cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Data exploration of turbulence simulations using a database cluster

We describe a new environment for the exploration of turbulent flows that uses a cluster of databases to store complete histories of Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) results. This allows for spatial and temporal exploration of high-resolution data that were traditionally too large to store and too computationally expensive to produce on demand. We perform analysis of these data directly on the databases nodes, which minimizes the volume of network traffic. The low network demands enable us to provide public access to this experimental platform and its datasets through Web services. This paper details the system design and implementation. Specifically, we focus on hierarchical spatial indexing, cache-sensitive spatial scheduling of batch workloads, localizing computation through data partitioning, and load balancing techniques that minimize data movement. We provide real examples of how scientists use the system to perform high-resolution turbulence research from standard desktop computing environments.
Force Feedback in a Three-Dimensional Ultrasound-Guided Surgical Task

Three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) is a novel imaging modality that allows real-time visualization of internal body structures such as the heart, even through visually opaque blood and tissue. The real-time nature of 3D US allows minimally invasive manipulations to be carried out without an endoscopic camera. The quality of the images is not ideal, however, other senses might be used to augment a surgeon’s performance in a 3D US-guided procedure. We investigated the combination of haptics under 3D US in a force control task. Results suggest that stiffness of the tissue plays a significant role as to the relative importance of vision versus haptics in this type of task.
Postoperative radiotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer warrants further exploration in the era of adjuvant chemotherapy and conformal radiotherapy.

that PORT was not associated with an overall improvement in survival and was associated with a detrimental effect on survival for the subgroup of patients with stage I and II disease. Numerous authors have examined the trials that were included in the metaanalysis. These analyses have concluded that many trials lacked appropriate methodology for randomized trials or appropriate treatment regarding recent standards for care. 2,5,7-11 The PORT meta-analysis included trials in which a majority of patients received treatment with cobalt machines, and some groups of patients were treated with just one radiotherapy field each day (an anterior field one day and a posterior field the next). It has been shown that these treatments result in suboptimal dose distributions, which may potentially increase toxicity. 2,4,7 Additionally, a large proportion of the patients who were included in the meta-analysis (more than 30%) were participants in one randomized trial of Dautzenberg et al. 12 This trial allowed physicians to treat patients with daily fractions of 2.50 Gy and total doses of 60 Gy. These doses exceed the doses that have been considered the standard of care in North America for many years. 5,8-10 These high doses do not comply with recent practices because physicians have had concerns about dose-related toxicity and the potential for treatment-related deaths. Both of these suboptimal outcomes were augmented by PORT in the study of Dautzenberg et al. Additionally, a majority of patients who were entered onto the randomized trial of Dautzenberg et al were part of an effort to increase accrual by relaxing the protocol requirements (simplified protocol). It is possible that this simplification detracted from the balance that was sought with the randomization procedure. The analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, as highlighted in this issue, demonstrated several similar findings compared with the meta-analysis, with the striking exception of the results for patients with involvement of N2 lymph nodes (N2 disease). Overall, PORT did not have a significant effect on survival and was associated with a survival decrement for patients with N0 or N1 disease. However, PORT was associated with an improvement in survival for patients with N2 disease, unlike the metaanalysis. Therefore, how does the clinician assess the available literature regarding PORT in resected NSCLC and make rational treatment recommendations for patients?
Hormone replacement therapy and stroke: are the results surprising?

Despite major progress in treatment and prevention, stroke remains the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer, in the United States.1 An estimated 500 000 to 600 000 first and 100 000 recurrent strokes occur each year, and ≈160 000 of these are fatal.2 Among stroke survivors, the burden of long-term disability is great. In the Framingham Heart Study, 71% had impairments that affected their ability to work in their previous capacity and 31% needed help in caring for themselves.3 Stroke rates in women increase sharply with age, doubling in each successive decade after the age of 55 years. Stroke incidence is substantially lower in younger women than in age-matched men, but it tends to equalize in the two sexes in the postmenopausal years.1 Thus, stroke is a major health problem for postmenopausal women and one that merits aggressive preventive strategies. A number of preventive strategies have been proven effective in reducing the risk of stroke. A review of 14 prospective, randomized, controlled trials demonstrated a 42% risk reduction for stroke when the diastolic blood pressure was reduced by 5 to 6 mm Hg,4 and the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) study showed that treating isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly reduced stroke by 36%.5 Similarly, pharmacological intervention with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statin agents), aspirin, and warfarin in patients with decreased left ventricular function or evidence of left ventricular thrombi after myocardial infarction has proven effective in stroke prevention. Oral anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy also reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, and carotid endarterectomy is effective in preventing stroke in persons with asymptomatic carotid stenosis with 60% to 99% occlusion. Lifestyle modifications, including smoking cessation, …
Relation of biophysical response of coarcted aortic segment to balloon dilatation with development of recoarctation following balloon angioplasty of native coarctation

