cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of ACTH and cortisone upon alteration in capillary permeability induced by hyaluronidase in rats.

SummaryIntravenous administration of 2000 units of partially purified testicular hyaluronidase in rats induced an increased rate of disappearance of Evans blue, a decreased concentration of serum protein, and an increased hematocrit. These manifestations of an increased capillary permeability due to the action of the enzyme preparation were largely inhibited by 5 days pretreatment with subcutaneous administration (5 mg per day) of either ACTH or cortisone acetate. A minimum of 24 to 48 hours of pretreatment with cortisone acetate was required for a discernible inhibition of the hyaluronidase effect. The evidence suggests an intermediate step between cortisone acetate and its action on connective tissue.
Studies in Child Spacing: IV. The Time-Interval Separating all Children in Completed Families of Purdue University Graduates

T HIS is the fourth and final paper in a series of articles dealing with child spacing. The three preceding ones were concerned with the spacing of the first birth from marriage and were based upon a cross-sectional sample of a midwestern county, using a method which we have called "record linkage."' The present study is concerned with the intervals separating all children in completed families and is based upon a selected sample of college graduates, using the questionnaire method.
Code Is Not Speech

Advocates understand the idea that “code is speech” to create an impenetrable legal shield around anything built of programming code. When they do this they misunderstand, or misrepresent, free speech law (and rights law in general), which rarely creates such impenetrable shields, the principles that underlie that law, and the ways those principles should and might apply to code. The idea that government cannot regulate things because they are made of code cannot be right. That principle not only lacks support in most theories of freedom of speech, but is actively rebutted in the very case law that advocates claim to be marshaling in favor their position. Further, in promoting this position, advocates misrepresent — in a manner it is hard not to see as willful — the very nature of the programming code they care so much about.
Empowering sonic hedgehog to rescue brain cells after ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted. This can cause irreversible injury to the central nervous system (CNS) tissue. Each year in the United States almost 800,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke. 15% of stroke patients die shortly after insult and only 10% recover completely, leaving the majority of surviving stroke patients with disabilities. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only available therapy for stroke but its clinical use is limited because of associated danger of intracranial hemorrhage. Therefore, there is an emergent need for stroke therapeutics that are safe and effective when administered at a later time point after insult.
Nostalgia Isn't What it Used to Be: Partisan Polarization in Views on the Past*

Objective In this article, we seek to extend our understanding of the partisan lenses through which Americans view politics by investigating if there is partisan polarization in views of the past. Current political issues are frequently contextualized with references to the past. Despite these frequent evocations of the past, public opinion scholars’ knowledge of how citizens view earlier eras is incomplete. Methods We evaluate competing explanations of the effect of the past on present political attitudes: generational effects, partisanship, and ideology. To do this, we administered a novel battery of questions to a nationally representative sample drawn from the 2012 Cooperative Campaign Analysis Project. Results The data show evidence of generational effects, but also of partisanship in the case of opinions of governmental performance, and of ideology in the case of evaluations of culture and quality of life. Conclusion This study suggests that Americans are divided not just in their views of the present, but also in their views on the past. To the extent that peoples’ evaluations are shaped by how well government is performing relative to some past era of good performance, polarization in views of the past could have long-lasting effects on how Americans evaluate the government.
Leucine disposal rate for assessment of amino acid metabolism in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Protein energy wasting (PEW) is common in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and closely associated with poor outcomes. Insulin resistance and associated alterations in amino acid metabolism are potential pathways leading to PEW. We hypothesized that the measurement of leucine disposal during a hyperinsulinemic- euglycemic-euaminoacidemic clamp (HEAC) procedure would accurately measure the sensitivity to insulin for its actions on concomitant carbohydrate and protein metabolism in MHD patients. We examined 35 MHD patients and 17 control subjects with normal kidney function by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (HEGC) followed by HEAC clamp procedure to obtain leucine disposal rate (LDR) along with isotope tracer methodology to assess whole body protein turnover. The glucose disposal rate (GDR) by HEGC was 5.1 ± 2.1 mg/kg/min for the MHD patients compared to 6.3 ± 3.9 mg/kg/min for the controls (p = 0.38). The LDR during HEAC was 0.09 ± 0.03 mg/kg/min for the MHD patients compared to 0.11 ± 0.05 mg/kg/min for the controls (p = 0.009). The LDR level was correlated with whole body protein synthesis (r = 0.25; p = 0.08), with whole body protein breakdown (r = −0.38 p = 0.01) and net protein balance (r = 0.85; p < 0.001) in the overall study population. Correlations remained significant in subgroup analysis. The GDR derived by HEGC and LDR correlated well in the controls (r = 0.79, p < 0.001), but less so in the MHD patients (r = 0.58, p < 0.001). Leucine disposal rate reliably measures amino acid utilization in MHD patients and controls in response to high dose insulin.
Bioinformatics for Genomes and Metagenomes in Ecology Studies

