cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An experimental study of ethanol-induced regulation of adipogenesis in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts

Aim:To observe the effects of ethanol on the differentiation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts into adipocytes, and the changes of expression of an adipogenic transcription factor, PPARg, in the cells treated with ethanol.Methods:NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were cultured in vitro and treated with ethanol that acted as adipocyte differentiation inducer. The cells in culture were stained with Sudan IV. The percentage of adipocytes was calculated by using computer image analysis software, Image Pro Plus 4.1. The expression of PPARγ mRNA was investigated by means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR). Results:The cells in culture were treated with increasing (0.03 mol/L, 0.06 mol/L, 0.09 mol/L, 0.15 mol/L, 0.21 mol/L) concentrations of ethanol for 14 days. Both percentages of adipocytes and the expressions of PPARγ mRNA in the cells treated with 0.06 mol/L, 0.09 mol/L, 0.15 mol/L, and 0.21 mol/L ethanol markedly increased compared with control group ( P 0.001). The differences in the percentage of adipocytes and the expression of PPARγ mRNA between 0.03 mol/L ethanol group and control group were not statistically significant ( P 0.05). Conclusion:Ethanol can directly induce the differentiation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts into a large number of adipocytes, which might be one of the factors contributing to the increase in volume of fat in the marrow following the ethanol induced osteonecrosis.
The use of the argon laser in the treatment of experimental endometriosis

The argon laser offers several theoretical advantages over excision, electrocautery, or CO 2 laser therapy for the treatment of peritoneal implants of endometriosis. Therefore, a study of the feasibility of the argon laser for the treatment of endometriosis was performed using five virgin New Zealand White rabbits. Following 6 days of estrogen administration, each animal underwent laparotomy with excision of the right uterine horn. Sections of endometrium were sutured to several peritoneal surfaces. Approximately 3 weeks later the endometrial implants were photocoagulated with the argon laser (488nm, 2W, 2-mm spot size, 3 to 5 seconds). Histologic examination of the sites of laser therapy demonstrated complete ablation of the endometriosis with 0.25-mm damage to the underlying tissue and surrounding tissue.
Forensic Nursing and Death Investigation: Will the Vision Be Co-Opted?

1. When entering allied fields, nurses must hold fast to their unique skills as nurses. 2. Nurses investigating deaths must be cooperative with other disciplines, but must not be co-opted by them. 3. Caring and empathy are integral and significant parts of the nursing profession that fulfills an important human need in death investigation.
Prognostic dilemmas and genetic counseling for prenatally detected fragile X gene expansions

With widespread adoption of fragile X carrier screening in pregnant women, the number of expectant couples receiving news of an unanticipated Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 (FMR1) gene expansion has increased. The most common abnormal result from maternal FMR1 testing involves an intermediate allele, also known as a gray zone result, which requires genetic counseling but poses minimal risk for an adverse developmental outcome. By contrast, the finding of a maternal FMR1 premutation or full mutation during pregnancy has important implications for the woman herself, her unborn child, and her extended family. These multiple levels of impact, in addition to the complex inheritance pattern and variable expressivity of fragile X-associated disorders, cause significant stress for newly identified expectant couples and pose unique challenges for genetic counselors in the prenatal setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prolonged Survival Following Pig‐to‐Primate Liver Xenotransplantation Utilizing Exogenous Coagulation Factors and Costimulation Blockade

Since the first attempt of pig-to-primate liver xenotransplantation (LXT) in 1968, survival has been limited. We evaluated a model utilizing α-1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout donors, continuous posttransplant infusion of human prothrombin concentrate complex, and immunosuppression including anti-thymocyte globulin, FK-506, methylprednisone, and costimulation blockade (belatacept, n = 3 or anti-CD40 mAb, n = 1) to extend survival. Baboon 1 remained well until postoperative day (POD) 25, when euthanasia was required because of cholestasis and plantar ulcers. Baboon 2 was euthanized following a seizure on POD 5, despite normal liver function tests (LFTs) and no apparent pathology. Baboon 3 demonstrated initial stable liver function but was euthanized on POD 8 because of worsening LFTs. Pathology revealed C4d positivity, extensive hemorrhagic necrosis, and a focal cytomegalovirus inclusion. Baboon 4 was clinically well with stable LFTs until POD29, when euthanasia was again necessitated by plantar ulcerations and rising LFTs. Final pathology was C4d negative and without evidence of rejection, inflammation, or thrombotic microangiopathy. Thus, nearly 1-mo rejection-free survival has been achieved following LXT in two of four consecutive recipients, demonstrating that the porcine liver can support life in primates for several weeks and has encouraging potential for clinical application as a bridge to allotransplantation for patients with acute-on-chronic or fulminant hepatic failure.
Cutting Edge: CD3 ITAM Diversity Is Required for Optimal TCR Signaling and Thymocyte Development

