cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An in-silico glial microdomain to invoke excitability in cortical neural networks

Glial cells play an active role in the central nervous system. We present a CMOS neuromorphic circuit as part of the BioRC Biomimetic Real-time Cortex that emulates a glial microdomain, including several neurons interconnected in a small network. The glial cell, an astrocyte, influences neural behavior to stimulate a neuron to fire. Without glial intervention, the neuron would not have sufficient excitatory postsynaptic potential to fire. This circuit represents a first-order model of the reciprocal feedback between neurons and astrocytes involving gliotransmitters and neurotransmitters, and of the calcium concentrations induced in the astrocytes. Much more complex interaction has been observed and will be implemented in the future.
Self-Functioning and Perceived Parenting: Relations of Parental Empathy and Love Inconsistency with Narcissism, Depression, and Self-Esteem.

In Heinz Kohut's (1977, 1984) theory of the psychology of the self, good parenting provides a child with optimal frustration and just the right amount of loving empathic concern. In the present study, the authors examined the relations of perceived parental empathy and love inconsistency with measures of narcissism, self-esteem, and depression. In a sample of university undergraduates (N = 232; 78 men, 153 women, and 1 nonresponder), perceived parental empathy predicted more adaptive self-functioning, whereas parental love inconsistency was related to psychological maladjustment. These results support the theoretical assumption that perceived parental empathy is associated with healthy self-development.
Power-performance trade-offs in IaaS cloud: A scalable analytic approach

Optimizing for performance is often associated with higher costs in terms of capacity, faster infrastructure, and power costs. In this paper, we quantify the power-performance trade-offs by developing a scalable analytic model for joint analysis of performance and power consumption for a class of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) clouds with tiered service offerings. The tiered service offerings are provided by configuring physical machines into three pools with different response time and power consumption characteristics. Using interacting stochastic sub-models approach, we quantify power-performance trade-offs. We summarize our modeling approach and highlight key results on the effects of physical machine pool configurations on consumed power and achievable performance in terms of response time and ability to service requests. The approach developed here can be used to manage power consumption and performance by judiciously configuring physical machine pools.
Challenges and opportunities for medical directors in pathology and laboratory medicine: standardization, integration, and innovation.

Because the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine evolves rapidly, laboratory medical directors must constantly introduce new tests and services and continue to provide consistent, reliable results for existing tests. Innovations in laboratory medicine are frequently introduced, and the number of commercial vendors of test kits and reagents increases yearly. These innovations, however, may pose barriers to standardization and integration of laboratories and to interpretation of results generated by different laboratories. We propose a practical framework for medical directors to address the seemingly contradictory challenges of standardizing and integrating while simultaneously providing the flexibility to introduce innovations. We recommend initiating standardization first, then integration, while maintaining flexibility for innovation. As organizations strive to create effective processes to enhance value, the role of the laboratory medical director will become critical in resolving the natural tension between standardization/integration and innovation in laboratory medicine and pathology. The practice of pathology and laboratory medicine has evolved substantially in the past decade. Laboratory medical directors are faced with the dual challenges of introducing new tests and services while simultaneously providing consistent, reliable results for existing tests. Point-of-care testing, noninvasive testing, automation, genetic testing, and telepathology are just a few of the many innovations that have changed the practice of laboratory medicine and pathology. This burgeoning growth includes a similar increase in the number of commercial vendors of test kits and reagents. Although greater purchasing options may offer financial savings, lack of standardization across vendors and practices impedes integration of laboratories and often presents problems for physicians who
Nuclear masses, shell-model and superheavy nuclei (II)

Abstract Self-consistent field calculations in some closed shell nuclei are presented. A four-parameter, quadratieally velocity-dependent central interaction is used. The parameters are initially adjusted to reproduce mass-formula parameters of Myers and Swiatecki. A spin-orbit field is added and is chosen to be 30 times the Thomas form. A somewhat better fit to binding energies is obtained by a slight adjustment of the surface energy from 18.56 to 19.0 MeV and of the symmetry energy from 28.0 to 32.5 MeV. The spin-orbit strength, when adjusted to fit 48Ca binding energy, is reduced to 27.5. This two-body effective interaction reproduces binding energies reasonably well, but it does not reproduce single-particle energies well (defined as removal energies). The level density is too small, the gaps at closed shells are roughly twice as large as they should be, and states of larger angular momentum are consistently too strongly bound compared to those of smaller angular momentum. The addition of a density-dependent repulsion of short range, to simulate core repulsions in the two-body interaction, improves the single-particle spectrum somewhat. Both interactions give a closed proton shell in 298114 at Z = 114 due to a f 7 2 −f 5 2 splitting of 3 MeV. The N = 184 gap due to the S 1 2 − j 13 2 distance is found to be only 1.5 MeV. However, in 312114 the N = 198 gap is found to be 4.1 MeV due to the j 13 2 − h 11 2 distance. The calculated level structure for these superheavy nuclei is found to be more sensitive to the two-body interactions than is that for the lighter nuclei. The gaps at 298114 and 312114 may therefore be different for a more realistic interaction. The binding energy of the semi-infinite system is also calculated self-consistently, allowing a determination of the surface energy. Comparisons between the liquid drop and the shell-model total binding energies can therefore be made which show that the correction to the former model is several percent. The definition of single-particle energies is discussed at some length.
What Is the Legacy of the National Institutes of Health Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network

