cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety of early ambulation in patients undergoing ultrasound-guided femoral low angle arterial access technique (FLAT).

Purpose To evaluate the safety of early ambulation in patients undergoing transfemoral arterial interventions via ultrasound-guided femoral low angle arterial access technique (FLAT). Materials and methods A total of 58 patients undergoing 72 transfemoral arterial procedures that underwent an attempt at FLAT for femoral artery cannulation at our institution from November 2014 to July 2015 were retrospectively identified. Technical success was defined as obtaining less than a 35-degree angle of entry through the anterior wall of the common femoral artery. Patients for which a low angle was achieved were ambulated after 2 hours after hemostasis was achieved with manual compression. All patients received out-patient clinic follow-up which included ultrasound examination of the femoral artery. Chart review provided demographic data, pertinent past medical history, procedural information (type of procedure, size of femoral access sheath, time to ambulation), complications related to arterial access and follow up. Results Twelve patients were excluded from the study due to inability to analyze ultrasound images. A low angle was achieved in 37 patients (17 men, 20 women; mean age: 58.5 years ± 13.1 [SD]) undergoing 45 procedures who met inclusion criteria for the study, yielding technical success rate of 75%. There was a moderate positive correlation between the access angle and depth of the common femoral artery at the site of puncture (r = 0.45; P < 0.01). All patients were followed up within 2 weeks of the initial procedure in the outpatient clinic. No arterial access-related complications occurred. Conclusions Femoral artery cannulation using FLAT followed by manual compression and ambulation after 2 hours appears to be a safe approach.
A rapid method for calibrating Willmore seismographs

Abstract A method is described for calibrating Willmore seismographs. It could be applied to any other electromagnetic seismograph having a galvanometer period substantially shorter than the seismometer period. The method is rapid and involves very little equipment. An overall accuracy of 20% in the velocity sensitivity is easily attainable.
AN INTEGRATED VIEW OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: PAPERS IN HONOR OF HENNING WODE

AN INTEGRATED VIEW OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: PAPERS IN HONOR OF HENNING WODE. Petra Burmeister, Thorsten Piske, and Andreas Rohde (Eds.). Trier, Germany: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, 2002. Pp. xxv + 552. 40.00 € paper.Wode's lifetime of scholarship can be divided loosely into three general research areas, each of which comprises one section of this edited volume: theory-building in first (L1) and second (L2) language acquisition, the development of speech production and perception skills in L1 and L2, and immersion education and foreign language teaching. This first area of work, dating from the 1970s and early 1980s, draws in part from Wode's detailed analysis of the language of his four young children. The second, initiated in 1989 with Pieper, stems from a large-scale study of early phonological development. Finally, the third, begun in the wake of European integration, came out of his work to support immersion programs and language learning in preschools and elementary and secondary institutions.
Emotion regulation to idiographic stimuli: Testing the Autobiographical Emotion Regulation Task

Mounting evidence suggests that the ability to regulate emotion is crucial for psychological well-being. However, one important limitation of prior emotion regulation studies is that they rely on standardized stimuli low in personal relevance. To address this limitation, the current study employed a novel event-related potential (ERP) paradigm designed to investigate the late positive potential (LPP) as a measure of emotional reactivity and regulation to idiographic stimuli in 49 young adults. The Autobiographical Emotion Regulation Task (AERT) is a word-viewing task in which participants identify neutral and emotionally-charged autobiographical memories and generate keywords unique to each memory. First, participants are instructed to simply view the keywords. Then, participants are presented with keywords from negative memories and are either instructed to react normally (react condition), or to use cognitive reappraisal to decrease negative emotion (reappraise condition). Results indicate that the LPP was potentiated when initially viewing keywords for negative compared to neutral memories. Furthermore, the LPP was reduced during reappraise compared to react trials, demonstrating successful down-regulation of neural activity to negative idiographic stimuli. These findings suggest that the AERT is a feasible and effective probe of emotion regulation to idiographic stimuli.
Herbivores alter plant-wind interactions by acting as a point mass on leaves and by removing leaf tissue

In nature, plants regularly interact with herbivores and with wind. Herbivores can wound and alter the structure of plants, whereas wind can exert aerodynamic forces that cause the plants to flutter or sway. While herbivory has many negative consequences for plants, fluttering in wind can be beneficial for plants by facilitating gas exchange and loss of excess heat. Little is known about how herbivores affect plant motion in wind. We tested how the mass of an herbivore resting on a broad leaf of the tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera, and the damage caused by herbivores, affected the motion of the leaf in wind. For this, we placed mimics of herbivores on the leaves, varying each herbivore's mass or position, and used high-speed video to measure how the herbivore mimics affected leaf movement and reconfiguration at two wind speeds inside a laboratory wind tunnel. In a similar setup, we tested how naturally occurring herbivore damage on the leaves affected leaf movement and reconfiguration. We found that the mass of an herbivore resting on a leaf can change that leaf's orientation relative to the wind and interfere with the ability of the leaf to reconfigure into a smaller, more streamlined shape. A large herbivore load slowed the leaf's fluttering frequency, while naturally occurring damage from herbivores increased the leaf's fluttering frequency. We conclude that herbivores can alter the physical interactions between wind and plants by two methods: (1) acting as a point mass on the plant while it is feeding and (2) removing tissue from the plant. Altering a plant's interaction with wind can have physical and physiological consequences for the plant. Thus, future studies of plants in nature should consider the effect of herbivory on plant-wind interactions, and vice versa.
Lipid sorting and the activity of Arf signaling complexes.

