cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency of stress testing to document ischemia prior to elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

Context Guidelines call for documenting ischemia in patients with stable coronary artery disease prior to elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Objective To determine the frequency and predictors of stress testing prior to elective PCI in a Medicare population. Design, Setting, and Patients Retrospective, observational cohort study using claims data from a 20% random sample of 2004 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older who had an elective PCI (N = 23 887). Main Outcome Measures Percentage of patients who underwent stress testing within 90 days prior to elective PCI; variation in stress testing prior to PCI across 306 hospital referral regions; patient, physician, and hospital characteristics that predicted the appropriate use of stress testing prior to elective PCI. Results In the United States, 44.5% (n = 10 629) of patients underwent stress testing within the 90 days prior to elective PCI. There was wide regional variation among the hospital referral regions with stress test rates ranging from 22.1% to 70.6% (national mean, 44.5%; interquartile range, 39.0%-50.9%). Female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-0.97), age of 85 years or older (AOR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.95), a history of congestive heart failure (AOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.92), and prior cardiac catheterization (AOR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.38-0.54) were associated with a decreased likelihood of prior stress testing. A history of chest pain (AOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.09-1.54) and black race (AOR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.09-1.46) increased the likelihood of stress testing prior to PCI. Patients treated by physicians performing 150 or more PCIs per year were less likely to have stress testing prior to PCI (AOR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.77-0.93). No hospital characteristics were associated with receipt of stress testing. Conclusion The majority of Medicare patients with stable coronary artery disease do not have documentation of ischemia by noninvasive testing prior to elective PCI.
Improved cardiac function with glucose-insulin-potassium after aortocoronary bypass grafting.

To assess the effectiveness of metabolic support for the heart in patients with refractory heart failure after hypothermic ischemic arrest for aortocoronary bypass grafting we assigned 22 patients to receive either intravenous glucose (50%), insulin (80 IU/L), and potassium (100 mEq/L) at a rate of 1 mL/kg/h for up to 48 hours (GIK) or glucose (5%) and NaCl (0.225%) at the same rate (control). All patients started out with a mean cardiac index of less than 3.0 L/min/m 2 , were on intraaortic balloon pump assistance, and required inotropic drugs. At 12 and 24 hours cardiac index had increased significantly in the GIK group when compared with the control group (3.6 and 3.4 versus 2.5 and 2.7 L/min/m 2 , respectively). Time on the intraaortic balloon pump (39 versus 61 hours) and requirements for inotropic drug support were significantly less in the GIK group than in the control group. All 11 GIK patients could be weaned from intraaortic balloon pump assistance. At 30 days after operation survival was 10/11 in the GIK group, compared with 7/11 in the control group. We conclude that GIK is both safe and effective in the treatment of refractory left ventricular failure after aortocoronary bypass grafting. The exact mechanism for the beneficial effect of GIK on myocardial contractility remains to be elucidated.
Abstract 5066: Matriptase mediated signaling in breast cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Historically proteases have been associated with tumor progression and metastasis through degradation of the basement membrane. In recent years these enzymes have also been shown to play key roles in the activation of growth factors and cytokines, thereby activating pro-oncogenic signaling pathways. Matriptase is an epithelia-specific pericellular protease which has received considerable attention recently spurred by its consistent dysregulation in human epithelial tumors including breast cancer. Several institutions are currently developing small and large molecule inhibitors of matriptase, however thus far no studies have been published focusing on the role of matriptase in breast cancer growth and progression. Presently we do not know whether matriptase plays a causal or promotional role in breast carcinogenesis and therefore its potential as an anti-cancer drug target is still unexplored. In the following study we will perform both functional and mechanistic studies of matriptase in breast cancer using parallel, complementary in-vitro and in-vivo genetic “loss-of-function” strategies. Matriptase efficiently cleaves pro-hepatocyte growth factor (pro-HGF) into active HGF, the cognate ligand of the proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase receptor c-Met, and thereby elicits pro-tumorigenic downstream signaling events. Both c-Met and matriptase are expressed on the surface of mammary epithelial cells and breast carcinoma cells, whereas the c-Met ligand and matriptase proteolytic target pro-HGF is secreted by stromal fibroblasts thus defining a paracrine growth factor activation and signaling mechanism. Our goal with this project is to determine whether matriptase is a novel target which could provide an opportunity for developing improved breast cancer intervention drugs in the future. Citation Format: Gina L. Zoratti, Christopher Bergum, Julie L. Boerner, Karin List. Matriptase mediated signaling in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5066. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5066
Mineralocorticoid Receptors in Salt-Susceptible and Salt-Resistant Rats

