cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of transforming growth factor beta 1 by purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

We examined the ability of purified protein derivative (PPD) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to induce transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), a potent immunosuppressive and macrophage-deactivating molecule, in blood monocytes from healthy individuals. TBF-beta 1 activity in PPD-induced monocyte supernatants was identified by Western immunoblot analysis and was not inhibited by polymyxin B, an inhibitor of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Furthermore, PPD at equivalent amounts in weight to LPS was as potent in stimulation of monocyte production of TGF-beta 1 at 24 h of culture, as quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The inducing effect of PPD, in contrast to that of LPS, was sustained at later time points of culture (72 h). PPD enhanced the constitutive expression of TGF-beta 1 steady-state mRNA in monocytes at 24 and 48 h of culture. In contrast, neither mycobacterial heat shock protein (64-kDa protein of M.bovis) nor LPS induced TGF-beta 1 mRNA. Decay studies suggested a transcriptional rather than a posttranscriptional effect of PPD on TGF-beta 1 gene expression.
Chloroquine Resistance in Plasmodium vivax

Emerging resistance to chloroquine (CQ) by Plasmodium vivax threatens the health of the hundreds of millions of people routinely exposed to the risk of infection with this organism. CQ has been the first-line therapy for vivax malaria since 1946 (32, 115). Plasmodium falciparum developed resistance to CQ in the 1950s (110), and today it occurs globally (91). Resistance by P. vivax was unknown until 1989, when Australians repatriated from Papua New Guinea failed routine treatment (94). Subsequent reports affirmed that finding, and CQ-resistant P. vivax (CRPV) was reported from Indonesia (8, 35, 99, 100, 111). Reports from Myanmar (76, 82) and India (56, 107) followed. CRPV appeared in travelers from Guyana, South America (88). However, studies in Thailand (38, 72, 103), the Philippines (10), and Vietnam (105) revealed only CQ-sensitive P. vivax. Surveys in Indonesia revealed a low frequency of CRPV in the west (∼10%) (15, 16, 49, 50, 51, 53, 75) and a higher risk in the east (∼45%) (9, 18, 52, 81, 102, 106). This minireview summarizes the present state of knowledge of CRPV as a scientific, clinical, and public health problem. It examines the genesis of CQ therapy for P. vivax and the laboratory and clinical data underpinning the diagnosis of CRPV. The available data showing the global distribution of CRPV are listed. Finally, the clinical data on alternative therapies against CRPV are reviewed.
Lag in Stream Channel Adjustment to Livestock Exclosure, White Mountains, California

Livestock have been excluded from riparian zones along many streams in western North America in an effort to restore aquatic and riparian habitat degraded by livestock grazing. Within these exclosures, channel adjustment to elimination of grazing pressure may lag behind plant recovery because of the time required to deposit sediment along the vegetated banks of the stream channel. Moreover, unless grazing is eliminated from the watershed, the channel within the exclosure must still accommodate increased runoff and sediment loads from upstream. This hydrologic regime may prevent a return to predisturbance channel morphology. Cross sections of the North Fork Cottonwood Creek in the White Mountains of California showed no significant difference in channel width within and downstream of a 24-year-old exclosure, despite a lush growth of stream bank vegetation that gives the impression of a narrower channel within the exclosure.
Vaginal electrohysterography: the design and preliminary evaluation of a novel device for uterine contraction monitoring in an ovine model (.).

AbstractObjective: Tocodynamometry is the most common method of labor evaluation but most clinicians would agree it has limited utility before 26 weeks of gestation. The obesity epidemic has further reduced our ability to accurately detect uterine contractions using the tocodynamometer at any gestational age. We sought to design and test a novel contraction monitor that bypasses the maternal abdomen.Methods: An optimized version of an intravaginal electrohysterographic ring device was tested in an ovine model. The device and its methodology as well as the tocodynamometer were validated against the current gold standard uterine activity monitor, the intrauterine pressure catheter in six sheep at varying gestational ages.Results: Both the intravaginal ring device and the tocodynamometer correlated well with IUPC, r = 0.69 and 0.73, respectively (p < 0.001). The number of contractions detected by each monitor remained similar even after accounting for confounders.Conclusions: These results suggest that uteri...
Pervasive satellite cell contribution to uninjured adult muscle fibers

