cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinin-like Activity in Bovine Milk

Abstract Cow's milk contains a protein which, when incubated with trypsin or snake venom, releases a material with the kinin-like ability to contract smooth muscle. This protein has been partially purified and was found to have a molecular weight of approximately 70,000.
Theoretical study of the dynamics of H + alkane reactions

Abstract We have investigated the dynamics of the H + RH → H 2 + R (R = CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , C 3 H 7 ) reactions via direct quasiclassical trajectories propagated with a recently derived semiempirical Hamiltonian specific to H + alkane systems. Cross-sections, opacity functions, angular distributions, and energy partitioning in products are examined with a focus on understanding the role that the structure of the reagent alkane molecule plays in the reaction dynamics. In general, there are only subtle differences in the dynamics of the various reactions, except for the amount of energy channeled to the alkyl product, which increases with the size of the molecule.
Use of p-aminobenzoic acid and tritiated cyanoborohydride for the detection of pyruvoyl residues in proteins☆

A procedure for the detection of covalently bound pyruvic acid in purified proteins or in crude extracts is described. The dialyzed sample is first treated with sodium cyanoborohydride to reduce any Schiff bases present and then incubated with p-aminobenzoic acid and sodium [3H]cyanoborohydride. Derivatized proteins are visualized by fluorography following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Gel slices containing the labeled proteins are hydrolyzed, and, after removal of polyacrylic acid, the hydrolysate is subjected to ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. The presence of pyruvic acid is established by the detection of a tritiated, 280-nm absorbing compound with a retention time corresponding to that of synthetic N-(p-carboxyphenyl)alanine. The procedure is capable of detecting protein-bound pyruvic acid in the picomolar range and is easily modified to screen for other covalently bound keto acids.
Web-based mining of statistical information

Abstract This paper outlines the techniques used for automating the process of regularly generating statistical summaries as well as control charts for a large number of semiconductor process steps by integrating the capabilities of SAS, Unix, OpenVMS, Promis and HTML. The resulting information, including over 1200 control charts, is updated daily without human intervention, and made available in a user-friendly manner on the SPC Website. The sole statistician can thus devote his time to activities that need his personal attention. Texas Instruments, 2 is in the process of patenting the automation technology that has been summarized in this paper.
To Lobby Alone or in a Flock Foraging Behavior Among Organized Interests

At present, we have little theory accounting for variations in alliance behavior among interest organizations. To address this problem, we extract three hypotheses about social hunting from foragin...
Persistent abnormalities in pituitary function following neonatal thyrotoxicosis in the rat.

Studies of pituitary and thyroid function were conducted in adult rats with the syndrome of neonatal thyrotoxicosis (NT) produced by the administration of large doses of L-thyroxine during the first week of postnatal life. As compared to normal controls,adult NT rats displayed decreased thyroid I31I uptake, an increase in the proportion ofthyroid organic 131I present as monoiodotyrosine and a decreased proportion of the iodothyronines,thyroxine (T4)and triiodothyronine, findings consis-)tent with those seen in association with deficiency of TSH. In addition,serum T4 concentrations were consistently lower in adult NT than in control rats. Adult NT rats displayed marked decreases in TSH secretory reserve, as indicated by lower values of basal serum TSH concentration following thyroidec-tomy and far lower increments in serum TSH concentration following standard doses of TRH iv, even when NT and control rats had all been thyroidectomized and maintained for long periods on replacement doses of L-thyroxine. Abn...
Effective Parameters for Ultrasound-Induced In Vivo Neurostimulation

Ultrasound-induced neurostimulation has recently gained increasing attention, but little is known about the mechanisms by which it affects neural activity or about the range of acoustic parameters and stimulation protocols that elicit responses. We have established conditions for transcranial stimulation of the nervous system in vivo, using the mouse somatomotor response. We report that (1) continuous-wave stimuli are as effective as or more effective than pulsed stimuli in eliciting responses, and responses are elicited with stimulus onset rather than stimulus offset; (2) stimulation success increases as a function of both acoustic intensity and acoustic duration; (3) interactions of intensity and duration suggest that successful stimulation results from the integration of stimulus amplitude over a time interval of 50 to 150 ms; and (4) the motor response elicited appears to be an all-or-nothing phenomenon, meaning stronger stimulus intensities and durations increase the probability of a motor response without affecting the duration or strength of the response.
Internalization of Appearance Ideals and Cosmetic Surgery Attitudes: A Test of the Tripartite Influence Model of Body Image

