cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bimanual laryngoscopy: a videographic study of external laryngeal manipulation by novice intubators.

Abstract Study objective: We perform a videographic analysis of external laryngeal manipulation (ELM) by novice intubators using a direct laryngoscopic imaging system and a validated means of assessing laryngeal view (percentage of glottic opening [POGO] score). Methods: Nine first-year emergency medicine residents performed a total of 484 laryngoscopies during a 1-year study period, of which 271 were videotaped. Of this convenience sample, cases were included in the study if the initial laryngeal view had a POGO score of less than 50% and the quality of video imaging permitted POGO scoring before and after application of ELM. Results: Seventy-two cases met the study criteria. Initial POGO scores equaled 0% in 30 cases, less than 20% in 20 cases, and 20% to 50% in 22 cases. ELM improved the POGO scores in all cases (95% confidence interval [CI] 96% to 100%) by an average of 57% (SD 23.7; 95% CI 40% to 75%). Among those with an initial POGO score equal to 0%, the mean improvement was 61% (SD 36.3; 95% CI 48% to 74%). For those with an initial POGO score of less than 20%, the mean improvement was 63% (SD 19.5; 95% CI 54% to 71%), and for those with an initial POGO score of 20% to 50%, the mean improvement was 47% (SD 16.0; 95% CI 40% to 55%). Conclusion: ELM is a simple and very effective technique for improving laryngeal view during laryngoscopy by novice intubators. [Levitan RM, Mickler T, Hollander JE. Bimanual laryngoscopy: a videographic study of external laryngeal manipulation by novice intubators. Ann Emerg Med. July 2002;40:30-37.]
Effect of elasticity on mixing torque requirements for rushton turbine impellers

Correlation permettant d'evaluer l'influence de l'elasticite d'un fluide sur la puissance requise pour melanger des fluides viscoelastiques
Effects of increased milking frequency on metabolism and mammary cell proliferation in Holstein dairy cows.

Abstract Results of previous studies have shown that increased milking frequency (IMF) during early lactation results in increased milk yield not only during the period of IMF but also after cows have returned to a decreased milking frequency. The cellular mechanisms underpinning this increased milk yield and the overall effects of IMF on metabolism have not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of IMF on metabolism and mammary epithelial cell proliferation in dairy cows. Thirty primiparous and 30 multiparous Holstein cows were assigned randomly at calving to 1 of 2 treatments. The control group was milked twice daily (2×) for 119 d, whereas the IMF group was milked 4 times daily (4×) from d 2 postcalving until d 21 and then 2× from d 22 until d 119. Overall milk yield did not differ between treatments throughout the 119 d monitored; however, the interaction of treatment by week was significant in that IMF cows yielded 4.8 kg/d more milk than control cows during wk 2 and 3 and had similar levels of milk yield during the remainder of the study period. Reanalysis of data excluding data from cows subjected to mammary biopsy suggested that the mammary biopsy procedure contributed to the lack of overall responses of milk yield, but that responses overall to IMF were greater in primiparous cows compared with multiparous cows. Plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations were elevated in multiparous cows subjected to IMF during the period of IMF, but were not influenced by treatment in primiparous cows. Plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were not affected by treatment. Mammary tissue was collected by biopsy in a subset of cows (n = 8 cows per parity and treatment) at calving and at d 21 and 75 postpartum and used for immunohistochemical localization of the cell proliferation antigen, Ki67. Effects of treatment on mammary epithelial cell proliferation were not significant, suggesting that other mechanisms must be responsible for carryover effects of IMF on lactational performance.
A microfluidic interface for the culture and sampling of adiponectin from primary adipocytes.

Secreted from adipose tissue, adiponectin is a vital endocrine hormone that acts in glucose metabolism, thereby establishing its crucial role in diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disease states. Insulin exposure to primary adipocytes cultured in static conditions has been shown to stimulate adiponectin secretion. However, conventional, static methodology for culturing and stimulating adipocytes falls short of truly mimicking physiological environments. Along with decreases in experimental costs and sample volume, and increased temporal resolution, microfluidic platforms permit small-volume flowing cell culture systems, which more accurately represent the constant flow conditions through vasculature in vivo. Here, we have integrated a customized primary tissue culture reservoir into a passively operated microfluidic device made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Fabrication of the reservoir was accomplished through unique PDMS “landscaping” above sampling channels, with a design strategy targeted to primary adipocytes to overcome issues of positive cell buoyancy. This reservoir allowed three-dimensional culture of primary murine adipocytes, accurate control over stimulants via constant perfusion, and sampling of adipokine secretion during various treatments. As the first report of primary adipocyte culture and sampling within microfluidic systems, this work sets the stage for future studies in adipokine secretion dynamics.
Signaling mechanisms regulating adult neural stem cells and neurogenesis

