cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Patient with Postsurgical Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Damage and Nerve Monitoring

Recurrent laryngeal nerve damage is a potential complication following thyroidectomy. Given its relatively high incidence, surgeons must be familiar with both the presentation and management of postoperative vocal cord paralysis. Visual nerve identification remains the gold standard for nerve protection; however, intraoperative nerve stimulation, with or without nerve monitoring, has shown promise. Nerve stimulation helps confirm visual identification as well as assess neurophysiologic function, which is particularly useful to limit the incidence of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. The majority of vocal cord paralysis is temporary in nature and can be managed conservatively. When patients remain symptomatic, the goal of intervention is to improve phonation and limit aspiration. Injection laryngoplasty has been shown to decrease the need for definitive laryngeal surgery and has improved with recent technological advancements. Laryngeal framework surgery, including thyroplasty and arytenoid adduction, may be considered for persistently symptomatic patients. Neurorrhaphy should be performed intraoperatively when the recurrent nerve is transected. The following case illustrates the presentation, diagnosis, and management of recurrent laryngeal nerve damage after thyroidectomy.
Serum Testosterone Concentrations and Urinary Bisphenol A, Benzophenone-3, Triclosan, and Paraben Levels in Male and Female Children and Adolescents: NHANES 2011-2012.

Background:Exposure to environmental phenols (e.g., bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, and triclosan) and parabens is widespread in the population. Many of these chemicals have been shown to have anti-an...
Chapter X : 9 – BEHAVIOR OF Si3N4 POWDER SUBJECTED TO EXPLOSIVE SHOCK LOADING

Alpha-Si3N4 powders in the form of cold-pressed (57% dense) pellets 3.18 mm in diameter and 6.35 mm in length were explosively shocked at levels of 260 and 570 Kbar pressure using a recently developed experimental approach which allows routine specimen recovery at shock pressures as high as 1000 kbar. X-ray line broadening studies indicated that significant internal strain levels of the order of 0.4% were developed. Specimens subjected to 260 Kbar were densified without additives into the 93-98% range. Hardness and indentation fracture toughness values in densified regions were observed to be nearly equivalent to those for ultra-high-pressure hot-pressed Si3N4 without densification aids.
A Spectral Graph Theoretic Approach for Monitoring Multivariate Time Series Data From Complex Dynamical Processes

The objective of this paper is to monitor complex process dynamics manifest in multivariate (multidimensional) time series data using a spectral (algebraic) graph theoretic approach. We test the hypothesis that the spectral graph-based topological invariants detect incipient process drifts earlier [lower average run length (ARL1)] and with higher fidelity (consistency of detection) when compared with the conventional statistics-based approaches. The presented approach maps a multidimensional sensor data stream $\mathcal {X}^{N\times d}$ (visualize $N$ as time and $d$ as the number of sensors) as an unweighted and undirected network graph $G(V,E)$ , indexed by its vertices $V$ and edges $E$ , i.e., $\mathcal {X}\mapsto G(V,E)$ . The rationale is that the graph-based topological invariants are surrogate representatives of the system state. We compare the monitoring performance of spectral graph theoretic invariants with conventional statistical features in an exponentially weighted moving average control chart setting. The practical utility of the approach is substantiated in the context of process monitoring in two advanced manufacturing scenarios, namely, ultraprecision machining (UPM) and semiconductor chemical mechanical planarization. These studies corroborate the hypothesis that graph theoretic invariants, when used as monitoring statistics, lead to lower ARL1 and more consistent detections in contrast to conventional statistical features. For instance, in the UPM case, the fault detection delay using graph theoretic invariants is less than 160 ms, compared with over 8 s of delay with statistical features. Note to Practitioners—This paper addresses the critical problem of capturing process drifts from multidimensional (multisensor) data. The novelty of this paper is the development of a graph theoretic approach that combines signals from multiple in situ sensors for detecting abnormal process drifts. We show that this approach, which invokes graph-based topological invariants instead of statistical feature mining, is capable of capturing process drifts at an earlier stage (in terms of detection delay or lower average run length) and higher consistency of detection than conventional statistical features. As a practical consequence of this research, the operator can track the status of a complex process in a tractable control chart setting with only two graph theoretic topological invariants, as opposed to complex black-box models involving several features.
PCSM-01INTEGRATING PATIENT SELF-REPORT DATA INTO THE NEURO-ONCOLOGY CLINIC EXPERIENCE: LESSONS LEARNED