The Tripartite Influence Model of Body Image was adapted to examine the role of body satisfaction, perceived pressure to have cosmetic surgery, and internalization of societal appearance ideals in understanding cosmetic surgery attitudes. Participants were 2,048 men (N = 445) and women (N = 1,603) American college students from Florida who completed a range of measures that assessed levels of body satisfaction, perceived appearance pressures, internalization of appearance standards, and cosmetic surgery attitudes. A structural equation model was used to test hypothesized relations independently for men and women. Results indicated a moderate-good fit to the data, with both internalization and body satisfaction mediating the effect of perceived pressures on cosmetic surgery attitudes. Invariance testing revealed significant differences in pathway estimates between samples of men and women. The findings offer further support for the Tripartite Influence Model of Body Image and indicate potential factors that may influence cosmetic surgery attitudes.
Eutectic Brines on Mars: Origin and Possible Relation to Young Seepage Features

Abstract If the recently observed young gullies on Mars represent seeps or outflows of aqueous fluid, that fluid must be highly concentrated brine to be even moderately stable under current martian surface conditions. Such brines are to be expected in the megaregolith if an initial saline hydrosphere underwent evapoconcentration via water escape from the atmosphere, evolved into subsurface CaCl 2 -enriched brines by chemical interaction with mafic rocks, and then froze until eutectic compositions were reached. Although most such brines would tend to sink deep into the megaregolith, they could be preserved locally at relatively high elevations as aquifers (or frozen paleoaquifers) perched between ground ice and crystalline salts.
The Effects of Various Dietary Clays and Fillers on the Performance of Broilers and Laying Hens

Abstract In Experiment 1, two broiler trials were conducted from 0 to 53 days of age to determine the effects of adding 2.5% or 5% dietary fillers or clays (sand, rice hulls, kaolin, sodium bentonite, and attapulgite clay) on performance and fecal moisture. No significant differences in body weight gain, gain:feed ratio, feed consumption, or feed passage time were noted between treatments and control groups. A significant reduction in fecal moisture was observed for birds fed diets with 2.5% rice hulls or 5% attapulgite. In two broiler trials (Experiment 2) four levels (0, 5, 7.5, and 10%) of attapulgite clay were fed from 3 5 to 49 days of age. No significant differences in body weight gain or feed consumption between attapulgite and control birds were found. The 7.5% and 10% levels of attapulgite significantly depressed growth as compared to birds on 5% added attapulgite diet. All attapulgite diets significantly decreased fecal moisture. In a third experiment the addition of 5% or 7.5% attapulgite to hen layer diets did not significantly affect egg production, egg shell thickness, or fecal moisture. However, feed efficiency was significantly improved by feeding 5% attapulgite.
Low peak to average power ratio Turbo Block QPSK coded OFDM

In this work, we propose a QPSK OFDM code that has both low peak to average power ratio and good bit error rate performance. We consider a Time-frequency Turbo Block code. This code is composed of the cosets of the first-order binary Reed-Muller (RM) code in the frequency domain, and Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) code in the time domain. Our contributions are two-fold: 1) we introduce two encoding schemes that guarantee a PAPR of 3 dB for QPSK constellation, 2) we propose moderate complexity decoding procedures for these schemes. We evaluate the performance of the proposed schemes for the additive white Gaussian noise channel. Our code performs only slightly worse than the best known Turbo codes but has significantly lower PAPR. This gives a significant total power gain over the best known Turbo codes.
Diabetes and the Risk of Heart Failure

Prevalence of diabetes and heart failure are increasing exponentially worldwide. Diabetes is well-known to increase the risk of heart failure independent of other traditional risk factors and ischemia. Current evidence indicates the presence of several biochemical and molecular changes associated with diabetes that lead to diastolic dysfunction or American Heart Association stage B heart failure. Some, if not all, changes may also predate the development of frank diabetes. In this review, the authors present some of the epidemiologic evidence and a brief description of major mechanistic pathways that favor the development of heart failure in prediabetic and diabetic states.
A comprehensive plan for studying the carbon cycle from space

During 2001, a team of scientists and engineers from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) led a planning activity for future studies of the sources, sinks, and transport of carbon in the atmosphere, on land, and in the oceans. This study was conducted at the request of NASA headquarters. Members of the Earth sciences community and representatives from other NASA centers and headquarters participated in a series of workshops to further refine the science questions, determine the required measurements, and identify gaps in our current measurements suite. Three critical gaps were identified: (1) global time series of CO/sub 2/ atmosphere-surface exchange, (2) ecosystems carbon storage due to land biomass and its change as well as the carbon consequences of disturbance and (3) measurements of critical biochemicals mediating global ocean surface layer uptake and export of carbon. The observations required to fill these gaps were also defined and include: (1) satellite-based observations of column and profile carbon dioxide concentration, (2) reprocessing of the historic land satellite record to track land use changes over time and quantify their carbon consequences, (3) satellite measurements of chlorophyll and related organic and inorganic compounds in the coastal and upper deep ocean. The status of observation technology to support these new measurements was investigated through detailed science and engineering studies, and developed into nominal missions in the Goddard Integrated Mission Design Center. Technologies are currently not at a high enough technology readiness level to support all of these missions. A program of technology development with properties was recommended. Algorithm development, historical data analysis, in situ and aircraft measurements, field campaigns, calibration and validation requirements, numerical model and data assimilation development, and data synthesis were also included in the recommendations. The various elements were costed, prioritized, and provided to NASA headquarters for consideration. This material was presented to OMB and subsequent activities have benefited from this planning effort.
Structural changes in the lyrate feathers in the development of the tail plumage of the Superb Lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae

The tail plumage of the Superb Lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae, proceeds through a succession of annual moults over about eight years for the male and about seven for the female in which the feathers change in dimensions, shape, structure and pigmentation. Male lyrates increase in length from 245 mm to ~700 mm, and in weight from 0.37 g to 2.4 g; adult female lyrates are ~305 mm long and weigh 0.55 g; but details vary from bird to bird. The asymmetry (defined in paper) of the first two generations of lyrates is low, but increases at each generation. The shape of the feather is determined by the lengths of the barbs in both vanes and the angle of growth, and the curvature pattern of the shaft, which is curved concave to the long axis of the bird over the proximal part and convex over the distal part. The degree of curvature is greatest in the distal part and increases as the bird matures. Lyrates have yellow-orange-brown bars along the inner vane; the number increases from 16 for the second generation to 20–25 at maturity; adult female lyrates have 8–12 bars. Lyrebirds from Sherbrooke Forest differ from one another in the details of the properties studied; lyrates from other districts had characteristics that fell within the ranges of values for the Sherbrooke birds. The data for a particular mature male bird from Healesville indicate that, once a male bird has matured, the dimensions and structural details remain (practically) unchanged. The lyrates of adult females from different districts differed in some respects, but were similar in others.
Priority Rules and Other Asymmetric Rationing Methods

In a rationing problem, each agent demands a quantity of a certain commodity and the available resources fall short of total demand. A rationing method solves this problem at every level of resources and individual demands. We impose three axioms: Consistency—with respect to variations of the set of agents—Upper Composition and Lower Composition—with respect to variations of the available resources. In the model where the commodity comes in indivisible units, the three axioms characterize the family of priority rules, where individual demands are met lexicographically according to an exogeneous ordering of the agents. In the (more familiar) model where the commodity is divisible, these three axioms plus Scale Invariance—independence of the measurement unit—characterize a rich family of methods. It contains exactly three symmetric methods, giving equal shares to equal demands: these are the familiar proportional, uniform gains, and uniform losses methods. The asymmetric methods in the family partition the agents into priority classes; within each class, they use either the proportional method or a weighted version of the uniform gains or uniform losses methods.
Comparison of Striking Distance Models Architectures using a System Identification Approach

This paper introduces the use of a system identification approach to the lightning striking distance problem. After a brief introduction to system identification and nonlinear parameter estimation methodology, a comparison of some striking distance models architectures in the literature is presented. The model architectures were compared based on how well they approximated the data collected by Eriksson from 2D and 3D photography
New soybean oil–styrene–divinylbenzene thermosetting copolymers. VI. Time–temperature–transformation cure diagram and the effect of curing conditions on the thermoset properties

A new class of thermosetting resins has been developed that is based on the cationic copolymerization of regular soybean oil (SOY), low saturation soybean oil (LSS), or conjugated LSS (CLS) with various alkene comonomers initiated by boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFE) or related modified initiators. The activation energy for the gelation process for these thermosets ranges from 95 to 122 kJ/mol. A time-temperature-transformation (TTT) isothermal cure diagram has been established for the model system LSS45–ST32–DVB15–(NFO5–BFE3) ie 45 wt% low saturation soybean oil, 32 wt% styrene, 15 wt% divinylbenzene, and 5 wt% Norway fish oil ethyl ester plus 3 wt% boron trifluoride diethyl etherate. The effect of curing conditions on the thermophysical and mechanical properties, including the mechanical damping and shape memory properties, has been subsequently investigated using this model thermoset. These findings allow the efficient optimization of desired properties for specific applications. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry
Ion cyclotron instability of drifting plasma clouds

The paper is concerned with a quantitative study of the frequency dispersion characteristics of the ion cyclotron mode in a realistic dipole magnetosphere where the particles are allowed to drift azimuthally. The adopted model assumes that the particles are injected at a constant L shell in an extended region around local midnight. A drift-convoluted distribution function is used to study the spatial and temporal characteristics of the ion cyclotron instability. Two cases are examined: one in which the cold plasma density is constant and the other in which the cold particle density is allowed to vary. The resulting growth rates are presented in both the frequency versus coordinate space and the frequency versus time space. Possible inferences regarding wave emissions such as IPDP (intervals of pulsations of diminishing period) events are discussed. It is shown that the frequency dispersive effects can be produced by either the drift effects or changing the cold plasma density.
Spectral correlation of magnetic and gravity anomalies of Ohio

