cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mixed perfectly-matched-layers for direct transient analysis in 2D elastic heterogeneous media

Abstract We are concerned with elastic waves arising in plane-strain problems in an elastic semi-infinite arbitrarily heterogeneous medium. Specifically, we discuss the development of a new mixed displacement–stress formulation for forward elastic wave simulations in perfectly-matched-layer (PML)-truncated heterogeneous media. To date, most PML formulations split the displacement and stress fields, resulting in non-physical components for each field. In this work, we favor unsplit schemes, primarily for the relative ease by which the resulting forms can be incorporated into existing codes, the ease by which the resulting semi-discrete forms can be integrated in time, and the ease by which they can be used in adjoint formulations arising in inverse problems, contrary to most past and current developments. We start by following classical lines, and apply complex-coordinate-stretching to the governing equations in the frequency domain, while retaining both displacements and stress quantities as unknowns. With the aid of auxiliary variables the resulting mixed form is rendered second-order in time, thereby allowing the use of standard time integration schemes. We report on numerical simulations demonstrating the stability and efficacy of the approach.
Early developmental patterning sets the stage for brain evolution.

The evolution of brain structure and function has long fascinated biologists. This fascination was initially prompted by the observation that allometric relationships exist between the size of the brain—or brain region—and body size across a wide range of vertebrates (1). Besides random drift, two main ideas have been advanced to explain how brains evolve, and both have found considerable support. From a purely adaptationist point of view, selection on a specific set of behavior patterns or sensory specializations is thought to result in “mosaic” changes in only the brain regions that mediate these processes (2). In contrast, selection on any single brain region would cause the brain to change as a whole unit owing to developmental constraints and processes that regulate the formation and growth of a range of brain regions overall (3).
Decreased Expression of Glutamate Transporter GLAST in Bergmann Glia Is Associated with the Loss of Purkinje Neurons in the Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease of the cerebellum caused by a polyglutamine-repeat expansion in the protein ATXN1. We have previously demonstrated that astrocytic activation occurs early in pathogenesis, correlates with disease progression, and can occur when mutant ATXN1 expression is limited to Purkinje neurons. We now show that expression of glutamate and aspartate transporter, GLAST, is decreased in cerebellar astrocytes in a mouse model of SCA1. This decrease occurs in non-cell autonomous manner late in disease and correlates well with the loss of Purkinje neurons. Astrogliosis or decreased neuronal activity does not correlate with diminished GLAST expression. In addition, Bergmann glia remain capable of transcriptional upregulation of GLAST in response to improvement in Purkinje neurons supporting the notion of active neuron-glia crosstalk in disease.
Large shifts in color appearance from patterned chromatic backgrounds

The perceived color of a light varies with the background on which it is seen. In the present study, patterned backgrounds composed of two different chromaticities caused larger shifts in perceived color than did a uniform background at either chromaticity within the pattern. Cortical receptive-field organization, but not optical factors or known retinal neurons, can account for the color shifts from patterned backgrounds.
Ventricular tachycardia with a myocardial fibre travelling from the origin in the right aortic sinus cusp to the epicardial breakout site of the right ventricular outflow tract

A 74-year-old man with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) with a QRS morphology with a left bundle branch block and right inferior axis underwent electrophysiologic testing. Successful ablation was achieved at the right coronary cusp (RCC) where an excellent pace map with long stimulus-to-QRS interval (St-QRS) (85 ms) was obtained. An excellent pace map was also obtained on the epicardial surface ∼1 cm away from the successful ablation site and the St-QRS was shorter (40 ms). These findings suggested that a myocardial fibre travelling from the origin in the RCC to the epicardium of the right ventricular outflow tract might exist.
Full-rate full-diversity differential MIMO

Differential multiple input multiple output (MIMO) enables communication without the need for channel estimation and the associated overhead due to the transmission of pilots. A number of differential MIMO techniques were proposed using unitary or orthogonal space-time codes. These codes provide full diversity but achieve a data rate of no more than one symbol per channel use. This paper presents a block differential MIMO technique which can use any non-orthogonal full-rate full-diversity space-time code. This approach has a decoding complexity comparable to that of coherent MIMO.
Medical education: a challenge for natural language analysis, artificial intelligence, and interactive graphics

