cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of postprandial hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes.

Abstract Healthcare providers usually assess glycemic control in diabetic patients by measuring fasting plasma glucose and preprandial glucose levels, as well as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Evidence now suggests that elevated postprandial glucose concentrations may contribute to suboptimal glycemic control. Several medications and insulins are available that have proved valuable for obtaining better control of blood glucose levels after meals. These agents may be particularly useful for managing patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and those who have near normal preprandial blood glucose levels but elevated HbA1c values. This article discusses the efficacy of some of these agents as monotherapy and in combination with other drugs.
Adaptive effects of 30-night wear of hyper-O2 transmissible contact lenses on bacterial binding and corneal epithelium: A 1-year clinical trial

Abstract Objective To determine effects of lens type and oxygen transmissibility on human corneal epithelium during extended wear (EW). Design Prospective, randomized, double-masked, single-center, parallel treatment groups, 1-year clinical trial. Participants One hundred seventy-eight patients completed the study: (1) high-O 2 soft lens (6-night [N] EW) (n = 27); (2) hyper-O 2 soft lens (6N-EW, n=33) or (30N-EW, n=66); and (3) hyper-O 2 rigid gas-permeable lens (RGP) (30N-EW, n=52). Intervention Irrigation chamber to collect exfoliated corneal surface cells, confocal microscopy, and tear collection at baseline, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 months of EW. Main outcome measures (1) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) binding to exfoliated corneal surface cells; (2) central epithelial thickness; (3) superficial epithelial cell area; (4) epithelial surface cell exfoliation; and (5) tear lactate dehydrogenase. Results Quantitative evidence demonstrated increased binding of PA to human exfoliated corneal epithelial cells during the first 3 months of soft lens EW; the control high-O 2 test lens showed significantly higher bacterial binding ( P P 2 soft lens for all outcome measures. Importantly, hyper-O 2 RGP lens wear did not show significantly increased PA binding during 1 year. Conclusions This study establishes three important new findings: (1) hyper-O 2 soft lens EW produces significantly less PA binding than the lower O 2 soft lens with no significant difference in PA binding with 6N versus 30N EW of the hyper-O 2 soft lens; (2) there is a remarkable adaptive recovery after 6 months with all soft lens wear with gradual return to prelens PA binding levels and partial recovery of other outcome measures for all test lenses EW except surface cell size; (3) 30N EW of the hyper-O 2 RGP lens produced no significant increases in PA binding over 1 year. Taken together, these results suggest that introduction of new hyper-O 2 transmissible lens materials into clinical use may offer safer EW, and future epidemiologic studies of ulcerative infectious keratitis should consider both lens type and time in lens EW in any incidence/risk analysis.
Age at Menarche and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adulthood: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study

Objective To examine the association of menarche timing with cardiometabolic risk factors into early to mid-adulthood, comparing African American and White women. Study design Analyses included 2583 women (African American = 1333; White = 1250) from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults cohort study over 25 years of follow-up (1985-2011). Outcomes included type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, adiposity, glucose, insulin, blood pressure, and blood lipids. Cox models or repeated measures linear regression models estimated the association between age at menarche and the outcomes. Results Each 1-year earlier age at menarche was associated with higher mean body mass index among African American (0.88 ± 0.12 kg/m 2 , P 2 , P P = .001) and glucose (0.34 ± 0.11 mg/dL, P = .002), and greater risk for incident impaired fasting glucose (hazard ratio = 1.13, 95% CI 1.04-1.20) and metabolic syndrome (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.26) among White women only. Conclusions Excess adiposity associated with earlier menarche is sustained through mid-adulthood, and primarily drives higher cardiometabolic risk factor levels. However, White women with earlier menarche had increased risk of a number of insulin-resistance related conditions independent of adiposity. The cardiometabolic impact of earlier menarche was weaker in African American women despite higher average adiposity. Weight maintenance would likely reduce but may not completely eliminate the elevated cardiometabolic risk of earlier menarche.
Community Practice Skills: Local to Global Perspectives, by Gamble, D. N. & Weil, M.

Community practice is enormously complex and varied; as a result, it has been difficult to identify an adequate text for courses that attempt to deal with such practice in an integrated way. The be...
Dirty tricks of cross-examination: The influence of conjectural evidence on the jury.