It has been almost 15 years since the National Institutes of Health created the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Clinical Trials Network (ARDS Network) and nearly a decade since the completion of the landmark low-tidal volume (VT) trial. In retrospect, the ARDS Network had a profound impact on the design and conduct of clinical trials in critical care. It represented the first time the federal government funded a clinical trials network devoted to Phase-III testing of important, non-pharmacologic therapies. Also the ARDS Network introduced factorial design into critical-care research, which allowed Phase-II testing of promising therapies. Other important contributions from the ARDS Network may not become apparent for many years. These include the ongoing mentoring of a new generation of critical-care researchers, as well as continued testing on an enormous store of biological samples that inevitably will advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of ARDS. Perhaps someday this may lead to another therapeutic breakthrough. Part of the ARDS Network’s legacy surely will have been the opening of a dialog regarding the design of clinical trials in critical care, as well as a concerted effort to improve the protection of subjects enrolled into those trials. Finally, the respiratory care profession itself has benefited, owing both to its critical role in the successful implementation of complicated therapist-driven protocols and also to the ARDS Network’s novel practice of utilizing respiratory therapists as clinical coordinators.
EFFECTS OF AMOUNT, DISTRIBUTION AND TEXTURE OF MARBLING ON COOKING PROPERTIES OF BEEF LONGISSIMUS

Beef steaks (192) from longissimus muscles, that differed widely in amount (degree), distribution and texture (size) of marbling were oven roasted at 121, 177 and 232°C to four final internal temperatures (60, 70, 80 and 90°C) to evaluate the effect of lipid composition on cooking properties. Interactions of oven temperature, internal temperature and carcass maturity, with marbling amount, distribution and texture were not significant. Cooking times were significantly affected by amount, distribution and texture of marbling, and were highest for steaks that were low in amount, uneven in distribution and coarse in texture of marbling. Degree of doneness did not differ significantly among the various groups for amount, distribution and texture of marbling.
Some Sources of Cultural Variability in the Regulation of Talk.

Recent efforts to analyze the structure of talk have focused primarily on the conversation of persons from a white middle-class background. This paper compares the way in which talk is regulated, both verbally and non-verbally, in Anglo interaction with the regulation of talk among Indians of the Warm Springs Reservation, in central Oregon. The purpose of this comparison is to begin to assess the sources and nature of cultural variability in this one aspect of language use. (Ethnography of communication, conversational analysis, nonverbal communication, North American Indians.)
A lipid mediator controls neutrophil recruitment in acute lung injury - should we really be surprised?

New therapeutic approaches are sorely needed for acute lung injury. Neutrophil recruitment is a pathological hallmark of this syndrome, and is mainly regulated by CXC chemokine receptor 2 and its ligand CXC ligand 1. Rossaint and colleagues have described a new mechanism for regulation of this axis by 12/15-lipoxygenase products. This work opens the door for new therapeutic approaches and highlights the crucial interplay between lipid mediators and chemokines, a time-honored but often-ignored concept.
Delayed dental development and pulmonary disease severity in children with cystic fibrosis

The relationships among development of the succedaneous mandibular dentition, chronologic age, a clinically-derived prognostic score and duration of therapeutic intervention were studied in 23 females and 27 males with cystic fibrosis (CF). Radiographically-determined dental age was significantly delayed. Although significant correlations were obtained between dental and chronologic age, none were observed between delays in dental development and either the measure of pulmonary disease severity or age at CF diagnosis. The findings are not consistent with a pathologic aetiology for the reported dental delays or with being a secondary consequence of the stresses of the disease. The delay seems to be an endocrine-mediated pleiotropic effect of the cystic fibrosis locus.
Laser midline glossectomy as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