Efficient signal transduction by lipid-anchored small GTPases requires assembly of specific complexes on cell membranes, comprising the small GTPase, and variably their guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), and effectors. In this context, the lipid membrane plays a key role in regulating the structural integrity and thus functional efficiency of the signaling complex. How small GTPases interact with lipid membranes is currently generating a great deal of attention. Karandur et al. (1), in the article “Multiple interactions between an Arf/GEF complex and charged lipids determine activation kinetics on the membrane” in PNAS systematically explore how the ADP ribosylation factor (Arf) small GTPase associates with Brag2, an ArfGEF, on lipid bilayers. The study uses X-ray crystallography, coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG-MD), and experimental reconstitution of the myristoylated Arf and Brag2 complex on synthetic model liposomes. Arf is a member of the Ras superfamily small GTPases that oscillates between an active GTP- and inactive GDP-bound state to regulate vesicular trafficking of membrane constituents (2). Arf contains a myristoylated N-terminal helical region, which anchors Arf to cell membranes. GTP-loading leads to recruitment of downstream effectors to membranes and signal transmission (3). Binding of an ArfGEF to Arf on cell membranes is an essential step in … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: john.f.hancock{at}uth.tmc.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Learning from Zu˜ni war gods: Repatriating alternative dispute resolution for practice and research

This article applies lessons learned from the Zu˜ni people of the southwestern United States about successful and sustainable intervention as a metaphor to address common tensions among alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scholars and practitioners. These tensions are found in professionalisation, institutionalisation and identification of best practices. Through example of Zu˜ni efforts to repatriate sacred artefacts known as Ahuy: da, I argue that ADR is an intervention that works best through direct and ongoing dialogue rather than rigid adherence to a set of standards. The problem lies in how such adherence can limit and distort rather than inform or support best practices in research as well as mediation practice. I propose qualitative, ethnographic field research as a way to address this problem, and provide an example from ongoing study of a US family court mediation programme.
Samuelson’s operationally meaningful theorems: reflections of E. B. Wilson’s methodological attitude

This paper sheds new light on Samuelson’s early methodology as presented in his Foundations of Economic Analysis (1947) by reflecting on the similarity between his mathematical economics and Edwin ...
Implementation and Preliminary Analysis of FACT-G Quality of Life Questionnaire within an Oncology Survivorship Clinic.

Purpose: To conduct a descriptive analysis of the results from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) quality of life (QOL) questionnaire, describe the outcomes from the FACT-G to drive treatment recommendations within the breast survivorship clinic and to quantify the severity of QOL issues experienced. Methods: A retrospective analysis utilizing medical records of participants in a breast cancer survivorship clinic. Measurement data included demographics and FACT-G results. Descriptive analysis of demographics and trends in referral recommendations and FACT-G scores was completed. Results: All 30 participants were females diagnosed with breast cancer of various stages, ages 28 to 81 years. Approximately 1.5 years elapsed between cancer diagnosis and completion of the FACT-G. Participants received surgery (100%), radiation (76%), and chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy (43%). Results demonstrated that participants reported having a lack of energy (24%) and were bothered by side effects of their treatment (20%). The greatest impact on functional well-being was difficulty sleeping (50%). Limitations: Decreased ability to generalize the data to breast cancer survivors due to small sample size from one institution and potential referral bias. Conclusions: Cancer survivors experience QOL issues throughout the continuum of their care, which can result in long-term effects on their physical, functional, social and emotional well-being. QOL is a major focus for cancer survivors and many times determines a survivor’s healthcare decisions. QOL measurements can be utilized at multiple points during survivorship to identify the need for referrals and to guide interventions.
MRI Guidance of Minimally Invasive Cranial Applications

Since the inception of intraoperative magnetic resonance (MR)-guided neurosurgery, a primary goal has been to enhance minimally invasive surgical techniques. One approach has been to obviate the effects of brain shift by drilling burr holes prior to MR scanning in an intraoperative MR-guided neurosurgery suite. This approach benefits from accommodating potential brain shift, prior to the acquisition of images that are used for trajectory planning and guidance. Alternatively, some investigators have engaged the MR scanner more directly in the planning and guidance of surgical trajectories. Two implementations of this concept are the 3D SLICER and prospective stereotaxy. In this chapter, we present an in-depth review of the transition from freehand neurobiopsy to functional neurosurgery by virtue of advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques using prospective stereotaxy.
Automated p-Mode Identification Using Bayes’ Theorem

