cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative diagnosis of apical cardiomyopathy using contrast echocardiography

Abstract Background: The echocardiographic diagnosis of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ACM) has been limited by the frequent inability to visualize the apical endocardium. We hypothesized that the use of contrast agents in patients with suspected ACM, but nondiagnostic echocardiographic studies, would allow quantitative diagnosis. Methods: Contrast enhancement was performed in 26 patients with nondiagnostic transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) for the diagnosis of ACM; 6 patients with suspected ACM based on unexplained symmetric precordial T-wave inversions and increased apical tracer uptake on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans, 10 patients with normal electrocardiogram (ECG) readings and no history of hypertension (healthy group), and 10 patients with hypertension and ECG criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH group). Images were obtained with Optison (Mallinckrodt Medical; IV, 1.0 mL) using harmonic imaging and low mechanical index. Posterior (PW) and septal wall (SW) thicknesses were measured at end-diastole in the parasternal long-axis view. Apical wall thickness (A) was measured from the contrast-enhanced apical endocardium to the visceral epicardial surface in the apical 4-chamber view. A/PW and A/SW ratios were calculated for each group. Asymmetric apical hypertrophy was defined as an A/PW ratio greater than 1.5. Results: Contrast-enhanced apical thickness was greater than 2.0 cm in all patients in the suspected ACM group but less than 1.2 cm in all patients in the LVH and healthy groups. In all 6 patients in the suspected ACM group, A/PW and A/SW ratios were greater than 1.5. No patient in the healthy or LVH groups had thickness ratios greater than 0.85. Conclusion: Contrast echocardiography allows quantitative diagnosis of ACM in patients with suggestive ECG and SPECT but nondiagnostic TTEs. This study suggests that contrast echocardiography should be performed before using more expensive or invasive diagnostic testing for this condition. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:316-22.)
Continuous biosolids application affects grain elemental concentrations in a dryland-wheat agroecosystem.

Continuous land application of biosolids in a beneficial-use program changes trace-element availability to plants over time. Consequently, what regression model, if any, could best predict wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain concentrations in a biosolids-amended dryland agroecosystem? We calculated paraboloid, linear, quadratic, and exponential-rise-to-a maximum equations for grain Ba, Cd, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, and Zn concentration versus number of biosolids applications and/or soil NH4HCO3-dithethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (AB-DTPA) extract concentrations for two sites that had each received six applications of Littleton/Englewood, CO, USA Wastewater Treatment Facility biosolids. The paraboloid-regression models were superior (higher R2 values, lower S.E. of the estimate) to other models. Soils classified the same as the Weld soil (used in this study) at the family level (fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argiustolls) encompass 25 soil series in 10 US states with an aerial extent of 2.3 × 106 ha. The paraboloid-regression model approach probably would be applicable to these similarly classified soils.
Communicating quantitative risks and benefits in promotional prescription drug labeling or print advertising

Purpose Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, all promotional materials for prescription drugs must strike a fair balance in presentation of risks and benefits. How to best present this information is not clear. We sought to determine if the presentation of quantitative risk and benefit information in drug advertising and labeling influences consumers’, patients’, and clinicians’ information processing, knowledge, and behavior by assessing available empirical evidence. Methods We used PubMed for a literature search, limiting to articles published in English from 1990 forward. Two reviewers independently reviewed the titles and abstracts for inclusion, after which we reviewed the full texts to determine if they communicated risk/benefit information either: (i) numerically (e.g., percent) versus non-numerically (e.g., using text such as “increased risk”) or (ii) numerically using different formats (e.g., “25% of patients”, “one in four patients”, or use of pictographs). We abstracted information from included articles into standardized evidence tables. The research team identified a total of 674 relevant publications, of which 52 met our inclusion criteria. Of these, 37 focused on drugs. Results and conclusions Presenting numeric information appears to improve understanding of risks and benefits relative to non-numeric presentation; presenting both numeric and non-numeric information when possible may be best practice. No single specific format or graphical approach emerged as consistently superior. Numeracy and health literacy also deserve more empirical attention as moderators. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microarray and functional analysis of growth phase-dependent gene regulation in Bordetella bronchiseptica.