Multiple site specific procedures have been proposed to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Midline glossectomy (MLG) is a procedure that directly enlarges the hypopharyngeal airspace using the carbon dioxide laser. The initial experience of 12 patients is presented. Midline glossectomy as the sole procedure was performed on 11 patients who had failed uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and who were felt to have significant hypopharyngeal collapse on physical examination and Muller's maneuver. One patient with primary hypopharyngeal narrowing underwent MLG. Five (42%) were considered responders with Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) decreasing from 60.6 per hour to 14.5 per hour. In seven nonresponders, there was no significant change in the RDI (62.6 events per hour to 48.4 events per hour). Cephalometric analysis showed that responders tended to be more retrognathic (sella-nasion-supramentale (S-N-B = 74.4 degrees)) than nonresponders (S-N-B = 79.3 degrees). Responders were significantly less obese (body mass index (BMI = 30.6)) than nonresponders (BMI = 37.9). There were five minor complications including minor bleeding (n = 3), prolonged odynophagia (n = 1), and minor change in taste (n = 1). There were no major complications, and no persistent difficulties with speech or swallowing. These results demonstrate that direct surgical modification of the tongue base and associated structures can significantly impact obstructive apnea. Midline glossectomy or similar procedures may be useful in a subset of patients with OSAS.
Lake and reservoir volume: Hydroacoustic survey resolution and accuracy

AbstractVolume measurements are essential for a wide variety of lake and reservoir applications, with recent technological and computational advances greatly improving volume estimate accuracy. Triangulated irregular network bathymetric models, created with spatially referenced depth data, are now commonly available for computer processing. Large datasets can easily be handled in geographic information system software, but field data acquisition is the principal time investment; therefore, determining minimum data density requirements associated with accurate volume estimates has great practical and economic relevance. We used spatially referenced hydroacoustic depth data acquired along parallel transects to assess survey resolution required to obtain accurate volume measures on 5 northeastern Washington lakes and reservoirs. Volume estimates decreased in each study waterbody as sampling resolution decreased, exhibited by significant (P < 0.0001) monotonic decreasing functions. Our study showed that hydro...
High‐resolution shallow‐seismic experiments in sand, Part II: Velocities in shallow unconsolidated sand

We conducted a shallow high‐resolution seismic reflection and refraction experiment on a sandy beach. The depth of investigation was about 2 m. We interpret the data using the Hertz‐Mindlin contact theory combined with Gassmann’s equation. These were used to obtain the vertical velocity profile. Then the profile was computed from seismic data using the turning‐rays approximation. The normal moveout (NMO) velocity at the depth of 2 m matches the velocity profile. As a result, we developed a method to invert measured velocity from first arrivals, i.e., velocity versus distance into velocity versus depth using only one adjustable parameter. This parameter contains all the information about the internal structure and elasticity of the sand. The lowest velocity observed was about 40 m/s. It is noteworthy that the theoretical lower bound for velocity in dry sand with air is as low as 13 m/s. We find that modeling sand as a quartz sphere pack does not quantitatively agree with the measured data. However, the the...
Left Anterior Oblique Projection and Peak-to-Scatter Ratio for Attenuation Compensation of Gastric Emptying Studies

Compensation for soft-tissue attenuation is necessary for accurate quantitation of nuclear gastric emptying studies. We sought an attenuation compensation method that would require the acquisition of images from a single projection, thus allowing for continuous dynamic acquisition. We investigated the use of the left anterior oblique (LAO) projection and the peak-to-scatter ratio (P/S) method. Phantom studies indicated that the P/S was not only a function of the amount of overlying attenuating material but also a function of the activity in the small intestine. Two models for the P/S method were developed, one that considered the activity in the small intestine and one that did not. A series of 27 patients (21 for solid gastric emptying and six for liquid gastric emptying) were studied comparing the results using the geometric mean (GM) method with the two P/S methods, the LAO and the uncorrected anterior (ANT) projection. The uncorrected ANT view for solid gastric emptying underestimated the percent emptying at 60 min by approximately 7%. The P/S method did not adequately compensate for attenuation. The use of the LAO projection yielded results that were highly correlated and unbiased when compared to the GM method. Accurate estimates of liquid gastric emptying can be obtained without attenuation compensation.
Pituitary inhibitory effects of digitoxin and hydrocortisone.

SummaryDigitoxin and hydrocortisone administered in a dose of 0.5 mg/100 g body weight daily did not significantly affect the growth rate of rats, although 1 mg/100 g of hydrocortisone markedly inh...
Synthesis of Mesophase Cerium(IV) Oxides via Surfactant Templating

Mesostructured cerium(IV) oxides were directly synthesized via the hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) homogeneous precipitation method. Cerium(III) nitrate, a templating agent, HMT and water were mixed in a molar ratio of 1: 0.1-2: 1-15: 100-1000 and kept at 65 to 95°C for 10 to 40 hours. 1-Hexadecanesulfonic acid sodium salt was used as the templating agent. Low-angle XRD patterns showed that the as-prepared powders had a lamellar structure with d100=4.1 nm. Wide-range (2θ=10-70°) XRD patterns also exhibited reflection peaks of CeO2 with a fluorite structure. However, the low-angle reflection peaks disappeared in calcined specimens.
DOES BATEMAN'S PRINCIPLE APPLY TO BROADCAST-SPAWNING ORGANISMS ? EGG TRAITS INFLUENCE IN SITU FERTILIZATION RATES AMONG CONGENERIC SEA URCHINS