Objective—To evaluate the role of biophysical response of the coarcted segment to balloon dilatation in the causation of aortic recoarctation. Setting—Tertiary care centre/university hospital. Design—Retrospective case series. Methods—Records of 67 consecutive infants and children undergoing balloon angioplasty of native aortic coarctations were examined for an 8.7 year period ending September 1993. At 12 months (median) follow up catheterisation, 15 (25%) of 59 children developed recoarctation, defined as a gradient > 20 mm Hg. Stretch (balloon circumference − preballoon coarcted segment circumference/preballoon coarcted segment circum- ference), gain (postballoon coarcted segment circumference − preballoon coarcted segment circumference), and recoil (balloon circumference − postballoon coarcted segment circumference) were calculated from measurements obtained from cineangiograms performed before and immediately after balloon dilatation. Results—The stretch in 44 children without recoarctation (2.18 (1.23)) was similar (p > 0.1) to that in 15 children with recoarctation (1.90 (0.65)), implying that similar balloon dilating stretch was applied in both groups. Greater gain (p < 0.05) was observed in the group without recoarctation (8.8 (8.0) mm) than in the recoarctation group (5.7 (2.7) mm) but this was not substantiated in the infant population. However, the recoil was greater (p < 0.001) in the group without recoarctation (5.1 (4.3) mm) than in the recoarctation group (2.1 (1.1) mm); this was also true in the infant group. Conclusions—Greater recoil in the patients without recoarctation implies preservation of intact elastic tissue in the coarcted segment. In the recoarctation group, with less recoil, the elastic properties may not have been preserved, thereby causing recoarctation. There might be a more severe degree of cystic medial necrosis in the recoarctation group than in the no recoarctation group. This needs confirmation in future studies. Keywords: aortic coarctation; recoarctation; balloon angioplasty; cystic medial necrosis
Online and minimum-cost ad hoc delegation in e-service composition

The paradigm of automated e-service composition through the integration of existing services promises a fast and efficient development of new services in cooperative business environments. Although the "why" part of this paradigm is well understood, many key pieces are missing to utilize the available opportunities. Recently "e-service communities" where service providers with similar interests can register their services are proposed towards realizing this goal. In these communities, delegating them to already registered services, and orchestrating their executions can process requests for services posed by users. We use the service framework of the "Roman" model and further extend it to integrate activity processing costs into the "ad hoc" delegation computation. We investigate the problem of efficient processing of service requests in service communities and develop polynomial time ad hoc delegation techniques guaranteeing optimality.
Combining genetic structure and ecological niche modeling to establish units of conservation: A case study of an imperiled salamander

Identification of conservation units below the species level has been difficult for researchers and conservation planners. Methods reliant solely on genetics to identify conservation units are widely used but have limited scope. Additionally, methods used to assess ecological distinctness are typically difficult to interpret, and hence not broadly applicable. Here, we attempt to reconcile these problems by defining conservation units utilizing both genetic and ecological methods. This study suggests a framework to evaluate discreteness and significance among populations for assessment of distinct population segments (DPSs). Specifically, we highlight a methodology that incorporates genetic analyses and niche-based distribution modeling to identify conservation units. As a case study, we sought to determine whether populations of an imperiled salamander (Notophthalmus perstriatus), appearing to exist in two regions separated by 125 km, exhibited genetic and ecological distinctness such that the regions demarcate separate conservation units. Using mtDNA (cyt-b), we found that haplotypes were shared between localities within each region but none were shared between regions. Niche-based distribution modeling revealed significant differences in the ecological setting between the two regions. In combination, the absence of evidence for recent genetic exchange and model-based support for differing ecological conditions utilized by newts between regions provides evidence that eastern and western populations are both distinct and significant. This study formalizes a method to assess DPS distinctness and significance providing general utility for this methodology as a conservation tool for many species.
Aquifer‐Parameter Evaluation from Variable‐Rate Pumping Tests Using Convolution and Sensitivity Analysis