A mock jury study was conducted to test the hypothesis that perceptions of a witness can be biased by presumptuous cross-examination questions. A total of 105 subjects read a rape trial in which the cross-examiner asked a question that implied something negative about the reputation of either the victim or an expert. Within each condition, the question was met with either a denial, an admission, or an objection from the witness's attorney. Results indicated that although ratings of the victim's credibility were not affected by the presumptuous question, the expert's credibility was significantly diminished—even when the question had elicited a denial or a sustained objection. Conceptual and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Multimodal Imaging for Improved Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancers

The authors review methods for image-guided diagnosis and therapy that increase precision in the detection, characterization, and localization of many forms of cancer to achieve optimal target definition and complete resection or ablation. A new model of translational, clinical, image-guided therapy research is presented, and the Advanced Multimodality Image-Guided Operating (AMIGO) suite is described. AMIGO was conceived and designed to allow for the full integration of imaging in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Examples are drawn from over 500 procedures performed on brain, neck, spine, thorax (breast, lung), and pelvis (prostate and gynecologic) areas and are used to describe how they address some of the many challenges of treating brain, prostate, and lung tumors. Cancer 2015;121:817-827. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Interpreting neuronal population activity by reconstruction : unified framework with application to hippocampal place cells

Physical variables such as the orientation of a line in the visual field or the location of the body in space are coded as activity levels in populations of neurons. Reconstruction or decoding is an inverse problem in which the physical variables are estimated from observed neural activity. Reconstruction is useful first in quantifying how much information about the physical variables is present in the population and, second, in providing insight into how the brain might use distributed representations in solving related computational problems such as visual object recognition and spatial navigation. Two classes of reconstruction methods, namely, probabilistic or Bayesian methods and basis function methods, are discussed. They include important existing methods as special cases, such as population vector coding, optimal linear estimation, and template matching. As a representative example for the reconstruction problem, different methods were applied to multi-electrode spike train data from hippocampal place cells in freely moving rats. The reconstruction accuracy of the trajectories of the rats was compared for the different methods. Bayesian methods were especially accurate when a continuity constraint was enforced, and the best errors were within a factor of two of the information-theoretic limit on how accurate any reconstruction can be and were comparable with the intrinsic experimental errors in position tracking. In addition, the reconstruction analysis uncovered some interesting aspects of place cell activity, such as the tendency for erratic jumps of the reconstructed trajectory when the animal stopped running. In general, the theoretical values of the minimal achievable reconstruction errors quantify how accurately a physical variable is encoded in the neuronal population in the sense of mean square error, regardless of the method used for reading out the information. One related result is that the theoretical accuracy is independent of the width of the Gaussian tuning function only in two dimensions. Finally, all the reconstruction methods considered in this paper can be implemented by a unified neural network architecture, which the brain feasibly could use to solve related problems.
Cognitive strategies for reporting portion sizes using dietary recall procedures.

Abstract Objectives To examine recall strategies used by interview respondents when making judgments about portion size and to better understand how respondents use various portion size aids. Design Study participants were separated into groups, each using a different set of portion-size estimation aids: (a) 2-dimensional paper aids presented in stacks, (b) 2-dimensional aids, cut out and presented on rings, (c) household-type aids, and (d) a combination of 2- and 3-dimensional aids, many of which are used in national government surveys. Respondents gave a "quick list" of foods consumed the previous day and practiced cognitive thinking skills. Then the interviewer selected at least 2 solid, 2 liquid, and 2 amorphous foods for probing. Respondents were asked to think aloud as they reported how much they ate of each food. Types and frequencies of cognitive strategies used for portion size estimation were determined. Subjects Interviews of 1 to 112 hours were conducted with 76 adults aged 18 to 65 years. Participants were recruited to obtain a mix of races, ages, educational levels, and genders. Results The most frequently used strategy was visualization and comparison to aids. Others strategies were known amounts, estimations based on known amounts, visualization of volume or a container, and actions such as pouring or moving hands to the mouth. Respondents preferred aids that were similar in size and shape to actual portions consumed for liquid or amorphous food and preferred the ruler for solid foods. Applications To obtain the best data from dietary recalls, expect answers that are possible for respondents to give, supply respondents with aids that help them recall amounts consumed, and guide respondents to appropriate aids that help them formulate focused responses. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:891-897 .
Interaction between two cholesterol metabolism genes influences memory: findings from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention

The strongest genetic factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is APOE; nine additional susceptibility genes have recently been identified. The effect of these genes is often assumed to be additive and polygenic scores are formed as a summary measure of risk. However, interactions between these genes are likely to be important. We sought to examine the role of interactions between the nine recently identified AD susceptibility genes and APOE in cognitive function and decline in 1,153 participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention, a longitudinal study of middle-aged adults enriched for a parental history of AD. Participants underwent extensive cognitive testing at baseline and up to two additional visits approximately 4 and 6 years later. The influence of the interaction between APOE and each of 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the nine recently identified genes on three cognitive factor scores (Verbal Learning and Memory, Working Memory, and Immediate Memory) was examined using linear mixed models adjusting for age, gender, and ancestry. Interactions between the APOE e4 allele and both of the genotyped ABCA7 SNPs, rs3764650 and rs3752246, were associated with all three cognitive factor scores (p-values ≤ 0.01). Both of these genes are in the cholesterol metabolism pathway leading to AD. This research supports the importance of considering non-additive effects of AD susceptibility genes.
The Case For a Multilingual Approach to Language Classroom Communication

This article presents the case for a ‘multilingual approach’ to university-level language classroom communication. After detailing some problems with the ‘monolingual bias’ of language pedagogy, arguments against a pedagogy based on that bias are presented. Thereafter, arguments in favor of a multilingual approach are offered, as well as several principles for the use of multiple languages in the classroom.
A Complex-Envelope FDTD Formulation Using Alternating In-Phase and Quadrature Field Variables