Major technological developments in the field of microbial ecology are redefining the science, moving the focus of research away from studies of individual isolates and species that are studied under carefully controlled conditions in the laboratory, towards the study of entire communities of organisms in their natural environments. Ever more efficient sequencing technologies mean that we can generate huge volumes of sequence data — shifting the cost burden from sequence generation to sequence analysis. The bioinformatic techniques for managing and analyzing both the new types of data and the vastly increased volumes of data are transforming our understanding of life and its interdependencies. These data sets, in conjunction with bioinformatics are enhancing our understanding of microbial diversity and microbial ecology in many different environments. In this chapter, we provide an overview of some of the genomic, metagenomic and informatics approaches currently being used and or being developed for the study of microbial diversity and ecology.
Spelling as a Last Resort: The Use of Spelling in Workplace Interaction by Speakers with a Speech Impairment

Workplace interactions include varied and complex types of talk oriented toward not only the tasks workers are accomplishing but also toward relationship building among colleagues. This chapter will address the strategies used by assistive and augmentative communication (AAC) device users to interact with their coworkers. AAC users rely on spontaneous novel utterance generation (SNUG) in order to produce speech using their devices, as prestored text is difficult to program for workplace discourse. As a result, producing speech through typing or eye tracking takes a considerable amount of time and reduces their effectiveness in real-time communication. Using the AAC and Non-AAC Workplace Corpus (Pickering and Bruce, AAC and Non-AAC Workplace Corpus (ANAWC). [collection of electronic texts] 2009) and conversation analysis (CA) methodology, this chapter will discuss and illustrate an AAC user’s production of spelling as a strategy to communicate effectively. This strategy is used together with the coparticipants to negotiate meaning.
Improving Vignette Descriptions and Question Formats to Measure Distance Vision: Evidence from Cognitive Interviews among Students in China

Vignette design has been largely neglected in anchoring vignette studies. This study aimed to contribute to the science of vignette design by developing and evaluating vignettes for measuring visio...
A Powerful Test for SNP Effects on Multivariate Binary Outcomes Using Kernel Machine Regression

Evaluating multiple binary outcomes is common in genetic studies of complex diseases. These outcomes are often correlated because they are collected from the same individual and they may share common marker effects. In this paper, we propose a procedure to test for effect of a SNP-set on multiple, possibly correlated, binary responses. We develop a score-based test using a nonparametric modeling framework that jointly models the global effect of the marker set. We account for the nonlinear effects and potentially complicated interaction between markers using reproducing kernels. Our testing procedure only requires estimation under the null hypothesis and we use multivariate generalized estimating equations (GEEs) to estimate the model components to account for the correlation among the outcomes. We evaluate finite sample performance of our test via simulation study and demonstrated our methods using the CATIE antibody study data and the CoLaus Study data.
Myocardial wall stiffening in a mouse model of persistent truncus arteriosus

Background Genetic and epigenetic programs regulate dramatic structural changes during cardiac morphogenesis. Concurrent biomechanical forces within the heart created by blood flow and pressure in turn drive downstream cellular, molecular and genetic responses. Thus, a genetic-morphogenetic-biomechanical feedback loop is continually operating to regulate heart development. During the evolution of a congenital heart defect, concomitant abnormalities in blood flow, hemodynamics, and patterns of mechanical loading would be predicted to change the output of this feedback loop, impacting not only the ultimate morphology of the defect, but potentially altering tissue-level biomechanical properties of structures that appear structurally normal. Aim The goal of this study was to determine if abnormal hemodynamics present during outflow tract formation and remodeling in a genetically engineered mouse model of persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA) causes tissue-level biomechanical abnormalities. Methods The passive stiffness of surface locations on the left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV), and outflow tract (OFT) was measured with a pipette aspiration technique in Fgf8;Isl1Cre conditional mutant embryonic mouse hearts and controls. Control and mutant experimental results were compared by a strain energy metric based on the measured relationship between pressure and aspirated height, and also used as target behavior for finite element models of the ventricles. Model geometry was determined from 3D reconstructions of whole-mount, confocal-imaged hearts. The stress-strain relationship of the model was adjusted to achieve an optimal match between model and experimental behavior. Results and conclusion Although the OFT is the most severely affected structure in Fgf8;Isl1Cre hearts, its passive stiffness was the same as in control hearts. In contrast, both the LV and RV showed markedly increased passive stiffness, doubling in LVs and quadrupling in RVs of mutant hearts. These differences are not attributable to differences in ventricular volume, wall thickness, or trabecular density. Excellent agreement was obtained between the model and experimental results. Overall our findings show that hearts developing PTA have early changes in ventricular tissue biomechanics relevant to cardiac function and ongoing development.
Teens' and parents' perceived levels of helpfulness: An examination of suggested “things to say” to youth experiencing Teen Dating Violence