Background Adult neurogenesis occurs throughout life in discrete regions of the mammalian brain and is tightly regulated via both extrinsic environmental influences and intrinsic genetic factors. In recent years, several crucial signaling pathways have been identified in regulating self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation of neural stem cells, as well as migration and functional integration of developing neurons in the adult brain.
Localization of the RNA-binding domain of mouse hepatitis virus nucleocapsid protein

The 454-amino acid nucleocapsid (N) protein of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) binds the leader RNA sequence located at the 5' ends of all plus-sense genomic and subgenomic viral mRNAs. Purified N protein was cleaved with formic acid to determine which domain interacts with the leader RNA sequence. Incubation at 42 degrees C resulted in partial cleavage into two fragments of M(r)s of approximately 32K and 37K and three fragments of 17K, 16K and 14K. Incubation at 56 degrees C resulted in complete cleavage yielding only the three lower molecular mass products. Both the 32K and 37K partial cleavage products and one of the complete cleavage products bind MHV leader RNA, suggesting that the central region of the N protein contains the RNA-binding domain. Monoclonal antibody mapping of the cleavage products confirmed that the MHV leader RNA binding domain is contained within the central 140-amino acid fragment, comprising amino acids 169 to 308. Analysis of the amino acids within this domain indicates no similarity to any previously described RNA-binding protein, suggesting that N protein may possess a unique RNA-binding motif.
The Changing Landscape Of The Indian Banking Industry: An Empirical Study

While global financial deregulation has led to liberalization of financial services and thus to modernization of commercial banking, industrialized economies are facing a financial meltdown. The health of the major global banking industry is under severe stress, but India continues to be strong. Despite cost prohibitive efforts in the introduction of a range of new products and services, banks in India are striving to emerge from an era of development banking into consumer-oriented supermarkets. This paper studies the Indian banking industry with regard to its readiness to move on to the next generation.
Parental Attitudes and Demand for Schooling in Ethiopia

Parental attitudes towards education may determine a child's enrolment and years of formal education completed. To the extent that attitudes are measurable and important, they should explain household demand for schooling absent constraints. This study attempted to measure attitudes, explain their formation and investigate the role of attitudes in the allocation of human capital. Parental attitudes towards schooling were found generally to be favourable, and differences in attitudes helped explain household enrolment decisions. However, attitudes alone cannot account for low enrolment in rural Ethiopia. High direct and opportunity costs of schooling also limit school participation in the face of credit constraints.
Phonology, phonetics, or frequency: Influences on the production of non-native sequences

Abstract This article examines the influence of phonetic and phonological factors and lexical frequency on accuracy and error types in the production of non-native phonotactics. In Experiment 1, English speakers were presented with non-native word-initial consonant clusters that were varied on several phonetic dimensions. Results showed that speakers are not equally accurate on the production of different illegal sequences. An analysis of lexical frequency statistics demonstrates that the frequency of these sequences in other positions across the lexicon does not correlate with accuracy. An explanation based on phonological knowledge is posited instead. A second experiment on the investigation of the strategies used to repair the illegal clusters indicated that speakers prefer schwa insertion. While previous research has assumed that such repairs are vowel epenthesis, a detailed acoustic analysis indicates that inserted schwas are significantly different than lexical schwas. These acoustic characteristics are compatible with articulatory evidence suggesting that there is a prohibition on applying canonical English consonant cluster coordination to phonotactically illegal sequences, leading speakers to “pull apart” the consonant gestures and causing a transitional schwa to appear on the acoustic record. The ramifications of these results for the role of an abstract phonological level in production are discussed.
Acceptability of Behavioral Treatments in Educational Settings

Numerous effective treatment procedures for children exhibiting learning and behavior problems have been developed and researched. However, many of the most effective treatments are often unacceptable and underutilized. The concern about the acceptability and utilization of treatments has been a persistent and central theme in behavioral psychology as attested to by O’Leary (1984), Reppucci and Saunders (1974), and Stolz (1981). Explanations for the poor acceptance and utilization of behavioral treatments have ranged from concerns about the potential for restricting individual rights (U.S. Congress 1974a, 1974b) to issues of terminology or jargon (Kazdin & Cole, 1981; Witt, Moe, Gutkin, & Andrews, 1984; Woolfolk, Woolfolk, & Wilson, 1977).
Establishment of Uniformity in Steroid Receptor Analyses Used in Cooperative Clinical Trials of Breast Cancer Treatment

It is well established that the hormonal milieu of the patient significantly influences the growth rates of certain breast tumors. Clinical observations since the turn of the century indicate that 25%–40% of breast cancers respond to the surgical removal of hormone-producing glands such as the ovaries in the premenopausal woman or the adrenals in the postmenopausal patient. Administration of pharmacologic doses of estrogens and androgens also may bring about breast tumor remissions.
The Expanded Endoscopic Endonasal Approach to Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms: A Cadaveric Morphometric Study

