cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spiroiminodihydantoin Lesions Derived from Guanine Oxidation: Structures, Energetics, and Functional Implications†

Reactive oxygen species present in the cell generate DNA damage. One of the major oxidation products of guanine in DNA, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine, formed by loss of two electrons, is among the most extensively studied base lesions. The further removal of two electrons from this product can yield spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) R and S stereoisomers. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that the Sp stereoisomers are highly mutagenic, causing G --> T and G --> C transversions. Hence, they are of interest as examples of endogenous DNA damage that may initiate cancer. To interpret the mutagenic properties of the Sp lesions, an understanding of their structural properties is needed. To elucidate these structural effects, we have carried out computational investigations at the level of the Sp-modified base and nucleoside. At the base level, quantum mechanical geometry optimization studies have revealed exact mirror image symmetry of the R and S stereoisomers, with a near-perpendicular geometry of the two rings. At the nucleoside level, an extensive survey of the potential energy surface by molecular mechanics calculations using AMBER has provided three-dimensional potential energy maps. These maps reveal that the range and flexibility of the glycosidic torsion angles are significantly more restricted in both stereoisomeric adducts than in unmodified 2'-deoxyguanosine. The structural and energetic results suggest that the unusual geometric, steric, and hydrogen bonding properties of these lesions underlie their mutagenicity. In addition, stereoisomer-specific differences indicate the possibility that their processing by cellular replication and repair enzymes may be differentially affected by their absolute configuration.
Two helical conformations of polythiophene, polypyrrole, and their derivatives

Deux conformations stables, une barre planaire ou presque planaire et un environnement (bobinage), sont localisees sur les surfaces d'energie potentielle de plusieurs polymeres conducteurs: polythiophene, poly(3 methylthiophene), polypyrrole et le polymethylpyrrole. La structure planaire est legerement plus stable pour PT, PPy et PMePy tandis que la structure en solenoide est preferentielle pour PMeT. Identification d'une forme en solenoide pour PT qui justifie la presence d'une conformation en enroulement des derives de PT dope. Le gaz de bande et l'energie totale en fonction de la conformation de PT montrent que le comportement thermoelectronique des derives de PT resulte du changement de conformation avec la temperature. Analyse vibrationnelle des conformations helicoidale et planar
The area postrema lesions alter the inhibitory effects of peripherally infused pancreatic polypeptide on pancreatic secretion.

Circulating PP binds to specific receptors in the DVC through the AP, but the mechanism through which these brain receptors affect pancreatic secretion is not clear. We hypothesize that the removal of the AP (APX) will alter the effects of PP on pancreatic secretion. APX or sham procedures were performed in anesthetized male Wistar rats. After a 1-month recovery, one group of rats were infused with either PP (30 or 100 pmol/kg per h) or vehicle under basal or 2-DG-stimulated (75 mg/kg, i.v. bolus) conditions for studying pancreatic exocrine secretion. A second parallel group was sacrificed for examination of PP receptor binding in the brain stem. A third group received an intraperitoneal injection of PP at the dose of 4.15x10(4) pmol/kg (200 microg/kg) and c-fos expression in the brain stem was examined. APX eliminated PP binding sites in the DVC as assessed by autoradiography. PP infusion caused a dose-dependent decrease in basal protein secretion. APX partially reversed PP inhibition of basal protein secretion when infused at 30 pmol/kg per h, and at 100 pmol/kg per h stimulated pancreatic fluid secretion and reversed the inhibition of protein secretion. During 2-DG stimulation the effects of PP and 2-DG on pancreatic fluid and protein secretion were parallel. PP dose-dependently inhibited 2-DG-stimulated secretion in sham rats. APX reduced the pancreatic fluid (54%) and protein (46%) secretory response to 2-DG. However, PP at 30 pmol/kg per h remained a potent inhibitor of 2-DG-stimulated pancreatic secretion in APX rats. This effect was blunted with PP at 100 pmol/kg per h in APX rats, possibly related to the stimulatory effect of high-dose PP in APX rats without 2-DG. Furthermore, i.p. PP induced significantly greater c-fos activation of NTS neurons in APX rats than sham rats, despite the apparent absence of PP binding sites in the DVC. We conclude that in awake rats, PP inhibits basal secretion, in part, through the AP. Furthermore, and unlike PYY, PP inhibits 2-DG-stimulated pancreatic secretion, and it does so through an AP-independent mechanism. The possibility that the mechanism may involve the DVC cannot be excluded since i.p. injection of PP activates c-fos expression in DVC neurons. Thus, PP and PYY may regulate different components of the pancreatic secretory control system through unique pathways.
Risk factors for atherogenesis in children with spina bifida

Introduction Several literature reports have demonstrated that cardiovascular disease is one of the most frequent pathologies in patients with spinal cord injury.
Temporal Sensitivity of Protein Kinase A Activation in Late-Phase Long Term Potentiation