In a functional sense, Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) has not advanced from the primary grades, yet its implications for higher education cannot be ignored. Most of the work that has been done in CAI falls into the category of drill and practice or straight tutorial presentation. Logically, both the hardware and software that have been developed or modified to support CAI have been tailored with these goals in mind. In medical education, multiple choice questions would neither hold the interest of the average student nor challenge his intellectual abilities. Since we can formally present only a small fraction of the problems our students may some day have to deal with, we are concerned not only with presenting factual information, but even more with developing their power to reason and handle new problems. Medical students have widely divergent backgrounds and needs, as well as differing interests. For these and other reasons, we need a truly two-way, free-format discussion where each student is treated as an individual. Anatomy, the field in which we teach, is very much a visual science. Consequently, graphic capabilities are important. Here also the student needs to interact and be treated as an individual.
Regulation of Ubiquitin Protein Ligase Activity in c-Cbl by Phosphorylation-induced Conformational Change and Constitutive Activation by Tyrosine to Glutamate Point Mutations

c-Cbl down-regulates receptor tyrosine kinases by conjugating ubiquitin to them, leading to receptor internalization and degradation. The ubiquitin protein ligase activity of c-Cbl (abbreviated as E3 activity) is mediated by its RING finger domain. We show here that the E3 activity of c-Cbl is negatively regulated by other domains present in the amino-terminal half of the protein (the TKB and linker helix domains) and that this negative regulation is removed when the protein is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues. Protease digestion studies indicate that tyrosine phosphorylation alters the conformation of c-Cbl. We also show that mutation of certain conserved tyrosine residues to glutamate can constitutively activate the E3 activity of c-Cbl. In particular, a Y371E mutant shows constitutive E3 activity while retaining the ability to bind epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The Y371E mutant also has altered protease sensitivity from wild type, instead resembling the proteolytic pattern seen with tyrosine-phosphorylated c-Cbl. Mutation of the homologous tyrosine residue in Cbl-b to glutamate also leads to E3 activation while retaining EGFR-binding ability. These studies argue that Tyr-371 plays a key role in activating the E3 activity of c-Cbl and that the Y371E mutant may partially mimic phosphorylation at that site. However, Tyr-371 point mutants of c-Cbl are still able to undergo phosphorylation-induced E3 activation, and we show that Tyr-368 can also be phosphorylated in addition to Tyr-371, and contributes to activation.
Comparing sensory experiences across individuals: recent psychophysical advances illuminate genetic variation in taste perception

Modern psychophysics has traveled considerably beyond the threshold measures that dominated sensory studies in the first half of this century. Current methods capture the range of perceived intensity from threshold to maximum and promise to provide increasingly accurate comparisons of perceived intensities across individuals. The application of new psychophysical tools to genetic variation in taste allowed us to discover supertasters, individuals who live in particularly intense taste worlds. Because of the anatomy of the taste system, supertasters feel more burn from oral irritants like chili peppers, more creaminess/ viscosity from fats and thickeners in food and may also experience more intense oral pain. Not surprisingly, these sensory differences influence food choices and thus health. A discussion of the milestones on the road to understanding genetic variation in taste must include discussion of some potholes as well. Often our failures have been as instructive as our successes in the effort to evaluate the impact of genetic variation in taste.
Anonymous Sensory Data Collection Approach for Mobile Participatory Sensing

In participatory sensing, users with mobile devices participate in the collection of environmental information around them and submit the collected data to a central server for processing and analysis. Identity privacy of mobile users in this model is a major concern that hinders the adoption of this data collection model. In addition, bandwidth and computing capability are limited for mobile devices. Unfortunately, most previously proposed methods for user anonymity are not designed specifically for mobile environments and thus resource constraint is not the main focus of their solutions. In this paper, we propose One-way, an anonymous sensory data collection approach designed particularly for mobile participatory sensing environments. Our method utilizes peer-to-peer networks to facilitate anonymous data transmission to protect sender identity, but the actual data payload is not sent through peers. For data packets, we remove sender information and transmit through a direct path to the server. Since data are not replicated to multiple peers as in some previous solutions, our design consumes less resources. The experiments show that our approach utilizes less bandwidth and achieves higher scalability than existing techniques.
Two Distinct Types of Repression Domain in Engrailed: One Interacts with the Groucho Corepressor and Is Preferentially Active on Integrated Target Genes

Active transcriptional repression has been characterized as a function of many regulatory factors. It facilitates combinatorial regulation of gene expression by allowing repressors to be dominant over activators under certain conditions. Here, we show that the Engrailed protein uses two distinct mechanisms to repress transcription. One activity is predominant under normal transient transfection assay conditions in cultured cells. A second activity is predominant in an in vivo active repression assay. The domain mediating the in vivo activity (eh1) is highly conserved throughout several classes of homeoproteins and interacts specifically with the Groucho corepressor. While eh1 shows only weak activity in transient transfections, much stronger activity is seen in culture when an integrated target gene is used. In this assay, the relative activities of different repression domains closely parallel those seen in vivo, with eh1 showing the predominant activity. Reducing the amounts of repressor and target gene in a transient transfection assay also increases the sensitivity of the assay to the Groucho interaction domain, albeit to a lesser extent. This suggests that it utilizes rate-limiting components that are relatively low in abundance. Since Groucho itself is abundant in these cells, the results suggest that a limiting component is recruited effectively by the repressor-corepressor complex only on integrated target genes.
Education and training: prescriptions for organizational learning