Growth phase-dependent gene regulation has recently been demonstrated to occur in Bordetella pertussis, with many transcripts, including known virulence factors, significantly decreasing during the transition from logarithmic to stationary-phase growth. Given that B. pertussis is thought to have derived from a Bordetella bronchiseptica-like ancestor, we hypothesized that growth phase-dependent gene regulation would also occur in B. bronchiseptica. Microarray analysis revealed and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed that growth phase-dependent gene regulation occurs in B. bronchiseptica, resulting in prominent temporal shifts in global gene expression. Two virulence phenotypes associated with these gene expression changes were tested. We found that growth-dependent increases in expression of some type III secretion system (TTSS) genes led to a growth phase-dependent increase in a TTSS-dependent function, cytotoxicity. Although the transcription of genes encoding adhesins previously shown to mediate adherence was decreased in late-log and stationary phases, we found that the adherence of B. bronchiseptica did not decrease in these later phases of growth. Microarray analysis revealed and qRT-PCR confirmed that growth phase-dependent gene regulation occurred in both Bvg+ and Bvg− phase-locked mutants, indicating that growth phase-dependent gene regulation in B. bronchiseptica can function independently from the BvgAS regulatory system.
Molecular Mechanisms of Conduction and Selectivity in Aquaporin Water Channels

Aquaporins (AQP) are a family of membrane channels primarily responsible for conducting water across cellular membranes. The availability of a large body of high resolution structural data along with numerous atomic-scale simulation studies have resulted in an unprecedented level of understanding of the mechanism of function and selectivity in AQP. In this article, after summarizing major highlights of structure-functional studies of AQP, we will report on some of our recent large-scale molecular dynamics simulations investigating the mechanisms of permeation of various substances through pure lipid bilayers and through multiple pathways provided by tetrameric structures of different AQP. Comparison of the results obtained for structurally highly homologous, but functionally distinct, AQP allowed us to identify novel mechanisms of gating and selectivity of these channels and to design mutants with experimentally verified, altered properties. When applicable, special attention will be given to specific aromatic amino acids and their involvement in various functional aspects of AQP.
Automatic Knowledge Base Construction using Probabilistic Extraction, Deductive Reasoning, and Human Feedback

We envision an automatic knowledge base construction system consisting of three inter-related components. MADden is a knowledge extraction system applying statistical text analysis methods over database systems (DBMS) and massive parallel processing (MPP) frameworks; ProbKB performs probabilistic reasoning over the extracted knowledge to derive additional facts not existing in the original text corpus; CAMeL leverages human intelligence to reduce the uncertainty resulting from both the information extraction and probabilistic reasoning processes.
Nonnuclear actions of estrogen.

Estrogen has long been observed to endow cardiovascular protective effects, as evidenced by sex-specific differences in the incidence of hypertensive and coronary artery disease, the development of atherosclerosis, and myocardial remodeling after infarction. To exert its tissue-specific effects, the classic estrogen receptor (ER) functions as a ligand-dependent transcription factor. However, there is growing evidence that in response to 17β-estradiol and heterologous signals, the ER can also mediate signaling cascades at the membrane and in the cytoplasm via various second messengers, such as receptor-mediated protein kinases. This review summarizes the current understanding of nonnuclear ER signaling and discusses the relevance to eliciting the beneficial cardiovascular effects of estrogen. These include vasodilation, inhibition of response to vessel injury, limiting myocardial injury after infarction, and attenuating cardiac hypertrophy. Defining the full repertoire of ER function promises to expose novel, highly specific targets for pharmacological interventions and may ultimately lead to the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Basilic Transvenous Biopsy for Investigation of Superior Vena Caval Syndrome

Percutaneous transvenous biopsy of an isolated obstructing mass of superior vena cava (SVC) is reported. Basilic vein access and King's endomyocardial bioptome have been successfully used. Metastatic cancer of SVC has been diagnosed and radiochemotherapy instituted, avoiding an undesirable thoracotomy.
Global time-varying stabilization of underactuated surface vessel

This note considers the stabilization problem of an underactuated surface vessel. Three global smooth time-varying control laws are proposed with the aid of different techniques. The first proposed control law makes the state of the closed-loop system asymptotically converge to zero, while the second and the third control laws make the state of the closed-loop system globally exponentially converge to zero. Moreover, the exponential convergence rate of the state of the closed-loop system can be arbitrarily assigned with the third control law. Simulation results show that the proposed control laws are effective.
Distribution of Clostridium difficile variant toxinotypes and strains with binary toxin genes among clinical isolates in an American hospital

Genetic variants of Clostridium difficile have been reported with increasing frequency, but their true incidence is unknown. C. difficile strains have been classified into variant toxinotypes according to variations in the pathogenicity locus encoding the major virulence factors, toxins A and B. Some strains produce an additional toxin, binary toxin CDT. This survey of clinical isolates (153) from patients in a single hospital set out to ascertain the distribution of variant toxinotypes and strains possessing binary toxin genes. A PCR-RFLP-based method of toxinotyping identified 123 (80.4 %) isolates as toxinotype 0, 13 (8.5 %) strains as non-toxigenic and 17 (11.1 %) as belonging to variant toxinotypes. Binary toxin genes were amplified by PCR in nine strains (5.8 %), all of which were variant toxinotypes. Toxin variants of C. difficile are pathogenic and commonly isolated and need to be considered when evaluating new diagnostic testing strategies for C. difficile disease.
Changing attitudes about change: longitudinal effects of transformational leader behavior on employee cynicism about organizational change

