cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Task demands dissociate the effects of muscarinic M1 receptor blockade and protein kinase C inhibition on attentional performance in rats

The cholinergic system is known to be necessary for normal attentional processing. However, the receptors and mechanisms mediating the effects of acetylcholine on attention remain unclear. Previous work in our laboratory suggested that cholinergic muscarinic receptors are critical for maintaining performance in an attention-demanding task in rats. We examined the role of the muscarinic M1 receptor and protein kinase C (PKC), which is activated by the M1 receptor, in attention task performance. Rats were trained in an attention-demanding task requiring discrimination of brief (500, 100, 25 ms) visual signals from trials with no signal presentation. The effects of muscarinic M1 receptor blockade were assessed by administering dicyclomine (0–5.0 mg/kg). The effects of PKC inhibition were assessed by administering chelerythrine chloride (0–2.0 mg/kg). Dicyclomine decreased the accuracy of detecting longer signals in this attention task, including when attentional demands were increased by flashing a houselight throughout the session. Chelerythrine chloride decreased the accuracy of signal detection in the standard version of the task but not when the houselight was flashed throughout the session. The present findings indicate that muscarinic M1 receptors are critical for maintaining performance when attentional demands are increased and that PKC activity may contribute to some aspects of attentional performance.
Dynamic source routing (DSR) protocol implementation in ns-3

Routing protocols are essential to the performance of wireless networks especially in mobile ad-hoc scenarios. The development of new routing protocols requires comparing them against well-known protocols in various simulation environments. In this paper, we present an overview of the well-known MANET routing protocols and the implementation details of the DSR routing protocol in the ns-3 network simulator. We verify DSR routing performance under various scenarios and compare its performance against other protocols implemented in ns-3: AODV, DSDV, and OLSR. Our results show that the performance of DSR shares similar characteristics with AODV yet has slightly higher overall performance results in terms of the routing metrics we use.
Prognostic value of chromosome 1q21 gain by fluorescent in situ hybridization and increase CKS1B expression in myeloma.

A specific role for increased level of expression of CKS1B, as a consequence of chromosome 1q21 copy number gain, has been postulated as both pathogenic, as well as a powerful clinical prognostic factor in multiple myeloma (MM). The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical associations and prognostic impact of copy number gain at chromosome 1q21 (with a bacteria artificial chromosome clone containing CKS1B) and CKS1B gene level of expression in MM. We studied the chromosome region 1q21 for copy number change in a cohort of myeloma patients treated by high-dose therapy with stem-cell rescue (HDT) (n=159). A separate cohort of patients, treated by HDT was studied for CKS1B messenger RNA expression by gene expression profiling (n=67). 1q21 gain was then correlated with clinical parameters and survival. Gain of 1q21 copy number was detected in about a third of MM and was associated with more proliferative disease and poor-risk cytogenetic categories such as t(4;14), and chromosome 13 deletion. Both 1q21 gain and increase gene expression level were significantly associated with reduced survival. However, neither is an independent prognostic marker in MM on multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis.
HELIXANT: a normal mode helix antenna prediction program

The resonant normal mode helix antenna (NMHA) is being studied for adaptation to command and control systems requiring low-profile, compact antennas. The authors describe HELIXANT, a computer program for modeling this type of antenna and obtaining quantitative predictions of performance. The HELIXANT program listing and its validation are considered. Based upon comparisons with other prediction methods and test results, HELIXANT appears to be useful as an accurate and easy-to-use tool for complete analytical prediction of NMHA behavior for HF, VHF, and UHF frequency ranges. >
Reentry of the Addicted Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist: A Review of the Literature

Although not extensive, there is a body of literature pertaining to addiction and reentry to practice in health care providers (HCPs), including nurses, physicians, and anesthesiologists. Yet very ...
Placental ischemia and breast cancer risk after preeclampsia: tying the knot.

Although hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, continue to be a significant source of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, there is emerging evidence that effects of the preeclamptic syndrome persist into later life. In contrast to recent studies that have reported that formerly preeclamptic women are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, it appears that preeclampsia may be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. Recent investigations have provided exciting new insights into potential mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and some of these findings may bear relevance to the anticancer effects reported in the epidemiological literature. Placental ischemia is regarded to be a primary factor in preeclampsia and the ischemic placenta produces a variety of factors that generate profound effects on endothelial cell function and the cardiovascular system during pregnancy. Moreover, several of these factors are reportedly elevated many years after pr...
Ethical issues at the end of life