Protein kinases play critical roles in learning and memory and in long term potentiation (LTP), a form of synaptic plasticity. The induction of late-phase LTP (L-LTP) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus requires several kinases, including CaMKII and PKA, which are activated by calcium-dependent signaling processes and other intracellular signaling pathways. The requirement for PKA is limited to L-LTP induced using spaced stimuli, but not massed stimuli. To investigate this temporal sensitivity of PKA, a computational biochemical model of L-LTP induction in CA1 pyramidal neurons was developed. The model describes the interactions of calcium and cAMP signaling pathways and is based on published biochemical measurements of two key synaptic signaling molecules, PKA and CaMKII. The model is stimulated using four 100 Hz tetani separated by 3 sec (massed) or 300 sec (spaced), identical to experimental L-LTP induction protocols. Simulations show that spaced stimulation activates more PKA than massed stimulation, and makes a key experimental prediction, that L-LTP is PKA-dependent for intervals larger than 60 sec. Experimental measurements of L-LTP demonstrate that intervals of 80 sec, but not 40 sec, produce PKA-dependent L-LTP, thereby confirming the model prediction. Examination of CaMKII reveals that its temporal sensitivity is opposite that of PKA, suggesting that PKA is required after spaced stimulation to compensate for a decrease in CaMKII. In addition to explaining the temporal sensitivity of PKA, these simulations suggest that the use of several kinases for memory storage allows each to respond optimally to different temporal patterns.
Polarisation response of mono-order concave diffraction gratings based on an elliptical Bragg reflector

The polarisation dependence of integrated concave diffraction gratings with extended metallic or dielectric elliptical Bragg reflectors was investigated. Equal grating efficiency of 99% for both polarisations was achieved for the dielectric configuration using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) modelling, with a polarisation-dependent loss (PDL) of 0.07 dB.
A deep H-alpha image of faint Balmer-line filaments in the northeast Cygnus Loop supernova remnant

A deep H-alpha image of a field outside the optically bright northeast limb of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant is presented. Two filaments which are just visible on the red POSS print form part of two long and unbroken lines of filaments which generally bound a region of diffuse emission and fainter filaments. However, the diffuse emission extends out to a newly detected line of extremely faint filaments 3 arcmin to the northeast. The brightest filaments are resolved into multiple components with widths less than 2 arcsec. Comparison with the POSS print leads to a rough estimate of the proper motion of 6 arcsec per century, although temporal variations in the relative brightnesses of the components of a filament could confuse attempts to more accurately measure the true proper motion. The morphology of the emission strongly suggests that it arises in a single large sheet. No direct evidence is found favoring the existence of the dense cloud cores which have been hypothesized as a way of evaporatively enhancing the X-ray emissivity and producing forbidden line emission in the filaments.
Propagation speed of runaway electron avalanches

[1] Simulations of relativistic runaway breakdown (RRB) are performed as functions of both time and space, resulting in explicit calculations of e-folding lengths (λ) and times (τ). The ratio of λ to τ agrees well with the speed of the avalanche, which ranges from 2.61 × 108 m s-1 to 2.72 × 108 m s-1. Thus, using the speed of light, c, for the ratio of λ to τ can cause a 10% error when estimating λ from τ. A 10% error in λ will cause a factor of three error in the predicted number of runaway electrons for every ten estimated e-foldings. In addition, previous models that predict peak radiated electric fields from RRB have used avalanche speeds of 0.987c and higher. Using a propagation speed of 0.89c causes a dramatic change in the predicted beaming pattern of electromagnetic radiation caused by RRB in these models.
Three Factors that Promote Positive Induction when Rats Respond for 1% Sucrose.

Abstract Studies have demonstrated that rats will increase their operant rate of response for a low-valued reinforcer if a high-valued reinforcer will be available later in the session. Research on this positive induction effect suggests that at least three factors account for its appearance: premature responding for the yet unavailable high-valued reinforcer, an increase in the reinforcing value of the low-valued reinforcer, and responding controlled (e.g., elicited) by the response manipulandum. The present experiment tested whether the size of induction could be systematically altered by varying these factors. Twenty-four rats responded in sessions in which 1% sucrose or a food pellet served as the reinforcer in the first or second half of the session. In some sessions, the same operant response was required in both halves of the session. In others, different responses were required. Half of the rats received the different reinforcers in one food trough while the other half received reinforcers in the different halves of the session in different food troughs. Results demonstrated that a large positive induction effect was observed when all of the above factors were present to contribute to the effect (i.e., high-valued reinforcer upcoming, earned by making the same response, delivered to the same food trough). A small, but significant, induction effect remained when all three were absent (i.e., high-valued reinforcer delivered first, earned by making a different response, delivered to a different food trough). The results support the idea that these three factors are the main contributors to the appearance of this positive induction effect. However, at least one additional factor must also contribute.
A hybrid replication technique for the analysis of precipitate-boundary interactions in Ni-based superalloys