Adult skeletal muscle adapts to functional needs, maintaining consistent numbers of myonuclei and stem cells. Although resident muscle stem cells or satellite cells are required for muscle growth and repair, in uninjured muscle, these cells appear quiescent and metabolically inactive. To investigate the satellite cell contribution to myofibers in adult uninjured skeletal muscle, we labeled satellite cells by inducing a recombination of LSL-tdTomato in Pax7CreER mice and scoring tdTomato+ myofibers as an indicator of satellite cell fusion. Satellite cell fusion into myofibers plateaus postnatally between 8 and 12 weeks of age, reaching a steady state in hindlimb muscles, but in extra ocular or diaphragm muscles, satellite cell fusion is maintained at postnatal levels irrespective of the age assayed. Upon recombination and following a 2-week chase in 6-month-old mice, tdTomato-labeled satellite cells fused into myofibers as 20, 50, and 80 % of hindlimb, extra ocular, and diaphragm myofibers, respectively, were tdTomato+. Satellite cells contribute to uninjured myofibers either following a cell division or directly without an intervening cell division. The frequency of satellite cell fusion into the skeletal muscle fibers is greater than previously estimated, suggesting an important functional role for satellite cell fusion into adult myofibers and a requirement for active maintenance of satellite cell numbers in uninjured skeletal muscle.
Window Glass Design Practices: A Review

Window glass design practice in the 1950s and 1960s was influenced to a large degree by manufacturers glass design charts, adopted by building codes and standards and utilized heavily by the design professions. In the 1970s, a changing design environment caused professionals to examine more closely design processes for window glass. Questions concerning wind loads, glass strength, failure risks, and window system behavior have prompted window glass designers to look beyond the glass charts for guidance. Problems exists because of the limited amount of data and information available on window glass in the open engineering literature. Activity in the field of wind engineering assists the designer with problems related to load definition, but troublesome problems remains, i.e., questions of glass strength, glass behavior under load, and acceptable failure risks.
Eizellenspende & Leihmutterschaft: Eine Rechtsvergleichung: Zweisprachig (Egg Donation and Surrogate Mothers: A Legal Comparison: Bi-Lingual)

Dieser Aufsatz ist zweisprachig. Er vergleicht U.S. amerikanisches Recht mit dem Deutschen im Bezug auf der Leihmutterschaft und Eizellenspende. Der rechtsvergleichende Wortschatz die ich hier vorstelle ist genau und richtig.The topic is egg donation and surrogate motherhood. The U.S. and German law in this field are fairly different, so the comparative topic is scientifically useful.This is a bilingual parallel text: the information is presented in English and German side by side, so that the essay teaches language as well as law. It proposes good equivalent technical terminology in both languages.
Finding the Balance in Internet Regulation: Defining ‘Reasonable Network Management’ in a Way that Preserves the ‘Open Internet’

This paper will first address some general FCC policies towards regulating the internet and some of its early attempts to do so. The paper will then specifically discuss the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning net neutrality and the open internet, and analyze the proposed rule’s definition of “reasonable network management.” Then the paper will describe recent legislative attempts to define “reasonable network management” or otherwise impact the FCC’s role in internet regulation. Finally the paper will try to describe a way in which the FCC can define “reasonable network management” that would permit the FCC to regulate the practices of ISP’s without subjecting ISP’s to arbitrary and unpredictable FCC regulation.
Biosynthesis of sulfated extracellular matrices by alveolar type II cells increases with time in culture

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which sulfate incorporated into biosynthesized basement membrane (BM) components increased as isolated type II cells progress toward a more type...
Best practices for developing DO-178 compliant software using Model-Based Design

Model-Based Design with automatic code generation is an established approach for developing embedded control systems and is now commonly used on applications that must satisfy the commercial aviation software standard DO-178B. Model-Based Design enables engineers to create advanced embedded software systems using an executable model as the basis for design, simulation, and software verification and validation. The complexity of modern aerospace systems has led to an increased use of Model-Based Design across the full software development life cycle from early verification to implementation and system integration. Maximizing the benefits of Model-Based Design in the context of satisfying the objectives of DO-178B (and DO-178C upon acceptance by the FAA) requires a level of expertise that often takes years of hands-on experience to acquire.
Process capability analysis for autocorrelated common-cause variation

A method of process capability analysis for autocorrelated common-cause variation is proposed. By utilizing integration of statistical process control(SPC) and engineering process control(EPC), the method can remove the correlation of process data and judge if the process is in control, moreover it can estimate the mean and standard deviation by analyzing of variance and regression method. Finally, the implementing procedure for process capability analysis is suggested, and an example indicates the effectiveness of the proposed method.
13-cis-Retinoic acid is an endogenous compound in human serum

The occurrence of 13-cis-retinoic acid as an endogenous component in human serum has been confirmed by cochromatography with standards in both normal-phase and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system, by the lambda max of its UV spectrum recorded simultaneously with the HPLC run, and by chromatography of its methyl derivative. The method using solid-phase extraction followed by a gradient reverse-phase HPLC procedure with an internal standard and sensitive UV detector, provides an efficient and sensitive technique for the separation and quantification of serum 13-cis- and all-trans-retinoic acid. Serum levels of 13-cis- and all-trans-retinoic acid in 26 fasting volunteers ranged from 1.0 to 2.2 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM = 1.4 +/- 0.3 ng/ml) and from 1.1 to 1.9 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM = 1.4 +/- 0.2 ng/ml), respectively. The levels determined by a liquid-liquid double-phase extraction method were 90% higher in both 13-cis- and all- trans-retinoic acid than those from a solid-phase extraction. Human small intestine can isomerize all-trans-retinoic acid. 13-cis-Retinoic acid is the predominant cis isomer after incubation of intestinal mucosa homogenates with all-trans-retinoic acid. Moreover, the concentration of retinoic acid in serum is related to diet in that the level of total retinoic acid was 36% higher (n = 10) 2 h after a nonstandard breakfast than in fasting subjects.
Survey of physical development in children aged 3～13 years old in Zhengzhou area