Patients with brain tumors may forget to mention symptoms during a clinic visit or think they are expected or unimportant. Time constraints in the clinic setting may also limit symptom identification. Lack of symptom identification may adversely affect quality of life and lead to missed opportunities for symptom management. To standardize symptom identification and facilitate symptom management, a patient self-report measure of symptom severity was incorporated into routine clinical care. As part of the initial implementation phase, 64 patients completed the self-report form. The most common and severe symptoms patients identified were fatigue (N = 53, 83%) trouble sleeping (N = 52, 81%), and trouble remembering (N = 49, 77%) and concentrating (N = 45, 70%). Although uncommon, seizures were very bothersome. Patients reported the questionnaire was easy to complete (N = 53, 83%), able to be completed within 5 minutes, and accurately reflected their experience (N = 44, 69%). In an audit of clinic visit documentation, 27 (42%) patients reported moderate to severe symptoms that were not identified during the clinic visit. The most common and bothersome symptoms were used to develop a patient education and self-management program and frame evidence-based interventions that could be delivered during the clinic visit, allowing the clinician to focus on individual symptom management. Challenges were encountered in linking patient self-report data to flow sheets and decision-making tools in the electronic medical records. Integrating patient self-report data into the clinic setting provides information that can be used to enhance symptom identification and management and promote patient-centered care.
Well-defined polymers containing high density of pendant viologen groups

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of a viologen-containing methacrylate, 1-propyl-1′-[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-4,4′-bipyridinium dihexafluorophosphate, is reported. To achieve good polymerization control, it was essential to use the viologen-based monomer with a hexafluorophosphate instead of halide counterion, and 2,2′-bipyridine as the ligand for the Cu-based ATRP catalyst. The solubility of produced cationic polymers could be tuned by anion metathesis: the polymers with hexafluorophosphate counterions were soluble in organic solvents (e.g., acetone, DMF), and those with chloride counterions were water-soluble. In aqueous solutions, the polymers (chloride salts) formed large aggregates, the sizes of which ranged from about 200 to about 400 nm (based on dynamic light scattering measurements) depending on the molecular weight. Upon addition of electrolytes (e.g., NaCl), the aggregates underwent dissociation. The apparent diffusion coefficients of the aggregates existing in aqueous solutions and the products of their electrolyte-induced dissociation were measured by diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy. The association–dissociation processes were also studied by fluorescence spectroscopy: the aqueous polymer solutions, which were originally fluorescent (λem = 402 nm at λex = 350 nm), lost their fluorescence in the presence of NaCl. The addition of small amounts of the viologen-containing polyelectrolytes to solutions of inorganic salts (NaCl) altered the crystal morphology of the salts due to interaction of the multiple charged pendant groups with small ions. In the presence of reducing agents, the pendant viologen groups were converted to viologen radical-cations, which are prone to dimerize reversibly in aqueous solutions. Indeed, marked dimerization of viologen radical cations (with absorbance maxima at 520 and 870 nm) was observed in relatively dilute aqueous solutions (4 mg mL−1) upon addition of reducing agents (hydrazine). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 55, 1173–1182
ADRA2B deletion variant influences time-dependent effects of pre-learning stress on long-term memory.

Extensive work over the past few decades has shown that certain genetic variations interact with life events to confer increased susceptibility for the development of psychological disorders. The deletion variant of the ADRA2B gene, which has been associated with enhanced emotional memory and heightened amygdala responses to emotional stimuli, might confer increased susceptibility for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or related phenotypes by increasing the likelihood of traumatic memory formation. Thus, we examined whether this genetic variant would predict stress effects on learning and memory in a non-clinical sample. Two hundred and thirty-five individuals were exposed to the socially evaluated cold pressor test or a control condition immediately or 30 min prior to learning a list of words that varied in emotional valence and arousal level. Participants’ memory for the words was tested immediately (recall) and 24 h after learning (recall and recognition), and saliva samples were collected to genotype participants for the ADRA2B deletion variant. Results showed that stress administered immediately before learning selectively enhanced long-term recall in deletion carriers. Stress administered 30 min before learning impaired recognition memory in male deletion carriers, while enhancing recognition memory in female deletion carriers. These findings provide additional evidence to support the idea that ADRA2B deletion variant carriers retain a sensitized stress response system, which results in amplified effects of stress on learning and memory. The accumulating evidence regarding this genetic variant implicates it as a susceptibility factor for traumatic memory formation and PTSD-related phenotypes.
Grounded Action Transformation for Robot Learning in Simulation

