cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A sequential combination of topical tretinoin and a potent topical corticosteroid improves photodamaged facial skin

Five older women with severely photodamaged facial skin were treated for 16 weeks with 0.1% tretinoin cream and 0.05% diflorasone diacetate cream. Striking clinical improvement occurred in all subjects; notably, there was a reduction in wrinkling and bleaching of dyspigmentation. Histologically, there was complete correction of epidermal atrophy and arypia. Basal keratinocytes, originally crowded with hyperpigmented melanosomes, lost most of the pigment. Dermal cellularity increased and there was also a modest increase in the microvasculature. The dermal matrix (collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans) was not changed. Irritant effects were minor. Atrophy did not occur. Evidently tretinoin counteracted the atrophic potential of the potent corticosteroid but did not interfere with its anti-inflammatory effect.
Balanced Detection Schemes for Optical Duobinary Communication Systems

This paper investigates balanced detection schemes for optical duobinary communication systems, and compares duobinary with differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) modulation. The balanced detection schemes are evaluated in duobinary and DPSK systems limited by amplified spontaneous emission noise, narrow optical filtering, and chromatic dispersion. We also consider the optimization of duobinary generating low-pass filter. Experimental data at 10 Gb/s show that balanced detection yields a significant advantage in receiver sensitivity compared with direct detection for duobinary systems, allowing duobinary systems to approach within ~1.5 dB the performance of DPSK. We also employ Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate balanced detection for 40 Gb/s duobinary transmission systems with narrow optical filtering designed for 50 GHz channel spacing. The simulations confirm our experimental results, and provide a more general investigation of balanced detection schemes. In particular, we propose a novel balanced detection scheme for duobinary systems designed to improve the tolerance to narrow optical filtering.
Late Unheralded Pacemaker Pocket Infection Due to Staphylococcus epidermidis: A New Clinical Entity

Late pacemaker pocket infections in the absence of predisposing factors such as multiple pacemaker related procedures, skin erosion, chest wall trauma or generalized sepsis have been rarely reported. In the past year, we have seen three late pocket infections (18, 32 and 47 months post-implantation) due to Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis). All three patients with late S. epidermidis infections presented with painless swelling over the pulse generator site and had been well until shortly before admission. The patients denied febrile illnesses or chest trauma in the preceding year and no skin erosion was evident. All had been seen regularly in clinic and bimonthly transtelephonic recordings had shown normal pacemaker function. Local drainage, antibiotics and removal of the pacing system was successful in all three patients. We conclude that late pacemaker pocket infections due to S. epidermidis may become an important clinical problem in this era of long-lasting pulse generators. In light of the insidious nature of S. epidermidis infections, regular inspection of the pocket area by both patient and physician is mandatory.
Estimation of interclass correlation under circular covariance

SUMMARY The maximum likelihood estimates of the parent-sib interclass correlation and other parameters are obtained, when the between sibs correlation matrix has a circular structure. The problem of testing hypotheses about interclass correlation is also considered.
An empirical energy function for threading protein sequence through the folding motif

In this paper we present a new residue contact potantial derived by statistical analysis of protein crystal structures. This gives mean hydrophobic and pairwise contact energies as a function of residue type and distance interval. To test the accuracy of this potential we generate model structures by “threading” different sequences through backbone folding motifs found in the structural data base. We find that conformational energies calculated by summing contact potentials show perfect specificity in matching the correct sequences with each globular folding motif in a 161-protcin data set. They also identify correct models with the core folding motifs of heme-rythrin and immunoglobulin McPC603 V1-do- main, among millions of alternatives possible when we align subsequences with α-helices and β-strands, and allow for variation in the lengths of intervening loops. We suggest that contact potentials reflect important constraints on nonbonded interaction in native proteins, and that “threading” may be useful for structure prediction by recognition of folding motif. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessing Purchase Timing Models: Whether or Not is Preferable to When

Two types of purchase timing models-those which model purchase incidence whether or not and those which model interpurchase time when-are examined. We show that modelling purchase incidence is almost always preferable to modelling interpurchase time. We also derive upper bound R2's for purchase incidence models. These R2's serve as useful benchmarks for assessing the goodness-of-fit of empirical choice models.
On KM Algorithms for Solving Type-2 Fuzzy Set Problems

Computing the centroid and performing type-reduction for type-2 fuzzy sets and systems are operations that must be taken into consideration. Karnik-Mendel (KM) algorithms are the standard ways to do these operations; however, because these algorithms are iterative, much research has been conducted during the past decade about centroid and type-reduction computations. This tutorial paper focuses on the research that has been conducted to 1) improve the KM algorithms; 2) understand the KM algorithms, leading to further improved algorithms; 3) eliminate the need for KM algorithms; 4) use the KM algorithms to solve other (nonfuzzy logic system) problems; and 5) use (or not use) KM algorithms for general type-2 fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic systems.
Reliability vs. efficiency in distributed source coding for field-gathering sensor networks