For the αβ or γδTCR chains to integrate extracellular stimuli into the appropriate intracellular cellular response, they must use the 10 ITAMs found within the CD3 subunits (CD3γe, CD3δe, and ζζ) of the TCR signaling complex. However, it remains unclear whether each specific ITAM sequence of the individual subunit (γeδζ) is required for thymocyte development or whether any particular CD3 ITAM motif is sufficient. In this article, we show that mice utilizing a single ITAM sequence (γ, e, δ, ζa, ζb, or ζc) at each of the 10 ITAM locations exhibit a substantial reduction in thymic cellularity and limited CD4-CD8- (double-negative) to CD4+CD8+ (double-positive) maturation because of low TCR expression and signaling. Together, the data suggest that ITAM sequence diversity is required for optimal TCR signal transduction and subsequent T cell maturation.
Correct extent of thyroidectomy is poorly predicted preoperatively by the guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for low and intermediate risk thyroid cancers.

Background Recent guidelines from the American Thyroid Association recommend thyroid lobectomy for intrathyroidal differentiated thyroid cancers Methods We studied consecutive patients who had either a positive or suspicious for malignancy cytologic diagnosis and under prior American Thyroid Association guidelines underwent initial total thyroidectomy ± lymphadenectomy. Results Among 447 patients, high-risk features necessitating total thyroidectomy were present in 19% (72/380) of positive and 15% (10/67) of suspicious for malignancy patients (P = .5). Intermediate-risk features on histology were identified postoperatively in 46% (175/380) with positive and 15% (18/67) with suspicious for malignancy fine-needle aspiration results. In multivariable analysis, preoperative factors associated with intermediate-risk disease included age ≥45 years, women, larger tumor size, positive fine-needle aspiration cytology, and BRAF V600E or RET/PTC positivity. Conclusion When patients are considered for lobectomy under the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines, ~ 60% with positive and 30% with suspicious for malignancy cytology would need completion thyroidectomy based on intermediate-risk disease. The cost and risk implications of the new American Thyroid Association strategy were substantial and better tools are needed to improve preoperative risk stratification.
Racial Justice Activism and Equitable Partnerships: Theories of Change from Theatres of Color

Since their emergence in the mid-twentieth century, theaters of color in the United States have served as critical sites of social and racial justice activism Recently, one of their key strategies for reaching wider audiences and catalyzing social change has been to partner with larger, predominantly white theater companies.
Prevalent Homozygous Deletions of Type I Interferon and Defensin Genes in Human Cancers Associate with Immunotherapy Resistance

Purpose: Homozygous deletions play important roles in carcinogenesis. The genome-wide screening for homozygously deleted genes in many different cancer types with a large number of patient specimens representing the tumor heterogeneity has not been done.Experimental Design: We performed integrative analyses of the copy-number profiles of 10,759 patients across 31 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas project.Results: We found that the type-I interferon, α-, and β-defensin genes were homozygously deleted in 19 cancer types with high frequencies (7%-31%, median = 12%; interquartile range = 10%-16.5%). Patients with homozygous deletion of interferons exhibited significantly shortened overall or disease-free survival time in a number of cancer types, whereas patients with homozygous deletion of defensins did not significantly associate with worse overall or disease-free survival. Gene expression analyses suggested that homozygous deletion of interferon and defensin genes could activate genes involved in oncogenic and cell-cycle pathways but repress other genes involved in immune response pathways, suggesting their roles in promoting tumorigenesis and helping cancer cells evade immune surveillance. Further analysis of the whole exomes of 109 patients with melanoma demonstrated that the homozygous deletion of interferon (P = 0.0029, OR = 11.8) and defensin (P = 0.06, OR = 2.79) genes are significantly associated with resistance to anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy.Conclusions: Our analysis reveals that the homozygous deletion of interferon and defensin genes is prevalent in human cancers, and importantly this feature can be used as a novel prognostic biomarker for immunotherapy resistance. Clin Cancer Res; 24(14); 3299-308. ©2018 AACR.
Collateral Damage: Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Induced With Checkpoint Inhibitors

Insulin-dependent diabetes may occur in patients with cancers who are treated with checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs). We reviewed cases occurring over a 6-year period at two academic institutions and identified 27 patients in whom this developed, or an incidence of 0.9%. The patients had a variety of solid-organ cancers, but all had received either anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies. Diabetes presented with ketoacidosis in 59%, and 42% had evidence of pancreatitis in the peridiagnosis period. Forty percent had at least one positive autoantibody and 21% had two or more. There was a predominance of HLA-DR4, which was present in 76% of patients. Other immune adverse events were seen in 70%, and endocrine adverse events in 44%. We conclude that autoimmune, insulin-dependent diabetes occurs in close to 1% of patients treated with anti-PD-1 or -PD-L1 CPIs. This syndrome has similarities and differences compared with classic type 1 diabetes. The dominance of HLA-DR4 suggests an opportunity to identify those at highest risk of these complications and to discover insights into the mechanisms of this adverse event.
Clinical Sociology and Mediation