Objective To investigate the prevalence of height,weight,overweight and obesity in children from 3to 13 years old in Zhengzhou area. Methods The height,weight and body mass index were collected from 6 705 school children in Zhengzhou.By the survey data of nine provinces physical development in children in 2005,the detection rates of overweight and obesity rate were calculate,and their characteristics were analyzed. Results 1)The average of height in boys and girls was the same,and the body weight in boys was significantly higher than that in girls.2)Beside the height in boys from 9years old group was lower than the national reference,and that in boys from 13 years old group was equal to the national reference,the heights in other age groups were higher than the national reference value;the height in girls from 3~7years old group was higher than the national reference,and the heights in girls from 9and 13 years old groups were equal to national level,and the height in girls from 10 to 12age group was below the national reference.The weight in children from9 and 12years old groups were higher than the national reference value,while the weights in children from 10,11 and 13years old groups were the same as the national reference values.3)The detection rate of overweight was 12.11%,and obesity rate was 4.50%,and rates were 11.58% and 6.05%in boys,respectively,and were 7.81% and 2.64%in girls.The detection rates of overweight and obesity in boys were than those in girls. Conclusion There are low stature,overweight,obesity in children in Zhengzhou area.It is suggested that the relevant departments should pay attention to children's physical development,such as strengthen the education of publicity,enhance outdoor physical exercise,promote them good habits development.
A Javascript bouncing ball animation: nifty course assignment presentation

This article describes an assignment developed by the author for use in a Web programming course. The assignment uses XHTML, CSS, JavaScript and DHTML for simulating a bouncing ball. The assignment is designed with the goals of being fun and enjoyable and to give students the opportunity to practice working with different topics covered in the course. The article also discusses different ways of modifying the assignment to make it simpler or more challenging.
A comparative analysis of the conditional reflex discoveries of pavlov and twitmyer and the birth of a paradigm

Research on conditional reflex (CR) in Pavlov’s Physiological Laboratory has preceded Twitmyer’s work on conditioning at the University of Pennsylvania by 3 or 4 years. The events in Pavlov’s laboratory lead toward the postulation of a new paradigm that rejected the Cartesians conceptualization of the reflex as a mechanistic response to stimuli by replacing it with the Darwinian notion of the organism’s adaptation to the environmental conditions. The Pavlovian paradigm rejected the Wundtian method in favor of the objective, conditional reflex method.
Dependence of pmos metal work functions on surface conditions of high-k gate dielectrics

The effective work function of PMOS metal gate electrode as a function of intentionally altered HfO2 surfaces was investigated. The impact of capping layers, diffusion barriers and interfacial layers on the final work function was also examined. The factors responsible for the change in the effective work function after subsequent thermal treatments were identified and routes to maintain the high effective work function have been demonstrated
Familiarity increases the number of remembered Pokémon in visual short-term memory

Long-term memory (LTM) can influence many aspects of short-term memory (STM), including increased STM span. However, it is unclear whether LTM enhances the quantitative or qualitative aspect of STM. That is, do we retain a larger number of representations or more precise representations in STM for familiar stimuli than unfamiliar stimuli? This study took advantage of participants’ prior rich multimedia experience with Pokemon, without investing on laboratory training to examine how prior LTM influenced visual STM. In a Pokemon visual STM change detection task, participants remembered more first-generation Pokemon characters that they were more familiar with than recent-generation Pokemon characters that they were less familiar with. No significant difference in memory quality was found when quantitative and qualitative effects of LTM were isolated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Critically, these effects were absent in participants who were unfamiliar with first-generation Pokemon. Furthermore, several alternative interpretations were ruled out, including general video-gaming experience, subjective Pokemon preference, and verbal encoding. Together, these results demonstrated a strong link between prior stimulus familiarity in LTM and visual STM storage capacity.
Lending a helping hand for English-Chinese bilingual children’s idiom comprehension and retention: implications for early childhood educators

AbstractIdiom comprehension and production reflect a child’s language competence. Research suggests that there is a positive relationship between children’s reading comprehension skills and their idiom understanding. This study examines whether adult verbal scaffolding, in conjunction with the deliberate use of iconic gestures, can facilitate young bilingual children’s comprehension and retention of idiomatic expressions in their different languages. Twenty-three five-year-old English-Chinese bilingual children learned novel idioms across two experimental conditions. In Experiment 1, a native Chinese-speaking adult and a native English-speaking adult, respectively, taught children a set of Chinese and English idioms via speech only. In Experiment 2, the same adults, respectively, taught a different set of Chinese and English idioms via speech–gesture combinations. The results suggest that children could comprehend more idioms in both languages after being taught via the speech–gesture modality than the sp...
An Anatomic Evaluation of Arthroscopic Access to the Radial Head.