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the endoscopic endonasal approach to the anterior communicating artery complex. Design Anatomic, morphometric analysis of human cadaver heads. Subjects Fifteen latex-injected adult cadaver heads. Main Outcome Measures The anatomic boundaries of the operative field and the dimensions of exposure of the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) complex were measured and clip placement feasibility was assessed. Results Exposure of the ACoA and bilateral A1 and A2 segments was accomplished in all 15 cadaver heads. Average length of the exposed ACoA was 3 ± 1 mm, the left A1 was 5 ± 3 mm and right A1 was 5 ± 1 mm, while the A2 segment was 5 ± 2 mm bilaterally. The average distance from the alar floor to the ACoA was 95 mm, while proximal lateral limit measured between the alar floor margins was 36 mm. The distal lateral limit as defined by the distance between the lateral most exposed margins of the chiasm was 19 mm. Clip placement was accomplished for the ACoA and the A1 and A2 segments bilaterally in all specimens. Conclusion The endoscopic, endonasal transtuberculum, transplanum approach is an anatomically feasible alternative to treating select aneurysms of the ACoA complex.
Fellows as teachers: Raising the educational bar

Fellows are expected to educate trainees, peers, and patients, during and long after fellowship. However, there has been relatively little emphasis on the acquisition of teaching skills in fellowship programs. Challenges to teaching by fellows during subspecialty training include demanding clinical duties, their limited knowledge base in the field, brief contact time with learners during consultative roles, and, for new fellows, personal unfamiliarity with the learners and hospital culture. Fellows' teaching skills can be improved by formal curricula addressing teaching, and by direct observation and feedback of teaching akin to what is provided for learning clinical care. Further expansion of fellow-as-teacher programs will allow in-depth training for fellows seeking careers as medical educators. Even without such dedicated programs, emphasis on honing teaching skills during fellowship will telegraph the importance of teaching and help evolve divisional culture. Such efforts can have a positive impact on patients and learners, and enhance the teaching skills of future faculty.
Mimicry, friction and trans-urban imaginaries: Mumbai taxis/Singapore-style:

As Mumbai globalizes, the city’s aesthetic, aspirational, and imaginative transformations draw from other commercial centers in Asia. Mumbai’s owner-operated and hereditary kaalipeeli (black and ye...
Special Integration Techniques for Trigonometric Integrals

(1988). Special Integration Techniques for Trigonometric Integrals. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 95, No. 2, pp. 126-130.
Interallelic interaction and gene regulation in budding yeast

In Drosophila, homologous chromosome pairing leads to “transvection,” in which the enhancer of a gene can regulate the allelic transcription in trans. Interallelic interactions were also observed in vegetative diploid budding yeast, but their functional significance is unknown. Here, we show that a GAL1 reporter can interact with its homologous allele and affect its expression. By ectopically inserting two allelic reporters, one driven by wild-type GAL1 promoter (WT GAL1pr) and the other by a mutant promoter with delayed response to galactose induction, we found that the two reporters physically associate, and the WT GAL1pr triggers synchronized firing of the defective promoter and accelerates its activation without affecting its steady-state expression level. This interaction and the transregulatory effect disappear when the same reporters are located at nonallelic sites. We further demonstrated that the activator Gal4 is essential for the interallelic interaction, and the transregulation requires fully activated WT GAL1pr transcription. The mechanism of this phenomenon was further discussed. Taken together, our data revealed the existence of interallelic gene regulation in yeast, which serves as a starting point for understanding long-distance gene regulation in this genetically tractable system.
THE METHOD OF ACCESSING REMOTE DATABASE AND LONG DATA TYPE IN VBA

This paper introduces the mothod of accessing remote database,ADO and accessing long data type in developing multimedia databases using Word VBA. It discusses the method to implement multimedia databases using the method of expanding relational databases and to consider separately as coding tools of proscenium/backstage.
Comparison of Template Preparation Methods from Foods for Amplification of Escherichia coli O157 Shiga-Like Toxins Type I and II DNA by Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been responsible for several recent food-borne outbreaks in the United States. To protect the public health, it is essential that rapid and sensitive methods be developed for detection of this pathogen in foods. Methods were compared for preparation of template DNA for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from enrichments of food homogenates seeded with E. coli O157:H7. Samples were enriched for 6 h at 37°C in modified tryptic soy broth supplemented with vancomycin, cefsulodin, and cefixime. Aliquots of the enrichments (10 ml or 1 ml) were analyzed by either washing twice with physiological saline or incubating with antibodies to O157 coupled to immunomagnetic beads (Dynal®) followed by resuspending and boiling the samples. A portion of the preparation was used in a multiplex PCR to amplify a 274-bp fragment from the sltI gene and a 364-bp fragment from the sltII gene. PCR amplification of 1-ml portions of enrichment broth was successful at inoculation levels of about 10 cells per g of food. Increasing the test sample volume to 10 ml and/or using an immunomagnetic separation step improved the PCR detection sensitivity to about 1 cell per g; the entire analysis can be completed within 12 h.
Biology and Management of Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15% of all breast cancers and is associated with poor long-term outcomes compared with other breast cancer subtypes. Because of the lack of approved targeted therapy, at present chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment for early and advanced disease. TNBC is enriched for germline BRCA mutation, providing a foundation for the use of this as a biomarker to identify patients suitable for treatment with DNA-damaging agents. Inherited and acquired defects in homologous recombination DNA repair, a phenotype termed "BRCAness," may be present in a large proportion of TNBC cases, making it an attractive selection and response biomarker for DNA-damaging therapy. Triple-negative breast cancer is a diverse entity for which additional subclassifications are needed. Increasing understanding of biologic heterogeneity of TNBC has provided insight into identifying potentially effective systemic therapies, including cytotoxic and targeted agents. Numerous experimental approaches are under way, and several encouraging drug classes, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, platinum agents, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase pathway inhibitors, and androgen receptor inhibitors, are being investigated in TNBC. Molecular biomarker-based patient selection in early-phase trials has the potential to accelerate development of effective therapies for this aggressive breast cancer subtype. TNBC is a complex disease, and it is likely that several different targeted approaches will be needed to make meaningful strides in improving the outcomes. Implications for practice Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype that is associated with poor outcomes. This article reviews clinical features and discusses the molecular diversity of this unique subtype. Current treatment paradigms, the role of germline testing, and platinum agents in TNBC are reviewed. Results and observations from pertinent clinical trials with potential implications for patient management are summarized. This article also discusses the clinical development and ongoing clinical trials of novel promising therapeutic agents in TNBC.
Microbiology: Antibiotics right under our nose

