cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract WP271: Stroke Extensively Alters the Cerebral Expression of Transcribed Ultraconserved Regions of the Genome

The mammalian genome harbors 481 DNA elements (200-779 bp) that show 100% homology between humans, rats and mice despite millions of years of phylogenetic separation. These elements are actively transcribed into noncoding RNAs called transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs). Physiological function of T-UCRs is not yet evaluated in detail. Their role in various brain pathologies is also not known. Using microarray analysis, we currently evaluated the expression profiles of T-UCRs at 3h, 6h and 12h of reperfusion following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult rats. Under normal physiological conditions, 61 intragenic and 46 intergenic T-UCRs were expressed in rat cerebral cortex. Surprisingly, 54 of the 61 intragenic T-UCRs displayed a negative correlation with their host gene expression. Following transient MCAO, expression of 67 T-UCRs (20 up- and 47 down-regulated) were altered at one or the other reperfusion time points. Of those altered, 39 are intragenic and 28 are intergenic. Temporally, 55 (11 up and 44 down) were altered at 3h, 53 (15 up and 38 down) at 6h and 62 (16 up and 46 down) at 12h of reperfusion. Interestingly, 36 T-UCRs were altered at all-time points of reperfusion and 4 of those were altered by >5 fold (uc.34 and uc.226 were up-regulated, and uc.286 and uc.417 were down-regulated). In addition, we observed a congenic expression of some T-UCRs (uc.208/uc.209, uc.460/uc.462/uc.465). Functional significance of T-UCRs altered after stroke was predicted by clustering multiple bioinformatics analysis tools (GeneMANIA, PANTHER, and WebGestalt) using the host genes and the nearest upstream and downstream genes as anchors. The products of T-UCR associated genes are involved in the regulation of diverse biological functions including metabolism, development and cellular process. This first time observation suggests that T-UCRs altered after ischemic stroke could have functional significance in post-stroke brain damage and plasticity.
Can spawning origin information of catch or a recruitment penalty improve assessment and fishery management performance for a spatially structured stock assessment model

We used simulations based on lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) populations to explore the benefits of using spawning origin information for parsing catch to spawning populations in stock asse...
Toxicological Mechanisms of Engineered Nanomaterials: Role of Material Properties in Inducing Different Biological Responses

Abstract Nanotechnology is revolutionizing science and medicine by leveraging the unique properties of nanomaterials. Nanomaterials are commonly defined as materials having structural features with at least one dimension of 100 nm or less. Compared to their bulk counterparts, nanoscale materials can be synthesized in varied sizes, shapes, and elemental compositions. Moreover, nanoparticles (NPs)-specific quantum properties influence their physicochemical properties, conferring electrical, optical, and magnetic properties not present in corresponding bulk materials. These distinctive properties make NPs ideal for various military, industrial, and medical applications. Secondary to NPs’ infinitesimal size and unique properties, NPs can potentially affect mammalian physiology at the cellular level. NP exposure is primarily through inhalation and ingestion, with the tissues in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, respectively, at highest risk. Based upon the potential for NP exposure, this review highlights some of the known outcomes and underlying mechanisms of NP toxicity.
A Structured Workflow for Mapping Human Sin3 Histone Deacetylase Complex Interactions Using Halo-MudPIT Affinity-Purification Mass Spectrometry *

Although a variety of affinity purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) strategies have been used to investigate complex interactions, many of these are susceptible to artifacts because of substantial overexpression of the exogenously expressed bait protein. Here we present a logical and systematic workflow that uses the multifunctional Halo tag to assess the correct localization and behavior of tagged subunits of the Sin3 histone deacetylase complex prior to further AP-MS analysis. Using this workflow, we modified our tagging/expression strategy with 21.7% of the tagged bait proteins that we constructed, allowing us to quickly develop validated reagents. Specifically, we apply the workflow to map interactions between stably expressed versions of the Sin3 subunits SUDS3, SAP30, or SAP30L and other cellular proteins. Here we show that the SAP30 and SAP30L paralogues strongly associate with the core Sin3 complex, but SAP30L has unique associations with the proteasome and the myelin sheath. Next, we demonstrate an advancement of the complex NSAF (cNSAF) approach, in which normalization to the scaffold protein SIN3A accounts for variations in the proportion of each bait capturing Sin3 complexes and allows a comparison among different baits capturing the same protein complex. This analysis reveals that although the Sin3 subunit SUDS3 appears to be used in both SIN3A and SIN3B based complexes, the SAP30 subunit is not used in SIN3B based complexes. Intriguingly, we do not detect the Sin3 subunits SAP18 and SAP25 among the 128 high-confidence interactions identified, suggesting that these subunits may not be common to all versions of the Sin3 complex in human cells. This workflow provides the framework for building validated reagents to assemble quantitative interaction networks for chromatin remodeling complexes and provides novel insights into focused protein interaction networks.
Ownership and Planning Capacity in the Asian-Style Development Cooperation: South Korean Knowledge Sharing Program to Vietnam