Geologic interpretation of Ohio's magnetic or gravity anomalies is hindered by the effects of anomaly superposition and source ambiguity inherent to potential field analysis. A common approach to minimizing interpretational ambiguities is to consider analyses of anomaly correlations. A spectral procedure is adapted which correlates anomaly fields in the frequency domain to produce filters separating positively and negatively correlated, as well as null correlated features. The correlation filter passes or rejects wavenumbers between coregistered fields based on the correlation coefficient between common wavenumbers as given by the cosine of their phase difference. This procedure is applied to reduced‐to‐pole magnetic and first vertical derivative gravity anomalies of Ohio for mapping correlative magnetization and density contrasts within the basement rocks. The analysis reveals predominantly positive correlations between anomaly maxima and minima. Correlative anomaly maxima may be generally modeled as maf...
Effect of Citrinin, a Mycotoxin Produced by Penicillium citrinum, on Laying Hens and Young Broiler Chicks

Citrinin fed to mature laying hens at levels of 0, 50, and 250 mug/g. of diet for three weeks had no effect on body weight, feed consumption, egg production, egg weight or egg shell quality. A moderate diarrhea occurring about three days after feeding 250 mug. citrinin/g. of diet was observed. However, the diarrhea subsided once the birds were returned to a normal diet. Young broiler chicks were fed a diet containing either 0, 62.5, 125, 250, or 500 mug. citrinin/g. of diet from hatching to three weeks of age. Body weight was decreased by the 500 mug/g. level whereas all levels of citrinin resulted in enlarged kidneys and an improvement in feed conversion when compared to control values. There was also a slight dose-related increase in liver size. The 250 and 500 mug./g. levels resulted in a dose-related increase in water consumption accompanied by an acute diarrhea. Dietary citrinin had no effect on serum protein, glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, calcium, potassium and sodium concentrations or packed cell volume.
Assessment of Metabolic Phenotypes in Patients with Non-ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Studies of myocardial metabolism have reported that contractile performance at a given myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) can be lower when the heart is oxidizing fatty acids rather than glucose or lactate. The objective of this study is to assess the prognostic value of myocardial metabolic phenotypes in identifying non-responders among non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Arterial and coronary sinus plasma concentrations of oxygen, glucose, lactate, pyruvate, free fatty acids (FFA), and 22 amino acids were obtained from 19 male and 2 female patients (mean age 56 ± 16) with NIDCM undergoing CRT. Metabolite fluxes/MVO2 and extraction fractions were calculated. Flux balance analysis (FBA) was performed with MetaFluxNet 1.8 on a metabolic network of the cardiac mitochondria (189 reactions, 230 metabolites) reconstructed from mitochondrial proteomic data (615 proteins) from human heart tissue. Non-responders based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) demonstrated a greater mean FFA extraction fraction (35% ± 17%) than responders [18 ± 10%, p = 0.0098, area under the estimated ROC curve (AUC) was 0.8238, S.E. 0.1115]. Calculated adenosine triphosphate (ATP)/MVO2 using FBA correlated with change in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (rho = 0.63, p = 0.0298; AUC = 0.8381, S.E. 0.1316). Non-responders based on both LVEF and NYHA demonstrated a greater mean FFA uptake/MVO2 (0.115 ± 0.112) than responders (0.034 ± 0.030, p = 0.0171; AUC = 0.8593, S.E. 0.0965). Myocardial FFA flux and calculated maximal ATP synthesis flux using FBA may be helpful as biomarkers in identifying non-responders among NIDCM patients undergoing CRT.
Second Conference of the African Health Economics and Policy Association: towards universal healthcare coverage in Africa.

This report discusses the key messages coming out of the papers presented at the second African Health Economics and Policy Association conference, with a particular focus on innovative and recent research results of interest to a wider audience. It also covers the scientific structure and organization of the conference, including the various sessions and key note speeches. The 3-day conference discussed the definition and scope as well as the key issues concerned, the challenges involved, and the role of leadership and country ownership in achieving universal health coverage in low-income countries. A special effort was also made to link the research outputs of the conference to policy-making in the region, through the participation of high-level decision-makers from countries as well as the production of policy briefs targeting policy-makers and based on the conference outputs and relevant research. Sub-themes of the conference included user fee removal and exemptions, covering those outside the formal ...
Strongly enhanced fluorescence decay rates on multilayered plasmonic metamaterials

We report strongly enhanced fluorescence decay rates on Ag/Si multilayered plasmonic metamaterials, with tunability and broader bandwidths than on Ag single-layer nanostructures. Time-resolved fluorescence measures a 54-fold decay rate enhancement.
Artifacts associated with acoustic rhinometric assessment of infants and young children: a model study.