Purpose To determine the area of the radial head accessible for visualization and screw placement from the standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals used in elbow arthroscopy. Methods Five cadaveric elbows were arthroscopically evaluated using standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals. Markers (pins) were placed into the accessible portions of the radial head at maximal pronation and supination. Specimens were then evaluated by computed tomography, and the arc of the radial head accessible from each portal was determined. Results A continuous 220.04° ± 37.58° arc of the radial head was accessible from the combination of the anterolateral and anteromedial portals. From the anteromedial portal, the arc obtained measured 147.96° ± 21.81°, and from the anterolateral portal, the arc obtained measured 156.02° ± 33.32°. Using the radial styloid as a marker for 0°, the mean total arc ranged from 92.3° ± 34.06° dorsal to 127.74° ± 23.65° volar relative to the radial styloid. Conclusions Standard anteromedial and anterolateral portals used for elbow arthroscopy allow access to an average 220° area of the radial head. Clinical Relevance This study defines the area of the radial head that can be contacted using commonly used, safe, and simple portals.
Jugadores de veto y cambio constitucional ¿Se puede desbloquear la Constitución de Pinochet?/ Veto Players and Constitutional Change: Can Pinochet’s Constitution Be Unlocked?

Este articulo analiza las disposiciones de enmienda de la Constitucion chilena y las encuentra inusuales en una perspectiva comparada. Explica su peculiaridad desde las condiciones historicas de su adopcion original en 1925. Asi pues, encuentra que las disposiciones de enmienda son muy dificiles de superar, particularmente por las (justificadas) intenciones de reemplazar completamente la constitucion existente (de Pinochet). En consecuencia, no se pueden incluir enmiendas importantes en el nuevo proyecto, y es probable que la mayoria de las nuevas disposiciones tengan un caracter simbolico. The paper analyzes the amendment provisions of the Chilean constitution and finds them unusual in a comparative perspective. It explains their peculiarity from the historical conditions of their original adoption in 1925. It finds the amendment provisions too difficult to overcome, particularly because of the (justified) intentions of complete replacement of the existing (Pinochet) constitution. As a result, significant amendments cannot be included in the new draft, and most new provisions are likely to be of symbolic nature.
The Ventral Thalamus

The ventral thalamus, as usually defined in the adult brain, consists of the reticular nucleus, the zona incerta, and the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (Fig. 15.1). To this, many authors add the nucleus of the fields of Forel. The subthalamic nucleus, though sometimes included in the ventral thalamus by older authors and by some current describers of the human diencephalon, is excluded on account of its different developmental origin (Rose, 1942a; Chapter 6).
Challenges and Solutions for Handling and Characterizing Alkali-Tc-Oxide Salts

Though not often discussed explicitly in literature, sample handling and preparation for advanced characterization techniques is a significant challenge for radiological materials. In this contribution, a detailed description is given of method development associated with characterization of highly radioactive and, in some cases, hygroscopic oxides of technetium. Details are given on developed protocols, fixtures, and tooling designed for x-ray and neutron diffraction, x-ray absorption, Raman spectroscopy, magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, and electron paramagnetic resonance. In some cases, multiple iterations of improved sample holder design are described. Lessons learned in handling Tc compounds for these and similar characterization methods are discussed.
Minimum Expected Cost Optimization

A probabilistic optimum design approach is presented with minimum expected cost as the design objective. Statically determinate trusses are used to demonstrate the approach. The minimization of expected cost is shown to be equivalent to minimum weight with a probability of failure constraint. Sensitivity studies of safety index, cost of failure, and material and load parameters are presented. A simple design aid is included for the expected cost optimization of statically determinate trusses with random strength and deterministic load.
FRACTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE CRYSTAL AND EUTECTIC FIBERS

Abstract Single-crystal fibers are attractive for functional ceramic applications as active devices and are equally important for structural ceramic components as load bearing applications. The fracture characteristics of single-crystal fibers from a variety of crystal systems including the Al2O3/Y3Al5O12 eutectic were examined. The Young moduli of 〈0001〉 Al2O3, 〈111〉 Y3Al5O12 and 〈111〉 Y2O3 fibers were 453, 290, and 164 GPa, respectively, and agreed well with the literature. Single crystals of 〈111〉 Y2O3 were the weakest fibers and their strength did not exceed 700 MPa. The moderate tensile strength of single-crystal 〈111〉 Y3Al5O12 was controlled by the facet forming tendency of the cubic garnet structure and in some cases by the precipitation of cubic perovskite phase YAlO3. High-strength single-crystal 〈0001〉 Al2O3 fibers did not retain their strength at elevated temperatures. The data suggest that single-crystal 〈0001〉 Al2O3 failure is dependent on slow crack growth at elevated temperatures. The high-temperature tensile strength of Al2O3/Y3Al5O12 eutectic fibers is superior to sapphire (1.3 GPa at 1100°C) and demonstrably less prone to slow crack propagation. The Al2O3/Y3Al5O12 eutectic interphase boundary is of a coherent nature with strong bonding.
Catolicismo y mexicanidad:una narrativa desde la frontera norte

