cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Binge drinking impairs vascular function in young adults.

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess whether young binge drinkers (BD) have impaired macrovascular and microvascular function and cardiovascular disease risk factors compared with age-matched alcohol abstainers (A). Background Binge drinking rates are highest on college campuses and among those age 18 to 25 years; however, macrovascular and microvascular endothelial function in young adults with histories of repeated binge drinking (≥5 standard drinks in 2 h in men, ≥4 standard drinks in 2 h in women) has not been investigated. Methods Cardiovascular profiles, brachial artery endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and flow-independent nitroglycerin (NTG)–mediated dilation and vasoreactivity of resistance arteries (isolated from gluteal fat biopsies) were evaluated in A and BD. Results Men and women (18 to 25 years of age; A, n = 17; BD, n = 19) were enrolled. In the BD group, past-month mean number of binge episodes was 6 ± 1, and the mean duration of binge drinking behavior was 4 ± 0.6 years. FMD and NTG-mediated dilation were significantly lower in the BD group (FMD: 8.4 ± 0.7%, p = 0.022; NTG-mediated dilation: 19.6 ± 2%, p = 0.009) than in the A group (FMD: 11 ± 0.7%; NTG-mediated dilation: 28.6 ± 2%). Acetylcholine-induced and sodium nitroprusside–induced dilation in resistance arteries was not significantly different between the A and BD groups. However, endothelin-1–induced constriction was significantly enhanced in the BD group compared with the A group (p = 0.032). No differences between groups were found in blood pressure, lipoproteins, and C-reactive protein. Conclusions Alterations in the macrocirculation and microcirculation may represent early clinical manifestations of cardiovascular risk in otherwise healthy young BD. This study has important clinical implications for screening young adults for a repeated history of binge drinking.
Fusion of handwritten word classifiers

Methods for fusing multiple handwritten word classifiers are compared on standard data. A novel method based on data-dependent densities in a Choquet fuzzy integral is shown to outperform neural networks, Borda and weighted Borda counts, and Sugeno fuzzy integral.
SOLAR CYCLE ABUNDANCE VARIATIONS IN COROTATING INTERACTION REGIONS: EVIDENCE FOR A SUPRATHERMAL ION SEED POPULATION

We have surveyed the heavy ion composition of corotating interaction regions (CIRs) over the recent solar minimum and combined this with our earlier survey to cover the 1998-2011 period encompassing a full solar cycle and onset of the new cycle. We find that the solar minimum CIR intensities and spectral forms are similar to those in active periods, indicating that the basic acceleration mechanism does not vary with solar activity for energies below a few MeV nucleon{sup -1}. However, the heavy ion abundances show a clear correlation with sunspot number, where heavy ions are more enhanced during active periods. Over the mass range He-Fe, the enhancement is organized by a power law in Q/M with exponent -1.9, with Fe/O varying by a factor of {approx}6. During solar minimum CIR Fe/O was {approx}0.05, well below the corresponding solar wind ratio. Previous studies have shown that rare ions (He{sup +}, {sup 3}He) enhanced in CIRs come from the suprathermal ion pool. The observations presented here extend this evidence, indicating that in addition to rare He{sup +} and {sup 3}He the CIR major heavy ion species are accelerated out of the suprathermal ion pool, not the bulk solar wind.
162 Effect of Maternal Magnesium Sulfate Administration on Band 3 Phosphorylation in Erythrocytes of Preterm Newborns

Top of pageAbstract Magnesium sulfate is widely used as treatment for imminent eclampsia or to prevent preterm labor. Its use for the purpose of neuroprotection in preemies is controversial. We evaluated whether they might also have an effect on function of the erythrocytes. The aim of the presented study was to compare the selected erythrocyte membrane parameters including ATP concentration, the band 3 (prominent transmembrane protein of erythrocytes)amount, and phosphotyrosine content in erythrocyte membranes of preterm newborn whose mothers were treated or untreated with magnesium sulfate. The study group consist of preterm neonates (n-15) prenatally exposed to magnesium sulphate. Mean GA was 29,1 weeks (range 26–34) and mean birth weight was 1331g (range 650-1950). Control group included 20 infants (without prenatal Mg2+ administration). Mean gestational age was 30,78 weeks (range 26–34) and mean birth weight was 1392g (range 800-1800). In both groups, blood from umbilical cord vein was collected with citrate and than erythrocyte ghost were prepared. After birth, ATP concentration in erythrocytes of treated group was lower by 24% in relation to the control one (1.27± 0.44 mmol/g Hb) but after 24h we observed similar level in both groups (1.02±0.12 vs 1.09±0.19). The band 3 amount determined using the specific antibody was significantly decreased (50%) in magnesium-treated newborns during the studied period. However, after birth we observed the same phosphotyrosine level in both groups. P-Tyr amount was unchanged in magnesium-treated newborns after 24h of life, whereas increased by 20% in the control group. The presence of MgATP complex is necessary for a proper functioning of protein kinases. The administration of magnesium sulfate could intensify the phosphorylation of band 3 by tyrosine kinases thus increasing the glycolysis in erythrocytes. Supported by the grants No. 5P05E 09224 from the State Committee for Scientific Research, and No. 503 from the MU of Lodz.
Spontaneous neurite outgrowth and vasoactive intestinal peptide-Iike immunoreactivity of cultures of human paraganglioma cells from the glomus jugulare