Dispute resolution means efforts directed toward resolving disputes between people, groups, organizations, agencies, or nations. Typically, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is conflict resolution through mediation, arbitration, and negotiation. ADR, in other words, is an alternative to traditional court adjudication. Instead of taking disputes to court or taking things in one’s own hands, disputing parties work with a mediator or arbiter to resolve their dispute.
Robotics summer camps as a recruiting tool: a case study

This paper reports on a recent "Robotics and Computing Summer Camp" that was held at Southeastern Louisiana University. The week-long camp featured talks, demonstrations, and activities from a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related areas, including computer science, engineering technology, industrial technology, and Occupational Safety, Health and Environment. Thirty seven students attended the camp. Pre and Post tests were administered to the students which included content questions and interest-level questions related to STEM careers, in particular Technology and Engineering. Often times, such tests are administered in events like this; however, our Pre and Post tests also included questions on whether or not this event influenced the participants' likelihood to matriculate to Southeastern upon high school graduation. The results, lessons-learned, and a unique future direction are reported.
What you need to know about maternal-fetal medicine

The field of pediatric Surgery now encompasses fetal Surgery. The purpose of this article is to review aspects of antepartum care pertinent to the fetal and pediatric surgeon. We summarize antepartum screening, methods to assess the fetus, gestational disorders and variants of umbilical cord insertion sites and the placenta.
Effects of adjunct testosterone on cardiac morphology and function in advanced cancers: an ancillary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Adjunct testosterone therapy improves lean body mass, quality of life, and physical activity in patients with advanced cancers; however, the effects of testosterone on cardiac morphology and function are unknown. Accordingly, as an ancillary analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating the efficacy of testosterone supplementation on body composition in men and women with advanced cancers, we explored whether testosterone supplementation could prevent or reverse left ventricular (LV) atrophy and dysfunction. Men and women recently diagnosed with late stage (≥IIB) or recurrent head and neck or cervical cancer who were scheduled to receive standard of care chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiation were administered an adjunct 7 week treatment of weekly intramuscular injections of either 100 mg testosterone (T, n = 1 M/5F) or placebo (P, n = 6 M/4F) in a double-blinded randomized fashion. LV morphology (wall thickness), systolic function (ejection fraction, EF), diastolic function (E/A; E’/E), arterial elastance (Ea), end-systolic elastance (Ees), and ventricular-arterial coupling (Ea/Ees) were assessed. No significant differences were observed in LV posterior wall thickness in placebo (pre: 1.10 ± 0.1 cm; post: 1.16 ± 0.2 cm; p = 0.11) or testosterone groups (pre: 0.99 ± 0.1 cm; post: 1.14 ± 0.20 cm; p = 0.22). Compared with placebo, testosterone significantly improved LVEF (placebo: − 1.8 ± 4.3%; testosterone: + 6.2 ± 4.3%; p < 0.05), Ea (placebo: 0.0 ± 0.2 mmHg/mL; testosterone: − 0.3 ± 0.2 mmHg/mL; p < 0.05), and Ea/Ees (placebo: 0.0 ± 0.1; testosterone: − 0.2 ± 0.1; p < 0.05). In patients with advanced cancers, testosterone was associated with favorable changes in left ventricular systolic function, arterial elastance, and ventricular-arterial coupling. Given the small sample size, the promising multisystem benefits of testosterone warrants further evaluation in a definitive randomized trial. This study was prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00878995; date of registration: April 9, 2009).
From inverse design to implementation of practical photonics

We demonstrate a computational, optimization-based approach to inverse-design photonic devices meeting desired performance specifications. Several applications range from compact wavelength-demultiplexer devices to quantum optics and chip-scale LIDAR.
Scientific Hegemony and the Field of Autism

Autism is one of the twenty-first century’s most contested illnesses. Early controversies around vaccine harm have irrevocably structured the field of autism science. Despite incredible investment ...
In vitro characterization of chicken gut bacterial isolates for probiotic potentials.

Probiotics often play an important role in improving gut health in chickens through multiple mechanisms, including enhancement of tight junctions, nutrient acquisition, niche colonization, or coaggregation with enteric pathogens. The objective of this study was to characterize lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from the gut of healthy broiler chickens for a number of phenotypes that might be indicative of good probiotic potentials. A total 40 bacterial isolates were isolated from 3-week-old chickens using Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar plates. The bacterial isolates were evaluated in vitro for motility, autoaggregation, pathogen inhibition, pH of overnight culture, growth on different agar plates, and their impact on gut integrity. Selected isolates were genotyped by sequencing the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic region. Based on the phenotype and genotype, we identified 20 potential probiotic (PP) isolates that belong to LAB. Multivariate analysis showed that PP isolates were positively correlated with parameters such as growth on MRS agar plate (pH 5.5), pathogen inhibition, and autoaggregation. However, growth on MacConkey agar plates, supernatant pH, motility, and transepithelial electrical resistance were negatively correlated with the PP isolates. Furthermore, in vivo study needs to be performed for evaluation of the utility of these probiotic candidates in poultry production.
Can Teaching Data Analysis In-House Improve Psychology Students’ Skills?:

Background:Acquisition and generalization of data analysis skills are perennial challenges for psychology students. Teaching advanced data analysis in a psychology-specific context might improve st...
Sustained reduction in discharge opioid volumes through provider education: Results of 1168 cancer surgery patients over 2 years

BACKGROUND An opioid reduction education program to decrease discharge opioid prescriptions was initiated in our Department of Surgical Oncology. The study's aim was to measure the results and sustainability of these interventions 1 year later. METHODS This prospective quality improvement project identified patients undergoing resection in five index tumor sites (peritoneal surface, sarcoma, stomach, pancreas, liver) at a high-volume cancer center. Patients were grouped into pre-education (PRE: July 2017-July 2018) and posteducation (POST: September 2018-July 2019) periods, before and after departmental education talks and videos in August 2018. Opioids were converted to oral morphine equivalents (OME) to compare the groups. RESULTS Of 1168 evaluable patients (PRE 646, 55%; POST 522, 45%), the median last-24-h inpatient OME was 15 mg in PRE patients and 10 mg in POST patients (p < .001). Median discharge OME decreased from 200 mg in PRE to 100 mg in POST patients (p < .001). The frequency of patients with zero discharge opioids increased from 11% to 19% (p < .001). This discharge OME reduction amounted to 52,200 mg OME saved, or the equivalent of 6960 5-mg oxycodone pills not disseminated. CONCLUSIONS A perioperative opioid reduction education program targeted to providers halved discharge OME, with sustained reductions 1 year later.
Prevalence of Bronchiectasis in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis in a Tertiary Care Center.

Background Whereas chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is associated with asthma, and vice versa, the association between CRS and other lower respiratory conditions is not well-established. Bronchiectasis is characterized by permanent damage of the airways, and as many as 45% of bronchiectasis patients have CRS, but the prevalence of bronchiectasis among CRS patients is not known. Objective To determine the prevalence of bronchiectasis among CRS patients and to characterize demographic and clinical features of patients with bronchiectasis and CRS. Methods Electronic medical records of patients with rhinosinusitis were searched by computer algorithm supplemented with manual chart review to identify patients with CRS, asthma, and/or bronchiectasis. Demographic and clinical features and antibiotic courses for sinopulmonary infections 2 years before and after sinus surgery were obtained by manual chart review. Results The prevalence of bronchiectasis as determined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code was significantly higher in CRS patients than in asthmatic patients (2.3% vs 1.7%; P Conclusions Bronchiectasis is an important comorbidity in patients with CRS and may identify a severe phenotype of chronic sinonasal disease.
The Anxiety of Influence and Judicial Self-Aggrandizement in Rabbinic Jurisprudence

The separation of powers is often at the center of modern constitutional governance. But David Flatto’s recent book, The Crown and the Courts, invites us to think about how (very) early Jewish meditations on the relationship among the monarch, the priests, the rabbis, and the law gave political theory resources for justifying judicial independence and sovereign immunity—perhaps earlier than we realized. Yet is hard to grant Flatto such a thoroughly non-political political theory of judicial independence and sovereign immunity, such as he advances in his Flattonic idealism. Once we appreciate, instead, that the propensity for judicial self-aggrandizement and the institutional strategies for accomplishing that objective have existed since time immemorial, a slightly more realistic accounting of these developments in constitutional theory is made possible. That has lessons not only for our understanding of the rabbis but also for the separation of powers today.
An Intelligent Image Based Recommendation System for Tourism

Tourism is a major source of revenue for many countries around the world. It provides jobs for the local residents, preserves natural resources, and uplifts culture and heritage, further economically benefiting the destination. In order to improve tourism, a system is developed which analyses the social media activity of users to understand their emotions. Sentiment analysis is generally done on text from comments or reviews, but this new system takes a different approach and tries to perform a sentiment analysis on the images that a user likes on social networking applications and detects features from these images to understand the mood of the user. These images are classified as ‘happy’ or ‘sad’, which is used to develop a context-based recommender system. To facilitate this several classification methods are implemented and compared to obtain the best method. The images are classified using Convolutional neural networks with different numbers of layers, by using Transfer learning with VGG16 and Inception Model, and by adding a novel layer of bilinear pooling to the VGG16 model to study its effect on the performance. The psychological effects of the emotion of a user on tourism recommendations are studied and relevant recommendations are made.
Erratum to: Reliability of Postmortem Fentanyl Concentrations in Determining the Cause of Death

Erratum to: Journal of Medical Toxicology DOI 10.1007/s13181-012-0253-z In Table 4 that appears in this article, data from the Martin article [12 11, 2.7–33)] should be in the “Natural, incidental use” column, not the “Intoxication, mean” column.
13C-NMR Analysis of Hydroxy-proline Arabinosides from Nicotiana tabacum