Using longitudinal data collected in two waves, nine months apart, from 372 employees, this research is an empirical assessment of individual-level change within an organizational setting. Specifically, strategies used by change implementers were operationalized as six transformational leader behaviors, and then hypothesized to influence employees' cynicism about organizational change (CAOC). A combination of social learning theory, and communication research served as the theoretical rationale to explain transformational leadership's hypothesized effects. As posited, transformational leader behaviors (TLB) generally were associated with lower employee CAOC. Further, the direction of causality was consistent in suggesting that the TLB reduced employee CAOC. A discussion concerning the ethical use of TLBs and recommendations for future research are provided. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bringing Capital Back In, or Social Democracy Reconsidered: Employer Power, Cross-Class Alliances, and Centralization of Industrial Relations in Denmark and Sweden

The political domination of Social Democrats in Denmark and Sweden beginning in the 1930s was stabilized by the absence of intense opposition by capital to reformist programs aggressively opposed by business and the Right elsewhere in the world. This quiescence was not a symptom of weakness or dependency; rather, it was a product of a class-intersecting, cross-class alliance behind institutions of centralized industrial relations that served mutual interests of sectoral groupings dominating both union and employer confederations. Well-organized and militant, and backed by Social Democrats, employers in the two countries used offensive multi-industry lockouts to force centralization on reluctant unions. Analysis of these cross-class alliances and their pay-distributional objectives is used to challenge a widely held view that centralization and Social Democratic electoral strength are sources of power against capital. It also occasions a reassessment of conventional understandings of farmer-labor coalitions and the decline of industrial conflict in Scandinavia in the 1930s. According to the alternative view presented here, capital was included rather than excluded from these cross-class alliances, and industrial conflict subsided dramatically in part because employers achieved politically what they had previously tried to achieve with the lockout.
Simulating cross-language priming with a dynamic computational model of the lexicon

Cross-language priming is a widely used experimental paradigm in psycholinguistics to study how bilinguals’ two languages are represented and organized. Researchers have observed a number of interesting patterns from the priming effects of both translation equivalents and semantically related word pairs across languages. In this study, we implement a self-organizing neural network model, DevLex–II, to simulate these two types of priming effects across Chinese and English. Specifically, our model incorporates a computational mechanism for simulating spreading activation based on the distance between bilingual words in the semantic space. The model also considers additional factors that modulate priming effects, such as the initial activation level of the prime words and the degree to which the target word can be recognized. Our model reveals differences with respect to the priming effects as a function of bilingual type (early versus late L2 learners), directions of priming (L1 to L2 versus L2 to L1), and types of priming (translation versus semantic priming). These simulated differences are compared with empirical findings from previous studies and discussed in the light of interactive and developmental theories of bilingual lexical representation.
Scalable Program Comprehension for Analyzing Complex Defects

We describe the query-model-refine (QMR) approach for retrieving and modeling information for program comprehension. The QMR approach allows the flexibility to design and execute application-specific problem-solving strategies to suit particular program comprehension goals. The QMR approach has been used for building a number of program comprehension tools for different applications: interactive automatic parallelization, business rule analysis, auditing safety-critical control software, and defect analysis. This presentation will be about a program comprehension tool called Atlas and we will show its use for analyzing complex defects.
Prediction of Complete Gene Structures in Human Genomic DNA

We introduce a general probabilistic model of the gene structure of human genomic sequences which incorporates descriptions of the basic transcriptional, translational and splicing signals, as well as length distributions and compositional features of exons, introns and intergenic regions. Distinct sets of model parameters are derived to account for the many substantial differences in gene density and structure observed in distinct Ca G compositional regions of the human genome. In addition, new models of the donor and acceptor splice signals are described which capture potentially important dependencies between signal positions. The model is applied to the problem of gene identification in a computer program, GENSCAN, which identifies complete exon/intron structures of genes in genomic DNA. Novel features of the program include the capacity to predict multiple genes in a sequence, to deal with partial as well as complete genes, and to predict consistent sets of genes occurring on either or both DNA strands. GENSCAN is shown to have substantially higher accuracy than existing methods when tested on standardized sets of human and vertebrate genes, with 75 to 80% of exons identified exactly. The program is also capable of indicating fairly accurately the reliability of each predicted exon. Consistently high levels of accuracy are observed for sequences of differing Ca G content and for distinct groups of vertebrates. # 1997 Academic Press Limited
INFLUENCE OF SEASON AND FREQUENCY OF FIRE ON HENSLOW'S SPARROWS (AMMODRAMUS HENSLOWII) WINTERING ON GULF COAST PITCHER PLANT BOGS