The chief cells of paraganglionic tissues have morphological and functional similarities to adrenal chromaffin cells, and both cell types are derived from the neural crest. In the present investigation cells from two glomus jugulare paragangliomas were studied in culture. Approximately 50% of the cells from one tumor, and 7% from the other spontaneously formed neurite-like processes. Numerous granular and agranular synaptic-like vesicles also appeared in the process-forming cells. In contrast to findings with normal and neoplastic adrenal chromaffin cells, addition of nerve growth factor (NGF) to the culture medium had no major effects on proportion of cells with processes. Dexamethasone caused only a small decrease in process length. Culturing of the tumors also appeared to promote production of material with VIP-like immunoreactivity. It is concluded that the phenotype of paraganglioma as well as pheochromocytoma cells may be altered in vitro. Responsiveness to specific factors such as NGF or steroids, however, may vary for related tumor cell types in different anatomic locations.
Pseudoaneurysm of Mitral-Aortic Intervalvular Fibrosa

Pseudoaneurysm of the mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa (MAIVF) is one of the rare complications of infective endocarditis. Echocardiography plays an important role in the diagnosis of this condition. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is generally superior to the transthoracic approach in the evaluation of the complications resulting from infective endocarditis. In this report, we discuss a case of infective endocarditis complicated by the development of a pseudoaneurysm of the MAIVF. The anatomic relationship of structures contiguous to the MAIVF and the salient echocardiographic findings of this clinical condition are presented. At surgery the diagnosis was confirmed and appropriate treatment instituted. The postoperative course was uncomplicated.
Franck—condon factors of the T1 ↷ S0 radiative and nonradiative transitions of naphthalene-h8 and -d8-a correlation function analysis

Abstract Franck—Condon factors for the T1 ↷ S0 transition in naphthalene-h8 and naphthalene-d8 are calculated employing the correlation function approach which allows us to investigate the distribution of the released electronic energy among the normal modes of the Final ground state. The relevant coupling parameters relating to geometry, frequency and anharmonicity changes due to excitation are included. Those related to geometry changes are obtained from the vibronic intensities of the phosphorescence spectrum as well as from a calculation implementing a semi-empirical relation between bond order and bond length. The calculated nonradiative rates compare well with the experimental rates in terms of absolute magnitude and deuterium effect. The semi-empirical calculations of the ribtonic intensities provide detailed information about force fields that are otherwise indistinguishable on the basis of their ability to reproduce infrared frequencies.
COX-2 expression predicts worse breast cancer prognosis and does not modify the association with aspirin.

Some previous studies have found worse prognosis among cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-expressing breast cancers. Aspirin and NSAIDs inhibit COX-2. Three studies, including ours, have reported a survival advantage among women with breast cancer who take either aspirin or NSAIDs. Through this study we hypothesized that in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), COX-2 expression would be associated with worse prognosis, and aspirin use would be associated with better survival particularly among women with COX-2 positive tumors. In this study we investigated 2,001 women presenting with invasive breast cancers stained for COX-2 by immunohistochemistry. Tumor prognostic factors were from medical records. Aspirin use was assessed at least 12 months after diagnosis and updated. Cause of death was identified from death certificates. Statistical analyses included logistic regression of prognostic factors with COX-2 status as the outcome, and proportional hazards regression with breast cancer death as the outcome. Tumor COX-2 expression was associated with higher diagnostic stage. Compared with stage I, the RR(95% CI) for stages II–IV were 1.16 (0.93–1.45), 1.68 (1.27–2.22), and 1.76 (0.93–3.32). COX-2 expression was associated with lobular compared with ductal histology (1.40 [1.02–1.92]), and estrogen receptor positive compared with negative (2.22 [1.66–2.95]). The RR(95% CI) of breast cancer death for current aspirin use was similar for women with COX-2-positive and COX-2-negative tumors; 0.64 (0.43–0.96) and 0.57 (0.44–0.74), respectively. In the NHS, COX-2 breast cancer expression was associated with higher stage at diagnosis. The survival benefit associated with aspirin use did not differ by COX-2 status. COX-2 breast cancer expression is associated with worse prognosis. If aspirin truly impacts breast cancer survival, then it is not solely via COX-2.
Correlations of Vibrio fischeri bacteria test data with bioassay data for other organisms.