Abstract Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is a public health issue that has long lasting implications into adulthood. Making matters more precarious is the scant evidenced-based information available to parents to help them respond to teens' reports of TDV exposure. This study examined parental and youth perceptions of the helpfulness and likelihood of use of suggested parental responses to dating violence. Results indicated that parents' potential supportive comments about “rights” and “whose fault” were viewed as the most helpful and likely to be used. The least approved statements were connected to parents' threatening punishment. The most endorsed comments provide information without undermining the teens' self-esteem and offer insight about how parents can promote more helpful dialogs about teens' experiences with dating violence.
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome-associated mutations in Smc1 cause both sister chromatid cohesion and cohesion-independent defects

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by limb truncations, craniofacial abnormalities, and cognitive delays. This syndrome is a member of a class of developmental disorders referred to as cohesinopathies, which result from mutations in the genes encoding subunits or regulators of the cohesin complex. The phenotypic consequences of these mutations may reflect the critical role that cohesin plays in chromosome structure, its ability to tether sister chromatids together during cell cycle progression, or some combination of both. Here we show that a sensitized assay for chromosome loss in budding yeast can be used to assess the impact of Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS)-associated mutations in the core cohesin subunit Smc1 on cohesin function. We find that the CdLS-associated mutations can be grouped into two classes based on their impact on chromosome segregation. One class of mutations includes those that are defective in promoting accurate chromosome segregation, some no better than the null allele. Another class promotes both accurate chromosome cohesion and segregation. Strikingly, the mutations that have no impact chromosome dynamics in this assay are clustered near each other in the context of the folded SMC1 protein suggesting a previously uncharacterized region of functional importance in higher eukaryotes. This analysis illustrates how budding yeast can be used to elucidate mechanisms important in human health and development.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of the δ-opioid receptor: Evidence for its role in mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and receptor internalization∗

Abstract The internalization of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including the delta opioid receptor (δ-OR), has been shown to involve the phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues. However, recent studies suggest that these residues may not be the only ones phosphorylated in response to prolonged opioid exposure. Tyrosines also appear important for δ-OR signalling, but it remains unclear whether they undergo phosphorylation. We examined whether the δ-OR, stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells, was tyrosine-phosphorylated during prolonged agonist treatment. The epitope-tagged δ-OR was purified by immunoprecipitation, and the presence of phosphorylated tyrosines was detected using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. Tyrosine residues in the δ-OR were phosphorylated after exposure to the high-affinity agonist [d-Thr2]-Leu-enkephalin-Thr (DTLET) in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the δ-OR appeared to require the actions of a Src-like protein tyrosine kinase, since the Src inhibitor 4-amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)-pyrazolo-[3,4-d]-pyrimidine (PP1) attenuated this response. PP1 also attenuated the DTLET-mediated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, as well as rapid δ-OR internalization, but not receptor down-regulation. Finally, only opioid agonists that induce receptor internalization via the clathrin-dependent endosomal pathway stimulated significant tyrosine phosphorylation of the δ-OR protein. Evidence is presented that the δ-OR is tyrosine-phosphorylated, and we suggest how this may have an active role in opioid receptor signalling and regulation.
Membranous Nephropathy: Approaches to Treatment

Background Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. This review focuses on mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of MN and approaches to treatment of this disease. Summary Our understanding of the pathogenesis of primary MN has advanced greatly with the identification of M-type phospholipase A2 receptor and thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A as target antigens whose antibodies serve as biomarkers of this disease. Additional research, including investigations into the roles of complement and melanocortin receptors on the podocyte, may further improve our understanding of how best to treat this condition. Immunosuppressive therapies, including corticosteroids alternating with alkylating agents, and calcineurin inhibitors are partially successful in reducing proteinuria in MN, but their use may be associated with significant adverse effects and a high relapse rate. Novel interventions, including targeting B cells with rituximab as well as treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), are being investigated. Key Messages: The understanding of treatment targets and availability of new biomarkers has facilitated diagnosis and improved risk stratification for MN and may also be useful for individualizing treatment with a wider range of therapeutic options for patients with MN. Considerable evidence supports the use of B-cell depletion as initial therapy in nephrotic patients with MN. ACTH should be considered for patients who do not respond to traditional therapies such as alkylating agents and calcineurin inhibitors.
The Crisis of the Western System of Medicine in Contemporary Capitalism