Real-valued partial differential equations (PDEs) are obtained by substituting the rectangular form of the complex envelope (CE) field and source quantities into the CE versions of Faraday’s and Ampere’s laws, and then separating each resulting complex PDE into real and imaginary parts. These real-valued PDEs result in a CE FDTD scheme that uses only real numbers and operations. As presented here, this CE FDTD scheme alternates at intervals of half a time step between solving for the real and imaginary portions of the CE fields, exactly as the Yee grid alternates spatial components of the fields at half spatial steps. The scheme is demonstrated here for the two-dimensional (2-D) transverse-magnetic case. A split-step method is used in the implicit formation such that only tridiagonal matrices have to be solved. FDTD results are presented for a 2-D cavity with an electric current source.
Liver transplantation for urea cycle disorders in pediatric patients: A single-center experience

LT has emerged as a surgical treatment for UCDs. We hypothesize that LT can be safely and broadly utilized in the pediatric population to effectively prevent hyperammonemic crises and potentially improve neurocognitive outcomes. To determine the long-term outcomes of LT for UCDs, charts of children with UCD who underwent LT were retrospectively reviewed at an academic institution between July 2001 and May 2012. A total of 23 patients with UCD underwent LT at a mean age of 3.4 yr. Fifteen (65%) patients received a whole-liver graft, seven patients (30%) received a reduced-size graft, and one patient received a living donor graft. Mean five-yr patient survival was 100%, and allograft survival was 96%. Mean peak blood ammonia (NH(3) ) at presentation was 772 μmol/L (median 500, range 178-2969, normal <30-50). After transplantation, there were no episodes of hyperammonemia. Eleven patients were diagnosed with some degree of developmental delay before transplantation, which remained stable or improved after transplantation. Patients without developmental delay before transplantation maintained their cognitive abilities at long-term follow-up. LT was associated with the eradication of hyperammonemia, removal of dietary restrictions, and potentially improved neurocognitive development. Long-term follow-up is underway to evaluate whether LT at an early age (<1 yr) will attain improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Headache types, related morbidity, and quality of life in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a prospective cross sectional study.

Background: Increased headache prevalence was recently reported in survivors of childhood ALL. Headache sub types, related morbidity, and effect on quality of life has not been reported thus far. Objective: To study headache prevalence and type, related disability, and quality of life in a cohort of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors. Methods: Childhood ALL survivors in at least 1-year of remission and 5 years from diagnosis completed questionnaires and were evaluated by a neurologist. Disability was evaluated with Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment scale and the Short Form-36 Health Survey assessed quality of life. Results: Thirty nine of 72 (54%) females and 37 of 90 (41%) males reported headaches. Median time from ALL diagnosis to first headache was 5.2 years and median age at headache onset was 10.1 years in 76 participants with headache. Migraine headaches were diagnosed in 51 (31%) and episodic tension-type headaches in 49 (30%); migraine and tension-type headaches co-existed in 24 (15%) and 18 (11%) participants had chronic daily headaches. Fatigue was associated with migraine headache while hypertension and female gender associated with tension type headache. Headache-related disability was mild in 22 (29%), moderate in 7 (9%), and severe in 5 (7%) survivors, and was absent in the remaining 42 (55%) survivors with headache. Both migraine and tension type headaches associated
Absolute rotational Raman cross sections for N2, O2, and CO2

We present absolute intensities for rotational Raman scattering (RRS) from N2, O2, and CO2, excited at 488.0 and 647.1 nm. The absolute scattering intensity for N2 at 488.0 nm is characterized by its differential cross section for backscattering, summed over Stokes and anti-Stokes bands and over scattered-light polarizations, which we find to be 1.64 × 10−29 cm2/sr ±8%. The ratio of the cross section for O2 to that for N2 at 488.0 nm is 2.61 ± 5%, whereas the corresponding ratio for CO2 to N2 is 10.6 ± 10%. Our values for RRS cross sections relative to the N2 vibrational Raman cross section are in reasonable agreement with corresponding ratios reported recently by Fenner et al. On the other hand, our absolute cross sections are approximately twice as large as those obtained from the results of Fenner et al., but agree closely with values calculated from recent measurements of the depolarization of Rayleigh scattering. Detailed observations of relative rotational-Raman-line intensities at temperatures of 22, 75, and 125 °C are consistent with theoretical predictions.
Anti‐interferon immunoglobulins can improve the trisomy 16 mouse phenotype