Abstract Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is a grassland bird that has suffered drastic population declines for over 30 years. Declining populations can be largely attributed to loss of breeding habitat, but loss of wintering habitat associated with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) communities, especially pitcher plant (Sarracenia spp.) bogs, along the Gulf Coast also may be a contributing factor. Fire is critical for restoration and conservation of remaining longleaf pine communities, but the influence of fire on wintering Henslow's Sparrows has not been evaluated. We examined the influence of season and frequency (time since burning) of fire on use of pitcher plant bogs by Henslow's Sparrows wintering in the Conecuh National Forest, Alabama, and Blackwater River State Forest, Florida, during winters of 1999–2000 and 2000–2001. Density of Henslow's Sparrows was greatest on bogs the first winter after burning. Although significant effects for season of burning were not found, bogs burned during win...
Structure and function of LIM domains.

Conserved domains found in many proteins provide surfaces that interact with other proteins. Such domains fold independently of the remainder of the protein and are structurally similar within a class of domains. Individual members of a class have sufficient sequence variation to provide high specificity for particular target sequences. Thus, in evolution, conserved structures were retained but variations were selected that provided specific function. Molecular recognition is a fundamental property in biology, long recognized in immunology (antibodies, T and B cell receptors) and in endocrinology (hormone receptors) and more recently appreciated in intracellular signal transduction and transcription processes. Proteins often contain more than one domain either of the same or of a different class that provide for assembly of molecular complexes. The domains discussed in this monograph are in general 40–100 amino acids in length and recognize relatively short but specific sequences in target proteins. In combination, domains and targets constitute a versatile and complex biological language for transfer of information.
Toward question answering in travel domains

The paper gives Answer Set Prolog axiomatizations of knowledge needed to answer questions about the content of simple travel stories. We assume that the background knowledge needed to understand these stories contains a hierarchy of classes relevant to them and concentrate on answering questions about locations of movers and cardinalities of different groups of movers. The axiomatizations allow to properly answer such questions for stories with various forms of incompleteness.
Electoral Integrity: The Confidence Game

First Amendment scholar Robert Post has finally trained his formidable intellect on the thorny problem of electoral speech and campaign finance regulation. He explains that the Constitution, as a charter of self-governance, must at all costs preserve the public’s confidence that their representatives are responsive to public opinion, not merely sporadically or episodically but continually. An absence of this "electoral integrity" means that the people have no faith in the fidelity of their government. And so an account of electoral speech within American representative democracy that is blind to the preservation of electoral integrity is doomed from the get-go. In Post’s view, the Supreme Court’s recent campaign finance jurisprudence — most notably, Citizens United — has ignored the unignorable concept of electoral integrity, at our peril. Post’s analysis admirably identifies the difficulty at the core of the status quo. I think it undeniably correct as a matter of democratic theory. However, I am less convinced that much of its utility survives the translation to constitutional law.In this short piece, I attempt to explain how a value as fundamental as electoral integrity can be an elephant in one sphere and a mouse in the other. Part I describes the distinction between democratic theory and constitutional law, and traces the limits of a concept like electoral integrity within the latter arena. Part II offers evidence of these limits through Citizens United, arguing that a decision more clearly engaging the principle of electoral integrity might well have arrived at the same outcome. Part III suggests more heft for theory in a different aspect of Citizens United: the articulation of burdens that regulations exact. And Part IV briefly considers that constitutional law’s capacity to incorporate some aspects of democratic theory but not others may simply reflect the different objectives of the different spheres.
Poly(ether–thioethers) by Thiol–Ene Click and Their Oxidized Analogues as Lithium Polymer Electrolytes

A family of nine poly(ether–thioethers) (PETEs) were synthesized by the radical coupling of a dithiol and a divinyl ether to investigate the importance of organo-sulfur incorporation in solid polymer electrolytes. Two series of four polymers each were synthesized to probe both the effect of the carbon spacer length between thioether units and of the ratio of ether to thioether units. PETE samples from these two series had low Tg values, ranging from −50 to −75 °C, and all but two PETEs displayed crystallinity. Molecular weights between 7 and 13 kg/mol were obtained for all polymers. Taking advantage of the sulfur-centered functional group, a single polymer, PETE-1, was selectively oxidized to the poly(ether–sulfoxide) PESO-1 and the poly(ether–sulfone) PES-1. Oxidation increased the Tg of PETE-1 from −64 °C to −36 and −26 °C for PESO-1 and PES-1, respectively, while all three were amorphous. Of the nine new PETE polymers, two were amorphous and the addition of LiTFSI decreased the extent of crystallinity ...
Accuracy of AFM force distance curves via direct solution of the Euler-Bernoulli equation