The tradeoff between reliability and efficiency in distributed source coding for field-gathering sensor networks is examined. In the considered networks, sensors measure some underlying random field, quantize their measurements, encode the quantized values into bits and transmit these directly, or via relays, to a collector that reconstructs the field. The bits from one sensor's encoder are regarded as a packet. The minimum achievable coding rate can be attained if the sensors are ordered and each applies Slepian-Wolf distributed coding to its data assuming the decoder knows the data from all prior sensors. However, with such a coding scheme, losing even one sensor's packet would cause decoding failure for all subsequent sensors' values. Therefore, one might consider other ways of applying Slepian-Wolf coding, where in trade for increased coding rate, fewer sensor values are lost when a packet is lost. In this paper, the tradeoff between efficiency, i.e. coding rate, and reliability, characterized by a loss factor, is considered for several different Slepian-Wolf based coding schemes as a function of the packet error probability and the size of the network.
Expression of Dp260 in muscle tethers the actin cytoskeleton to the dystrophin–glycoprotein complex and partially prevents dystrophy

Dystrophin forms a mechanical link between the actin cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix in muscle that helps maintain sarcolemmal integrity. Two regions of dystrophin have been shown to bind actin: the N-terminal domain and rod domain repeats 11-17. To better understand the roles of these two domains and whether the rod domain actin-binding domain alone can support a mechanically functional link with actin, we constructed transgenic mice expressing Dp260 in skeletal muscle. Dp260, the retinal isoform of dystrophin, lacks the N-terminal domain and a significant portion of the rod domain, but retains the rod domain actin-binding domain. Our results indicate that Dp260 expression restores a stable association between costameric actin and the sarcolemma, assembles the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, and significantly slows the progression of the dystrophy in the dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse. We assessed the functional integrity of the mechanical link in Dp260 transgenic mdx mice and found that Dp260 muscles showed normal resistance to contraction-induced injury, but dramatic reductions in force generation similar to those found with mdx muscles. Morphologically, Dp260 muscles displayed reduced amounts of inflammation and fibrosis, but still showed a significant, albeit reduced, amount of degeneration/regeneration. These data demonstrate that protection from contraction-induced injury can dramatically ameliorate, but not completely halt, the dystrophic process. We suggest that a non-mechanical defect, attributed to the loss of the N terminus of dystrophin, is likely responsible for the residual dystrophy observed.
Pancreatic glucagon suppresses gustatory responsiveness to glucose

Peripheral administration of the gut peptide pancreatic glucagon (GGN) alters hepatic metabolism and suppresses feeding. Other physical (gastric distension) and chemical factors (hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia) that reduce food intake also suppress taste-evoked activity. This may attenuate the reinforcement derived from feeding and so promote termination of the meal. To determine whether this mechanism was operative with GGN administration, we studied the effect of hepatic portal infusions of 40 micrograms/kg pancreatic GGN on taste responses in the nucleus tractus solitarius of the rat. Taste activity was elicited by oral application of NaCl, glucose, HCl, and quinine HCl. Responses were monitored before and after injections of GGN or a control vehicle. Blood glucose levels were measured in separate groups of GGN- and vehicle-injected rats. Blood glucose increased significantly after GGN infusion and returned to control levels within 35 min. Taste responsiveness to glucose was significantly reduced after the GGN injection and recovered to preinjection levels by 36 min. Activity evoked by NaCl, HCl, and quinine HCl was unaffected. The suppression of responsiveness to sugars may reduce the hedonic appeal of tastants and so serve as a mechanism by which GGN could contribute to postprandial satiety.
Spot Markets and Bureaucratic Warfare: Promises, Perils, and Policies in EU Healthcare Services

The nascent global market in health services has reached a crucial point. While rising numbers of patients are seeking cheaper care abroad, and migratory flows of professionals underpin and erode the health systems of different countries, there is no international regulatory framework capable of managing the risks of such professional mobility and medical tourism. On a range of regulatory questions -from professional accreditation to aftercare to medical liability- patients, professionals and policymakers are operating largely in the dark. What is happening, and what does it mean for health systems?Studying the European Union can shed light on this issue. In the process of creating its own internal services market, the EU has been forced to deal with these issues sooner than most political systems. A series of decisions made by the European Court of Justice made it very clear that health could be subject to the same EU laws and market principles as any other tradable service, obliging member states to create a truly European health policy that could mitigate the potential damage from these rulings to member states’ health systems. The resulting policy architecture may be the most advanced policy experiment we can point to in crossborder health services regulation, but it is a piecemeal approach rather than a comprehensive solution (Jarman & Greer 2010).This paper reflects on the existing regulatory structure in EU health services with the aim of drawing some theoretical and practical insights for future public health policymaking. Our argument proceeds as follows. The first section presents the current state of European Union health policy, focusing on healthcare services policy. We argue that EU health policy as it stands is more about markets than it is about health outcomes, and remains so after over a decade of effort by policymakers. The second section explores the reasons for this, discussing the risks that EU healthcare policy presents to policymakers. Two sets of risks are analyzed: the risks associated with the free movement of patients and professionals, and those associated with the possibility of EU-driven deregulation. The third section argues that policymakers have adopted defensive strategies towards EU health policy, attempting to manage the risks to their own health systems. These strategies include the use of spot markets, calls for ‘legal certainty’, increased caution by the Court, and minimalist implementation on the part of member state officials.
Long-Lived Bi 207 and Energy Levels of Pb 207