A hybrid replication technique is described for complex alloy systems whereby the surface is etched to reveal the microstructure of the metallic phases prior to producing an extraction replica. By applying this approach to the Ni-based superalloy IN100, it has been shown that the inert carbide and boride particles can be extracted for analysis in the TEM whilst retaining information about their location with respect to the metallic phases in the alloy. This approach is particularly useful for studying the effects of inert particles on microstructural evolution, such as pinning effects during grain growth.
Age and gender dependent bioavailability of R- and R,S-α-lipoic acid: A pilot study

Lipoic acid (LA) shows promise as a beneficial micronutrient toward improving elder health. Studies using old rats show that (R)-α-LA (R-LA) significantly increases low molecular weight antioxidants that otherwise decline with age. Despite this rationale for benefiting human health, little is known about age-associated alterations in absorption characteristics of LA, or whether the commercially available racemic mixture of LA (R,S-LA) is equally as bioavailable as the naturally occurring R-enantiomer. To address these discrepancies, a pilot study was performed to establish which form of LA is most effectively absorbed in older subjects relative to young volunteers. Young adults (average age = 32 years) and older adults (average age = 79 years) each received 500 mg of either R- or R,S-LA. Blood samples were collected for 3 h after supplementation. After a washout period they were given the other chiral form of LA not originally ingested. Results showed that 2 out of 6 elder males exhibited greater maximal plasma LA and area under the curve for the R-form of LA versus the racemic mixture. The elder subjects also demonstrated a reduced time to reach maximal plasma LA concentration following R-LA supplementation than for the racemic mixture. In contrast, young males had a tendency for increased bioavailability of R,S-LA. Overall, bioavailability for either LA isoform was much more variable between older subjects compared to young adults. Plasma glutathione levels were not altered during the sampling period. Thus subject age, and potential for varied response, should be considered when determining an LA supplementation regimen.
Three Types of Laundry Detergents: Performance in Soft and Hard Water

The performance of phosphate-built, carbonate-built, and unbuilt liquid laundry detergents was evaluated with standard controlled tests to determine soil re moval, soil deposition, and carbonate deposition in soft and hard water using home laundry appliances. Light reflectance data were analyzed using analysis of variance procedures. All three types of detergents performed better in soft water than in hard. The unbuilt liquids and phosphate-built powders were more effec tive in soil removal and whiteness retention than the carbonate-built products, and differences in results were magnified as the number of washings was in creased. At present, unbuilt liquids are a practical and effective alternative to phosphate-built laundry detergents.
Distributional analysis of regional benefits and cost of air quality control

Abstract The methodology and results of an analysis of benefits and costs of air quality control for an urban region in Florida are given. The machinery used considers the spatial distribution of (a) emission sources, (b) the ambient levels resulting from local meteorological conditions and geographic features, and (c) the socioeconomic characteristics of the impacted population groups. This facilitates an examination of the distributional aspects of costs and benefits associated with various control scenarios. With appropriate adaptation and inputs the steps in our analysis should apply to a distributional benefit/cost analyses for any region.
Assessment of Gait, Balance, and Mobility in Older Adults: Considerations for Clinicians

Accurate assessment of gait, balance, and mobility in older adults is an important aspect of clinical practice for clinicians working with this population. This report presents evidence regarding assessment in each of these domains. Outcome measures were selected for inclusion if recent evidence (publication within previous 18 months) regarding their properties was available in the literature. Selected measures are as follows: Gait: gait speed, gait symmetry, gait endurance, adaptability of gait, dual task performance during gait, and self-reported confidence during gait; Balance: Berg Balance Scale, Mini-BESTest, Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment, Dynamic Gait Index, and Falls Efficacy Scale-International; Mobility: Timed Up and Go test, 5 times sit-to-stand test, backwards walking, and Short Physical Performance Battery. Psychometric properties and minimal detectable change values (when available) for the listed measures are presented in order to provide clinicians with a consolidated reference for selecting outcome measures to assess gait, balance, and mobility in older adults.
Did the first chordates organize without the organizer

Models of vertebrate development frequently portray the organizer as acting on a largely unpatterned embryo to induce major components of the body plan, such as the neural plate and somites. Recent experiments examining the molecular and genetic basis of major inductive events of vertebrate embryogenesis force a re-examination of this view. These newer observations, along with a proposed revised fate map for the frog Xenopus laevis, suggest a possible reconciliation between the seemingly disparate mechanisms present in the ontogeny of the common chordate body plan of vertebrate and invertebrate chordates. Here, we review data from vertebrates and from an ascidian urochordate and propose that the organizer was not present at the base of the chordate lineage, but could have been a later innovation in the lineage leading to vertebrates, where its role was more permissive than instructive.
Letter by Kern Regarding Article “Primary Stenting of an Anomalous Left Main Coronary Artery With an Interarterial Course During Cardiac Arrest: Imaging With CT Angiography”