Abstract Linear relationships of the median lethal concentrations of several hundreds of chemicals for a variety of organisms with Vibrio fischeri median effective concentrations are investigated. Significant correlations can be developed for many aquatic species including the fishes fathead minnow, bluegill, catfish, goldfish, goldorfe, guppy, killifish, rainbow trout, sheepshead minnow, and zebrafish; the water flea Daphnia sp.; such crustaceans as Artemia sp. and Crangon sp.; the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis; and algae, such as Chlorella sp. These interspecies relationships can be used to estimate order-of-magnitude type toxic effects of many substances for these aquatic organisms. Highly significant relationships can be obtained when selecting compounds on a chemical basis, such as alcohols, ketones, aromatics, etc., which allow the calculation of the compounds' toxicities to the corresponding aquatic species with increased accuracy and confidence. Analogous correlations with mammalian (rat and mouse) oral, intraperitoneal, and intravenous median lethal dose (LD50) data are much weaker than those for most aquatic species. However, there are significant differences between these three routes of administration and the intravenous LD50 data show the best relationship with the Vibrio data.
A comparison of stigma among patients with leprosy in rural Tanzania and urban United States: a role for public health in dermatology

Background Leprosy is a chronic infection of the skin and peripheral nerves caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which causes peripheral insensitivity and disfigurements of the skin, limbs, and digits. Social stigma is a common consequence of leprosy and may differ according to level of physical disfigurement and geographic location. The objective of this study was to assess social stigma encountered by patients with leprosy in clinical settings located in rural Tanzania and urban USA and to compare the social stigma reported in these regions. Methods A total of 56 respondents were recruited from one leprosy inpatient facility in Shirati, Tanzania (n = 28), and one outpatient clinic in Los Angeles, USA (n = 28). Cross-sectional data were obtained from face-to-face interviews, which were conducted with respondents at each clinic location. Measures of perceived stigma were assessed in family relationship, vocational, social interaction, and interpersonal contexts. Results Patients in Tanzania, as compared with those in the USA, reported significantly higher levels of stigma in family relationship and vocational contexts. Tanzanian patients also reported higher levels of stigma in social interaction and self-esteem contexts, but these differences were marginally significant and may reflect the small sample size. Conclusions Leprosy-related social stigma is a major problem in regions of both developed and developing countries; however, patients with leprosy in developing countries reported higher levels of stigma in four social contexts. A public health role in dermatology is discussed as an agent of early diagnosis, control, and education in order to reduce social stigma and promote social rehabilitation.
Biosynthesis of δ-aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen in the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus)

1. 1. Oviduct tissue from 18-month-old laying hens (Gallus domesticus) forms porphobilinogen from δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), and ALA from glycine and succinyl-coenzyme A, in vitro The ability to synthesize porphyrin precursors is greatest in the uterus. 2. 2. When no egg is in the oviduct, levels of ALA-synthetase and ALA-dehydratase are significantly higher (P < 0·05) in the uterus of laying Rhode Island Red hens (brown eggs) than in the uterus of laying White leghorns (white eggs). 3. 3. ALA-dehydratase activity increases slightly when an egg is present in the oviduct, while ALA-synthetase activity is undetectable in both breeds.
A Search for Bordetella pertussis Infection in University Students

University students with persistent cough of greater than or equal to 6 days' duration were evaluated for evidence of infection with Bordetella pertussis. Of 130 students studied during a 30-month period, 34 (26%) were found to have evidence of recent infections with B. pertussis. Infection was identified by direct fluorescent antibody assay of a nasopharyngeal specimen in one student and serologically in 33 additional subjects. B. pertussis was not recovered on culture of nasopharyngeal specimens from any subjects. Students with B. pertussis infection were identified in seven of the eight 3-month periods in which students were enrolled during the 30-month investigation, suggesting an endemic rather than epidemic pattern of infection in this university population. Illnesses of students with pertussis were similar to the illnesses of students without pertussis. The findings in this study suggest that adult populations in which endemic illness occurs at a relatively constant rate may be the reservoirs for pertussis outbreaks in susceptible children. Immunization programs in the future will need to employ booster doses for adults if complete control of B. pertussis infection is our goal.
Effect of surgical techniques on clinical outcomes after laparoscopic gastric bypass--results from the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative.

Abstract Background The techniques used with laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGB) and their association with patient outcomes remain largely unexplored. Methods We analyzed the data from the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative, which maintains a state-wide prospective clinical registry of bariatric surgery patients. Participating surgeons were surveyed regarding their use of specific techniques during LGB. The survey data were linked with the registry data from patients undergoing LGB from June 2006 to January 2010. The gastrojejunostomy technique and the use of staple-line reinforcement were evaluated for their effects on patient outcomes. Results During the study period, 9904 patients underwent LGB. A total of 44 surgeons (86%) completed the survey. When performing gastrojejunostomy, most surgeons used a circular stapler (CS) technique (66%), followed by the hand-sewn (HS) (18%) and linear stapler (LS) (16%). Also, 48% of surgeons reported using staple-line buttressing when creating the gastric pouch. The rate of anastomotic leak at the gastrojejunostomy was not affected by the surgical technique (CS .6%, LS .3%, HS .6%, P = .38). However, the CS technique was associated with a greater rate of postoperative hemorrhage (CS 2.9%, LS 1.2%, HS 1.6%, P P P = .012). Conclusion With LGB, the use of the CS technique was associated with greater rates of postoperative hemorrhage and wound infection than the use of the LS or HS technique. Furthermore, the use of staple-line reinforcement was associated with a reduction in the rates of postoperative hemorrhage.
Lessons from the total synthesis of (±)‑phalarine: Insights into the mechanism of the Pictet–Spengler reaction