Bacteria that are normally resident in the body have many roles in supporting health. Researchers have now identified a bacterial resident of the nose that produces an antibiotic that is active against a pathogen. See Article p.511 The majority of systemic bacterial infections are caused by endogenous pathogens from human microbiota, and the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, commonly found in the external opening of the nostrils, is one of the most clinically important because of the prevalence of multi-drug resistant strains. The mechanisms that permit or interfere with pathogen colonization have remained unclear. This study shows that S. lugdunensis, a commensal bacterium that shares the nasal niche with S. aureus and is associated with a reduced S. aureus carriage rate in humans, produces a novel cyclic peptide antibiotic (lugdunin) that inhibits colonization by S. aureus in animal models. Lugdunin is bactericidal against major pathogens and not prone to causing development of resistance in S. aureus, suggesting that lugdunin or lugdunin-producing commensals could be valuable for preventing staphylococcal infections.
The Great Catastrophe of My Life: Divorce in the Old Dominion

Stories of marital tragedy and legal struggle in the antebellum South; From the end of the Revolution until 1851, the Virginia legislature granted most divorces in the state. It granted divorces rarely, however, turning down two-thirds of those who petitioned for them. Men and women who sought release from unhappy marriages faced a harsh legal system buttressed by the political, religious, and communal cultures of southern life. Through the lens of this hostile environment, Thomas Buckley explores with sympathy the lives and legal struggles of those who challenged it. Based on research in almost 500 divorce files, The Great Catastrophe of My Life involves a wide cross-section of Virginians. Their stories expose southern attitudes and practices involving a spectrum of issues from marriage and family life to gender relations, interracial sex, adultery, desertion, and domestic violence. Although the oppressive legal regime these husbands and wives battled has passed away, the emotions behind their efforts to dissolve the bonds of marriage still resonate strongly.
Abstract 882: TMPRSS2-ERG drives global mistargeting of mammalian SWI/SNF (BAF) complexes in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men. Chromosomal rearrangements resulting in the fusion of the androgen regulated gene TMPRSS2 and the ETS-family transcription factor ERG occur in over 50% of all prostate cancer cases. Recent studies enabled by genome-wide methodologies have implicated altered epigenomic landscapes and changes in DNA accessibility as major contributors to ERG-driven oncogenesis, however the precise mechanism underlying the ERG transcriptional signature has to date remained unclear. Here we performed the first endogenous purification and SILAC-mass spectrometric analysis of ERG in TMPRSS2-ERG prostate cancer cells. Remarkably, we demonstrate that ERG directly interacts with the mammalian SWI/SNF (BAF) ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex, which was recently shown to be mutated in >20% of human malignancies. ERG co-localizes with BAF complexes genome-wide, resulting in specific ERG-dependent BAF complex targeting to sites enriched in known ERG, FOXA1, and HOXB13 motifs; additionally, loss of ERG in TMPRSS2-ERG driven cell lines results in dramatic retargeting of BAF complexes away from ERG-dependent sites, to sites enriched in known AR and CTCF motifs. Importantly, ERG-driven BAF complex retargeting contributes to activation of TMPRSS2-ERG prostate cancer gene expression signatures. We map the ERG-BAF interaction to a specific region within the ERG amino acid sequence and find that this region is required to bind BAF complexes. These studies reveal a novel, unexpected mechanism of action of ERG-driven oncogenesis and offers new strategies for therapeutic intervention. Citation Format: Gabriel J. Sandoval, John L. Pulice, David Y. Takeda, Monica A. Schenone, Marius Pop, Gaylor Boulay, Miguel N. Rivera, Lucienne Ronco, William C. Hahn, Cigall Kadoch. TMPRSS2-ERG drives global mistargeting of mammalian SWI/SNF (BAF) complexes in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 882.
Thermal dark matter from a highly decoupled sector