Evolutionary biologists generally invoke male competition and female choice as mechanisms driving sexual selection. However, in broadcast-spawning organisms sperm may be limiting and females may compete, in the Dar- winian sense, for increased mating success. In this study, I investigate how species differences in egg and sperm traits result in different patterns of fertilizatioii among three closely related sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. franciscanus, and S. droebachiensis). Field studies demonstrate that all three species achieve similar percentages of eggs fertilized when eggs and sperm are released simultaneously. However, when sperm must disperse before en- countering eggs, differences arise among species such that those with the smaller eggs and faster but shorter-lived sperm achieve relatively fewer fertilizations than do species with larger eggs and slower but longer-lived sperm. A field hybridization experiment, field estimates of sperm dispersal, correlations of egg size to field rates of fertilization, laboratory studies of fertilization kinetics, and a simulation model all suggest that it is attributes of the egg (probably egg size) that are responsible for the differences. These patterns of fertilization match the species' patterns of dispersion; species that do well only when sperm and eggs are released in close proximity are more aggregated, species that do relatively well when sperm and eggs are released farther apart are more dispersed. These results are consistent with the notion that eggs of different species are adapted to maximize reproductive success under different degrees of sperm limitation and suggest that male competition and female choice may not be an appropriate dichotomy in broadcast-spawning organisms.
Lattice Dynamics of Mg 2 Pb at Room Temperature

The phonon-dispersion curves along the [001], [110], and [111] directions in ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Pb at room temperature have been measured by neutron inelastic scattering. Although these curves are qualitatively similar to those for ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Sn, marked differences exist in some of the longitudinal branches which show large dips at small $q$ for ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Pb, suggesting large screening effects of free carriers. A reasonable fit to the measured dispersion curves has been obtained with a nine-parameter shell model. The model was used to calculate the phonon density of states and the temperature dependence of the Debye temperature. The calculated Debye temperature agreed well with the Debye temperature obtained from heat-capacity measurements.
Calocalpe undulata Contact Toxicity of Ten Insecticides to the Larvae

Ten insecticides were tested against larvae of Calocalpe undulata (L.). The decreasing order of toxicity at LD50 was: bioethanomethrin, phenothrin, pyrethrins, phoxim, tetrachlorvinfos, mexacarbate, carbaryl, phosmet, DDT, and malathion. At LD90, the decreasing order of toxicity was the same, except that phoxim and tetrachlorvinfos switched positions. Malathion was not toxic at the highest dose level tested (500 μg/g body weight). When the response of C. undulata was compared with that of 4 other forest geometrid species, the data showed that pyrethroids were always the most toxic candidates whereas malathion was always the least toxic.
A Hybrid Multirobot Control Architecture for Object Transport

A hybrid force/position control architecture for object transportation by a mobile robot formation is introduced. The architecture consists of an object level controller that computes actuation forces/torques to push an object along a desired path. These desired forces/torques are provided to a multirobot actuation subsystem that uses a closed-loop hybrid force/position controller to generate commands for individual robots within the subsystem. Accordingly, these robots apply the required net force and torque to the object while also maintaining relative positions with respect to themselves and to the object, thereby ensuring stable motion and efficient torque generation. This novel use of a hybrid controller for the mobile multirobot cluster prevents large environmental forces on the object. Furthermore, abstraction of the cluster as an actuator enhances flexibility, making design of the object controller independent of the number, location, and maneuverability of individual robots. The architecture is validated experimentally.
Impact Structures in Canada.: Richard A.F. Grieve. Pp. 210. Geological Association of Canada. 2006. GeoText 5. Hardcover. ISBN 1-897095-11-2. Price Can$60.00, member, Can$45.00.

The importance of hypervelocity impact processes in the early development and subsequent history of Earth and other planetary bodies is becoming increasingly accepted into mainstream models of planetary evolution. Although there is a currently flourishing community of impact-focused research scientists, a few pioneering geologists have diligently constructed the knowledge foundation upon which this present research is built. Richard Grieve, now nearing retirement, is one of these masons. In this volume, he provides a snapshot of the current state of knowledge of impact structures on his home territory. The book starts with a comprehensive introductory chapter …
Models of fMRI Signal Changes

Models of the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response to neural activation serve as a bridge between the underlying dynamics of neural activity and the signals that are measured in functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments. Models are based on the physiology of how neural activity, blood flow, and oxygen metabolism are connected and on the physics of how changes in local blood oxygenation associated with neural activity changes lead to changes in the measured magnetic resonance signal. Current models of the BOLD response are described, although this remains a work in progress, primarily because the underlying physiological interactions are still not well understood.
Montaigne's of Cruelty and the Emergence of Hermeneutic and Intercultural Modernity: Three Rival Readings