The combination of increased life span and medical interventions has created sometimes a protracted dying process, which is the source of many ethical concerns at the end of life. Basic ethical principles, ie, autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and double effect, are the cornerstones of decisions made at the end of life. Examples of items being discussed are: informed consent, advanced directives, surrogate, DNR, hospice and palliative care. New concepts such as “limit settings” on interventions at the end of life or “futility” are now applied. Those new trends have led to situations when patients are given by physicians the means to end their lives by themselves (physician-assisted suicide) or with the help of a health professional (euthanasia) to relieve patients’ suffering. Several professional medical organizations (AMA, ACP, AAHPM, for instance) provide ethical guidelines and may help solve end-of-life clinical problems which sometimes present some of the most challenging ethical dilemmas.
Participant Observation and Phased Assertion as Research Strategies in the Canadian Arctic

Participant observation is the basic and defining research strategy for cultural anthropologists, a useful tool for building rapport, establishing trust, and gaining an understanding of culture as experienced by its members. This article uses the author’s experience working in an Inuit community in Canada to explore another use of participant observation: the acquisition of communicative competence. In small, bounded communities such as those in the Canadian Arctic, the development and display of cultural and communicative competence is necessary to overcome apathy and sometimes hostility toward researchers. Furthermore, establishment of these abilities allows for the use of phased assertion as an interview probe. Phased assertion works not only as a data collection technique, it reinforces communicative competence and improves informant rapport.
Transmission planning issues in a competitive economic environment

In the increasingly competitive electric utility industry, there is an emerging need for the diverse parties using the transmission system to understand transmission planning. In this paper, the authors discuss features of transmission planning that are problematic in such an environment. Reference is made to a number of transmission system expansion and access disputes. Transmission software models are also discussed. >
Case analysis on performance of Chinese listed companies for suggestions to their diversification strategy

Ever since diversification strategy was introduced and implemented to Chinese corporations in 1980s, more and more entrepreneurs have been attracted and tried to experience this new strategy. Unfortunately, not all have achieved success when operating this strategy. There are numerous listed companies employing diversification strategy. The performance of them is closely correlated with the healthy and sustaining growth of Chinese economy. It is critical to address whether and how the diversification strategy could influence the performance of those companies deserves further research. Here we investigated in relationship between the diversification strategy and companies' performance through analyzing the correlation between financial performance index and the degree of diversification. Essential concepts and notions of diversification strategy are introduced, followed by explanation to analyzing and sampling approaches. Then, based on results from data of one hundred sample listed corporations, we proposed explanations of the conclusion and provided suggestions for successful implementing of diversification strategy in Chinese corporations.
The cost of obesity: commentary on an article by Hilal Maradit Kremers, MD, MSc, et al. "the effect of obesity on direct medical costs in total knee arthroplasty".

Obesity is associated with longer hospital stays and increased costs in total knee arthroplasty, even among patients without comorbid conditions or complications. Every 5-unit increase of body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m2 is associated with increased costs of $250 to $300 for primary total knee arthroplasty and $600 to $650 for revision total knee arthroplasty. This is the important conclusion that the authors have demonstrated in their article. We stress that this is an important conclusion for several reasons. First, the negative consequences of obesity regarding disability, disease, and mortality have been well documented, and, unfortunately, obesity is increasing in the United States. Obesity is linked to degenerative arthritis of the knee, and a substantial number of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty are obese1. Although others have reported this, the results of this study indicate that 59% of patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty and 62% of patients undergoing revision total knee arthroplasty are obese. Second, improvement in outcomes following total knee arthroplasty in obese patients has been reported; however, …
Resettably Sound Zero-Knowledge Arguments from OWFs - The (Semi) Black-Box Way

We construct a constant round resettably-sound zero knowledge argument of knowledge based on black-box use of any one-way function. Resettable-soundness was introduced by Barak, Goldreich, Goldwasser and Lindell [FOCS 01] and is a strengthening of the soundness requirement in interactive proofs demanding that soundness should hold even if the malicious prover is allowed to “reset” and “restart” the verifier. In their work they show that resettably-sound ZK arguments require nonblack- box simulation techniques, and also provide the first construction based on the breakthrough simulation technique of Barak [FOCS 01]. All known implementations of Barak’s non-black-box technique required non-black-box use of a collision-resistance hash-function (CRHF).
A Growing Concern: The Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture

This brief article assesses the potential ramifications of climate change on agricultural production in both the United States and globally. It also discusses some of the efforts at adaptation and mitigation germane to the agricultural sector.
Antidepressant Treatment Persistence in Low-Income, Insured Pregnant Women