It has recently been shown that if the dark matter is in thermal equilibrium with a sector that is highly decoupled from the Standard Model, it can freeze-out with an acceptable relic abundance, even if the dark matter is as heavy as ~1-100 PeV. In such scenarios, both the dark and visible sectors are populated after inflation, but with independent temperatures. The lightest particle in the dark sector will be generically long-lived, and can come to dominate the energy density of the universe. Upon decaying, these particles can significantly reheat the visible sector, diluting the abundance of dark matter and thus allowing for dark matter particles that are much heavier than conventional WIMPs. In this paper, we present a systematic and pedagogical treatment of the cosmological history in this class of models, emphasizing the simplest scenarios in which a dark matter candidate annihilates into hidden sector particles which then decay into visible matter through the vector, Higgs, or lepton portals. In each case, we find ample parameter space in which very heavy dark matter particles can provide an acceptable thermal relic abundance. We also discuss possible extensions of models featuring these dynamics.
Organizational Factors Associated with Expert Systems Implementation

This study examines the organizational factors associated with the successful implementation of expert systems (ES), using data from a survey of organizations that have actually implemented ES for their operations. The results show that organizations that practice strategic information systems (IS) planning have management support for IS and have IS diffused across the organization tend to derive more value-added benefits from ES implementation. The results also show that organizations with more decentralized decision-making structure tend to derive more productivity-related benefits from ES implementation. These findings will be useful to managers in assessing the appropriateness of their organizations to ES implementation and further improving the ES implementation practice.
Catalase-Laden Microdevices for Cell-Mediated Enzyme Delivery

Enzymes have been used to treat various human diseases and traumas. However, the therapeutic utility of free enzymes is impeded by their short circulation time, lack of targeting ability, immunogenicity, and inability to cross biological barriers. Cell-mediated drug delivery approach offers the unique capability to overcome these limitations, but the traditional cell-mediated enzyme delivery techniques suffer from drawbacks such as risk of intracellular degradation of and low loading capacity for the payload enzyme. This article presents the development of a novel cell-mediated enzyme delivery technique featuring the use of micrometer-sized disk-shaped particles termed microdevices. The microdevices are fabricated by layer-by-layer assembly and soft lithography with catalase being used as a model therapeutic enzyme. The amount of catalase in the microdevices can be controlled with the number of catalase layers. Catalase in the microdevices is catalytically active, and active catalase is slowly released fr...
An approach to lowering cost of satellite development

An approach to lowering development costs using resources available to aerospace companies is examined. It makes use of the WBS (work breakdown structure) data capturing model, a tool to capture, analyze, and report data for satellite projects. It is based on the work breakdown structure, which is used by project managers throughout the satellite life cycle to predict, manage, and report project costs. The WBS data capturing model provides the company with a method of saving costs by efficiently perpetuating the methods and designs using a structure that is familiar. It does not burden programs beyond normal configuration and data management required virtually all programs. >
Improved disease activity with fosdagrocorat (PF-04171327), a partial agonist of the glucocorticoid receptor, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a Phase 2 randomized study.

Aim To assess efficacy and safety of fosdagrocorat (PF-04171327), a potential dissociated agonist of the glucocorticoid receptor, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods This multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, active- and placebo-controlled Phase 2 study (NCT00938587) randomized 86 patients (1 : 1 : 1 : 1) to receive fosdagrocorat 10 mg, fosdagrocorat 25 mg, prednisone 5 mg or placebo, all with stable background methotrexate therapy. The primary outcome was change from baseline in Disease Activity Score of 28 joints (DAS28-4[C-reactive protein (CRP)]) after 2 weeks of treatment. Secondary outcomes included American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response rates, change from baseline in ACR core components and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index. Results At week 2, improvements from baseline in DAS28-4(CRP) with fosdagrocorat 10 and 25 mg, prednisone 5 mg and placebo were −1.69, −2.22, −1.17 and −0.96, respectively, and were statistically significantly greater for both fosdagrocorat doses versus placebo (P < 0.05) and for fosdagrocorat 25 mg versus prednisone 5 mg (P < 0.001). The effects of fosdagrocorat on secondary outcomes were generally consistent with those observed for the primary outcome. Adverse events (AEs) were reported for eight (38%), three (14%), four (19%) and 12 (55%) patients treated with fosdagrocorat 10 and 25 mg, prednisone 5 mg and placebo, respectively. Most AEs were mild in severity. Four patients discontinued treatment due to AEs (fosdagrocorat 10 mg, n = 2; placebo, n = 2). There were no serious AEs. Conclusion Fosdagrocorat 10 and 25 mg demonstrated efficacy in improving signs and symptoms in RA patients, with manageable AEs. Additional studies are needed to assess the longer-term safety and efficacy of fosdagrocorat.
Boron‐Dependency of Molybdenum Boride Electrocatalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Molybdenum-based materials have been considered as alternative catalysts to noble metals, such as platinum, for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We have synthesized four binary bulk molybdenum borides Mo2 B, α-MoB, β-MoB, and MoB2 by arc-melting. All four phases were tested for their electrocatalytic activity (linear sweep voltammetry) and stability (cyclic voltammetry) with respect to the HER in acidic conditions. Three of these phases were studied for their HER activity and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the first time; MoB2 and β-MoB show excellent activity in the same range as the recently reported α-MoB and β-Mo2 C phases, while the molybdenum richest phase Mo2 B show significantly lower HER activity, indicating a strong boron-dependency of these borides for the HER. In addition, MoB2 and β-MoB show long-term cycle stability in acidic solution.
Association of milking interval and milk production rate in an automatic milking system