Robot learning in simulation is a promising alternative to the prohibitive sample cost of learning in the physical world. Unfortunately, policies learned in simulation often perform worse than hand-coded policies when applied on the physical robot. Grounded simulation learning (GSL) promises to address this issue by altering the simulator to better match the real world. This paper proposes a new algorithm for GSL -- Grounded Action Transformation -- and applies it to learning of humanoid bipedal locomotion. Our approach results in a 43.27% improvement in forward walk velocity compared to a state-of-the art hand-coded walk. We further evaluate our methodology in controlled experiments using a second, higher-fidelity simulator in place of the real world. Our results contribute to a deeper understanding of grounded simulation learning and demonstrate its effectiveness for learning robot control policies.
Chronic social defeat reduces myelination in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in top-down control of the brain’s stress axis, and its structure and function are particularly vulnerable to stress effects, which can lead to depression in humans and depressive-like states in animals. We tested whether chronic social defeat produces structural alterations in the mPFC in mice. We first performed a microarray analysis of mPFC gene expression changes induced by defeat, and biological pathway analysis revealed a dominant pattern of down-regulation of myelin-associated genes. Indeed, 69% of the most significantly down-regulated genes were myelin-related. The down regulation was confirmed by in situ hybridization histochemistry for two strongly down-regulated genes, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (Mog) and ermin (Ermn), and by immunohistochemistry for myelin basic protein. To test for stress-induced changes in myelin integrity, aurophosphate (Black Gold) myelin staining was performed on mPFC sections. Quantitative stereologic analysis showed reduced myelinated fiber length and density. Behavioral analysis confirmed that the 14-day social defeat sessions resulted in induction of depressive-like states measured in social interaction and light/dark tests. The combined data suggest that chronic social defeat induces molecular changes that reduce myelination of the prefrontal cortex, which may be an underlying basis for stress-induced depressive states.
CHAPTER 17 – Vitamin D

This chapter discusses how changes in vitamin D metabolism with age affect bone loss. Skin changes associated with aging reduce the amount of 7-dehydrocholesterol, the precursor to cholecalciferol (vitamin D 3 ), as well as its rate of conversion. Absorption of dietary vitamin D is also reduced by as much as 40% in older individuals as compared to younger ones. The aging adult also has a reduction in the quantity and activity of the renal 1-α-hydroxylase, which affects the production of the most active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol). Although osteomalacia is the most recognized skeletal consequence of vitamin D deficiency, other abnormalities in bone metabolism can occur, such as osteoporosis, increase in bone turnover, and impact on parathyroid hormone and osteocalcin resulting in changes in bone mineral density. Although vitamin D deficiency is most often associated with effects on bone, vitamin D receptors are found in many tissues. The effects of vitamin D deficiency extend well beyond the skeleton. Other sites that vitamin D deficiency may affect include the brain, dermal capillaries, keratinocytes, macrophages, vascular smooth muscle cells, leukocytes, and the pancreas.
Male with Priority of Ischemic Stroke Reduction

Although all direct oral anticoagulants compare equally or favorably versus warfarin in the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation examination of stroke components in the pivotal trials with direct oral anticoagulants may influence selection.
On-Line Evaluation of Systems with Discrete Observations

Abstract This paper presents a method for detecting faults in systems with discrete observations. We examine systems representable by a behavioral model. The behavioral model framework characterizes the time evolution of systems with discrete and continuous states and uncertainty in model parameters. Our method for detecting faults depends on an on-line encoding of the set of trajectories corresponding to a given observation and the dynamics specifications of the behavioral model. This encoding, called an evolution graph, is modified on-line as new observations are received. Faults are detected when the set of encoded trajectories is determined to be empty. This paper presents the modelling framework and discusses the construction and maintenance of the evolution graph.
An isogeometric approach for analysis of phononic crystals and elastic metamaterials with complex geometries

An isogeometric analysis (IGA) framework is presented to construct and solve dispersion relations for generating the band structure of periodic materials with complicated geometries representing phononic crystals and elastic metamaterials. As the dispersive properties depend on the microstructural geometry, an accurate representation of microstructural geometrical features is paramount. To this end, the ability of isogeometric analysis to exactly model complex curved geometries is exploited, and wave propagation in infinitely periodic solids is combined with isogeometric analysis. The benefits of IGA are demonstrated by comparing the results to those obtained using standard finite element analysis (FEA). It is shown that the IGA solutions can reach the same level of accuracy as FEA while using significantly fewer degrees of freedom. IGA is applied to phononic crystals and elastic metamaterials and the band structure for a variety of unit cells with complex microstructural geometries is investigated to illustrate the desirable dispersive effects in these metamaterials.
Tumor-Suppressor Inactivation of GDF11 Occurs by Precursor Sequestration in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and heterogeneous carcinoma in which various tumor-suppressor genes are lost by mutation, deletion, or silencing. Here we report a tumor-suppressive mode of action for growth-differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) and an unusual mechanism of its inactivation in TNBC. GDF11 promotes an epithelial, anti-invasive phenotype in 3D triple-negative cultures and intraductal xenografts by sustaining expression of E-cadherin and inhibitor of differentiation 2 (ID2). Surprisingly, clinical TNBCs retain the GDF11 locus and expression of the protein itself. GDF11 bioactivity is instead lost because of deficiencies in its convertase, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 5 (PCSK5), causing inactive GDF11 precursor to accumulate intracellularly. PCSK5 reconstitution mobilizes the latent TNBC reservoir of GDF11 in vitro and suppresses triple-negative mammary cancer metastasis to the lung of syngeneic hosts. Intracellular GDF11 retention adds to the concept of tumor-suppressor inactivation and reveals a cell-biological vulnerability for TNBCs lacking therapeutically actionable mutations.
Interobserver and Intraobserver Reliability of Cone-beam Computed Tomography in Identification of Apical Periodontitis

