cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anthropometric measures, cytokines and survival in haemodialysis patients

Background. Lower serum albumin concentration (sAlb) and higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been reported to predict death in patients treated with haemodialysis (HD). SAlb, along with anthropometric measures, has been used as a surrogate marker for nutritional status in patients with chronic disease. Though adequate nutrition has been considered an important factor for patients treated with HD, it has not been established if any nutritional markers other than lower serum albumin and lower body mass index (BMI) predict death. Furthermore, it has not been shown whether anthropometric measures other than BMI are associated with predictors of mortality. Methods. At the outset of the study, patients were assessed using demographic and anthropometric indices including arm fat area (AFA), arm muscle area (AMA), BMI, per cent ideal weight (PIW), predialysis sAlb, and circulating levels of tumour necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), IL-1 and IL-6. A severity index, previously demonstrated to be a mortality marker, was used to grade medical co-morbidity. Results. Two-hundred and forty patients entered the study. The mean age was 55.1"14.3 years, mean sAlb 3.76"0.60 mgudl, mean AFA 1742"1225 mm 2 , mean AMA 5464"1817 mm 2 , mean PIW 101.0"21.3% and mean BMI 24.9"5.6 kgum 2 . PIW, BMI, AFA and AMA were, as expected, all highly correlated with one another. SAlb correlated with serum transferrin; however, neither sAlb nor serum transferrin concentration correlated with circulating cytokine levels. Circulating cytokines and sAlb did not correlate with PIW, BMI, AFA or AMA. In Cox regression analyses using multiple control variables, IL-6 predicted survival, while the anthropometric measures did not. Conclusions. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and sAlb are robust predictors of death in patients treated with HD. PIW and BMI correlate well with other anthropometric measures in patients treated with HD, but these measures do not correlate with markers of inflammation. Anthropometric measures are poor predictors of survival compared with measures linked to the acute-phase response.
A Neuromorphic VLSI System for Modeling the Neural Control of Axial Locomotion

We have developed and tested an analog/digital VLSI system that models the coordination of biological segmental oscillators underlying axial locomotion in animals such as leeches and lampreys. In its current form the system consists of a chain of twelve pattern generating circuits that are capable of arbitrary contralateral inhibitory synaptic coupling. Each pattern generating circuit is implemented with two independent silicon Morris-Lecar neurons with a total of 32 programmable (floating-gate based) inhibitory synapses, and an asynchronous address-event interconnection element that provides synaptic connectivity and implements axonal delay. We describe and analyze the data from a set of experiments exploring the system behavior in terms of synaptic coupling.
Calcium and endoplasmic reticulum dynamics during oocyte maturation and fertilization in the marine worm Cerebratulus lacteus

To monitor calcium and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics during oocyte maturation and fertilization, oocytes of the marine worm Cerebratulus lacteus were injected with the calcium-sensitive indicator calcium green dextran and/or the ER-specific probe "DiI." Based on time-lapse confocal imaging of such specimens, prophase-arrested immature oocytes failed to develop normally after insemination and typically produced non-wave-like calcium transients that were lower in amplitude and less persistent than the wave-like oscillations observed during fertilizations of mature oocytes. Accordingly, the ER of DiI-loaded immature oocytes lacked an obvious substructure, whereas ER clusters, or "microdomains," began to form in maturing specimens at about the time that these oocytes became competent to undergo normal fertilization-induced calcium dynamics and cleavage. The ER microdomains of mature oocytes typically reached widths of 1-8 micrometer and disappeared approximately 1 h after fertilization, which in turn coincided with the termination of the calcium oscillations. Collectively, these findings indicate: (i) changes in ER structure are temporally correlated with the onset and cessation of the calcium oscillations required for subsequent cleavage, and (ii) such ER reorganizations may play an important role in early development by enabling mature oocytes to generate a normal calcium response.
Filter Technique as a Factor in the Stability of Thiamine Hydrochloride Injections

The stability of thiamine hydrochloride injection is influenced, among other factors, by the nature and preparation of the filter used in the bacteriological or polishing filtration. Of three filters studied, the Seitz type proved least desirable. The Pyrex fritted glass candle type was found superior, and the Selas 03 candle, previously ignited and then washed with hydrochloric acid and water, proved second best.
Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor impedes recovery from damage caused by cytotoxic agents through increased differentiation at the expense of self-renewal