To the Editor: I read with interest the case of Jaffe et al on the management of the patient with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest due to a critical lesion in an anomalous left main coronary artery originating from the right sinus of Valsalva. The requisite stenting of the critical lesion in the mid portion and the patient’s subsequent recovery was followed …
Design and Analysis of Pipelined Broadcast Algorithms for the All-Port Interlaced Bypass Torus Networks

Broadcast algorithms for the interlaced bypass torus networks (iBT networks) are introduced to balance the all-port bandwidth efficiency and to avoid congestion in multidimensional cases. With these algorithms, we numerically analyze the dependencies of the broadcast efficiencies on various packet-sending patterns, bypass schemes, network sizes, and dimensionalities and then strategically tune up the configurations for minimizing the broadcast steps. Leveraging on such analysis, we compare the performance of networks with one million nodes between two cases: one with an added fixed-length bypass links and the other with an added torus dimension. A case study of iBT(10002;b = (8,32)) and Torus(1003) shows that the former improves the diameter, average node-to-node distance, rectangular and global broadcasts over the latter by approximately 80 percent. It is reaffirmed that strategically interlacing short bypass links and methodically utilizing these links is superior to adding dimensionalities to torus in achieving shorter diameter, average node-to-node distances and faster broadcasts.
Preserving Flow in Liver Transplant Recipients: mTOR Inhibitors Everolimus and Sirolimus Are Not Peas From a Pod

The development of effective immunosuppressive agents, primarily the advent of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI), has transformed outcomes after liver transplantation (LT). Chronic rejection is currently a relatively minor cause of graft failure. The development of CNI-based regimens has, however, come with a cost of nephrotoxicity, with chronic renal failure emerging as a common source ofmorbidity and mortality following liver transplantation (1).
Genetic and Pharmacological Evidence for a Novel, Intermediate Phase of Long-Term Potentiation Suppressed by Calcineurin

To investigate the role of phosphatases in synaptic plasticity using genetic approaches, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress a truncated form of calcineurin under the control of the CaMKIIalpha promoter. Mice expressing this transgene show increased calcium-dependent phosphatase activity in the hippocampus. Physiological studies of these mice and parallel pharmacological experiments in wild-type mice reveal a novel, intermediate phase of LTP (I-LTP) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. This intermediate phase differs from E-LTP by requiring multiple trains for induction and in being dependent on PKA. It differs from L-LTP in not requiring new protein synthesis. These data suggest that calcineurin acts as an inhibitory constraint on I-LTP that is relieved by PKA. This inhibitory constraint acts as a gate to regulate the synaptic induction of L-LTP.
Sabadilla alkaloids IX. Isolation of unreported minor constituents and their relationship to the known sabadilla alkaloids

Abstract Additional minor alkaloidal constituents of sabadilla have been isolated from vera-trine. Four of these were obtained as symmetrical countercurrent distribution peaks. A fifth, sabadene, was obtained in crystalline form. Sabadene possessed no hypotensive properties. The investigation also notes the existence of extremely minor quantities of unresolved constituents. A review of the relationship of all reported sabadilla alkaloids is presented..
Mode-matching control policies for multi-mode Markov decision processes

We consider a Markov decision process (MDP) with a two-dimensional state vector, (S, D), where S is interpreted as the system state, and D is interpreted as the probability distribution of the system operating mode, denoted by M. The mode M determines the probability transition and reward structures for S. If the mode were known and constant, a constant-mode optimal controller for controlling the evolution of S could be computed offline. We are interested in knowing if and when the set of constant-mode optimal controllers can be used to control the system effectively when the mode evolves stochastically. We propose a mode-matching control policy under which the controller applied to the system at each epoch is the constant-mode optimal controller for the current most likely mode. We consider the case when the current mode is directly observable (that is, D is the trivial distribution) as well as the case when only the probability distribution of the current mode is available at each control epoch. Sufficient conditions under which the mode-matching control policies are optimal are derived. We also derive bounds on the performance degradation from the optimum when the non-optimal mode-matching control policies are used. The problem formulation, sufficient conditions and performance bounds are illustrated by a numerical example.
A new rate control scheme for H.264 video coding

The H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video coding standard is very promising due to its high coding efficiency. In this paper, we propose a new constant bit rate control method based on the rate-distortion model of TMN8. The novelty of our approach is to use simple preprocessing to achieve the target bit rate more accurately, better target bit allocation and buffer management for both frame-level and macroblock-level rate control, improved perceptual quality, and adoption of virtual frame skipping. Simulations show that our method can meet the target bitrate very accurately, even for content with scene changes and scene transitions, and achieves both good subjective and objective quality. In addition, our approach adds little complexity to the encoder, and can therefore be used for a real-time encoder.
Genetics of Alzheimer disease in the pre- and post-GWAS era