Abstract Introduction Accurate radiographic interpretation is of the utmost importance in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Previous studies have indicated subjectivity in the radiographic interpretation of periapical tissues irrespective of using conventional radiography, digital radiography, or cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging. No studies to date have evaluated the reliability of the interpretation of periapical tissues based on the size of periapical radiolucency (PAR). The purpose of this study was to assess the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of CBCT interpretation by observers from different specialties and different levels of experience when identifying PARs of various sizes. Methods Limited field of view CBCT scans were selected such that a variety of PARs with various sizes were included. Six observers with different levels of experience and fields of specialty evaluated periradicular tissues of 28 roots on the CBCT scans at 3 separate sittings each a month apart. Results The overall Fleiss kappa coefficient for interobserver reliability and intraobserver reliability was 0.88 and 0.85; the larger the PAR, the more reliable the radiographic interpretation. Increased experience level improved the intraobserver reliability. Conclusions CBCT imaging appears to be a reliable method for the interpretation of PAR. The larger the PAR is the more reliable the radiographic interpretation.
Introduction: The Demography of Sexuality

The field of demography has historically been slow to embrace research that addresses the heterogeneity of populations. Indeed, research on the manner in which race and sex affect demographic outcomes has only become commonplace in the last 20–30 years (Saenz and Morales 2005; Riley 2005; Hauser and Duncan 1959). It is perhaps unsurprising then that demographic research has paid little attention to sexuality as a whole, or to sexual orientation in particular.
Evolution of Neuronal Ischemic Injury

A decrease of blood flow to the mammalian brain sufficiently severe to impair neuronal function constitutes the condition of ischemia. In several situations in human and animals it has been determined that neuronal activity, i.e. action potentials disappears, if cerebral blood flow (CBF) falls to a level below 12–15 m1/100g min (Sundt et al, 1981; Garcia, 1984). However, it has also been observed that this is reversible, as long as blood flow is reestablished within a short period of time. Different ischemic flow thresholds have been experimentally described for neurons. The flow threshold for release of K+ is clearly lower than the one resulting in complete electrical failure (Astrup, 1981).
Assessment of Patient Exposure to Leachables From Lyophilized Drug Formulations Following Reconstitution, Storage, and Administration via Polymeric Packaging/Delivery Systems

Abstract It has been demonstrated that lyophilized drug formulations have an increased propensity to leach substances from the rubber stoppers comprising their primary packaging system when compared to aqueous liquid formulations stored in the same manner. Unfortunately, patient exposure to leachables originating in lyophilized drug products is not known. To that end, the goal of this study was to assess patient exposure to these leachables after reconstitution, storage, and administration of the lyophilized drug. To achieve this goal, several leachables present in 2 commercial lyophilized drug products were quantified after contact with polyvinyl chloride and non–polyvinyl chloride medication bags as well as an infusion set for durations of 15 min to 7 days at refrigerated and ambient temperature. The results obtained from this study showed that the bag’s material of construction and the drugs formulation did not impact the mass of the leachables administered. Conversely, the mass of each leachable administered to the patient was reduced or eliminated as the contact duration with the intravenous bag and the temperature increased. However, for shorter contact durations, refrigerated storage, and higher molecular weight compounds, the patient would be exposed to a majority of the leachables originating from the vial.
The Mechatronics Handbook - 2 Volume Set

Mechatronics has evolved into a way of life in engineering practice, and indeed pervades virtually every aspect of the modern world. As the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems, the successful implementation of mechatronic systems requires the integrated expertise of specialists from each of these areas.De
David Oliver: Are we seeing value based rationing clearly?

Leaders of public healthcare systems must make tricky decisions about prioritising resources, and they need public and professional engagement for this difficult role. Even a deluge of extra funding, after a relative drought of flat increases, wouldn’t magically wash away this need, but a recent report by the Medical Technology Group left me wondering whether England’s NHS is getting it right. The report examined rationing of elective cataract surgery, using data from freedom of information requests sent to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England. In total, 104 groups included elective cataract surgery on their list of “procedures of limited clinical value.”1 Of these, 76 used a “visual acuity threshold” before patients could be considered for …
Outcomes of Liver Transplantation for Severe Alcohol-Related Hepatitis

In summary, early LT for AH has evolved from the early era of LT to become an emerging and effective rescue therapy for patients with severe AH who are not responding to medical therapy, in highly selected cases with favorable psychosocial profiles.
Read Between the Filings: Daily Mutual Fund Holdings and Liquidity Provision