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with depression face complicated treatment decisions, either because of the risk associated with not treating depression or because of the risks associated with antidepressant use. Approximately 1 in 5 women experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy. This information suggests that many women may take an antidepressant at some time during pregnancy. Once pregnant women initiate antidepressant prescription pharmacotherapy, medication treatment persistence plays an important role in managing depression, yet little is known regarding antidepressant use behavior in pregnant women. OBJECTIVE: To determine antenatal antidepressant treatment nonpersistence and associated factors in low-income, insured pregnant women. METHODS: We identified eligible pregnant women (≥18 years) diagnosed with major depression who initiated antidepressant medications during pregnancy from South Carolina Medicaid claims data (2004-2009). Our main outcome measure was treatment nonpersistence to antidepressant therapy during pregnancy. We defined treatment nonpersistence to antidepressant pharmacotherapy as having a gap between 2 consecutive prescriptions lasting at least 15 days during pregnancy. We applied a proportional hazards model to identify predictors associated with the risk for antidepressant nonpersistence during pregnancy. RESULTS: Of 804 pregnant women meeting study criteria, nearly 45% of this cohort did not continue to use antidepressant pharmacotherapy, showing a gap ≥15 days between 2 prescriptions, after initiating antidepressant therapy during pregnancy. Women reporting nonwhite race were 36% more likely to show a gap in antidepressant medication use during pregnancy than white women. Women with a history of antidepressant use before pregnancy were 44% more likely to discontinue the antidepressant therapy during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment persistence to antidepressant medications was poor during pregnancy in low-income, insured pregnant women. Individualized treatment might be considered to reduce the risks of untreated depression and antenatal antidepressant use in vulnerable women.
Rights Translation and Remedial Disequilibration in Constitutional Criminal Procedure

Criminal procedure rights are widely understood both as individual constitutional guarantees and as conduct-regulating norms, enforcement of which guides the behavior of criminal justice actors. This regulatory dynamic of constitutional criminal procedure flows from both criminal and civil litigation, and as a consequence criminal procedure rights are shaped and adjudicated in recursive remedial regimes. Little notice has been paid, however, to the fact that the contours of criminal procedure rights are not consonant across the criminal and civil remedial regimes. Instead, courts in civil actions reshape criminal procedure doctrine in a manner that erects new, conflicting, and often more lenient conduct norms for law enforcement. This Article contends that this reformulation of recursively litigated rights is not accidental but rather flows from the role of remedial context in shaping constitutional doctrine - a role that is brought into complicated relief when adjudication of a right spans remedial realms. Drawing from emerging schools of thought in constitutional implementation scholarship, the Article provides a thick description of the problems of cross-remedial adjudication in criminal procedure, focusing in particular on how unprincipled or incoherent approaches undermine the regulatory force of constitutional criminal procedure. The Article then proposes and applies a framework of 'rights translation' to ameliorate these deficiencies. While rights translation in criminal procedure involves certain unique remedial and systemic dynamics, the model of adjudication developed in the Article promises to illuminate other cross-remedial arenas of constitutional adjudication.
Maternal periodontal disease is associated with oxidative stress during pregnancy.

Oxidative stress is characterized by a state of imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant defenses. Free radicals are produced endogenously as part of the oxidative burst of phagocyte activation, and they are encountered via exogenous production from sources such as cigarette smoke. When an excess production of reactive oxygen species is formed, oxidative stress ensues. A member of the isoprostane family, 8-isoprostane PGF2α (8-iso), has been advocated as the “gold standard” for measurement of in vivo “whole-body” oxidative stress.1,2 The 8-iso is predominantly generated by cyclo-oxygenase-independent free radical attack on arachidonic acid in cell membranes. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and its complications.3,4 Individuals with periodontal disease display high levels of local and systemic biomarkers of oxidative stress.5 This has potential relevance for the pregnant woman, as periodontal disease affects 5 to 40% of pregnant women. Additionally, periodontal disease has been associated with preeclampsia and adverse pregnancy outcomes characterized by impaired antioxidant defense and maternal oxidative stress.6–8 Women destined to develop preeclampsia have increased systemic concentrations of 8-iso early in pregnancy, prior to the clinical manifestation of the disease.9 Recently, Wikstrom and colleagues demonstrated an association between elevated placental 8-iso and early onset preeclampsia.10 Maternal periodontal disease may be a stimulus for this increase in oxidative stress. The objective of this analysis was to determine if maternal periodontal disease was associated with oxidative stress during pregnancy, which may suggest a possible therapeutic target to reduce periodontal disease-associated pregnancy complications.
Hydrogen evolution from formic acid in an ionic liquid solvent: a mechanistic study by ab initio molecular dynamics.