This article makes a critique of current interpretations of the crises of the western system of medicine and presents alternative explanations for those crises. It indicates that the crises of medicine--reflected in its ubiquitous problems of costs and ineffectiveness--are due to and reflect the crises of legitimation and capital accumulation of contemporary capitalism. The article is divided into six parts: the first two define the characteristics of the crises of western contemporary capitalism and of its system of medicine, with a critique of current theories which try to explain them. Parts three and four contrapose to these theories a Marxist interpretation of the crises, tracing their causes to the needs created by the process of capital accumulation and to the demands expressed by the working population. The needs and demands generated by Capital and Labor are intrinsically in conflict, and are realized in the daily practice of class struggle. The characteristics and consequences of that struggle for health and for the organization, content, and ideology of medicine are analyzed in the fifth part. This class struggle takes place within a political context in which Capital and its social expression, the bouregeoisie or corporate class, have the dominant influence on the organs of the State. The sixth part of the article shows how that dominance determines the nature of the State responses to the crises of medicine. A primary thesis of this paper is that social class, class struggle, capitalism, and imperialism are not passe categories, as most ideologists of capitalism postulate, but rather they are the most important paradigms for understanding the crises of the western system of power and its medicine.
Interactive reading instruction: a comparison of proximal and distal effects of instructional conversations

This study examined the effects of an interactive approach, instructional conversations (IC), on the language and concept development of Hispanic students with learning disabilities. This study compared traditional instruction (basal approach) with instructional conversations. Results of proximal measures indicated higher levels of discourse and greater participation with IC than with a basal approach. The distal indexes yielded uneven results: evidence of greater understanding of the concept following IC but no differences in literal comprehension or postlesson narrative results. The overall results suggest that IC may provide linguistically rich learning opportunities for culturally diverse students with learning disabilities.
Juvenile Assault Arrestees and Their Incidents: Same and Opposite Gender Relationships

Although boys still account for the lion’s share of juvenile arrests, the increase in girls’ arrests for assault is receiving considerable attention from policy makers and practitioners (see Chap. 11). At issue in this debate is whether the gender crime gap is changing, and particularly whether females are becoming more violent. Some attribute the trend of increases in female arrests to a combination of re-labeling family conflicts as violent offenses and changes in police practices when responding to domestic incidents (Chesney-Lind 2002; Chesney-Lind and Pasko 2004; Feld 2009). Others argue that economic marginalization and males’ greater engagement in familiar roles have narrowed the gender crime gap for violent offenses (Heimer 2000; Messer and Rosenfeld 2007; Lauritsen et al. 2009). Others assert that the arrest trends actually reflect police behavior, a “widening of the net” and/or “charging up” of less serious offenses (Steffensmeier and Schwartz 2003; see Chap. 1 for a detailed discussion of all of these issues). Research consistently shows that since changes in domestic violence mandatory arrest laws were enacted, the female share of arrests for violent crime has increased (Buzawa and Hotaling 2006; Hirschel et al. 2007).
Spatial database case study: a GIS based metal contamination application

A geographical information system (GIS) has the capability to store, manipulate, analyze, and display a large amount of spatial and tabular data. This study carried out a regional metal contamination assessment for the New Orleans area using a GIS. Heavy metal contamination in and around the New Orleans area during two disasters, Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, has hindered the rebuilding of both businesses and homes. This study presented the merging of maps, spatial and tabular data bases, and object-oriented programming so that levels of arsenic and lead can be easily seen and understood by New Orleans officials. This can help them make decisions regarding rebuilding so as to comply with the EPA guidelines that were set up after Hurricane Katrina.
Applications of Touch Preparation Cytology to Intraoperative Consultations: Lymph Nodes and Extranodal Tissues for Evaluation of Hematolymphoid Disorders

Since touch preparation cytology is widely used in the intraoperative setting for tissues being evaluated for a hematolymphoid malignancy, as discussed in chapter “Intraoperative Consultations of Tissue for Evaluation of Hematolymphoid Disorders or Malignancies: Appropriate Handling, Including Touch Preparation Cytology Versus Frozen Section,” this chapter primarily discusses the applications of this technique in this setting.
Canopy warming accelerates development in soybean and maize, offsetting the delay in soybean reproductive development by elevated CO2 concentrations

Increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2 ]) and surface temperature are known to individually have effects on crop development and yield, but their interactive effects have not been adequately investigated under field conditions. We evaluated the impacts of elevated [CO2 ] with and without canopy warming as a function of development in soybean and maize using infrared heating arrays nested within free air CO2 enrichment plots over three growing seasons. Vegetative development accelerated in soybean with temperature plus elevated [CO2 ] resulting in higher node number. Reproductive development was delayed in soybean under elevated [CO2 ], but warming mitigated this delay. In maize, both vegetative and reproductive developments were accelerated by warming, whereas elevated [CO2 ] had no apparent effect on development. Treatment-induced changes in the leaf carbohydrates, dark respiration rate, morphological parameters, and environmental conditions accompanied the changes in plant development. We used two thermal models to investigate their ability to predict the observed development under warming and elevated [CO2 ]. Whereas the growing degree day model underestimated the thermal threshold to reach each developmental stage, the alternative process-based model used (β function) was able to predict crop development under climate change conditions.
Including Nature in Engineering for Innovation and Sustainability: Promise, Progress and Peril