The abnormal secretion of the adrenalsteroid 18-OH DOC is currently suspected of beingimplicated in some cases of human essential hypertension,and in genetic hypertension in saltsensitiverats. In such rats, the secretion rates ofaldosterone and desoxycorticosterone are similar tothose in the salt-resistant strain. From the studiesreported in this paper the additional differencesbetween the two strains necessary to allow developmentof hypertension are not differences inmineralocorticoid effector mechanisms. Both sensitiveand resistant rats have similar concentrations(∼ 3 × 10−14 moles/mg protein) of renal cytoplasmicmineralocorticoid receptors, which in both specieshave a similar affinity for aldosterone (Kdiss 37C ∼ 10−9M). By competition experiments, it hasbeen shown in both strains that 18-OH DOC has anaffinity for the mineralocorticoid receptor ∼ 1.5%that of aldosterone. Finally, no differences can bedemonstrated between the strains in terms of thetransfer of receptor-steroid complex from cytoplasmto n...
Redefining prognosis in node-negative breast cancer: can sentinel lymph node biopsy raise the threshold for systemic adjuvant therapy?

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is a new standard of care for axillary node staging in breast cancer, which for the first time allows enhanced pathologic analysis on a routine basis. Although a number of retrospective studies, including our own series with 20-year follow-up, suggest that axillary nodal micrometastases found in this manner are prognostically significant, prospective trials now under way promise a definitive answer to this controversial subject. Enhanced pathology using serial sections and immunohistochemical staining identifies a high-risk minority of conventionally nodenegative patients who are converted to node-positive and thereby become candidates for systemic adjuvant chemotherapy. The developmental phase of SLN biopsy, now drawing to a close, has focused on the identification of this node-positive group. Enhanced pathology also identifies a majority of patients who are truly node-negative and whose expectation of long-term survival exceeds that of historic norms for node-negative breast cancer. The next era of SLN biopsy should focus on the characterization of this group. SLN biopsy in breast cancer has already extended the historic trend toward surgical conservatism. By defining more precisely a low-risk cohort of patients, SLN biopsy has the potential to initiate a trend toward medical conservatism as well.
Sodium Sensitivity of Blood Pressure in Chinese Populations

Clinical trials have demonstrated that a reduced intake of dietary sodium lowers blood pressure. However, blood pressure reduction in response to a decrease in dietary sodium intake varies considerably among different individuals—a phenomenon described as sodium sensitivity. The Genetic Epidemiology Network of Salt Sensitivity (GenSalt) study was a large family-based dietary-feeding study conducted in rural north China. This study indicated that approximately 39% of Chinese adults were sodium-sensitive. Sodium sensitivity was more common in women and in persons who were older and had higher usual blood pressure. Sodium sensitivity was also more common in individuals with higher responses to a cold pressor test and in individuals with the metabolic syndrome. Genetic factors may play an important role in determining sodium sensitivity in the Chinese population. A better understanding of the genetic and environmental determinants of sodium sensitivity has important public health and clinical implications.
Linguistics and micro-rhetoric : A twenty-first century encounter

Increasingly linguists look to usage for explanations of how patterns of forms come to acquire grammatical status. This search leads linguistics closer to the realm of inquiry traditionally occupied by rhetoric, the study of the effective uses of language. It is proposed here that a view of language as temporal brings these two disciplines closer, and that, in fact, (usage-based) linguistics is nothing other than the “micro” end of rhetoric. As an example of the kind of rethinking of linguistic structure necessary to accommodate this proposal, it is argued that the unfolding of discourse in time proceeds by a progressive delivery of prepackaged formulas that are either juxtaposed or linked by apo koinou. Implications of these ideas for the academic organization of linguistics are discussed.
Marital therapy for sexual abuse survivors

Sexual abuse often makes a serious impact on interpersonal relationships. This chapter addresses treatment of marital issues when one member is a survivor of child sexual abuse.
On the Lagrangian formulation of continuum mechanics

Abstract The aim of this paper is to show that a Lagrangian formulation of continuum mechanics (in the spirit of field theory) can deliver, not only equations of motion, but the conservation laws related to the material symmetries in the perfect continuum. Those conservation laws in the presence of defects lead to the path-independent integrals broadly used in fracture mechanics. They are basically related to the (material) forces on a defect in a continuum and can be interpreted as the equations of motion for a defect with respect to the material. The quantity playing the role of the stress tensor in this formulation is the material momentum tensor. A simple example of a material force in the form of a path-independent integral in the fluid is considered.
Quantifying spectral changes experienced by plasmonic nanoparticles in a cellular environment to inform biomedical nanoparticle design