Many questions about mutual fund trading require daily holdings, yet mutual funds are only required to report quarterly holdings. I model intraquarter trading and use the genetic algorithm to estimate the trade pattern that is most consistent with the fund's daily reported returns. I validate the model empirically on a sample of institutional trades from Ancerno and I confirm that the method more accurately predicts daily holdings when compared to existing naive assumptions. Further, my method is substantially more accurate in classifying a fund’s tendency to supply liquidity, and this increased precision has important implications for identifying superior performing funds. Specifically, a long-short strategy based on the model’s liquidity provision measures earns significant abnormal returns, while a similar strategy that relies on quarterly holdings does not exhibit any outperformance.
A rare cause of stroke in young: PHACE syndrome (P1.253)

Objective: A young male presented with an ischemic stroke and was found to have clinical features of PHACE syndrome. Background: PHACE represents a syndromic constellation of Posterior fossa malformations, facial Hemangiomas, cerebral Arterial anomalies, Cardiovascular and Eye abnormalities. Steno-occlusive disease causing secondary complications like arterial ischemic stroke and moya-moya like vasculopathy can be seen in affected individuals. Design/Methods: Single case report. Results: A 36 year old male with a history of left eye retinal hemangioma with resection in childhood and residual blindness presented with acute onset vertigo, nystagmus, and left sided ataxia. Symptoms had been present for 2 weeks prior to hospitalization with brief episodes of vertigo but worsened with headache and difficulty controlling left arm on day of admission. Upon evaluation by the stroke team six hours later, his NIHSS was 2 and CT-brain showed a hypoplastic left cerebellum and hyperdense basilar artery. He was out of window for intravenous alteplase and endovascular therapy. Exam showed large facial hemangioma > 5 cm, left eye blindness, horizontal nystagmus, and left appendicular ataxia. CT angiography of the head confirmed basilar artery occlusion. Cerebral angiogram revealed complete occlusion of the mid basilar artery with opacification of the bilateral AICAs and PICAs. Additionally, there was prominent bilateral PCOM’s with brisk filling of the bilateral PCAs. MRI brain revealed a dysplastic left cerebellum with acute ischemic changes in the left SCA distribution. He was started on a heparin drip with bridge to oral warfarin. Cardiac and hypercoagulable workups were negative. Stroke etiology was determined to be PHACE syndrome. Conclusions: Neurocutaneous syndromes are typically diagnosed in childhood and can be a rare cause of stroke in young. Our patient suffered an ischemic stroke secondary to sequelae of undiagnosed PHACE syndrome. Early identification of neurocutaneous syndromes allows for proper surveillance, evaluation, and preventative education for development of complications. Disclosure: Dr. Fitzgerald has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chandra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dannenbaum has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sharrief has nothing to disclose.
Three Validation Tests of the Shor–McCarty State Legislator Ideology Data:

The Shor–McCarty state ideology data provide a valuable resource for students of state legislative politics, but, as with any important new measures, the properties of those data warrant independen...
Effects of 660nm red light on crush-induced sciatic nerve injury

Objective To explore the therapeutic effects of 660 nm red light on sciatic nerve injury in adult rats.Methods Forty-five adult,male rats were divided into a control group and treatment groups 1,2,3 and 4.Sciatic nerve injury was modeled by crushing the nerve.The treatment groups received irradiation with red light once daily for 21 consecutive days.The power density of red light and irradiation time varied among the groups.The latency and amplitude of compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) and nerve conductive velocity were examined at different time points.The Sciatic Function Index (SFI) was used to evaluate walking function.Results After 21 days of red light therapy no statistically significant differences were observed between the control group and treatment groups 1 to 4 with regard to the latency or the amplitude of the CMAPs.There was a significant difference between the control group and treatment group 3 in terms of sciatic nerve conduction velocity.The average Sciatic Function Indexes of treatment groups 2,3 were significantly different from that of the control group.Conclusion Red light irradiation can promote recovery after sciatic nerve injury,at least in rats,thereby improving walking function. Key words: Red light; Compound muscle action potentials; Nerve conduction velocity; Sciatic Function Index
Development of nanowire-modified electrodes applied in the locally enhanced electric field treatment (LEEFT) for water disinfection

Locally enhanced electric field treatment (LEEFT) is introduced as a nanowire-enabled physical water disinfection method with the advantages of low energy consumption, wide spectrum effectivity, and the absence of disinfection by-product (DBP)-forming chemical additives. The electrodes used for LEEFT are modified with nanowires, which enhance the electric field near the nanowire tips significantly. Even with a very low external applied voltage (usually <10 V), the local electric field strength is high enough to enable irreversible electroporation, thus causing microbial inactivation. Here, the development of nanowire-modified LEEFT electrodes is reviewed in terms of their reasoning of material selection, synthesis, characterization, and disinfection performance. Subsequently, we summarize the desired properties of the LEEFT electrodes (e.g., high conductivity, appropriate nanowire morphology, high durability, and low to no toxicity to humans and the environment), point out the strategies of developing new electrodes for the LEEFT, and propose a guideline on how to evaluate electrodes developed in the future. In the end, the challenges and opportunities of LEEFT electrodes for practical application are also discussed.
The Xuanxue Lifestyle: Self-Cultivation and Qi Practices