The rise of Asian ODA donors - Japan, South Korea, China - and their divergence from traditional western donors put forward the question if a distinct Asian-style development cooperation is in the making. In this paper, we attempt to characterize the emergent Asian-style ODA based on donors’ own development experiences and assess its effectiveness in terms of fostering “true” ownership of development partners. One particular case, South Korea’s Knowledge Sharing Program to Vietnam, will illuminate the theoretical issues and practical challenges of the Asian-style ODA, which tends to avoid “political interference” while trying to increase capacities of development partners.
Incommensurability, Its Varieties and Its Ontological Consequences

Professor Feyerabend’s views on the incommensurability of theories are perhaps more widely criticized than understood; the source of the difficulty in understanding him lies, at least in part, in the variety of ways in which he has presented those views. Consequently, in the subsequent discussion I direct my attention to an examination of his various accounts of incommensurability rather than to a consideration of alleged instances of it, attempting to disentangle the major strands and to determine whether these indicate differences of doctrine. I shall argue that Feyerabend’s writing in fact contains two distinct accounts of incommensurability. Whatever his mode of presentation, however, two elements have been fundamental to his position from the outset: terms in incommensurable theories are neither synonymous nor co-referential. Yet the relation between these two elements is not at all clear, and I do not believe it can be made clear until we have examined the different ways in which incommensurability is explained. Once that is done we see what relations between meaning and reference Feyerabend’s views plausibly suggest, and this understanding allows us to eliminate what I take to be misconceptions regarding the ontological consequences of incommensurability. The doctrine of incommensurability has such consequences, but they are not of the sort condemned by critics and recently defended by Feyerabend himself.
Why, When, and How Work Engagement Leads to Performance: The Effects of Self-Construal and Pride

Why, when, and how does work engagement lead to in-role behavior or organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)? This study integrates Kahn’s (1990) engagement theory with Affective Events Theory (AE...
Radon Transform and Functionals on the Spaces of Curves

The space A/G of gauge equivalence classes of connections on a given principal G-bundle over a smooth manifold M is of fundamental importance in various areas of mathematical physics, for instance in Yang-Mills theory [Fa-Sm] [Ra] and in Witten’s quantum field theoretic description and generalization of the Jones polynomial [Wi]. A rigorous approach to integration over this infinite-dimensional space is very difficult, for a variety of reasons having to do with its intricate singularities, the lack of an intrinsic choice for a “gauge fixing” which would give a slice for the gauge group action, and the fact that the integrand contains the exponential of a degenerate quadratic form.
Asymptotic Results for Near Critical Bienaymé–Galton–Watson and Catalyst-Reactant Branching Processes

Near critical single-type Bienayme–Galton–Watson (BGW) processes are considered. Results on convergence of Yaglom distributions of suitably scaled BGW processes to that of the corresponding diffusion approximation are given. Convergences of stationary distributions for Q-processes and models with immigration to the corresponding distributions of the associated diffusion approximations are established. Similar results can be obtained in a multitype setting. To illustrate this, a result on convergence of Yaglom distributions of suitably scaled multitype subcritical BGW processes to that of the associated diffusion model is presented.
Olive: distributed point-in-time branching storage for real systems

This paper describes Olive, the first distributed block storage system to provide consistent point-in-time branching. Point-in-time branching allows users to recursively and quickly snapshot or clone the storage state. It has a wide range of applications including testing new deployments or upgrades without disrupting a running system, quickly provisioning large homogeneous systems, and preserving old versions of data. Olive provides block-level access and strong consistency for broad applicability, allowing it to branch file systems, database systems, and every other storage application that ultimately stores data on block storage. Olive is distributed and replicated to provide fault tolerance and availability. Providing strong consistency for branching in a replicated distributed system is a technical challenge that we address in this work. We evaluate Olive and show that branching typically takes a few tens of milliseconds, and so it has little impact on I/O's.
Prehospital Predictors of Emergent Intervention After Helicopter Transfer for Spontaneous Intraparenchymal Hemorrhage.