The author synthesizes ideas from prior research and develops a model describing how information system (IS)-related learning impacts organizational processes and productivity. Aspects of both education and training are discussed with an emphasis on how they complement one another. The author examines how IS-related learning is put into operation using a case analysis. The emphasis is on describing how the subject companies approach education and/or training. The author provides prescriptions for organizational learning based on ideas gleaned from the case analysis. Suggestions are made as to how companies should approach IS-related education and training. >
Variables Related to Recidivism among Juvenile Offenders

This study investigated predictors of recidivism among juvenile delinquents. Mental health and probation files were reviewed for 138 male juveniks. To assess the extent of recidivism throughout their juvenile years, only data from participants who remained in juvenik jurisdiction until the age of 18 were included in the analyses. Demographic, behavioral, familial, school-related, and crime-related variables were examined Additionaly, the relationships between length of first incarceration and number of subsequent offenses for violent and property first-time offenders were investigated. Multiple regression analyses indicated that age at first conviction, alcohol abuse, status conviction, length of first incarceration, group home placement, and birth order best predicted recidivism. Further, results revealed that length of first incarceration and subsequent convictions were positively correlated for property first-time offenders. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed
They Might be Giants: Luminosity Class, Planet Occurrence, and Planet–Metallicity Relation of the Coolest Kepler Target Stars

We estimate the stellar parameters of late K- and early M-type Kepler target stars. We obtain medium-resolution visible spectra of 382 stars with KP ? J > 2 (K5 and later spectral type). We determine luminosity class by comparing the strength of gravity-sensitive indices (CaH, K I, Ca II, and Na I) to their strength in a sample of stars of known luminosity class. We find that giants constitute 96% ? 1% of the bright (KP 14) stars, significantly higher than fractions based on the stellar parameters quoted in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). The KIC effective temperatures are systematically (110+15 ? 35?K) higher than temperatures we determine from fitting our spectra to PHOENIX stellar models. Through Monte Carlo simulations of the Kepler exoplanet candidate population, we find a planet occurrence of 0.36 ? 0.08 when giant stars are properly removed, somewhat higher than when a KIC log g > 4 criterion is used (0.27 ? 0.05). Last, we show that there is no significant difference in g ? r color (a probe of metallicity) between late-type Kepler stars with transiting Earth-to-Neptune-size exoplanet candidates and dwarf stars with no detected transits. We show that a previous claimed offset between these two populations is most likely an artifact of including a large number of misidentified giants.
Time-Resolved Multispectral Imaging Spectrometer

A new multispectral imaging spectrometer with millisecond resolution has been developed. This instrument is based on the use of an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) for spectral tuning and a simple progressive scan camera capable of snapshot operation for recording. The fast multispectral imaging can be performed in two configurations: recording images as a function of time or as a function of wavelength. In the first configuration, multiple images are recorded, grabbed, and stored per one wavelength. Upon completion, the AOTF is scanned to a new recording wavelength and a new set of images are recorded. It was found that, in this configuration, the imaging spectrometer is capable of recording, grabbing, and storing up to 33 images per s (i.e., 30 ms per image). Because an external signal is used to start the event and the recording of images, and the period between the start of the event and the recording and grabbing of images can be appropriately adjusted by a delay line, the time resolution of the spectrometer is not limited to 30 ms but rather can be adjusted to a shorter or longer time scale. In the second configuration, the recording wavelength is rapidly scanned (by the AOTF) and only one image is rapidly recorded, grabbed, and stored for each wavelength. Because additional time is needed to scan the AOTF, the maximum number of images that can be grabbed in this case is 16 frames per s. Preliminary applications of the imaging spectrometer include measurements of photo-induced changes in temperature-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystals as a function of time and wavelength. It was found that irradiating with a near-infrared (NIR) diode laser of 805 nm led to changes in the liquid crystal. The changes were found to vary with time and wavelength, namely, at about 360 ms after the NIR laser pulse the liquid crystal underwent changes in the visible region around 570 nm. The changes shifted toward longer wavelength concomitantly with time; i.e., maximum change at about 600 ms shifted to 718 nm.
A Transfer Function Analysis of Coronary and Renal Circulation Calculated from Upstream and Downstream Indicator-Dilution Curves

A method has been developed for computing the distribution of blood transit times (transfer function) from indicator-dilution curves recorded from upstream (aorta) and downstream (pulmonary artery, renal vein and coronary sinus) circulatory sites in mongrel dogs. The method employs a Fourier series transformation of the upstream and downstream curves and yields a time-domain transfer function which is independent of recirculating dye particles. Discontinuities, created in the upstream and downstream indicator curves by the termination of sampling (120 sec postinjection), are removed by a tail terminating procedure which employs normal and lagged normal density distributions. The transfer functions computed for the trans-renal and trans-coronary circulations and their relationship to the systemic circulation dispersion patterns are shown under control conditions (pentobarbital anesthesia) and during intra-aortic infusion of angiotensin, acetylcholine and adenosine triphosphate. These distribution patterns ...
Cognitive diagnosis using item response models