Mouse trisomy 16 is a well-studied model for human chromosome 21 trisomy (Down's syndrome). The late stage trisomy 16 mouse fetus exhibits significant growth retardation, inappropriately opened eyes, and convex rather than concave back curvature. The interferons (α, β, and γ) have potent growth retarding activity, and sensitivity to these cytokines is controlled by genes that map to mouse chromosome 16 and human chromosome 21. In experiments designed to determine if the interferons induce or aggravate the trisomy phenotype, mice pregnant with trisomy 16 fetuses were injected with a combination of anti-α, -β, and -γ interferon IgG. This maternal anti-interferon treatment was found to provide measurable benefit to the development and growth of the trisomic fetuses with significant return-toward-normal values observed for overall fetal growth, eye opening, and back curvature. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pathological eating behaviors, BMI, and facet-level traits: The roles of Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Impulsivity

The current study examined the bivariate and multivariate associations of personality with Body Mass Index (BMI) and several eating behavior inventories, focusing on facets of Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, and Impulsivity. Simultaneous multiple regressions showed that the facets Traditionalism, Urgency, and low Vulnerability were significant predictors of BMI. A factor analysis of the eating behavior scales revealed two dimensions: (a) Food and Body Preoccupation and (b) Cued Eating; Neuroticism, low Conscientiousness, and Perfectionism were significant predictors of both eating behavior factors. In addition, the Depression facet predicted Food and Body Preoccupation, and low Temperance predicted Cued Eating. Implications are discussed for the structure of eating pathology and the specificity of facet traits to eating behaviors and obesity.
Can stroke modification relieve tennis elbow

An analysis of the tennis strokes of 57 patients with elbow pain indicates that their elbow pain may be caused by hitting the ball incorrectly and that the technical error may be determined by the location of the pain. Pain in the lateral or medial side of the elbow is associated with the type of stroke: forehand, backhand, serve, or volley. Treatment consists of office and sometimes professional tennis instruction to correct the faulty stroke, combined with the usual conservative measures. When symptoms lasted for less than six months, 90% of the patients achieved an excellent or good result. When symptoms persisted for more than six months, 82% had excellent or good results. In five patients, stroke correction alone resulted in a cure. No one had surgery.
Small RNA deep sequencing reveals role for Arabidopsis thaliana RNA-dependent RNA polymerases in viral siRNA biogenesis.

RNA silencing functions as an important antiviral defense mechanism in a broad range of eukaryotes. In plants, biogenesis of several classes of endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) requires RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase (RDR) activities. Members of the RDR family proteins, including RDR1and RDR6, have also been implicated in antiviral defense, although a direct role for RDRs in viral siRNA biogenesis has yet to be demonstrated. Using a crucifer-infecting strain of Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV-Cg) and Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system, we analyzed the viral small RNA profile in wild-type plants as well as rdr mutants by applying small RNA deep sequencing technology. Over 100,000 TMV-Cg-specific small RNA reads, mostly of 21- (78.4%) and 22-nucleotide (12.9%) in size and originating predominately (79.9%) from the genomic sense RNA strand, were captured at an early infection stage, yielding the first high-resolution small RNA map for a plant virus. The TMV-Cg genome harbored multiple, highly reproducible small RNA-generating hot spots that corresponded to regions with no apparent local hairpin-forming capacity. Significantly, both the rdr1 and rdr6 mutants exhibited globally reduced levels of viral small RNA production as well as reduced strand bias in viral small RNA population, revealing an important role for these host RDRs in viral siRNA biogenesis. In addition, an informatics analysis showed that a large set of host genes could be potentially targeted by TMV-Cg-derived siRNAs for posttranscriptional silencing. Two of such predicted host targets, which encode a cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF30) and an unknown protein similar to translocon-associated protein alpha (TRAP α), respectively, yielded a positive result in cleavage validation by 5′RACE assays. Our data raised the interesting possibility for viral siRNA-mediated virus-host interactions that may contribute to viral pathogenicity and host specificity.
Animal movements and population dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes

Organisms respond to environmental heterogeneity at different scales and in different ways. These differences are consequences of how the movement characteristics of animals—their movement rates, directionality, turning frequencies, and turning angles—interact with patch and boundary features in landscape mosaics. The interactions of movement patterns with landscape features in turn produce spatial patterns in individual space-use, population dynamics and dispersion, gene flow, and the redistribution of nutrients and other materials. We describe several theoretical approaches for modeling the diffusion, foraging behavior, and population dynamics of animals in heterogeneous landscapes, including: (1) scaling relationships derived from percolation theory and fractal geometry, (2) extensions of traditional patch-based metapopulation models, and (3) individual-based, spatially explicit models governed by local rules. We conclude by emphasizing the need to couple theoretical models with empirical studies and the usefulness of ‘microlandscape’ investigations.
Wandering and parietal signs in senile dementia of Alzheimer's type.