Objective Helicopter transport may shorten transportation times for emergent neurosurgical intervention. The usefulness of helicopter transport after spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage is not well studied. This study seeks to clarify factors that are associated with urgent surgical intervention in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage following helicopter transport. Methods Records were reviewed for patients with spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage transported by helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center between January 2008 and December 2011. Records were evaluated for factors associated with emergent tertiary-level care intervention during the first 24 hours of admission. Results A total of 107 patients met inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 67.2 years. At presentation, 79 (75.24%) were hypertensive, 22 (21.57%) had an increased international normalized ratio, and 47 (45.19%) were intubated. Thirty-three patients (30.8%) underwent 1 or more neurosurgical interventions within 24 hours of arrival, with an additional 6 (5.6%) patients undergoing neurosurgical intervention after 24 hours after admission. On univariate analysis, age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and clot volume were significant predictors of neurosurgical intervention within 24 hours of interfacility helicopter transport. A lobar clot, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, and presence of >1 cm of midline shift were also associated with neurosurgical intervention within 24 hours. On multivariate analysis, younger age, GCS score of 3–8, and lobar hemorrhage were independent predictors of neurosurgical intervention within 24 hours. Conclusions Two thirds of patients did not undergo any surgical intervention during the first 24 hours of admission after interfacility helicopter transfer. Factors associated with urgent neurosurgical intervention included younger age, low GCS score, and presence of lobar hemorrhage.
Assessing the Impact of Serious Illness on Patient Intimacy and Sexuality in Palliative Care.

Abstract Context Palliative care (PC) clinical practice guidelines recommend providers assess the impact of illness on intimacy and sexuality. Previous studies around sexuality and intimacy in patients with advanced illness have largely focused on patients with a cancer diagnosis in the outpatient setting. Little is known about such impact of illness on inpatients receiving PC consultation. Objectives To assess the impact of patient illness on intimacy and sexuality through use of a screening tool and brief clinical questionnaire in hospitalized patients receiving PC consultation. Methods Between January 2016 and May 2017, palliative social workers at three hospitals asked patients to report the level of impact that their illness(es) had on intimacy and to describe the impact. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using constant comparison methodology. Results Among the 97 PC patients screened for intimacy concerns, the majority were female (57.7%), African American (71.1%) and on average 57.9 years of age. Most (91.7%) reported that they had not been previously asked about how their illness had impacted their intimacy. Nearly half (48.4%) reported that illness had moderately or significantly impacted their intimacy; these patients tended to be younger and in a current relationship (P Conclusion Patients with advanced illness commonly report negative issues regarding intimacy and sexual health. Incorporating routine screening into PC consultation may be warranted.
Visualizing Communication Patterns in Design Teams Over Time

The design of complex systems requires communication between several teams of people or “disciplines” responsible for the various, interdependent subsystems contained within the system. In this paper, we build on current Design Structure Matrix techniques for representing communication. These techniques only allow for bilateral and static communication to be seen. We are able to the capability this tool to include multilateral communication as well as changes in communication over time. By collecting communication data from a concurrent design facility, we are able to provide an example of the context in which these tools can be used as well as several insights gained from our observations.
Radio-Frequency Identification Specimen Tracking to Improve Quality in Anatomic Pathology.

Context.— Preanalytic errors, including specimen labeling errors and specimen loss, occur frequently during specimen collection, transit, and accessioning. Radio-frequency identification tags can d...
Use of the equilibrium contact angle as an index of contact surface cleanliness

Advancing contact angles formed by water and aqueous ethanol solutions were measured on both bare surfaces and film-covered surfaces of acrylic, glass, hydrophilic and hydrophobic silicon, polycarbonate, polyester, and #304 stainless steel. Each bare surface was initially characterized with respect to its hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. Both homogeneous protein films and heterogenous milk films were prepared on each surface; the adsorbed mass comprising each film was measured with ellipsometry. Contact angle methods proved useful in detecting the presence of a protein film on sufficiently hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces, i.e., materials for which Wapwater (the polar component of the energy required to separate water from its surface) is greater than 55 mJ/m2 or less than 37 mJ/m2. Contact angle methods were found to be useful for detecting the presence of a milk film on solid surfaces as well. However, the detection limits were dependent not only on Wapwater but also on the ethanol concentration of the diagnostic liquid used.
Experimental evaluation of a tellurium-123m transmission source to determine attenuation maps for SPECT

We have proposed to use tellurium-123m line sources to determine attenuation maps for image reconstruction of technetium-99m radionuclide imaging. To experimentally evaluate the performance of the transmission line source for the fast sequential approach for emission and transmission data acquisition, a prototype tellurium-123m line source is manufactured. The line source has a length of 8 cm with total activity of 36-39 mCi at the time of the study. Phantom and patient studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of the line source. The results of this study demonstrate that the tellurium line can be used to accurately determine attenuation maps for the transmission studies with Tc-99m activity in patient's heart. >
Imagining ‘Asian’ higher education: visual campus gaze and global university rankings (GURs) websites

Amid debates about global university rankings (GURs), very few have closely examined how GURs’ media outlets construct meanings of higher education (HE) in their visual representations. We critical...
Adrenal Steroids, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, and Plasma Renin Activity