(1980). 13C-NMR Analysis of Hydroxy-proline Arabinosides from Nicotiana tabacum. Agricultural and Biological Chemistry: Vol. 44, No. 10, pp. 2487-2489.
Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer

The continued evolution of endocrine therapy has contributed to many therapeutic options for patients with breast cancer. In 1998, Oxford overview demonstrated that the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) tamoxifen (TM) was equally effective in pre - and postmenopausal breast cancer patients. As this chapter will discuss, the development of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) added a new option in addition to SERMs for the treatment of breast cancer. Keywords: aromatase inhibitor (AI); selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM); tamoxifen (TM); breast cancer; postmenopausal women
A Tack in the Shoe and Taking off the Shoe Neutralization and Counter-neutralization Dynamics

Through a discussion of neutralization and counter-neutralization dynamics, the author highlights some of the theoretical and methodological issues involved in looking at individual resistance to surveillance.
A Review of: “Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations: Building a Theoretical and Research Foundation edited by Laura Morgan Roberts and Jane E. Dutton”

This edited volume presents a collection of largely conceptual papers about a phenomenon overlooked in much of current public management research—what do we know about how positive identity influen...
RCT evaluating provider outcomes by suicide prevention training modality: in-person vs. e-learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate provider outcomes in response to two modes of suicide prevention training (e-learning and in-person) and a control group. The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) was adapted for e-learning delivery to US Veterans Administration mental health providers. Outcomes include: self-evaluated beliefs, ability, and self-efficacy in managing suicidal patients. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a multicenter, randomized, cluster design to test the effectiveness of e-learning vs in-person conditions CAMS for changes in provider outcomes. Findings – Survey scores showed significant improvements for both the e-learning vs control and the in-person vs control between pre-intervention and post-intervention; however, the e-learning and in-person conditions were not significantly different from each other. Research limitations/implications – Limitations of the study include that there were drop-outs over the study period and the survey questions may not have captured all of the aspects of the CAMS training. Practical implications – Results suggest that e-learning training modules can provide comparable outcomes to in-person training for suicide prevention. Social implications – More providers may have accessible training materials for managing suicidal patients. Originality/value – Currently practicing providers now can choose between two equivalent training modalities for improving the management of suicidality in their patients.
RELATIONSHIPS OF DEATH ANXIETY AND SENSE OF HUMOR

The Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale and the Revised Death Anxiety Scale were completed by a sample of 426 persons aged 18 to 90 years. Only slight relationships were found. The strongest correlation was between scores on death anxiety and on coping humor.
A NOVEL INDEXING AND ACCESS MECHANISM USING AFFINITY HYBRID TREE FOR CONTENT-BASED IMAGE RETRIEVAL IN MULTIMEDIA DATABASES

An efficient access and indexing framework, called Affinity Hybrid Tree (AH-Tree), is proposed which combines feature and metric spaces in a novel way. The proposed framework helps to organize large image databases and support popular multimedia retrieval mechanisms like Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). It is efficient in terms of computational overhead and fairly accurate in producing query results close to human perception. AH-Tree, by being able to introduce the high level semantic image relationship as it is in its index structure, solves the problem of translating the content-similarity measurement into feature level equivalence which is both painstaking and error-prone. Algorithms for similarity (range and k-nearest neighbor) queries are implemented and extensive experiments are performed which produces encouraging results with low I/O and distance computations and high precision of query results.
Reproducibility Data on SUMMiT

SUMMiT (Sandia Ultra-planar Multi-level MEMS Technology) at the Sandia National Laboratories' MDL (Microelectronics Development Laboratory) is a standardized MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) technology that allows designers to fabricate concept prototypes. This technology provides four polysilicon layers plus three sacrificial oxide layers (with the third oxide layer being planarized) to enable fabrication of complex mechanical systems-on-a-chip. Quantified reproducibility of the SUMMiT process is important for process engineers as well as designers. Summary statistics for critical MEMS technology parameters such as film thickness, line width, and sheet resistance will be reported for the SUMMiT process. Additionally, data from Van der Pauw test structures will be presented. Data on film thickness, film uniformity and critical dimensions of etched line widths are collected from both process and monitor wafers during manufacturing using film thickness metrology tools and SEM tools. A standardized diagnostic module is included in each SWiT run to obtain post-processing parametric data to monitor run-to-run reproducibility such as Van der Pauw structures for measuring sheet resistance. This characterization of the SUMMiT process enables design for manufacturability in the SUMMiT technology.
Wave alchemy: perception and reminiscence of expressive moments through waves

Life is full of moments that come with obvious or subtle expressions of energy. It is common for us as human beings to attach different emotions to such expressions. However, when we want to capture it and interact with them, we are often constrained to flat, 2D encapsulations of video, audio, or photographic recordings. Moreover, the way we would look back at a memory in this digital age is now often through a screen with hundreds of files digitally stored away, further removing the experience of the event's emotion. Authors question what if there was a way to experience this emotional energy again, and dynamically interact with it in infinitely complex ways. Here we present a concept and prototype that explores a novel physical-visual language of dynamic, emotionally expressive waveforms, designed to transform the way we perceive different forms of energy as we go about our daily lives. With the power of computation hidden within the physical materials used in the interface, we create an interactive form that takes one form of energy and transmute it into a waveform as its output, or Wave Alchemy.
Philosophy for children and the development of ethical values

(1995). Philosophy for children and the development of ethical values. Early Child Development and Care: Vol. 107, No. 1, pp. 45-55.
Quantitative cytochemistry of cytochrome oxidase and cellular morphometry of the human inferior colliculus in control and Alzheimer's patients.