The furanobisindole alkaloid, phalarine, possesses a unique structural framework within the alkaloid family of natural products. Our laboratory recently disclosed the racemic total synthesis of phalarine, featuring an efficient azaspiroindolenine rearrangement; this achievement is revisited in detail. Upon completion of the first-generation total synthesis, we explored some interesting mechanism-level issues with regard to the key azaspiroindolenine rearrangement. These investigations provided valuable insights into the mechanism of racem- ization during the azaspiroindolenine rearrangement en route to synthetic phalarine. In addi- tion, in the course of these studies, we demonstrated the Pictet-Spengler capture reaction for C 2 -aryl indoles, and successfully isolated the elusive azaspiroindolenine intermediate of the Pictet-Spengler reaction. Key insights into the remarkably subtle stereoelectronics that gov- ern this rearrangement for C 2 -arylated indoles are discussed.
Joint vehicle assembly-routing problems: An integrated modeling and optimization approach

This article examines logistical systems where it is desirable to appropriately ascertain the joint composition of the sequences of vehicles that are to be physically connected along with determining their delivery routes. Such assembly-routing problems occur in the truck manufacturing industry, for example, where combinations of trucks to be delivered to dealerships are composed and are subsequently dispatched via appropriately optimized delivery routes, which are in turn restricted by the particular sequence in which the trucks are connected. A similar structure is exhibited in the business of shipping goods via boat-towed barges along inland waterways, or via trains through railroad networks. We present a novel unifying model and a column generation-based optimization approach for this challenging class of joint vehicle assembly-routing problems. In addition, we suggest several extensions to accommodate particular industrial settings where assembly sequence-dependent delivery routes are necessary, as well as those where driver- and equipment-based restrictions are imposed. Computational experience is provided using realistic data from a case-study involving a major truck manufacturing company to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology in practice. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2009
Ultrafast optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy of oriented Ge and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires

We study the time- and frequency-dependent terahertz dynamics of oriented Ge and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires using ultrafast optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy, and we compare their intraband relaxation, interband recombination and momentum scattering times.
Evaluation of Litchi chinensis for Host Status to Xyleborus glabratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and Susceptibility to Laurel Wilt Disease

Abstract The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is an exotic wood-boring pest that vectors Raffaelea lauricola T.C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva (Ophiostomatales: Ophiostomataceae), the etiologic agent of laurel wilt. To date, all confirmed U.S. hosts of X. glabratus and suscepts of laurel wilt are members of the family Lauraceae. However, in previous research, an unknown variety of lychee, Litchi chinensis Sonn. (Sapindales: Sapindaceae), was found to be highly attractive to X. glabratus and elicited boring behaviors. Therefore, a study was undertaken to evaluate two commercial cultivars of lychee, ‘Brewster’ and ‘Mauritius’, for susceptibility to attack by X. glabratus, for transmission of R. lauricola, and for development of laurel wilt disease. In no-choice laboratory bioassays, 35 and 44% of females bored into cut bolts of ‘Mauritius’ and ‘Brewster’, respectively. Similar boring was observed on the trunks of two live ‘Brewster’ trees; but afte...
Significance of Oxygen and Carbon Isotope Variations in Early Precambrian Cherts and Carbonate Rocks of Southern Africa

Bedded cherts and carbonates from the early Precambrian Bulawayan Group and the Pongola and Swaziland Sequences of southern Africa have δO18SMOW values ranging from 9.8 to 14.5 ‰ for calcite, 8.4 to 16‰, for dolomite and iron carbonate, and 11.0 to 18.7%,, for SiO2. Values of δC13PDB for calcite and dolomite are similar to those of modern carbonates; they range from −1 to + 1.8‰. In contrast, carbonates from magnetite-bearing iron formations have (δC13PDB values of −3.5 to −9.6‰,. Well-preserved sedimentary magnesite from Barton's Farm, Rhodesia, has a maximum δO18SMOW value of 28.8‰. If the highest δO18 values of these ancient chert and carbonate rocks are primary, δO18 of the ocean probably has increased by about 15‰ since their deposition. Available data on the oxygen isotope composition of crustal rocks indicates a probable large excess in the crustal abundance of O18 compared to the O18 concentration in rocks from the mantle. These observations suggest that large amounts of water have been recycled through the mantle. Our finding that carbon isotope ratios in early Precambrian carbonate rocks of southern Africa are similar to ratios in modern marine carbonates corroborates other studies of carbonates in Precambrian rocks.
Modeling of equipment to produce photon beams from electron accelerator with the use of specialized Monte Carlo code X-GENERATOR