G-CSF is routinely used to hasten recovery from chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. We have recently shown that G-CSF, when combined with stem cell-damaging cytotoxic agents, results in enhanced stem cell damage and loss of marrow reserve. To investigate the mechanisms of stem cell damage caused by G-CSF, we gave C57BL/6 (B6) mice repeated doses of cyclophosphamide ([CY] 84 mg/kg) or carmustine ([BCNU] 13.2 mg/kg) and G-CSF (250 microg/kg/day) for either four days or eight days. Two different regimens of G-CSF were chosen to study the influence of increased proliferation on hematopoiesis which was measured at the end of the first, third and sixth 14-day cycle of each cytotoxic agent and 7 and 20 weeks after completion of all cycles. A spectrum of hematopoietic indices was measured including WBC, bone marrow cellularity, granulocyte/macrophage-colony-forming cells (GM-CFC), colony-forming cells with high proliferative-potential (HPP-CFC), cobblestone area-forming cells ([CAFC]-day 7 and CAFC-day 28), and long-term marrow repopulating ability in vivo. Despite the absence of differences in peripheral blood cell counts or bone marrow cellularity 14 days after each dose, progenitor cell levels (HPP-CFC, GM-CFC, and CAFC-7) were increased up to 2.5-fold with cytotoxic agent and G-CSF administration compared with cytotoxic agent administration alone. Mice given G-CSF for eight days had the greatest number of progenitors suggesting a dose-response relationship for G-CSF administration. G-CSF resulted in a decrease in hematopoietic stem cell (CAFC-28) content when measured two weeks after each cycle of saline, CY, and BCNU. Twenty weeks after six cycles of BCNU, the reduction in stem cell levels persisted and was further decreased when G-CSF was added to BCNU for four or eight days. Data from this study suggest that the most likely explanation for the damaging effects of G-CSF is that G-CSF directly or indirectly induces stem cells to differentiate into more committed hematopoietic cells resulting in a loss of marrow reserve. This effect is enhanced in animals with an already compromised hematopoietic stem cell compartment as seen with repeated doses of BCNU.
Genome-wide promoter extraction and analysis in human, mouse, and rat

Large-scale and high-throughput genomics research needs reliable and comprehensive genome-wide promoter annotation resources. We have conducted a systematic investigation on how to improve mammalian promoter prediction by incorporating both transcript and conservation information. This enabled us to build a better multispecies promoter annotation pipeline and hence to create CSHLmpd (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mammalian Promoter Database) for the biomedical research community, which can act as a starting reference system for more refined functional annotations.
Hydroxamic acids II: Kinetics and mechanisms of hydroxyaminolysis of succinimide

In alkaline pH at 40° succinimide simultaneously hydrolyzes to form succinamic acid and reacts with NH2OH to form N-hydroxysuccinamide which undergoes ring closure to form N-hydroxysuccinimide. At pH 9.5 N-hydroxysuccinimide is the major product from hydroxyaminolysis of succinimide at 40°. At pH 12, N-hydroxysuccinimide undergoes further hydrolysis to form N-hydroxysuccinamic acid. Pseudo first-order rate constants for the loss of succinimide as a function of pH and NH2OH concentration were established by colorimetric determination of the hydroxamic acid-iron complex or UV spectrophotometric determination of the N-hydroxysuccinimide. Reaction conditions favoring N-hydroxysuccinimide formation were employed to develop a new UV assay for succinimide. This assay is six times more sensitive than the assay based on formation of the hydroxamic acid with subsequent colorimetric determination of its iron complex.
Challenges of Existing Pediatric Dyslipidemia Guidelines Call for Reappraisal

Existing guidelines for screening and managing lipoprotein abnormalities in children and adolescents are based on a consensus document published over 15 years ago by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Blood Cholesterol Levels in Children and Adolescents.1 This document was based on evidence that elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are highly correlated with development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in adults and on pathological data suggesting that dyslipidemia in children and adolescents was associated with early arterial plaque development. The panel recommended 2 strategies to address abnormal lipoprotein levels in children: a population-based approach (dietary recommendations) and a targeted screening approach (selective screening based on family history of ASCVD and/or parental hypercholesterolemia). The guidelines recommended dietary and lifestyle interventions for children with elevated LDL cholesterol levels. They proposed that drug therapy only be considered when LDL cholesterol levels are ≥190 mg/dL or ≥160 mg/dL with concomitant ASCVD risk factors (≥2) or with a family history of ASCVD. Article p 32 Since the initial publication of the existing guidelines, many significant challenges have emerged that deserve attention. First, accumulating data suggest that the guidelines significantly underestimated the number of children who would be targeted for lipoprotein screening. Second, the guidelines do not account for variations in lipids due to race, gender, and pubertal status, all of which are known …
Simultaneous segmentation and approximation of complex patterns

Deformable model have been widely used to approximate objects from collected data points, but most algorithms based on the deformable model can only handle geometrically and topologically simple objects. They are inadequate for objects with deep cavities or multi-part objects. Furthermore, they always assume there is only one underlying object for the collected data, which means the segmentation has been done ahead of time. Unlike most deformable algorithms which approximate one object at a time, our proposed approach can apply simultaneously more than one curve to approximate multiple objects. Using (1) the residual data points, (2) the bad parts of the fitting curve, and (3) appropriate Boolean operations, our approach is able to detect patterns with holes or cavities, and can perform segmentation by itself for more than one underlying object. We currently present experiments mainly on 2D data. These 2D algorithms can be extended to 3D without theoretical difficulties. An experiment on 3D data, composed of two genus I toruses, is also presented. Also, a new method for defining the external energy is presented, which helps capture the shape more accurately with low time and reasonable space complexities, and a method to prevent self-intersection of the curve during evolution is also introduced. >
Emergency Department Visits from a Local Amusement Park

