velocities and under starved lubrication conditions. For the roughness values tested, run-in procedures could be determined so as to significantly increase the scuffing resistance of aluminum/steel contacts. The higher scuffing resistance is related primarily to film formation. Under high velocity test conditions, however, the destruction rate of protective surface films is such as to provide little, if any, scuffing protection. At the higher velocities, surface conformity (smoothing) seems to be very important.
Instance Sampling for Boosted and Standalone Nearest Neighbor Classifiers

Several previous research efforts have questioned the utility of combining nearest neighbor classifiers. We introduce an algorithm that combines a nearest neighbor classifier with a “small,” coarse-hypothesis nearest neighbor classifier that stores only one prototype per class. We show that this simple paired boosting scheme yields increased accuracy on some data sets.
Pharmacokinetics at the Interface Between Pharmacology and Physiology

It is customary to consider the activity of enzyme or transport systems or the perfusion rate of organs as rate determining or limiting in the elimination of drugs from the body. However, some drug conjugation processes are limited by the availability of an endogenous cosubstrate. A comprehensive characterization of the pharmacokinetics of drugs that are affected by limited cosubstrate availability requires models that include representation of all processes affecting the concentration-time profile of the co substrate. The latter may be subject to a number of physiologic controls that facilitate homeostasis, including feedback control of formation rate and concentration-dependent renal clearance. These processes can be affected by pathophysiologic variables, and their effects on drug disposition can be both dose- and time-dependent. Additional complexity of the system may arise from drug and endogenous cosubstrate concentration-dependent changes in apparent Vmax and Km of drug biotransformation processes that are bisubstrate reactions. The pharmacokinetics of these complex nonlinear systems have important pharmacologic implications and exemplify the interrelationship between metabolic processes involving both exogenous and endogenous substrates. Thus, drug biotransformation processes that are associated with and affected by depletion of an endogenous cosubstrate illustrate the interdigitation of pharmacology and physiology and emphasize the need for appreciating the role of both pharmacologic and physiologic factors in pharmacokinetic research.
Toward learning perceptually grounded word meanings from unaligned parallel data

In order for robots to effectively understand natural language commands, they must be able to acquire a large vocabulary of meaning representations that can be mapped to perceptual features in the external world. Previous approaches to learning these grounded meaning representations require detailed annotations at training time. In this paper, we present an approach which is capable of jointly learning a policy for following natural language commands such as "Pick up the tire pallet," as well as a mapping between specific phrases in the language and aspects of the external world; for example the mapping between the words "the tire pallet" and a specific object in the environment. We assume the action policy takes a parametric form that factors based on the structure of the language, based on the G3 framework and use stochastic gradient ascent to optimize policy parameters. Our preliminary evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of the model on a corpus of "pick up" commands given to a robotic forklift by untrained users.
College and the digital generation: assessing and training students for the technological demands of college by exploring relationships between computer self-efficacy and computer proficiency

Today’s college students are often labeled the “Net Generation” and assumed to be computer savvy and technological minded. Exposure to and use of technologies can increase self-efficacy regarding ability to complete desired computer tasks, but students arrive on campuses unable to pass computer proficiency exams. This is concerning because some colleges and universities have eliminated introductory computer courses following the 120-Hour Rule. This study’s purpose was to investigate relationships between computer self-efficacy and computer proficiency and to determine whether students are prepared for technological demands of college. Quantitative data were collected from pre- and postcourse surveys and pre- and postcourse proficiency exams. Participants included students enrolled in introductory computer courses at one university. Courses used the competency based training product, SimNet for Office 2007, to train and assess students. Results indicated general computer self-efficacy (GCSE) ratings were highest for students that had taken three or more computer classes in high school. GCSE was higher than task-specific computer self-efficacy (TSCE) for Excel and Access applications, but lower than TSCE for the Vista operating system and Word. TCSE was found to be higher than performance scores for Vista, Access, Excel, PPT, and Word. Completing an introductory computer class was found to increase computer self-efficacy ratings and computer proficiency scores. Results suggested that many students are not proficient in Office 2007 applications needed in college. Colleges and universities need to assess computer proficiency of incoming students and train them in the computer skills needed to be successful in college and beyond.
Spherical Spiral Metamaterial Unit Cell for Negative Permeability and Negative Permittivity