Este articulo busca desentranar el intrincado proceso de construccion de las identidades sociales en la frontera de Estados Unidos con Mexico. Aqui se analiza la forma en que diversos simbolos de la practica del catolicismo (considerados por muchos estudiosos como algunas de las principales caracteristicas culturales que comparten mexicanos y mexicoamericanos, junto con el lenguaje y la familia extendida) son empleados en el proceso de construccion identitaria por la poblacion de origen mexicano de ambos lados de la frontera. El objetivo es probar que, si por un lado tales simbolos catolicos pueden funcionar como espacios posibles para la construccion de la similitud, por otro lado tambien pueden ser utilizados para la construccion discursiva del Otro. En el articulo se hace uso de una teoria identitaria que plantea que la identidad no es una "cosa" (que un individuo "tiene" de una vez y para siempre, sino, por el contrario, una construccion en el tiempo que constantemente experimenta cambios, dada la continua negociacion con los Otros que dicha construccion entrana. ABSTRACT This paper seeks to unfold the intricate process of construction of social identity in the Mexico US border region. It analyzes the way in which different symbols of catholic practice (considered by many scholars as the main cultural characteristic shared by Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, in addition to language and extended family practices) are employed in the process of constructing identity for the population of Mexican origin on both sides of the border. The object of this study is to prove whether on one hand such catholic symbols can function as potential spaces for building this similarity, or if, on the other hand, they can be utilized for the discursive construction of the Other. The article is based on the identity theory that states that identity is not a "thing" that an individual "possesses" once and for all, but rather, a construction built through time which is constantly experimenting changes, due to the ongoing negotiation with Others that such construction entails.
Specifying Business Policy Using Agent-Contract Meta-Constructs

Business policy is a set of rules, regulations, invariants and definitions that govern the behavior of an enterprise. It is typically formulated by business people and formalized by lawyers. Business policy is often written down. However, much policy exists only in the memories of those who work for or with an enterprise. Still other policy is embedded in the code of enterprise software systems.
Forskolin effects on the voltage-gated K+ conductance of human T cells.

Forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase, modifies the voltage-dependent K+ conductance of quiescent human peripheral blood T lymphocytes. In the presence of greater than 20 μM forskolin, the average voltage-gated current in whole-cell patch clamp is significantly decreased. The voltage dependence and kinetics of activation are not changed from untreated control cells. However, inactivation becomes biphasic. Much of the current inactivates very quickly (complete in 10 ms), and the remaining outward current inactivates more slowly with a time constant closer to that of control cells. To determine whether this effect is mediated by a rise in intracellular cAMP, cells were preincubated and subsequently voltage-clamped in the presence of other agents that raise the cAMP levels in T cells (isoproterenol plus a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, or dibutyryl cAMP) with no effect on the K+ conductance. Similarly, cells put in whole-cell patch clamp with cAMP, GTP, ATP, and theophylline added to the electrode filling solution showed no change in K+ current. Because other proccdures that raise cAMP did not duplicate the effect of forskolin, we investigated the effect of 1,9-dideoxyforskolin, an analogue of forskolin that does not stimulate adenylate cyclase in human lymphocytes. This drug induced changes in the whole-cell K+ conductance identical to those observed with forskolin. Both forskolin and dideoxyforskolin inhibit mitogen-induced proliferation of lymphocytes. Because inhibition of proliferation occurs in the presence of known K+ channel blockers, these results suggest that forskolin has an effect on T cell mitogenesis that is mediated by inhibition of K+ conductance and is independent of cAMP.
Dynamic Symmetry in Hadron Physics: A Mesonic Puzzle for the U(4) ⊃ SO(4)Chain