Abstract Background: There are limited published data examining Emergency Department (ED) presentations associated with amusement parks, and even fewer data on presentations not associated with roller coaster rides. Study Objectives: To determine the spectrum of medical and traumatic presentations to two EDs from nearby amusement parks. Methods: A retrospective chart review of prospectively identified, enrolled, and surveyed patients was conducted at two EDs in Pennsylvania during the summer of 2006. Any patient presenting with a medical or traumatic complaint that occurred within 12 h of ED presentation and was associated with a visit to the local amusement park was prospectively identified and details of the visit were retrospectively reviewed. Results: There were a total of 325 discharge diagnoses for the 296 ED visits identified; 74% of discharge diagnoses were trauma related. The most common traumatic diagnoses were laceration (27%) and head injury or concussion (14%). The most common non-traumatic diagnosis was heat-related illness (24%). Twenty-nine percent of discharge diagnoses were directly associated with amusement park rides. Eighty-nine percent of patients were discharged home. There were no mortalities reported. Conclusion: The majority of ED visits from nearby amusement parks were benign and did not require hospitalization.
Association between Wildlife and Agriculture: Underlying Mechanisms and Implications in Burrowing Owls

Abstract Western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are endangered in Canada and several western U.S. states. Population declines have been linked with control measures aimed at burrowing mammals and loss of nesting habitat. The owls frequently associate with irrigated agriculture throughout portions of their western U.S. range. To determine potential factors driving the association of burrowing owls with agriculture, we examined availability of suitable nest burrows (burrow availability hypothesis), abundance of potential prey (prey availability hypothesis), and predation of nest burrows (predation hypothesis) for owls nesting in the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in southwestern Idaho during 2001–2002. Nest burrow availability did not differ between agricultural and nonagricultural habitats, and occupancy rates of owls in artificial burrows were greater near agriculture. More rodent prey species were live-trapped in agricultural habitat compared with nonagricultural habit...
Diagnosis of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

The diagnosis of ventilator associated pneumonia remains confusing and controversial, with no clear consensus about whether the decision to start antibiotic therapy, in the setting of suspected infection, should be guided by clinical criteria or by microbiologic data collected by quantitative sampling of lower airway secretions (1). This controversy exists because the clinical definition of pneumonia is quite sensitive, but not very specific, and many patients with the clinical diagnosis of VAP may have a non-infectious etiology for their findings of fever, purulent sputum and leukocytosis, in the setting of a new or progressive pulmonary infiltrate.
Projective limits and balanced topological groups☆☆This research was funded in part by the PSC-CUNY Research Awards Program during the year 1998–99, Queens College, Flushing, NY 11367, USA.

Abstract The purpose of these notes is to provide background material for a Workshop in Topological Groups given at the Summer Topology Conference at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University during the period August 4–7, 1999. We will be looking at the two concepts of ‘balanced groups’ and ‘functionally balanced groups’. In 1992 a paper was published by the author in conjunction with S. Rothman, H. Strassberg, and T.S. Wu where it was shown that the two concepts are equivalent for locally compact groups. A “balanced group” is one in which the left and right uniform structures are equivalent and a “functionally balanced group” is one on which the classes of left uniformly continuous bounded real valued functions and those that are right uniformly continuous coincide. In our paper we were able to use projective limits of Lie groups to establish the desired result. This endeavor together with a classical theorem of Graev suggested that this result might be extended to those groups that are projective limits of metric groups. The notes consist of four sections: 1. Projective limits of topological groups. 2. Functionally balanced groups. 3. Projective limits of groups. 4. Postscript, the work of Protasov and Saryev and the state of the problem. Section 1 is a quick introduction with proofs to the concept of a projective limit of topological groups. Section 2 introduces the concept of a functionally balanced group. It describes an important characterization of such groups due to Protasov and Saryev and an important corollary of this characterization. Section 3 has a complete proof of Graev's motivating theorem and obtains a number of theorems, which to my knowledge are new, concerning projective limits of metric groups. Finally, Section 4 contains an account of a miniconference held at C.W. Post after the workshop ended and includes a proof of the Protasov–Saryev characterization which has not been available previously in English and also a result of Protasov that reduces the whole problem of ‘functional balance’ versus ‘balance’ to the solution of a simply stated question.
Another Contribution to the Succession Narrative Debate (2 Samuel 11–20; 1 Kings 1–2):

The segment of the biblical history of the monarchy which narrates events leading to the succession of Solomon to the throne of David in 1 Kings 2, known as the Succession Narrative or Court Histor...
INCHOATE SPECIATION IN CERATOPTERIS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SYNTHESIZED HYBRID C. RICHARDII X C. PTERIDOIDES.