In this paper, I will describe a particular approach to cognitive diagnosis that is centered on the idea of developmental assessment, and illustrate how data from this approach can be modeled using explanatory item response models. The developmental assessment approach starts with the idea of a progression of learning embodied in what are called progress variables. In a progress variable, student understanding is conceptualized as a continuum with successive levels of development. Effectively, these are seen as a series of student conceptions – this is the first layer of diagnosis. Then, student misconceptions are seen as particular diagnoses within the student conceptions, forming a second layer of diagnosis. Explanatory measurement is introduced as a way to formally model the psychometrics of this situation, using the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) assessment system as a specific example. The discussion is illustrated with examples from student learning about selected topics in scien...
Biochemical Markers of Bone Turnover: Why Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice Are Still in Conflict

In metabolic bone diseases other than osteoporosis (Paget disease, rickets and osteomalacia, primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism), biochemical markers of bone turnover have been important clinical tools in patient management for more than 3 decades. In these diseases, bone metabolism is often so abnormal that even crude, nonspecific markers such as total serum alkaline phosphatase and urine hydroxyproline have been sufficiently reliable to allow clinicians to make appropriate management decisions without difficulty or error. When noninvasive measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) became available, the most common metabolic bone disease, osteoporosis, began to receive attention from researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and clinical practitioners. BMD technology from the beginning had very acceptable accuracy and precision errors such that diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression or regression were straightforward (1)(2). However, there was and remains one major drawback to BMD alone in the management of osteoporosis: bone turnover is generally so slow (particularly in relation to the other metabolic bone diseases listed above) that it may take up to 2 years in most circumstances to be certain with 95% confidence that any change in BMD is more than can be accounted for by method imprecision (3)(4)(5). When studying large groups of patients in a clinical trial, this is not a practical problem because significant group changes can be detected as early as 6 months after an intervention has been started (6)(7)(8)(9). This is of limited benefit to individual patient care. To overcome this, researchers turned to biochemical markers of bone turnover as adjunctive tools in patient management. It became clear very early in this endeavor that total alkaline phosphatase and urine hydroxyproline lacked both the sensitivity and specificity to be of much value. Newer markers had to be developed, which required a …
Spectral Peak-Shift Estimation With Wavelength Dependent Sources and Detectors

This correspondence extends Karl and Pien's [ldquoHigh-Resolution Biosensor Spectral Peak Shift Estimation,rdquo IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol 53, no. 12, pp. 4631-4639, December 2005] approach to spectral-shift estimation for optical sensors to account for wavelength dependent illumination sources and detectors. Relaxing the assumption of spectrally uniform source power and detector efficiency alters the previously derived Cramer-Rao bound and maximum-likelihood estimator. The new estimator offers significantly reduced error compared to the wavelength invariant estimator and common ad hoc estimators.
Invited Review: Mechanisms of calcium handling in smooth muscles

The concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+ regulates the contractile state of smooth muscle cells and tissues. Elevations in global cytoplasmic Ca2+ resulting in contraction are accomplished by Ca2+ entry and release from intracellular stores. Pathways for Ca2+ entry include dihydropyridine-sensitive and -insensitive Ca2+ channels and receptor and store-operated nonselective channels permeable to Ca2+. Intracellular release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is accomplished by ryanodine and inositol trisphosphate receptors. The impact of Ca2+ entry and release on cytoplasmic concentration is modulated by Ca2+ reuptake into the SR, uptake into mitochondria, and extrusion into the extracellular solution. Highly localized Ca2+ transients (i.e., sparks and puffs) regulate ionic conductances in the plasma membrane, which can provide feedback to cell excitability and affect Ca2+entry. This short review describes the major transport mechanisms and compartments that are utilized for Ca2+ handling in smooth muscles.
Collaborative research on emerging technologies and design

Techniques for identifying and mitigating effects of process variation on the electrical performance of integrated circuits are described. These results are from multi-discipline, collaborative university-industry research and emphasize anticipating sources of variation up-stream early in the circuit design phase. The lithography physics research includes design and testing electronic monitors in silicon at 45 nm and fast-CAD tools to identify systematic variations for entire chip layouts. The device research includes the use of a spacer (sidewall transfer) gate fabrication process to suppress random variability components. The Design-for-Manufacturing research includes double pattern decomposition in the presence of bimodal CD behavior, process-aware reticle inspection, tool-aware dose trade-off between leakage and speed, the extension of timing analysis methodology to capture across process-window effects and electrical processwindow characterization.
Robust control of dissipative PDE systems in the presence of uncertainty using adaptive model reduction