The task of interpreting p-mode spectra is complicated by the presence of a very large number of oscillation modes, each of which may appear (because of aliasing) in the power spectra corresponding to several values of l and m. Identifying peaks in a power spectrum with particular modes in an interactive fashion thus quickly becomes impractical. Here I describe an automated method for doing this identification. The method is based on an application of Bayes’ theorem, which provides a simple way to use prior knowledge about the oscillation spectrum. The method takes as input the observed power spectra, and a model of the amplitudes and frequencies one expects to see.
Microglia and the Response to Brain Injury

Much has been learned about microglial cells in recent years, and perhaps the most consistent and important observation made in many different laboratories is that microglia are the first non-neuronal cells that respond to CNS injury. Microglia have been appropriately called “sensors of pathology” because of their ability to react quickly to virtually all kinds of acute CNS injuries (Kreutzberg 1996). The response of microglia to CNS injury is called microglial activation, and this process involves no less than four distinct characteristics of the microglial cell: its morphology, its mitotic activity, its surface phenotype, and its secretory activity. Depending on the nature and severity of the injury, these cellular characteristics may be influenced differentially. For example, microglial mitosis is greater after acute necrosis of motoneurons than after axotomy (Streit and Kreutzberg 1988), and microglial secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, is greater after traumatic spinal cord injury than after motoneuron axotomy (Streit et al. 1998). Thus, microglial activation represents a multi-faceted cellular phenomenon that generates many, and functionally different, microglial activation states.
“A Single Story”: African Women as Staged in US Theater

Thompson’s chapter examines the representational strategies that contemporary African American cultural producers utilize when characterizing African women. Using Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s notion of “a single story” expressed in her 2009 Ted talk as a starting point, this essay focuses on how contemporary US theater artists predominantly depict African women as victims of sexual violence and abuse. She compares the themes explored in Suzan-Lori Park’s Obie Award-winning Venus (1996) and Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize winning Ruined (2009), with Danai Gurira’s critically acclaimed family drama Familiar (2016). Thompson considers Gurira’s Familiar an example of what she terms an Afropolitan theatrical aesthetic because of the play’s departure from the conventional rendering of African womanhood as sexual victims and its depiction of upper class Africans immigrants living in the American midwest.
Circular RNA identified from Peg3 and Igf2r.

Circular RNA is a newly discovered class of non-coding RNA generated through the back-splicing of linear pre-mRNA. In the current study, we characterized two circular RNAs that had been identified through NGS-based 5’RACE experiments. According to the results, the Peg3 locus contains a 214-nucleotide-long circular RNA, circPeg3, that is detected in low abundance from the neonatal brain, lung and ovary. In contrast, the Igf2r locus contains a group of highly abundant circular RNAs, circIgf2r, showing multiple forms with various exon combinations. In both cases, the expression patterns of circPeg3 and circIgf2r among individual tissues are quite different from their linear mRNA counterparts. This suggests potential unique roles played by the identified circular RNAs. Overall, this study reports the identification of novel circular RNAs specific to mammalian imprinted loci, suggesting that circular RNAs are likely involved in the function and regulation of imprinted genes.
Radial gravity anomalies associated with the ejecta of the Orientale basin

Abstract GRAIL gravity data shows small-scale gravity anomalies radiating out from the Orientale basin between distances of ∼550 km (average distance to the Cordillera ring) and ∼1000 km. These radial gravity lineations are sometimes associated with secondary crater chains or catenae, of which the specific details of formation and their relation to the basin ejecta remain unclear. However, many of the radial gravity anomalies have no clear topographic signature at all. Typical anomalies have an average width of about 20 km, with a magnitude of ± 20 mGal, and a length of 50–200 km. Here we use gravity inversions, hydrocode modeling, and observations to investigate the radial gravity anomalies in more detail. Density inversion models show that the gravity can be matched by solutions ranging from broad low-amplitude anomalies with density contrasts of ± 20 kg/m3 extending to depths of tens of kilometers, to shallow high-amplitude anomalies with density contrasts of about ± 200–400 kg/m3 confined to the top ∼1–2 km of the crust. Hydrocode models of the low-velocity secondary impacts of basin ejecta show that the impacting material does not disperse – as occurs for hypervelocity impacts – but instead remains as a thin layer within the secondary craters. This remaining secondary projectile material derived from Orientale ejecta can explain the linear gravity anomalies associated with secondary crater chains and catenae. However, this does not explain the majority of linear gravity features that are not associated with secondary crater chains. Therefore, we conclude that the majority of radial gravity anomalies represent the structure of the ejecta deposit. This density variability within the ejecta of basins likely contributes substantially to the density variability of the shallow upper crust as a whole.
Creating a research culture on the way to AACSB accreditation