The reliability of predictive and management models for ground water would be improved by better aquifer-parameter estimation. As progress continues in the use of computers to simulate ground-water systems, parallel progress must occur in data collection and analysis. Among the various methods available for the determination of aquifer parameters, pumping tests occupy a prominent position. The maximum advantage is gained from a pumping test when geological knowledge of the aquifer and the analysis of aquifer test data complement each other. This paper presents a technique involving the use of convolution and sensitivity analysis to obtain the “best fit” of aquifer parameters in a least-squares sense from a pumping test with variable pumping rate. The method also can be used to analyze the residual drawdown data obtained during the recovery period. In addition, this method can also analyze drawdown and recovery data conjunctively. Constant drawdown and variable discharge data of artesian flowing wells also can be analyzed by this method. The method is straightforward, quick, inexpensive, and is always objective. No graphical plots or graphical interpretations are needed. As a measure of error, the rms (root-mean-square) error in drawdown is calculated along with the correlation coefficient between pumping-test data and the theoretically generated data, using the converged values of transmissivity and storage coefficient.
What Do Mature Travelers Perceive as Important Hotel/Motel Customer Services?

The availability of quality service substantially influences consumer satisfac tion. Therefore, the provision of quality service has become an increasingly impor tant concern of hotel/motel managers. Due to the size, growth rate, and special concerns of the mature population, their assessment of hotel/motel services is necessary in order to determine whatservices hotels/motels should provide to attract and maintain theirbusiness. The purpose of this study was to assess the importance of services provided by hotels/motels as perceived by mature travelers. The objectives of this study were accomplished through descriptive analysis of quantita tive data gathered from a sample of mature consumers in the state of Texas using the SERVQUAL model. Results indicated customer services related to assurance and reliability were considered highly important. To attract and satisfy mature travelers, hotels/motels should focus their efforts to provide quality customer services of all types, particularly in the areas of a...
Anthropology and Politics: Visions, Traditions, and Trends

Joan Vincent. Anthropology and Politics: Visions, Traditions, and Trends. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1990.
Insulin Detemir Is Transported From Blood to Cerebrospinal Fluid and Has Prolonged Central Anorectic Action Relative to NPH Insulin

Insulin detemir (DET) reduces glycemia comparably to other long-acting insulin formulations but causes less weight gain. Insulin signaling in the brain is catabolic, reducing food intake. We hypothesized that DET reduces weight gain, relative to other insulins, owing to increased transport into the central nervous system and/or increased catabolic action within the brain. Transport of DET and NPH insulin into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was compared over several hours and after the administration of different doses peripherally in rats. DET and NPH had comparable saturable, receptor-mediated transport into the CSF. CSF insulin remained elevated significantly longer after intraperitoneal DET than after NPH. When administered acutely into the 3rd cerebral ventricle, both DET and NPH insulin reduced food intake and body weight at 24 h, and both food intake and body weight remained lower after DET than after NPH after 48 h. In direct comparison with another long-acting insulin, insulin glargine (GLAR), DET led to more prolonged increases in CSF insulin despite a shorter plasma half-life in both rats and mice. Additionally, peripheral DET administration reduced weight gain and increased CSF insulin compared with saline or GLAR in mice. Overall, these data support the hypothesis that DET has distinct effects on energy balance through enhanced and prolonged centrally mediated reduction of food intake.
Global vision for the control of free-ranging AGV systems

A method termed global vision that provides the information necessary for the control of free-ranging automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems is described. Global vision refers to the use of cameras placed at fixed locations in a workspace to extend the local sensing available on board each AGV. The characteristics of an overall global vision-based control system are discussed. A camera placement algorithm that determines the number of cameras required and their placement in a facility is described. An implementation of the image processing and Kalman filtering necessary to track mobile objects is presented. >
Mechanical, Physical, and Barrier Properties of Poly(Lactide) Films

High molecular mass poly(lactide), (PLA), is an attractive polymer family because in addition to being thermoplastic, biodegradable, compostable, and produced from annually renewable resources, it shows mechanical and barrier behavior comparable to synthetic polymers like polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Furthermore, technology for large-scale fabrication of PLA has been fully developed. However, there is still a need to better understand the properties of PLA as this polymer is adapted to packaging applications, especially for food packaging. In this work, films from two PLA resins were studied by tensile testing; differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); and permeation of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor. The data from these two PLA film samples are compared to those of PS and PET.
Burnout among mental health care providers

• Summary: The new mental health care delivery system in the USA strives to provide efficient quality care at a lower cost. This cost-effective approach and focus on short-term treatment modalities and measurable outcomes has created new challenges especially for those who work with clients with severe mental illness. This study explores the relationships between workplace conditions, role stress, burnout, and intent to quit. The direct and indirect effects of role stress on emotional exhaustion and emotional exhaustion on intent to quit are illuminated in order to better understand the complex process of becoming stressed and disillusioned with one’s work.• Findings: The results support the author’s expectations that role stress mediates the association between workplace variables and emotional exhaustion; and that emotional exhaustion mediates the association between role stress and intent to quit.• Applications: These results indicate that agencies and social work schools need to prepare students and n...
Touch a screen or turn a knob: choosing the best device for the job.