The adrenal cortex is responsible for the production of three categories of steroid hormones. Mineralocorticoids (primarily aldosterone) are synthesized in the zona glomerulosa and regulate electrolyte balance, blood pressure, and intravascular volume. Glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol) are synthesized in the zona fasciculata and have a wide variety of functions that include the response to stress. Adrenal androgens, synthesized in the zona reticularis, are responsible in part for the development of secondary sexual characteristics. It is important for primary care providers to have an understanding of the pathways of steroid biosynthesis because testing of these hormones is essential in the diagnosis of different forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), other causes of adrenal insufficiency, and Cushing’s syndrome. What follows is a brief review of diagnostic testing for common adrenal diseases and enzymatic defects.
Websites of Note - Fall 2009

Discover websites about Famous Electrochemists, Electrochemistry of the Nerve Impulse, and Electrochemical Technology in Microelectronics.
Love: greatest mystery of life

The greatest mystery of life comes when you're least expecting it and disappears when you thought it is here to stay. The heat that ignites it at the beginning is doused by the intimacy it creates. It is a portal, a mirror, a cross to bear, a joy, a heartbreak, and an axe. It cuts through your hard parts, the gristly parts, and lays your beating heart bare. It is both the butterfly that flutters in your tummy, and the acid that melts everything away. That, my friend, is what we call LOVE.
A Multi-Criteria Procedure for the User Interface Components Layout Problem

The multi-criteria facilities layout problem can be formulated as a quadratic assignment model that can handle multiple qualitative and quantitative factors in the objective function. Some studies have shown that the techniques and tools of facilities layout problems can equally be applied for the layout design of user interface components in human-computer interface. This paper presents an alternate approach, which handles multiple qualitative and quantitative factors in a different manner separately in the objective function to obtain the initial layouts. The proposed approach also consists of a layout procedure, in which the pair of facilities with the least composite criterion value has been selected to be placed far apart in the layout to generate an initial layout in the construction procedure. The results of the proposed approach are compared with that of an existing approach which handles a number of qualitative and quantitative factors in the same manner as in the objective function to obtain the initial layouts for the example task of the user interface components layout problem under consideration.
It Starts with a Conversation: The Importance of Values as Building Blocks of Engagement Strategies in Community-Centered Public Health Research.

This study examined the life-motivating values of residents in underserved minority communities to inform the development of community engagement strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the main research questions: (1) what were the values of research participants, and (2) what did they consider important in their lives? The participants included twenty-seven ethnically diverse individuals living in low-income neighborhoods in New York City (NYC). Thematic analysis was performed to identify common themes and patterns related to the values that participants considered important in their lives. Three broad themes were identified: (1) benevolence; (2) universalism, and (3) self-direction. Benevolence implies a sense of belonging as the central meaning in life; community engagement strategies focused on this value emphasize concern for the welfare of loved ones. Community engagement strategies focused on universalism emphasize social justice and concern for the environment and the world. Finally, community engagement strategies focused on self-direction seek to satisfy participants’ needs for control, autonomy, and mastery. This study introduces the Value-Based Framework for Community-Centered Research. It illustrates how value exploration is central to a community-centered approach to public health research and can be an important first step for designing studies that are better aligned with community needs and contexts. Such an approach can also help to co-create a “research identity” with community members and integrate their values into a project’s purpose, thereby increasing community ownership and engagement in the study.
Classroom teasing: Institutional contingencies and embodied action:

This article compares the sequential position, action, and design of teasing sequences in classroom and mundane interaction. This collection of teases comes from a university Geosciences classroom,...
Cross-Cultural Psychology

Cross-cultural psychology encompasses three broad goals: understanding behavior that is universal regardless of culture, understanding how culture shapes behavior, and understanding psychological commonalities across cultures. Overall, the underlying theme of cross-cultural psychology is the examination of behavior across culture, and how these behaviors may be manifested as a function of culture. In any given study, researchers may examine participants from different cultures, and then compare their behavior with respect to a particular criterion or outcome. Culture may be considered an independent variable, such that manipulation of cultural variables allows researchers to determine how culture impacts specific behavior. Although the emphasis is on cultural comparisons, cross-cultural psychology research utilizes methodology and experimental designs based primarily on traditional Western psychology. Keywords: cross-cultural psychology; cultural psychology; internationalization; indigenous psychology; international psychology
Influenza season triggers pneumococcal vaccination