Since the 1990s, the genetics of Alzheimer disease (AD) has been an active area of research. The identification of deterministic mutations in the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes responsible for early-onset autosomal dominant familial forms of AD led to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease. In the past decade, the plethora of candidate genes and regions emerging from genetic linkage and smaller-scale association studies yielded intriguing 'hits' that have often proven difficult to replicate consistently. In the last two years, 11 published genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in AD confirmed the universally accepted role of APOE as a genetic risk factor for late-onset AD as well as generating additional candidate genes that require confirmation. It is unclear whether GWASs, though a promising novel approach in the genetics of complex diseases, can help explain most of the underlying genetic risk for AD. This review provides a brief summary of the genetic studies in AD preceding the GWAS era, with the main focus on the findings from recent GWASs. Potential approaches that could provide further insight into the genetics of AD in the post-GWAS era are also discussed.
Solution and film photoluminescence of mesityl-substituted PPVs and low molecular weight models

Poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s and low molecular weight analogues featuring mesityl substituents were prepared and the concentration dependent solution and film absorption and photoluminescent spectroscopic properties of these materials compared to those of less bulky analogues. The presence of bulky mesityl substituents is observed to exert a marked influence on the absorption and photoluminescent properties of these materials by preventing close interchain interactions. A single crystal structure analysis of 1,4-bis(2,6-dimesitylstyryl)-2,5-di-n-hexyloxybenzene (3) shows that despite severe steric crowding, coplanarity (and hence, conjugation) of the distyrylbenzene core is possible.
Who’s in Charge? Observations of Social Behavior in a Captive Group of Western Lowland Gorillas

The data concerning total social interactions of the Brookfield Zoo blackback compared to the silverback indicate that the blackback is more involved with the group members than is the silverback. Data of proximity bouts and responsibility for maintenance of proximity show that the blackback may in fact be the hub of the group instead of the silverback. The Brookfield data strongly suggest that the group members—adult females and immature males—react to the blackback as one would expect them to react to the leading male of the group. In addition, none of the data indicate that group members interact with the silverback as the leading male. After the data were collected (autumn 1994), handlers reported two separate instances of the 20-year-old female sexually soliciting the blackback. In 1995, she gave birth. Through genetic testing, the infant was identified as the offspring of the blackback. In summary, it appears as if the age distribution of the group, especially of the males, may have caused the blackback to assume responsibilities much earlier than he would have in the wild. This study is of particular interest for the maintenance of captive groups of gorillas. In the absence of a silverback, these data suggest that a young blackback can successfully assume the leadership of a gorilla group.
Saturation Effects in Fifth Harmonic Generation of Coherent XUV Radiation

Optical frequency conversion in atomic and molecular vapors through third, fifth and seventh order nonlinearities has proven to be an important source of coherent radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and extreme ultraviolet (XUV). If only the frequency conversion process is considered, the theoretical conversion efficiency for many of these processes is very high, often in the range of pump depletion under conditions typically encountered in experiments. Measured conversion levels, on the other hand, often fall significantly below the theoretical ones, and the variation of conversion efficiency with vapor pressure or pump power may deviate from the simple forms predicted by theory. Such behavior indicates that additional nonlinear effects are playing a significant role in limiting the conversion efficiency that can be realized in the laboratory.
Redistribution of inhaled hyperpolarized 3He gas during breath-hold differs by asthma severity.

The purpose of this work was to quantify the redistribution of ventilation-weighted signal in the lungs of asthmatic subjects during a breath-hold using high temporal-spatial resolution hyperpolari...
Analysis of the 2009 Turkish election results from an economic voting perspective

The outcome of the 29 March 2009 Turkish local administrations election is analyzed in light of economic voting literature, both from historical and geographical perspectives. First, the nationwide vote share of the incumbent party (AKP) is compared to what would be expected based on the patterns observed in the past twenty-six National Assembly, Senate, and Provincial Council elections held between 1951 and 2007. For this purpose a vote equation is estimated using aggregate nationwide time-series data. This equation takes into account the roles played by economic conditions, political inertia, incumbency factors, strategic voting by the electorate, and the political realignments. Second, inter-party vote movements between the 2007 parliamentary and the 2009 local administrations elections are analyzed, through systems of party vote equations, estimated separately for different regions of the country, using cross-provincial data. The results obtained show that the outcome of the 2009 election was predictable on the basis of historical patterns. The vote loses of the AKP is attributable mainly to two transitory factors: poor economic conditions prevailing at the time of the election and typical strategic-voting experienced in local elections. The party’s vote losses tended to be higher in the east than in the west and in provinces where its support is high than where it is low. The voters who deserted the AKP went to the DP, SP and DTP, in the mid-eastern and south-eastern Anatolia, and to the MHP and SP, in the rest of the country.
Behavioral Self-Management as a Supplement to External Sales Force Controls