Input devices enable users to interact with systems. In two experiments, we assessed whether and how task demands and user age influenced task performance for a direct input device (touch screen) and an indirect input device (rotary encoder). In Experiment 1, 40 younger (18-28 years) and 40 middle-aged to older adults(51--65 years) performed tasks using controls such as sliders, up/down buttons, list boxes, and text boxes while using a system. The optimal input device to facilitate performance was dependent on the task being performed and the age of the user. In Experiment 2, touch screen use was assessed for 20 younger (19--23 years) and 20 older adults (51--70 years). Task demands were manipulated through button size, movement distance, direction, and type of movement. Performance was moderated by the age of the user and by task demands. Actual or potential applications of this research include guidance for the optimal selection of input devices for different user populations and task characteristics.
A time-domain/frequency-domain simulation tool for microwave component analysis in microwave engineering courses

In many applications, the capability of analyzing microwave components in both time domain and frequency domain is highly desirable. This capability is also very useful in electromagnetic/microwave education. However, the lack of a simulation tool which can perform the analysis in both domains forces engineers and students to use a combination of software and hardware and frequently switch among them. As a result, the analysis process becomes time consuming and requires a long learning curve. We developed a simulation tool that addresses this need and enables the educational study of microwave components in both domains.
A Dispersive Microwave Model for Human Breast Tissue Suitable for FDTD Computation

The Four-Zero dispersive media model is derived for human breast tissue. This model is ideally suited for the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), while accurately matching recently published measured values over the 500 MHz-20 GHz microwave frequency band. The Four-Zero model requires just two additional electric field and one additional magnetic field stores, yet agrees with measured data to within 4% across almost two decades of frequency, comparable to measurement uncertainty
Hormonal imbalance and alterations in testicular morphology induced by chronic ingestion of ethanol.

Abstract Physical correlates of chronic ethanol consumption and measures of in vitro fertilization were examined in male C57B1 mice after a treatment period of 34 days with a total liquid nutriment diet which contained 5%/95% (v/v) ethanol. This diet represented relatively low levels of ethanol ingestion by the C57B1 mouse, as evidenced by the low peak levels of blood ethanol (160 mg/100 ml), the lack of behavioral signs of intoxication during treatment, and the absence of overt signs of physical dependence after withdrawal from the ethanol-containing diet. Plasma testosterone levels of experimental animals were depressed during the treatment period, as compared to testosterone levels of pair-fed controls. No evidence of hepatic injury was observed following the treatment period. Although fertility, as measured by the ability of spermatozoa to penetrate mouse ova in vitro , was unaffected by the chronic ethanol treatment, signs of testicular dysfunction were evident. Abnormal testicular morphology included disruption of the basement membranes of the seminiferous tubules, decreased tubular diameter, and desquamation of immature germ cells into the lumina of the tubules. The present study provides convincing evidence of the adverse effects upon male reproductive functions of relatively low levels of ethanol, when administered chronically, under controlled conditions.
Voluntary wheel running restores endothelial function in conduit arteries of old mice: direct evidence for reduced oxidative stress, increased superoxide dismutase activity and down-regulation of NADPH oxidase

Habitual aerobic exercise is associated with enhanced endothelium-dependent dilatation (EDD) in older humans, possibly by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and reducing oxidative stress. However, the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. EDD was measured in young (6–8 months) and old (29–32 months) cage control and voluntary wheel running (VR) B6D2F1 mice. Age-related reductions in maximal carotid artery EDD to acetylcholine (74 vs. 96%, P < 0.01) and the nitric oxide (NO) component of EDD (maximum dilatation with ACh and l-NAME minus that with ACh alone was −28%vs.−55%, P < 0.01) were restored in old VR (EDD: 96%, NO: −46%). Nitrotyrosine, a marker of oxidative stress, was increased in aorta with age, but was markedly lower in old VR (P < 0.05). Aortic superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was greater (P < 0.01), whereas NADPH oxidase protein expression (P < 0.01) and activity (P= 0.05) were lower in old VR vs. old cage control. Increasing SOD (with 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl) and inhibition of NADPH oxidase (with apocynin) improved EDD and its NO component in old cage control, but not old VR mice. VR increased endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein expression (P < 0.05) and activation (Ser1177 phosphorylation) (P < 0.05) in old mice. VR did not affect EDD in young mice. Our results show that voluntary aerobic exercise restores the age-associated loss of EDD by suppression of oxidative stress via stimulation of SOD antioxidant activity and inhibition of NADPH oxidase superoxide production. Increased eNOS protein and activation also may contribute to exercise-mediated preservation of NO bioavailability and EDD with ageing.
Fluorescently tagged canine adenovirus via modification with protein IX-enhanced green fluorescent protein.

Canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV2) has become an attractive vector for gene therapy because of its non-pathogenicity and the lack of pre-existing neutralizing antibodies against this virus in the human population. Additionally, this vector has been proposed as a conditionally replicative adenovirus agent under the control of an osteocalcin promoter for evaluation in a syngeneic, immunocompetent canine model with spontaneous osteosarcoma. In this study, a CAV2 vector labelled with the fluorescent capsid fusion protein IX–enhanced green fluorescent protein (pIX–EGFP) was developed. Expression of the fluorescent fusion-protein label in infected cells with proper nuclear localization, and incorporation into virions, could be detected. The labelled virions could be visualized by fluorescence microscopy; this was applicable to the tracking of CAV2 infection, as well as localizing the distribution of the vector in tissues. Expression of pIX–EGFP could be exploited to detect the replication and spread of CAV2. These results indicate that pIX can serve as a platform for incorporation of heterologous proteins in the context of a canine adenovirus xenotype. It is believed that capsid-labelled CAV2 has utility for vector-development studies and for monitoring CAV2-based oncolytic adenovirus replication.
Maximum mutual information multi-phone units in direct modeling.

This paper introduces a class of discriminative features for use in maximum entropy speech recognition models. The features we propose are acoustic detectors for discriminatively determined multi-phone units. The multi-phone units are found by computing the mutual information between the phonetic subsequences that occur in the training lexicon, and the word labels. This quantity is a function of an error model governing our ability to detect phone sequences accurately (an otherwise informative sequence which cannot be reliably detected is not so useful). We show how to compute this mutual information quantity under a class of error models efficiently, in one pass over the data, for all phonetic sub-sequences in the training data. After this computation, detectors are created for a subset of highly informative units. We then define two novel classes of features based on these units: associative and transductive. Incorporating these features in a maximum entropy based direct model for Voice-Search outperforms the baseline by 24% in sentence error rate.
Auditory encoding abnormalities in children with autism spectrum disorder suggest delayed development of auditory cortex

Findings of auditory abnormalities in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include delayed superior temporal gyrus auditory responses, pre- and post-stimulus superior temporal gyrus (STG) auditory oscillatory abnormalities, and atypical hemispheric lateralization. These abnormalities are likely associated with abnormal brain maturation. To better understand changes in brain activity as a function of age, the present study investigated associations between age and STG auditory time-domain and time-frequency neural activity. While 306-channel magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were recorded, 500- and 1000-Hz tones of 300-ms duration were binaurally presented. Evaluable data were obtained from 63 typically developing children (TDC) (6 to 14 years old) and 52 children with ASD (6 to 14 years old). T1-weighted structural MRI was obtained, and a source model created using single dipoles anatomically constrained to each participant’s left and right STG. Using this source model, left and right 50-ms (M50), 100-ms (M100), and 200-ms (M200) time-domain and time-frequency measures (total power (TP) and inter-trial coherence (ITC)) were obtained. Paired t tests showed a right STG M100 latency delay in ASD versus TDC (significant for right 500 Hz and marginally significant for right 1000 Hz). In the left and right STG, time-frequency analyses showed a greater pre- to post-stimulus increase in 4- to 16-Hz TP for both tones in ASD versus TDC after 150 ms. In the right STG, greater post-stimulus 4- to 16-Hz ITC for both tones was observed in TDC versus ASD after 200 ms. Analyses of age effects suggested M200 group differences that were due to a maturational delay in ASD, with left and right M200 decreasing with age in TDC but significantly less so in ASD. Additional evidence indicating delayed maturation of auditory cortex in ASD included atypical hemispheric functional asymmetries, including a right versus left M100 latency advantage in TDC but not ASD, and a stronger left than right M50 response in TDC but not ASD. Present findings indicated maturational abnormalities in the development of primary/secondary auditory areas in children with ASD. It is hypothesized that a longitudinal investigation of the maturation of auditory network activity will indicate delayed development of each component of the auditory processing system in ASD.
On the Future of Total Theory: Science, Antiscience, and Human Candor