This paper introduces a 3-D spherical spiral expansion of the split ring resonator (SRR) commonly used to achieve negative permeability. The spherical spiral unit cell is shown to produce negative permeability over a much wider bandwidth than the traditional SRRs, and also to be capable of producing wideband negative permittivity or a double-negative response, depending on the orientation of the unit cell with respect to the incident electric field. The current structures leading to this phenomenon are discussed. Simulated and measured results are presented.
Red Bird, Red Power: The Life and Legacy of Zitkala Ša, by Tadeusz Lewandowski: U of Oklahoma P, 2016

Tadeusz Lewandowski examines the life and contested legacy of Zitkala Sa, the controversial nineteenth-century American Indian author, musician, activist, and civil rights pioneer who garnered both...
Sex differences in sleep health

Abstract Differences in sleep for men and women begin at an early age, with women reporting poorer sleep quality and have a higher risk for developing insomnia compared to men. Sleep may be affected differentially by sex due to variations in hormones, physical and mental health conditions, life/role transitions, aging, and other factors. Women are particularly vulnerable to insomnia during times of reproductive hormonal change. The menstrual cycle is associated with changes in circadian rhythms and sleep architecture. Menstruating women often report poorer sleep quality and greater sleep disturbance during the premenstrual week compared to other times of the menstrual cycle. Sleep disturbances are also common during pregnancy and increase in frequency and duration as the pregnancy progresses. The precipitous decline in hormones and unpredictable sleep patterns of the newborn can exacerbate sleep difficulties during the early postpartum period. During the menopausal transition and post menopause, insomnia is also one of the most common complaints. During this time, testosterone declines in men and is also associated with poorer sleep. Aging has differential effects on men and women’s sleep. Sex differences in sleep health across the lifespan will be addressed in this review.
Im Labor der Seele: Mehrwert und Minderwertigkeit

Mit den Testverfahren des Psychologen Hugo Munsterberg verschob sich die Quantifizierung des Menschen von der experimentellen Psychologie auf die Okonomie. Munsterbergs Psychometrie war der Versuch, die Psychologie in den Dienst der Effizienzsteigerung und der Profitmaximierung zu stellen. Von der Beobachtung durch andere ist der Schritt zur Selbstbeobachtung nicht weit und fuhrt geradewegs in eine Kultur des offentlichen Bekennens, die durch die Entwicklung der modernen Kommunikationstechnik eine radikale Transformation erfahren hat. Aus den Interaktionen in den sozialen Medien beziehen viele Menschen einen Mehrwert, andere hingegen werden ausgeschlossen. Kap. 6 gibt einen Uberblick uber die Geschichte der Psychologie, die Werte in der Tradition naturwissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisbildung zunachst als Sammlung von Zahlen und Daten verstand. Psychische Vorgange wurden von Psychologen wie Wundt im Sinne thermodynamischer Prozesse betrachtet. Naturgesetze waren hingegen durch okonomisches Denken beeinflusst. Naturwissenschaftler wie Wilhelm Ostwald knupften dabei ebenso an den Energiebegriff an wie Psychologen, darunter William James, Sigmund Freud und Alfred Adler. Der von Adler gepragte Begriff der „Minderwertigkeit“ wird dann bei Erich Fromm gegen die kapitalistische Kultur des Konsums gerichtet, wo Werte durch Guter, nicht durch Sozialformen und Fragen des inneren, existenziellen Befindens bestimmt wurden.
Exploring the implementation of lesson-level UDL principles through an observation protocol

The researchers piloted an observational protocol to examine the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and checkpoint strategies used during daily instruction with a small sample of genera...