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) scatter and absorb light in precise, designable ways, making them agile candidates for a variety of biomedical applications. When NPs are introduced to a physiological environment and interact with cells, their physicochemical properties can change as proteins adsorb on their surface and they agglomerate within intracellular endosomal vesicles. Since the plasmonic properties of metal NPs are dependent on their geometry and local environment, these physicochemical changes may alter the NPs' plasmonic properties, on which applications such as plasmonic photothermal therapy and photonic gene circuits are based. Here we systematically study and quantify how metal NPs' optical spectra change upon introduction to a cellular environment in which NPs agglomerate within endosomal vesicles. Using darkfield hyperspectral imaging, we measure changes in the peak wavelength, broadening, and distribution of 100-nm spherical gold NPs' optical spectra following introduction to human breast adenocarcinoma Sk-Br-3 cells as a function of NP exposure dose and time. On a cellular level, spectra shift up to 78.6 ± 23.5 nm after 24 h of NP exposure. Importantly, spectra broaden with time, achieving a spectral width of 105.9 ± 11.7 nm at 95% of the spectrum's maximum intensity after 24 h. On an individual intracellular NP cluster (NPC) level, spectra also show significant shifting, broadening, and heterogeneity after 24 h. Cellular transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electromagnetic simulations of NPCs support the trends in spectral changes we measured. These quantitative data can help guide the design of metal NPs introduced to cellular environments in plasmonic NP-mediated biomedical technologies.
Stimulated growth of human and pig epidermal nerve fibers by tape stripping

Nerve growth studies in adults usually rely upon nerve regeneration that follows axon disruption. In this study elongation of the epidermal nerve fibers occurred in human and pig epidermis stimulated to hypertrophy by removing the stratum corneum with repetitive applications of tape (tape stripping). Epidermal thickening was accompanied by elongation of the epidermal nerve fibers. This study demonstrates that changing the cellular and chemical environment of nerves by tape stripping is a feasible method to study nerve fiber growth in a physiological manner.
Unpacking IT use and integration for mass customisation: a service-dominant logic view

Significant changes in customer demands for individualised offerings are causing firms to move away from mass production strategies toward customisation. Many firms struggle in this migration because the requirements for mass customisation (MC) differ greatly from those needed for mass production. As firms strive to optimise their interactions with customers and suppliers to produce highly customised offerings at near mass production prices, IT use along with customer and supply integration are important organisational competencies. Research studies explore many facets of MC but, in regard to IT use for customer and supplier integration, most focus on specific activities within the product design and development process. This study extends the IT-enabled organisational capabilities line of research, using data collected from 220 manufacturers, to explore IT use in a comprehensive sense for planning, infrastructural, and operational activities in various business processes intended to achieve MC. These fin...
Autoregressive coefficient estimation in nonparametric analysis

The article considers the Yule-Walker estimator of the autoregressive coefficient based on the observed time series that contains an unknown trend function and an autoregressive error term. The trend function is estimated by means of B-splines and then subtracted from the observations. The Yule-Walker estimator is obtained from the residual sequence. Asymptotic properties of this estimator are derived. The performance of the estimator is illustrated by simulation studies and real data analysis.
Production of hydrogen, alkanes and polyols by aqueous phase processing of wood-derived pyrolysis oils

Pyrolysis oils are the cheapest liquid fuel derived from lignocellulosic biomass. However, pyrolysis oils are a very poor quality liquid fuel that cannot be used in conventional diesel and internal combustion engines. In this paper we show that hydrogen, alkanes (ranging from C1 to C6) and polyols (ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol) can be produced from the aqueous fraction of wood-derived pyrolysis oils (bio-oils). The pyrolysis oil was first phase separated into aqueous and non-aqueous fraction by addition of water. The aqueous phase of bio-oil contained sugars; anhydrosugars; acetic acid; hydroxyacetone; furfural and small amounts of guaiacols. The aqueous fraction was subjected to a low temperature hydrogenation with Ru/C catalyst at 125–175 °C and 68.9 bar. The hydrogenation step converts the various functionalities in the bio-oil (including aldehydes; acids; sugars) to corresponding alcohols. Undesired methane and light gases are also produced in this low-temperature hydrogenation step. Diols (ranging from C2 to C4) and sorbitol are obtained as major products in this step. After the low temperature hydrogenation step either hydrogen or alkanes can be produced by aqueous-phase reforming (APR) or aqueous-phase dehydration/hydrogenation (APD/H) respectively. APR was done with a 1 wt% Pt/Al2O3 catalyst at 265 °C and 55.1 bar. Hydrogen selectivities of up to 60% were observed. The hydrogen selectivity was a function of space velocity. A 4 wt% Pt/SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst at 260 °C and 51.7 bar was used for alkane production by APD/H. The carbon conversion to gas phase products of 35% with alkane selectivity of 45% was obtained for a WHSV of 0.96 h−1 when hydrogen is produced in situ from bio-oil. Alkane selectivity can be improved by supplying hydrogen externally. Alkane selectivities as high as 97% can be obtained when HCl is added to the aqueous-phase of the bio-oil and hydrogen is supplied externally. Model compounds for further bio-oil conversion studies are suggested.
Enhanced launch-off-capture transition fault testing