The long-lived isotope of bismuth, ${\mathrm{Bi}}^{207}$, has been prepared by deuteron irradiation of lead and from the alpha-decay of ${\mathrm{At}}^{211}$. From the genetic relationship with ${\mathrm{At}}^{211}$, the half-life is estimated as 50 years. The conversion electron spectrum has been determined and is discussed in terms of the energy states of ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{207}$. Further evidence on these states has been obtained from the discovery of three rare alpha-groups in the decay of ${\mathrm{Po}}^{211}$ of energies 6.90, 6.57, and 6.34 Mev, which are compared with the main group at 7.43 Mev.
EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION OF RESISTANCE IN BRASSICA RAPA: CORRELATED RESPONSE OF TOLERANCE IN LINES SELECTED FOR GLUCOSINOLATE CONTENT.

The evolutionary response of plant populations to selection for increased defense may be constrained by costs of defense. The purpose of this study was to investigate such constraints on the evolution of defense due to a cost of defense manifested as a trade-off between defense and tolerance. Variation in the response to artificial damage (tolerance) among lines of Brassica rapa that had been artificially selected for foliar glucosinolate content (defense) was examined. Leaf area was removed from replicates of three selection lines (high glucosinolates, control, and low glucosinolates) at three damage levels (0%, 20%, and 60% damage). An external cost of defense would result in a statistically significant selection line by damage treatment interaction, with those selected for high defense expressing less tolerance than those selected for low defense. Damage treatment had a significant overall effect on estimated total fitness, with fitness declining with increasing damage level. Further, selection line also had a significant overall effect on estimated total fitness, with low-defense selection lines having higher fitness compared to both control and high-defense selection lines. More importantly, a cost of defense in terms of tolerance was demonstrated by a significant selection line-by-damage treatment interaction. This interaction was in the direction to demonstrate a genetic trade-off between defense and tolerance, with low-defense selection lines decreasing estimated total fitness in response to damage less than both control and high-defense selection lines. Variation in tolerance among selection lines was due to the greater ability of low-defense lines to maintain fruit and seed production despite the presence of damage. In terms of tolerance, this cost of glucosinolate production in B. rapa could constrain the evolution of increased defense and, in so doing, maintain individuals within the population that are poorly defended yet tolerant.
Functionalization of Methacrylate Polymers with Thiooximes: A Robust Postpolymerization Modification Reaction and a Method for the Preparation of H2S-Releasing Polymers

The effectiveness of thiooxime formation as a postpolymerization modification reaction was evaluated. To this end, methacrylate polymers bearing pendant aldehyde functionality were prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of 2-(4-formylbenzoyloxy)ethyl methacrylate. Polymer side-chain derivatizations with tert-butylhydrazide, O-benzylhydroxylamine, and S-aroylthiohydroxylamine (SATHA) were shown to be quantitative, forming the corresponding hydrazone, oxime, and thiooxime, respectively. This work represents the first example of thiooxime formation on polymers, achieving high conversions under mild conditions. In response to thiol functionality, S-aroylthiooximes decomposed to release H2S: an endogenous signaling gas with significant therapeutic potential. H2S release from the resulting thiooxime-functionalized polymers was observed in the presence of cysteine and glutathione; moreover, degradation kinetics could be controlled by tuning the electronics at the para...
Distribution network earth fault section location based on asymmetric current

This paper analyzes the character of the zero sequence and negative sequence current when single-phase fault occurs.A method for distribution network earth fault section location based on the asymmetric current is proposed.Firstly,single-phase faults occuring at each node are simulated,and the zero sequence current is obtained as the boundary value.When the real fault occurs,the zero sequence and negative sequence currents before and after fault are acquired,and compared with the zero sequence current with the boundary value to find all the possible fault sections and list the sections fault status matrix.Then the negative sequence currents among every lines are compared,and the lines fault status matrix is obtained.Combining the sections fault status matrix and the lines fault status matrix,the fault judgment matrix is formed to recognize the real fault section.The principle of the method is simple and easy.The monitors needed are less and the amount of data transmission is small.The simulation of PSCAD testifies the validity of the method.
The Devil Is in the Details: New Directions in Deception Analysis.