The reversible decomposition of formic acid (HCOOH ⇌ CO2 + H2) has been attracting attention for its potential utility in hydrogen storage and production. It is therefore of interest to explore the influence of solvents on the decomposition reaction. To this end, Born–Oppenheimer (BO) molecular dynamics (MD) calculations have been performed to explore the mechanism involved in hydrogen (H2) evolution from formic acid decomposition in an ionic liquid solvent. Specifically, for a solvent consisting of 1,3-dimethylimidazolium cations and formate anions, evolution of hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) was observed within a few picoseconds when BO-MD trajectories were carried out at an elevated temperature of 3000 K. The observed dehydrogenation involved a reaction between a formic acid solute and a nearby solvent formate anion. The observed mechanism contrasts with the unimolecular mechanism proposed in the gas phase. Specifically, in the ionic liquid, the reaction is initiated from a C–H bond dissociatio...
Clinician Factors Associated With Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening in Older Veterans With Limited Life Expectancy

Importance Despite guidelines recommending against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in elderly men with limited life expectancy, PSA screening remains common. Objective To identify clinician characteristics associated with PSA screening rates in older veterans stratified by life expectancy. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional study of 826 286 veterans 65 years or older eligible for PSA screening who had VA laboratory tests performed in 2011 in the VA health care system. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the percentage of men with a screening PSA test in 2011. Limited life expectancy was defined as age of at least 85 years with Charlson comorbidity score of 1 or greater or age of at least 65 years with Charlson comorbidity score of 4 or greater. Primary predictors were clinician characteristics including degree-training level, specialty, age, and sex. We performed log-linear Poisson regression models for the association between each clinician characteristic and PSA screening stratified by patient life expectancy and adjusted for patient demographics and clinician clustering. Results In 2011, 466 017 (56%) of older veterans received PSA screening, including 39% of the 203 717 men with limited life expectancy. After adjusting for patient demographics, higher PSA screening rates in patients with limited life expectancy was associated with having a clinician who was an older man and was no longer in training. The PSA screening rates ranged from 27% for men with a physician trainee to 42% for men with an attending physician ( P P P P Conclusions and Relevance More than one-third of men with limited life expectancy received PSA screening. Men whose clinician was a physician trainee had substantially lower PSA screening rates than those with an attending physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Interventions to reduce PSA screening rates in older men with limited life expectancy should be designed and targeted to high-screening clinicians— older male, nontrainee clinicians—for greatest impact.
Effect of transducer on shaft voltage and bearing current in wind power generation system

In the modern wind power generation system, because of the large number of the high frequency power electronic devices, the bearing current problems to the entire system was brought, and the safe operation of the system and the life of generator bearing and other mechanical parts were seriously influenced. Precise analysis of distributed capacitance parameter was very important to predict shaft voltage and bearing current accurately. The common mode model of whole wind power generation system was analyzed firstly. Through the study of the inner structure of the Wind turbines, the analytical calculation formula of distributed capacitances in the Wind turbines was put forward. Finite element method was also recommended. Based on the above analysis, formation mechanism and influence on bearing current of wind power generation system were determined.
Research on Calibration Device for on-load Tap-changer Tester Based on Power MOSFET

The calibration device for on-load tap-changer tester, which is the topic research, can be used for calibration for on-load tap-changer tester.The equip functions involve transition resistance, transition time, three-phase synchronization, ripple factor and separation angle.The paper introduces the working principle and the core technology of the calibration device.Among them, the most innovative point is the"synchronously generation"about transition resistance physical standard and transition time standard,based on Power MOSFET.According to the calibration result from the legal metrology verification institution,function parameters of the equip meet the design request, and it is domestic advanced.
The epidemiology of dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Though in his 1817 monograph on the ‘Shaking Palsy’, James Parkinson believed in “the absence of any injury to the senses and to the intellect”, it is now widely accepted that dementia is often seen in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.Prevalence estimates of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease have ranged from under 10% to over 80%(Brown and Marsden, 1984), attesting to the variable methodologies employed and populations studied.
Fungal Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and the Genus Aspergillus

Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are low-molecular-weight organic compounds that easily evaporate at room temperature. Some Aspergillus VOCs are responsible for the characteristic musty odors associated with moldy environments while others play an important role in determining the palatability of fermented foods and drinks. Modern instrumentation using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry has improved our ability to characterize fungal VOC profiles and their analyses are important components of metabolomic studies. Aspergillus volatiles can be used as supplemental characters in chemotaxonomy. They provide a nondestructive strategy for detecting the presence of fungal growth. They have been used to discover cryptic molds in the indoor environments; to detect contamination of stored food crops; and are under investigation as a possible medical diagnostic tool for aspergillosis. Furthermore, there is growing recognition that fungal VOCs are vital molecules in mediating intra- and intercellular signaling, within and between organisms. Nevertheless, many gaps remain in our scientific understanding of VOCs from Aspergillus and other molds.
Age and sex influences on running mechanics and coordination variability