The specialized Monte Carlo code X-GENERATOR which optimizes design of high intensity X-ray producing equipment employing magnetically confined electron beams was developed for Win32, i.e., for operating systems of Windows 95, 98 and Windows NT 4.0, 4.5. X-GENERATOR implements Class II of the Monte Carlo scheme of electron transport and the conventional scheme of photon transport simulation. The X-GENERATOR package is designed to provide maximum convenience for the user and aims at the most efficient modeling of electron beams in experimental physics. The package has an advanced intuitive user interface with visualization of processes and evaluating model parameters for Monte Carlo simulation. The X-GENERATOR package is designed specifically for the user that does not have an extensive background in Monte Carlo simulation. The results of simulation were verified by experiments utilizing a high power electron accelerator.
Stratospheric Tapping by Intense Convective Storms: Implication for Public Health in the United States

The observation of a cloud-free vortex in the top of a violent convective storm over Oklahoma suggests a mechanism whereby large quantities of air may be brought directly from the lower stratosphere to the lower troposphere in the central part of such storms. That this mechanism, in combination with the torrential rains frequently generated by these systems, is capable of producing radioactive "hot spots" on the ground is pointed out. Climatological considerations and observations of accumulated strontium-90 in soils support the hypothesis that the Plains States are peculiarly subject to heavy contamination compared to other middle-latitude areas because of this mechanism.
Sticky Situations: Key Components That Control Bacterial Surface Attachment

The formation of bacterial biofilms is initiated by cells transitioning from the free-swimming mode of growth to a surface. This review is aimed at highlighting the common themes that have emerged in recent research regarding the key components, signals, and cues that aid in the transition and those involved in establishing a more permanent surface association during initial attachment.
Fusion of Multisubject Hemodynamic and Event-Related Potential Data Using Independent Component Analysis

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data provides spatially localized subcentimeter information about blood flow and oxygenation secondary to neuronal activation, but with temporal resolution on the order of seconds. Event-related potential (ERP) studies provide millimeter resolution measurements of the electric changes induced by neuronal activity, but spatial information is not well localized and suffers from an ill-posed inverse problem since there are much fewer sensors than solutions. Combining or fusing these two techniques thus has the potential to provide simultaneous higher temporal and high spatial resolution. Localization of the brain’s response to infrequent, task-relevant target `oddball' stimuli in humans has remained challenging due to the lack of a single imaging technique with good spatial and temporal resolution. In this paper, we use independent component analysis to fuse ERP and fMRI modalities to identify, for the first time in humans, the dynamics of the auditory oddball response with high spatiotemporal resolution across the entire brain. The results illuminate a new era of brain research utilizing the precise temporal information in ERPs and the high spatial resolution of fMRI.
Mass spectrometry provides accurate characterization of two genetic marker types in Bacillus anthracis.

Epidemiological and forensic analyses of bioterrorism events involving Bacillus anthracis could be improved if both variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)...
A Congruency Diagnosis of the Euphoria School District

Euphoria is a mythical small city located between Eudora and Emporia, Kansas. Euphoria is a relatively prosperous city of approximately 60,000 people located in the heartland of the U.S.A. Euphoria is the county seat of Euphoria County, which has a population of about 78,000 people.
Tumor-derived alpha fetoprotein directly impacts human natural killer cell activity and viability

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal antigen produced by hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Previous studies demonstrated that tumor-derived AFP (tAFP) is a glycoprotein that has an immunosuppressive role on natural killer (NK), T, B, and dendritic (DC) cells which may play a role in HCC pathogenesis. Defects in NK cells have been attributed to tAFP-mediated immunosuppression of DC. However, a direct tAFP effect on NK cells remains unexplored. Here we compared the ability of cord blood-derived AFP (nAFP) to that of tAFP to modulate human NK cell activity and longevity in vitro. Short-term exposure to tAFP and, especially, nAFP proteins induced a unique pro-inflammatory, IL-2 hyperresponsive phenotype in healthy donor NK cells as measured by CD69 upregulation, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF secretion, and enhanced tumor cell killing. In contrast, extended co-culture with tAFP, but not nAFP, inhibited NK cell proliferation and viability. NK cell activation was directly mediated by the AFP protein itself, while their viability was affected by the low molecular mass cargo that co-purified with tAFP. Overall, these data show that nAFP and tAFP induce similar yet distinct changes in NK cell function and viability, respectively. Defining the impact of circulating AFP on NK cells may be crucial to understand the NK cell functional deficits described in HCC patients.
An Interview with Boris Lomov

Professor Boris Lomov acts like a man in charge—and, in fact, he is. Since the deaths of Luria and Leont'ev in the last decade, Lomov has become the most powerful Soviet psychologist. In Western terms, he is "Mr. Psychology"; in the Soviet Union, as one of his Russian colleagues told me, "He is now a figure." Not only is he the chairman of the Soviet Psychological Society but he is also the director of the influential Academy of Sciences Institute of Psychology, located in Moscow. He organized a principal scientific journal (Journal of Psychology) in psychology and serves as its editor. His research and books (especially Man and technology) are widely read and cited in the USSR.
Cyclic twill-woven objects