Abstract Modern engineering keeps ecological systems outside its decision boundary, even though goods and services from nature are essential for sustaining all its activities. This has been the system boundary at least since the industrial revolution when the human footprint was quite small, and nature seemed infinite. With this situation having reversed in the modern world, there is an urgent need to change the engineering paradigm from one that takes nature for granted to one that accounts for the role of nature and works with it while respecting its limits. In this article we argue that such a paradigm shift holds the promises of enabling sustainability and innovation by developing engineering that benefits from nature’s ability to treat emissions and provide resources in an economically viable and environmentally sustainable manner. We provide an overview of recent progress in including nature in engineering, for tasks such as design of processes and supply chains, and for life cycle assessment. Despite the promise of including nature in engineering, there are also risks if this inclusion is not done properly. Current methods tend to commodify nature due to which holistic characteristics of ecosystems such as biodiversity and resilience could be lost. The tendency of wanting to over-engineer ecosystems may also need to be restrained.
Titanium Fastener Utilization During HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using titanium fasteners for securement of the inflow sewing ring during HeartMate 3 implantation. The secondary objective was to compare cardiopulmonary bypass and total operative times between the titanium fastener and hand-tied knot groups. METHODS Clearance between the sewing ring and the HeartMate 3 device was assessed in vitro. Thirty-one patients undergoing HeartMate 3 implantation via median sternotomy at a single center from April 2017 to February 2018 were reviewed. The sewing ring was secured with hand-tied knots (n = 18) or titanium fasteners (n = 13). Cannulation strategy and implantation technique were otherwise identical between groups. Central arterial and venous cannulation was performed for cardiopulmonary bypass. The left ventricular apex was cored, and the sewing ring was attached with hand-tied knots or titanium fasteners. RESULTS There was adequate clearance for the titanium fastener to secure the inflow sewing ring and then connect to the HeartMate 3 in vitro. The inflow sewing ring was successfully secured during HeartMate 3 implantation in the titanium fastener group. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was 75 and 92 minutes for the titanium fastener and hand-tied groups, respectively (P < 0.03). Total operative time was 177 and 193 minutes for the titanium fastener and hand-tied groups, respectively (P = 0.513). CONCLUSIONS The inflow sewing ring of the HeartMate 3 was efficiently secured using titanium fasteners. Titanium fasteners resulted in shorter cardiopulmonary bypass times compared with the hand-tied group. There was no difference in total operative time.
Parental injury prevention beliefs and children’s medically attended injuries: evidence from a sample of disadvantaged rural fathers

ABSTRACTParental supervision is key to child injury prevention. Mothers’ beliefs about supervision and injuries are associated with increased monitoring and reduced injury risk, but less is known a...
The Weather-Proximity-Cognition (WPC) framework: A camping, weather, and climate change case

Abstract Many businesses do not understand how changing short- and long-term weather and climatic conditions impact economic outcomes. To address this understanding gap, the Weather-Proximity-Cognition (WPC) framework is introduced. The WPC explores how spatial, temporal, and social proximity to weather and climate events or issues, as well as scale of events or issues, influences understanding and agency related to business outcomes. The WPC can be used by businesses to understand and localize weather or climate change risks and also to increase agency to engage in adaptive or mitigating efforts. Camping businesses are particularly susceptible to weather and climatic conditions. An empirical case study of two camping businesses located in popular United States destinations is presented to demonstrate the WPC framework's utility. Empirical models explained up to 61.3% of the variability in daily camping occupancy depending on geographic location, meteorological season, and camping occupancy type. WPC and case study implications are discussed.
Does Public Support for Judicial Power Depend on Who is in Political Power? Testing a Theory of Partisan Alignment in Africa

Judicial power is central to democratic consolidation and the rule of law. Public support is critical for establishing and protecting it. Conventional wisdom holds that this support is rooted in apolitical factors and not dependent on who is in political power. By contrast, we argue that support may be driven by instrumental partisan motivations and therefore linked to partisan alignment with the executive. We test the argument with survey evidence from 34 African countries. To provide causal evidence, we conduct difference-in-differences analyses leveraging Ghana’s three presidential transitions since 2000. Across Africa, support for judicial power is high, while trust in courts is lower. However, presidential co-partisans are less supportive of horizontal judicial power over the president and more supportive of vertical power over the people. The article demonstrates the importance of partisan alignment with the executive in shaping support for judicial power, with implications for judicial behavior and legitimacy.
Alexis Retractor: Institutional Experience of Its Applications in Head and Neck Surgery and Review of the Literature.