Among a population of nursing home patients with a diagnosis of senile dementia of Alzheimer’s type (SDAT), a subgroup was identified who often became lost and wandered even in familiar surroundings.
Long-term performance of geocomposites used as highway edge drains

Abstract Prefabricated highway edge drains have been widely used in the USA since 1985. Laboratory testing and initial on-site evaluations have been generally positive, however long-term performance is an unknown. The major areas of concern are ‘blinding’ of the filter fabric that would prevent water from entering into the geocomposite and the ‘clogging’ of the core with fines. This paper presents the results of 72 randomly selected sites that were excavated in 3 states representing a total of 900 000 m (3 000 000 ft) of installed geocomposite edge drain.
Toxicology of planarians

Potential advantages of using planarians such as Dugesia dorotocephala (Woodworth) to assay a number of different kinds of toxic effects are illustrated by our experiments on neurotoxicity of nicotine, developmental neurotoxicity and behavioral teratogenesis of methylmercuric chloride (MMC), and carcinogenesis of Cd and tetradecanoyl-phorbol-acetate (TPA). Various concentrations of nicotine in the culture water in which planarians were maintained produced acute neurotoxic effects, evident as disturbances in locomotor and fissioning behavior; planarians also acquired tolerance to nicotine. Behavioral teratogenesis in planarians is illustrated by the effect of subteratogenic concentrations of MMC on regeneration of the brain and behavior of decapitated specimens. Despite normal appearance of heads and brains of MMC-treated regenerates, significant deficits were noted in righting response, locomotion, and prey-catching behavior. EM observations revealed quantitative deficits in brain synapses of MMC-treated regenerates. Exposure to the carcinogens Cd and TPA produced a single kind of neoplastic tumor, a malignant reticuloma, in 76% of specimens treated jointly with sublethal concentrations of both chemicals. Toxicological responses of planarians can be compared to those of vertebrates.
Topiramate for the Treatment of Cocaine Addiction: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance No medication has been established as an efficacious treatment for cocaine dependence. We hypothesized that dual modulation of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system by topiramate—a glutamate receptor antagonist and γ-aminobutyric acid receptor agonist—would result in efficacious treatment for cocaine dependence compared with placebo. Objective To determine the efficacy of topiramate vs placebo as a treatment for cocaine dependence. Design, Setting, and Participants Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 12-week trial of 142 cocaine-dependent adults in clinical research facilities at the University of Virginia between November 22, 2005, and July 25, 2011. Interventions Topiramate (n = 71) or placebo (n = 71) in escalating doses from 50 mg/d to the target maintenance dose of 300 mg/d in weeks 6 to 12, combined with weekly cognitive-behavioral treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures For the efficacy period, weeks 6 to 12, the primary outcome was the weekly difference from baseline in the proportion of cocaine nonuse days; the secondary outcome was urinary cocaine-free weeks, and exploratory outcomes included craving and self- and observer-rated global functioning on the Clinical Global Impression scales. Results Using an intent-to-treat analysis, topiramate was more efficacious than placebo at increasing the weekly proportion of cocaine nonuse days, irrespective of whether missing data were not or were imputed conservatively to the baseline value (13.3% vs 5.3%, 95% CI for the estimated mean difference, 1.4%-14.6%, P = .02 or 8.9% vs 3.7%, 95% CI for the estimated mean difference, 0.2%-10.1%, P = .04, respectively). Topiramate also was associated, significantly more than placebo, with increasing the likelihood of urinary cocaine-free weeks (16.6% vs 5.8%; odds ratio, 3.21; 95% CI, 1.24-8.32; P = .02), as well as decreasing craving and improving observer-rated global functioning (all P Conclusions and Relevance Topiramate is more efficacious than placebo at increasing the mean weekly proportion of cocaine nonuse days and associated measures of clinical improvement among cocaine-dependent individuals. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00249691
Note on Russell's Anticipations

Wesley C. Salmon Department of Philosophy University of Arizona Mention has been made in Russell of an anticipation by Russell of Quine's existence criterion, and of a possible anticipation of Lewis's definition of "strict implication". Although Russell did not, strictly speaking, anticipate Nelson Goodman's famous "grue-bleen paradox", first published in a brief note in 1946, Russell did, I believe, publish a discussion of what is, in all essentials, the same problem in Human Knowledge in 1948. Goodman's and Russell's discoveries of this paradox were evidently quite independent of one another. What is quite remarkable, however, is that Russell, in contrast to Goodman, also provided a resolution of the problem -one which I believe to be quite satisfactory. I have discussed this matter in some deta il in "Russell on Scientific Inference or Will the Real Deductivist Please Stand Up?" section 3, in Bertrand Russell's Philosophy, ed. George Nakhnikian (London: Duckworth, 1974), pp. 188-92. In Goodman's better known presentation, Fact, Fiction and Forecast (1st ed., 1955; 2nd ed. 1965), he seems unaware of the relevance of Russell's solution to his paradox. This strikes me as another example of a widely unappreciated important accomplishment to be found in Russell's work.
Relationship between the self-administered Boston questionnaire and electrophysiological findings in follow-up of surgically-treated carpal tunnel syndrome.