Interspecific hybridization in the homosporous ferns usually results in the formation of sterile diploid or triploid hybrids. Sterility in these instances is the result of extreme differences in chromosome homologies between the parental taxa and the subsequent lack of normal chromosome pairing in the hybrids. Hickok and Klekowski (1973) have demonstrated that this type of hybridization is accompanied usually by the meiotic production of unreduced spores by the sterile hybrid; these spores have the potential to produce polyploid derivatives of the hybrid (allopolyploids) that have the ability to reproduce through normal sexual processes. Through this process, reticulate evolution of the type documented by Manton and Walker (1953) and Walker (1955, 1961) inDryopteris and by Wagner (1954) in Asplenium can be seen to be a major feature in the evolution of homosporous ferns. A notable exception to this production of sterile hybrids and fertile polyploid offspring in the ferns was documented by Walker (1958) in Pteris where hybridization between P. quadriaurita and P. multiaurita resulted in the formation of completely fertile F1 diploid hybrids that exhibited complete bivalent formation at meiotic prophase. The subsequent production of F2 segregates and backcross hybrids to parental types resulted in the production of a hybrid swarm in which all of the taxonomic
Behavioral Ecology of an Insular Woodrat

An endemic, insular subspecies of the desert woodrat ( Neotoma lepida latirostra ) was studied on Isla Danzante in the Gulf of California. Woodrats were live-trapped, marked and released, the compositions of plants in fecal samples were analyzed, and nocturnal behavior was observed by using light tracking and a night-viewing device. The evolution of the Danzante woodrat has seemingly been influenced by the unique insular environment, characterized by a depauperate biota, few predators, a long dry season, low precipitation, and a warm climate. This woodrat, the primary herbivore on the island, is roughly twice the size of mainland representatives of the species, and sexual size dimorphism is pronounced. Adults averaged 250 g (males, 281 g; females, 221 g). Ironwood ( Olneya tesota ) is the staple food, comprising 72% of the diet. Woodrats occur at low densities (3.5 to 4.8/ha) and occupy large territories: summer territories of adult males average 0.35 ha, and those of females, 0.08 ha. The woodrats have abandoned central-place foraging and remain away from daytime retreats an average of some 53 min/h during the pre-midnight hours. The mating system is resource defense polygyny. Ironwood is the limiting resource, and the largest adult males maintain extensive, ironwood-rich territories that enclose or partly, enclose the territories of up to three females. Some individuals of both sexes have long reproductive lives (of at least 2.5 years), during which each animal is faithful to its own area.
Round Table: Protection from UV and Visible Radiations

Dr. Hollaender opened the session by expressing a concern that much of the older literature is not being used. He stated that an effort was underway to compile such references in a computer-accessed system similar to the Environmental Mutagen Information Center at Oak Ridge , Tennessee, U. S. A.
Seroepidemiology of Brucellosis Among People With Occupational Exposure in Qionglai

ObjectTo understand the brucellosis infection status among the people with occupational exposure in dairy farms,detect and control possible epidemic and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of the disease.Method Brucella antibody screening test was carried out in the workers in dairy farms.Results According to the detection results of RBT reaction and tube agglutination test for 461 workers,the overall positive rate of brucella antibody was 5.86%,which was 8.95% in males and 0.59% in females.The positive rate in the workers with the working length less than 1 year was lowest(4.52%),and the positive rate in the workers with the working length more than 3 years was highest(13.64%).The positive rate in the worker in charge of breeding,veterinary and the workers in charge of delivering calf was highest(16.33%).Conclusion The infection of brucellosis among the diary workers in Qoinglai varied by the working length and type of work.
Tejiendo espacios queer en Latinoamérica: el travestismo en Herrera Velado y Donoso

En esta investigacion comparada, me propongo explorar los personajes travestis en “La correccion de menores (Manuscrito de un escolar)”, un poema que pertenece a Mentiras y verdades (1923) por el salvadoreno Francisco Herrera Velado (1876–1966), y El lugar sin limites (1966), una novella del chileno Jose Donoso (1924–1996). Al comparar ambos textos, mi intencion no es de contrastar los niveles de sofisticacion o estetica, sino identificar una linea de textos queer en Centroamerica que podrian abrir un nuevo espacio dentro de los estudios queer en Latinoamerica. Especificamente, en este proyecto me enfocare en una breve contextualizacion de los estudios queer en Latinoamerica; la inversion de roles sexuales que fue acunada en el ya clasico ensayo “Escritura/Travestismo” (1969) de Severo Sarduy; la representacion de las mujeres en la inversion y la revision de una interpretacion acerca del poema de Herrera Velado.
On the Role of Tropical Ocean Forcing of the Persistent North American West Coast Ridge of Winter 2013/14a