The present study was undertaken to determine in model studies whether currently available acoustic rhinometry instrumentation might be used to analyze the nasal cavity configuration of infants and children. A simple nasal cavity model was constructed using eight Lucite inserts that were placed between standard nosepieces provided by the manufacturer and a 35-cm-long polyvinyl chloride pipe closed at its distal end. To simulate the nasal valve, the inserts were 12 mm in length and had apertures ranging in diameter from 2 to 9 mm. A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the accuracy with which the acoustic rhinometer measured the size of each insert aperture and the configuration of the model system distal to that aperture. Transmission losses caused errors in the area measurement of the insert aperture and the tube distal to the insert. When the insert aperture was 10%, whereas the area of the distal tube was underestimated by > 10%. As a result of response lags, the acoustic rhinometer also failed to provide an accurate indication of insert length. Finally, oscillation artifacts caused estimates of the distal pipe area to fluctuate. These three systematic errors are described, and their potential impact on acoustic rhinometry in children is discussed.
Molecular Imaging of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Over the past decade, medical imaging has played an increasingly valuable role in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning of the disease. In this “Focus on Molecular Imaging” review, we seek to provide a brief yet informative survey of the current state of the molecular imaging of ovarian cancer. The article is divided into sections according to modality, covering recent advances in the MR, PET, SPECT, ultrasound, and optical imaging of ovarian cancer. Although primary emphasis is given to clinical studies, preclinical investigations that are particularly innovative and promising are discussed as well. Ultimately, we are hopeful that the combination of technologic innovations, novel imaging probes, and further integration of imaging into clinical protocols will lead to significant improvements in the survival rate for ovarian cancer.
Structure Model and Parallel Transfers Design for New generation Ethernet

The new generation Ethernet commonly refers to the Ethernet for speed to exceed 10 Gb/s.This paper first introduces research progresses in the field at home and abroad,and then constructs the layer structures model and function model of 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet in different transfer patterns.The parameters of the model are analyzed,including the relation between each physics sublayer and interface and the relation between different transfer patterns and every factor in the structure model.The design thought,technical schemes,and typical realization about parallel transfers are put forward,which provide technical support to the research and development of new generation Ethernet.
Development of graphic fault analysis software in power system based on VisioVBA

A new technique and a new method of developing the asymmetric single fault and complex fault analysis software in power system are proposed and studied,which use Microsoft Visio2003 as development platform and VBA as secondary development tools.On basis of electrical connect graph drew,the generally used method of graphic modeling of power system and the automatically identification of power network topology structure,are studied.Finally,the practical graphic asymmetric single fault and complex fault analysis software in power system is developed,which is operated under Visio2003.By developing this software,it indicates that the technique of secondary development for Visio offers a new effective method for the development of the graphic fault analysis software in power system.
High-resolution mapping of aboveground shrub biomass in Arctic tundra using airborne lidar and imagery

Abstract Accurate monitoring of climate-driven expansion of low-stature shrubs in Arctic tundra requires high-resolution maps of shrub biomass that can accurately quantify the current baseline over relevant spatial and temporal extents. In this study, our goal was to use airborne lidar and imagery to build accurate high-resolution shrub biomass maps for an important research landscape in the American Arctic. In a leave-one-out cross-validation analysis, optimized lidar-derived canopy volume was a good single predictor of harvested shrub biomass (R2 = 0.62; RMSD = 219 g m− 2; slope = 1.08). However, model accuracy was improved by incorporating additional lidar-derived canopy metrics and airborne spectral metrics in a Random Forest regression approach (pseudo R2 = 0.71; RMSD = 197 g m− 2; slope = 1.02). The best Random Forest model was used to map shrub biomass at 0.80 m resolution across three lidar collection footprints (~ 12.5 km2 total) near Toolik Field Station on Alaska's North Slope. We characterized model uncertainty by creating corresponding maps of the coefficient of variation in Random Forest shrub biomass estimates. We also explore potential benefits of incorporating lidar-derived topographic metrics, and consider tradeoffs inherent in employing different data sources for high-resolution vegetation mapping efforts. This study yielded maps that provide valuable, high-resolution spatial estimates of aboveground shrub biomass and canopy volume in a rapidly changing tundra ecosystem.
Literary Patronage in England, 1650–1800: The persistence of patronage