In this study, we use the computational textual analysis tool, the Gramulator, to identify and examine the distinctive linguistic features of deceptive and truthful discourse. The theme of the study is abortion rights and the deceptive texts are derived from a Devil’s Advocate approach, conducted to suppress personal beliefs and values. Our study takes the form of a contrastive corpus analysis, and produces systematic differences between truthful and deceptive personal accounts. Results suggest that deceivers employ a distancing strategy that is often associated with deceptive linguistic behavior. Ultimately, these deceivers struggle to adopt a truth perspective. Perhaps of most importance, our results indicate issues of concern with current deception detection theory and methodology. From a theoretical standpoint, our results question whether deceivers are deceiving at all or whether they are merely poorly expressing a rhetorical position, caused by being forced to speculate on a perceived proto-typical position. From a methodological standpoint, our results cause us to question the validity of deception corpora. Consequently, we propose new rigorous standards so as to better understand the subject matter of the deception field. Finally, we question the prevailing approach of abstract data measurement and call for future assessment to consider contextual lexical features. We conclude by suggesting a prudent approach to future research for fear that our eagerness to analyze and theorize may cause us to misidentify deception. After-all, successful deception, which is the kind we seek to detect, is likely to be an elusive and fickle prey.
Schools and the Pediatrician

In addition to caring for individual children and families in an office setting, the pediatrician represents an important source of child health expertise within a community. This “doctor-community” relationship requires skills and knowledge which are quite different from those needed in the doctor-patient relationship. The pediatrician’s child health expertise may be made available to the community through consultation to community agencies or through the provision of direct medical services in the community. The skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to effectively provide consultation to the schools, or to provide direct medical services within the schools are also discussed.
Efficient Training of Evolution-Constructed Features

Evolution-Constructed (ECO) features have been shown to be effective for general object recognition. ECO features use evolution strategies to build series of transforms and thus can be generated automatically without human expert involvement. We improved on our successful ECO features algorithm by reducing their dimensions before putting them into the classifier in order to create more effective ECO features. Efficient training of ECO features allows features to be more robust in representing the images.
Surgical options for recurrent uterine sarcomas.

Overview:Leiomyosarcoma, the most frequent pure uterine sarcoma, is an aggressive tumor with a tendency toward early relapse. Survival for patients with recurrent disease is poor. In contrast, endo...
Streptomyces wadayamensis MppP Is a Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate-Dependent L-Arginine α-Deaminase, γ-Hydroxylase in the Enduracididine Biosynthetic Pathway.

l-Enduracididine (l-End) is a nonproteinogenic amino acid found in a number of bioactive peptides, including the antibiotics teixobactin, enduracidin, and mannopeptimycin. The potent activity of these compounds against antibiotic-resistant pathogens like MRSA and their novel mode of action have garnered considerable interest for the development of these peptides into clinically relevant antibiotics. This goal has been hampered, at least in part, by the fact that l-End is difficult to synthesize and not currently commercially available. We have begun to elucidate the biosynthetic pathway of this unusual building block. In mannopeptimycin-producing strains, like Streptomyces wadayamensis, l-End is produced from l-Arg by the action of three enzymes: MppP, MppQ, and MppR. Herein, we report the structural and functional characterization of MppP. This pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme was predicted to be a fold type I aminotransferase on the basis of sequence analysis. We show that MppP is actually ...
Transplantation of hearts after arrest and resuscitation. Early and long-term results.

Transplant surgeons are reluctant to use hearts that have undergone cardiopulmonary resuscitation for cardiac arrest because of the fear of poor early and late cardiac function. A policy of minimizing contraindications to use of donor hearts has led to the unique opportunity of assessing the effects of donor arrest and successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation on early and late cardiac function in pediatric heart transplantation. A number of 140 infants and children undergoing transplantation from birth to 17 years of age were studied retrospectively and divided into two groups on the basis of cardiopulmonary resuscitation status. Group 1 (72 patients) received donor hearts that were not subjected to cardiopulmonary resuscitation; group 2 (68 patients) received donor hearts that had cardiopulmonary resuscitation for a mean of 18.8 ± 14.6 minutes, the longest period of time being 60 minutes. Mean ischemic times were almost identical in the two groups: 4.43 ± 2.0 hours (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) versus 4.5 ± 2.1 hours (no cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Early cardiac function was assessed on the basis of the number of days the recipient was supported by the ventilator, days receiving dopamine, days receiving isoproterenol, and the amount of inotropic agents required after the operation. The groups did not differ. Parameters of systolic function included fractional shortening, posterior wall thickening, and maximum velocity of change in left ventricular posterior wall dimension during systole. Diastolic function was measured on the basis of left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular mass, and maximum velocity of change in left ventricular posterior wall dimension during diastole. Both systolic and diastolic function were measured and analyzed from M-mode echocardiography at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after the operation. There were no statistically significant differences in graft function between the two groups in any of the echocardiographic parameters studied, even at 2 years. No group differed from ranges of normal. Our results suggest that hearts undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation for periods of up to 60 minutes can be used safely without evidence of deterioration of early or late cardiac function. ( J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1993;106:1196-201)
Vision Zero in the United States Versus Sweden: Infrastructure Improvement for Cycling Safety.