All-embracing theories of the nature of the world currently being sought and taught, "total theories," "final theories," "theories of everything," take various forms - physical, biological, mathematical. They explain the theorist proposing the theory as well as us to whom the theory is proposed. They reach out to explain challenges to the theory proposed. They explain the very language in which the theory is expressed and urged, and, as may appear, believed. On the Future of Total Theory addresses what total theory, if believed to be true, would mean for law, and what the presence of law means for total theory. If attention is paid to law and the legal mind in discussions of what views are "scientific" and what "antiscientific," some part of this ongoing argument and conflict may eventually be put aside. The incompatibility of law and a total theory of the world and humanity makes relevant the question of belief on the part of those who develop and teach the theory, the authenticity of their commitment to what they seem to be saying. Lawyers may be well situated to see the tacit assumption in speakers' speaking about the nature of things, that they, the speakers, can use and appeal to human law, and well situated also to see the implications of that assumption for an understanding of what is proposed.
Analysis of ENEPIG bond pad peel-off after wire bonding

Peel-off phenomena of ENEPIG (electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold) after wire bonding process was analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were conducted on peel-off regions. Peel-off was observed to be occurring at interface between electroless palladium and immersion gold layers. Further focus ion beam (FIB) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses indicates that the peel off of palladium layer from gold layer could have been caused by localized corrosion occurred during plating process. Depletion of nickel and oxidation of nickel phosphorous was observed in corrosion region. Corrosion mechanism of plating layer and strengths of plating adhesion and wire bonding were discussed.
The epidemiology of the comorbidity of psychiatric and addictive disorders: a critical review.

Assessing the prevalence of the comorbidity of psychiatric and addictive disease using epidemiologic methods results in artifactually high rates. Use of a clinical sample will yield falsely high rates, because substance use is associated with exacerbation of mental illness. Cross sectional design will inflate rates of psychiatric comorbidity in addicts, who attribute substance use to psychological symptoms until well into recovery. Application of exclusionary criteria for independent diagnosis is subject to investigator bias, particularly about the unproven yet popular "self-medication" hypothesis. The psychiatric symptoms which are common in active addiction generally clear within weeks to months of treatment for addiction but do not respond to standard psychopharmacologic treatment for primary mental illness. When lengthy follow up periods are employed, substance induced psychiatric syndromes typically resolve. We conclude that while patients treated in psychiatric settins often have comorbid and indepe...
El ‘fablar fermoso’ de Juan Ruiz, y sus ecos en ‘ La palabra dicha’ de Octavio Paz

AbstractEn el sistema linguistico compartido socialmente, los enunciados de los emisores, sean escritos, sean orales, estan expuestos por similitudes foneticas, la polisemia y distintos niveles de comprension entre los receptores, a malentendidos. Se considera en esta comparacion entre las obras de dos poetas y filosofos del lenguaje enganoso, Juan Ruiz y el Libro de buen amor (Espana, siglo XIV) y Octavio Paz (Mexico, siglo XX), que el dilema de las imperfecciones en el sistema linguistico compartido no es solo universal, sino que tambien es inherente en las palabras mismas. Juan Ruiz sentencia ‘no ha mala palabra si no es a mal tenida’ y Octavio Paz da muchos ejemplos de como el laberinto de la oreja puede interferir con las intenciones expresivas del emisor. Lo que un poeta observo hace seis siglos sigue siendo observable en el mundo comunicativo contemporaneo.
Priorities for Continuing Education Regarding Regulation: Perceptions of RN-to-BSN Students and State Regulators

Introduction Nurses have a responsibility to stay current with regulatory issues, understand the provisions of their Nurse Practice Act, and comply with its regulations. A gap exists in the knowledge base of nurses in practice regarding nursing regulation that may contribute to unsafe nursing practice and jeopardize the status of the nurse's license. The goal of this study was to identify priorities for continuing education regarding nursing regulation for nurses in practice based on perceptions of RN-to-BSN students, boards of nursing (BONs), and state attorneys who handle disciplinary cases involving nurses. Methods A formal program regarding nursing regulation was provided to 221 registered nurses enrolled in two RN-to-BSN programs in Illinois. Participants' responses to being asked to identify new insights generated 585 codes that collapsed into 18 themes. Nine attorneys, 12 members of the Illinois BON, and the Illinois Nursing Coordinator further identified and ranked the top five themes each believed were most relevant to safe nursing practice. Results Substance use disorders, due process and disciplinary actions, scope of practice, unprofessional conduct, and standards of practice were identified as being most relevant to enhancing nurses' knowledge of regulation through continuing education. Conclusion Opportunities exist for pre-licensure programs, employers of nurses, BONs, and state regulatory agencies to address the need for ongoing continuing education regarding nursing regulation.
Microbial risk monitoring analysis of food safety in Jinghong from 2011 to 2012