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the impact of age on running mechanics separately for male and female runners and to quantify sex differences in running mechanics and coordination variability for older runners. Kinematics and kinetics were captured for 20 younger (10 male) and 20 older (10 male) adults running overground at 3.5 m · s−1. A modified vector coding technique was used to calculate segment coordination variability. Lower extremity joint angles, moments and segment coordination variability were compared between age and sex groups. Significant sex–age interaction effects were found for heel-strike hip flexion and ankle in/eversion angles and peak ankle dorsiflexion angle. In older adults, mid-stance knee flexion angle, ankle inversion and abduction moments and hip abduction and external rotation moments differed by sex. Older compared with younger females had reduced coordination variability in the thigh–shank transverse plane couple but greater coordination variability for the s...
Retrospective study to evaluate variables predicting no-show international patients.

e17528 Background: Patients not appearing for scheduled medical appointments (no shows) has negative effects on a number of parameters including medical outcomes, quality of patient care and econom...
Gendered spheres: theorizing space in the English printing house

ABSTRACTThe English printing house was initially conceived, legally, as a printing house, with public work taking place in a private setting. This private space emphasised the traditional hierarchies of political and legal order: Women’s work that took place within the printing house thus fell into the traditional role of household labours. This erasure of labour is one that foregrounds the erasure of women’s writing from history; women who worked in essence as publishers, as printers and booksellers, are very clearly present in the historical records but invisible in our narratives of book history. How did this erasure happen, and why is their presence, and work, overlooked? If we consider the language of space in theory and reread Moxon’s Mechanickal Exercises closely, we see the ways in which the ideas of space itself can be implicitly gendered, and how this might shape our idea of the printing house.
Out-of-plane ordering in quaternary MAX alloys: an alloy theoretic perspective

ABSTRACTThis letter is motivated by an apparent paradox, in that some quaternary systems (particularly in the Ti–Zr–Al–C system) have been shown to exhibit M-site out-of-plane ordering, while prior work and calculations by the present authors suggest endothermic interactions between Zr and Ti. In this letter we provide a resolution to this issue and provide a more extended analysis on the out-of-plane and in-plane ordering in the M sites of quaternary MAX alloys. The results provide further insights to develop criteria to predict potential out-of-plane ordering tendencies in other MAX systems.fx1
Fragmentation in the Market for Venture Capital

This study examines two types of venture capital networks — those among angels and those among venture capital firms (VCFs) — to determine if they could contribute to the fragmentation of the marke...
Adolescent Social Stress Increases Anxiety-like Behavior and Alters Synaptic Transmission, Without Influencing Nicotine Responses, in a Sex-Dependent Manner.

Abstract Early-life stress is a risk factor for comorbid anxiety and nicotine use. Because little is known about the factors underlying this comorbidity, we investigated the effects of adolescent stress on anxiety-like behavior and nicotine responses within individual animals. Adolescent male and female C57BL/6J mice were exposed to chronic variable social stress (CVSS; repeated cycles of social isolation + social reorganization) or control conditions from postnatal days (PND) 25–59. Anxiety-like behavior and social avoidance were measured in the elevated plus-maze (PND 61–65) and social approach-avoidance test (Experiment 1: PND 140–144; Experiment 2: 95–97), respectively. Acute nicotine-induced locomotor, hypothermic, corticosterone responses, (Experiment 1: PND 56–59; Experiment 2: PND 65–70) and voluntary oral nicotine consumption (Experiment 1: PND 116–135; Experiment 2: 73–92) were also examined. Finally, we assessed prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAC) synaptic transmission (PND 64–80); brain regions that are implicated in anxiety and addiction. Mice exposed to adolescent CVSS displayed increased anxiety-like behavior relative to controls. Further, CVSS altered synaptic excitability in PFC and NAC neurons in a sex-specific manner. For males, CVSS decreased the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in the PFC and NAC, respectively. In females, CVSS decreased the amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in the NAC. Adolescent CVSS did not affect social avoidance or nicotine responses and anxiety-like behavior was not reliably associated with nicotine responses within individual animals. Taken together, complex interactions between PFC and NAC function may contribute to adolescent stress-induced anxiety-like behavior without influencing nicotine responses.
The Central Helix of Calmodulin and Homologs Effects of Solvent Exposure on Stability

The linker region of the central helix of calmodulin is unique in that it is completely exposed to solvent for two turns. It functions as a flexible tether permitting the hydrophobic patches on lobe 1,2 and on lobe 3,4 to enfold an α-helical portion of the target. A comparison of the homologs of calmodulin indicates that this flexible tether is restricted in distribution and may reflect a unique evolutionary history. We suggest that an evolutionary view of the central helix may permit chemists to focus on those factors responsible for the bend, extend functional cycle of calmodulin.
In search of a common body of knowledge for introductory tourism courses.