We show that the dynamical U(4) symmetry of the mesonic color string has interesting spectroscopic implications, independent of other details of color dynamics. We classify the mesonic spectral interval according to the subalgebras in the U(4) chains into three types: O, U and N. The O type, in which the spectral interval decreases as a function of excitation energies, is shown to be more numerous in mesonic spectra than the other ones. The most frequent vibrational spectroscopic interval in the dynamical symmetry U(4) ⊃ SO(4) should be N type in the limit of infinite number of mesonic states. The relative infrequent occurence of the N-type interval in the mesonic vibrational spectroscopy is a puzzle.
Symptom-Triggered Therapy for Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Benzodiazepines are the standard medication class for treating alcohol withdrawal. Guidelines recommend dosing based on objectively measured symptoms (symptom-triggered therapy) rather than fixed dose regimens. However, the superiority of symptom-triggered therapy has been questioned, and concerns have been raised about its inappropriate use and safety. We aimed to assess whether symptom-triggered therapy is superior to fixed dose schedules in terms of mortality, delirium, seizures, total benzodiazepine dose, and duration of therapy. A systematic literature search using Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Registry through February 2018 was conducted for randomized controlled trials of patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome comparing fixed dose benzodiazepine schedules to symptom-triggered therapy. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Outcomes were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was estimated using the I2 statistic. Strength of evidence was assessed using methods outlined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Six studies involving 664 patients were included. There were no deaths and only one seizure in each group. Four studies reported delirium, which occurred in 4 out of 164 patients randomized to symptom-triggered therapy compared to 6 out of 164 randomized to fixed dose therapy (odds ratio, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.17–2.47]). Three studies reported duration of therapy, which was 60.4 h less with symptom-triggered therapy (95% CI, 39.7–81.1 h; p < 0.001). Six studies reported total benzodiazepine dosage, which was 10.5 mg in lorazepam-equivalent dosing less with symptom-triggered therapy (95% CI, 7.1–13.9 mg; p = 0.011). Moderate strength evidence suggests that symptom-triggered therapy improved duration of therapy and total benzodiazepine dose in specialized detoxification settings of low-risk patients but the applicability of this evidence in general hospital settings is low. There was insufficient evidence for any conclusions about symptom-triggered therapy for the major outcomes of mortality, seizure, and delirium in any setting. CRD42017073426
Perceiving effort as poor learning: The misinterpreted-effort hypothesis of how experienced effort and perceived learning relate to study strategy choice

How do learners make decisions about how, what, and when to study, and why are their decisions sometimes ineffective for learning? In three studies, learners experienced a pair of contrasting study strategies (Study 1: interleaved vs. blocked schedule; Studies 2 & 3: retrieval practice vs. restudy) and rated their perceptions of each strategy before choosing one for future use. In all three studies, mediation analysis revealed that participants who perceived a strategy as more effortful rated it as less effective for learning and, in turn, were less likely to choose it for future study. Further, choosing the more effortful strategy was associated with better long-term retention (Study 3), contrary to participants' judgments. A final fourth study suggested that these relationships were not driven by the mere act of providing ratings. Our results thus support a misinterpreted-effort hypothesis in which the mental effort associated with many normatively effective learning strategies (desirable difficulties; Bjork & Bjork, 1992) leads learners to misinterpret them as ineffective for learning and consequently not to employ them in self- regulated learning.
Zone 0 Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair Using Reverse Extra-Anatomical Aortic Arch Debranching Technique for an Anastomotic Pseudoaneurysm and Acute Aortic Dissection that Developed after Bentall's Surgery Combined with Sjögren's Syndrome.

A 66 year-old man with a previous history of Sjogren's syndrome was admitted with anastomotic pseudoaneurysm and aortic dissection in the ascending aorta, which developed after Bentall's surgery, a procedure that has severe complications and high mortality. Using the reverse extra-anatomical aortic arch debranching technique, zone 0 thoracic endovascular aortic repair was performed emergently. The postoperative course was uneventful. Twenty months later, computed tomography showed remodeling of the dissection, resolution of the pseudoaneurysm, and patency of the reverse extra-anatomical aortic arch debranching graft.
Deep Convective Adjustment of Temperature and Moisture

AbstractSimple process models and complex climate models are remarkably sensitive to the time scale of convective adjustment τ, but this parameter remains poorly constrained and understood. This st...
Kill me a mosquito and I will build a state: political economy and the socio-technicalities of Jewish colonization in Palestine, 1922–1940

Scholars see Israel as a settler state, comparable with North American, South African and Oceanian cases. But how was Jewish settlement-colonization in pre-Israel Palestine even possible? In the North American, Oceanian and South African cases, European settlers did not encounter diseases like malaria that scholars argue impede settlement. Palestine, however, had high malaria morbidity rates. The disease incapacitated and killed settlers and was one of the most serious threats to Jewish settlement and political economic development. I argue that the exigencies caused by malaria are exactly what fostered Jewish settlement-colonization in Palestine because they prompted the formation of socio-technical arrangements in order to combat the disease. These arrangements included, among other things, people, organizations, scientific knowledge, procedures and larvicides as well as considering the agency of mosquitos and other elements in the environment in disrupting settlement. These arrangements were marshalled by medical-national and political institutions that developed to combat malaria. Only then were Jewish settlers able to effectively colonize Palestine, make their colonies economically viable and make Palestine habitable for future Jewish immigrants. I demonstrate this argument by drawing on archival and library materials that describe the work of an important Zionist Malaria Research Unit (MRU) as well as malaria control efforts in Hefer Valley in the 1930s–1940s, after the unit’s disbandment. Then, I discuss the theoretical implications of this paper to settler-colonial and state-building literatures that, for the most part, neglected the socio-technical nature of state-building and settlement.
Stability of multielectron bubbles in high Landau levels