Objective To understand the hygiene condition of commercial food in market of Jinghong city,evaluate and warn the food safety risk,so as to provide basis for making effective supervision measures.Methods A total of 456 food samples in 10 categories were collected from market for detection.Provincial-level monitoring was carried out according to national standard for food microbiology test method,while national monitoring was in line with test standard of national food safety risk monitoring manual.Results Four food-borne pathogen strains of 3 species were separated from the 456 food samples,and the total detection rate was 0.9%.Conclusion In Jinghong city,a variety of food-borne pathogenic contamination was found in egg products,fresh fruit juice and salad vegetables,indicating supervision and management of food should be strengthened to reduce the risk factors of food-borne disease.
Cardiopulmonary exercise capacity before and after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation in 26 patients

Objective:To assess the effect of atrial fibrillation on heart function and observe the changes of exercise parameters before and after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation. Method:The cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed in 26 patients with atrial fibrillation according to the modified Bruce protocol befter and after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation. Result:After cardioversion of atrial fibrillation the heart rate decreased from 182/min to 141/min and 109/min to 83/min( P 0 001) respectively at peak exercise and rest. The amount of oxygen uptake per heartbeat (VO 2max/HR), treadmill walking time, maximal exercise velocity and elevation significantly increased from 7 88 mL to 10 9 mL( P 0 001),8 1 min to 8 8min( P 0 001),3 0 mph to 3 3 mph( P 0 01) and 13 15% to 13 85% ( P 0 01), respectively. No complication occurred during exercise. Conclusion: Cardioversion of atrial fibrillation can increase oxygen uptake per heartbeat and exercise tolerance, heart rates slow down ,and improve heart function in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Neural correlates of single-vessel haemodynamic responses in vivo

Neural activation increases blood flow locally. This vascular signal is used by functional imaging techniques to infer the location and strength of neural activity. However, the precise spatial scale over which neural and vascular signals are correlated is unknown. Furthermore, the relative role of synaptic and spiking activity in driving haemodynamic signals is controversial. Previous studies recorded local field potentials as a measure of synaptic activity together with spiking activity and low-resolution haemodynamic imaging. Here we used two-photon microscopy to measure sensory-evoked responses of individual blood vessels (dilation, blood velocity) while imaging synaptic and spiking activity in the surrounding tissue using fluorescent glutamate and calcium sensors. In cat primary visual cortex, where neurons are clustered by their preference for stimulus orientation, we discovered new maps for excitatory synaptic activity, which were organized similarly to those for spiking activity but were less selective for stimulus orientation and direction. We generated tuning curves for individual vessel responses for the first time and found that parenchymal vessels in cortical layer 2/3 were orientation selective. Neighbouring penetrating arterioles had different orientation preferences. Pial surface arteries in cats, as well as surface arteries and penetrating arterioles in rat visual cortex (where orientation maps do not exist), responded to visual stimuli but had no orientation selectivity. We integrated synaptic or spiking responses around individual parenchymal vessels in cats and established that the vascular and neural responses had the same orientation preference. However, synaptic and spiking responses were more selective than vascular responses--vessels frequently responded robustly to stimuli that evoked little to no neural activity in the surrounding tissue. Thus, local neural and haemodynamic signals were partly decoupled. Together, these results indicate that intrinsic cortical properties, such as propagation of vascular dilation between neighbouring columns, need to be accounted for when decoding haemodynamic signals.
Dietary aluminum selectively decreases MAP-2 in brains of developing and adult rats.

Admnistration of 0.3% aluminum in drinking water elevated serum aluminum concentrations 8-fold in rats. Further, chronic treatment with aluminum for 2-3 mon, in both developing and adult rats, significantly decreased the levels of MAP-2 in brain, as determined by quantitative immunoblot analysis. Aluminum treatment also decreased the level of brain spectrin, but only in the hippocampus of adult rats. These were selective effects, since the levels of tubulin, tau and the three proteins of the neurofilament triplet were unaltered
Short note: oral contraceptives and sleep in depressed and healthy women.