AbstractThe causes of the high pressure ridge at the North American west coast during winter 2013/14, the driest winter of the recent California drought, are examined. The ridge was part of an atmosphere–ocean state that included anomalies, defined relative to a 1979–2014 mean, of circulation across the Northern Hemisphere, warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropical western and northeastern Pacific and the south Indian Ocean, and cool SSTs in the central tropical Pacific. The SST anomalies differ sufficiently between datasets that, when used to force atmosphere models, the simulated circulation anomalies vary notably in realism. Recognizing uncertainty in the SST field, the authors use idealized tropical SST anomaly experiments to identify an optimal combination of SST anomalies that forces a circulation response that best matches observations. The optimal SST pattern resembles that observed but the associated circulation pattern is much weaker than observed, suggesting an important but limited ...
Un encuentro entre pintura abstracta y poesía quechua: Szyszlo, Westphalen y Arguedas hacia una tradición peruana en la plástica (1952-1963)

El presente articulo examina la lectura que hace Emilio Adolfo Westpha- len de la serie pictorica Apu Inka Atawallpaman (1963) de Fernando de Szyszlo. El proposito es mostrar como el poeta formula una lectura de este trabajo de naturaleza abstracta dentro de las coordenadas de una tradicion cultural que se vincula con lo andino. Junto con ello, se sugiere que la figura y las ideas de Jose Maria Arguedas fueron una influencia importante en un medio artistico que le reclamaba una ‘peruanidad’ a la pintura sin que, al mismo tiempo, cayera en el folklorismo. Precisamen- te, es Arguedas quien propone la idea de un arte y una literatura en los que fuese posible la coexistencia de mundo y comunidad.
Positron Emission Tomography, Enzymes and Drug Research and Development

The use of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to examine drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and the relationship of these properties to the behavioral, therapeutic and toxic properties of drugs is emerging as a powerful new scientific tool (Fowler et al., 1990). PET provides a new perspective on drug research by virtue of its ability to directly assess different parameters such as absolute uptake, regional distribution, kinetics, pharmacological profile and metabolic effects of drugs in human subjects. For example, the labeled drug itself can be used to measure the absolute uptake, regional distribution and kinetics at its site of action in the body. Additionally, the labeled drug and whole body PET can be used to determine the target organs for the drug and its labeled metabolites, thus providing information on potential toxic effects as well as tissue half-lives. On the other hand, different labeled tracers can be used to assess the effects of a drug on particular physiological or functional processes. For example, with appropriate radiotracers, the effects of a drug on metabolism, neurotransmitter activity, blood flow, enzyme activity or other processes can be probed. Because of the short half-life of the positron emitters, these parameters can be assessed directly in the human body both in normal controls and in patients and serial studies can be done where a subject serves as his own control.
Opercular Index Score: a CT angiography-based predictor of capillary robustness and neurological outcomes in the endovascular management of acute ischemic stroke.

Background Many CT angiography (CTA) collateral scoring systems are either subjective or complex and time consuming. Objective To evaluate the correlation between a CTA collateral scoring system—the Opercular Index Score (OIS)—with neurological outcomes at 90 days following endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) secondary to large vessel occlusion. Methods Fifty-five patients with AIS due to distal internal carotid artery, M1, or proximal M2 occlusions who underwent endovascular treatment were included. OIS was retrospectively calculated from CTA images, reconstructed from CT perfusion imaging, as the ratio of opacified M3 opercular branches in the Sylvian fissure on the unaffected side to those on the stroke side and dichotomized into favorable (OIS≤2) and poor (OIS>2). The ability of OIS to predict good neurological outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2 at 90 days) was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) with receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results Thirty-five patients had a favorable OIS and 20 patients had a poor OIS. Patients with favorable OIS had an 80.0% (n=28) rate of good neurological outcomes compared with 15.0% (n=3) of patients with a poor OIS (p Conclusions OIS is a simple and practical non-invasive scoring system that can be used to predict collateral robustness and good neurological outcome among patients with AIS undergoing endovascular treatment.
Managing the ethical and risk implications of rapid advances in artificial intelligence: A literature review

The development of emergent technologies carries with it ethical issues and risks. We review ways to better manage the ethical issues and risks of one emerging technology: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Depending on how AI's development is managed, it may have beneficial and/or deleterious effects. The processing capacity of Tianhe-2, the world's fastest supercomputer, by some measures, exceeds the processing capacity of a single human brain. but at a prohibitive processing/power consumption ratio and physical size. Given the current pace of AI R&D activities, some estimates in the literature suggest that the technology could become capable of self-determination and super intelligence in only a few decades. This demands a serious analysis of the ethical implications of AI's development and the risks it might pose, in addition to technology management recommendations. We review the state of AI development, the timeline and scope of its possible future development, and potential ethical risks in its implementation. Further, we briefly review ethics and risk management practices as they relate to technology. Finally, we make technology management recommendations, which may help to address the ethical implications and to mitigate existential risks to humanity—with the development and dissemination of AI—by guiding its proper management
Review: Jacques Androuet Du Cerceau: “Un des plus grands architectes qui se soient jamais trouvés en France” by Jean Guillaume et al.