It is a commonplace in studies of literary patronage to report that the patronage system sharply declined – or even died – sometime around 1755, when Johnson wrote his famous letter to Chesterfield. As early as 1832 Carlyle declared that At the time of Johnson's appearance on the field, Literature … was in the very act of passing from the protection of Patrons into that of the Public; no longer to supply its necessities by laudatory Dedications to the Great, but by judicious Bargains with the Booksellers. In Carlyle's theatrical imagination, Johnson's letter was “that farfamed Blast of Doom, proclaiming into the ear of Lord Chesterfield, and, through him, of the listening world, that patronage should be no more!” Subsequent writers on the literary system of the eighteenth century typically repeated, in more moderate terms, Carlyle's thesis, not failing to see in Johnson's 1755 letter to Chesterfield the symbolic end of an era, but conceding that a new era had not yet dawned. Macaulay was insistent. He declared that when Johnson arrived in London “the age of patronage had passed away. The age of general curiosity and intelligence had not arrived … At the time Johnson commenced his literary career, a writer had little to hope from the patronage of powerful individuals. The patronage of the public did not yet furnish the means of comfortable subsistence.”
Data acquisition for wearables and in-patient monitoring

In-patient monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oximetry require very sensitive analog front ends (AFE's) designed from a system perspective. Analog techniques to lower power consumption of the AFE's while maintaining SNR will be discussed. Challenges for power management in wearables and digital processing needed for next generation patient monitoring will be discussed from the context of improving patient comfort, without sacrificing performance. This paper describes some of the critical parameters and design approaches for state-of-the-art monitoring systems focusing on signal acquisition and intelligent signal processing.
Cylindrichnus concentricus Toots in Howard, 1966 (trace fossil) in its type locality, Upper Cretaceous, Wyoming

Cylindrichnus concentricus is a wide spread trace fossil in shallow marine sedimentary rocks of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age. This paper clarifies the ichnotaxonomy of C. concentricus by of fering an emended diagnosis of the ichnogenus and a new diagnosis of the ichnospecies. The broad, bow-shaped architecture of C. concentricus with two openings at the sediment surface suggests that the trace maker was either a filter-feeding animal that captured suspended food particles from the water column or else a surface deposit feeder that employed tentacles or an eversible pharynx to collect nutritious sediment from the surface around one or both of the burrow openings. Although C. concentricus has been reported in a variety of different sedimentary environments around the world, in its type locality in the Cretaceous of Wyoming the trace fossilis found in low-diversity or monoichnospecific beds that exhibit hummocky cross stratification. This occurrence suggests the burrower’s tolerance (or perhaps preference) for an episodic high-energy hydrodynamic environmentre lated to major storms.
Interprofessional LGBT Health Equity Education for Early Learners

Introduction The eQuality project at the University of Louisville aims to train future physicians to deliver equitable quality care for all people by creating an integrated educational model utiliz...
A Framework for the Determination of Central Banking Policy (Une Ã©tude de la dÃ©termination d'une politique de banque centrale) (Un marco para la determinaciÃ³n de la polÃ­tica del banco central)

La dA©termination d'une politique de banque centrale est un processus complexe, qui doit tenir compte des impA©ratifs des secteurs public et privA©, tout en visant au maintien de l'A©quilibre de la balance des paiements et de la stabilitA© des prix intA©rieurs. Pour rA©aliser ces fins, une banque centrale doit disposer d'un ensemble organisA© de donnA©es statistiques qui lui permette d'A©valuer les diverses politiques possibles et de dA©terminer les niveaux de crA©dit compatibles avec une croissance optimale de la production et le maintien de l'A©quilibre A©conomique. Un ensemble de donnA©es statistiques organisA© d'une maniA¨re rA©aliste, tel l'exemple prA©sentA© dans cet article, peut constituer A cet A©gard un instrument de grande valeur, non seulement dans les pays industrialisA©s mais A©galement dans les rA©gions de production primaire du monde. /// El decidir la polA­tica del banco central es un proceso complejo en el que hay que compaginar los requisitos de los sectores gubernamental y privado, esforzAindose por mantener el equilibrio de la balanza de pagos y la estabilidad de los precios internos. Si han de lograrse esos objetivos, el banco central debe contar con un sistema estadA­stico organizado que le permita evaluar las alternativas de polA­tica y fijar los niveles crediticios que sean consistentes con el mAiximo crecimiento posible del producto y con el mantenimiento del equilibrio econA³mico. Un conjunto de datos estadA­sticos organizados de forma realista, tal como se explica en este artA­culo, puede constituir un poderoso instrumento para el logro de dicho fin, no solamente en los paA­ses industrializados sino tambiA©n en las zonas del mundo dedicadas a la producciA³n primaria.
Critical Literacy and Intercultural Awareness through the Reading Comprehension Strategy of Questioning in Business Language Education