While classical interpretations of hermeneutics have often identified themselves with Montaigne, others have contested not only whether Montaigne is committed to an account of a hermeneutic self, but whether a hermeneutics of traditional or self-identity (or differentiation) is either possible or desirable. This article will investigate the continuing viability of hermeneutics through contested interpretations of Montaigne undertaken from the varying standpoints of phenomenology (Merleau-Ponty), psychoanalysis (Lacan), and critical theory (Horkheimer). These interpretations have shed significant light on Montaigne's work and have in turn been further illuminated by it; they reveal not only something about the hermeneutics of Montaigne's work, but about consciousness, and the timeliness of hermeneutics itself.
Rainbow trout movement behavior and habitat occupancy are influenced by sex and Pacific salmon presence in an Alaska river system

We used spatially continuous field-measured and remotely sensed aquatic habitat characteristics paired with weekly ground-based telemetry tracking and snorkel surveys to describe movements and habi...
Computerisation of Compound Quality Control for the Rubber Industry - A Stepwise Approach

Abstract The computerisation of rubber testing laboratories equipped with Rheometers, Viscometers and other test instruments for quality control (QC) using a modular approach is discussed. Equipment for data reduction and handling of data generated by rubber testing instruments was first produced over a decade ago, but it only provided the first stage of a complete computer system. The benefits available with a complete computer system are • Rapid production of test reports • Reduction of space for data storage • Easy and rapid retrieval of stored data • Reduction of effort • Elimination of errors Implementation problems associated with computerisation and the relative advantages of different computers is discussed. A modular system based on dedicated data units and microcomputers is recommended because of its lower cost and greater flexibility. Dedicated data units analyse the data and transmit the results to computers via simple plug-in connections. While these systems allow a computerised laboratory to be set up in stages, a further benefit is their flexibility, which ensures that a suitable system can be installed for any rubber testing laboratory.
Comparison of surgical outcomes between patients with unilateral and bilateral chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background Although the majority of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP) suffer from bilateral disease, a subset suffer from unilateral disease. Currently, outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for medically recalcitrant CRS are inferred from outcomes for patients with bilateral disease. This study compares outcomes of ESS between patients with unilateral and bilateral disease. Methods Patients with CRSsNP who failed appropriate medical therapy and elected ESS were enrolled between 2011 and 2015. Patients were dichotomized according to radiographic evidence of unilateral disease (Lund-Mackay [LM] score = 0 for 1 side) or bilateral disease (LM ≥ 1 for both sides). The primary outcome of interest was the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), with secondary outcomes including the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) and the Lund-Kennedy (LK) endoscopy staging system. Results A total of 190 patients met inclusion criteria consisting of 19 with unilateral (10%) and 171 with bilateral CRSsNP (90%). Both groups were similar across all preoperative demographic factors, SNOT-22, and BSIT scores. Postoperatively, patients with bilateral disease reported greater improvement in mean SNOT-22 scores compared to unilateral disease, but this difference was not statistically or clinically significant (−24.3 ± 21.1 vs −21.5 ± 24.0, p = 0.582). Mean LK scores improved for patients with bilateral disease but not unilateral disease, without a difference between groups (−2.0 ± 3.5 vs −0.4 ± 2.4, p = 0.090). Conclusion Patients with unilateral CRSsNP experience improvement after ESS comparable to patients with bilateral disease on patient reported outcome measures.
Religiosity and attitudes towards professional mental health services: analysing religious coping as a mediator among Mexican origin Latinas/os in the southwest United States

ABSTRACTIn this study, we examined the relationship between religiosity and attitudes towards professional mental health services. We further examined whether internal religious coping and external...
Field efficacy of insect pathogen, botanical and jasmonic acid for the management of wheat midge Sitodiplosis mosellana and the impact on adult parasitoid Macroglenes penetrans populations in spring wheat

The wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana, is a serious pest of wheat worldwide. In North America, management of S. mosellana in spring wheat relies on the timely application of pesticides, based on midge adults levels caught in pheromone traps or seen via field scouting during wheat heading. In this context, biopesticides can be an effective alternative to pesticides for controlling S. mosellana within an Integrated Pest Management program. A field study using insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana GHA, nematode Steinernema feltiae with Barricade polymer gel 1%, pyrethrin, combined formulations of B. bassiana GHA and pyrethrin, Jasmonic acid (JA) and chlorpyrifos (chemical check) was performed to determine to which extent they affect midge larval populations, kernel damage levels, grain yield, and quality, and the impacts on adult parasitoid Macroglenes penetrans populations. The results indicated that biopesticides JA and S. feltiae were the most effective in reducing larval populations and kernel damage levels, and produced a higher spring wheat yield when compared to the water control at both study locations (East Valier and North Valier, Montana, USA). Increased test weight in wheat had been recorded with two previous biopesticides at East Valier but not for North Valier, when compared over water control. These results were comparable in efficacy to the chlorpyrifos. This study also suggested that B. bassiana and pyrethrin may work synergistically, as exemplified by lower total larval populations and kernel damage levels when applied together. This study did not demonstrate the effect of any treatments on M. penetrans populations.
Image denoising by anisotropic diffusion with inter-scale information fusion