In an effort to improve the accuracy of force-separation curves obtained from atomic force microscope data, we compare force-separation curves computed using two methods to solve the Euler-Bernoulli equation. A recently introduced method using a direct sequential forward solution, Causal Time-Domain Analysis, is compared against a previously introduced Tikhonov Regularization method. Using the direct solution as a benchmark, it is found that the regularization technique is unable to reproduce accurate curve shapes. Using L-curve analysis and adjusting the regularization parameter, λ, to match either the depth or the full width at half maximum of the force curves, the two techniques are contrasted. Matched depths result in full width at half maxima that are off by an average of 27% and matched full width at half maxima produce depths that are off by an average of 109%.
Abstract 1530: Alveolar macrophage depletion decreases lung cytokines and decreases mouse lung tumor growth.

While anti-inflammatory therapies are being evaluated in lung cancer, the role of specific immune effector cells and their products in lung carcinogenesis is unclear. Alveolar macrophage numbers increase as lung tumors progress, and subsequent changes in macrophage function are linked to increased growth factor production, accelerated tumor proliferation, enhanced angiogenesis, depressed immune response, and metastasis. However, the signaling molecules linking alveolar macrophages to advanced lung tumor growth are not well defined. To examine how macrophages drive lung tumorigenesis, clodronate-encapsulated liposomes were used to specifically deplete alveolar macrophages in mice bearing chemically-induced lung tumors. Treatment efficacy was assessed by evaluating tumor burden, multiplicity, proliferation index and histologic stage. Alveolar macrophage populations decreased to ≤ 50% of control levels during six weeks of liposomal clodronate treatment. This was associated with significantly decreased pulmonary levels of IGF-1, KC, IL-6 and CCL2. The concentrations of these cytokines strongly correlated with decreased macrophage numbers in lung lavage fluid. Tumor burden and Ki-67 index was reduced by 50% in clodronate-treated mice, corresponding with the 50% decrease in macrophage numbers and cytokine content. Therefore, macrophage depletion attenuates lung tumor proliferation in vivo, consistent with our previous observations linking macrophage IGF-1 production and lung tumor proliferation in vitro. These cytokines appear to mediate macrophage-stimulated lung tumorigenesis, and are thus potential therapeutic targets in lung cancer and chronic inflammatory lung disease. Citation Format: Jason Fritz, Meredith A. Tennis, Alvin Malkinson, Lori Dwyer-Nield. Alveolar macrophage depletion decreases lung cytokines and decreases mouse lung tumor growth. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1530. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1530
Copper Interconnect Low-K Dielectric Post-CMOS Micromachining

A post-CMOS maskless dry etch process has been developed to fabricate MEMS structures compatible with commercial low-k copper interconnect processes. The micromachining in the copper low-k process enables the fabrication of an RF inductor with quality factor of 12 at 7.5 GHz and a variable capacitor operating up to 3 GHz. Reduction of fluorine concentration in the plasma for the low-k dielectric etch solves the metal delamination problems. Argon/oxygen plasma cleaning of fluorine residue from the copper surface greatly reduces the metal erosion when exposed to high humidity.
Colloidal Synthesis of PbS and PbS/CdS Nanosheets Using Acetate-Free Precursors

New methods are developed for the synthesis and surface modification of colloidal PbS nanosheets. We find that residual acetate is a crucial reagent for the formation of PbS nanosheets by existing syntheses. The amount of acetate in reaction mixtures is, however, difficult to control, which substantially reduces the reproducibility of the synthesis. To solve this problem, we develop an acetate-free synthetic method to yield colloidal PbS nanosheets with lateral dimensions of several hundred nanometers. The thickness and shape of PbS nanosheets can be readily tuned by varying the synthetic parameters. As-synthesized nanosheets have a photoluminescence quantum yield of around 6%. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy shows that the carrier decay in nanosheets is not a single exponential but involves surface defect states as well as multiple carrier interactions. The surfaces of PbS nanosheets can be modified by reaction with Cd(OA)2. Atomic resolution electron microscopy reveals the formation of PbS/...
A Foundation for Enterprise Imaging: HIMSS-SIIM Collaborative White Paper

Care providers today routinely obtain valuable clinical multimedia with mobile devices, scope cameras, ultrasound, and many other modalities at the point of care. Image capture and storage workflows may be heterogeneous across an enterprise, and as a result, they often are not well incorporated in the electronic health record. Enterprise Imaging refers to a set of strategies, initiatives, and workflows implemented across a healthcare enterprise to consistently and optimally capture, index, manage, store, distribute, view, exchange, and analyze all clinical imaging and multimedia content to enhance the electronic health record. This paper is intended to introduce Enterprise Imaging as an important initiative to clinical and informatics leadership, and outline its key elements of governance, strategy, infrastructure, common multimedia content, acquisition workflows, enterprise image viewers, and image exchange services.
The relationship between sensory latency and amplitude