Jean Guillaume et al. Jacques Androuet Du Cerceau: “Un des plus grands architectes qui se soient jamais trouves en France” . Paris: Editions A. et J. Picard and Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, 2010, 352 pp., 11 color and 416 b/w illus. €65, ISBN 9782708408692. Creator of a unique anthology of the greatest buildings in sixteenth-century France, Jacques Androuet Du Cerceau (ca. 1520–1586) was an engraver extraordinaire, draftsman, and inventor of architectural and ornamental designs. His legacy includes numerous collections, ranging from ancient triumphal arches and Roman monuments to works on optics, perspective, practical and imaginary buildings, grotesques, and, above all, two volumes of engravings, Les plus excellents bastiments de France (1576–79). Considering this wide-ranging output, a question permeates the historical discourse on Du Cerceau’s practice: “Was Du Cerceau an architect?” An exhibition at the Musee des Monuments Francais accompanied the publication of this deluxe volume, which is directed by Jean Guillaume in collaboration with Peter Fuhring and the assistance of experts in French architecture studies. It is dedicated to David Thomson, whose ideas and discovery of drawings in the Bibliotheque Municipal, Lyon (Ms. 6246), served as inspiration for the participants.1 The book is divided into three parts, under the headings “Life and Work,” “From Copy to Invention,” and “Du Cerceau Creator.” It is followed by an appendix, which includes texts, title pages, dedications (Latin texts are accompanied by French translations), and notices to reader, commenting on all of Du Cerceau’s works. The tome concludes with a catalog of prints and drawings accompanied by complete scholarly apparatus. As part of the appendix, a chronological list of seventeen works begins with triumphal Exempla arcuum (1549) and ends with Livre des edifices antiques romaines (1584). In part one, Jean Guillaume provides the opening essay to this first comprehensive study of Du Cerceau since the monograph by Heinrich von Geymuller in 1887.2 Considering the critical fortune of Du Cerceau, the time is ripe for this study. Twentieth-century scholars acknowledged Du Cerceau as a virtuoso draftsman and popularizer; some also viewed him as indicative of the decline …
Repair of Macular Hole

A confirmation of a macular hole should be made with optical coherence tomography imaging in clinic. The patient should then undergo a thorough informed consent process including the need for an expedient repair and the risks involved with vitrectomy-based surgery.
Domecia acanthophora acanthophora (SCHRAMM, 1867) (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA, XANTHIDAE) EN EL CARIBE COLOMBIANO

The presence of Domecia acanthophora acanthophora (Desbone & Schramm, 1867) in the Colombian Caribbean and their association with the coral scleratinic Acrophora palmata, especially in the Bay of Nenguange, is discussed. The anual vatiation of abiotic parameters in the superficial waters of the study area was defined by intervals of temperature (24.1 - 30.6oC), salinity (35.1 - 37.6 ups), pH (7.92 – 8.75), dissolved oxygen (3.77 – 5.30 ml/l) and nitrates (0.18 – 3.31 (g-at/l). The variations of the physical-chemical parameters and the relative good state shown by the corals Acropora palmata influence the presence of D. a. acanthophora in the area of the Natural National Park Tayrona.
Nurses' attitudes and behaviors on patient medication education.

Background: Medication education is vital for positive patient outcomes. However, there is limited information about optimal medication education by nurses during hospitalization and care transitions.Objective: Examine nurses’ attitudes and behaviors regarding the provision of patient medication education. The secondary objectives were to determine if nurses’ medication education attitudes explain their behaviors, describe nurses’ confidence in patient medication knowledge and abilities, and identify challenges to and improvements for medication education.Methods: A cross sectional survey was administered to nurses servicing internal medicine, cardiology, or medical-surgical patients.Results: Twenty-four nurses completed the survey. Greater than 90% of nurses believed it is important to provide information on new medications and medical conditions, utilize resources, assess patient understanding and adherence, and use open ended question. Only 58% believed it is important to provide information on refill medications. Greater than 80% of nurses consistently provided information on new medications, assessed patient understanding, and utilized resources, but one-third or less used open-ended questions or provided information on refill medications. Most nurses spend 5-9 minutes per patient on medication education and their attitudes matched the following medication education behaviors: assessing adherence (0.57; p<0.01), providing information on new medications (0.52; p<0.05), using open-ended questions (0.51; p<0.01), and providing information on refill medications (0.39; p<0.05). Nurses had higher confidence that patients can understand and follow medication instructions, and identify names and purpose of their medications. Nurses had lower confidence that patients know what to expect from their medication or how to manage potential side effects. Communication, including language barriers and difficulty determining the patient’s understanding of the information, was the most common challenge for nurses and they suggested utilization of translator services and patient-friendly drug information resources as a way to improve.Conclusion: Nurses have positive attitudes toward patient medication education. However, their attitudes do not fully explain their behaviors and many nurses are spending limited time with patients on medication education. Enhancements to medication education could include resources on communication and collaboration with pharmacists.
A minimal mechanism of the bilingual advantage