Background:The Alexis retractor is a device that provides simultaneous radial retraction and wound protection during surgical procedures. Although typically used in abdominal and pelvic surgeries, ...
Residents and Fellows in Neurocritical Care

Interest in the field of neurocritical care appears to be increasing among trainees, and learning to manage these patients (especially in a dedicated environment) is extremely important. Resident and fellow education is now multi-dimensional, including hands-on experiences, lectures, and simulation exercises. Other educational opportunities are also available to trainees, such as the Emergency Neurological Life Support program.
Mars was never going to be easy

As real spacecraft arrive at the Red Planet, let's celebrate with Mars-based games like Red Faction: Guerrilla, which lets you destroy at will, or Tharsis, where you captain a doomed spacecraft, says Jacob Aron
Fat tails arise endogenously from supply/demand, with or without jump processes

We show that the quotient of Levy processes of jump-diffusion type has a fat-tailed distribution. An application is to price theory in economics, with the result that fat tails arise endogenously from modeling of price change based on an excess demand analysis resulting in a quotient of arbitrarily correlated demand and supply whether or not jump discontinuities are present. The assumption is that supply and demand are described by drift terms, Brownian (i.e., Gaussian) and compound Poisson jump processes. If $ P^{-1}dP/dt $ (the relative price change in an interval $ dt $) is given by a suitable function of relative excess demand, $ \left(\mathcal{D}-\mathcal{S}\right) /\mathcal{S} $ (where $ \mathcal{D} $ and $ \mathcal{S} $ are demand and supply), then the distribution has tail behavior $ F\left(x\right) \sim x^{-\zeta} $ for a power $ \zeta $ that depends on the function $ G $ in $ P^{-1}dP/dt = G\left(\mathcal{D}/\mathcal{S}\right) $. For $ G\left(x\right) \sim\left\vert x\right\vert ^{1/q} $ one has $ \zeta = q. $ The empirical data for assets typically yields a value, $ \zeta\tilde{ = }3, $ or $ \zeta\in\left[ 3, 5\right] $ for many financial markets. Many theoretical explanations have been offered for the disparity between the tail behavior of the standard asset price equation and empirical data. This issue never arises if one models price dynamics using basic economics methodology, i.e., generalized Walrasian adjustment, rather than the usual starting point for classical finance which assumes a normal distribution of price changes. The function $ G $ is deterministic, and can be calibrated with a smaller data set. The results establish a simple link between the decay exponent of the density function and the price adjustment function, a feature that can improve methodology for risk assessment. The mathematical results can be applied to other problems involving the relative difference or quotient of Levy processes of jump-diffusion type.
Effect of Race-Ethnicity and CT Angiography on Renal Injury During Blood Pressure Treatment for Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Lowering blood pressure intensively in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with adverse renal events; Blacks and Hispanics have a higher incidence of ICH and kidney disease than Whites. In addition, CT angiography (CTA), which may also be associated with acute kidney injury (AKI), is often done in acute ICH. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between aggressive BP management, CTA, race–ethnicity and the risk of developing AKI in patients presenting with ICH. We retrospectively calculated the difference between the highest and lowest systolic blood pressure during the first 24 h of admission in patients with spontaneous ICH over 30 months. Creatinine (Cr) levels at admission were compared to the highest Cr level during the first 7 days after admission. AKI was defined as any > 50% increase of baseline Cr during the first 7 days. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between race–ethnicity and CTA and AKI. We also analyzed the incidence of AKI stratified by race–ethnicity. A total of 394 patients were included (mean age ± SD 63 ± 14 years), 160 patients (41%) were women, 162 (41%) Hispanic, 39 (10%) White and 189 (48%) Black. Most of the patients underwent CTA (73%). The prevalence of AKI was (18%), but no difference was found in AKI incidence (19% in Blacks vs. 17% in Whites vs. 18% in Hispanics (p = 0.940). In fully adjusted models, AKI was not associated with race–ethnicity (p = 0.665) or CTA (p = 0.187). The stratified analysis by race–ethnicity did not change our findings. We found no association between race–ethnicity or CTA and AKI during the acute management of ICH in a real-life stroke population. Our findings suggest that CTA can be safely obtained in acute ICH, even in populations of diverse race–ethnicity who may be more prone to adverse kidney events. CTA did not contribute to developing AKI.
Biocontrol agents from cucurbit plants infected with Xanthomonas cucurbitae for managing bacterial spot of pumpkin