AbstractPerhaps the most challenging aspect of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation process for small, teaching-based universities is the formation of faculty mot...
Effect of processing variables on the mechanical and thermal properties of sheet molding compound

The increasing usage of sheet molding compound (SMC) materials in the automotive industry for weight reduction motivated this study on the effect of processing on SMC properties. The processing variables investigated werecure time, mold temperature, and mold pressure. A total of 15 different molding conditions were used to produce flat SMC panels from a laboratory mold. Tensile, flexural. and impact properties and heat deflection temperatures of these sample panels were measured. It was found that while the processing variables studied have little effect on the mechanical properties, they have a more severe effect on the thermal property.
A Novel Method to Measure the Effective Change of the Interfacial Energy due to Kinetic Self-Assembly of Amyloid Fibrils.

Adsorbates growing a self-assembled layer on a solid–liquid interface can significantly change the effective interfacial energy at the solid surface. However, measuring the changes in the effective surface energy while these adsorbates accumulate is challenging, as static contact angle measurements can be affected by the motion and accumulation of these adsorbates at the droplet’s boundary (coffee stain effects). In this report, we utilize a novel method that takes advantage of spin-induced dewetting to measure the change in the effective surface energy as the self-assembly progresses. We use a previously well-studied model system of self-assembled fibrils of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides on the mica substrate to demonstrate the feasibility of this method. Using variations of terminal spin speeds and acceleration rates, we measure the terminal spin speed at which a wetting–dewetting transition (WDT) occurs on a surface that hosts self-assembled Aβ12–28 fibrils. By comparing this speed with the WDT speed on the ...
The mean square discrepancy in the circle problem

We study the mean square of the error term in the Gauss circle problem. A heuristic argument based on the consideration of off-diagonal terms in the mean square of the relevant Voronoi-type summation formula leads to a precise conjecture for the mean square of this discrepancy.
Presence of Piracetam in Cognitive Enhancement Dietary Supplements.

This study analyzes 5 brands of dietary supplements to determine the prevalence of the nootropic drug piracetam in supplements advertised as cognitive enhancers.
Game theory: basics and perspectives

If you must be selfish, then be wise and not narrow-minded in your selfishness. Dalai Lama, 2002 NEGOTIATION is often characterized as interdependent actions involving a set of two or more decision-making units which have different preferences over the possible outcomes. By considering a negotiation process as a strategic interaction, we can shed light on interactive decision-making among actors who have a set of actions to choose from. In an interactive process, the actual or likely decisions by one agent have an impact on the other's choice of actions. Viewing this decision-making process within the structure of a game helps us explore different possibilities for solutions to conflicting preferences. In fact, game-theoretic analysis assists in uncovering order in seemingly chaotic interactions among negotiators. This chapter introduces a game-theoretic perspective in building a foundation for understanding structural conditions embedded in many conflict settings. It starts with theoretical assumptions about interactive decision-making and moves on to basic concepts involving the Prisoner's Dilemma and minimax. By introducing these and other concepts such as a dominant strategy and an equilibrium, the chapter lays the groundwork for further discussion about the dynamics of cooperation and conflict that will come later. Strategic interaction in negotiation In strategic situations where the outcome for each participant relies on mutual decisions, an individual's success depends on the choices of others. For instance, when one country concedes part of a disputed territory, they would want to have measures taken to ensure the territory is prevented from being used to attack. Not only one's own choices but also those of other actors drive the allocation of values. In other words, an ability to realize one's own desires hinges on what the other does (Schelling 1960). Thus the outcome derives from mutual influence of each other's actions and strategies, reflecting the decisions of all the concerned parties who have different interests. In general, negotiation has long been defined such that “choices of the actors will determine the allocation of some values,” and “the outcome for each participant is a function of the behavior of the other” (O. Young 1975, 5). More specifically, bargaining takes place because each actor's welfare is affected by the other's decisions.
Psychological intervention in the casualties of 4·28 train crash on the Jiao-Ji railway line

Objective To investigate the psychological characteristics in the casualties of 4·28 train crash on the Jiao-Ji railway track and to find a effective way to relieve the psychological crisis induced by traffic accident.Method A total of 226 casualties were assessed in respect of psychological crisis with interview questionfrom DSM-IV were treated with EMDR.The therapeutic effects of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) on ASD were assessed.Results The incidence of ASD was 9.73% (22 casualties).The major psychological consequences in casualties were intrusive symptoms,symptoms of hyperaroasal,and negative emotional symptoms.Significant differences on gender had been found in incidence rate of ASD female 14.85% and male 5.60%,P 0.05).Conclusions The women showed more severe psychological consequences than men after train crash accident.EMDR was effective treatment on ASD but negative emotional symptoms. Key words: Psychological crisis intervention; Traffic accident; Train crash; Acute stress disorder
Psychotic-like experiences and polygenic liability in the ABCD Study