Looking to atypical populations to illuminate the functioning of core cognitive systems has a long history in the behavioral sciences (e.g., Caramazza, 1986; McCloskey, 1992). Pierce, Genesee, Delcenserie, and Morgan (2017) continue that tradition in their keynote article, here by shedding light on how the development of phonological working memory (PWM) may be shaped not only by individual genetic variation but also by various features of the language acquisition context, whether that context is enriched, as in bilingualism; delayed, as with cochlear implantation (CI) or international adoption (IA); or impoverished, as with deaf children of hearing parents or repeat cases of otitis media. Their review of the literature demonstrates that a sensitive (/critical) period for phonological development, encompassing variation in quality, quantity, and timing of early exposure, has crucial consequences for an individual's level of PWM attainment and, by a compelling extension, for aspects of ongoing language development such as vocabulary learning and reading skills.
+Targeting Mitochondrial Functions as Antimalarial Regime, What Is Next?

Malaria parasites continue to demonstrate their ability to evolve drug resistance, underscoring the need to maintain a long-term program of antimalarial drug development. The parasite mitochondrion is an essential organelle in every lifecycle stage. In the parasite, there are ~ 300 proteins encoded on the nuclear genome destined for the mitochondrion (around 6% of the genome), plus 3 protein genes present on the 6-kb mitochondrial genome. Many of these gene products compose pathways that are critical for the mitochondrion and the mitochondrial contribution to the parasite. The mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC) is essential for the parasite and has been validated as an antimalarial drug target. Another mitochondrially located target is the parasite dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which is involved in the essential pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. In this review, we will summarize recent advancements in drug development targeting the mtETC and DHODH. We will also discuss other pathways within the mitochondrion that hold promise for future exploitation in the search for additional antimalarial drug targets. Recent drug development efforts have advanced two compounds into clinical evaluation, ELQ-300 and DSM265, targeting the mtETC and DHODH, respectively. These compounds are very potent against malaria parasites at multiple lifecycle stages and have shown good pharmacological properties such as long half-lives and metabolic stability. However, progress toward the development of antimalarial compounds against other mitochondrial functions has been very limited. New drugs that target the mtETC and DHODH are likely to reach the clinic in the near future. Additional studies are required to verify the essentiality of other mitochondrial pathways in malaria parasites and validate novel antimalarial drug targets needed to help ensure the continuing future development of new antimalarial drugs.
Empathy Development in Young Children Using Interactive VR Games

The development of empathy in children age 5 to 8 helps them build social skills such as interpersonal, problem-solving abilities, and emotional regulation. Research in Virtual Reality (VR) and Game Development highlights that use of VR games can help promote empathy development. My dissertation aims to explore the use of educational VR games for empathy development. In particular, it aims to study both the engagement and usability of these systems by young children. I plan to conduct empirical studies of the roles character's emotions, characters' memory sharing, and player's perspective taking play in fostering empathy development. In addition, I am interested in how these features promote player engagement and interest in other's life experiences. As a basis for my research, I will be using an interactive VR Empathy game that I developed with a team of game designers in Spring 2017. In addition, I aim to contribute a set of design guidelines and suggestions for empathy game designers. \
Construction and Application of Responsive Microstructures: Fibers, Tubes and Sensors

We report the construction and application of microstructures consisting of responsive hydrogel material. Micron-sized fibers and tubes have been fabricated using liquid phase photopolymerization. Applications of the responsive fibers include a dipstick pH sensor with a built in readout. The tubes show a fast response to changes in pH. Flow through the responsive tubes has been demonstrated.
Deep reinforecement learning based optimal defense for cyber-physical system in presence of unknown cyber-attack

In this paper, the online optimal cyber-defense problem has been investigated for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) with unknown cyber-attacks. Firstly, a novel cyber state dynamics has been generated that can evaluate the real-time impacts from current cyber-attack and defense strategies effectively and dynamically. Next, adopting game theory technique, the idea optimal defense design can be obtained by using the full knowledge of cyber-state dynamics. To relax the requirement about cyber-state dynamics, a game-theoretical actor-critic neural network (NN) structure was developed to efficiently learn the optimal cyber defense strategy online. Moreover, to further improve the practicality of developed scheme, a novel deep reinforcement learning algorithm have been designed and implemented into actor-critic NN structure. Eventually, the numerical simulation demonstrate that proposed deep reinforcement learning based optimal defense strategy cannot only online defend the CPS even in presence of unknown cyber-attacks, and also learn the optimal defense policy more accurate and timely.
Sonority bias in Rugao di-syllabic syllable contraction