(1994). In Search of a Common Body of Knowledge for Introductory Tourism Courses. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 39-42.
Overview and Concluding Remarks

Often in the final chapter of a book the author integrates, or attempts to integrate, all that went before. A grand scheme is devised, or some sweeping generalizations are offered. Unfortunately, I have no such insights to suggest; there is no grand design, no overall conception, that can bring together under one common framework the wealth of material discussed in the preceding chapters.
Differentiating factors in treatment-free remission trials: impact of study design on results and clinical applications.

For patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase with sustained deep molecular responses on long-term tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy, treatment-free remission (TFR) feasibility ...
Abstract TMP82: Rates and Predictors of Stroke Mimics Among In-Hospital Code Stroke Activations

Introduction: In-hospital strokes have a different pattern of risk factors, etiologies, and mimics than strokes that are initially evaluated in the Emergency Department. In-hospital stroke patients...
Branching Is Not a Bug; It’s a Feature: Personal Identity and Legal (and Moral) Responsibility

Prospective developments in computer and nanotechnology suggest that there is some possibility—perhaps as early as this century—that we will have the technological means to attempt to duplicate people. For example, it has been speculated that the psychology of individuals might be emulated on a computer platform to create a personality duplicate—an “upload.” Physical duplicates might be created by advanced nanobots tasked with creating molecule-for-molecule copies of individuals. Such possibilities are discussed in the philosophical literature as (putative) cases of “fission”: one person “splitting” into two. Many philosophers, perhaps most, reject the idea of fission, appealing to some form of a “no-branching” condition to rule out such possibilities. I argue, to the contrary, that there are good moral reasons to think that any account of personal identity that does not permit fission is deeply problematic, especially in connection with theorizing about criminal punishment. I discuss and reject David Lewis’ famous account of personal identity that invokes “multiple occupancy” to allow for branching. In contrast, I offer an account of personal identity that permits branching using the type/token distinction to help with such puzzling cases.
Foliage type and deprivation alters the movement behavior of late instar European gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae).

The movement behavior of insects characterizes their ability to disperse, establish, compete, forage, seek mates, and ultimately reproduce. Understanding the movement of invasive insects is particularly important for developing management policies. We conducted laboratory experiments in Minnesota, USA to determine how host type and food deprivation affected the movement of late instars of the European gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), an invasive forest insect in North America. Gypsy moth larvae can feed on over 300 species of trees and shrubs. During outbreaks food availability to conspecifics can become severely restricted as developing instars consume increasing amounts of foliage. Larvae were raised on one of five foods: Quercus macrocarpa, Larix laricina, Acer platanoides, Acer saccharinum, or artificial diet. Subsets of fifth and sixth instar larvae were also deprived of food for zero, 24, or 48 h. After the food deprivation period, late instar larvae were placed on a servosphere and their movement paths were recorded. Larvae raised on Q. macrocarpa, a preferred host, were unlikely to move unless starved. They moved farther the longer they were starved. In contrast, when larvae were raised on less preferred hosts, they were more likely to move without prior starvation. These results suggest that feeding on optimal hosts provides gypsy moth larvae with the energy and nutritional requirements to move more quickly to more food when there is none immediately available.
The role of anxiety in the integrative memory model

We suggest that the inclusion of anxiety, as one relevant mood factor, could enhance the implementation of the integrative memory model in research and the clinic. The role of anxiety in Alzheimer's disease neuroanatomy, symptomology, and progression is used as an example. Customization of the integrative memory model can establish strong foundations for pathology-specific models of memory deficits, enhancing the development of precision medicine applications.
Gravitational production of nearly thermal fermionic dark matter