Quantitative cytochemistry of cytochrome oxidase (C.O.) was implemented in human brains to measure C.O. activity in the 3 main divisions of the inferior colliculus (IC): central (ICC), dorsal (ICD), and external (ICE). Units of C.O. activity (μmol/min/g tissue wet weight) were quantified in cellular compartments (overall average, neuropil, perikaryon, and dendrites) at the light microscope level using microdensitometry calibrated with C.O. activity standards measured spectrophotometrically. In a non-AD (Alzheimer's disease) control group (mean age = 79.6 ± 3.1 years, postmortem time = 6.9 ± 1.6 h), the ICC and ICD demonstrated higher (p < 0.008) overall average activities (mean = 183.40 ± 18.7 and 184.98 ± 45.1 units, respectively) relative to the ICE (56.46 ± 15.9 units). Comparison of cellular morphometry (soma and nucleus area, perimeter, and diameter) revealed that the ICC contained cells of significantly larger soma size than in both the ICD and ICE (p < 0.002). The distribution of soma diameters in the ICC of controls showed a clear bimodality, enabling the typing of the cells into larger and smaller than average soma diameter. Brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD: mean age = 78.3 ± 2.9 years, postmortem time = 6.5 ± 1.3 h) were compared with the non-AD controls. Significant group differences were found only in the large cells of the ICC. The AD large cells showed a decrement in C.O. activity relative to the corresponding controls in overall average activity (p < 0.032) and in peak activity of neuropil near the soma (p < 0.012). These findings provide the first quantitative cytochemical data of C.O. activity in humans. They also suggest that cellular alterations in C.O. metabolism in AD affect predominantly specific groups of larger projection neurons while neighboring neurons are spared.
A historical perspective on drift foraging models for stream salmonids

Thirty years ago, Fausch (Can J Zool 62:441–451, 1984) proposed a simple model of optimal positions for drift-feeding salmonids in streams, whereby fish maximize their net energy intake (NEI) by selecting focal points in low water velocity near faster currents that deliver abundant drifting invertebrates. The theory was based on earlier observations in artificial and natural streams describing characteristics of salmonid positions and a conceptual model by Chapman (Am Nat 100:345–357, 1966). A test of this simple drift foraging model in a laboratory stream showed that the growth rate of juvenile trout and salmon increased with NEI, and that the rank of NEI at positions held by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) correlated nearly perfectly with their rank in the dominance hierarchy. Fausch (1984) inferred from these findings that positions that optimize NEI, within the constraints of the dominance hierarchy, are the resource for which these stream salmonids compete. In turn, the model was used to test the effects of interspecific competition by coho salmon on the foraging positions held by brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta), and these results were used to infer potential effects of the introduced salmon on resident trout in Lake Michigan tributaries. Though the goals for this model were originally modest, it was tested in the field and further refined by Hughes and Dill (Can J Fish Aquat Sci 47:2039–2048, 1990) and others. During the last 20 years, the general theory has been incorporated into other models, which have been applied widely to analyze salmonid distribution and abundance in streams and rivers and used for management and restoration of habitat and flow regimes to benefit these fishes.
Insect assemblages change along a gradient of invasion by a nonnative grass

Because invasions by nonnative plants alter the structure and composition of native plant communities, invasions can alter the function of ecosystems for animals that depend on plants for food and habitat. We quantified effects of an invasion by a nonnative grass on the insect community in grasslands of southeastern Arizona. We sampled insects on 54 1-ha plots established across a gradient of invasion by Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees), a perennial species native to southern Africa. Between 2000 and 2004, we captured 94,209 insects representing 13 orders, 91 families, and 698 morphospecies during 2,997 trap nights. Richness of families, richness of morphospecies, and overall abundance of insects decreased as dominance of nonnative grass increased. With every 100 g/m2 increase in biomass of nonnative grass, the average number of insect families decreased by 5%, morphospecies decreased by 6%, and overall abundance decreased by 14%. In areas dominated by nonnative grass, 2 of 8 orders and 6 of 27 families of insects were present less frequently and one family was present more frequently; 5 of 8 orders and 6 of 27 families of insects were less abundant and 3 families were more abundant than in areas dominated by native grasses. As a result, this plant invasion altered the structure of the insect community, which has consequences for animals at higher trophic levels and for ecosystem processes, including decomposition and pollination. Because complete eradication of nonnative plants might be possible only rarely, maintaining stands of native vegetation in invaded areas may be an important practical strategy to foster persistence of animals in grasslands invaded by nonnative plants.
PEARLS depression treatment for individuals with epilepsy: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Objective Depression is associated with higher rates of suicide and lower levels of functioning and quality of life in individuals with epilepsy. The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effectiveness of PEARLS, a home-based program for managing depression in adult individuals with epilepsy and clinically significant acute and chronic depression. Methods Delivered by masters-level counselors, PEARLS is a collaborative care intervention consisting of problem solving treatment, behavioral activation, and psychiatric consultation. Patients were randomly assigned to the PEARLS intervention ( N = 40) or usual care ( N = 40), and assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Results Compared with patients who received usual care, patients assigned to the PEARLS intervention achieved lower depression severity ( P P = 0.025) over 12 months. Conclusions The PEARLS program, a community-integrated, home-based treatment for depression, effectively reduces depressive symptoms in adults with epilepsy and comorbid depression.
Simulation of Unsteady Small Heat Source Effects in Sub-Micron Heat Conduction