Any arbitrary twist of the edges of an extended graph rotation system induces a cyclic weaving on the corresponding surface [Akleman et al. 2009]. This recent theoretical result allows us to study generalized versions of textile weaving structures as cyclic weaving structures on arbitrary surfaces. In this work, we extend the study to twill weaving, which is used in fabrics such as denim or gabardine. Biaxial twill is a textile weave in which the weft (filling) threads pass over and under two consecutive warp threads and each row is obtained from the row above it by a shift of 1 unit to the right or to the left. The shift operation creates the characteristic diagonal pattern that makes the twill fabric visually appealing.
SUSTAINABLE REFORM OF AN INTRODUCTORY MECHANICS COURSE SEQUENCE DRIVEN BY A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

As part of a broader effort to promote the sustainable adoption of evidence-based pedagogies at our institution, the three-course sequence consisting of Introductory Statics, Introductory Dynamics, and Introductory Solid Mechanics has been redesigned to (1) improve students’ low engagement and enthusiasm, (2) improve instructors’ experience and reduce their high workload, and (3) maintain and elevate the current standards for content. These three courses are the core second-year mechanics classes in our engineering curriculum, serving approximately 2500 students per year from seven engineering departments. To promote sustainability of the reforms, the courses were redesigned through a Community of Practice (CoP), consisting of faculty who collaborated closely to design and implement changes and who developed communal knowledge of the reforms. Evaluation of reforms focused on student satisfaction as expressed through surveys and focus groups.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The yeast test as a quantitative measure of vitamine

The details of this paper will be reported in full in another publication. The experiments reported covered the following points:1. A comparison of yeast test results (Funk1 technique) with the material used by Osborne and Mendel2 in a feeding test with rats. The test was shown to merely approximate the results of the feeding test but when the dilution of the extracts were such that the content of one gram was present in 250 c.c. of water the agreement was much more exact. This result agrees with Funk's findings that the extract test must fall within the steep part of the curve of stimulation if it is to be used comparatively.2. A report of the result of 284 determinations on varying dilutions of an extract of alfalfa meal which in its highest concentration contained the extract of 400 grams of meal in 1,000 c.c. of water. This shows that the curve of stimulation is a curve with a definite shape which rises steeply from the control point to an optimum and then gradually declines to the right of the optimu...
Effects of acid adaptation and modified marinades on survival of postdrying Salmonella contamination on beef jerky during storage.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the survival of acid-adapted and nonadapted Salmonella cultures inoculated after drying on beef jerky that had been treated with marinades before drying at 60°C for 10 h. Beef slices were (i) not treated prior to refrigeration at 4°C for 24 h (control [C]); (ii) marinated with traditional marinade (TM), (iii) marinated with TM modified with 1.2% sodium lactate, 9% acetic acid, and 68% soy sauce containing 5% ethanol (MM) at twice the amount used in the TM treatment; (iv) dipped into 5% acetic acid and then marinated with TM (AATM); and (v) dipped into 1% Tween 20, then dipped into 5% acetic acid, and then marinated with TM (TWTM); after each treatment, meat slices were refrigerated at 4°C for 24 h prior to drying. Dried slices were inoculated with acid-adapted or nonadapted Salmonella (ca. 5.7 log CFU/cm2) prior to aerobic storage at 25°C for 60 days. Tryptic soy agar with 0.1% pyruvate, as well as xylose-lysine-tergitol 4 (XLT4) agar, was used to determine survivor c...
Betaine transport in rabbit renal brush-border membrane vesicles

Transport of the organic osmolyte betaine was characterized in brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) isolated from rabbit renal cortex. Inwardly directed gradients of either Na+ or H+ supported concentrative uptake in a manner consistent with the presence of parallel Na(+)-betaine and H(+)-betaine cotransport processes. Concentrative uptake occurred in the presence of membrane potential alone, indicating that betaine transport is electrogenic. Accumulation of betaine was not dependent on chloride in the medium. Whereas L-proline inhibited both the H(+)- and Na(+)-sensitive components of betaine transport, glycine blocked the H(+)-sensitive pathway and had little effect on Na(+)-sensitive betaine transport. Both pathways were adequately described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Under Na(+)-gradient conditions (pH equilibrium), the maximal rate of total betaine transport (Jmax) = 50.8 +/- 13.3 nmol.mg-1.min-1 and the concentration of total betaine producing half-maximal uptake (Kt) = 4.1 +/- 0.5 mM. Under H(+)-gradient conditions (Na+ free), Jmax = 102.5 +/- 10.5 nmol.mg-1.min-1 and Kt = 2.8 +/- 0.3 mM. Imposition of both Na+ and H+ gradients increased Jmax (142 +/- 25.5 nmol.mg-1.min-1) to a level significantly greater than that noted in the presence of a Na+ gradient alone. We conclude that betaine transport in renal BBMV involves two distinct transport pathways that are differentiated on the basis of sensitivity to either Na+ or H+ and by their specificity to proline and glycine.
Caveat emptor: Assessing needs, evaluating computer options