A prospective study of electrophysiological examination and the Boston self-administered questionnaire (BQ) was carried out in patients with surgically-treated carpal tunnel syndrome. There were 104 hands in 93 patients (13 men and 80 women, mean age 56 years). The BQ was used to assess the severity of symptoms and function, and nerve conduction studies were done before surgical release by short incision at the palm, and at follow-ups 1 and 6 months after surgery. The BQ severity score improved or became normal in 98% of hands. The mean BQ scores and distal sensory and motor conduction velocities in the median nerve showed significant improvement at the 1 month follow-up. Further significant improvement was found at 6 months. There was no relationship between the improvements in BQ scores and the distal conduction in the median nerve. The degree of improvement in sensory and motor distal conduction velocities could be forecast from presurgical values, whereas the degree of improvement in the symptoms and the functional status after release could not be predicted from the presurgical BQ scores.
Integrating plug-in- electric vehicles with the distribution system

Accurate assessment of plug-in electric vehicle (PEVs) impacts on distribution system operation requires sufficient understanding and representation of PEV load variations such as daily load shape as well as network location. Traditional distribution system analysis methods cannot always address these variations and therefore not fully describe the PEV impacts on the system. EPRI has initiated a multi-year project to understand PEV system impacts with several utilities in the United States. The purpose is to identify, define, and calculate the impact to particular utility distribution system architectures considering total PEV penetration levels as well as localized concentrations. This paper provides a brief overview of the proposed process to evaluate distribution system response to PEV loading.
Evaluation of a commercial mass spectrometer for its potential to measure auto exhaust constituents in real time

A newly available commercial instrument, the V&F Instruments (Austria) AirSense 500 mass spectrometer, was evaluated for its ability to measure various hydrocarbons in auto exhaust, in real time. The measurements obtained were compared to off-line high-resolution gas chromatography and other measurement systems during an evaluation period that extended for more than 7 months and involved various Ford vehicle testing facilities. The device was found to provide real-time (1 Hz or faster) concentration data for 10 hydrocarbon exhaust constituents with a precision and accuracy comparable to current off-line gas chromatographic measurement methods. The AirSense 500 was carefully evaluated for its measurement of ethene and other olefins and benzene and other aromatic compounds. The mass spectral measurements agreed, on average within ±17% of the reported values for the same vehicle tests as measured by off-line GC/FID, when comparing the slope of the linear regression line resulting from direct comparison of bo...
Green Emission from Er-Doped AlN Thin Films Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Thin films of Er doped AlN, ∼ 200 nm thick, were grown on indium tin oxide/aluminum titanium oxide/glass substrates using RF magnetron sputtering in a pure nitrogen atmosphere. To optically activate Er all films were subject to post-deposition annealing in flowing nitrogen atmosphere at atmospheric pressure at temperatures between 1023-1223 K for 10-60 minutes. The visible cathodoluminescence (CL) in the green was detected at both 11 K and 300K. The strongest CL peaks were observed at 558 nm and 537 nm (11 K), which correspond to the transitions from 4S3/2 and 2H11/2 to the 4I15/2 ground level. Electroluminescence (EL) studies of AlN:Er alternating-current thin-film electroluminescent (ACTFEL) devices were performed at 300 K. The turn-on voltage was found to be around 80-100 V for our ACTFEL devices. The intensity of the EL emission rapidly increases with the voltage increasing in the investigated range of 110-130 V.
Air Flow Measurements to Describe Field Variation in Porosity and Permeability of Soil Macropores

Limited data are available on spatial variation in hydrologic behavior of soil macropores. This study examined field variation of soil water release and permeability in the pressure head range that influences macropores. One hundred twenty-seven undisturbed soil cores were collected from a no-tillage field containing a Lobdell silt loam (fineloamy, mixed, mesic Fluvaquentic Eutrochrept) soil. An air flow device that eliminates the gravitational gradient was used to measure water release, θ(h), and air permeability, k a (h), in the pressure head, h, range of 0 to -240 mm. Mean air-filled porosity, ∈ a , of 0.044 m 3 m -3 and geometric mean k a equal to 1.3 μm 2 at h = 0 indicated that macroporosity in a majority of these cores failed to exhibit negative air-entry pressure heads. Generalized scaling of water release curves and air permeabilities using water contents expressed as degree of capillary saturation ([θ(h) + ∈ a (0)/θ s ) yielded considerable scatter reduction, implying a high degree of pore geometry and flow similarity for this soil. The spherical semivariogram model of water release scaling factors, α(h) r , had a range of 14.1 m, whereas the linear semivariogram of air permeability scaling factors, α(k a ) r , had a range of 21.1 m. Further, sill values for α(k a ) r were 7.6 times greater than for α(h) r . The poor correlation, dissimilar statistical distributions, and dissimilar spatial dependence of scaling factors suggested that characteristic lengths related to total macroporosity and fluid-conducting macroporosity were substantially different.
Cost-Effective, Structural Stay-in-Place Formwork System of Fiber - Reinforced Polymer for Accelerated and Durable Bridge Deck Construction