We study multielectron bubble phases in the $N=2$ and $N=3$ Landau levels in a high mobility GaAs/AlGaAs sample. We found that the longitudinal magnetoresistance versus temperature curves in the multielectron bubble region exhibit sharp peaks, irrespective of the Landau-level index. We associate these peaks with an enhanced scattering caused by thermally fluctuating domains of a bubble phase and a uniform uncorrelated electron liquid at the onset of the bubble phases. Within the $N=3$ Landau level, onset temperatures of three-electron and two- electron bubbles exhibit linear trends with respect to the filling factor; the onset temperatures of three-electron bubbles are systematically higher than those of two-electron bubbles. Furthermore, onset temperatures of the two-electron bubble phases across $N=2$ and $N=3$ Landau levels are similar, but exhibit an offset. This offset and the dominant nature of the three-electron bubbles in the $N=3$ Landau level reveals the role of the short-range part of the electron-electron interaction in the formation of the bubbles.
Direct Observation of the Depth of Active Groundwater Circulation in an Alpine Watershed

Author(s): Manning, AH; Ball, LB; Wanty, RB; Williams, KH | Abstract: The depth of active groundwater circulation is a fundamental control on stream flows and chemistry in mountain watersheds, yet it remains challenging to characterize and is rarely well constrained. We collected hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic head, temperature, chemical, noble gas, and 3H/3He groundwater age data from discrete levels in two boreholes 46 and 81nm deep in an alpine watershed, in combination with chemical and age data from shallow groundwater discharge, to discern groundwater flow rates at different depths and directly observe active and inactive groundwater. Vertical head gradients are steep (average of 0.4) and thermal profiles are consistent with typical linear conductive continental geotherms. Groundwater deeper than ∼20nm is distinct from shallow groundwater and creek water in its chemistry, noble gas signature, and age (dominantly g65nyears compared to l9nyears). Together these results suggest low vertical groundwater flow velocities and a relatively shallow active circulation depth of ∼20nm. This hypothesis is tested with a simple 2-D numerical fluid flow and heat transport model representing a hillslope transect through the two boreholes. The modeling indicates that the subhorizontally bedded sedimentary rocks underlying the basin are highly anisotropic with low vertical hydraulic conductivity, and at most ∼10% of bedrock recharge (equivalent to l2% of stream baseflow) flows below a depth of 20nm. The study demonstrates the considerable value of discrete-depth hydrogeologic, chemical, and age data for determining active circulation depth, and illustrates an approach for maximizing the utility of individual boreholes drilled for mountain bedrock aquifer characterization.
Developmental cannabidiol exposure increases anxiety and modifies genome-wide brain DNA methylation in adult female mice

Use of cannabidiol (CBD), the primary non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, has recently risen dramatically, while relatively little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms of its effects. Previous work indicates that direct CBD exposure strongly impacts the brain, with anxiolytic, antidepressant, antipsychotic, and other effects being observed in animal and human studies. The epigenome, particularly DNA methylation, is responsive to environmental input and can direct persistent patterns of gene regulation impacting phenotype. Epigenetic perturbation is particularly impactful during embryogenesis, when exogenous exposures can disrupt critical resetting of epigenetic marks and impart phenotypic effects lasting into adulthood. The impact of prenatal CBD exposure has not been evaluated; however, studies using the psychomimetic cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have identified detrimental effects on psychological outcomes in developmentally exposed adult offspring. We hypothesized that developmental CBD exposure would have similar negative effects on behavior mediated in part by the epigenome. Nulliparous female wild-type Agouti viable yellow (Avy) mice were exposed to 20 mg/kg CBD or vehicle daily from two weeks prior to mating through gestation and lactation. Coat color shifts, a readout of DNA methylation at the Agouti locus in this strain, were measured in F1 Avy/a offspring. Young adult F1 a/a offspring were then subjected to tests of working spatial memory and anxiety/compulsive behavior. Reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing was performed on both F0 and F1 cerebral cortex and F1 hippocampus to identify genome-wide changes in DNA methylation for direct and developmental exposure, respectively. F1 offspring exposed to CBD during development exhibited increased anxiety and improved memory behavior in a sex-specific manner. Further, while no significant coat color shift was observed in Avy/a offspring, thousands of differentially methylated loci (DMLs) were identified in both brain regions with functional enrichment for neurogenesis, substance use phenotypes, and other psychologically relevant terms. These findings demonstrate for the first time that despite positive effects of direct exposure, developmental CBD is associated with mixed behavioral outcomes and perturbation of the brain epigenome.
A Scoping Review of the Use of Social and Behavioral Change in Acute Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Initiatives

Purpose: Antimicrobial stewardship (AS) initiatives are implemented with a goal of reducing antimicrobial resistance. It is unknown exactly how many acute care AS initiatives have since been based ...
Improving risk adjustment with machine learning: accounting for service-level propensity scores to reduce service-level selection