A variety of services and microcomputer programs are available for providing the dietitian with a mechanized diet-analysis system for calculating nutrients from food records or recipes. They differ widely in the content of their data bases, cost, ease of use, reporting of results, flexibility, and other features. he characteristics of seven programs available by mail order from diet-analysis service vendors and five microcomputer programs were compared. The results of analysis of a one-day food record using various systems and coding by three different operators were compared. Differences by both system and operator were apparent. Nutritionists need to recognize that for some programs the reliability and the validity of data are uncertain. When making purchasing decisions for nonresearch applications, the nutritionist is advised to compare systems and services and to consider carefully whether mechanized diet analysis is of sufficient benefit in the delivery of high-quality nutrition care to offset its cost. The dietitian who chooses to use computerized diet analysis has a responsibility for making sure that reported results are reasonable and for interpreting results to other health professionals and to patients.
Seek and Ye Shall Find Fibrillations

See related article, p 1982 . Law No. 10 in the satirical book House of God states, “If you don’t take a temperature, you can’t find a fever.”1 In essence, do not go looking for problems. However, what if finding that fever led to ordering a limb ultrasound, discovering a deep vein thrombosis, prescribing anticoagulation, and averting life-threatening pulmonary emboli? Similar logic now applies for atrial fibrillation (AF). It has been known for decades that AF directly causes ischemic stroke as fibrin-rich clots form in the left atrium, flicking off into the brain. However, AF is often paroxysmal and, hence, uncaptured on 12-lead ECG or inpatient telemetry—so what if, just a few days or weeks after stroke, finding that AF led to prescribing anticoagulation and averting massive, debilitating strokes? In a longitudinal cohort study, Edwards et al compiled over a decade of data (2003–2013) from the Ontario Stroke Registry—patients in normal sinus rhythm, without known AF, after ischemic stroke or TIA.2 Outcomes included the proportion who received at least 24-hour Holter cardiac monitoring within 30 and 90 days. They found that after adjusting for potential confounders, the majority of the registry’s 17 398 subjects did not receive even a 24-hour monitor at either time point. Almost none (<1%) underwent prolonged monitoring (over 60 hours). They conclude that this woeful underuse of cardiac monitoring has likely caused a population-wide overdiagnosis of cryptogenic strokes and underdiagnosis of AF.2 AF currently affects ≈5 million Americans and has a lifetime risk of 1:4 over age 40.3 Compared with those without AF, those with AF carry a 5-fold higher future stroke risk,4 and unanticoagulated AF doubles recurrent stroke risk.5 AF represents 15% …
Operating on Patients Who Smoke: A Survey of Thoracic Surgeons in the United States

Background Although preoperative smoking is associated with increased postoperative complications in patients who undergo major thoracic surgical procedures, there are no national guidelines that address the patient's preoperative tobacco use. This study examined the typical preoperative management of thoracic surgical patients who are smokers. Methods The link to an anonymous survey was emailed to cardiothoracic surgeons in the United States. The survey included questions regarding the likelihood of a surgeon to offer surgery and strategies used to assist patients in quitting smoking before surgery. Results The majority of the 158 surgeons who responded to the survey were general thoracic surgeons (68%, 107 of 158), in an academic practice (57%, 90 of 158), with more than 15 years of experience (51%, 81 of 158). An overwhelming majority of respondents (98.1%, 155 of 158) considered smoking preoperatively a risk factor for postoperative complications. The most common cessation strategy offered to smokers was pharmacologic intervention (77%, 122 of 158). Nearly half of the surgeons (47%, 74 of 156) would not perform certain operations in a patient who was a current smoker, but only 14% (10 of 74) tested patients preoperatively for smoking. Thoracic surgeons (odds ratio 2.1, p = 0.0379) and surgeons in academic practice (odds ratio 1.9, p = 0.057) were more likely to deny certain surgeries to current smokers. Two thirds of the surgeons (66%, 48 of 74) thought that the ideal wait time from smoking cessation to surgery was 2 to 4 weeks. Conclusions There is significant disagreement in the cardiothoracic surgical community regarding how to treat patients who smoke, especially when deciding to deny or postpone surgery. Prospective studies and guidelines are needed.
Count Me In: Viable Distributed Summary Statistics for Securing High-Speed Networks

Summary statistics represent a key primitive for profiling and protecting operational networks. Many network operators routinely measure properties such as throughput, traffic mix, and heavy hitters. Likewise, security monitoring often deploys statistical anomaly detectors that trigger, e.g., when a source scans the local IP address range, or exceeds a threshold of failed login attempts. Traditionally, a diverse set of tools is used for such computations, each typically hard-coding either the features it operates on or the specific calculations it performs, or both. In this work we present a novel framework for calculating a wide array of summary statistics in real-time, independent of the underlying data, and potentially aggregated from independent monitoring points. We focus on providing a transparent, extensible, easy-to-use interface and implement our design on top of an open-source network monitoring system. We demonstrate a set of example applications for profiling and statistical anomaly detection that would traditionally require significant effort and different tools to compute. We have released our implementation under BSD license and report experiences from real-world deployments in large-scale network environments.
Lymphangiogenesis in rat asthma model.