From the very beginning of the Daoist tradition, self-cultivation methods have played a key role in its expression and development, closely linked with even its most fundamental works, the Daodejing, the Neiye, and the Zhuangzi. Known as longevity techniques, they work through lifestyle modification in many different ways with the goal of maintaining a harmonious balance of qi functioning and reaching closer to perfect health, personal integration, and cosmic oneness. Xuanxue thinkers, too, engaged in these practices, most importantly Zhang Zhan, author of the Yangsheng Yaoji, and Ge Hong, who wrote the Baopuzi as well as several longevity-related treatises. These works all agree that the base of health and long life is moderation and warn us against excesses and provide remedies to improve bodily functions through diet and herbal decoctions, supported by prescriptions for proper sleep, hygiene, sexual activity, and exercise. This chapter will show that Xuanxue thinkers were not only familiar with these practices but presumably worked to apply them, at least to a certain degree, in their daily lives, coloring the way they thought and felt about life and the universe
The Effect of Investor Sentiment on Nonprofit Donations

Prior work shows that capital market participants including investors, analysts, and managers are all impacted by the prevailing level of investor sentiment. We extend this line of work by investigating whether the effects of sentiment spill over into the nonprofit sector by affecting donors’ spending to support moral causes. While donors are driven by ethical, altruistic, and other utility-maximizing motives, it is unclear whether behavioral biases stemming from sentiment would influence donors’ decisions to give. We shed light on this issue using a large industry-diverse panel of over 115 thousand organization-years from 2008 to 2016. Results indicate that nonprofit organizations receive less in stock-based donations and more in cash-based donations during periods of high investor sentiment. Our inquiry separately considers cash and stock-based donations because we expect, and find, that market-related sentiment impacts these types of contributions differently. Moreover, we find that these effects are stronger for organizations with large donors, who are more closely tied to the capital markets, and therefore more susceptible to investor sentiment, as well as charitable organizations, consistent with “tug-at-the-heartstrings” type appeals inducing more emotional donation response. Taken together, the results suggest that market-wide investor sentiment impacts nonprofit organizations and the effects vary in the cross-section.
Changes in the brain transcriptome after DNA Aβ42 trimer immunization in a 3xTg-AD mouse model.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been associated with accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides in brain, and immunotherapy targeting Aβ provides potential for AD prevention. We have used a DNA Aβ42 trimer construct for immunization of 3xTg-AD mice and found previously significant reduction of amyloid and tau pathology due to the immunotherapy. We show here that DNA Aβ42 immunized 3xTg-AD mice showed better performance in nest building activities and had a higher 24 months survival rate compared to the non-treated AD controls. The analysis of differently expressed genes in brains from 24 months old mice showed significant increases transcript levels between non-immunized AD mice and wild-type controls for genes involved in microglia and astrocyte function, cytokine and inflammatory signaling, apoptosis, the innate and adaptive immune response and are consistent with an inflammatory phenotype in AD. Most of these upregulated genes were downregulated in the DNA Aβ42 immunized 3xTg-AD mice due to the vaccine. Transcript numbers for the immediate early genes, Arc, Bdnf, Homer1, Egr1 and cfos, involved in neuronal and neurotransmission pathways which were much lower in the non-immunized 3xTg-AD mice, were restored to wild-type mouse brain levels in DNA Aβ42 immunized 3xTg-AD mice indicating positive effects of DNA Aβ42 immunotherapy on synapse stability and plasticity. The immune response after immunization is complex, but the multitude of changes after DNA Aβ42 immunization shows that this response moves beyond the amyloid hypothesis and into direction of disease prevention.
A corpus-aided study of stance adverbs in judicial opinions and the implications for English for Legal Purposes instruction

Abstract This article reports a corpus-aided analysis of stance adverbs within published judicial opinions from the 12 geographically-apportioned districts of the United States (US) Federal Courts of Appeals. The study first analyzes stance adverbs previously investigated in US Supreme Court decisions in order to more comprehensively explore these interactional features across multiple levels of the judicial system. Following this initial analysis, the study then examines variation in the use of stance adverbs between majority and dissenting opinions in Courts of Appeals opinions to identify salient similarities and differences in frequency and function in the two opinion types. The initial analysis reveals divergence in stance adverb use between the Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Court and between legal writing and other registers, indicating the prevalence and importance of stance adverbs within legal writing. Additionally, the study notes variation in stance adverbs between majority and dissenting opinions. This article details the variation of stance adverbs across these aforementioned contexts, discusses how the variation noted in the corpus analysis at times conflicts with the advice of legal writing style guides, and offers pedagogical implications of these findings for English for Legal Purposes instruction.
Hypothalamic Astrocytes and the Role of Neuroprogesterone in Estrogen Positive Feedback