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the frequency with which influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are administered alone and together. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Marshall University internal medicine practice, Huntington, West Virginia. PARTICIPANTS: All patients aged 65 and older seen in the practice from 1999 through 2005 who received pneumococcal or influenza vaccine. MEASUREMENTS: Billing records were reviewed for administration of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines to Medicare beneficiaries, and rates of administration of these vaccines given alone and together were calculated. RESULTS: Nine hundred sixty-nine doses of pneumococcal vaccine were administered. Of these, 796 (82%) were administered during the fall and winter. Three hundred fifty-six (45%) pneumococcal vaccinees received it together with influenza vaccine. During 2001 and 2005, when influenza vaccine supply was limited, the rate of pneumococcal vaccine administered together with influenza vaccine declined sharply. Nonetheless, the rate of pneumococcal vaccination remained relatively stable because of an increase in the rate of vaccine administered alone. CONCLUSION: Four-fifths of pneumococcal vaccine was administered in the fall and winter, and approximately half was given together with influenza vaccine. When influenza vaccine was in limited supply, physicians continued to vaccinate with pneumococcal vaccine alone. These findings suggest that the imminent influenza season provides the trigger for physicians to prescribe pneumococcal vaccine. Physicians should be reminded that pneumococcal vaccine can be administered any time of year.
Study of the predissociation of CH3OA(2A1) by fast beam photofragment translational spectroscopy

Abstract The dissociation dynamics of the methoxy radical (CH 3 O) following excitation of the A ( 2 A 1 ) ← X ( 2 E ) transition are examined using photofragment translational spectroscopy. The radicals are produced from photodetachement of a fast, cold negative ion beam. We find that levels of the Ā state are strongly predissociated starting with ν 3 = 6 at 35419 cm −1 excitation energy. Three product channels are identified: (1) CH 3 + O, (2) CH 2 + OH, and (3) CH 2 O + H, with channel (1) by far the dominant channel. In channel (1), resolved vibrational structure of the methyl fragment is seen in the translational energy distribution, providing insight into the dissociation dynamics of CH 3 O. Several thermodynamics quantities are also obtained: D 0 (CH 3 O) = 87.8 ± 0.3 kcal/mol, ΔH f,0 0 (CH 3 O) = 6.8 ± 0.4, D 0 (CH 3 OH) = 104.0 ± 0.5, ΔH acid,0 (CH 3 OH) = 381.4 ± 0.7, and D 0 (HCH 2 O) = 19.8 ± 0.4.
Introduction: Persecution Through Prosecution: Revisiting Touro Law Center’s Conference in Paris on the Alfred Dreyfus Affair and the Leo Frank Trial

In July 2011, Touro Law Center hosted a three-day conference on the Alfred Dreyfus affair and Leo Frank trial in Paris, France. The theme of the conference, developed by the Honorable Sol Wachtler, was persecution through prosecution. Perhaps no case so clearly presents that theme as that of Alfred Dreyfus. The Dreyfus affair began in 1894 when Alfred, a Jewish French officer, was falsely charged with treason. He was subsequently convicted on the basis of flimsy evidence (including forged documents) in a secret court-martial proceeding and sentenced to prison on Devil's Island. Anti-Semitism played a critical role in the military's decision to charge and then convict Dreyfus.
Some solutions to vision dimensional metrology problems

New applications continue to emerge for machine vision and real-time photogrammetry, particularly in industrial inspection and biomedicine. Solutions to automation and practical problems are the key to the success of this relatively new technology. Calibration, illumination, edge definition and integration with a priori known information are addressed.
A Systematic Approach For Entrepreneurial Innovation

This paper will review some common perceptions about corporate behavior that is likely to predict a successful NPD program in established and replicated area of research. It will then test attempt to support whether those same behaviors also will predict success among entrepreneurial firms with similar strategies.
Undergraduate students’ perceptions of their advisors: socioCommunicative style and perceptions of relational satisfaction

This study examined the specific interpersonal communication styles and behaviors of advisors and the expectations they have on their advisee’s level of satisfaction, as well as what characteristics lead to higher relational satisfaction in the advisor-advisee relationship. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling were utilized to obtain participants for this study. Three hundred and ninety-seven college students voluntarily completed a survey on their current advisor. The instruments used relied on the Sociocommunicative Style Scale created by Richmond and McCroskey (1985), and on the Relational Satisfaction Scale created by Beatty and Dobos (1992). Results revealed that there is a significant relationship between sociocommunicative style and relationship satisfaction. The authors note as study limitations the lack of qualitative data, the randomness of the sample, and the large proportion of female participants that resulted from the random sample. The authors conclude that by further studying variables within the advisee-advisor relationship, advisors can learn how to communicate better in order to have a satisfying and beneficial relationship with their advisees. Additionally, advisees can learn what to expect from advisement and how to attain satisfying relationships with their advisors. DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v5i2.188
Raising The Level Of Abstraction In Online Education: The Context