Anisotropic partial differential equations (PDEs) based schemes for denoising digital images are fast becoming an indispensable tool in computer vision problems. In this paper we propose to denoise noisy images via such multiscale anisotropic diffusion. In general, digital images contain objects of multiple scales and denoising them without destroying edges is one of the main objective in early computer vision problems. Unlike the previous approaches, which discard the multiple scale based images produced by anisotropic PDE, we utilize information contained in them. By effectively combining the inter-scale details, the proposed scheme improves upon the noise removal and detail preservation properties over other schemes. Numerical results indicate that the scheme achieves good denoising with edge preservation on a variety of images.
How to Succeed at Being Blind

Offers practical advice and information to people who are becoming blind, who have recently become blind, and for others who know or work with blind persons. Based on the author's experience as he ...
Hyperprolactinemia in polycystic ovary syndrome

With the use of multiple blood sampling, the prevalence of hyperprolactinemia in 150 consecutive patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) was found to be 17%. To further compare these two groups of PCO patients, the pituitary responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone and the adrenal responses to dexamethasone suppression and adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation were evaluated in 40 normoprolactinemic and 10 hyperprolactinemic PCO patients. Adrenal and pituitary pertubation tests were normal in both groups of PCO patients. Besides the higher levels of prolactin, the hyperprolactinemic patients also had higher blood levels of thyrotropin and testosterone, a higher luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, and lower follicle-stimulating hormone responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that in some cases, the pathogenesis of PCO may be due to a central deficiency in dopaminergic activity at the basal hypothalamus. The hyperprolactinemia observed in a significant number of PCO patients may reflect a greater deficiency of hypothalamic dopamine, as manifested by the basal elevations of both prolactin and thyrotropin levels.
Application of Prodrug Chemistry to GLP-1

It is impressed upon the reader how a prodrug at the biologically active N-terminal end of GLP could be utilized to extend and improve the pharmacodynamics of this peptide hormone. The quality of an ideal prodrug and the different strategies that could be potentially considered for constructing peptide-based prodrugs are described . One could use enzymes for the conversion of a prodrug to a drug but here we relied on pH and temperature for generating the drug from the prodrug. This is because these two attributes are virtually invariant physiologically and thus the strategy could be widely used. Thiol prodrugs are described, but they are relatively unstable in physiology and thus would likely cleave too fast, thereby resulting in rapid clearance of the prodrug in its active form. Finally, the intramolecular cyclization reaction of dipeptide esters and amides to form diketopiperazine or diketomorpholine is considered as an example of a chemoreversible prodrug. The chemistry is reasonably straightforward and allows at least four points (stereochemistry of substituent groups, nature of the nucleophile and leaving group as shown) where structure can be stereochemically controlled to refine the rate of formation with release of the active peptide.
Authoring an Invention: Patent Production in the Nineteenth-Century United States

In modern patent systems, an invention achieves legal existence as a text, the official words of a patent. The patent is a bureaucratic text, a product of multiple individuals linked in a faceless bureaucracy. From the perspective of the legal system, a U.S. patent is not a “literary work” to be protected by copyright but an inscribed verbal act that forms a different type of intellectual property, one that protects an idea rather than particular words. The legal separation between “Authors,” who generate “Writings,” and “Inventors,” who generate “Discoveries,” is considered part of the development of the modern law of intellectual property. This distinction, so doctrinally clear, blurs when one considers the actual process of creating patent texts, an act that might be considered authoring an invention. As the U.S. patent system developed as the world’s first formalized patent regime, a double shift occurred. The production of the patent text moved from the inventor to third parties, while simultaneously the patent text came both legally and culturally to represent the creation of a modern self, much as a literary work came to be seen as the product of an individual author through copyright law. This chapter traces the development of the patent as a unique type of bureaucratic text by examining this transition in American patent practice during the nineteenth century. By the end of the century, patents were authored in the sense that they described the “mental act” of an individual mind. This mind was analogous to the “romantic author” who displayed creative genius in the production of literary works, but the text of patents, unlike literary works, were no longer the product of the inventor’s pen. An inventor became a romantic author who did not write.
L’islamisme au pouvoir: Tunisie, Égypte, Maroc (2011–2017)

Political Islam in its diverse dimensions – from reformism to radicalism and moderation to militancy – continues to attract the attention of academics and analysts alike, as reflected in the abunda...
Feasibility and value of incorporating pharmacogenomic testing for genetic variants in UGT1A1 and DPYD genes in patients receiving irinotecan and/or 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy.