Background: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) during childhood are harbingers for severe psychopathology, including psychotic disorders, and neurodevelopmental impairments in adolescence and adulthood. Methods: Data from children of genomically-confirmed European ancestries (n=4,650; ages 9-10; 46.8% female) who completed the baseline Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study session were used to assess whether PLEs (i.e., both total and the presence of significantly distressing) are associated with polygenic scores (PGS) related to psychopathology (i.e., schizophrenia [SCZ], educational attainment [EDU], psychiatric cross-disorder risk [CROSS], PLEs). We also assessed whether variability in global and region indices of brain structure (i.e., volume, cortical thickness, surface area) as well as behaviors proximal to PGS (e.g., cognition for EDU) indirectly linked PGS to PLEs using mediational models. Findings: EDU and CROSS PGS were associated with total and significantly distressing PLEs (all delta R2s=0.202-0.660%; ps<0.002). Significantly distressing PLEs were also associated with higher SCZ and PLEs PGS (both delta R2=0.120-0.171%; ps<0.02). Global brain volume metrics and cognition indirectly linked EDU PGS to PLEs (proportion mediated: 3.33-32.22%). Interpretation: Total and distressing PLEs were associated with genomic risk indices associated with broad spectrum psychopathology risk (i.e., EDU and CROSS PGS). Significantly distressing PLEs were associated with genomic risk for psychosis (i.e., SCZ, PLEs). Global brain volume metrics and PGS-proximal behaviors represent promising putative intermediary phenotypes that may contribute to genomic risk for psychopathology. Broadly, polygenic scores derived from genome-wide association studies of adult samples can generalize to indices of psychopathology risk among children and aid the identification of putative neural and behavioral intermediaries of risk.
Abstract P768: Vascular Cellular Adhesion Molecule Targeting for the Treatment of Acute Neurovascular Inflammation

Targeted drug delivery is an attractive strategy for treatment of life-threatening inflammatory brain pathologies such as ischemic stroke. In these conditions, adhesion molecule expression (e.g. va...
MuLan: Multilevel Language-based Representation Learning for Disease Progression Modeling

Modeling patient disease progression using Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is crucial to assist clinical decision making. In recent years, deep learning models such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) have shown great success in handling sequential multivariate data, such as EHRs. Despite their great success, it is often difficult to interpret and visualize patient disease progression learned from these models in a meaningful yet unified way. In this work, we present MuLan: a Multilevel Language-based representation learning framework that can automatically learn a hierarchical representation for EHRs at entry, event, and visit levels. We validate MuLan on modeling the progression of an extremely challenging disease, septic shock, by using real-world EHRs. Our results showed that these unified multilevel representations can be utilized not only for interpreting and visualizing the latent mechanism of patients’ septic shock progressions but also for early detection of septic shock.
Title IX and U.S. College Sports: Contemporary Challenges to Compliance

This Book Chapter outlines the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the persistent noncompliance resulting in continuing gender inequality, sexual harassment, sexual violence, and sex discrimination in college athletics. The Author provides possible explanations, including limits to the law to motivate compliance and the association between masculinity and power facilitated by sports that exclude females. Solutions given to ensure compliance include aggressive enforcement of Title IX by the Department of Education, enactment of antitrust laws, and the demand of accountability and the withholding of financial and public support by stakeholders.
Toward a New Federal Role in Infrastructure Investment: Using U.S. Sovereign Wealth to Rebuild America

As the United States emerges from the economic collapse of 2008, the question of how to address years of chronic underinvestment in infrastructure remains a pressing issue. Taken together, annual investment in public and quasi-public infrastructure systems of 4% to 6% of GDP ($500-$700 billion) will probably be necessary for the foreseeable future, but in an era of trillion-dollar deficits, no funding source is projected to have the capacity to generate funds sufficient for infrastructure investment at these levels. At the same time, there is a clear and immediate need for public and institutional pension funds to invest in instruments that can generate stable, long-term, and low-risk returns on equity. This article attempts to weave together the concurrent needs for infrastructure investment and improved returns to U.S. pension plans and begin a dialogue on a conceptual approach that could have the capacity to supply significant additional capital for infrastructure while at the same time addressing the ...
Verhalten von Gastrin und Magensäuresekretion bei akutem und chronischem Nierenversagen und vor und nach Nierentransplantation

Obwohl Gastrin kaum im Harn ausgeschieden wird, ist die Nierenrinde fur die Hormoninaktivierung in vivo und in vitro von grosser Bedeutung (1, 2). So werden beim Menschen etwa 40% des exogenen Gastrins und beim Hund 30% des endogenen, stimulierten Gastrins durch eine einzige Organpassage aus der Nierenarterie extrahiert.
Retail Image Dimensions and Consumer Preferences

