cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-Contact Sensor for Long-Term Continuous Vital Signs Monitoring: A Review on Intelligent Phased-Array Doppler Sensor Design

It has been the dream of many scientists and engineers to realize a non-contact remote sensing system that can perform continuous, accurate and long-term monitoring of human vital signs as we have seen in many Sci-Fi movies. Having an intelligible sensor system that can measure and record key vital signs (such as heart rates and respiration rates) remotely and continuously without touching the patients, for example, can be an invaluable tool for physicians who need to make rapid life-and-death decisions. Such a sensor system can also effectively help physicians and patients making better informed decisions when patients’ long-term vital signs data is available. Therefore, there has been a lot of research activities on developing a non-contact sensor system that can monitor a patient’s vital signs and quickly transmit the information to healthcare professionals. Doppler-based radio-frequency (RF) non-contact vital signs (NCVS) monitoring system are particularly attractive for long term vital signs monitoring because there are no wires, electrodes, wearable devices, nor any contact-based sensors involved so the subjects may not be even aware of the ubiquitous monitoring. In this paper, we will provide a brief review on some latest development on NCVS sensors and compare them against a few novel and intelligent phased-array Doppler-based RF NCVS biosensors we have built in our labs. Some of our NCVS sensor tests were performed within a clutter-free anechoic chamber to mitigate the environmental clutters, while most tests were conducted within the typical Herman-Miller type office cubicle setting to mimic a more practical monitoring environment. Additionally, we will show the measurement data to demonstrate the feasibility of long-term NCVS monitoring. The measured data strongly suggests that our latest phased array NCVS system should be able to perform long-term vital signs monitoring intelligently and robustly, especially for situations where the subject is sleeping without hectic movements nearby.
Ketogenic diet therapy in infants less than two years of age for medically refractory epilepsy

Abstract Purpose The Ketogenic Diet (KD) is a well-established treatment for epilepsy in children and adults. We describe our 10-year KD experience in children less than two years of age diagnosed with medically refractory epilepsy. Methods We conducted a retrospective case-note review of infants managed with KD at our centre between 2006 and 2016. Results Twenty-nine children between 2½ weeks and 23 months of age were identified, with mixed epilepsy aetiologies. Ninety-three percent had daily seizures and 82% were on two or more anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) at the time of KD commencement. KD was continued for more than four weeks in 86%. Based on a combination of parental reports, hospital observations and seizure diaries, two of 29 became seizure free, seven demonstrated >50% seizure reduction, and eight showed a decrease in seizure intensity/frequency. No adverse effects were observed in 45% patients, and dietary therapy was stopped in only two because of poor tolerability. Conclusion We conclude that KD can be utilised and is generally well tolerated in infants with severe epilepsies. In addition, our experience suggests efficacy with improved seizure frequency/severity in around 50% without adverse effects on developmental outcome.
Actions of insulin on glucose transport and cAMP phosphodiesterase in fat cells: involvement of two distinct molecular mechanisms.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the acute insulin actions that are involved in the regulation of energy metabolism. Insulin is secreted from the pancreas under fed conditions and facilitates the uptake and conversion of blood glucose into fat in fat cells and into glycogen in muscle and liver. Thus, in adipocytes, insulin stimulates glucose transport and pyruvate dehydrogenase and inhibits lipase. When the secretion of insulin is minimized under starved conditions, the above insulin effects are reversed either for lack of any continued insulin actions or by antagonistic effects of other hormones. As a result, fat in adipocytes and glycogen in liver and muscle are degraded and utilized. At the same time, glucose is synthesized from the three carbon precursors in liver and certain other cell types. The newly synthesized glucose is readily secreted into the blood stream since the glucose transport activity in the plasma membrane of liver, and other cell types that are involved in gluconeogenesis, is always active regardless of the presence or absence of insulin. Lipolytic hormones neither mimic nor antagonize this type of insulin effect in fat cells. A part of cell-bound insulin is internalized, and some of the internalized hormone is degraded in lysosomes. However, the rest is apparently recycled back into the extracellular buffer.
Immune Regulation and the Spectrum of Filarial Disease

Only a minority of individuals infected with lymphatic filariasis develop clinically overt disease during their lifelong residence in endemic areas. Why this occurs is poorly understood and underscores our continuing ignorance about the pathogenesis of this disease. Here the role of the host immune response in the development and modulation of inflammatory response associated acute disease such as filarial fevers, lymphangitis and lymphadenitis that may lead to chronic lymphedema in some infected subjects and not others is examined. The role of the host immune response in the development of hydrocele, the most common form of clinical filariasis, is less clear although mechanisms of inflammation and disease are likely to be similar to that observed with acute and chronic lymphedema. Postulated mechanisms of filarial antigen-specific immune hyporesponsiveness are examined.
Elevated Creatine Kinase and Malignancy