Astrocytes are critical for the CNS control of female reproduction by mediating estrogen positive feedback—an event through which the hypothalamus controls the surge release of luteinizing hormone (LH) to induce ovulation and the formation of the corpus luteum. Estradiol controls physical interactions between astrocytes and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, controlling synaptic input and peptide release. Importantly, estradiol stimulates astrocytes to release neuroprogesterone, which activates kisspeptin neurons that control GnRH neuronal activity. Like estrogen positive feedback, estradiol-induced neuroprogesterone synthesis appears only in females after puberty. Coincident with the maturation of the reproductive system during puberty, a new population of astrocytes is added to the hypothalamus. It is thought that during estrogen positive feedback, estradiol induces progesterone receptors in kisspeptin neurons, which are activated by estradiol-facilitated neuroprogesterone release from newly born hypothalamic astrocytes. Kisspeptin release then triggers GnRH release, inducing the surge secretion of LH.
RCRA's state program provisions and the Tenth Amendment: coercion or cooperation

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act seeks to establish nationally uniform standards for hazardous-waste control while placing primary responsibility for enforcement of these standards on the states rather than the federal government. RCRA directly regulates hazardous wastes within the states, but allows and authorizes grants to states to develop their own programs subject to approval by the Environmental Protection Agency. The constitutionality of this program is examined, and no violation of the Tenth Amendment proscriptions against national coercion of the states or national interference with essential functions of state governments is found. A finding that RCRA is within the proper scope of Congress' commerce and spending powers would also be consistent with environmental goals. 121 references.
Laboratory medicine in pediatric lupus

Pediatric lupus encompasses a broad variety of clinical manifestations of a systemic disease. Routine laboratory testing, autoantibodies, and complement levels can confirm the diagnosis and help monitoring and therapy of the disease, to ultimately improve outcomes. Additionally, tests can help to identify subsets of patients with specific risk factors and/or the involvement of selected organs/systems. The availability, refinement and accuracy of laboratory tests are instrumental to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of pediatric lupus patients.
How Curriculum and Classroom Achievement Predict Teacher Time on Lecture- and Inquiry-Based Mathematics Activities.

This study drew on data from a large, randomized trial of Cognitive Tutor Algebra (CTA) in high-poverty settings to investigate how mathematics curricula and classroom achievement related to teacher reports of time spent on inquiry-based and lecture-based mathematics activities. We found that teachers using the CTA curriculum reported more time on inquiry-based activities and less time on teacher lecture activities overall compared to non-CTA teachers. However, both CTA and non-CTA teachers of the highest-achieving students spent more time on inquiry-based activities compared to teachers of lower-achieving students. Additionally, CTA teachers in classrooms with the most low-achieving and non-gifted students reported almost as much time on lecturebased activities as their non-CTA counterparts. Qualitative findings suggest that CTA teachers engaged in more traditional lecture-based activities and fewer inquiry-based activities when they thought their lower-achieving students could not tackle the reading open-ended activities in the curriculum without explicit demonstration and traditional practice problems. CTA thus appeared to increase inquiry-based activities in teachers’ classrooms overall. However, lower-achieving students may have had needs unaddressed by the CTA curriculum. These findings thus imply that districts should think carefully about how to implement CTA and—potentially—other inquiry-based curricula in order to support teachers of students with the highest needs and least preparation.
Two Vesicle-associated Membrane Protein Genes Are Differentially Expressed in the Rat Central Nervous System

Abstract Vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) 1 is a 120-amino acid protein which co-purifies with cholinergic synaptic vesicles from the marine ray Torpedo californica. We used the Torpedo gene to isolate two independent classes of VAMP cDNA clones from rat brain. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cDNAs predicts proteins which are 84 and 75% homologous to Torpedo VAMP-1. The amino-terminal 24-28 amino acid residues which comprise the proline-rich head are only about 50% homologous between the different VAMPs, yet the proline-rich character is maintained. The 69 amino acids which comprise the hydrophilic core are highly homologous to Torpedo VAMP-1, with only 2 amino acid substitutions in rat VAMP-1 and 6 in rat VAMP-2. The carboxyl-terminal 23 amino acids of all of the VAMP proteins maintain the hydrophobic character necessary to serve as a membrane anchor. Both VAMP transcripts are expressed differentially in the rat central nervous system. Whereas VAMP-2 is more highly expressed in the whole brain, VAMP-1 is expressed at a higher level in the spinal cord.
A novel data encryption algorithm based on wavelet filter banks and the singular value decomposition