We consider the cosmological production of fermionic dark matter during inflation and a post-inflationary radiation dominated era. This fermion \emph{only interacts gravitationally}, has a mass $m$ much smaller than the Hubble scale during inflation (but is otherwise arbitrary) and is in its Bunch-Davies vacuum state during inflation. We focus on superhorizon modes at the end of inflation, and assume instantaneous reheating. We obtain the full energy momentum tensor discussing its renormalization, and show that the contribution from particle production is of the kinetic-fluid form near matter-radiation equality. We find \emph{exactly} the distribution function of produced particles $|B(k)|^2=\frac{1}{2}\Big[1-(1-e^{-\frac{k^2}{2mT_H}})^{1/2}\Big]$ which exhibits an " emergent temperature" $T_H=H_0\sqrt{\Omega_R}\simeq 10^{-36}(\mathrm{eV})$. The abundance of the produced particles $\Omega_{pp}$ is very similar to that of a non-relativistic degree of freedom thermalized at temperature $T_H$, $\Omega_{pp} \propto m \, (m\,T_H)^{3/2}\simeq \big(m/10^8\mathrm{GeV})\big)^{5/2}$ and "cold" equation of state $w(a) \simeq (T_H/m a^2)$, both dominated by superhorizon modes at the end of inflation. We discuss subtle aspects of isocurvature perturbations.
Point-of-care ultrasound, anchoring bias, and acute pulmonary embolism: A cautionary tale and report

Emergency physicians often rely on heuristics to facilitate clinical decisions due to the large volume of patients they see daily. Consequently, they are vulnerable to error and bias. We report the case of a 69-year-old male that presented to the emergency department (ED) with shortness of breath, productive cough, and dyspnea on exertion. One day prior to ED admission, he was diagnosed with bronchitis; however, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the ED identified acute pulmonary embolism. This case illustrates the potential dangers of anchoring bias and shows the benefits of using point-of-care ultrasound of the lungs and heart to assist in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism.
Centering Equity Across the Administrative Data Life Cycle

Data integration by local and state governments is undertaken for the public good to support the interconnected needs of families and communities. And though data infrastructure is a powerful tool to support equity-oriented reforms, equity is rarely centered as a core goal for data integration. This raises fundamental concerns, as integrated data increasingly provide the raw materials for evaluation, research, and risk modeling. This session presents findings from a toolkit collaboratively generated by a workgroup convened by Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. IntroductionWhile data sharing occurs within a legal framework, an emphasis on equity is often peripheral. Generally, institutions have not adequately examined and acknowledged structural bias in their history, or the ways in which data reflects systemic inequities in the development and administration of policies and programs. Meanwhile, the public are rarely consulted in the development and use of data systems. Objectives and ApproachThis toolkit was collaboratively generated by a workgroup of civic data stakeholders from across the US. ResultsThe toolkit aims to support agencies seeking to acknowledge and compensate for the harms and bias baked into data and practice. It is organized across six stages of the administrative data life cycle—planning, data collection, data access, use of algorithms and statistical tools, analysis, and reporting and dissemination. For each stage, the toolkit includes promising and problematic practices for centering equity in administrative data reuse, with site-based examples of work in action from across the US. Conclusion / ImplicationsThe workgroup concluded that centering equity within data integration efforts is not a binary outcome, but rather a series of small steps towards more equitable practice. There are countless ways to center equity across the administrative data reuse life cycle, and this report provides concrete strategies for agencies, organizations and collaboratives to begin and grow that work in practice.
Some Reflections on Very Large Scale Ion Beam Surface Modification

Ion beam surface modification is typically carried out in a laboratory environment where the processing rate is not a big concern. Nevertheless, it is interesting to consider the possibilities that might allow substantial increase (orders of magnitude) in the processing rate, possibly for industrial application. Here we consider two possible approaches to very large scale ion beam surface modification – the use of very broad beam vacuum arc ion sources and the use of ion sources that have been developed to provide intense neutral beams as part of the world controlled fusion research effort. These sources can provide beam intensities in the tens of amperes range, and quasi-dc operation has been demonstrated. A third possibility is scale-up of the Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation approach, and some relevant work has been done along these lines. These approaches to giant ion beam surface modification systems, and the implied parameters and features of such systems, as well as the highly related concern of the necessary accompanying electrical systems, are briefly considered here.
Regression of severe heart failure after combined left ventricular assist device placement and sleeve gastrectomy

Patients who suffer morbid obesity and heart failure (HF) present unique challenges. Two cases are described where concomitant use of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement enabled myocardial recovery and weight loss resulting in explantation. A 29-year-old male patient with a body mass index (BMI) of 59 kg/m2 and severe HF with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 20-25% underwent concomitant LSG and LVAD placement. Sixteen months after surgery, his BMI was reduced to 34 kg/m2 and his LVEF improved to 50-55%. A second 41-year-old male patient with a BMI of 44.8 kg/m2 with severe HF underwent the same procedures. Twenty-four months later, his BMI was 31.1 kg/m2 and his LVEF was 50-55%. In both cases, the LVAD was successfully explanted and patients remain asymptomatic. HF teams should consult and collaborate with bariatric experts to determine if LSG may improve the outcomes of their HF patients.
Partitioning RSFQ Circuits for Current Recycling