The problem of robust feedback control of spatially distributed processes described by highly dissipative partial differential equations (PDEs) is considered. Typically, this problem is addressed through model reduction where finite dimensional approximations to the original PDE system are derived. A common approach to this task is the Karhunen-Loeve expansion combined with the method of snapshots. To circumvent the issue of a priori availability of a sufficiently large ensemble of PDE solution data, we focus on the recursive computation of eigenfunctions as additional data from the process become available. Initially, an ensemble of eigenfunctions is constructed with a relatively small number of snapshots. The dominant eigenspace of this ensemble is then identified to compute the empirical eigenfunctions required for model reduction. This dominant eigenspace is reevaluated with the addition of new snapshots the dominant eigenspace is reevaluated and its dimensionality may increase or decrease. Because this dimensionality is typically small the computational burden is also small. This approach is applied to a representative example of dissipative PDEs, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach to design robust controllers.
Skin sympathetic outflow during head-down neck flexion in humans

We have previously demonstrated increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity during head-down neck flexion (HDNF). The purpose of the present study was to determine if HDNF also activates skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA). SSNA, heart rate, arterial pressure, skin blood flow, calf blood flow, and calculated calf vascular resistance (mean arterial pressure/calf blood flow) were determined in 12 subjects during 3 min of baseline (lying prone with chin supported) and 3 min of HDNF. There were no significant changes in heart rate and arterial pressures during HDNF; however, diastolic and mean arterial pressure tended to increase slightly. Calf blood flow decreased 22% and calf vascular resistance increased 46% during HDNF. SSNA did not significantly change during HDNF. In three subjects we measured both muscle and skin sympathetic nerve activity during HDNF. In these trials, muscle sympathetic nerve activity consistently increased, but SSNA did not. The results indicate that HDNF in humans activates muscle sympathetic nerve activity, but does not activate SSNA. Thus vestibular stimulation may elicit differential activation of sympathetic outflow in humans.
Werben mit Multimedia: Eine Einführung

Werben heist, die Sinne anzusprechen. Welches Mittel ware folglich zum Werben besser geeignet als eines, das eine Vielzahl von Sinnen gleichzeitig zu stimulieren vermag? Multimedia-Prasentationen zeichnen sich dadurch aus, das sie durch die Unterstutzung verschiedener Medien jene Medien einzusetzen erlauben, die fur den jeweiligen Zweck am geeignetsten sind, darunter so emotional stimulierende Medien wie Musik und Film, die aus den vertrauten und effektiven Werbebotschaften des Fernsehens bekannt sind. Es ist deshalb nicht verwunderlich, das sich die Werbeindustrie zunehmend multimedialer Werbetrager bedient.
THE POSITIVE-REAL AND STRICTLY POSITIVE-REAL PROPERTY OF SAMPLED SYSTEM

Abstract The Positive-Real (PR) or Strictly Positive-Real (SPR) property of the discrete-time system obtained by sampling a continuous time system is explored. The PR property of discrete transfer function for large and small sampling periods is examined. Conditions which guarantee that the sampled system is PR are presented.
Respecting Boundaries and the Economic Loss Rule in Tort

In this Article, I briefly comment on three aspects of the "economic loss rule" - the longstanding no-duty barrier to recovery of pure economic loss - in an effort to dig beneath the surface and explore its foundations. First, I examine the array of circumstances in which the no-duty rule comes into play, which turn out to be varied; second, I explore the set of justifications offered for the rule, which turn out to differ in persuasiveness; and third, I suggest the extent to which the rule shares some common roots with related areas of accident law (such as personal injury). More broadly, I emphasize that the constraints imposed by the economic loss rule do not reflect any single normative principle. Correspondingly, the cases do not comprise a single generic category guided by a unified set of underlying policy considerations, any more than limitations on recovery for emotional harm - ranging from direct emotional distress, to bystander emotional distress and loss of consortium - can be explained by reference to a single rationale. In both areas, attempts to generate a single rationale for what the courts are doing run the risk of oversimplifying the policy concerns at stake. With these basic premises in mind, I offer an overview of the field based on three scenarios of negligently inflicted economic loss. I will begin by addressing the scenario in which tort is invoked as an alternative remedy in the context of disappointed contractual expectations. Next, I consider the scenario in which a defendant creates a dangerous condition or causes physical harm, resulting in economic loss to a stranger. Finally, I turn to a scenario in which there is either a negligent misrepresentation, or more broadly negligent performance of an obligation, that results in third-party economic loss. This latter category is a hybrid of sorts, falling between the realm of harm arising out of contractual expectations and that of economic loss entirely distinct from any contractual expectations.
Is the E-Liquid Industry Regulating Itself? A Look at E-Liquid Internet Vendors in the United States