Abstract Purpose: To prove that the relationship between sensory latencies and amplitudes is useful in determining the severity of neuropathies. This is achieved by deriving a mathematical relationship between sensory distal latency and amplitude. Determine whether sensory amplitudes below predicted correlate with a worse pathology. Procedures: Patients seen for Nerve Conduction Studies by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Cooper University Hospital between 12/1/12 and 12/31/14 were invited to participate in a prospective database. The median, ulnar and sural sensory latencies and amplitudes were analyzed with both linear and power regression. Patients with amplitudes above and below the regression curve were compared for latency, amplitude and velocity of other nerves. Carpal Tunnel Patients were analyzed to determine whether Median sensory amplitude below predicted correlated with more severe disease. Results: For the Median nerve, Power Regression Analysis showed a stronger correlation (R 2 =0.54) than linear regression (R 2 =0.34). Patients with Median sensory amplitude below the power correlation curve showed significantly longer ulnar sensory latency, and lower sensory amplitude than those above. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients with Median sensory amplitude well below predicted by the power relationship showed more advanced disease. For the ulnar and sural sensory nerve, the difference between power and linear regression was not significant. Conclusions: A power regression curve correlates sensory latency and amplitude better than linear regression. The latency amplitude relationship correlates with other parameters of nerve function and severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This implies that below predicted sensory amplitude may indicate worse disease, and could be a useful diagnostic tool.
Combinatorial synthesis and high throughput evaluation of electronic and photonic material chips

Publisher Summary The application of a combinatorial materials chips approach to the discovery and optimization of materials is a multistep process. The first step involves designing the materials chips. The second step is fabricating and synthesizing materials chips. The third step is high throughput screening of the materials chips. In the next step of the process, a “lead” composition or narrow-phase region is further modified or optimized. Finally, a material of interest is synthesized in large thin films or bulk forms and detailed structural and physical properties are characterized in the conventional manner. The combinatorial materials sciences approach has dramatically increased the probability of chance discoveries of functional materials. The work described in the chapter is only the beginning of a revolution in materials research. New techniques will be invented as more scientists join the game. Countless material problems that are important to industrial applications can be addressed with this approach. The successful combinatorial approach and new thin-film fabrication and characterization techniques will pave new directions in materials research.
Organoleptic Evaluation of Milk in Various Containers Exposed to Fluorescent Light

Pasteurized, homogenized milk packaged in unpigmented and variously colored paperboard and blown mold plastic containers was exposed to fluorescent light. Samples were evaluated for flavor by a trained panel after 3, 6, 12, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 h. All of the paperboard packages offered greater protection to light induced flavor changes than did blown mold plastic. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found among various colored paperboard containers, with unpigmented, yellow, and red offering less protection than the other colors investigated. Total light transmission through the various paperboard and the plastic containers was significantly different (P<0.05), with paperboard screening out more total light than plastic. Unpigmented and yellow-colored paperboard screened out significantly less total light than the other seven colors studied.
Exploring the Effect of Student Confusion in Massive Open Online Courses

Although thousands of students enroll in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for learning and self-improvement, many get confused, harming learning and increasing dropout rates. In this paper, we quantify these effects in two large MOOCs. We first describe how we automatically estimate students' confusion by looking at their behavior clicking on course content and participating in the course discussion forums. We then apply survival analysis to quantify the impact of confusion on students' dropout. The results demonstrate that the more confusion students express themselves and the more they are exposed to other students' confusion, the sooner they drop out of the course. We also explore the effects of confusion expressed in different contexts and related to different aspects of courses. We conclude with implications for the design of interventions to improve student retention in MOOCs.
What sets the size of current ripples