Two analyses, vowel sonority and the linear order of pre-contraction vowels, have been proposed to account for the vowel selection between two competing vowels in Chinese syllable contraction. An experiment was run to test whether sonority and/or linear order bias the vowel selection in Rugao syllable contraction. Our results confirmed the role of vowel sonority, and did not present supporting evidence for the linear order analysis. Sonority hierarchies along the dimensions of both height and centrality exhibit the same consistent and robust pattern, providing a new perspective to look at competing vowels in vowel-related phonological processes.
Placemaking Across Platforms: Playing to Circulate Stories in the Smart City

Urban placemaking can deepen the sense of place, including with novel technologies. Placemaking seeks to revitalize public spaces, attract investment, and rally stakeholders. How can play help to position residents as storytellers and circulators of key images tied to local history? This study shows how play can leverage smart city technologies, including urban furniture and rebuilt payphones. Game mechanics were selected to gather crowds at local monuments, generate pictures of the group tied to local mythology, and automatically circulate images online. In contrast to “app” based approaches, the design facilitated cross-platform “spread” for local storytelling. The study shows how placemaking can benefit from physical objects and hybrid interfaces to facilitate the circulation of local placemaking narratives.
Clerkship-Specific Medical Student Mistreatment

Few meaningful changes have been made to reduce medical student mistreatment despite years of interventions undertaken based on data regarding mistreatment gathered annually in the Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) Medical School Graduation Questionnaire (GQ). No studies to date have compared clerkship-specific mistreatment to identify problems unique to individual learning environments. The purpose of this study was to investigate medical student mistreatment during third-year clerkships at a university-based medical school and to evaluate specific mistreatment patterns by clerkship. In the 2012–2013 academic year, 122 third-year medical students were surveyed using the AAMC GQ questions on mistreatment behaviors witnessed or experienced during medical school. During each of their clerkships, students were asked to report mistreatment and to specify the individuals responsible for it. Public humiliation was the most commonly reported form of mistreatment. This was more prominent on Surgery (23.8%), Obstetrics and Gynecology (15.2%), and Internal Medicine (12.4%) versus Neurology (4.8%), Psychiatry (4.3%), Pediatrics (2.1%), and Family Medicine (0%). Faculty (36–64%) and residents (29–50%) were primarily responsible for mistreatment. Students identified many instances of mistreatment in the operating room. More students reported being denied opportunities based solely on gender during Obstetrics and Gynecology than all other clerkships (12 versus 0–2%). Students reported higher incidences of mistreatment on Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Internal Medicine. Operating room culture may contribute to medical student mistreatment. Gender-specific mistreatment occurs during the Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship, which may affect the educational experience of male students. We recommend a clerkship-specific approach to evaluate mistreatment to successfully identify and address mistreatment across learning environments.
A Chinese hamster fibroblast mutant defective in thrombin-induced signaling has a low level of phospholipase C-beta 1.

Abstract A mutant fibroblast, 2A4b, was isolated from the Chinese hamster lung cell line CCL39 by a previously described selection (Rath, H. M., Doyle, G. A. R., and Silbert, D. F. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 13387-13390) for cells deficient in thrombin-induced signaling. Although the antiporter activation by thrombin in 2A4b is only approximately 60% that in CCL39, the stimulation by serum is not significantly impaired, indicating that the defect in 2A4b lies upstream of the antiporter in the signaling pathway. The addition of thrombin to serum-starved 2A4b cells causes blunted responses both in production of inositol phosphates and in the cytosolic [Ca2+] transient, particularly when no Ca2+ is added to the external medium. The in vitro inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C (PLC) activity of 2A4b cytosol plus membrane extracts exceeds that in CCL39. However, immunoblots with antibodies to PLC isozymes show that although the levels of PLC-delta 1, PLC-gamma 1, and PLC-beta 3 are at least as great as those in CCL39, the amount of PLC-beta 1 in 2A4b is markedly deficient (< or = 10%). PLC-beta 1 is found primarily in the nucleus and in non-nuclear membranes of CCL39 and is proportionately low in these subcellular locations of 2A4b. Thrombin activation of phospholipases D and A2 is impaired in 2A4b. We postulate that the deficiency in PLC-beta 1 causes defective targeting of protein kinase C-alpha to specific membrane sites, which may be required for activation of these downstream phospholipases.
Goal-Directed Effects on Processing a Spatial Environment

When remembering or describing an environment, do people take a particular spatial perspective? If so, what influences the perspective used? Previous research has focused primarily on the correspondence between the perspective presented through the learning medium, either a map or navigation, and the perspective used in memory. We find that how spatial information is learned is not the only influence on spatial perspective in memory. Why people learn the spatial information, i.e. their spatial goal, also influences memory perspective. Effects of spatial goal were seen in both memory and language assessments of spatial perspective. Additionally, memory and language tasks have differential reliance on perspective information. Task demands also played a role in performance as learning condition and spatial goal had different influences on different tasks. Present models of spatial perspective do not account for these multiple influences on the representation of spatial perspective.