This paper describes research on the evolution of a cost-effective, structural stay-in-place (SIP) formwork bridge deck system with an integrated modular three-dimensional fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement cage. Recent research conducted at the University of Wisconsin is reviewed to show the evolution of the reinforcing system to include an integral FRP SIP form. The evolution occurred through laboratory testing, which was followed by the design and construction of two bridge structures owned by the State of Wisconsin. Each structure used different FRP reinforcement and formwork. These projects pointed out the need for a competitive SIP formwork to be used in conjunction with FRP reinforcement. Two specimens with different FRP reinforcement and SIP formwork arrangements were tested. Full-scale deck slab specimens were tested by applying a simulated wheel design load to investigate the static response, ultimate capacity, and failure mechanism. The most economical FRP reinforcing system has been ...
Processing Big Data Graphs on Memory-Restricted Systems

With the advent of big-data, processing large graphs quickly has become increasingly important. Most existing approaches either utilize in-memory processing techniques, which can only process graphs that fit completely in RAM, or disk-based techniques that sacrifice performance. Contribution. In this work, we propose a novel RAM-Disk hybrid approach to graph processing that can scale well from a single shared-memory node to large distributed-memory systems. It works by partitioning the graph into subgraphs that fit in RAM and uses a paging-like technique to load subgraphs. We show that without modifying the algorithms, this approach can scale from small memory-constrained systems (such as tablets) to large-scale distributed machines with 16, 000+ cores.
Developing digi-mechanical formwork for construction in environments of displacement

This paper details the development of (semi-automated) digi-mechanical formwork to be used for constructing emergency urbanism in environments of population displacement. Through a combination of advancements in CAM technologies, continuous developments in remote power sources, and the ubiquitous reach of telecommunications networks, design professionals in the near future will have the capacity to transmit construction aid in the form of deployable building-making machinery to refugee populations in dire need of the physical, economic, and cultural benefits of architecture. This project has evolved from a series of linked/hinged casting plates manipulated by hand-cranks or drills, into a mechanized casting textile of linked formwork cartridges driven by hi-torque motors, controlled through a cell phone app.
Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-cytochrome b5 reductase and cytochrome b5 as electron carriers in NADH-supported cytochrome P-450-dependent enzyme activities in liver microsomes

Abstract The role of NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase and cytochrome b 5 as electron carriers in NADH-supported electron transport reactions in rat liver microsomes has been examined by measuring three enzyme activities: NADH-cytochrome P -450 reductase, NADH-peroxidase, and NADH-cytochrome c reductase. The first two reactions are known to involve the participation of an NADH-specific reductase and cytochrome P -450 whereas the third requires the reductase and cytochrome b 5 . Antibody prepared against NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase markedly inhibited the NADH-peroxidase and NADH-cytochrome c reductase activities suggesting the involvement of this NADH-specific reductase in these reactions. Liver microsomes prepared from phenobarbital-pretreated rats were digested with subtilisin to remove cytochrome b 5 and the submicrosomal particles were collected by centrifugation. The specific content of cytochrome b 5 in the digested particles was about 5% of that originally present in liver microsomes and all three enzyme activities showed similar decreases whereas NADH-ferricyanide reductase activity (an activity associated with the flavoenzyme NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase) remained virtually unchanged. Binding of an excess of detergent-purified cytochrome b 5 to the submicrosomal particles at 37 °C for 20 min followed by centrifugation and enzymic measurements revealed a striking increase in the three enzyme activities. Further evidence for cytochrome b 5 involvement in the NADH-peroxidase reaction was the marked inhibition by antibody prepared against the hemoprotein. These results suggest that in microsomal NADH-supported cytochrome P-450 -dependent electron transport reactions, cytochrome b 5 functions as an intermediate electron carrier between NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase and cytochrome P -450.
Destabilizing Alzheimer’s Aβ42 Protofibrils with Morin: Mechanistic Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that is the leading cause of senile dementia, afflicting millions of individuals worldwide. Since the identification of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) as the principal toxic entity in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, numerous attempts have been made to reduce endogenous Aβ production and deposition, including designing inhibitors of the proteases that generate the peptide, generating antibodies against Aβ aggregates, utilizing metal chelators, and identifying small molecules that target the peptide during the aggregation pathway. The last approach is particularly attractive, as Aβ is normally present in vivo, but aggregation is a purely pathological event. Studies conducted in vitro and in vivo have suggested that administration of flavonoids, compounds naturally present in many foods, including wine and tea, can prevent and reverse Aβ aggregation, but mechanistic details are lacking. In this work, we employ atomistic, explicit-solvent mo...
Apoptosis of CD57+ and CD57- lymphocytes in the lung and blood of HIV-infected subjects.