A novel scan-based at-speed test is proposed in which a transition can be launched either from the scan path or the functional path. The technique improves the controllability of transition fault testing and it does not require the scan enable to change at-speed. The scan enable control information is encapsulated in the test data and transferred during the scan operation to generate the local scan enable signals during the launch and capture cycle. A new scan cell, referred to as local scan enable generator (LSEG), is inserted in the scan chains to generate the local scan enable signals. The proposed technique is robust, practice-oriented and suitable for designs targeted for very low cost ATEs
Connection between bow shock and cusp energetic ions

[1] A linkage between energetic ions in the bow shock and the cusp is established using a three-dimensional (3-D) self-consistent global hybrid simulation, for a case of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) condition favoring high-latitude magnetic reconnection and inter-connection between field lines in the quasi-parallel bow shock and the cusp. A diffuse ion distribution is obtained in the quasi-parallel shock and foreshock region, where large-amplitude waves and turbulence are present. Its energy spectrum is well described by an exponential function as in the case for upstream diffuse ions previously observed. These bow shock accelerated ions, upon being transmitted into the cusp region, form the bulk of cusp energetic ions. By tracing particles from the solar wind to the cusp, it is found that the source of acceleration for the cusp energetic ions is predominantly in the quasi-parallel shock and foreshock region, through a Fermi-type acceleration mechanism. Contribution to the cusp energetic ions from magnetosheath/cusp waves and magnetic reconnection appears relatively minor. Owing to the limitation of the model used, the magnetospheric source for energetic particles in the cusp cannot be fully investigated.
Planetary Solitary Waves in Geophysical Flows

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes the planetary solitary waves in geophysical flows. It outlines the importance of solitary waves in large-scale geophysical motions. Large-scale motions of geophysical fluids and the related solitary wave models are studied. A review of the body of research carried out on mesoscale coherent structures observable in the ocean and the atmosphere is presented. The observation of these structures has been the primary motivation for a renewed interest in nonlinear, permanent-form waves, solutions of one-dimensional model equations endowed with remarkable properties. The chapter illustrates the one-dimensional equations, which are relevant for the dynamics of oceanic and atmospheric motions and of their solutions. A study of the initial value problem posed by the evolution of coherent structures is presented. The numerical accuracy needed to reproduce them is examined. The transition to the range of linear dispersive dynamics through the effects of dissipation is examined. Various functional laws of successively higher order and, therefore, more scale selective are also considered.
Modeling Primary Blast Injury in Isolated Spinal Cord White Matter

Primary blast injury (PBI) is a common injury associated with present military conflicts and leads to significant neurological deficits. In order to prevent and treat this injury, an appropriate understanding of the biological response is required. A blast wave generator was created as an experimental model to elucidate this response by creating a repeatable blast injury on ex-vivo guinea pig spinal cord white matter. Subsequently, this study defines approximate limits for blast force and provides a relationship between axonal damage, nerve conduction parameters and functional recovery. Action potential generation and physical deficits of spinal cords exposed to blast injury were measured using a double sucrose gap-recording chamber and a dye-exclusion assay. Results express an inverse correlation between the severity of blast injury and degree of recovery. Such an approach is expected to contribute significantly to the detection and prediction of functional deficits by providing a critical analysis of nerve damage in order to effectively devise and implement repair techniques for PBI. Blast-induced neurotrauma is a common injury modality associated with the current war efforts and increasing levels of terrorist activity (1-3). Exposure to the primary pressure wave generated by explosive devices causes significant neurological deficits and is responsible for many of the war related pathologies during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terror. PBI in the central nervous system (CNS) causes neuronal death and leads to decreased neurological function. Following the initial impact trauma, the secondary biochemical response associated with neurotrauma, such as the production of free radicals and the increased expression of acrolein (a known neuronal toxin), further degrades the injury site. (4) Despite the far-reaching effects of the aforementioned debilitating disorders, the underlying mechanisms governing the functional loss associated with the CNS are poorly understood. Previously established animal models for blast injury have analyzed global responses, but lack an understanding of the physical injury and the primary and secondary response mechanisms at the tissue level (5-7). Poor characterization of these reactions prevents adequate intervention and treatment. Therefore, appropriate understanding of the mechanisms involved in blast injury is paramount for increasing soldier survivability and treating afflicted individuals. The current study introduces several novel ex vitro techniques to model the effects of PBI in an attempt to elucidate the mechanisms of blast injuries on the CNS, particularly in relation to spinal cord tissue. For this study, a blast wave generator was created to model an improvised explosion in order to create a reproducible and controllable degree of injury for analysis. Functional and anatomical deficits resulting from blast exposure will be continuously monitored using an electrophysiological recording apparatus to characterize neurological activity and a dye-exclusion assay to quantify axonal membrane integrity.
Involvement of imidazoline and opioid receptors in the enhancement of clonidine-induced analgesia by sulfisoxazole.