Inspired by Swedish legislation, Vision Zero policies are being adopted in the United States with increasing frequency. Although some view the goal of eliminating serious injury and death on the road system as impractical, Sweden’s lower rates of road-related injury and death provide compelling evidence that more can be done to improve US cycling safety. We examine existing Vision Zero and cycling-related literature to highlight the central components of the Swedish policy, with the goal of providing evidence-based recommendations for successful implementation of similar policies in the United States. Ultimately, infrastructure design should remain central in US Vision Zero plans, but supplemental initiatives promoting a cycling and safety culture also can be incorporated.
Perceptions of fecal microbiota transplantation for Clostridium difficile infection: Factors that predict acceptance

Background Despite the effectiveness of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for treating recurrent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, some patients are reluctant to accept this therapy. Our study examined attitudes towards FMT and factors that contribute to patients’ acceptance of this treatment. Methods We distributed patient surveys at a Veterans Affairs hospital, a public hospital, and an academic faculty practice. Multivariable logistic regression was performed, adjusting for factors associated with FMT acceptance on univariate analysis and prior experience with C. difficile infection. Results Of 267 patients, only 12% knew of FMT prior to the survey, but 77% would undergo the procedure if medically indicated. On multivariable analysis, those with children and with college degrees or higher were more likely to agree to FMT (odds ratio [OR] 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-4.35; OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.11-4.60 respectively). Sixty-five respondents (71%) chose colonoscopy as the preferred vehicle for FMT, while nasogastric tube was least preferred. Disease transmission was the most common concern (30%, n=242), and FMT success rate was the least selected concern (9.1%). Conclusions Most patients in a diverse sample of gastroenterology clinics had no prior knowledge of FMT, but were receptive to the procedure. Having children and higher education levels were predictors for FMT acceptance. Our findings suggest that barriers to FMT utilization may be overcome with counseling about safety concerns. More data on the risk of transmitting diseases or clinical characteristics, such as obesity, through FMT are needed and will be important for the acceptance of this procedure. Keywords Fecal microbiota transplantation, fecal transplant, FMT, patient perceptions, Clostridium difficile Ann Gastroenterol 2017; 30 (1): 83-88
Origination, Variation, and Conservation of Animal Body Plan Development

Multicellular organisms develop from fertilized eggs or asexual propagules. In the case of animals the developmental processes by which their bodies take form originated in several phases beginning between 600 and 700 million years ago, in the Ediacaran period. Genes and signaling pathways, many of which were present in unicellular ancestors, came to mediate morphogenesis and cell pattern formation by virtue of bringing into play physical effects that were newly relevant on the scale of cell aggregates. Focusing on “liquid-like” properties of cell clusters and their capacity to act as “excitable media,” this review explores how the products of ancient and some novel genes of what became the “developmental toolkit” were variously employed to mobilize well-characterized physical effects and processes (cohesivity, phase separation and disaggregation, surface and shape polarization of cells, chemical oscillation, reaction–diffusion coupling) in the cell aggregates that eventually evolved into animal bodies and organs. This interplay of physics and genetics led to the generation of morphological motifs such as the tissue layering of gastrulation, lumen formation, body elongation, triploblasty, segmentation, and patterning of endoskeletal elements. Since not all founding lineages had identical sets of toolkit genes, not all morphogenetic and patterning processes were equally present in their descendents. These “physico-genetic” factors collectively account for the conservation and diversity of body plans seen in the present-day animal phyla. Keywords: “basal” metazoans; basal lamina; convergent extension; diploblasts; liquid tissue; lumen formation; multilayering; saltational evolution; segmentation; triploblasts; tetrapod limbs
Synthesis of Perfluoro-tert-butyl Tyrosine, for Application in 19F NMR, via a Diazonium-Coupling Reaction

A practical synthesis of the novel highly fluorinated amino acid Fmoc-perfluoro-tert-butyl tyrosine was developed. The sequence proceeds in two steps from commercially available Fmoc-4-NH2-phenylalanine via diazotization followed by diazonium coupling reaction with perfluoro-tert-butanol. In peptides, perfluoro-tert-butyl tyrosine was detected in 30 s by NMR spectroscopy at 500 nM peptide concentration due to nine chemically equivalent fluorines that are a sharp singlet by 19F NMR. Perfluoro-tert-butyl ether has an estimated σp Hammett substituent constant of +0.30.
Late Talkers: A Population-Based Study of Risk Factors and School Readiness Consequences

Purpose This study was designed to (a) identify sociodemographic, pregnancy and birth, family health, and parenting and child care risk factors for being a late talker at 24 months of age; (b) dete...
Optical assessment of changes in mechanical and chemical properties of adipose tissue in diet-induced obese rats.