Study Objectives: To evaluate the effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on sleep EEG in healthy women and in those with major depressive disorders (MDD). Design: This archival study selected participants who had sleep EEG measured over two consecutive nights, following a five-day regularized sleep-wake routine. Between-groups multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) contrasted group and OC main effects and interactions on sleep architecture. Setting: N/A Participants: Sixty-eight women (ages 14-46 years) diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), 13 of whom were on OCs and 55 were not. Patients were symptomatic and untreated at the time of study. Thirty-seven healthy control women (ages 12-46 years), nine of whom were on OCs and 28 were not. Interventions: N/A Measurements and Results: OC main effects were found for %SW and for REM latency. Significant OC x Group interactions were found for sleep latency and %REM. Sleep latency was significantly shorter on OCs, but only in healthy women. Women on OCs showed a shorter REM latency, more total REM time, and less slow-wave sleep than women who were not on OCs. Conclusions: The effects of OCs were generally larger in healthy women than in those with MDD. Moreover, OC use was associated with more disturbed sleep in healthy women. These findings imply that OC use may compromise sleep EEG differences between healthy and depressed women and may be more difficult to differentiate between depressed patients and healthy controls when sleep studies include women on OCs. These findings may also have implications for evaluating gender differences in sleep architecture.
Towards real-time parameter optimization for feasible nonlinear control with applications to robot locomotion

This paper considers the application of classical control methods, designed for unconstrained nonlinear systems, to systems with nontrivial input constraints. As shown throughout the literature, unconstrained classical methods can be used to stabilize constrained systems, however, (without modification) these unconstrained methods are not guaranteed to work for a general control problem. In this paper, we propose conditions for which classical unconstrained methods can be guaranteed to exponentially stabilize constrained systems - which we term “feasibility” conditions - and we provide examples of how to construct explicitly feasible controllers. The control design methods leverage control Lyapunov functions (CLF) describing the “desired behavior” of the system; and we claim that in the event that a system's input constraints prevent the production of an exponentially stabilizing input for a particular CLF, a new, locally feasible CLF must be produced. To this end, we propose a novel hybrid feasibility controller consisting of a continuous-time controller which implements a CLF and a discrete parameter update law which finds feasible controller parameters as needed. Simulation results suggest that the proposed method can be used to overcome certain catastrophic infeasibility events encountered in robot locomotion.
Two Isoforms of Myosin-II Account for the Tension of the Fission Yeast Cytokinetic Ring

During cytokinesis, an actomyosin contractile ring constricts and drives or regulates division of the cell into two. Tension production is thought to be the principal function of the cytokinetic ring, but measurements of this fundamental property have not been available. Myosin-II is thought to generate tension, but a requirement was not demonstrated.Here, we developed a method to measure ring tension in fission yeast protoplasts, cells that lack cell wall in which furrowing by the contractile ring is supported by plasma membrane tension alone as demonstrated by the almost perfectly spherical lobes flanking the furrow. We use a force balance at the furrow to deduce the ring tension, after measuring the membrane tension using micropipette aspiration and accurately measuring the furrow geometry.Applying the technique to wild type and myosin-II mutant cells, we show for the first time that myosin-II is required for normal tension, and we measured the contributions of the two myosin-II isoforms present in the fission yeast ring, Myo2 and Myp2. As rings constricted, the tension increased from ∼400 to ∼800 pN. Tension was lowered by the myosin-II inhibitor blebbistatin, and tension in cells with mutations in Myo2p or Myp2p showed that the two isoforms account for all of the tension, with contributions of ∼ 65% and ∼ 40%, respectively.A molecularly detailed 3D simulation of the ring, together with the experimental tension measurements, suggest that tension is generated solely by the pulling of myosin-II on actin filaments anchored at their barbed ends to the plasma membrane. The simulations reproduced experiment, including the steady increase of ring tension as rings constricted, with best fit forces per myosin head of ∼ 1 pN for both isoforms, similar to muscle myosin II.
Seiberg—Witten on three-manifolds

We briefly review some basic notions of 3-manifold topology. We refer the reader to [31] for a brief but informative overview.
Stochastic collocation approach with adaptive mesh refinement for parametric uncertainty analysis

Abstract The presence of a high-dimensional stochastic input domain with discontinuities poses major computational challenges in analyzing and quantifying the effects of the uncertainties in a physical system. In this paper, we propose a stochastic collocation method with adaptive mesh refinement (SCAMR) to deal with high dimensional stochastic systems with discontinuities. Specifically, the proposed approach uses generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) expansion with Legendre polynomial basis and solves for the gPC coefficients using the least squares method. It also implements an adaptive mesh (element) refinement strategy which checks for abrupt variations in the output based on a low-order gPC approximation error to track discontinuities or non-smoothness. In addition, the proposed method involves a criterion for checking possible dimensionality reduction and consequently, the decomposition of the original high-dimensional problem to a number of lower-dimensional subproblems. Specifically, this criterion checks all the existing interactions between input parameters of a specific problem based on the high-dimensional model representation (HDMR) method, and therefore automatically provides the subproblems which only involve interacting input parameters. The efficiency of the approach is demonstrated using examples of both smooth and non-smooth problems with number of input parameters up to 500, and the approach is compared against other existing algorithms.