Clonidine, an α2-adrenergic agonist, has been demonstrated to produce significant analgesia and potentiate morphine analgesia. Endothelin (ETA) receptor antagonists have also been found to potentiate the antinociceptive response to morphine. Clonidine and ET have been reported to have cardiovascular interactions involving the sympathetic nervous system, but it is not known whether ETA receptor antagonist affects clonidine analgesia. This study examined the influence of sulfisoxazole (ETA receptor antagonist) on clonidine analgesia. Male Swiss Webster mice were used to determine antinociceptive response of drugs by measuring tail-flick latency. The effect of clonidine (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg, i.p.) alone or in combination with sulfisoxazole (25, 75, and 225 mg/kg, p.o.) on analgesia and body temperature was determined. Clonidine produced a dose-dependent analgesia and hypothermia. Sulfisoxazole (25, 75, and 225 mg/kg), when administered with clonidine (0.3 mg/kg), significantly potentiated (31% increase i...
Perturbations of shifts

Let S be the unilateral shift on the basis {en:n∈N}. It will be proven that S is similar to S+Lif∑iJ∈N|(Lej,ei)|<1. Analogous results about the bilateral shift and weighted shifts are proved by the same algorithm. In the process, the operator Δ: X↦AX − XB and its one-sided inverses are also studied.
Network dynamics of hippocampal cell-assemblies resemble multiple spatial maps within single tasks

The firing of place cells in the rodent hippocampus is reliable enough to infer the rodent's position to a high accuracy; however, hippocampal firing also reflects the stages of complex tasks. Theories have suggested that these task-stage responses may reflect changes in reference frame related to task-related subgoals. If the hippocampus represents an environment in multiple ways depending on a task's demands, then switching between these cell assemblies should be detectable as a switch in spatial maps or reference frames. Place cells exhibit extreme temporal variability or "overdispersion," which Fenton et al. suggest reflects changes in active cell-assemblies. If reference-frame switching exists, investigating the relationship of the single cell variability described by Fenton and colleagues to network level processes provides an entry point to understanding the relationship between cell-assembly-like mechanisms and an animal's behavior. We tested the cell-assembly explanation for overdispersion by recording hippocampal neural ensembles from rats running three tasks of varying spatial complexity: linear track (LT), cylinder-foraging (CF), and cylinder-goal (CG). Consistent with the reports by Fenton and colleagues, hippocampal place cells showed high variance in their firing rates across place field passes on the CF and CG tasks. The directional firing of hippocampal place cells on LT provided a test of the reference-frame hypothesis: ignoring direction produced overdispersion similar to the CF and CG tasks; taking direction into account produced a significant decrease in overdispersion. To directly examine the possibility of a network modulation of cell-assemblies, we clustered the firing patterns within each pixel and chained them together to construct whole-environment spatial firing maps. Maps were internally self-consistent, switching with mean rates of several hundred milliseconds. There were significant increases in map-switching rates following reward-related events on the LT and CG tasks, but not on the CF task. Our results link single cell variability with network-level processes and imply that hippocampal spatial representations are made up of multiple, continuous sub-maps, the selection of which depends on the animal's goals when reward is tied to the animal's spatial behavior.
Effect of rubratoxin and aflatoxin on oxygen consumption of Krebs cycle intermediates

The in vitro and in vivo effects of rubratoxin B and aflatoxin B1 were examined using whole homogenates and mitochondria from livers of various animal species. At a concentration of 3.28 × 10−4 m, rubratoxin inhibited, in mice, the in vitro oxygen uptake of Krebs cycle intermediates, particularly citrate and succinate. Inhibition was greater in males. Inhibition of oxygen uptake in brain and ileum homogenates was greater than in liver homogenates. Succinate was the only Krebs cycle intermediate inhibited by rubratoxin to a greater extent in vitro than in vivo. A varied species susceptibility to poisoning by rubratoxin also was observed. Aflatoxin inhibited oxygen uptake in vivo but not in vitro in all species examined except weanling rats. Rubratoxin was the inhibitory agent in in vitro mixtures of rubratoxin B and aflatoxin B1. Neither mycotoxin had an in vitro effect on P/O ratios or on glycolysis in liver homogenates from male mice.
1,3-bis(benzoxazine) from cashew nut shell oil and diaminodiphenyl methane and its composites with wood flour

Cashew nut oil-based benzoxazine monomer has been synthesized applying solvent-less method through the Mannich reaction of cashew nut shell oil as phenol, amine, and formaldehyde. A difunctional 1,3-benzoxazine is synthesized using diaminodiphenyl methane as the amine component. 1H and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are used to characterize the structure of the monomers. Wood flour is used to prepare composites, making both reinforcement and matrix resin the materials derived from renewable resources. Observation of catalytic effects on DSC exothermic temperature and crosslink density by the added wood flour is discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
A neurocomputational model of automatic sequence production