Obesity is becoming a leading cause of health problems world-wide. Obesity and overweight are associated with the structural and chemical changes in tissues; however, few methods exist that allow for concurrent measurement of these changes. Using Brillouin and Raman microspectroscopy, both the mechanical and chemical differences can be assessed simultaneously. We hypothesized that Brillouin spectroscopy can measure the adipose tissues’ stiffness, which increases in obesity. Samples of brown and white adipose tissues obtained from control and diet-induced obese adult rats were analyzed. The results show that both adipose tissues of the obese group exhibit a greater high-frequency longitudinal elastic modulus than the control samples, and that the brown fat is generally stiffer than white adipose. The Raman spectra indicate that the lipids’ accumulation in adipose tissue outpaces the fibrosis, and that the high-fat diet has a greater effect on the brown adipose than the white fat. Overall, the powerful combination of Brillouin and Raman microspectroscopies successfully assessed both the mechanical properties and chemical composition of adipose tissue simultaneously for the first time. The results indicate that the adipose tissue experiences an obesity-induced increase in stiffness and lipid content, with the brown adipose tissue undergoing a more pronounced change compared to white adipose.
Report of Mesocaval Shunt in the Management of Variceal Hemorrhage Following Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastrointestinal bleeding following Roux-en- Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is rare. We report an unusual cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding following RYGB that was complicated by porto- splenic vein thrombosis. A 35- year- old woman was successfully treated by mesocaval surgical shunt for recurrent variceal hemorrhage in the excluded stomach following RYGB.
Use of a recombinant gamma-2 herpesvirus vaccine vector against dengue virus in rhesus monkeys.

Research on vaccine approaches that can provide long-term protection against dengue virus infection is needed. Here we describe the construction, immunogenicity, and preliminary information on the protective capacity of recombinant, replication-competent rhesus monkey rhadinovirus (RRV), a persisting herpesvirus. One RRV construct expressed nonstructural protein 5 (NS5), while a second recombinant expressed a soluble variant of the E protein (E85) of dengue virus 2 (DENV2). Four rhesus macaques received a single vaccination with a mixture of both recombinant RRVs and were subsequently challenged 19 weeks later with 1 × 105 PFU of DENV2. During the vaccine phase, plasma of all vaccinated monkeys showed neutralizing activity against DENV2. Cellular immune responses against NS5 were also elicited, as evidenced by major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) tetramer staining in the one vaccinated monkey that was Mamu-A*01 positive. Unlike two of two unvaccinated controls, two of the four vaccinated monkeys showed no detectable viral RNA sequences in plasma after challenge. One of these two monkeys also showed no anamnestic increases in antibody levels following challenge and thus appeared to be protected against the acquisition of DENV2 following high-dose challenge. Continued study will be needed to evaluate the performance of herpesviral and other persisting vectors for achieving long-term protection against dengue virus infection.IMPORTANCE Continuing studies of vaccine approaches against dengue virus (DENV) infection are warranted, particularly ones that may provide long-term immunity against all four serotypes. Here we investigated whether recombinant rhesus monkey rhadinovirus (RRV) could be used as a vaccine against DENV2 infection in rhesus monkeys. Upon vaccination, all animals generated antibodies capable of neutralizing DENV2. Two of four vaccinated monkeys showed no detectable viral RNA after subsequent high-dose DENV2 challenge at 19 weeks postvaccination. Furthermore, one of these vaccinated monkeys appeared to be protected against the acquisition of DENV2 infection on the basis of undetectable viral loads and the lack of an anamnestic antibody response. These findings underscore the potential utility of recombinant herpesviruses as vaccine vectors.
Noise from Supersonic Coaxial Jets

Instability waves have been established as noise generators in supersonic jets. Recent analysis of these slowly diverging jets has shown that these instability waves radiate noise to the far field when the waves have components with phase velocities that are supersonic relative to the ambient speed of sound. This instability wave noise generation model has been applied to supersonic jets with a single shear layer and is now applied to supersonic coaxial jets with two initial shear layers. In this paper the case of coaxial jets with normal velocity profiles is considered, where the inner jet stream velocity is higher than the outer jet stream velocity. To provide mean flow profiles at all axial locations, a numerical scheme is used to calculate the mean flow properties. Calculations are made for the stability characteristics in the coaxial jet shear layers and the noise radiated from the instability waves for different operating conditions with the same total thrust, mass flow and exit area as a single reference jet. The effects of changes in the velocity ratio, the density ratio and the area ratio are each considered independently.
Mindfulness, Compassion, and the Foundations of Global Health Ethics