This research attempted to determine the dimensionality of the retail image construct and how consumer preferences were related to retail image. The procedure was to collect similarities and preference data on shopping center image. Also, respondents were asked to rate each shopping center on fifteen image attributes. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) and matrix fitting techniques were used for evaluation.
Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Anxious Traits

Anxiety is adaptive and plays an important role in keeping us safe. However, when anxiety becomes too extreme, it can cause significant disruptions and distress. Understanding the mechanisms underlying excessive anxiety and how to best treat it is a priority for researchers and clinicians. There is increasing recognition that disruptions in the amount and timing of sleep are associated with anxiety symptoms and characteristics. In the current paper, we explore the intersections between sleep, circadian rhythms, and anxiety. First, we review accumulating evidence that anxiety is associated with disruptions in sleep and circadian rhythms in both clinical and nonclinical samples and across ages. Next, we discuss the data linking sleep disruptions with anxiety-related traits (anxiety sensitivity, neuroticism, and perfectionism) and patterns of cognition and emotion. Finally, potential treatment implications are highlighted. Overall, these data suggest that delineating the role of disruptions in the amount and timing of sleep holds promise for improving the lives of individuals with heightened anxiety.
Moral Hazard and Reform of the Government Safety Net

In recent years, we have seen banking crises in almost every part of the world. Not only have the crises resulted in government bailouts of the banking system with substantial costs to the taxpayer, but they have also often led to major financial crises which have produced severe economic downturns. A key reason banking crises have occurred is because of the moral hazard that arises from provision by governments of a safety net for the banking system which encourages excessive risk taking. How to minimize the moral hazard problem created by the government safety net is thus a crucial issue for the health of the financial system as well as the overall economy.
A Review of: “Language Minority Students in American Schools: An Education in English”

Language Minority Students in American Schools: An Education in English, authored by H.D. Adamson, differs from most other books on language minority students' education. Most other books focus on ...
Renal sodium/calcium exchange; a vasodilator that is defective in salt-sensitive hypertension.

The Na + : Ca 2+ exchanger is an important plasma membrane ion transport pathway that plays a major role in controlling [Ca 2+ ] i . In smooth muscle cells, it may function as a Ca 2+ extrusion pathway and may help lower [Ca 2+ ] in response to vasoconstrictor-induced increases in [Ca 2+ ] i . It may also extrude [Ca 2+ ] i and lead to vasodilation in response to vasodilators. Our recent studies have been performed to determine the existence and regulation of the Na + : Ca 2+ exchanger in renal contractile cells which include afferent and efferent arterioles and mesangial cells. Exchanger activity is present in all three of these contractile elements but is higher in afferent arterioles vs. efferent arterioles We have also examined the role of altered regulation of the exchanger in the SHR and in salt-sensitive hypertension With the establishment of high blood pressure, Na + : Ca 2+ exchanger activity is reduced in afferent but not in efferent arterioles in both models of hypertension. Other works in cultured mesangial cells and freshly dissected afferent arterioles, have shown that protein kinase C (PKC) up-regulates the Na + : Ca 2+ exchanger from Dahl/Rapp salt-resistant rats while it fails to do so in arterioles and mesangial cells from salt-sensitive rats. This defect in PKC regulation of Na + : Ca 2+ exchange is the result of a loss of PKC-mediated translocation of the exchanger to the plasma membrane in S mesangial cells. Thus, a defect in the PKC-Na + : Ca 2+ exchanger-translocation pathway may cause dysregulation of [Ca 2+ ] and help explain the dramatic decrease in GFR that occurs in this model of hypertension.
Auctions with Probabilistically Participating Re-sellers and Final Consumers

It is occasionally observed that auctions are designed to exclude the participation of final consumers. Resellers are the only participants in these auctions. This behavior is sometimes rationalized on the basis of transaction costs: it is cheaper to deal with a small group of individuals on a frequent basis than it is to deal with a large group of individuals on an irregular basis. In this paper we demonstrate that there is no need to appeal to any transactions costs. In particular, we show that a seller would prefer to exclude final consumers from an auction and sell the item to resellers when these resellers can gain access, at a cost, to a sufficiently bigger market than the seller himself. The intuition behind our result is that the re-sellers can recoup their expense for buying the item by reselling it to the final consumers. If some of them participate in the first auction and are outbid by the resellers this is an indication that their values for the item are relatively low. Outbidding part of their customer base is 'bad news' for the resellers and this depresses their bids when final consumers are competing with them. In fact, in the particular framework that we examine here the intermediaries do not bid at all if final consumers are present. The socially optimal and revenue maximizing choices of auctions format are not guaranteed to coincide. Even though it is possible that restricting participation of consumers is both socially and privately (for the seller) optimal, it is also possible that restricting participating is socially optimal but privately sub-optimal and vice-versa.
Development and manipulation of spontaneous eye blinking in the first year: Relationships to context and positive affect