Water flowing over sand in fluvial and marine settings often results in the formation of current ripples. Found in modern and ancient deposits on Earth and Mars, ripple stratification records flow directions and fluid properties that are crucial to interpreting sedimentary records. Despite decades of observations of current ripples, there is no universal scaling relation to predict their size or to distinguish them from dunes. Here we use dimensional analysis and a new data compilation to develop a scaling relation that collapses data for equilibrium wavelengths of ripples forming under unidirectional flows. Results show that ripples are larger with more viscous fluids, coarser grains, smaller bed shear stresses, and smaller specific gravity of sediment. The scaling relation also segregates ripples from dunes, highlighting a narrow regime of transitional bedforms that have morphologic properties and sediment transport conditions that overlap with both ripples and dunes. Our analysis shows that previous absolute size–based definitions of ripples and dunes only hold for certain conditions, such as water flows transporting siliciclastic grains on Earth. The new theory allows estimates of ripple sizes in foreign fluids and on other planets, including meter-scale ripples in methane flows on Titan or in viscous brines on Mars.
The impact of diabetes on mobility, balance, and recovery after repositioning maneuvers in individuals with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Abstract Aim The prevalence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is higher in people with type 2 diabetes (DM). The impact of DM on mobility, balance, and management of BPPV is unknown. This prospective study compared symptom severity, mobility and balance before and after the canalith repositioning maneuver (CRM) in people with posterior canal BPPV canalithiasis, with and without DM. Methods Fifty participants, BPPV (n = 34) and BPPV + DM (n = 16) were examined for symptom severity (dizziness handicap inventory, DHI), mobility (functional gait assessment, FGA), and postural sway (using an accelerometer in five conditions) before and after the CRM. The number of maneuvers required for symptom resolution was recorded. Results At baseline, no differences in DHI or FGA scores were seen between groups, however, people with BPPV + DM had higher sway velocity in the medio-lateral direction in tandem stance (p Conclusions This pilot study showed no differences in symptom severity, mobility deficits or efficacy of CRM treatments in people with posterior canal BPPV canalithiasis with and without DM. Future studies examining the impact of the severity and duration of diabetes, as well as the influence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy on functional performance are essential.
‘Theorising the international relations of Asia: necessity or indulgence?’ Some reflections

ABSTRACTThe study of international relations in or of Asia is no longer atheoretical, as was the case only three decades ago, when the Pacific Review was founded. But how serious are the efforts to study the international relations of Asia theoretically? Some Western scholars argue that writings on Asian International Relations (IR) are still peripheral to the major concerns and debates among IR theories such as realism, liberalism, and constructivism. The ‘indigenization’ of Asian IR theory remains limited by, among other factors, a tendency among local scholars to rely heavily on Western theories, and the close academia-officialdom nexus in the region that inhibits theoretical work. But this essay argues that Asia offers an opportunity to IR theory for broadening itself and shed its hitherto Westerncentrism, especially at a time of a ‘global’ turn in IR (global IR). Theoretical writings on Asian IR are already making a difference by exposing the limitations of mainstream IR theories in the regional cont...
The Relation between War, General Purpose Technologies and Dynamics of K-Waves for Technological, Economic and Social Change

This essay here has two goals. The first is to clarify, whenever possible, the sources of Long Waves (LWs) or Kondratieff Waves (K-waves). The second is to show that the wars can be one of principal sources of path-breaking technologies that support Long Waves for the technological, economic and social change over the long run. As a matter of fact, a fundamental problem in the field of economic growth is how LWs emerge and sustain economic and social change. The vast literature has analyzed several characteristics and factors of LWs. However, the root causes of LWs are hardly known. This study shows that the possible sources of LWs are due to structural change of major warfare that generate General Purpose Technologies and clusters of innovation for technological, economic and social change over time. In fact, the war is a major agent of change that generates both huge demand-side effects with expansionary policies and powerful supply-side effects based on learning by doing in strategic productions, spin-off and technological spillover from military R&D (period of the “creative destruction”). In particular, major wars generate clusters of new technology (in troughs of LWs) that support the subsequent recovery-prosperity phase of LWs with new radical and incremental innovations, their commercial introduction, and widespread adoption in markets. These main factors drive the evolution of LWs and generate technological, productivity and economic growth in society over the long run. Overall, then, the main aim of this study is to clarify, whenever possible one of main driving forces of LWs and economic change in society.
Research Methodologies in Science Education: Mental Models and Cognition in Education

It is summer break and Angela is preparing her syllabus for a new introductory level geology course. She has decided to approach the course by laying the foundations for the Theory of Plate Tectoni...
Abstract 2224: Increased 15-lipoxygenase-1 activity limits tumor development in the azoxymethane mouse model of colon cancer: impact of omega-3-acid ethyl esters