A commonly accepted definition of online learning is that students have access to learning experiences in: time, place, pace, learning style, content, assessment, and pathways (Chen, 2003). Although this is true, there is a considerable concern about the level of abstraction involved in online education. Critics of flexible learning call it just another fad (Zemsky & Massy, 2004). These criticisms are founded in claims that online learning failed to launch a pedagogical revolution or attract students in masses. Further, some argue that it is a training and not educational tool. With all the buzz of successes and failures, flexible learning will continue to have an increasingly important role in higher education. Given the many fallacies about online learning, this paper argues that flexibility and transferability are prevailing traits in this explosion of knowledge. There is, simultaneously, a growing concern that online or flexible education has not raised learners’ level of abstraction. This paper concludes with a call for further investigation into flexibility/transferability and the effectiveness of institutions to align faculty development models and infrastructure with the new science of learning as well as to equip faculty with techniques to enhance level of abstraction.
Initial experiments with a flexible robot

A flexible three-degree-of-freedom robot is described, and its behavior is compared with a simple model of a vibrating system. The robot has three rotary joints and two flexible steel links, causing it to exhibit many complicated modes of vibration. A nondimensional analysis of the model showing how it responds to ramp commands and acceleration commands is presented, and the results are compared with those for the actual robot. Using the model, one can select input commands that minimize the vibration of the robot. >
Coherent State Path Integrals for Systems with Constraints

We outline the principal results of a recent examination of the quantization of systems with first- and second-class constraints from the point of view of coherent-state phase-space path integration. Two examples serve to illustrate the procedures.
Accelerating Laue Depth Reconstruction Algorithm with CUDA

The Laue diffraction microscopy experiment uses the polychromatic Laue micro-diffraction technique to examine the structure of materials with sub-micron spatial resolution in all three dimensions. During this experiment, local crystallographic orientations, orientation gradients and strains are measured as properties which will be recorded in HDF5 image format. The recorded images will be processed with a depth reconstruction algorithm for future data analysis. But the current depth reconstruction algorithm consumes considerable processing time and might take up to 2 weeks for reconstructing data collected from one single experiment. To improve the depth reconstruction computation speed, we propose a scalable GPU program solution on the depth reconstruction problem in this paper. The test result shows that the running time would be 10 to 20 times faster than the prior CPU design for various size of input data.
A survey of perioperative management of sickle cell disease in North America.

Summary Background: Children with sickle cell disease frequently undergo surgical procedures that are associated with acute exacerbations of the disease. Current perioperative management practices are unclear. Objectives: We aimed at describing the current management. Methods: We conducted an electronic survey of North American members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, in which we asked about their perioperative management of sickle cell disease. Results: The response rate to valid addresses was 25% (n = 510/2006). In four scenarios, (a patient with mild disease undergoing a minor procedure; a patient with mild disease undergoing a more invasive procedure; a patient with severe disease undergoing a minor procedure; and a patient with severe disease undergoing a more invasive procedure) 80%, 38%, 27%, and 16% of respondents, respectively, would rely on oral fluids to hydrate patients during the preoperative fast, while 13%, 34%, 44%, and 59%, respectively, would use intravenous fluid. For the same four scenarios, 64%, 28%, 33%, and 10%, respectively, would not transfuse patients in an attempt to prevent sickle cell exacerbations, while 17%, 49%, 36%, and 51%, respectively, would transfuse to a hemoglobin concentration of 10 g·dl−1. The tendencies to administer preoperative intravenous fluid and to transfuse blood increased with disease severity and procedure invasiveness (P < 0.001). Although 89% felt comfortable managing patients with sickle cell disease, 73% thought an advisory statement on optimal perioperative management was needed. Conclusions: There is a wide variation in the management of children with sickle cell disease. Clinicians differentiate management based on disease severity and procedure type.
Introduction to Greek Law

Now in its third edition, "Introduction to Greek Law" remains the sole comprehensive summary of Greek law in a language other than Greek. In twenty insightful chapters, written by some of the best authorities on Greek law in Greece and in the United States, this book provides both analysis and commentary on the various aspects of theory and practice in contemporary Greek law, concentrating on comparative law aspects and on differences with corresponding concepts in the Anglo-American system and in other European systems. The third edition covers all these areas of substantive law and legal practice and more: the Greek Constitution and its relation to international law and the European Union; structure and distribution of state powers; effect of EC directives; regulatory authorities and administrative action; judicial organization; intellectual property; corporations and partnerships; labor relations; arbitration; commercial and maritime law; local government; legal persons; contracts and torts; marriage, divorce, and filiation; succession; bankruptcy; choice of law and recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments; taxation; investment incentives; and, criminal law and procedure. Of special value is the attention to recent revisions of civil, commercial and procedural laws, particularly in the fields of conflict of laws, procedure, property, obligations, succession, and family law. Bibliographies accompany each chapter, and useful appendices include comprehensive lists of statutes, cases, and international conventions. "Introduction to Greek Law" has been well-received internationally in its earlier editions, and the third edition, with its thorough updates, is sure to be equally welcomed by practitioners and academics alike.
Optimality of the Delaunay triangulation in Rd