Most behaviors unfold in time and include a sequence of submovements or cognitive activities. In addition, most behaviors are automatic and repeated daily throughout life. Yet, relatively little is known about the neurobiology of automatic sequence production. Past research suggests a gradual transfer from the associative striatum to the sensorimotor striatum, but a number of more recent studies challenge this role of the BG in automatic sequence production. In this article, we propose a new neurocomputational model of automatic sequence production in which the main role of the BG is to train cortical-cortical connections within the premotor areas that are responsible for automatic sequence production. The new model is used to simulate four different data sets from human and nonhuman animals, including 1 behavioral data e.g., RTs, 2 electrophysiology data e.g., single-neuron recordings, 3 macrostructure data e.g., TMS, and 4 neurological circuit data e.g., inactivation studies. We conclude with a comparison of the new model with existing models of automatic sequence production and discuss a possible new role for the BG in automaticity and its implication for Parkinson's disease.
Using information asymmetry to mitigate hold-ups in supply chains

Abstract Realizing the maximum benefits from an inter-firm relationship often requires a level of cooperation that can be difficult to establish. We study how to encourage one party, herein the seller, to make a cooperative, relation-specific investment that will increase the trade profits to be shared by the buyer and seller (i.e., surplus). The seller, fearing he will be held up by a self-interested buyer, often refrains from investing or attempts to protect himself with costly, and sometimes ineffective, protection mechanisms such as vertical integration and contracts. We propose that information asymmetry, controlled by the seller, can help reduce the risk that the seller will be worse off after making the investment than before and, accordingly, encourages seller investment. Although self-interested behavior is usually assumed by extant hold-up research and is the crux of the hold-up problem, fair purchasing practices have also been documented. Accordingly, we examine the effectiveness of information asymmetry controlling for the non-investor purchasing practices and investigate whether trade offers expected by the sellers mediate the relationship between information asymmetry and the relation-specific investment. To test our hypotheses, we conduct an experiment and find that aggregating the seller’s investment and production costs encourages the seller to invest in relation-specific cooperative investments. Moreover, when buyers are expected to follow self-interested purchasing practices, the seller expects higher buyer offers when buyers possess aggregated seller’s investment and production cost information than when they possess disaggregated information. Those expectations in turn impact sellers’ decision of whether to make a cooperative investment. Finally, supplemental analysis shows that aggregating seller’s cost information does not reduce trade efficiency; thus confirming that information asymmetry can help mitigate hold-ups in the supply chain.
Teoria do Direito Contemporâneo: Novas Reflexões a Partir da Perspectiva das Três Matrizes Jurídicas

Pretende-se, com o presente texto, apresentar a perspectiva das Tres Matrizes Juridicas como uma importante contribuicao de Leonel Severo Rocha, autor de grande relevância para a formacao do pensamento juridico brasileiro, sobretudo no âmbito do desenvolvimento da pesquisa e Pos-Graduacao em Direito. Trata-se de uma perspectiva critica sobre as insuficiencias da dogmatica juridica, privilegiando uma observacao e reflexao complexa do Direito da Sociedade. Para tanto, a reflexao aqui proposta se pauta por uma epistemologia sistemico-construtivista, que se inscreve na propria perspectiva da Matriz Pragmatico Sistemica, cunhada por Rocha, vista como um espaco privilegiado para pensar o Direito em face dos desafios contemporâneos. Com base em pesquisa bibliografica, se reconstroi alguns singelos aspectos de grande importância da trajetoria desse grande pensador, bem como alguns aspectos de sua construcao teorica que interessa-nos acentuar, em especial a configuracao representativa do campo juridico a partir das Tres Matrizes do Direito.
Cuspidality in higher genus

We define a global linear operator that projects holomorphic modular forms defined on the Siegel upper half space of genus n to all the rational boundaries of lower degrees. This global operator reduces to Siegel's Φ operator when considering only the maximal standard cusps of degree n − 1. One advantage of this generalization is that it allows us to give a general notion of cusp forms in genus n > 1 and to bridge this new notion with the classical one found in the literature.
Abstract TP263: The Effect Of Moderate And Excessive Alcohol Exposure On Male Experimental Stroke Outcomes In Mice Is Androgen-Independent

Heavy alcohol use is a major stroke risk factor while moderate alcohol use may offer protective benefits. We have shown that moderate ethanol (EtOH) exposure reduces while excessive EtOH exposure i...
The influence of ice melange on fjord seiches

We compute the eigenmodes (seiches) of the barotropic and baroclinic hydrodynamic equations for an idealized fjord having length and depth scales similar to those of Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland, into which Jakobshavn Isbrae (also known as Sermeq Kujalleq) discharges. The purpose of the computation is to determine the fjord's seiche behavior when forced by iceberg calving, capsize and melange movement. Poorly constrained bathymetry and stratification details are an acknowledged obstacle. We are, nevertheless, able to make general statements about the spectra of external and internal seiches using numerical simulations of ideal one-dimensional channel geometry. Of particular signifi- cance in our computation is the role of weakly coupled ice melange, which we idealize as a simple array of 20 icebergs of uniform dimensions equally spaced within the fjord. We find that the presence of these icebergs acts to (1) slow down the propagation of both external and internal seiches and (2) introduce band gaps where energy propagation (group velocity) vanishes. If energy is introduced into the fjord within the period range covered by a band gap, it will remain trapped as an evanescent oscillatory mode near its source, thus contributing to localized energy dissipation and ice/melange fragmentation.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Constipation: A Case Report