The primary aim of this research was to describe the association between milking interval (MI) and milk production rate (MPR) at the quarter level in a large commercial farm using an automatic milking system. A secondary aim was to determine whether a 2-h decrease in MI would increase MPR at the cow level in midlactation multiparous cows. Six months of data from 1,280 cows were used to assess the association between MI (h) and quarter MPR (kg/h). Increasing MI was associated with decreased MPR for early, mid, and late lactation, both primiparous and multiparous cows, and all 4 quarter positions and across time. The decrease in MPR is approximately 2%/h of increasing MI for multiparous cows and 1.5%/h for primiparous cows. Regardless of quarter, multiparous cows had a greater MPR than primiparous cows, and rear quarters had greater MPR than front quarters. An experiment to test the causal relationship between changing MI and cow-level MPR was conducted using 26 animal pairs matched on MI, days in milk, and milk yield. During the 21-d treatment period, the average MI of treatment cows was decreased by 2.4 h compared with control cows. In both the 21-d treatment and 42-d posttreatment periods, no significant difference was found in cow-level MPR between the treatment and control groups. Despite the negative association between increasing MI and MPR being consistent across all assessed days in milk windows and all quarters, results from this experiment suggest that intervention to decrease MI might require an MI change greater than 2 h or be applied in early lactation to significantly increase MPR.
'Disc-o-Fever': Getting Down with Giardia's Groovy Microtubule Organelle.

Protists have evolved a myriad of highly specialized cytoskeletal organelles that expand known functional capacities of microtubule (MT) polymers. One such innovation – the ventral disc – is a cup-shaped MT organelle that the parasite Giardia uses to attach to the small intestine of its host. The molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of suction-based forces by overall conformational changes of the disc remain unclear. The elaborate disc architecture is defined by novel proteins and complexes that decorate almost all disc MT protofilaments, and vary in composition and conformation along the length of the MTs. Future genetic, biochemical, and functional analyses of disc-associated proteins will be central toward understanding not only disc architecture and assembly, but also the overall disc conformational dynamics that promote attachment.
Significant Correlation between Regional Tissue Oxygen Saturation and Vital Signs of Critically Ill Infants

Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to noninvasively measure specific tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) continuously. Cerebral autoregulation status can be derived from NIRS and arterial blood pressure. The relationship of both cerebral and somatic StO2, fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE), and cerebro-splanchnic oxygenation ratio (CSOR) to measured vital signs parameters for NICU patients has not been well studied. Objective: Determine if significant relationships between brain and somatic StO2, brain and somatic FTOE, and CSOR parameters to vital signs for neonates exist. Assess relationship between pressure passivity index, cerebral autoregulation and mean blood pressure (MBP). Design/Methods: Neonates weighing 1500g group (r=0.057). Brain and somatic FTOE in <1500g BW revealed a negative correlation to MBP (r=0.172 and r=0.086, respectively). In patients with an abnormal brain scan, a positive correlation was noted between StO2B and MBP (r=0.354) and a negative correlation was noted between FTOE-B vs. MBP (r=0.305). Generated pressure passive index plots suggested good cerebral autoregulation at low normal MBP ranges for lower weight and GA subjects. Conclusions: There is a significant correlation between cerebral and somatic StO2 and FTOE to measured vital sign parameters in NICU patients.
Bridging the GAP: towards approximate graph analytics

While there has been a tremendous interest in processing data that has an underlying graph structure, existing distributed graph processing systems take several minutes or even hours to execute popular graph algorithms. However, in several cases, providing an approximate answer is good enough. Approximate analytics is seeing considerable attention in big data due to its ability to produce timely results by trading accuracy, but they do not support graph analytics. In this paper, we bridge this gap and take a first attempt at realizing approximate graph analytics. We discuss how traditional approximate analytics techniques do not carry over to the graph usecase. Leveraging the characteristics of graph properties and algorithms, we propose a graph sparsification technique, and a machine learning based approach to choose the apt amount of sparsification required to meet a given budget. Our preliminary evaluations show encouraging results.
Compensatory Neurobiological Changes after Partial Lesions with 6-Hydroxydopamine