In compact transistors, large electric fields near the drain side create hot spots whose dimensions are smaller them the phonon mean free path in the medium. In this paper we present a study of unsteady hot spot behavior. The unsteady gray phonon Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) is solved in the retardation fibre approximation using a finite volume method. Electron-phonon interaction is represented as a heat source term in the phonon BTE. The evolution of the temperature profile is governed by the interaction of four competing time scales: the phonon residence time in the hot spot and in the domain, the duration of the energy source, and the phonon relaxation time. The influence of these time scales on the temperature is investigated. Both boundary scattering and heat source localisation effects are observed to have considerable impact on the thermal predictions. Comparison of BTE solutions with conventional Fourier diffusion analysis reveals significant discrepancies.
The modified Pereyra procedure: a clinical and urodynamic review

Objective To review the clinical and urodynamic outcome of treatment by the modified Pereyra procedure in 93 women with genuine stress incontinence, Design Retrospective review. Setting Harbor/CLA Medical Center and Los Angeles County Women's Hospital, Los Angeles, Califomia, USA. Main outcome measures Clinical and urodynamic assessment one year after modified Pereyra procedure, Results Overall 82% of patients were subjectively cured while only 63% were objectively cured. Women with failed surgery had significantly lower pre-operative maximum urethral closure pressures
A Matrix-Based Approach to Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis for Fault Trees1

System unavailabilities for large complex systems such as nuclear power plants are often evaluated through use of fault tree analysis. The system unavailability is obtained from a Boolean representation of a system fault tree. Even after truncation of higher order terms these expressions can be quite large, involving thousands of terms. A general matrix notation is proposed for the representation of Boolean expressions which facilitates uncertainty and sensitivity analysis calculations.
The relationship between the metacarpal index and the rate of mandibular ridge resorption.

Summary This study tried to determine whether a relationship exists between the degree of alveolar resorption of the edentulous mandible and the degree of osteoprosis, as expressed by the metacarpal index. Eighty patients were examined. Each had a radiograph of the left hand to show the seocnd metacarpal, and a standard pan-oral radiograph. A morphological measurement of the metacarpal bone, which is a good indication of the mineral content of the skeleton, was made on each hand radiograph. Alveolar resprption was estimated on the pan-oral radiograph by taking the original height of the alveolar process as being three times the distance from the inferior border of the mandible to the inferior edge of the mental foramen. The regression analysis revealed no relationship between osteoporosis, as measured by the metacarpal index, and the amount of alveolar bone resorption.
AMELIORATION OF CORTISONE-INDUCED PITUITARY-ADRENAL SUPPRESSION BY ESTRADIOL.

Administration of cortisone acetate, 2.5 mg daily for 7 days, to male and female rats reduces both pituitary ACTH content and adrenal weight. Plasma corticosterone concentrations measured at rest and 30 min after ether stress or ACTH injection are decreased in cortisone-treated animals. A greater degree of depression is produced in male rats given steroid than in females. The concomitant administration of a depot ACTH preparation with cortisone leads to an increased plasma corticosterone response to a subsequent test dose of ACTH. However, no change is obtained in the impaired response to stress. Polyestradiol-17β phosphate (Estradurin), administered as a single depot injection of 2 mg/100 g body weight, significantly modifies all the effects of cortisone. Compared to cortisone-treated rats, pituitary ACTH content is higher in unstressed animals and the net falls in ACTH content are significantly greater after stress. Plasma corticosterone responses to both ACTH and stress are enhanced in rats given estra...
Linking brain to mind in normal behavior and schizophrenia

To understand schizophrenia, a linking hypothesis is needed that shows how brain mechanisms lead to behavioral functions in normals, and also how breakdowns in these mechanisms lead to behavioral symptoms of schizophrenia. Such a linking hypothesis is now available that complements the discussion offered by Phillips & Silverstein (P&S).
Stress and illness in American and Russian college students

The differences in perceptions of potentially stressful events among 139 college students from Russia and USA were investigated in relation to somatic illness. Individual interpretations were assessed using the Life Events Survey. The instrument was administered in conjunction with the State-Trait Anxiety Index. Results indicated more perceived stress by the Russian student sample but more frequent incidence of reported illness in the American student sample. American female college students showed greater anxiety levels and more perceived stress in comparison to male students. Females also reported a greater number of illness occurrences.
Lactic culture inocula required to inhibit staphylococci in sterile milk.