In this paper we present new optimality results for the Delaunay triangulation of a set of points in ℝ d . These new results are true in all dimensionsd. In particular, we define a power function for a triangulation and show that the Delaunay triangulation minimizes the power function over all triangulations of a point set. We use this result to show that (a) the maximum min-containment radius (the radius of the smallest sphere containing the simplex) of the Delaunay triangulation of a point set in ℝ d is less than or equal to the maximum min-containment radius of any other triangulation of the point set, (b) the union of circumballs of triangles incident on an interior point in the Delaunay triangulation of a point set lies inside the union of the circumballs of triangles incident on the same point in any other triangulation of the point set, and (c) the weighted sum of squares of the edge lengths is the smallest for Delaunay triangulation, where the weight is the sum of volumes of the triangles incident on the edge. In addition we show that if a triangulation consists of only self-centered triangles (a simplex whose circumcenter falls inside the simplex), then it is the Delaunay triangulation.
Immune Responses to Pertussis Antigens in Infants and Toddlers after Immunization with Multicomponent Acellular Pertussis Vaccine

Given the resurgence of pertussis despite high rates of vaccination with the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, a better understanding of vaccine-induced immune responses to Bordetella pertussis is needed. We investigated the antibody, cell-mediated, and cytokine responses to B. pertussis antigens in children who received the primary vaccination series (at 2, 4, and 6 months) and first booster vaccination (at 15 to 18 months) with 5-component acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine. The majority of subjects demonstrated a 4-fold increase in antibody titer to all four pertussis antigens (pertussis toxin [PT], pertactin [PRN], filamentous hemagglutinin [FHA], and fimbriae [FIM]) following the primary series and booster vaccination. Following the primary vaccine series, the majority of subjects (52 to 67%) mounted a positive T cell proliferative response (stimulation index of ≥ 3) to the PT and PRN antigens, while few subjects (7 to 12%) mounted positive proliferative responses to FHA and FIM. One month after booster vaccination (age 16 to 19 months), our study revealed significant increase in gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production in response to the PT and FIM antigens, a significant increase in IL-2 production with the PT, FHA, and PRN antigens, and a lack of significant interleukin-4 (IL-4) secretion with any of the antigens. While previous reports documented a mixed Th1/Th2 or Th2-skewed response to DTaP vaccine in children, our data suggest that following the first DTaP booster, children aged 16 to 19 months have a cytokine profile consistent with a Th1 response, which is known to be essential for clearance of pertussis infection. To better define aP-induced immune responses following the booster vaccine, further studies are needed to assess cytokine responses pre- and postbooster in DTaP recipients.
Properties of Titanium Foams for Biomedical Applications

Titanium foams are presently used in various load bearing orthopedic applications. Such foams are characterized by an open network of porosity with high surface area. This paper presents the structure, microstructure, and properties of titanium foams produced with a powder metallurgy process. Fully porous CpTi and Ti6Al4V cylinders and CpTi foam coating on CpTi and Ti6Al4V substrates were produced and characterized. The microstructure of the foam cell walls is representative of annealed CpTi and Ti6Al4V. Alloying elements and oxygen in solution increase the mechanical strength of the foams but lower their ductility. Ductility affects the fatigue life of the material. When CpTi foam is bonded to Ti6Al4V substrates, migration of alloying elements in the foam cell walls is observed. Good metallurgical bonding is created between the coatings and the dense substrate and shear strength above the requirements of the FDA guidelines are obtained.
Neuropeptide Y as a partial agonist of the Y1 receptor

Abstract In absence of receptor cycling, human/rat neuropeptide Y was found to persistently occupy the guinea pig neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors expressed on the surface of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (IC 50 ∼ 8 nM); a lasting occupancy was also evident with active receptor cycling. A similar blockade was obtained with the human neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor (in CHO or SK-N-MC cells). Peptidic antagonists GR238118 (1229U91) and VD-11 blocked the Y1 receptor in the same molarity range. A neuropeptide Y-related Y1 agonist, (Leu 31 Pro 34 ) human neuropeptide Y, also strongly adhered to the Y1 site. Similar blockade-like occupancy by neuropeptide Y was found with particulates from Y1-expressing CHO cells, and with native neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors of rat synaptosomes. Peptide YY and a related Y1-selective agonist, (Leu 31 Pro 34 ) human peptide YY, showed a much less stable binding to the neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor with either the intact cells or particulates. The Y1 binding of neuropeptide Y was also less sensitive to chaotropic agents and guanine nucleotides than the binding of peptide YY, indicating a larger stability for association of neuropeptide Y with the receptor. Inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase showed a distinctly attenuating agonism for neuropeptide Y, with an activity similar to peptide YY below 1 nM, but considerably lower above 3 nM of the peptides. This activity was largely exerted via pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins of Y1-CHO cells. Our findings indicate that signaling by neuropeptide Y via its Y1 receptor could be self-restricting at higher levels of the peptide, in relation to a strong association of the agonist with the Y1 binding site.
Speculations on the origin and evolution of metabolism