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to assess whether the nascent, but rapidly growing e-liquid industry prohibits Internet sales to minors and employs safety measures to prevent accidental poisonings. METHODS: A stratified simple random sample (n=120) was selected from the target population (N=1,107) of U.S. online vendors of e-liquid in July, 2015. The vendors were stratified and subsequently oversampled by trade association membership and vendor popularity. Three minors aged 16 to 17, who were supervised by adult research staff, attempted to purchase e-liquid from the 120 online vendors using debit cards issued in their names. Measures included vendors' use of age verification, warning labels on e-liquid bottles, and child-resistant packaging. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed by vendor popularity, but not by membership in a trade association. The differences by vendor popularity, however, occurred for measures that were limited to an age warning and list of ingredients. The most striking finding was the scant vendors (n=4) whom successfully prevented the sale of e-liquid to the minors. In contrast, 87.5% and 53.9% of the bottles contained child-resistant packaging and a health warning label, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of trade association membership or vendor popularity, online vendors of e-liquids are not taking the proper precautions in preventing sales to minors. The FDA's upcoming deeming rules on e-cigarette products should include explicit requirements for offline and online e-liquid vendors, particularly the use of effective age verification, warning labels, and child-resistant packaging.© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. Language: en
Environmental fatigue testing of molded plastics for prosthetic heart valves

A testing machine was designed specifically to study fatigue behavior of molded polymeric materials by subjecting multiple cantilever specimens to vibratory fluid loading. The fluid loading permits aqueous or other environments, facilitates temperature control, and makes possible high testing frequencies. Samples of fifteen to thirty specimens may be tested simultaneously to obtain statistical data. Example results are presented showing Weibull distributions fitted to polymethyl methacrylate fatigue-life data. A statistical criterion was used to verify that scatter, due to the machine and testing technique, was not excessive.
To “Catch the Sparkling Glow”: A Canvas for Creativity in the Management Classroom

Today's corporate challenges require creativity from business leaders, but current classroom practice within business schools does not necessarily encourage students to think creatively so that inn...
Prolonged Survival of Insect Tissues in Vitro

The epidermis of insects has long served the student of growth as excellent material for the solution of morphogenetic problems. Unfortunately, as others have recently pointed out (Schmidt and Williams, 1953; Goodchild, 1954; Grace, 1954) no one has succeeded in culturing insect epidermis (or any other insect tissues for that matter) to the degree that vertebrate tissues have been cultured. Insect blood has often been used as a culture medium but it is surprising that it (with or without cells) is an unsatisfactory medium for all insect tissues save the spermatocytes and ovaries (Schmidt and Williams, 1953; W. H. Telfer, unpublished observations). Thus Goodchild (1954) has described changes which appear to be degenerative in fragments of Rhodnius epidermis maintained in hanging drops of Rhodnius blood for 10 to 14 days. Similarly in our laboratory we have found that although immature spermatocytes of the cynthia moth, Samia cynthia (Drury), and the polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cram.), undergo spermatogenesis in the blood of developing adult silkworms (to which phenylthiourea and streptomycin were added), fragments of pupal wing epidermis underwent prompt degenerative changes similar to those described by Goodchild: they tended to form rounded granular masses and the nuclei became indistinct within a few days. After five to six days all noticeable changes ceased. Cultures maintained in Ringer‗s solution (Ephrussi and Beadle, 1936) lasted somewhat longer but degenerated after about 10 days. However, by using a chemically defined medium (TC 199) originating in the laboratories of Morgan, Morton, and Parker (1950) we have maintained epidermis from the pupal wing and antenna, alive in vitro for between 20 and 35 days.
Probing the unfolding of myoglobin and domain C of PARP-1 with covalent labeling and top-down ultraviolet photodissociation mass spectrometry.

Ultraviolet photodissocation (UVPD) mass spectrometry was used for high mass accuracy top-down characterization of two proteins labeled by the chemical probe, S-ethylacetimidate (SETA), in order to evaluate conformational changes as a function of denaturation. The SETA labeling/UVPD-MS methodology was used to monitor the mild denaturation of horse heart myoglobin by acetonitrile, and the results showed good agreement with known acetonitrile and acid unfolding pathways of myoglobin. UVPD outperformed electron transfer dissociation (ETD) in terms of sequence coverage, allowing the SETA reactivity of greater number of lysine amines to be monitored and thus providing a more detailed map of myoglobin. This strategy was applied to the third zinc-finger binding domain, domain C, of PARP-1 (PARP-C), to evaluate the discrepancies between the NMR and crystal structures which reported monomer and dimer forms of the protein, respectively. The trends reflected from the reactivity of each lysine as a function of aceton...
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Patient Safety.