Increased serum levels of CK isoenzymes variously signal heart, brain, or skeletal muscle damage. They may also be markers for advanced tumors with poor prognosis.
Dynamic Lot Sizing with Market Selection

This chapter considers a seemingly innocuous change in the assumptions underlying the Demand Selection Problem (DSP) considered in the previous chapter, which severely complicates the problem analysis. Instead of a sequence of independent demands over a time horizon, in this variant of the problem, demands in successive periods may be related in the sense that if we satisfy a given demand in some period t, we must then satisfy a particular set of demands in other periods. That is, instead of selecting individual demands, we are now faced with the problem of selecting from a set of time-phased vectors of demands. In practical terms, this corresponds to determining whether we will satisfy all or none of a given customer’s or market’s demands over the time horizon. We refer to the resulting problem as the Market Selection Problem (MSP) and discuss the problem’s complexity and potential solution approaches throughout this chapter.
Preanesthesia Evaluation and Testing

The explosive growth of ambulatory surgical programs has been one of the most formidable changes in the practice of medicine in the past 30 years. Few other events have affected so many patients in such a fundamental fashion. It has been estimated that approximately more than 80% of all surgical procedures performed in the United States are now being done on an ambulatory basis. Ambulatory surgery continues to diffuse to include a wider range of procedures, involving higher risk patients in more diverse environments increasingly removed from the traditional hospital setting.
Gay Marriage and American State Legislatures

In recent years, gay marriage has become an increasingly salient topic in American politics. Despite this, political scientists have paid surprisingly little attention to the question of when and how states come to provide the right to gay marriage. The limited existing literature on pro-LGBT legislation would indicate that this question should be answered by focusing on the presence of openly gay legislators or public support for LGBT issues as catalysts for the passage of gay marriage laws. In this paper, we argue that a more effective explanation relies on incorporating the important role political parties play in the legislative process. We find evidence that the success of gay marriage bills lies largely in the presence of Democratic control of the legislature and governorship. Additionally, we argue that this finding explains the recent shift from legislative to judicial attempts at introducing gay marriage: of the states that have not yet passed gay marriage legislation, the large majority has Republican control of both the legislature and governorship, indicating a very low probability of success for the legislative path.
α-Synuclein and Noradrenergic Modulation of Immune Cells in Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis.

a-synuclein (asyn) pathology and loss of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) are among the most ubiquitous features of Parkinson’s disease (PD). While noradrenergic dysfunction is associated with non-motor symptoms of PD, preclinical research suggests that the loss of LC norepinephrine (NE), and subsequently its immune modulatory and neuroprotective actions, may exacerbate or even accelerate disease progression. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which asyn pathology and loss of central NE may directly impact brain health by interrupting neurotrophic factor signaling, exacerbating neuroinflammation, and altering regulation of innate and adaptive immune cells.
Provocative induction of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Noninferiority of an induction technique without versus with placebo.

We aim to demonstrate, in a sufficiently powered and standardized study, that the success rate of inducing psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) without placebo (saline infusion) is noninferior to induction with placebo. The clinical data of 170 consecutive patients with suspected PNES who underwent induction with placebo from January 21, 2009 to March 31, 2013 were pair-matched with 170 consecutive patients with suspected PNES who underwent the same induction technique but without addition of placebo from April 1, 2013 to February 7, 2018 at the same center. The success rates of induction were 79.4% (135/170) without placebo and 73.5% (125/170) with placebo. The difference of these two proportions was 5.9%, with two-sided 95% confidence interval ranging from -3.6% to 15.2%, indicating a non-statistically significant difference. The lower bound of the 95% confidence interval (-3.6%) was above the noninferiority margin (δ = -5%), hence inferring noninferiority of induction without versus with placebo. The greater cumulative induction experiences of the clinician performer (influencing the manner/presentation of induction) may supplant the potential advantage from addition of placebo (the means utilized). Among experienced performers, provocative induction without placebo should be the preferred diagnostic approach, given more ethically acceptable transparency and the noninferior success rate when compared to the same induction technique with placebo.
Image-Based Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis for Surgical Planning of Sequential Grafts in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Coronary bypass grafting (CABG) is a surgical procedure for anastomosing small grafts to the coronary vessels. The bypass graft bridges the occluded or diseased coronary artery, allowing sufficient blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscles. Patient-specific (PS) anatomy obtained from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) was used to generate a 3D aorto-coronary model (pre-surgery). Additionally, three more models with idealized grafts (individual and sequential grafts), were created using Boolean operations to represent post-surgery configuration. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) and wall shear stress (WSS) were estimated from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The pre-surgical FFR values for all the three left coronary arteries were significant (FFR 0.80) distal to stenosis in all the three post- surgical idealized graft models. Peak WSS values of 468, 336 and 295 dynes/cm2 were observed at the toe of the individual end-to-side anastomosis for the three graft models. More importantly, low WSS (< 100 dynes/cm2) prevails at the heel and the walls opposite to the anastomosis in the sequential graft models. The prevailing low WSS at the heel and the wall bed opposite to anastomosis, in a sequential graft model, reduces restenosis rates and promotes a uniform hemodynamic environment for a better long-term patency of the graft. PS- CFD simulations based on CCTA can be helpful in assessing the hemodynamic parameters of graft models for optimal surgical planning.
Importance of prostate androgen-regulated mucin-like protein 1 in development of the bovine blastocyst