Mindfulness is generally considered a characteristic or quality of individual persons. Its focus is primarily inward, directed toward one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, as well as toward one’s immediate environment. Yet the accelerating pace of globalization compels us to consider mindfulness in a broader context. Using global health as an example, I explore the essential role of mindfulness in fostering ethical decision-making and in nurturing compassionate, effective action at the global level. I also explore how mindfulness and compassion might contribute to the emerging field of global health ethics. Global health is a rapidly growing field, dedicated to alleviating suffering, improving health, and achieving health equity. It is rooted in the value of compassion. It operates in ethically challenging environments characterized by extreme disparities in wealth and power, vast geographic distances, partisan hegemony, divided loyalties, and crushing poverty. Mindfulness can enhance ethical decision-making in global health through clarifying personal and collective values, enhancing empathy, regulating emotion, facilitating perception, fostering insight, and opening practitioners to a direct experience of interconnectedness and interdependence, which lie at the heart of global health’s universal values. In addition to mindfulness, a mature global health ethics must be rooted in compassion and draw on a variety of influences, such as bioethics, public health ethics, Ubuntu, and the ethics of care. Practitioners must be able to simultaneously perceive the “one and the many,” the global and local, populations and individuals, “numbers” and “faces.” In this respect and many others, mindfulness and compassion have much to offer the nascent field of global health ethics.
A Semi-Open Loop GNSS Carrier Tracking Algorithm for Monitoring Strong Equatorial Scintillation

Strong equatorial ionospheric scintillation of radio signals is often associated with simultaneous deep amplitude fading and rapid random carrier phase fluctuations. It poses a challenge for satellite navigation receiver carrier phase tracking loop operation. This paper presents a semi-open loop algorithm that utilizes the known position of a stationary receiver and satellite orbit information to estimate carrier phase variations during deep signal fading. Strong GPS scintillation data collected on Ascension Island in March 2013 are processed to reveal fast phase changes of half and full cycles over tens of milliseconds on all three GPS frequencies. Simulated signals are used to validate the algorithm and confirm that the fast phase changes are true scintillation effects rather than receiver processing artifacts. The algorithm performance is demonstrated through comparison with several closed-loop implementations. Potential errors associated with receiver clock bias and other environmental factors are also analyzed. A statistical summary of the concurrent fast phase changes and deep fades based on the processing results of the Ascension Island data is presented.
Simple proofs and extensions of a result of L. D. Pustylnikov on the nonautonomous Siegel theorem

We present simple proofs of a result of L.D. Pustylnikov extending to nonautonomous dynamics the Siegel theorem of linearization of analytic mappings. We show that if a sequence f n of analytic mappings of C d has a common fixed point f n (0) = 0, and the maps f n converge to a linear mapping A∞ so fast that $$\sum\limits_n {{{\left\| {{f_m} - {A_\infty }} \right\|}_{L\infty \left( B \right)}} < \infty } $$ $${A_\infty } = diag\left( {{e^{2\pi i{\omega _1}}},...,{e^{2\pi i{\omega _d}}}} \right)\omega = \left( {{\omega _1},...,{\omega _q}} \right) \in {\mathbb{R}^d},$$ then f n is nonautonomously conjugate to the linearization. That is, there exists a sequence h n of analytic mappings fixing the origin satisfying $${h_{n + 1}} \circ {f_n} = {A_\infty }{h_n}.$$ The key point of the result is that the functions hn are defined in a large domain and they are bounded. We show that $${\sum\nolimits_n {\left\| {{h_n} - Id} \right\|} _{L\infty (B)}} < \infty .$$ We also provide results when f n converges to a nonlinearizable mapping f∞ or to a nonelliptic linear mapping. In the case that the mappings f n preserve a geometric structure (e. g., symplectic, volume, contact, Poisson, etc.), we show that the hn can be chosen so that they preserve the same geometric structure as the f n . We present five elementary proofs based on different methods and compare them. Notably, we consider the results in the light of scattering theory. We hope that including different methods can serve as an introduction to methods to study conjugacy equations.
Hippocampal Theta-Based Brain Computer Interface

Theta rhythm is a 3–12 Hz oscillatory potential observed in the hippocampus during cognitive processes ranging from spatial navigation to learning. The 3–7 Hz range occurs during immobility and depends upon the integrity of cholinergic forebrain systems. The amount of pre-training theta in the rabbit strongly predicts the acquisition rate of classical eyeblink conditioning and impairment of this system substantially slows the rate of learning. Recent experiments utilized a brain-computer interface that makes eyeblink training trials contingent upon the explicit presence or absence of hippocampal theta. Power spectral ratios based on continuous sampling of hippocampal local field potentials were used to ensure that each trial was triggered during the appropriate theta state. One group received training during high theta and the other during very low theta. The results have been consistent and substantial—theta-contingent training produces a two- to four-fold increase in learning speed, accompanied by striking differences in hippocampal, prefrontal and cerebellar electrophysiological patterns. Unlike many interfaces that serve as sensory or motor prostheses, our system appears to engage cognitive resources that accelerate the rate of associative learning. One mechanism for this improvement might be better coordination of the phase relationships in the essential circuitry that includes cerebellum, hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, as well as brainstem nuclei necessary for the sensory and motor events during each trial. This chapter reviews such findings and proposes experiments that use this cognitive BCI to clarify the essential roles and coordination of structures in the distributed system that underlies eyeblink conditioning.
How software process automation affects software evolution: a longitudinal empirical analysis: Research Articles