Salesforce control systems tend to focus on outcomes rather than behaviors. The use and effectiveness of behavior-based control systems is limited, particularly with industrial sales-people, who generally operate in the field much of the time where their behavior cannot be closely observed or supervised by management. The authors propose Behavioral Self-Management (BSM) as a means of controlling the methods salespeople use to achieve results. Specific BSM techniques applicable to selling and strategies for encouraging salespeople to engage in self- management are reviewed.
A Pathology Assistant Program: The Role of Licensed Morticians

A pathology assistant program involving experienced and qualified licensed morticians in matters relating to death of patients and necropsies in a university hospital setting is described in detail to guide the establishment of similar programs at other institutions. The program has been received enthusiastically by the professional and administrative staffs of the University Hospitals of Cleveland and by the local embalmers and funeral directors. Hospital administrators know that their relations with the community are improved, bereaved families receive assistance from a trained and experienced professional, red tape and confusion have been eliminated, physicians and nurses can devote more attention to the living, funeral directors and embalmers know that their desires are met, and pathologists can concentrate on the important aspects of each necropsy. With appropriate modifications, the program is applicable to any size or type of hospital.
Herpes simplex virus following stab phlebectomy

Herpes simplex virus infection following surgery is an unusual postoperative phenomenon. Many mechanisms have been suggested, with the most likely explanation related to latent virus reactivation due to a proinflammatory response in the setting of local trauma. Here, we present a case of herpes simplex virus reactivation in an immunocompetent female following a conventional right lower extremity stab phlebectomy. Salient clinical and physical examination findings are described, and management strategies for herpes simplex virus reactivation are outlined. This is the first known case report of herpes simplex virus reactivation following lower extremity phlebectomy.
Christian Bioethics after Christendom: Living in a Secular Fundamentalist Polity and Culture

The contemporary societies of the West are characterized by a collision of radically incommensurable cultures, that of traditional Christianity and that of the robustly laicist cultures that took shape in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, drawing not only on the French Revolution and the Western European Enlightenment but also on deep roots in the synthesis of faith and reason that framed the thirteenth-century Western Christian Middle ages. This article explores the foundational contrast and conflict between traditional Christian bioethics and the now-dominant secular culture through a portrayal of the historical and conceptual geography of the collapse of the Christendom established by St. Constantine the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and on account of the emergence of secular fundamentalist states. The question is addressed anew as to what Athens can have to do with Jerusalem, as well as to what the Academy can have to do with the Church. The differences between a traditional Christian bioethics and a secular bioethics are illustrated in terms of questions bearing on the use of life-prolonging and death-postponing treatment.
Current Research in the History of Reading

(1990). Current Research in the History of Reading. American Journalism: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 275-280.
Heart rate monitor during physical education class among middle school students

Objective To understand current status and problems of exercise intensity and effective sports time during physical education( PE) classes. Methods Maximum heart rate,average heart rate,time of heart rate greater than 120 beats / min and total energy consumption was collected during 194 PE classes from 8 schools of Haidian District and Xicheng District during June 2012 and June2013. Exercise intensity and sports time and its relation with energy consumption was calculated and analyzed.Results In 194 PE classes,the qualified rate of the maximum heart rate and the average heart rate accounted for 88. 66% and68.04%,respectively. Only 38 classes had heart rate greater than 120 beats / min up to 25 min. The qualified rate of PE classes which meet three indicators was 13.92%. The average energy consumption was 290. 18 ± 90. 60 kcal( the maximum 568 kcal,the minimum 31 kcal). Linear regression showed that maximum heart rate( B = 1.162),average heart rate( B = 1.053),time of heart rate greater than 120 beats / min( B = 5. 209) were protective factors of total energy consumption. Conclusion Physical education classes in middle school face a lot of problems in the exercise intensity and sport time. Regular and sufficient exercise should be provided in PE class to engage students in more vigorous to moderate-intensity physical activity.
Born translated: the contemporary novel in an age of world literature

Frequently, in the recently reignited debates over the usefulness of “postcolonial literature” as an analytic framework, “global anglophone literature” has been posited as the most suitable alterna...
shinyheatmap: ultra fast low memory heatmap software for big data genomics