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heterogeneous group of heritable group of disorders in which the amount of type-1 collagen is decreased or the type 1 collagen is abnormal . 90% of cases are due to autosomal dominant mutations, while the remaining 10% are due to autosomal recessive mutations or of unknown cause. Type III was found to be associated with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) problems including constipation. There are two studies that showed that children and adults who have OI Type III are more likely to have constipation and complaints of abdominal pain, constipation was contributed to pelvic deformities in those reports. We present a case of an 18 year- old female with chronic constipation and that was found to have Hirschsprung’s disease.
Life Cycle and Parasitism of Micromus posticus and M. subanticus in Florida

Life cycles of Micromus posticus (Walker) and M. subanticus (Walker) on aphids in the laboratory gave modes of 18 days for M. posticus and 15–17 days for M. subanticus. M. posticus averaged 26.8 eggs/day for 19 days; M. subanticus averaged 23.6 eggs/day for 26.5 days. Anacharis sp. parasitized larvae of M. subanticus but not those of M. posticus.
srcSlice: a tool for efficient static forward slicing

An efficient lightweight forward static slicing tool is presented. The tool is implemented on top of srcML, an XML representation of source code. The approach does not compute the full program dependence graph but instead dependency information is computed as needed while computing the slice on a variable. The result is a list of line numbers, dependent variables, aliases, and function calls that are part of the slice for a given variable. The tool produces the slice for all variables in a system. The approach is highly scalable and can generate the slices for all variables of the Linux kernel in less than 15 minutes. A demonstration video is at: https://youtu.be/McvFUVSGg-g
Transurethral Prostatic Resection in the Treatment of Prostatism with High Urinary Flow

Abstract There were 51 patients with prostatism who were selected for transurethral resection of the prostate using clinical non urodynamic criteria. Urodynamic evaluation revealed that 13 patients had preoperative maximum urine flow rates greater than 15 ml. per second. The favorable postoperative outcome in clinical and urodynamic terms in this group of patients with high preoperative urine flow is discussed.
The Anxious Amalgam of the Wish for “Recognition/Revenge/Reparation”: Discussion of Rina Lazar’s “What Are We Doing There? A Therapeutic Tale”

In this discussion, the clinical utility of Winnicott’s notion of “object usage” is described and applied to Rina Lazar’s clinical material. In the light of this concept, our understanding of trauma and the role of the other in both constituting and ameliorating the effects of trauma are considered. A related area of inquiry is how the realm of intergenerational transmission of trauma might be traced out by the particular conjunction of the object’s availability for use in the face of the subject’s trauma. In weaving together the ideas of “use of the object” and trauma, the question of regression and its manifestations and meanings in clinical work are illuminated.
Optimal Saving and Prudence in a Possibilistic Framework

In this paper we study the optimal saving problem in the framework of possibility theory. The notion of possibilistic precautionary saving is introduced as a measure of the way the presence of risk (represented by a fuzzy number) influences a consumer in establishing the level of optimal saving. The equivalence between the prudence condition (in the sense of Kimball) and a positive possibilistic precautionary saving is proved. Some relations between possibilistic risk aversion, prudence and possibilistic precautionary saving are established.
A psychological flexibility model of medication adherence in psychotic-spectrum disorders

Abstract A new model of medication adherence, rooted in an understanding of psychological flexibility, is presented here to illustrate how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes might guide the development of more effective adherence interventions for patients with psychotic-spectrum disorders. Medication adherence is a product of a negotiated, collaborative agreement between patient and provider, and it is predicted by a number of internal and external contextual factors. Irrespective of the ongoing debates about the long-term necessity and utility of antipsychotic pharmacotherapies, data clearly demonstrate that suboptimal medication adherence in the acute phase of treatment for psychosis undermines their potential benefits and puts undue burden on the healthcare system. However, every patient's reasons for nonadherence are unique, those reasons can change over time, and a patient's attitudes and beliefs about medications can fluctuate and can be inconsistent across medications. Psychological flexibility provides a dynamic framework in which adherence behaviors can be interpreted through a contextual lens, allowing providers to work collaboratively with patients to improve their self-care.
Nicotine and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Schizophrenia

Smoking is 2–3 times more prevalent and quitting is 2–3 times less prevalent in psychiatric patients than in the general population. Whether this is due to neurotransmitter or behavioral deficits, attempts to combat medication side-effects, modeling or adjunctive behavior is unknown. Studies of the association of smoking and schizophrenia illustrate how smoking may modulate symptoms of a disorder and interfere with the efficacy and acceptability of treatment of the disorder. Thus, psychiatric clinicians and researchers need to record and adjust for the smoking behavior of their patients/subjects.
Sources of Uncertainty