Abstract The addition of between .1 and .01% of an active lactic culture blend, composed of Streptococcus strains AM 2 and ML 8 (2:1 v/v), to milk was sufficient to inhibit growth and toxin production during 24h at 32C by four Staphylococcus aureus strains capable of producing enterotoxins A, B, C, and D. Inhibitory properties were independent of H 2 O 2 and nisin. An unidentifiable dialyzable component(s) was developed in addition to acidic metabolites. Staphylococcal growth and toxin development were also checked when pH was controlled at 6.0.
Shielding Effectiveness of Metallic Honeycombs

The shielding effectiveness (SE) of infinitely large metallic honeycombs is calculated from expressions derived by Weinstein, Mittra, and Lee for receiving and transmitting infinite parallel-plate arrays. A simple formula for the transmitted field is presented, which is applicable for honeycomb dimensions employed in practice.
Negative transfer in paired-associate learning as a function of fifst-lise trials

Magnitude of specific transfer in paired-associate learning as a function of number of first-list trials was studied by using a variation of the A-B, A-C paradigm in which the first-list pairs had a high degree of initial associative connection. As reflected in differences in second-list performance between experimental and control groups given 1, 5, 20, or 40 trials on the first list, negative transfer increased in magnitude in going from 1 to 5 first-list trials but remained relatively constant thereafter. The implications of these results for Mandler's (1962) theory of cognitive structures, which is based on the assumption that the empirical function between magnitude of transfer and degree of first-list learning of novel S-R pairs is nonmonotonic in form, were discussed.
Strategies to Resolve the Catalytic Mechanism of Acetylcholinesterase

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) hydrolyzes its physiological substrate acetylcholine at one of the highest known catalytic rates. Two sites of ligand interaction have been identified: an acylation site or A-site at the base of the active-site gorge and a peripheral site or P-site at its mouth. Although much is known about AChE structure and the role of specific residues in catalysis, a detailed understanding of the catalytic mechanism and the role of the P-site has lagged far behind. In recent years, we have clarified how the P-site and A-site interact to promote catalysis. Our studies revealed that the P-site mediates substrate trapping and that ligand binding to the P-site can result in steric blockade of the A-site as well as allosteric activation of substrate hydrolysis. Because a general, nonequilibrium treatment of AChE catalysis results in complex enzyme kinetic formulations, three simpler, overlapping strategies are presented here that provide significant insights into the AChE catalytic mechanism. The strategies are (1) to choose substrates, preferably close analogs of acetylcholine, that render some intermediates in the general reaction scheme negligible; (2) obtain some of the thermodynamic parameters in this scheme with experiments that are independent of kinetic measurements.
Generating Uncorrelated Random Outputs by Nonlinear Processing of a Single Noise Source

It will be shown that, for a single Gaussian noise source, an arbitrary number of mutually uncorrelated outputs can be produced by passing the noise through a parallel cascade of zero-memory nonlinear filters, where the output of the kth filter is related to its input by a kth-degree Hermite polynomial. This generalizes a recent finding1 in which four noncorrelated outputs were produced from a Gaussian source by nonlinear processing; extensions of this method to certain non-Gaussian noise sources are also indicated. The non-correlation between Gaussian input and distortion terms in the equivalent gain representation of an instantaneous non-linearity1 will be shown to hold for any separable random process.
Focalizing the Unfamiliar: Laurence Yep's Child in a Strange Land

Issues of memory, subjectivity, genre, and ideology intersect in the complex children's literary form of the ethnic fictional autobiography, which is historical fiction as well since it looks back to a time prior to the moment of writing. The form also presents particular interpretive challenges for contemporary readers, who may see themselves as radically different from the protagonist and therefore unable or unwilling to experience the story. Since "otherness" (across time, space, and ethnicity) is always challengingparticularly in a culture dominated by an "identity politics" that encourages children merely to see themselves in the mirror of their reading-it will be my argument that critical tools for reading become particularly important. We can no longer rely on simple reader reaction or intuitive connection, but must explore specifically rhetorical and political ways to "open up" children's texts about otherness.1 The ethnic child's fictional testimonial itself provides such critical methods since, as a rule, children's autobiographical stories privilege the child's first-person point of view over the adult or omniscient narrator's view. Child readers' acceptance of "otherness" might therefore come through an understanding of narrative techniques that articulate the ethnic child protagonist's own sense of "difference," a difference that texts themselves distinguish from any adult's perception, but also from the "majority" child's view.