Abstract Damage to the dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway in adult rats usually is followed by recovery of behavioral function so long as some dopamine neurons remain intact. This phenomenon has its analog in Parkinson's disease, a condition in which neurodegeneration of dopamine neurons causes marked neurological deficits but only after at least 80% of the neurons have been lost. The ability to preserve function despite injury in these instances does not result from sprouting or regeneration. Instead, compensatory changes in residual dopamine neurons and their receptors appear to permit the maintenance of dopaminergic control over neostriatal targets. This article focuses on the nature of these changes and discusses some of their basic and clinical implications. Dopamine (DA)-containing neurons serve an important role in the regulation of behavior. Drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine which increase the availability of DA produce behavioral activation, whereas drugs such as reserpine or haloperidol which interfere with dopaminergic function cause behavioral depression. Although these observations indicate the importance of DA in maintaining neurological function, it is difficult to identify any enduring behavioral deficits after lesions that destroy DA neurons. We are using the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-treated adult rat as a model to explore the bases of compensation that appear to occur after such neuronal loss.
Neurogenic inflammation in the pathophysiology and treatment of migraine

The trigeminal nerve transmits headache pain from blood vessels of the pia mater and dura mater. Triggers for this pain are not well understood, but probably are multiple and largely chemical and develop within the brain parenchyma, the blood vessel wall, and the blood itself. These unknown triggers stimulate the trigeminovascular axons, causing pain and releasing vasoactive neuropeptides from perivascular axons. Released neuropeptides activate endothelial cells, mast cells, and platelets to then increase extracellular levels of amines, arachidonate metabolites, peptides, and ions. Hyperalgesia and prolongation of pain develop as a consequence, mediated by products from activated cells and injured tissue. Within postsynaptic brain stem neurons of the trigeminal nucleus caudalis, trigeminovascular activation stimulates the expression of an early immediate response gene c-fos. Both neurogenic inflammation and c-fos expression are blocked by sumatriptan and ergot alkaloids via prejunctional mechanisms involving putative 5-HT receptors closely related to the 5-HT1D subtype on trigeminovascular fibers. The mechanisms of action of sumatriptan and ergot alkaloids described herein are unrelated to the nature of the migraine trigger or to the contractile state of vascular smooth muscle.
Chapter 1 Rent Dissipation in R&D Races

The literature on R&D races suggests that noncolluding firms invest excessively in R&D. We show that this result depends critically on the winner-take-all assumption. Although rents continue to be dissipated once the winner-take-all assumption is relaxed because firms in general fail to provide the optimal R&D effort, the mechanisms behind this rent dissipation change with the degree of patent protection. We then illustrate how the patent system can be used to elicit the optimal R&D effort.
Studies of prediabetes in the spontaneously diabetic BB rat.

It is now well established that human type I diabetes is a chronic autoimmune process characterized by a rather “silent” prediabetic stage of several months to years in duration. (1) An important issue in diabetes research is the identification during the prediabetic period of subjects I at high risk of developing diabetes. Several immunologic and metabolic parameters have been studied to assess their reliability as predictors of 5 future development of diabetes in high risk individuals. Even if the combination of several of these factors proves to be highly specific in I defining the high risk individuals these studies require a lengthy follow-up period to ascertain their sensitivity and reliability in predicting impending diabetes.
The effect of concurrent cell phone use and walking on gait characteristics

The Effect of Concurrent Cell Phone Use and Walking on Gait Characteristics by Jennifer Marie Aldridge Dr. John Mercer, Examination Committee Chair Associate Dean of Allied Health Sciences University of Nevada, Las Vegas This study examined the effects that cell phone use has on gait and situation awareness. Subjects (n=18; 24.67±3.60 yrs) completed three five-minute treadmill walking conditions (self-selected speed): 1) CONTROL (walking only), 2) TALK (walking and talking), and 3) TEXT (walking and texting). The number of detected lights presented in the visual field was recorded, as were kinematic data of the feet. Using a one-way repeated measure ANOVA it was determined light detection (F(2,i7)=39.777, p<0.001) and TCmin (F(2,i7)=8.574, p=0.001) were different between conditions. Specifically, light detection decreased during TEXT (2.6±2.2 lights) versus TALK (5.8±0.05 lights, pO.OOl) or CONTROL (5.9±0.05 lights, p<0.001); TCmin decreased during TALK (56.3±3.66 mm, p=0.002) and TEXT (56.1±4.481 mm, p=0.014) versus CONTROL (58.5±4.35 mm). It is concluded that a reduction in toe clearance and decreased light detection ability occurs while walking and using a cell phone.
Pseudospectral Chebyshev Optimal Control of Constrained Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