Abstract Bacterial spot, caused by Xanthomonas cucurbitae, is an important disease of cucurbits worldwide. Considering the absence of resistant cultivars, along with the limited effects of chemical treatments, we evaluated the use of potential biocontrol agents for management of the disease. We collected 1,134 bacterial isolates associated with bacterial spot symptomatic leaves and fruits and screened in vitro for their antagonistic activity against X. cucurbitae. A total of 271 isolates inhibited colony formation of X. cucurbitae in a disc diffusion assay. Species of these antagonistic isolates were identified based on 16S rRNA primers and phylogenetic analysis using four housekeeping genes. Based on results from the in vitro assays, the strong inhibitors of X. cucurbitae were selected for greenhouse and field evaluations. We found that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, Pantoea agglomerans, and Pseudomonas putida were able to prevent or limit development of bacterial spot on pumpkin plants in the greenhouse and field studies. Additionally, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Pseudomonas putida increased growth of ‘Howden’ pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo). Our results suggest that these biocontrol agents can be used for managing bacterial spot disease and enhancing the growth of pumpkin plants.
Computation of separation ahead of blunt fin in supersonic turbulent flow

Separation ahead of a flat-face blunt fin in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer was studied numerically. The following observations and conclusions were made: (1) the length of separation increases to about 5.2 D, compared with about 2.0 to 2.5 D for the typical hemi-cylindrical results, and this numerical result confirms experimental observation; (2) even though there is a kink in pressure in the present case, there is no secondary separation under the main horseshoe vortices and there are three vortices, leading to the conclusion that the number of vortices is not always an even number; and (3) for the case investigated the separation point is connected to the inner (first) horseshoe vortex, rather than the outer (second) one. The four layers of fluid entrain in the three vortices, respectively.
APPLICATION OF QbD PRINCIPLES TO BIOLOGICS PRODUCT: FORMULATION AND PROCESS DEVELOPMENT

TheinherentcomplexityofbiologicspresentsachallengeintheapplicationofQbDanddesign space concepts. The link between product/molecule attribute and clinicalperformance is not always well understood. The heterogeneity of the product makesit difficult to precisely measure all the attributes of the molecule. It can be difficult todefine the quality attributes (QAs) that are truly critical to safety and efficacy.Consequently,thefocusshiftstowardusingclinicalexperienceandmaintainingprocessconsistency. Similarly, the functional relationship between process parameters andquality attributes may not be readily defined.The development of a stable formulation for a biologic therefore involves account-ing for the inherently complex structure of the protein and the multiple degradationpathways it may undergo. A compromise among competing degradation pathways mayberequiredtodevelopanoptimizedformulation(e.g.,acidhydrolysisanddeamidation).A large body of knowledge has been generated that can aid the formulation scientist inthistask,andanumberofsummariesandreviewshavebeenpublished(see,forexample,Refs [1–3]). For biologics, heterogeneity of the bulk drug substance is the rulerather than exception, and the upstream and downstream processes are a major source
Comparison of Parent Education and Functional Assessment-based Intervention Across 24 Months for Young Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Preschool-aged children with or at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience significant challenges with behavioral, social, and preacademic skills. Kern et al. (2007) exa...
Gore, John C.: MRI at Hammersmith Hospital, London – Recollections of the Early Days

The British music company Electric and Musical Industries (EMI) Ltd. developed the first X-ray CT scanners as well as some of the earliest whole-body MR systems in the world, and their design and evaluation were conducted in close collaboration with the author and other scientists at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and Hammersmith Hospital, London, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Early applications showed the potential of dynamic contrast enhanced imaging and flow measurements by MRI, and the benefits of images with strong dependence on relaxation times, but many exciting early results were never published because of industrial secrecy. These pioneering efforts might have resulted in the development of a British MRI industry, but in the event the technology was transferred to US corporations. By the time the professional societies in MRI were formed, EMI was no longer actively engaged in medical imaging. Keywords: EMI; Hammersmith Hospital; MRI; contrast agent; projection reconstruction
The activation of prothrombin. I. Isolation and preliminary characterization of intermediates.

Abstract The intermediates formed during the activation of prothrombin in 25% sodium citrate solutions have been isolated and partially characterized. Their properties are in agreement with those predicted by a previously proposed model for prothrombin activation in 25% sodium citrate: prothrombin (72,000 daltons) → intermediate 1 (65,000 daltons) → Intermediate 2 (39,000 daltons) and Intermediate 3 (25,000 daltons); Intermediate 2 (39,000 daltons) → thrombin (α-thrombin, 39,000 daltons) (Mann, K. G., Heldebrant, C. M., and Fass, D. N. (1971) J. Biol Chem. 246, 6106–6114). Intermediates 1 and 2, as predicted, can be activated to thrombin, while Intermediate 3 cannot. The chromatographic behavior of Intermediate 2 is nearly identical with that of thrombin. Molecular weight and amino acid composition data strongly suggest that α-thrombin is formed from Intermediate 2 by the loss of little, if any, of the Intermediate 2 sequence. Intermediates 2 and 3 are shown to be substantially independent portions of the prothrombin sequence. The tryptic peptides derived from Intermediates 2 and 3, while very dissimilar account for greater than 85% of the tryptic peptides derived from prothrombin. Furthermore, Intermediate 3 contains nearly twice as much half-cystine and more than twice as much neutral sugar as Intermediate 2. A product of prothrombin activation, apparently derived from Intermediate 3, has been shown to alter the activity of thrombin toward N-α-tosyl-l-arginine methyl ester and fibrinogen. The possibility that a thrombin of altered specificity may participate in the control and regulation of coagulation is discussed.
Electronic Textbooks: Antecedents of Students’ Adoption and Learning Outcomes