Transcriptomics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and other various next-generation sequencing (-omics) fields are known for their production of large datasets, especially across single-cell sequencing studies. Visualizing such big data has posed technical challenges in biology, both in terms of available computational resources as well as programming acumen. Since heatmaps are used to depict high-dimensional numerical data as a colored grid of cells, efficiency and speed have often proven to be critical considerations in the process of successfully converting data into graphics. For example, rendering interactive heatmaps from large input datasets (e.g., 100k+ rows) has been computationally infeasible on both desktop computers and web browsers. In addition to memory requirements, programming skills and knowledge have frequently been barriers-to-entry for creating highly customizable heatmaps. We propose shinyheatmap: an advanced user-friendly heatmap software suite capable of efficiently creating highly customizable static and interactive biological heatmaps in a web browser. shinyheatmap is a low memory footprint program, making it particularly well-suited for the interactive visualization of extremely large datasets that cannot typically be computed in-memory due to size restrictions. Also, shinyheatmap features a built-in high performance web plug-in, fastheatmap, for rapidly plotting interactive heatmaps of datasets as large as 10 5 – 10 7 rows within seconds, effectively shattering previous performance benchmarks of heatmap rendering speed. shinyheatmap is hosted online as a freely available web server with an intuitive graphical user interface: http://shinyheatmap.com. The methods are implemented in R, and are available as part of the shinyheatmap project at: https://github.com/Bohdan-Khomtchouk/shinyheatmap. Users can access fastheatmap directly from within the shinyheatmap web interface, and all source code has been made publicly available on Github: https://github.com/Bohdan-Khomtchouk/fastheatmap.
Formalizing Goal Serializability for Evaluation of Planning Features

Evaluation of the properties of various planning techniques such as completeness and termination plays an important role in choosing an appropriate planning technique for a particular planning problem. In this paper, we use the already existing formal specification of two well-known and classic state space planning techniques, forward state space planning and goal stack state space planning techniques, in Transaction Logic(\( \mathcal {TR} \)) to study their completeness. Our study shows that using \( \mathcal {TR} \), we can formally specify the serializability of planning problems and prove the completeness of \( \textit{STRIPS}\) planning problems for planning problems with serializable goals.
Synergistic Toughening of Epoxy Modified by Graphene and Block Copolymer Micelles

Binary composites formed by individually mixing exfoliated graphene oxide modified with amine-terminated poly(butadiene–acrylonitrile) (GA) and a spherical micelle forming poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene-alt-propylene) (OP) diblock copolymer with a thermoset epoxy, and the associated GA/OP/epoxy ternary composites, were prepared and studied as a function of the molecular weight Mc between cross-links. The rigid GA filler dispersed well in the cured epoxies as established by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The toughening efficacy of GA alone was found to depend strongly on the modifier concentration and the matrix cross-link density with an optimal 1.7-fold increase in the critical strain energy release rate (GIc) over the neat epoxy obtained with a 0.04 wt % loading in the most lightly cross-linked (Mc = 6100 g/mol) material. Addition of 5 wt % OP to this epoxy resin enhanced GIc by a factor of 12. Combining the hard GA and soft OP modifiers at the same loading levels (0.04 and 5 wt %, respec...
Financing of entrepreneurial ventures: Entrepreneurship Policy and Public Start-Up Capital

This article uses institutional theory in the context of entrepreneurship policy and the financing of new firms to examine the effect of public sources of start-up capital on entrepreneurial perfor...
Social Status in Monkeys: Effects of Social Confrontation on Brain Function and Cocaine Self-Administration

Individual differences in response to social stress and environmental enrichment may contribute to variability in response to behavioral and pharmacological treatments for drug addiction. In monkeys, social status influences the reinforcing effects of cocaine and the effects of some drugs on cocaine self-administration. In this study, we used male cynomolgus macaques (n=15) living in established social groups to examine the effects of social confrontation on the reinforcing effects of cocaine using a food-drug choice procedure. On the test day, a dominant or subordinate monkey was removed from his homecage and placed into another social pen; 30 min later he was studied in a cocaine-food choice paradigm. For the group, following social confrontation, sensitivity to cocaine reinforcement was significantly greater in subordinate monkeys compared with dominant animals. Examining individual-subject data revealed that for the majority of monkeys (9/15), serving as an intruder in another social group affected cocaine self-administration and these effects were dependent on the social rank of the monkey. For subordinate monkeys, sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of cocaine increased while sensitivity decreased in dominant monkeys. To investigate potential mechanisms mediating these effects, brain glucose metabolism was studied in a subset of monkeys (n=8) using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) with positron emission tomography. Dominant and subordinate monkeys displayed distinctly different patterns of brain glucose metabolism in their homecage, including areas associated with vigilance and stress/anxiety, respectively, and during social confrontation. These data demonstrate that, depending on an individual’s social status, the same social experience can have divergent effects on brain function and cocaine self-administration. These phenotypic differences in response to social conditions support a personalized treatment approach to cocaine addiction.
Common Purposes, Worlds Apart: Mexican-American, Mormon, and Midwestern Women Homesteaders in Cochise County, Arizona

Women homesteaders were much more diverse than the “classic” image would suggest. a case study of Anglo midwestern, Mexican-American, and Mormon homesteading women in Cochise County, Arizona, reveals commonalities and differences obscured by promotional efforts to cast homesteading as the salvation of white America in the early twentieth century.
On the apparent power law in CDM halo pseudo-phase space density profiles