A pseudospectral method for generating optimal trajectories of linear and nonlinear constrained dynamic systems is proposed. The method consists of representing the solution of the optimal control problem by an mth degree interpolating polynomial, using Chebyshev nodes, and then discretizing the problem using a cell-averaging technique. The optimal control problem is thereby transformed into an algebraic nonlinear programming problem. Due to its dynamic nature, the proposed method avoids many of the numerical difficulties typically encountered in solving standard optimal control problems. Furthermore, for discontinuous optimal control problems, we develop and implement a Chebyshev smoothing procedure which extracts the piecewise smooth solution from the oscillatory solution near the points of discontinuities. Numerical examples are provided, which confirm the convergence of the proposed method. Moreover, a comparison is made with optimal solutions obtained by closed-form analysis and/or other numerical methods in the literature.
Implications of for supersymmetry searches and model-building

Abstract Assuming that the actual values of Mt at FNAL and of Γ(Z → b b )/Γ(Z → hadrons ) at LEP are within their current 1σ reported ranges, we present a No-Lose Theorem for superpartner searches at LEP II and an upgraded Tevatron. We impose only two theoretical assumptions: the Lagrangian is that of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) with arbitrary soft-breaking terms, and all couplings remain perturbative up to scales ∼ 1016 GeV; there are no assumptions about the soft supersymmetry breaking parameters, proton decay, cosmology, etc. In particular, if the LEP and FNAL values hold up and supersymmetry is responsible for the discrepancy with the Standard Model prediction of Γ(Z → b b ) , then we must have charginos and/or top squarks observable at the upgraded machines (for LEP the superpartner threshold is below √s = 140 GeV). Furthermore, little deviation from the Standard Model is predicted within “super-unified” supersymmetry, so these models predict that the discrepancy between experiment and the Standard Model prediction for Γ(Z → b b ) will fade with time. Finally, it appears to be extremely difficult to find any unified MSSM model, regardless of the form of soft supersymmetry breaking, that can explain Γ(Z → b b ) for large tan β; in particular, no model with tbτ Yukawa coupling unification appears to be consistent with the experiments.
Practicing Politics: Teaching Introductory Politics Courses Through a Theoretical Lens

This paper argues that political theorists need to develop more effective strategies for incorporating theoretical thinking into introductory courses both because we want to encourage our students to develop the practice of political thinking and because such an approach would better integrate political theorists’ own expertise and passion into course design. Drawing on our own attempts to infuse political theoretical thinking into empirically-based introductory courses, we explore several strategies for training students to take seriously thinking about political concepts as a valuable and important component of political science.
Secure Sequence-based Localization for Wireless Networks

We present a unique sequence-based approach to localization that allows for auto-matic error correction. In dense deployments, this technique can provide accurate localization even in the face of malicious falsification of reference signals.
A Scalable Clustering-Based Task Scheduler for Homogeneous Processors Using DAG Partitioning

When scheduling a directed acyclic graph (DAG) of tasks with communication costs on computational platforms, a good trade-off between load balance and data locality is necessary. List-based scheduling techniques are commonly-used greedy approaches for this problem. The downside of list-scheduling heuristics is that they are incapable of making short-term sacrifices for the global efficiency of the schedule. In this work, we describe new list-based scheduling heuristics based on clustering for homogeneous platforms, under the realistic duplex single-port communication model. Our approach uses an acyclic partitioner for DAGs for clustering. The clustering enhances the data locality of the scheduler with a global view of the graph. Furthermore, since the partition is acyclic, we can schedule each part completely once its input tasks are ready to be executed. We present an extensive experimental evaluation showing the trade-offs between the granularity of clustering and the parallelism, and how this affects the scheduling. Furthermore, we compare our heuristics to the best state-of-the-art list-scheduling and clustering heuristics, and obtain more than three times better makespan in cases with many communications.
Weak Pullback Attractors for Mean Random Dynamical Systems in Bochner Spaces

This paper is concerned with weak pullback mean random attractors for mean random dynamical systems defined in Bochner spaces. We first introduce the concept of weak pullback mean random attractor with respect to the weak topology of reflexive Bochner spaces and then provide a sufficient criterion for existence and uniqueness of such attractors over a complete filtered probability space. As an application, we prove the existence and uniqueness of weak pullback mean random attractors for the stochastic reaction–diffusion equations with nonlinear drift terms as well as nonlinear diffusion terms. We also establish the existence and uniqueness of such attractors for the deterministic reaction–diffusion equations with random initial data. In this case, the periodicity of the weak pullback mean random attractors is also proved whenever the external forcing terms are periodic in time.
Remote Changes in Cortical Excitability after Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury and Functional Reorganization

Abstract Although cognitive and behavioral deficits are well known to occur following traumatic brain injury (TBI), motor deficits that occur even after mild trauma are far less known, yet are equa...
Peasants in Russia from Serfdom to Stalin: accommodation, survival, resistance

Boris Gorshkov characterizes his approach to the history of the Russian peasantry as ecological, an approach that ‘rests on the assumption that peasants controlled their lives and work at least to ...