Faculty and students are increasingly faced with the opportunity to use electronic versions of textbooks (e-texts). Despite the advantages of e-texts and recent advances in technology, evidence suggests that students are still reluctant to adopt and use e-texts. This situation leads us to investigate two research questions: What factors contribute to students’ acceptance of e-texts? Are there differences between hardcopy texts and e-texts when it comes to course grade? We draw on a variety of perspectives (i.e., psychology, management information systems, economics, environmental studies) to build a framework that allows us to determine the motivations of students for adopting e-texts, and the learning outcomes of e-text adoption. Data was collected via a survey administered in the business school of a metropolitan university with approximately 20,000 students, located in the western United States. Results suggest that perceived ease-of-use and the price of e-texts relative to hardcopy texts are two key motivators in e-text adoption, while perceived usefulness, Internet self-efficacy and environmental concerns are not significant motivators. However, there was no significant difference in the grades of e-text adopters compared to hardcopy adopters. We conclude this paper by discussing the implications of our findings for educators. Subject Areas: Technology and Innovation, Content Areas, Pedagogical Approaches, Operations Management, Content Areas, Administrative/ Structure Leadership, Academic Areas.
Strain-induced semimetal-to-semiconductor transition and indirect-to-direct band gap transition in monolayer 1T-TiS2

We have investigated the effect of uniform plane strain on the electronic properties of monolayer 1T-TiS2 using first-principles calculations. In the absence of strain, we find monolayer TiS2 is a semimetal, with a small overlap of the valence band maximum and the conduction band minimum. The band overlap increases under compression; however under tensile, monolayer 1T-TiS2 experiences a transition from a semimetal to a semiconductor as a band gap emerges. Moreover, the electronic properties change from an indirect to a direct band gap upon application of greater tensile strain. Thus one can modulate the properties of monolayer TiS2 by applying the appropriate strain, thereby providing a route towards control in optoelectronic devices.
Outcomes of a Multimodal Resilience Training Program in an Outpatient Integrative Medicine Clinic

Abstract Objective: To investigate the outcomes of resilience training (RT) in an outpatient clinical setting on symptom relief for current or recurrent depression, as well as perceived stress and state and trait anxiety. Design: Observational effectiveness study. Settings/Location: Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, Allina Health, Minneapolis, MN. Participants: A total of 728 men and women age 18 years and older who participated in the RT program between December 1, 2007, and November 31, 2012. Of these individuals, 371 were considered study contributors and completed at least one questionnaire both before (pre-RT) and after (post-RT) completion of the program. The remaining participants were considered study non-contributors and did not complete any questionnaires. Interventions: RT is a mindfulness-based program that synergizes elements of mindfulness meditation with nutrition and exercise into a cohesive intervention. Outcome measures: Depressive symptoms, as well as state and trait anxiet...
LED Lumen Degradation and Remaining Life Under Exposure to Temperature and Humidity

The development of light-emitting diode (LED) technology has resulted in widespread solid state lighting use in consumer and industrial applications. Previous researchers have shown that LEDs from the same manufacturer and operating under same use-condition may have significantly different degradation behavior. Applications of LEDs to safety critical and harsh environment applications necessitate the characterization of failure mechanisms and modes. This paper focuses on a prognostic health management (PHM) method based on the measurement of forward voltage and forward current of bare LED under harsh environment. In this paper experiments have been done on single LEDs subjected to combined temperature-humidity environment of 85°C, 85% relative humidity. Pulse width modulation (PWM) control method has been employed to drive the bare LED in order to reduce the heat effect caused by forward current and high frequency (300Hz). A data acquisition system has been used to measure the peak forward voltage and forward current. Test to failure (luminous flux drops to 70 percent) data has been measured to study the effects of high temperature and humid environment loadings on the bare LEDs. A solid state cooling method with a peltier cooler has been used to control the temperature of the LED in the integrating sphere when taking the measurement of luminous flux. The shift of forward voltage forward current curve and lumen degradation has been recorded to help build the failure model and predict the remaining useful life. Particle filter has been employed to assess the remaining useful life (RUL) of the bare LED. Model predictions of RUL have been correlated with experimental data. Results show that prediction of remaining useful life of LEDs, made by the particle filter model works with acceptable error-bounds. The presented method can be employed to predict the failure of LED caused by thermal and humid stresses.Copyright © 2013 by ASME