This article is situated at the nexus between critical thinking, literacy, and intercultural awareness, and its goal is to extend the curricular and methodological repertoire of business language programs and instructors. To that end, the article introduces an instructional technique for business language classes that will elevate the learners’ level of criticality toward second language texts. The approach is based on the reading comprehension strategy of self-generating questions. Instead of responding to questions raised by the instructor or the textbook, students self-generate questions vis-a-vis the assigned texts. After providing a working definition of critical literacy and an outline of previous research that relates to strategy instruction in literacy-centered foreign language education, the article will illustrate this approach and analyze the question sets that two American students generated in response to a German newspaper article on the actions of anti-consumerist advocacy groups.
Emotional Intelligence in Medical Students is Inversely Correlated with USMLE Step 1 Score: Is there a Better Way to Screen Applicants?

Background: The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether USMLE board scores correlate with the emotional intelligence of medical students. We hypothesized that higher Step 1 scores would be associated with lower emotional intelligence. Methods: This prospective study included medical students who self-reported their USMLE Step 1 score and completed a survey designed to measure their emotional intelligence. The survey was composed of a Grit Scale, a Hardiness-Resilience quiz, and the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” quiz. For participants who completed all three instruments, a composite score was equal to the sum of the three scoresThis study was performed at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Of the 85 medical students who were recruited to participate, 72 completed all aspects of this study (85% completion rate). Results: Pearson correlation analyses showed that grit (r=-0.105, P=0.34), hardiness-resilience (r=-0.230, P=0.04), the eye quiz (r=-0.033, P=0.79), and the composite score (r=-0.187, P=0.12) were inversely correlated with USMLE scores. Participants who scored higher than the national average had a lower mean hardiness score compared to those who scored lower than the national average (P=0.03). Those who scored at least one standard deviation above the national average had a lower mean hardiness score (P=0.05) and a lower composite score (P=0.04). Conclusion: Higher USMLE Step 1 scores are associated with lower emotional intelligence, namely hardiness, in medical students. Keywords: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, USMLE STEP 1, HARDINESS, GRIT, RESIDENCY SELECTION
Commonly used thiol-containing antioxidants reduce cardiac differentiation and alter gene expression ratios of sarcomeric isoforms

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers such as beta-mercaptoethanol (BME) and monothiol glycerol (MTG) are extensively used in stem cell research to prevent cellular oxidative stress. However, how these antioxidant supplements impact stem cell cardiac differentiation, a process regulated by redox-signaling remains unknown. In this study, we found that removal of BME from the conventional high-glucose, serum-based differentiation medium improved cardiac differentiation efficiency by 2-3 fold. BME and MTG treatments during differentiation significantly reduced mRNA expression of cardiac progenitor markers (NKX2.5 and ISL1) as well as sarcomeric markers (MLC2A, MLC2V, TNNI3, MYH6 and MYH7), suggesting reduced cardiomyogenesis by BME or MTG. Moreover, BME and MTG altered the expression ratios between the sarcomeric isoforms. In particular, TNNI3 to TNNI1 ratio and MLC2V to MLC2A ratio were significantly lower in BME or MTG treated cells than untreated cells, implying altered cardiomyocyte phenotype and maturity. Lastly, BME and MTG treatments resulted in less frequent beating, slower contraction and relaxation velocities than untreated cells. Interestingly, none of the above-mentioned effects was observed with Trolox, a non-thiol based antioxidant, despite its strong antioxidant activity. This work demonstrates that commonly used antioxidant supplements may cause considerable changes to cellular redox state and the outcome of differentiation.
The regulatory and effector roles of eosinophils.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulatory and effector role of eosinophils. The eosinophilic polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte or eosinophil was initially recognized and defined by the characteristic staining of its cytoplasmic granules with aniline dyes, such as eosin. The passive transfer of eosinophilia by T cells from animals with peripheral blood eosinophilia and the special role of the stimulated mast cell in local eosinophilia are produced. Factors that are preferentially chemotactic for eosinophils as compared to other types of leukocytes are obtained. The long-noted association of eosinophilia with infection by helminths is given special significance by increasing evidence for the concept of a protective effector function of these cells in parasitic infections. Specific immunological principles capable of augmenting the production of eosinophils have been recognized recently by the application of in vitro bone marrow culture techniques. Contemporary investigations of the functions of eosinophils have been facilitated by the development of improved approaches for obtaining purified populations of eosinophils and of more sensitive biochemical and immunochemical methods to characterize cellular constituents and receptors. Eosinophils differ from other leukocytes in their genesis and maturation, their morphology and biochemistry, and their functional abilities. Eosinophils possess apparently unique capabilities to modulate immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions by virtue of specific biochemical constituents that degrade mast cell-derived mediators.
CLINICAL AND IMMUNOLOGIC RESULTS OF TRANSFER FACTOR THERAPY IN COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the clinical and immunologic results of transfer factor therapy in coccidioidomycosis. Patients underwent immunologic evaluation before therapy and at varying intervals after therapy. Most patients received repeated injections of transfer factor, administered subcutaneously, for as long as 11/2 years. Amphotericin therapy was continued unaltered during the period of initiation of transfer factor therapy. Every effort was made to insure that there was no change in therapy regimen other than the addition of transfer factor. It was found that of the 66 healthy subjects studied with no prior disease, 56 were skin test positive and 10 were skin test negative. Most of the skin test positive subjects had positive results in lymphocyte stimulation and MIF tests, whereas those with negative skin tests had negative in vitro studies. Similar correlation of in vitro lymphocyte stimulation and migration inhibition with the skin test was noted in subjects with inactive cocci. In healthy subjects, lymphocyte stimulation and MIF correlate closely with skin test reactivity.
Mono- and Multinuclear Oxo-Cations in Zeolite Cavities