The present study explored the development of spontaneous eye blinking (SEB) and its relationship to approach-inhibition behavior during the second half of the first year. The dopaminergic regulation of SEB in adult primates provides an empirical basis for studying blinking in infants, and dopamine's role in infant temperament provides justification for examining approach-inhibition specifically. A longitudinal design with an experimental manipulation was used to examine developmental change in the rate of SEB. Healthy, full-term infants (N = 74) were observed at 4 and 12 months. Blinking rate was observed during a quiet baseline and a randomly assigned stimulus condition. Then, approach-inhibition responses were examined as stimulus objects were presented. Experimental conditions altered blink rate at both ages, but the effects varied by age and stimulus type. At 12 months, individual differences in SEB were associated with positive affect during the approach-inhibition task. The divergent effects for the cognitive and social conditions suggest that the mechanisms regulating blink rate have distinct relationships to these behavioral domains and that these undergo changes during the first year. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 783–796, 2014.
Electron paramagnetic resonance absorption in high-Tc superconducting GdBa2Cu3Ox.

Electron paramagnetic resonance absorption has been measured in the Gd-Ba-Cu-O system. These measurements provide experimental evidence which supports the notion that the magnetic rare-earth ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ ions are decoupled from the Cu-O network in high-${T}_{c}$ $\mathrm{Gd}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{x}$.
Coding techniques of image data in spatial domain

The compression and decompression of gray-level-image files in the spatial domain using three different methods is examined. The first method uses the average weights of neighboring pixels to calculate the value of the current one. The second method combines weights and a delta value to estimate the missing pixel. The purpose of the delta value is to enhance the quality at the edges. The third method uses adaptive vector quantization. Codebooks of representative vectors are generated for different portions of the image. The performance of the coder is estimated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio. Coding parameters such as vector dimension, number of representative vectors, and searching technique are discussed. Compression ratios are examined as a function of signal-to-noise ratio, and running time. >
Serial changes in nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times after myocardial infarction in the rabbit: relationship to water content, severity of ischemia, and histopathology over a six-month period.

To determine the serial changes in T1 and T2 relaxation times of myocardial infarction, and their relationship to observed changes in water content, regional myocardial blood flow, and histopathology, rabbits were studied at 14 time intervals ranging from 30 min to 6 months after coronary artery ligation. All values were compared to a control group. Hearts were subdivided into infarct and normal segments for measurement of blood flow, water content, and relaxation times (20-MHz spectrometer); other hearts were excised intact for histopathologic studies. T1 relaxation time of infarcted myocardium did not change significantly compared to control over the 6-month study period. T2 relaxation time increased (P < 0.0001) at 3 days and returned to baseline by 2 months. Consonant with the increase in T2 of infarct, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) images at 3 days demonstrated an increase in signal intensity of infarct compared to surrounding normal myocardium. At 6 months, marked myocardial thinning was observed without changes in signal intensity. Changes in T2 of infarcted myocardium were not related to changes in water content or seventy of ischemia, but correlated best with infarct healing and scar formation as detected on histopathology. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that T2 relaxation time of the infarcted myocardium increases markedly at 3 days and remains elevated for 2 months. These changes correlate best with the onset and progression of infarct healing. These data demonstrate the potential of T2-weighted NMR imaging for assessing healing patterns following ischemic myocardial injury. © 1988 Academic Press, Inc.
Use of wide‐bore capillaries in constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis

A serious limitation of capillary electrophoresis in separating mutant from wild-type DNA sequences is the amount of DNA which may be loaded on narrow-bore columns. Because we sought to examine mutant sequences derived from more than 10(9) human cells, we were obliged to overcome this limitation. Thus we examined the feasibility of using wide-bore capillaries of 250, 320 and 540 microns in constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) using conditions which successfully limited the effect of Joule heating. Excellent separations were observed using the wide-bore capillaries comparable to those obtained using a 75 microns capillary. DNA loading capacities were increased almost 100-fold as the bore of capillary increased from 75 to 540 microns.
Comparison study: the impact of on-site comprehensive service access on self-reported health and functional status of older adults.