Prostate androgen-regulated mucin-like protein 1 (PARM1) is a pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic glycoprotein involved in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the coding region of PARM1 has been associated with competence of bovine embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage. Here we tested the importance of PARM1 for development by evaluating consequences of reducing PARM1 mRNA abundance on embryonic development and differentiation, gene expression and resistance to ER stress. Knockdown of PARM1 using an anti-PARM1 GapmeR did not affect competence of embryos to develop into blastocysts but decreased the number of trophectoderm (TE) cells in the blastocyst and tended to increase the number of cells in the blastocyst inner cell mass (ICM). Treatment of embryos with anti-PARM1 GapmeR affected expression of 4 and 3 of 90 genes evaluated at the compact-morula and blastocyst stage of development at days 5.5 and 7.5 after fertilization, respectively. In morulae, treatment increased expression of DAB2, INADL, and STAT3 and decreased expression of CCR2. At the blastocyst stage, knockdown of PARM1 increased expression of PECAM and TEAD4 and decreased expression of CCR7. The potential role of PARM1 in ER stress response was determined by evaluating effects of knockdown of PARM1 on development of embryos after exposure to heat shock or tunicamycin and on expression of ATF6, DDIT3 and EIF2AK3 at the compact morula and blastocyst stages. Both heat shock and tunicamycin reduced the percent of embryos becoming a blastocyst but response was unaffected by PARM1 knockdown. Similarly, there was no effect of knockdown on steady-state amounts of ATF6, DDIT3 or EIF2AK3. PARM1 participates in formation of TE and ICM cells in early embryonic development but there is no evidence for the role of PARM1 in the ER stress response.
Institutional Review Boards: A Particular View

Institutional review boards (or IRBs)are not, as Dr. Max Hamilton indicated, Interferring Repressive Busybodies. They are ethical review committees mandated to review research protocols involving human participants. IRBs have many names; one of the worst is “Human Use Committee” (guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of anyone who realizes that his “use” was approved by that IRB). Other names include “Human Investigation Committee,” “Human Experimentation Committee,” “Peer Review Board,” etc. Initially IRBs were set up in institutions which had government-funded research projects. Now IRBs exist in nearly all institutions where research projects involving human beings are done, no matter who sponsors it.
Combining Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy with Rapid Super-resolution Imaging

We combined instant structured illumination microscopy and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (instant TIRF-SIM), enabling rapid super-resolution imaging (down to 115±13 nm) at acquisition speeds up to 100 Hz in living samples.
Accounting and Finance Majors Outperform Other Majors on the Major Field Test in Business and the Comprehensive Business Exam: An Analysis of Exam Performance Drivers.