An autotrophic origin of metabolism is described, which requires clays, transition state metals, disulfide and dithiols, U.V. and cyanide ion. A general scheme is proposed, involving the fixation of CO2 and N2, for the evolution of intermediary metabolism based on the evolution of a complex system from a simple one. The basic conclusion is that metabolism could have evolved from a simple environment rather than from a complex one.
Susceptibility of twenty penicillin-susceptible and -resistant pneumococci to levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin by MIC and time-kill

Abstract This study uses MIC and time-kill methodology to examine the antipneumococcal activity of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin against 20 pneumococci. Ten strains had levofloxacin MICs of 1.0 μg/ml, and ten levofloxacin MICs of 2.0 μg/ml. Five strains in each group were macrolide susceptible, and five were macrolide resistant. MICs for ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin ranged from 0.5 to 4.0 μg/ml and 1.0 to 8.0 μg/ml, respectively. MICs of erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin were similar for macrolide susceptible strains, ranging between 0.004 to 0.06 μg/ml, and were ≥128.0 μg/ml for macrolide resistant strains. The three quinolones were bactericidal (99.9% killing) for all macrolide-susceptible strains at 2 × MIC at 24 h. The three quinolones yielded 99% killing of all strains after 12 h at 2 × MIC, and 90% killing of all strains after 6 h at the MIC of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin and 2 × MIC for ofloxacin. Levofloxacin yielded 90% killing of all strains after 4 h at 2 × MIC and ofloxacin at 4 × MIC. For macrolide-susceptible strains, erythromycin and clarithromycin were bactericidal for 9 of 10 strains after 24 h at 4 × and 2 × MIC, respectively, and azithromycin was bactericidal after 24 h at 2 × MIC for 8 of 10 strains. All three macrolides were bactericidal after 12 h only, while 90% killing occurred in 9 of 10 strains at 8 × MIC after 6 h. Quinolone kill kinetics were similar for the 10 macrolide-resistant strains. For macrolide-resistant strains, at 64 to 128.0 μg/ml, virtually no decrease in count was seen, with no bactericidal effect.
Effects of Television Viewing Reduction on Energy Intake and Expenditure in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background The average adult watches almost 5 hours of television (TV) per day, an amount associated with increased risks for obesity. This trial examines the effects of TV reduction on energy intake (EI), energy expenditure (EE), energy balance, body mass index (BMI), (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), and sleep in overweight and obese adults. Methods Randomized controlled trial of 36 adults with a BMI of 25 to 50 who self-reported a minimum of 3 h/d of TV viewing. Participants were enrolled in home-based protocols from January through July 2008. After a 3-week observation phase, participants were stratified by BMI and randomized to an observation-only control group (n = 16) or an intervention group (n = 20) for 3 additional weeks. The intervention consisted of reducing TV viewing by 50% of each participant's objectively measured baseline enforced by an electronic lock-out system. Results Although not statistically significant, both groups reduced their EI (−125 kcal/d [95% CI, −303 to 52] vs −38 [95% CI, −265 to 190]) ( P = .52) for intervention and control group participants, respectively, where CI indicates confidence interval. The intervention group significantly increased EE (119 kcal/d [95% CI, 23 to 215]) compared with controls (−95 kcal/d [95% CI, −254 to 65]) ( P = .02). Energy balance was negative in the intervention group between phases (−244 kcal/d [95% CI, −459 to −30]) but positive in controls (57 kcal/d [95% CI, −216 to 330]) ( P = .07). The intervention group showed a greater reduction in BMI (−0.25 [95% CI, −0.45 to −0.05] vs −0.06 [95% CI, −0.43 to 0.31] in controls) ( P = .33). There was no change in sleep. Conclusion Reducing TV viewing in our sample produced a statistically significant increase in EE but no apparent change in EI after 3 weeks of intervention. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00622050
Reaction of organotin oxides, alkoxides and acyloxides with organosilicon hydrides. New preparative method of organotin hydrides☆

Abstract The reaction of organotin oxide, alkoxides and acyloxides with organosilicon hydrides was investigated by varying the mole ratio of the reactants. And it was found that SnO was easily cleaved by SiH giving SnH. Several organotin hydrides, such as tributyltin hydride, tripropyltin hydride and dibutyltin dihydride were obtained in good yields. For triphenyltin hydride and dimethyltin dihydride, it was necessary to use a radical inhibitor or iodine as a promoter and even then the yields were poor. New compounds of the type SiOSn, such as (tributylsiloxy)tributyltin, (triphenylsiloxy)tributyltin and (triphenylsiloxy)tripropyltin were also obtained.