For threefold positive ions in zeolite cavities, a favorable electrostatic interaction with the negative charge of Al-centered tetrahedra can be achieved by dissipating their positive charge into three monopositive charges. Hydrolysis converts bare ions into oxo-ions that, unlike bare metal ions, can be reduced with CO. The number of “extra- lattice” oxygen (ELO) atoms can be derived from the amount of CO2 formed in this process. The limiting number of metal ions that can be positioned in exchange positions as oxo-ions is equal to the number of Al-centered tetrahedra. The result is an “over-exchanged zeolite“. Binuclear oxo-ions, such as bipositive [Cu-O-Cu], [HO-Fe- O-Fe-OH], and [HO-Fe-O-O-Fe-OH] ions, in zeolite cavities are crucial in novel catalysts for NOX reduction and catalytic oscillation of N2O decomposition.
When a Student’s “Right to Fail” Harms the University Brand: How a Lack of Guidance in Experiential Learning Affects University–Organization Relationships:

Extant research on experiential learning primarily conceptualizes it as an opportunity for student learning. In this article, we broaden the scope to consider the impact of the student experience o...
Conference proceeding from the 50th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Surgeons: "CAPS Serving Canada - Gender, Diversity, and CAPS".

Abstract Gender and diversity in the workforce are hot topics in both the public and professional spheres. Medicine has not been immune to these discussions, with many recent publications highlighting the lack of equal representation of women and minorities within medicine and surgery. This paper will review the history and current state of gender and minority representation in the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons (CAPS) as presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of CAPS in September 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Directors & Corporate Social Responsibility: Joint Consideration of Director Gender and the Director’s Role

ABSTRACTWe examined the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and director characteristics, including director gender and director role. Directors can have different roles on t...
Microstructural and Fluency Characteristics of Narrative and Expository Discourse in Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify specific microstructural and fluency differences in expository and narrative summaries produced by students with a traumatic brain inju...
Food insecurity and obesity: research gaps, opportunities, and challenges

Food insecurity, defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life, is a major public health concern with 11.8% of U.S. households (15.0 million) estimated to be affected at some point in 2017 according to the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. While the link between food insecurity, diet quality, and obesity is well documented in the literature, additional research and policy considerations are needed to better understand underlying mechanisms, associated risks, and effective strategies to mitigate the adverse impact of obesity related food insecurity on health. With its Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research, the NIH has invested in a broad spectrum of obesity research over the past 10 years to understand the multifaceted factors that contribute to the disease. The issue of food insecurity, obesity and nutrition is cross-cutting and relates to many activities and research priorities of the institutes and centers within the NIH. Several research gaps exist, including the mechanisms and pathways that underscore the complex relationship between food insecurity, diet, and weight outcomes, the impacts on pregnant and lactating women, children, and other vulnerable populations, its cumulative impact over the life course, and the development of effective multi-level intervention strategies to address this critical social determinant of health. Challenges and barriers such as the episodic nature of food insecurity and the inconsistencies of how food insecurity is measured in different studies also remain. Overall, food insecurity research aligns with the upcoming release of the Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research and will continue to be prioritized in order to enhance health, lengthen life, reduce illness and disability and health disparities.
Legal passing: navigating undocumented life and local immigration law

Migration from Mexico to the United States has slowed, or even reversed, in recent years. Approximately six million undocumented immigrants from Mexico continue to call the United States home despi...
Kierkegaard on the transformative power of art

Kierkegaard seeks to inspire transformations. His aim is to get us to devote our lives to God or the Good rather than our own personal enjoyment – to abandon the aesthetic life in favour of the eth...