While studies have found that both accounting and finance majors outperform other majors on the Major Field Test in Business (MFTB) and the Comprehensive Business Exam (CBE), research has not ident...
Confederate Soldiers, Voodoo Queens, and Black Indians: Monuments and Counter-Monuments in New Orleans

Despite public outrage from some quarters, claiming that the city’s history was being erased, in 2015 the (white) Mayor of New Orleans, with the support of the black-majority City Council, voted to...
Critical Knowledge Gaps for Understanding Water-Rock-Working Phase Interactions for Compressed Energy Storage in Porous Formations

Storage of air or compressed gas in porous formations is a promising means of large-scale, long-term energy storage, but salt caverns have predominantly been used for storage to date. Porous format...
Image denoising for fluorescence microscopy by self-supervised transfer learning

When using fluorescent microscopy to study cellular dynamics, trade-off typically has to be made between light exposure and quality of recorded image to balance phototoxicity and image signal-to-noise ratio. Image denoising is an important tool for retrieving information from dim live cell images. Recently, deep learning based image denoising is becoming the leading method because of its promising denoising performance achieved by leveraging available prior knowledge about noise model and samples at hand. However, the practical application of this method has seen challenges because of the requirement of task relevant big training data. In this work, we show the approach of combining self-supervised learning with transfer learning to address the above challenge. We demonstrate the application of it in subcellular fluorescent imaging, where the light exposure dose can be significantly reduced and the spatial resolution is well restored.
Scheduling and shortest path for trucks with working hours and parking availability constraints

Abstract The US Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations require truck drivers to take regular breaks. However, drivers often have difficulty finding appropriate rest locations due to truck parking shortages. This may have a significant impact on drivers’ safety and productivity, cost to industry and environment. In this paper, we propose a model that takes into account parking availability when planning long-haul truck shipments in addition to HOS constraints. Given an ordered set of clients, the proposed method plans a minimum cost route and schedule such that the itinerary is regulation-compliant, and the driver is guaranteed to find parking at all scheduled stops. The problem is modeled as a shortest path problem with resource constraints, and a label correcting algorithm is used to generate optimal solutions. Computational experiments are used to compare the cost of solutions that use parking availability information with ones that do not. The cost of disregarding parking information was estimated by simulating drivers’ behavior when parking is unavailable and applying time and cost penalties. The effect of parking availability and alternative routes on trip costs is also studied, aiming to illustrate that disregarding these factors can lead to significant errors in cost estimates. Results show that, although imposing parking constraints can significantly increase costs, preventing accident-related costs can make it advantageous in the long-term.
Mother Eve and making meaning on the mesa: feminist silences in Willa Cather’s The professor's house

In this article, I argue for a deeper reading of Mother Eve, a central though silent character at the heart of Willa Cather’s 1925 novel, The Professor’s House. Mother Eve is a skeleton, uncovered ...
Problem-solving training for Veterans in home based primary care: an evaluation of intervention effectiveness.

BACKGROUND Veterans enrolled in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Home Based Primary Care (HBPC), a program providing in-home medical and mental health care by an interdisciplinary care team, often face substantial physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges. This program evaluation examined the impact of a brief problem-solving intervention on depressive symptoms, quality of life, and problem-solving abilities for Veterans enrolled in HBPC. DESIGN Pre- and post-intervention outcomes for Veterans, and qualitative feedback from Veterans and clinicians regarding program satisfaction. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING A total of 230 HBPC patients (mean age in years = 72.1, SD = 11.6) within the U.S. national VHA health care system. INTERVENTION Six-session, individual Problem-Solving Training (PST-HBPC). METHOD Licensed psychologists and social workers (n = 115) completed training and administered the treatment with HBPC Veterans between 2014 and 2017. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS From baseline to post-intervention, Veterans completing five or more PST-HBPC sessions (n = 199) reported significant reductions in depressive symptoms on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9), in difficulty functioning due to depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 item 10), and in thoughts of death (PHQ-9 item 9). They also reported more effective problem-solving on the Social Problem-Solving Inventory - Revised: Short form (total score and subscales), and improved quality of life across life domains on the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale. Both clinicians and Veterans also reported satisfaction with the program. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary findings support the continued dissemination and implementation of this brief PST intervention for HBPC Veterans, and its potential for use with non-VA home care populations with complex comorbidities.
Letter to the Editor: On the Mechanisms of Biliary Flux.

Vartak et al's recent publicatioin reviews their previous provocative data that water flow into the bile canaliculus is not in response to an osmotic gradient, as initially proposed by Sperber. However their technique, photoactivation of a non-fluorescent precursor of fluorescein, has not been validated. In contrast, a similar technique, enzymatic activation of a non-fluorescent precursor of fluorescein supported the concept of osmotically generated canalicular water flow and confirmed that peristalsis also participates in the flow of fluid from the canaliculi into the duct system as originally described by Philips.
Characterization of Wax Esters by Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Double Bond Effect and Unusual Product Ions