Objective To evaluate the impact of on-site comprehensive service access by comparing functional outcomes and self-rated health between 2 older adult samples. Methods Data came from 131 randomly selected residents living independently in 2 retirement communities that provided on-site comprehensive service access and 1723 community-dwelling older adults from the second Longitudinal Study on Aging, Wave 3 (LSOA II), who did not have compatible services access. All subjects were age 70+, white, with intact cognitive function, and had 12 or more years of education. We applied regressed measures of functional status and self-rated health on on-site comprehensive service access (yes versus no) in multivariate models that adjusted for covariates. Results After adjusting for covariates, results indicated that residents with access to on-site comprehensive service settings is significantly associated with less risk for activities of daily living (ADL) limitations (β = –0.40, P P ≤ .001), and better self-rated health (OR = 4.3; 95% CI 2.03–9.15) than the comparison group. Conclusion On-site comprehensive service access appears to have positive association on functional outcomes and self-rated health. Future studies should explore specific components of on-site comprehensive service access (eg, home health, social activities) that may account for these desirable outcomes.
Surgical pathology and the patient: a systematic review evaluating the primary audience of pathology reports

The pathology report is a critical document that helps guide the management of patients with cancer. More and more patients read their reports, intending to participate in decisions about their care. However, a substantial subset of patients may lack the ability to comprehend this often technical and complex document. We hypothesized that most literature on pathology reports discusses reports from the perspective of other physicians and not from the perspective of patients. An expert panel of physicians developed a list of search criteria, which we used to identify articles on PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Reviews, and Google Scholar databases. Two reviewers independently evaluated all articles to identify for detailed review those that met search criteria. We identified the primary audience of the selected articles and the degree to which these articles addressed clarity of communication of pathology reports with patients. Of 801 articles identified in our search, 25 involved the formatting of pathology reports for clarity of communication. Recurrent themes in proposed improvements in reports included content standardization, variation in terminology, clarity of communication, and quality improvement. No articles discussed patients as their target audience. No study evaluated the health literacy level required of patients to comprehend pathology reports. In summary, there is a scarcity of patient-centered approaches to improve pathology reports. The literature on pathology reports does not include patients as a target audience. Limited resources are available to help patients comprehend their reports. Efforts to improve patient-centered communication are desirable to address this overlooked aspect of patient care.
Functional Properties of Human Nicotinic Achrs Expressed by Imr-32 Neuroblastoma Cells Resemble Those of α3β4 Achrs Expressed in Permanently Transfected Hek Cells

We characterized the functional and molecular properties of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) expressed by IMR-32, a human neuroblastoma cell line, and compared them to human α3 AChRs expressed in stably transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. IMR-32 cells, like neurons of autonomic ganglia, have been shown to express α3, α5, α7, β2, and β4 AChR subunits. From these subunits, several types of α3 AChRs as well as homomeric α7 AChRs could be formed. However, as we show, the properties of functional AChRs in these cells overwhelmingly reflect α3β4 AChRs. α7 AChR function was not detected, yet we estimate that there are 70% as many surface α7 AChRs in IMR-32 when compared with α3 AChRs. Agonist potencies (EC50 values) followed the rank order of 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP; 16±1 μM) > nicotine (Nic; 48 ± 7 μM) ≥ cytisine (Cyt; 57 ± 3 μM) = acetylcholine (ACh; 59 ± 6 μM). All agonists exhibited efficacies of at least 80% relative to ACh. The currents showed strong inward rectification and desensitized at a rate of 3 s−1 (300 μM ACh; −60 mV). Assays that used mAbs confirmed the predominance of α3- and β4-containing AChRs in IMR-32 cells. Although 18% of total α3 AChRs contained β2 subunits, no β2 subunit was detected on the cell surface. Chronic Nic incubation increased the amount of total, but not surface α3β2 AChRs in IMR-32 cells. Nic incubation and reduced culture temperature increased total and surface AChRs in α3β2 transfected HEK cells. Characterization of various α3 AChRs expressed in HEK cell lines revealed that the functional properties of the α3β4 cell line best matched those found for IMR-32 cells. The rank order of agonist potencies (EC50 values) for this line was DMPP (14 ± 1 μM) = Cyt (18 ± 1 μM) > Nic (56 ± 15 μM > ACh (79 ± 8 μM). The efficacies of both Cyt and DMPP were ∼80% when compared with ACh and the desensitization rate was 2 s−1. These data show that even with the potential to express several human nicotinic AChR subtypes, the functional properties of AChRs expressed by IMR-32 are completely attributable to α3β4 AChRs.
Morphological feature-set optimization using the genetic algorithm

This paper is an investigation into the use of genetic algorithm techniques for doing optimal feature set selection in order to discriminate large sets of characters. Human experts defined a set of over 900 features from many different classes which could be used to help discriminate different characters from a chosen character set. Each of the features was assigned a cost, based on the average amount of CPU time necessary to compute it for a typical character. The goal of the task was to find the subset of features which produced the best trade-off between recognition accuracy and computational cost. The authors were able to show that by using all of the features or even major classes of them, high rates of discrimination accuracy for a printed character set (above 98% correct, first choice) could be obtained. Application of the genetic algorithm to selected subsets of characters and features demonstrated the ability of the method to significantly reduce the computational cost of the classification system and maintain or increase accuracy from the case where a complete set of features was used.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.