BackgroundAlthough there is extensive evidence on disparities in the process and outcomes of health care, data on racial and ethnic disparities in patient safety remain inconclusive in the United States.ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to (1) explore differences in reporting race/ethnicity in s
The Diversification of Music Teacher Education: Six Vignettes From a Movement in Progress

Music teacher education has been evolving in response to increasing cultural diversity of American society. This has been guided by the multicultural education movement that challenges preparation ...
Application of egg membrane in treating epistaxis

Objective To explor the better method in the treatment of the children with extensive erosion of nasal septum.Mehtods Two hundreds and fifty children were involved in the study.The children were divided into two groups.The treating group used membrane of egg and the other group used the AgNo3 to contrast.The clinical effects were estimated.Reslts In therapy,the group treated with egg membrane felt gently pain,itch compared with the other group(P0.05).But the cure rate was not correlated with the method of therapy(P0.05).Conclusion For children with extensive erosin of nasal septum using membrane of egg is better method in the therapy of epistaxi.
233 ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF AZITHROMYCIN ON HYPEROXIC LUNG INJURY IN NEONATAL RATS.

Hyperoxia is a major cause of lung injury in premature infants and along with other risk factors contributes to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). To assess if azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic with anti-inflammatory effects, could be beneficial for the treatment of BPD we conducted an experiment to evaluate the effects of azithromycin in neonatal rats exposed to hyperoxia. A total of 64 rats were divided equally into 4 groups: room air control, room air azithromycin, hyperoxia control, and hyperoxia azithromycin. The hyperoxia groups were exposed to > 95% oxygen from day of life 4 to day 14. Animals who completed the experiment (n = 56) were sacrificed for histologic analysis of their lungs and protein analysis of lung tissue lysate. Mean linear intercept (MLI) was significantly lower in the control groups vs the hyperoxia groups (p
FRAP-Based Analysis of Rho GTPase-Dependent Polar Exocytosis in Pollen Tubes

The regulation of exocytosis by Rho GTPases is conserved in eukaryotic kingdoms. Given the spatiotemporal dynamics of Rho GTPase activity, a method for visualizing exocytosis with high space and time resolution will be an important tool for the functional analysis of Rho GTPases. During tip growth of pollen tubes, both cell wall material and plasma membrane are renewed via rapid exocytosis. ROP1 GTPase, a plant Rho GTPase, is localized to the apical plasma membrane of pollen tubes and controls polar exocytosis via regulation of F-actin dynamics. Here, we describe a fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) method for the analysis of exocytosis dynamics in living pollen tubes. This method has been shown to be a valuable tool for studying the effect of ROP1-dependent F-actin dynamics on polar exocytosis in pollen tubes and may also be applicable to other systems.
Leukemia and Lymphoma

Leukemias and lymphomas comprise a diverse collection of malignancies with unique clinical behavior. Radiation therapy plays an integral role in the definitive, adjuvant, and palliative management of these hematologic malignancies. As opposed to most epithelial and mesenchymal malignancies, hematologic malignancies typically require lower doses of radiation therapy. Most can be controlled with 24–40 Gy, well within the tolerance of most normal tissues. In the palliative setting, exceptionally low doses (e.g., 4 Gy) are often sufficient. This characteristic of hematologic malignancies allows for re-treatment, when necessary, in most circumstances. In this chapter, we will review the major histologic subtypes of hematologic malignancies and discuss the settings where re-irradiation is sometimes encountered in clinical practice.
Thermoregulation of myocardial protein synthesis.

The effect of temperature on myocardial protein synthesis was evaluated using L-[14C]phenylalanine incorporation into total protein of isolated rabbit right ventricular papillary muscles. Muscles w...
Art and Edge: Preliminary Reflections

The arts – especially the visual arts (painting, sculpture, film) but other arts as well (music, dance, theater) – concern edge. For edge is essential to form, and form (in whatever format) is basic to any artwork: as Plato and Kant first insisted, and as is still an emphasis in contemporary writings of Lyotard, Derrida, and Nancy. By “edge” I mean not just such saliencies as the physical frames that surround the edges of drawings and paintings, or the outer edges of the movie screen, or the contours of a sculpture, or the curtain on the dance stage. Each of these involves edges in direct and undeniable ways. But there are more subtle edge effects, and in this essay I shall explore them in detail after treating better known and more obvious uses of the edge. For edge figures into art in terms of certain cultural constraints, as on Danto’s institutional theory of art. It also comes into play in Hegel’s apocalyptic idea that art is coming to an end – that is, to its historical edge as an expression of Spirit. In contrast, the very idea of the “avant-garde” entails the idea of current art that is on the “cutting edge.” More generally, accomplished artists are regarded as pushing their chosen medium to its extremity – to its outer edge. They create an original “style” that has a distinctive profile of its own that offers its own edge in contrast with other styles of the era.
Epidemiology of Fractures