814Background: The importance of pharmacogenomics in optimizing drug doses and avoiding adverse events is increasingly being recognized. The FDA has listed pharmacogenomic biomarkers as part of dru...
Exploring the relationship among teacher support, Advanced Placement coursework, and Latina/o students’ college and vocational self-efficacy

In this study, researchers examined the relationship among perceptions of support from high school teachers, enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, and Latina/o college students’ vocatio...
Effect of chemical structure on thermo-mechanical properties of epoxy polymers: Comparison of accelerated ReaxFF simulations and experiments

Abstract Chemical structure governs the bulk material properties of thermoset polymers at the macro-scale. In this study, three different amine curing agents — aromatic, cyclo-aliphatic and aliphatic — are reacted with bisphenol-A epoxide using a recently developed accelerated ReaxFF simulation approach for kinetically slow reactions. Accelerated ReaxFF simulations provide reactants with energy (comparable to the barrier energy) to form a stable transition state that, depending upon the proximity and the path of approach, leads to successful cross-linking. While cyclic curing agents result in simulated polymers with local heterogeneities in the molecular structure that can be resolved by annealing, strain rate dependence is manifested prominently in polymers with aliphatic curing agents and less prominent in polymer with aromatic curing agent. Based on the good correlation obtained between simulations and experiments, this work demonstrates that accelerated cross-linking and virtual testing of the polymer can capture the translation of variable chemical structure to thermo-mechanical properties of thermosets.
Impact of Abstinence and of Reducing Illicit Drug Use Without Abstinence on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Load.

Background Substance use is common among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) and a barrier to achieving viral suppression. Among PLWH who report illicit drug use, we evaluated associations between HIV viral load (VL) and reduced use of illicit opioids, methamphetamine/crystal, cocaine/crack, and marijuana, regardless of whether or not abstinence was achieved. Methods This was a longitudinal cohort study of PLWH from 7 HIV clinics or 4 clinical studies. We used joint longitudinal and survival models to examine the impact of decreasing drug use and of abstinence for each drug on viral suppression. We repeated analyses using linear mixed models to examine associations between change in frequency of drug use and VL. Results The number of PLWH who were using each drug at baseline ranged from n = 568 (illicit opioids) to n = 4272 (marijuana). Abstinence was associated with higher odds of viral suppression (odds ratio [OR], 1.4-2.2) and lower relative VL (ranging from 21% to 42% by drug) for all 4 drug categories. Reducing frequency of illicit opioid or methamphetamine/crystal use without abstinence was associated with VL suppression (OR, 2.2, 1.6, respectively). Reducing frequency of illicit opioid or methamphetamine/crystal use without abstinence was associated with lower relative VL (47%, 38%, respectively). Conclusions Abstinence was associated with viral suppression. In addition, reducing use of illicit opioids or methamphetamine/crystal, even without abstinence, was also associated with viral suppression. Our findings highlight the impact of reducing substance use, even when abstinence is not achieved, and the potential benefits of medications, behavioral interventions, and harm-reduction interventions.
Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia Syndrome

Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome is a condition characterized by muscle wasting and lack of appetite for food. Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome is a very common occurrence in patients suffering from cancer and is associated with many adverse outcomes. Presented here is information regarding cancer anorexia-cachexia’s diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment.
Varicella infection following vaccination in a pediatric kidney transplant recipient.

Live viral vaccines have historically been avoided in children after solid organ transplantation. Multiple reports of safety and immunogenicity, largely in the pediatric liver transplant population, have led to a reconsideration of this recommendation. Here, we report the case of a 4-year-old boy who inadvertently received the live attenuated MMR-varicella vaccine (MMRV) at a routine well-child visit 16 months after receiving a living donor kidney transplant. This was not known until after he was admitted with rash and documented disseminated varicella infection 5 weeks later. He was treated with intravenous acyclovir followed by oral therapy and recovered fully. This case and its discussion illustrate what is still unknown about the risk-to-benefit ratio of live viral vaccination in any individual transplant recipient. Criteria to determine which patients should receive these vaccines should be evaluated before their use after transplant becomes routine, and all recipients and their families should be counseled to have a low threshold to seek medical care for any febrile illness or rash after live viral vaccination.
The Large-Scale Joints of the World

What is the compositional structure of reality? That question divides naturally into these two: What is the compositional structure of the particulars that populate reality? And what is the structure of the properties and relations that fix what these entities are like? David Lewis‘s work in ontology and mereology provides the materials for an extraordinarily clean answer to the first question. First, among the particulars that populate reality are mereological simples: entities that have no proper parts. (A plausible candidate for these simples: spacetime points.) Second, every collection of such entities has a unique mereological fusion. And third, every particular is either a simple, or a fusion of simples. That‘s it. I propose to take this answer on board. What, then, about our second question? Here it looks as though we can draw on an additional Lewisian thesis:
Reduction of opioid utilization after vaginal delivery with an electronic health record intervention.