RSFQ circuits require a DC bias current to operate properly. The bias current in conventional RSFQ circuits is supplied to each gate, resulting in large current requirements in VLSI complexity SFQ systems, on the order of tens to hundreds of amperes. These high currents are difficult to supply and distribute. Superconductive input/output pins and bias lines support this limited current. Large currents however require significant metal and input pin resources. In addition, large currents can inductively couple to sensitive superconductive inductors, degrading circuit operation and producing errors. Current recycling is a well known technique to reduce these bias currents. RSFQ circuits with similar bias current requirements can be placed on separate ground planes and serially biased. The inputs and outputs of these circuits are galvanically decoupled and require drivers and receivers between connections. In this paper, a methodology for automated partitioning of complex RSFQ circuits into blocks with similar bias currents is described, where the number of connections among the blocks is minimized. Blocks with a significant difference in bias current are balanced using dummy padding structures. These blocks are biased in series, reducing the total bias current by the number of partitions. The Fiduccia-Mattheyses algorithm is modified with RSFQ specific enhancements to partition the system. A geometric partitioning approach, optimized by simulated annealing, is also proposed. These algorithms are integrated into the circuit placement process, and the methodology is evaluated using several modified ISCAS’89 sequential benchmark circuits and the AMD2901. The proposed partitioning methodology is intended for use within an automated EDA flow to enable current recycling for arbitrary (non-uniform, irregular) VLSI complexity RSFQ circuits, drastically reducing overall bias current and input requirements
Influential Factors Regarding the Choice to Donate Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB)

While most people think of bone marrow as the key source of stem cells, in recent years the collection and donation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells has become increasingly popular. Cord blood stem cells—which can be transplanted to donor matched individuals similar to the stem cells found in bone marrow—have been used to treat various immune and metabolic disorders, along with cancers such as leukemia and blood disorders such as anemia ("Options," n.d.; "Cord blood and," n.d.). These stem cells can be obtained through individual donations of UCB to public banks, or through privately banked samples kept for distribution only within a family ("Options," n.d.). Within the medical community, discussion of the pros and cons of UCB's applications is becoming increasingly common; however, the general population remains relatively unaware of UCB's value, biological mechanisms, and function. Thus there is a great discrepancy in knowledge between health care professionals and potential UCB donors regarding the utility and collection process of UCB stem cells. This literature review seeks to examine the social, economic, and biological factors influencing a family's decision to donate, privately store, or discard their baby's UCB. Furthermore, this review will analyze the impact of improved patient outreach measures and consent processes in relation to UCB education and donation.
LITTLE BROWN MYOTIS ACTIVITY PATTERNS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ALASKA

In this study, we investigated how Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), North America's northernmost bat species, adjusted to variable spring and autumn conditions and very little darkness during the boreal summer. We recorded bat activity around Anchorage and the lower Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska. Initiation of bat activity in the spring varied among years and was affected by minimum nightly temperatures in late April and, to a lesser extent, precipitation. Cessation of bat activity in the autumn was consistent among years, with a weak association with early-October minimum temperature. During summer, bat activity was highest on warm, clear nights, but was reduced by wind or rain. Bat activity was positively related to open water and forest cover and negatively related to human development. Most bat activity occurred between sunset and sunrise, even during very short nights in mid-summer. Although there was some activity prior to sunset, bat activity after sunrise was very rare. Pre-sunset bat activity was almost exclusively at sites with high forest cover. After sunset, moderately forested sites were also used, but sites with little forest cover were rarely used before or after sunset.
Justice as Legitimacy in the European Court of Human Rights

Using the example of the prisoner voting cases at the European Court of Human Rights, this chapter builds on existing literature regarding the legitimacy of judicial institutions to consider the role of justice with respect to the normative and sociological legitimacy of international human rights courts. The chapter identifies the pursuit of just outcomes as a significant independent influence on the legitimacy of these courts. Doing justice even when it requires expansive lawmaking in order to protect unpopular groups can be an affirmative source of legitimacy for these institutions. Although the legitimacy challenges faced by the European Court of Human Rights in connection with its prisoner voting cases are significant, the chapter argues that the Court’s retroactive narrowing of its decision in Hirst may have undermined the extent to which prisoner voting is viewed as an issue of justice. When a court that derives its legitimacy from its moral compass bows to political pressure, it risks doing violence to the perception that it is a moral actor, which may be a critical part of the foundation of its legitimacy. In some instances, taking an unpopular position and displeasing states is precisely what human rights courts are supposed to do - and in so doing, they may end up strengthening their position in the long term.