Pro-inflammatory signaling has been shown to promote colorectal tumorigenesis and is a target for the development of effective chemopreventive approaches. The specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs, e.g. resolvins), bioactive metabolites of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), actively terminate inflammation and have been proposed to possibly contribute to the anti-tumorigenic effects of DHA and EPA. The enzyme 15-lipoxygenase-1 (ALOX15) is a key biosynthetic enzyme in generation of resolvins. However, 15-LOX-1 expression is commonly lost during human CRC tumorigenesis starting in premalignant stages via transcriptional mechanisms independent of substrate availability. The impact of ALOX15 on DHA and EPA’s effects on tumorigenesis remain unknown. Mice with intestinal epithelium-specific expression of human ALOX15 (15-LOX-1-gut mice) and wild-type FVB controls were injected with azoxymethane (AOM, 7.5mg/kg) once weekly for 6w and followed for 20w. Mice were fed diet with 1% omega-3-acid ethyl esters (O3AEE, a pharmaceutical grade fish oil preparation of EPA and DHA ethyl esters) or control diet starting 3w before initiation with AOM. Colonic tumors developed in 10 of the 13 (77%) wild type (WT) mice fed control diet, 5 of the 10 (50%) WT mice fed O3AEE diet, 5 of the 12 (42%) 15-LOX-1-gut mice fed control diet, and 3 of the 10 (30%) 15-LOX-1-gut mice fed control diet. Lipid mediator levels were measured by liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The SPMs resolvin E1 and D2 (RvE1, RvD2) as well as the pathway intermediates 18-HEPE and 17-HDHE were increased in ALOX15-gut mice on O3AEE (see Table; data are shown as ng/mg protein; mean ± SEM). Our results demonstrate that ALOX15 activity is important to DHA and EPA formation of resolvins and inhibition of colonic tumorigenesis. Supported by grants CPRIT RP150195 and NIH RO1 R01CA195686 Citation Format: Xiangsheng Zuo, Jennifer K. Colby, Fuyao Liu, Shen Gao, Ling Wu, Jonathan C. Jaoude, Micheline J. Moussalli, Lin Tan, Peiying Yang, Imad Shureiqi. Increased 15-lipoxygenase-1 activity limits tumor development in the azoxymethane mouse model of colon cancer: impact of omega-3-acid ethyl esters [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2224. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2224
The ‘minimal’ state reconsidered: governance on the margin

Classical liberal scholars have defined a “minimal state” as performing certain basic functions that include the provision of policing, courts, and national defense. We argue that these functions need not be fully provided by the state. Private provision of all three of these functions exists. Thus a truly minimal state would provide these functions only on the margins where private provision fails. Thus, a truly minimal state is much more minimal than scholars have traditionally envisioned.
Interrogating Whiteness: Using Photo-Elicitation to Empower Teachers to Talk About Race

This chapter highlights one participant from my previous research, a case study, designed to reveal how five successful White social studies teachers negotiated their teaching relationships with their African American students. The participants, from a Midwestern de facto segregated urban district, were identified as successful teachers and chosen using a nomination process. They were observed in the classroom and interviewed using photo-elicitation (Crilly et al., Qual Res, 6:341–366, 2006; Harper, Visual Stud, 17:13–26, 2002). The photos were taken by the researcher of classroom interactions between the White teacher and students of color on an iPad. The interviews were then qualitatively analyzed for emerging themes (Creswell, Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, 2007; Patton, Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, 2002; Stake, The art of case study research: Perspectives on practice. SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, 1995). Using photo elicitation gave these teachers a platform to theorize and reflect on the relationships with their students of color and their own ideas about race: (1) Teachers discussed the dynamics of their relationships with students and their ability or inability to connect with individual students. (2) Teachers saw their interactions with students through a new lens and theorized about the nature of urban teaching and their own ideas about race. (3) Teachers revealed the complicated push and pull between empowerment and deficit modeling of their students’ lives.
What is a Service Animal? A Careful Rethinking

I argue that the discursive tactics used to maintain a clear boundary between “legitimate” and “illegitimate” service animals rely on a set of assumptions that perpetuate unequal relations of power, and ultimately harm others (human and nonhuman alike). In support of this argument, I outline my theory of crip spacetime, which draws upon the material feminist notion that disability is an intersectional and emergent phenomenon, becoming (rather than being) through intra-active environments. Thinking through the ontology of service animals and their human companions in terms of crip spacetime demands that we apply what Christine Kelly (2016) has called accessible care in relationships.
Prensa, opinión y música teatral en Madrid, 1780-1791

Through the study of two stage tonadillas escenicas and articles published in the Madrid periodical press, this article suggests that music theatre in Madrid was a breeding ground for the formation of modern public opinion in Spain. This phenomenon can be especially observed between 1780 and 1791, the year when periodical publications were temporarily banned. The reopening of the Teatro de los Canos del Peral in 1787 led to the publication of numerous articles and letters debating the situation of foreign versus national theatre in the Madrid press. As a result of this and other similar debates, both the press and tonadillas questioned whether the phenomenon of opinion Spanish society. To conclude, I will argue that Jurgen Habermas’s theorization of the public sphere only partially illuminates the genesis of modern public opinion in Spain. In the end, the fact that the Spanish case differs from those considered by Habermas doesn’t mean that Spain has remained on the sidelines of the European processes of the formation of modern public opinion.