BACKGROUND The national epidemic of opioid misuse has focused its attention on postpartum analgesic usage. Adequate pain control achieved with nonopioid pain medications and conservative measures could reduce the number of opioid pain medications available for misuse and diversion. Interventions that decrease inpatient opioid use after delivery could reduce the potential for chronic dependence in postpartum women. Modification of preloaded electronic order sets to decrease opioid administration has successfully reduced opioid use following a major abdominal surgery, including cesarean delivery. However, interventions to reduce opioid use following vaginal delivery are not well described. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the effect of removing opioid medications from postpartum order sets on medication usage following vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGN We performed a retrospective cohort study of women undergoing a singleton vaginal delivery at an academic tertiary care center. Our institution removed opioid medications from postpartum order sets in April 2018. We compared the following 2 delivery cohorts: the “preintervention” cohort (April 2016–March 2018) and the “postintervention” cohort (June 2018–July 2018). The primary outcome was postpartum opioid use. The secondary outcomes were nonopioid analgesic use and discharge with an opioid prescription. We compared the demographic and obstetrical data, self-reported pain scores, and postpartum analgesic usage between groups. We determined that a minimum of 138 patients would be needed in each group to identify a 20% decrease in opioid usage (α=.05; β=.2). RESULTS We analyzed 276 subjects: 138 in the preintervention group and 138 in the postintervention group. The postintervention group was older and more likely to have an operative vaginal delivery. Otherwise, groups had similar demographic and obstetrical characteristics. Postpartum opioid use decreased from 56% in the preintervention group to 16% in the postintervention group, a 71% reduction (P 7) was similar between groups with a median occurrence of 1 (interquartile range, 0–4) for both (P=.7). The number of opioid discharge prescriptions among those receiving inpatient opioids was significantly lower in the postintervention group than in the preintervention group (18% vs 38%, respectively), a 53% decrease (P CONCLUSION Removal of opioids from the postpartum order set was associated with lower rates of opiate usage following vaginal delivery in a single center without changing the frequency of severe pain scores. This simple intervention has the potential to reduce opioid exposure.
Environmental and Management Effects on Demographic Processes in the U.S. Threatened Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl. (Orchidaceae)

Populations of the U.S. threatened orchid, Platanthera leucophaea, are restricted to fragmented grassland and wetland habitats. We address the long-term (1998–2020) interactive effects of habitat (upland prairie vs. wetland), fire management (burned vs. unburned) and climatic variation, as well as pollination crossing effects, on population demography in 42 populations. Our analysis revealed the consistent interactive effects of habitat, dormant season burning, and climatic variation on flowering, reproduction, and survival. Burning increased flowering and population size under normal or greater than normal precipitation but may have a negative effect during drought years apparently if soil moisture stress reduces flowering and increases mortality. Trends in the number of flowering plants in populations also correspond to precipitation cycles. As with flowering and fecundity, survival is significantly affected by the interactive effects of habitat, fire, and climate. This study supports previous studies finding that P. leucophaea relies on a facultative outcrossing breeding system. Demographic modeling indicated that fire, normal precipitation, and outcrossing yielded greater population growth, and that greater fire frequency increased population persistence. It also revealed an ecologically driven demographic switch, with wetlands more dependent upon survivorship than fecundity, and uplands more dependent on fecundity than survivorship. Our results facilitate an understanding of environmental and management effects on the population demography of P. leucophaea in the prairie region of its distribution. Parallel studies are needed in the other habitats such as wetlands, especially in the eastern part of the range of the species, to provide a more complete picture.
Muralismo urbano en Valparaíso

La lectura que hacemos de la cultura urbana nos conduce a una interpelacion que reune diferentes significados de los observadores que desde un punto de caminar interactuan visualmente con la ciudad. Este articulo tiene como objetivo presentar desde un encuentro interdisciplinario el contenido de las pinturas en Valparaiso y su relacion con los componentes simbolicos y culturales inscritos en el espacio urbano de la ciudad portuaria. El enfoque a desarrollar es interdisciplinario porque integra dos disciplinas: Etnosemiotica y Arquitectura; dos disciplinas de representacion e interpretacion del espacio urbano habitado, conocidas y reapropiadas en torno a una conferencia de la pintura en Valparaiso. La escritura nos conduce a un analisis de las practicas sociales del lugar habitado, a interpretaciones del espacio reconocidas y firmadas, y a una descripcion estetica de las formas arquitectonicas que sustentan el contenido de las pinturas.