Although bronchial angiogenesis has been well documented in allergic asthma, lymphangiogenesis has not been widely studied. Therefore, we evaluated changes in lung lymphatics in a rat model of allergen-induced asthma using house dust mite (Der p 1; 100 μg/challenge). Additionally, properties of isolated lung lymphatic endothelial cells (CD45−, CD141+, LYVE-1+, Prox-1+) were studied in vitro. Three weeks after the onset of intranasal allergen exposure (twice-weekly), an increase in the number of lung lymphatic vessels was measured (34% increase) by lung morphometry. New lymphatic structures were seen predominantly in the peribronchial and periarterial interstitial space but also surrounding large airways. Isolated lymphatic endothelial cells from sensitized lungs showed enhanced proliferation (% Ki67+), chemotaxis, and tube formation (number and length) compared to lymphatic endothelial cells isolated from naive rat lungs. This hyper-proliferative lymphangiogenic phenotype was preserved through multiple cell passages (2–8). Lymphatic endothelial cells isolated from naive and HDM-sensitized rats produced similar in vitro levels of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and VEGFR3 protein, each recognized as critical lymphangiogenic factors. Inhibition with anti-VEGFR (axitinib, 0.1 μM) blocked proliferation and chemotaxis. Results suggest that in vivo sensitization causes fundamental changes to lymphatic endothelium, which are retained in vitro, and may relate to VEGFR downstream signaling.
Distinct Variation Pattern Discovery Using Alternating Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis

Autoassociative neural networks (ANNs) have been proposed as a nonlinear extension of principal component analysis (PCA), which is commonly used to identify linear variation patterns in high-dimensional data. While principal component scores represent uncorrelated features, standard backpropagation methods for training ANNs provide no guarantee of producing distinct features, which is important for interpretability and for discovering the nature of the variation patterns in the data. Here, we present an alternating nonlinear PCA method, which encourages learning of distinct features in ANNs. A new measure motivated by the condition of orthogonal loadings in PCA is proposed for measuring the extent to which the nonlinear principal components represent distinct variation patterns. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method using a simulated point cloud data set as well as a subset of the MNIST handwritten digits data. The results show that standard ANNs consistently mix the true variation sources in the low-dimensional representation learned by the model, whereas our alternating method produces solutions where the patterns are better separated in the low-dimensional space.
A retrospective analysis of care in patients with dementia hospitalized at a tertiary medical center.

Background: Hospitalization is an opportunity to address various aspects related to management of dementia, including the goals of care to avoid futile care. We studied the prevalence of these fact...
Navigating the Faculty-Student Relationship: Interacting With Nursing Students With Mental Health Issues

BACKGROUND: There is an increase in students enrolled in higher education diagnosed with mental illness or experiencing symptoms suggestive of mental health issues (MHI). This has a significant imp...
Individualized Approach to Cancer Screening in Older Adults

The primary goal of cancer screening is early detection of cancer to reduce cancer-specific mortality and morbidity. The benefits of screening in older adults are uncertain due to paucity of evidence. Extrapolating data from younger populations, evidence suggests that the benefit occurs years later from the time of initial screening and therefore may not be applicable in those older adults with limited life expectancy. Contrast this with the harms of screening, which are more immediate and increase with age and comorbidities. An individualized approach to cancer screening takes these factors into consideration, allowing for thoughtful decision making for older adults.
Recurrent Salivary Gland Cancer

Adenoid cystic carcinoma, which typically involves the minor salivary glands, demonstrates intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images, but is hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences with marked, homogeneous contrast enhancement and increased uptake on FDG PET/MR imaging.
Supply Chain Integration Over the Internet

The Internet has emerged as the most cost effective means of driving supply chain integration. We define e-Business as the marriage between the Internet and supply chain integration. We divide various forms of e-Business applications into three categories-e-Commerce, e-Procurement, and e-Collaboration. e-Commerce helps a network of supply chain partners to identify and respond quickly to changing customer demand captured over the Internet. e-Procurement allows companies to use the Internet for procuring direct or indirect materials, as well as handling value-added services like transportation, warehousing, customs clearing, payment, quality validation, and documentation. e-Collaboration facilitates coordination of various decisions and activities beyond transactions among the supply chainpartners over the Internet. This article studies various e-Business applications and discusses the potential of e-Business for building intelligence and optimization.
Neurological Embodiments of Belief and the Gaps in the Fit of Phenomena to Noumena

The traditional terms ‘epistemology’ and ‘philosophy of science’ are not quite right for many of the exciting current developments that go by these names. Whereas classical epistemology tried to answer the problem of knowledge without assuming any knowledge in the process, naturalistic epistemologists (Quine, 1969), Copernican epistemologists (Shimony, 1970), and evolutionary epistemologists (Campbell, 1959, 1974a) deliberately beg the question, and undertake epistemological inquiries assuming that present-day physics and astronomy give us approximately valid knowledge of the world to be known, and that evolutionary biology, psychology, and sociology tell us something about man the knower. Such epistemological efforts can be conducted in loyal compatibility to traditional epistemology, as in accepting the negative results of the skeptical tradition: our shared epistemological predicament with Plato’s prisoner in the cave, the scandal of induction, the argument from illusion, and the irrefutability of solipsism. To the traditional epistemological question, ‘Is knowledge possible?’ the logical answer is ‘no’. We cannot be sure that we know, or when we know.