We present an algorithm which performs data encryption by serially concatenating two transform stages. The outer stage uses one of the orthogonal matrices obtained from the singular value decomposition (SVD) of an arbitrary signal, such as white noise or the sum of cosines of different frequencies. The inner stage of encryption uses a fast, parallelized wavelet filter bank using our previously presented algorithm (Koh, M.S. and Rodriguez-Marek, E., Proc. IEEE Int. Symp. on Sig. Process. and Inform., 2003). This algorithm is generalized for an arbitrary number of nodes and decomposition levels. Past algorithms based on the wavelet packet tree structure present a drawback for band-limited signals, because attackers can guess the approximate frequency bands of the wavelet decomposition. Our algorithm uses orthogonal matrices generated by the SVD, which spread the frequency content of the signal into the available spectrum when applied to the original vector. Furthermore, the algorithm is based on parallelized filter banks, which provide a flexible and highly adaptive structure for encryption and decryption.
SECURITIES LAW—ALL IN THE FAMILY—UNITED STATES v. CHESTMAN: FINDING A FIDUCIARY OR OTHER SIMILAR RELATION OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE UNDER RULE 10b-5 FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF A FAMILY-CONTROLLED PUBLICLY TRADED CORPORATION

This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Review & Student Publications at Digital Commons @ Western New England University School of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western New England Law Review by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Western New England University School of Law. For more information, please contact pnewcombe@law.wne.edu. Recommended Citation
Stimulation of yeast adenylyl cyclase activity by lysophospholipids and fatty acids. Implications for the regulation of Ras/effector function by lipids

A reconstituted system containing membranes prepared from various Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (CYR1 ras1 ras2) and a recombinant RAS2 protein was used to evaluate the effect of lipids on adenylyl cyclase activity. Incubation of wild-type membranes with lysophosphatidylinositol, lysophosphatidylserine, or lysophosphatidylcholine stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in the absence and presence of RAS between 2-10-fold depending upon the individual lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids preferentially increased activity 2-3-fold in the presence of RAS. Other phospholipids as well as several detergents had only marginal effects on adenylyl cyclase activity. Lipids had no effect on either the binding or hydrolysis of GTP by RAS. LysoPI decreased both the Km for ATP and the amount of RAS required for enzyme activation. Four catalytically active deletion mutants of the CYR1 protein including one containing only the C-terminal 417 amino acids were similarly responsive to lysoPI when compared to the wild-type enzyme. These data suggest that lysophospholipids and fatty acids, metabolites of the mitogenically responsive enzyme phospholipase A2, may represent a novel mechanism for modulating the activity of downstream effector molecules and their interaction with Ras proteins.
Functional domains of the penicillinase repressor of Bacillus licheniformis.

The penicillinase repressor (PENI) negatively regulates expression of the penicillinase gene (penP) in Bacillus licheniformis by binding to its operators located within the promoter region of penP.penI codes for a protein with 128 amino acids. Filter-binding analyses suggest that the active form of the repressor is a dimer. Genetic analyses of PENI derivatives showed that the repressor carrying either a 6-amino-acid deletion near the N terminus or a 14-amino-acid deletion at the C terminus was functionally inactive in vivo. A repressor derivative carrying a 6-amino-acid deletion within its N-terminal region was extensively purified and used in DNA footprinting and subunit cross-linking analyses. The results of these studies showed that the repressor derivative had lost its ability to bind operator specifically even though it could dimerize effectively. In similar studies, we demonstrated that an N-terminal portion of PENI with a molecular mass of 10 kDa derived by digestion with papain was able to bind operator specifically but with reduced affinity and had completely lost its ability to dimerize. These data suggest that the repressor has two functional and separable domains. The amino-terminal domain of the repressor is responsible for operator recognition, and the carboxyl-terminal domain is involved in subunit dimerization.
Using characteristic mode theory to estimate air-substrate microstrip patch antenna input impedance

The input impedance of an antenna is a crucial parameter when designing antenna systems. Although this impedance may be transformed into a desired value by using a matching network, a better solution when possible is to design the antenna itself to present the desired input impedance. For certain types of antennas, this design process is well-researched and fairly straightforward; rectangular microstrip patch antennas are one example. For many other cases, full-wave parametric simulations are the only viable alternative. Here, an alternate analysis technique for these situations is developed to estimate the input impedance of a particular class of antennas.
The Clinical Chemistry and Pathologic Physiology of Thyroid Tissue

Familial goiter with hypothyroidism can be subdivided into at least 8 groups and each appears to result from an inherited disorder at a specific stage in thyroid hormone synthesis, mobilization, or peripheral effect. At times, the intense hyperplasia which accompanies one of these disorders evolves into malignant disease. Criteria for diagnosis of each are presented.