The hierarchical condition category (HCC) risk adjustment model tends to produce over-predictions of health care expenditures for individuals who need less costly services and under-predictions of health care expenditures for those who need costlier services. This tendency leads health plans to effectuate service-level selection to attract profitable individuals and avoid unprofitable individuals. In this study, we propose an alternative model using machine learning (ML) techniques to reduce service-level selection by accounting for demographic and diagnostic characteristics as well as service-level propensity scores (SPS) that capture each individual’s need for each service (the HCC + SPS model). Using the 2013–2014 Truven MarketScan database, we compare the performance of the HCC model (the HCC-only model) and the HCC + SPS model. We first fit both models with ordinary least squares (OLS) because traditional risk adjustment models rely on OLS. We also fit these models with ridge regression, which is a regularized ML algorithm, in order to examine whether the performance of the HCC + SPS model improves when combined with ML techniques. We evaluate prediction performance at three levels: group-level, tail distribution, and individual-level. We find that the HCC + SPS model more accurately estimated health care expenditures when combined with ridge regression, especially for individuals with high expenditures. However, we found limited improvements when the HCC-only model was used with ridge regression or the HCC + SPS model was used with OLS. Our findings suggest that accounting for SPS in risk adjustment using ML has the potential to reduce service-level selection.
San Antonio Nathan Shock Center: your one-stop shop for aging research.

With evolving cores, enrichment and training programs, and supported research projects, the San Antonio (SA) Nathan Shock Center has for 26 years provided critical support to investigators locally, nationally, and abroad. With its existing and growing intellectual capital, the SA Nathan Shock Center provides to local and external investigators an enhanced platform to conduct horizontally integrated (lifespan, healthspan, pathology, pharmacology) transformative research in the biology of aging, and serves as a springboard for advanced educational and training activities in aging research. The SA Nathan Shock Center consists of six cores: Administrative/Program Enrichment Core, Research Development Core, Aging Animal Models and Longevity Assessment Core, Pathology Core, Analytical Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation Core, and Integrated Physiology of Aging Core. The overarching goal of the SA Nathan Shock Center is to advance knowledge in the basic biology of aging and to identify molecular and cellular mechanisms that will facilitate the development of pharmacologic interventions and other strategies to extend healthy lifespan. In pursuit of this goal, we provide an innovative “one-stop shop” venue to accelerate transformative research in the biology of aging through our integrated research cores. Moreover, we aim to foster and promote career development of early-stage investigators in aging biology through our research development programs, to serve as a resource and partner to investigators from other Shock Centers, and to disseminate scientific knowledge and enhanced awareness about aging research. Overall, the SA Nathan Shock Center aims to be a leader in research that advances our understanding of the biology of aging and development of approaches to improve longevity and healthy aging.
Stochastic Approximation Methods and Their Finite-Time Convergence Properties

This chapter surveys some recent advances in the design and analysis of two classes of stochastic approximation methods: stochastic first- and zeroth-order methods for stochastic optimization. We focus on the finite-time convergence properties (i.e., iteration complexity) of these algorithms by providing bounds on the number of iterations required to achieve a certain accuracy. We point out that many of these complexity bounds are theoretically optimal for solving different classes of stochastic optimization problems.
Isolation of glucosylceramides from yeast (Hansenula ciferri).

Abstract A glucocerebroside was isolated from the yeast Hansenula ciferri. The cerebroside contained only a single sugar, d-glucose, and several species of sphingosine derivatives and fatty acids. Phytosphingosine was detected only in trace amounts in some preparations, and was absent in others, in spite of the fact that the yeast is known to produce substantial quantities of tetraacetylphytosphingosine. Preliminary characterization of the sphingosines in the glucocerebrosides showed that they differed from the sphingosines found in animal glucocerebrosides. The major fatty acids in the cerebrosides were C16 and C18 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and an α-hydroxy acid with the chromatographic properties of 2-hydroxystearic acid. Periodate oxidation indicated that the glucosyl group was linked to C-1 of the sphingosine moiety.
Deadly Developments: Capitalism, States and War

Deadly Developments: Capitalism, States and War. S. P. Reyna and R. E. Downs. eds. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach Publishers, 1999. 282 pp.
The Global Replenishment Problem

Long transit lead times in supply chains and the uncertainty of demand during the replenishment lead time present a difficult problem of how best to provide the correct assortment of goods at the right time to each destination in a distribution network. However, goods in global supply chains can follow any one of a number of routes from any overseas origin to a particular final destination (retail store or manufacturing site). These alternative routes, and also the choice of how to load shipments in highly assorted loads or in containers with only a small number of products, provide flexibility, which, if properly exercised, can reduce global supply chain costs. We describe replenishment in global supply chains in detail, and we also present a formulation of that replenishment decision problem. We relate that problem to existing literature and describe various simplifications and extensions to the problem. Keywords: global supply chain; dynamic programming; discrete-event; simulation; postponement; distribution network; inventory management