Abstract Patients infected with HIV frequently have a CD8+ lymphocytic alveolitis consisting of HIV-specific CD8+CD57− cytotoxic T lymphocytes. However, in late stage disease, there is expansion of a CD8+CD57+ population with suppressive properties. We examined role of lymphocyte apoptosis in the expansion of the CD8+CD57+ lymphocytes in late stage HIV in the lung and blood compartment in human subjects. Fas was expressed on virtually all lung lymphocytes from HIV-infected and normal subjects. Fas ligand expression was increased in HIV infection in both CD8+CD57+ and CD8+CD57− lymphocytes, though a significantly greater percentage of CD8+CD57+ cells expressed this marker. CD8+CD57+ lymphocytes in normal and HIV-infected subjects underwent more apoptosis than CD8+CD57− cells. However, in late stage HIV infection, the percentage of CD8+CD57+ cells undergoing apoptosis declined. These data demonstrate that under normal conditions CD8+CD57+ cells appear destined to undergo programmed cell death. Expansion of suppressive CD8+CD57+ cells in the lungs of HIV-infected subjects with advanced disease may be due to the failure of this normal regulatory process.
Patency Outcomes of Aortic Connectors

ObjectiveControlled outcome analysis of mechanical aortic connectors for proximal saphenous vein bypass graft anastomosis is lacking. We report the clinical and angiographic outcome of patients rec...
Sources of middle Proterozoic to Early Cambrian siliciclastic sedimentary rocks in the Great Basin; a Nd isotope study

The Nd isotopic compositions of Middle Proterozoic to Early Cambrian terrigenous sedimentary rocks in the Great Basin, United States, were determined to identify the source areas of the siliciclastic detritus and to constrain models for the early tectonic evolution of the western margin of the continental United States. In the southwestern Great Basin and vicinity, Nd isotope data from the intracratonic, Middle to Late Proterozoic Pahrump Group reveal that the coarse-grained detritus from the Crystal Springs and the younger Kingston Peak Formations, including apparent glacial dropstones, was derived from the local Proterozoic basement (province 1, as defined by Nd isotope data). Fine-grained detritus derived from other Proterozoic crustal terranes (provinces 2 or 3) was identified in the southernmost exposed portions of the Pahrump Group, and corresponds to more distally derived material originally eroded from Proterozoic basement farther to the south and east. Coarse- and fine-grained sedimentary material composing the overlying Early Cambrian miogeoclinal strata were also derived primarily from local Province 1 basement rocks, but the occurrence of detritus derived from Province 2 or 3 crust is widespread geographically. The deposition of sediment derived from province 2 or 3 across the developing continental shelf presumably reflects thermal subsidence and progressive marine encroachment of the ancient continental margin. Within the Middle Proterozoic to Early Cambrian section, only the arkosic middle member of the Wood Canyon Formation and the correlative deeper marine Andrews Member of the Campito Formation have measured ϵ Nd values greater than −15 (−6 to −4). These units were apparently derived from a local, ∼1 b.y. old, granitic source exposed during the Early Cambrian Period to the northeast of present-day southern Nevada. The tectonic settings of the formation and subsequent uplift of this granitic terrane are unknown, but erosion of the granite generated excellent Nd isotopic marker beds that should prove useful in correlating Early Cambrian miogeoclinal sedimentary rocks throughout southwestern North America. In the north-central Great Basin, Late Proterozoic miogeoclinal sedimentary rocks of the Trout Creek and McCoy Creek groups show a marked shift from province 2 or 3 to province 1 sources through time. This shift is consistent with a change in topography related to the emergence of the Tooele-Uinta arch as an area of positive relief. The Nd data provide the first evidence that this structure was present in this region as early as latest Proterozoic time. As in the southern Great Basin, however, the isotope data indicate that sediments deposited in the Late Proterozoic Era in the northern regions were dominantly derived from sources in the local Precambrian basement.
The Impact of the Affinity Learning Authoring Tool on Student Learning

Affinity Learning is a system that allows the user to build a lesson on a subject matter by breaking it down into concepts, misconceptions, assessments, and remediation steps. Examples and questions can also used in these components. Affinity Learning has been found to be effective and can offer critical insights to student learning strategies. Authoring Affinity Learning lesson plans or hierarchies, however, is non-trivial. We have developed two authoring tools: the first tool provides an overall view of the hierarchy with a graphical display of the nodes and links; but the second tool does not. This article reports on a study conducted to test whether the graphical authoring tool can help produce better-quality hierarchies and also help the users learn about the subject matter better than the non-graphical authoring tool. Results show that while the graphical authoring tool can result in better-quality hierarchies, it does not result in better learning.
Customer acceptance mechanisms for home deliveries in metropolitan areas

Abstract Efficient and reliable home delivery is crucial for the economic success of online retailers. This is especially challenging for attended home deliveries in metropolitan areas where logistics service providers face congested traffic networks and customers expect deliveries in tight delivery time windows. Our goal is to develop and compare strategies that maximize the profits of a logistics service provider by accepting as many delivery requests as possible, while assessing the potential impact of a request on the service quality of a delivery tour. Several acceptance mechanisms are introduced, differing in the amount of travel time information that is considered in the decision of whether a delivery request can be accommodated or not. A real-world inspired simulation framework is used for comparison of acceptance mechanisms with regard to profits and service quality. Computational experiments utilizing this simulation framework investigate the effectiveness of acceptance mechanisms and help identify when more advanced travel time information may be worth the additional data collection and computational efforts.