Publisher Summary Overall fracture incidence is bimodal. Among adolescents and young adults, fractures are more common among males than females and usually result from significant trauma. Fractures of the shafts of long bones typify this pattern of occurrence. Distal forearm fractures are more frequent among males than females below age 35 years, but over this age they become more frequent in women, as do the other fractures that have been associated with osteoporosis. These traditionally include fractures of the hip and spine but, essentially all fractures in elderly women are associated with low bone density. Men also lose bone with aging. Moreover, most limb fractures are the result of falls, and the risk of falling increases with aging in men as well as women. Consequently, there are age-related increases not only for hip and spine fractures in men but also for fractures of the proximal humerus.
A Phase I/II Study of the Investigational Drug Alisertib in Combination With Abiraterone and Prednisone for Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Progressing on Abiraterone

Lessons learned Patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer did not tolerate the combination of alisertib with abiraterone and prednisone.There was no clear signal indicating that adding alisertib might be beneficial for those patients progressing on abiraterone. Background We hypothesized that Aurora A kinase (AK) contributes to castrate resistance in prostate cancer (PCa) and that inhibiting AK with alisertib can resensitize PCa cells to androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor abiraterone. Methods This was a phase I/II trial to determine the safety and efficacy of alisertib when given in combination with abiraterone plus prednisone (AP). Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients were treated with dose escalation (alisertib at 30, 40, and 50 mg orally b.i.d., days 1-7 every 21 days) per standard 3+3 design. Results Nine of 43 planned subjects were enrolled. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was not reached, and the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) included neutropenic fever (1 of 9), neutropenia (1 of 9), fatigue with memory impairment (1 of 9), and diarrhea/mucositis (1 of 9). No prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decrease or circulating tumor cell (CTC) changes were observed during the study. Pharmacodynamically, adding alisertib did not affect total testosterone or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels. There was some change in neuroendocrine markers after therapy. Mean duration on study was 2.5 months. The trial was terminated early. Conclusion A tolerable dose of alisertib in combination with AP in mCRPC was not established in this study. There was no clear signal indicating that alisertib might be beneficial for patients with mCRPC progressing on abiraterone.
How Paradigms Create Politics The Transformation of American Educational Policy, 1980–2001

American educational policy was rapidly transformed between 1980 and 2001. Accountability was introduced into a sphere that had long been loosely coupled, both major political parties reevaluated longstanding positions, and significant institutional control over the schooling shifted to the federal government for the first time in the nation’s history. These changes cannot be explained by conventional theories such as interest groups, rational choice, and historical institutionalism. Drawing on extensive archival research and more than 80 interviews, this article argues that this transformation can be explained by a changed policy paradigm which restructured the political landscape around education reform. More generally, while previous scholars have observed that “policies create politics,” it should also be recognized that “paradigms create politics.”
Increases in Biomarkers of Hyperglycemia With Age in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

The American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2017 states that age should be “taken into consideration” when diagnosing diabetes with HbA1c (1). Nonetheless, it is unclear how this recommendation might be implemented. Population studies demonstrate that HbA1c increases with age, which some experts have suggested may be due to nonglycemic factors like alterations in red cell turnover or hemoglobin glycation (2–4). However, prior studies lack concurrent comparisons across nonhemoglobin-related markers of hyperglycemia. We evaluated increases with age in fructosamine and glycated albumin—hemoglobin-independent measures of hyperglycemia—in comparison with HbA1c and fasting glucose in the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. We conducted serial cross-sectional analyses at visit 2 (1990–1992; n = 11,632) and visit 5 (2011–2013; n = 3,876), excluding individuals with diagnosed diabetes. We performed adjusted linear regression of z scores of each biomarker (standardized to visit 2) on age to allow head-to-head comparisons of the associations. Age was significantly correlated with all biomarkers of hyperglycemia at visit 2 (Fig. 1). In middle …
MEMBRANE POTENTIALS AND ELEMENTAL MICROANALYSIS OF RENAL PAPILLARY CELLS

Publisher Summary Cells of the renal papilla are exposed to wide changes in the ionic and osmotic composition of their environment. The renal papillary epithelium of the rat is exposed to urine whose osmolality may range from less than 100 to over 3000 mOsm/kg H2O. This chapter discusses that within the papilla, cells survive in a hypertonic environment resulting from the operation of the urine-concentrating mechanism. Because few mammalian cell types are known to be exposed to such environmental conditions, the mechanism by which renal papillary cells adapt to the high osmolality and high salt and urea content of their environment is of great interest. The apical transmembrane potential differences of papillary epithelial cells are measured in vitro as a function of the osmolality and solute composition of the fluid bathing the papilla. Because compartments deep within the papilla are not accessible to microelectrodes, techniques are applied for direct X-ray microanalysis of frozen-hydrated tissue sections to make quantitative observations on the elemental composition of interstitium and defined cell types in sections cut from shock-frozen papillas.