We investigate the apparent power-law scaling of the pseudo phase space density (PPSD) in CDM halos. We study fluid collapse, using the close analogy between the gas entropy and the PPSD in the fluid approximation. Our hydrodynamic calculations allow for a precise evaluation of logarithmic derivatives. For scale-free initial conditions, entropy is a power law in Lagrangian (mass) coordinates, but not in Eulerian (radial) coordinates. The deviation from a radial power law arises from incomplete hydrostatic equilibrium (HSE), linked to bulk inflow and mass accretion, and the convergence to the asymptotic central power-law slope is very slow. For more realistic collapse, entropy is not a power law with either radius or mass due to deviations from HSE and scale-dependent initial conditions. Instead, it is a slowly rolling power law that appears approximately linear on a log-log plot. Our fluid calculations recover PPSD power-law slopes and residual amplitudes similar to N-body simulations, indicating that deviations from a power law are not numerical artefacts. In addition, we find that realistic collapse is not self-similar: scale lengths such as the shock radius and the turnaround radius are not power-law functions of time. We therefore argue that the apparent power-law PPSD cannot be used to make detailed dynamical inferences or extrapolate halo profiles inward, and that it does not indicate any hidden integrals of motion. We also suggest that the apparent agreement between the PPSD and the asymptotic Bertschinger slope is purely coincidental.
Impact of Divalent Metal Additives on the Structural and Optoelectronic Properties of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Prepared by the Two-Step Solution Process

Here, we investigate the effect of divalent metal (Zn2+, Cd2+ and Hg2+) on the structural and optoelectronic properties of methylammonium lead iodide perovskite materials prepared by the two-step deposition process. The incorporation of Cd2+ significantly improved the grain size, crystallinity, and charge carrier lifetime of CH3NH3PbI3. The inclusion of Hg2+ and Zn2+ improved the grain size compare to the control sample but adversely affected the optoelectronic properties of perovskite films. The Hg- and Zn-based impurities were formed on the surface of the films, which increased the charge trap density and lead to high non-radiative recombination rate. Time resolved photoluminescence measurements indicated that the Cd and Zn point defects do not create deep-level trap states, but the Zn-modified film showed a low lifetime due to morphology changes in the film and particle segregation on the surface.
Low hanging fruit? Regulations and energy efficiency in subsidized multifamily housing

Abstract The U.S. government has invested in multifamily housing through an array of subsidized housing programs. These programs provide a venue for understanding how regulations governing multifamily housing can affect an owner's incentive to make energy efficient investments, and a tenant's desire to reduce their energy consumption levels. This paper empirically tests the impact of subsidized housing regulations on the energy efficiency of multi-family housing for low-income households. We begin by constructing a unique database that integrates actual energy use with physical, socioeconomic, and regulatory characteristics of all large multifamily properties in New York City, focusing on whether a property receives a federal rental subsidy. We employ multivariate regression models to examine the factors that influence energy consumption in multi-family buildings and compare subsidized housing to market-rate housing, controlling for a range of building and household characteristics. We find that subsidized properties are associated with higher energy consumption than similar market-rate properties and, of the subsidized housing programs, Public Housing tends to consume the most energy. Our results suggest that despite the potential for retrofitting multifamily properties, and associated cost, energy, and carbon emissions savings, regulatory factors constrain investment and consumption decisions in the case of subsidized properties. Reducing energy use in subsidized housing, therefore, rests on modifying existing regulations.
Examining the influence of teacher behavior and curriculum-based movement breaks

ABSTRACTLittle research has explored the impact of teacher behavior in the relationship between classroom movement breaks and student outcomes. The authors' primary purpose was to explore teacher b...
Evaluating the impact of prescription drug monitoring program implementation: a scoping review

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) have been implemented in 49 out of 50 states in an effort to reduce opioid-related misuse, abuse, and mortality, yet the literature evaluating the impact of PDMP implementation remains limited. We conducted a scoping review to: (1) describe available evidence regarding impact of PDMPs in the U.S.; and (2) propose a conceptual model to inform future PDMP implementation and evaluation efforts. Scoping systematic review following Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodology. We identified 11 relevant studies based on inclusion criteria using a PubMed database search of English-language studies published 1/1/2000–5/31/16. Data were extracted and thematic analysis conducted to synthesize results. Extant evidence for the impact of PDMPs as an opioid risk mitigation tool remains mixed. Thematic analysis revealed four domains of opioid-related outcomes frequently examined in original studies evaluating PDMP implementation: (1) opioid prescribing; (2) opioid diversion and supply; (3) opioid misuse; and (4) opioid-related morbidity and mortality. An evaluation framework incorporating these domains is presented that highlights significant gaps in empirical research across each of these domains. Evidence for the impact of state-level PDMPs remains mixed. We propose a conceptual model for evaluating PDMP implementation toward the goals of clarifying PDMP mechanisms of impact, identifying characteristics of PDMPs associated with best outcomes, and maximizing the utility of PDMP policy and implementation to reduce opioid-related public health burden.