This research analyzes longitudinal empirical data on commercial software applications to test and better understand how software evolves over time, and to measure the likely long-term effects of a software process automation tool on software productivity and quality. The research consists of two parts. First, we use data from source control systems, defect tracking systems, and archived project documentation to test a series of hypotheses developed by Belady and Lehman about software evolution. We find empirical support for many of these hypotheses, but not all. We then further analyze the data using moderated regression analysis to discern how software process automation efforts at the research site influenced the software evolution lifecycles of the applications. Our results support the claim that automation has enabled the organization to accomplish more work activities with greater productivity, thereby significantly increasing the functionality of the applications portfolio. Despite the growth in software functionality, the analysis suggests that automation has helped to manage software complexity levels and to improve quality by reducing errors over time. Our models and their results demonstrate how longitudinal empirical software data can be used to reveal the often elusive long-term benefits of investments in software process improvement, and to help managers make more informed resource-allocation decisions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of the free edge upon the strength of angle-ply laminates

Strength characterization of the fiber-reinforced laminated composite materials is quite often accomplished through the utilization of the finite-width tension coupon specimen. Recent analytical studies have shown that the state of stress in the vicinity of the free edge of such a laminate is fully three dimensional in nature and may not be predicted by laminated plate theory. Furthermore, experimental results have revealed that while the strength of angle-ply tensile coupons of certain fiber orientations are predicted adequately by laminate strength theories, coupons of other fiber orientations are not. As an explanation of this result, it is argued that large, nonlinear shear strains occur at the interfaces for fiber orientations leading to near maximum shear coupling compliances. Further, these strains allow the initiation of matrix cracks at the free edge, which are ultimately responsible for the premature rupture of the coupon. Experimental evidence which supports these arguments is presented.
Gamma A myeloma with hyperviscosity and obstructive uropathy.

AbstractA patient with gamma A myeloma, hyperviscosity and an obstructive uropathy is described Operation revealed a proteinaceous mass obstructing the right renal pelvis. Immunoprecipitin and immunofluorescent analysis of this mass and concentrated urine demonstrated the presence of gamma A myeloma protein, kappa light chains and albumin. This is the first description of an obstructive uropathy in multiple myeloma owing to a pmteinaceous matrix containing paraprotein
HUGONIOT MEASUREMENTS ON UNSINTERED METAL POWDERS

We have determined the Hugoniots of unsintered copper, aluminum alloy, and steel powders using carbon gauges. We find no evidence for an elastic precursor in our specimens. The copper and aluminum Hugoniots are well described by models which assume full densification. Complete densification of the steel powder, however, does not occur for stresses less than 3.0 GPa. Although carbon gauges perform well, systematic errors in gauge calibration are observed.
Sexual Behavior of Orangutans ( Pongo pygmaeus )

Early observations in zoological gardens suggested that orangutans mated relatively frequently, without relation to the phase of the female’s menstrual cycle, and that copulation was often initiated forcefully by the male in disregard of the female’s resistance. These observations were interesting because they suggested that orangutans more closely resembled humans in these respects than did other nonhuman primates, including the other great apes. Two types of laboratory pair-test were conducted to clarify the sexual proclivities of orangutans, 1) the conventional pair-test, in which the male and female are freely accessible to each other in a single cage and 2) a restricted-access test in which the female controls access. In the conventional tests, mating occurred on 85% of the test days due, primarily, to forcibly initiated copulation by the male and little indication of cyclicity in the sexual behavior of the female. When the males were prevented from pursuing the females in the female-controlled tests, however, they solicited the females nonaggressively and copulation initiated by the female occurred primarily during the midcycle phase in association with elevated levels of estrogen in the female. The experimental laboratory data have both scientific and practical significance. They suggest that orangutans resemble other nonhuman primates in terms of the cyclic enhancement of female sexual motivation at midcycle, i.e., female orangutans exhibit estrus, and they suggest that environmental influences have significance for captive management. An important determinant of species-typical sexual behavior in fully mature captive orangutans is an environment that permits the female to regulate its access to the male. A captive environment that affords the female such an option, simulates a crucial aspect of the natural habitat to which the species is biologically adapted.
Parental Choice and Perceived Benefits of Reggio Emilia Inspired Programs.

Despite credible research to support a constructivist-based approach in early childhood programs, policymakers continued to push for a more academic-based philosophy in an effort to reach standardi...