This chapter examines the kinds of uncertainties that motivate the use of type-2 fuzzy sets and systems. Its coverage includes general discussions about the occurrence, causes, and nature of uncertainty, uncertainties and sets, uncertainties in a fuzzy system, and collecting word data from a group of subjects to demonstrate that words mean different things to different people. It is demonstrated that uncertainty is a commodity that can be used to control the rule explosion that is so common in a fuzzy system.
Hands that Rock the Cradle Rule the Entrepreneurial World? Promotion of Women Entrepreneurship

The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems has been gaining traction as we are moving more towards an entrepreneurial economy, and has emerged as a framework to explain the sustainability of high-gr...
Carbon nanofiber high frequency nanomechanical resonators

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) synthesized using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process are investigated as a new class of building blocks for high-frequency vibrating nanomechanical resonators. The CNF resonators are prototyped by using vertically oriented few-μm-long cantilever-structured CNFs grown by PECVD. Undriven thermomechanical motions and photothermally driven resonances are measured in the frequency range of ∼3-10 MHz, which exhibit quality (Q) factors of ∼140-350 in moderate vacuum (milliTorr) at room temperature. Further, characteristics of CNF resonators after platinum deposition and intensive electron beam exposure are investigated, and resonance frequency shifts due to mass loading on the CNFs are clearly observed. In addition, extensive material characterization of the CNFs using techniques such as X-ray electron dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) with spatial element-mapping reveals the structure and growth mechanism of the CNFs.
A Data Purpose Case Study of Privacy Policies

Privacy laws and international privacy standards require that companies collect only the data they have a stated purpose for, called collection limitation. Furthermore, these regimes prescribe that companies will not use data for purposes other than the purposes for which they were collected, called use limitation, except for legal purposes and when the user provides consent. To help companies write better privacy requirements that embody the use limitations and collection limitation principles, we conducted a case study to identify how purpose is expressed among five privacy policies from the shopping domain. Using content analysis, we discovered six exclusive data purpose categories. In addition, we observed natural language patterns to express purpose. Finally, we found that data purpose specificity varies with the specificity of information type descriptions. We believe this taxonomy and the patterns can help policy analysts discover missing or underspecified purposes to better comply with the collection and use limitation principles.
Evaluating the potential of chelation therapy to prevent and treat gadolinium deposition from MRI contrast agents

Several MRI contrast agent clinical formulations are now known to leave deposits of the heavy metal gadolinium in the brain, bones, and other organs of patients. This persistent biological accumulation of gadolinium has been recently recognized as a deleterious outcome in patients administered Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) for MRI, prompting the European Medicines Agency to recommend discontinuing the use of over half of the GBCAs currently approved for clinical applications. To address this problem, we find that the orally-available metal decorporation agent 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) demonstrates superior efficacy at chelating and removing Gd from the body compared to diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a ligand commonly used in the United States in the GBCA Gadopentetate (Magnevist). Using the radiotracer 153Gd to obtain precise biodistribution data, the results herein, supported by speciation simulations, suggest that the prophylactic or post-hoc therapeutic use of 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) may provide a means to mitigate Gd retention in patients requiring contrast-enhanced MRI.
“Ships that pass in the night”: Does scholarship on the social benefits of urban greening have a disciplinary crosstalk problem?

Abstract Two original research pieces – both about the outcomes of tree planting, with similar research designs, both published in January 2018 (Whitburn et al. in Environment and Behavior, and Watkins et al. in Cities) – cite precisely zero journal articles in common. This commentary presents a qualitative & quantitative analysis of the citation lists of these two pieces. Of 101 total journal articles cited across both pieces, I find no overlap in scholarly journal articles cited, and only 3 of 62 scholarly journals cited in common. One of the pieces cites not a single article from Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. I use the comparison between these two articles (one of which is my own) as an example of the potential pitfalls of inter- and transdisciplinary scholarship on the social benefits of urban greening. I conclude the commentary with several practical steps we can take as reflective and mindful researchers – steps I myself will be taking – to reduce the likelihood that important insights from the literature are missed during all phases of research.
Genetic testing and autism: Tutorial for communication sciences and disorders.

Abstract This tutorial provides professionals in communication sciences and disorders with an overview of the molecular basis and parental perceptions of genetic testing as associated with autism. The introduction notes the prominence of genetic testing within present-day medical practices and highlights related limitations and concerns through the lens of disability critique. The body of the tutorial provides an overview of four different forms of genetic variation, highlighting the potential associations with autism and available genetic testing. In sum, most autism cases cannot be associated directly with specified forms of genetic variation but are attributed instead to multiple genetic and environmental influences working in concert. Finally, the discussion focuses on parental perceptions of the genetic testing associated with autism, both the potential benefits and harms, and emphasizes the need to integrate first-person perspectives from autistic individuals.