A series of different types of wax esters (represented by RCOOR′) were systematically studied by using electrospray ionization (ESI) collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) along with pseudo MS3 (in-source dissociation combined with MS/MS) on a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer. The tandem mass spectra patterns resulting from dissociation of ammonium/proton adducts of these wax esters were influenced by the wax ester type and the collision energy applied. The product ions [RCOOH2]+, [RCO]+ and [RCO−H2O]+ that have been reported previously were detected; however, different primary product ions were demonstrated for the three wax ester types including: (1) [RCOOH2]+ for saturated wax esters, (2) [RCOOH2]+, [RCO]+ and [RCO−H2O]+ for unsaturated wax esters containing only one double bond in the fatty acid moiety or with one additional double bond in the fatty alcohol moiety, and (3) [RCOOH2]+ and [RCO]+ for unsaturated wax esters containing a double bond in the fatty alcohol moiety alone. Other fragments included [R′]+ and several series of product ions for all types of wax esters. Interestingly, unusual product ions were detected, such as neutral molecule (including water, methanol and ammonia) adducts of [RCOOH2]+ ions for all types of wax esters and [R′−2H]+ ions for unsaturated fatty acyl-containing wax esters. The patterns of tandem mass spectra for different types of wax esters will inform future identification and quantification approaches of wax esters in biological samples as supported by a preliminary study of quantification of isomeric wax esters in human meibomian gland secretions.
Psychoanalytic Training: The Absence of Thirdness: A Review of Impossible Training: A Relational View of Psychoanalytic Education by Emanuel Berman

This paper suggests that the concept of “thirdness” has been essential in the evolution of our thinking about the complexity of the clinical process in psychoanalysis. However, the way psychoanalysis has been, and in most places continues to be, taught and organized remains mired in older, binary, and concrete dichotomies—as Emanuel Berman''s recent volume on the subject demonstrates—an “absence of thirdness” that seems to reinforce and enshrine the marginalization of psychoanalysis from the broad quest for the advancement of human knowledge in the western tradition. In the course of developing these ideas, the paper discusses other aspects of Berman's stimulating and, in some respects, controversial, work. Thanks to Jill Gentile, Ph.D., and Miki Rahmani, M.A., for their careful reading and comments.
Selenoproteins and Selenoproteomes

Recent progress in high-throughput sequencing and analysis allowed efficient identification of selenocysteine-containing proteins in sequence databases, including full sets of selenoproteins in organisms, designated selenoproteomes. Information is currently available on selenoproteomes from all major model organisms as well as humans, which have 25 selenoprotein genes. This chapter gives an overview of selenoproteins at the level of individual proteins, protein families, and entire selenoproteomes. Comparative genomic analyses of selenoproteins offer exciting avenues for studying selenoprotein function and evolution, provide insights into the biological functions of the trace element selenium, and even allow addressing important biological questions unrelated to selenium.
Transportation Security Performance Measures

It is important to assess the expected value of transportation security systems before they are commercialized and deployed. This article describes a framework that organizations can use to prospectively evaluate the technical and operational performance, benefits, resource needs, and impacts of alternative systems. Illustrations of the application of the framework are given for studies on radiation detection systems and screening for pandemic influenza at airports. Keywords: performance measures; metrics; transportation security; radiation detection; pandemic screening
Model-based adaptive vision control of weld pool area

Weld pool geometry is a crucial factor in determining welding quality, especially in the case of sheet welding. Quality images that can be processed in real-time to detect the pool geometry are acquired by using a high shutter speed camera assisted with nitrogen laser as an illumination source. An adaptive system is developed to control the pool area using the vision feedback. A model is proposed based on an analysis of the timing logic of the sampling periods. Also, an online identification algorithm is developed to improve the estimation accuracy and convergence. Experiments show that the developed control system can overcome the influence of various disturbances (torch speed, heat transfer condition, initial parameters, and unexpected sensing failure) under practical welding conditions.
Where U and I meet

A detailed NMR description of the compact unfolded state of an unstable protein reveals the existence of native and non-native structure under non-denaturing conditions. The structural characterization of this and similar species may provide clues about protein folding mechanisms.
Practical Tray-Rack for Culture Dish Incubation

Abstract The modification of cafeteria trays for use as racks for agar dishes is described.
Development Dynamics: Economic Integration and the Demographic Transition

This paper examines the influence of economic integration—widening of the trading area—on economic development and the demographic transition. Economies produce with different technologies depending on their scale. Greater integration between regions (greater extensive scale) is instrumental in changing rates of return, which generates an industrial revolution and provokes changes in child bearing behavior. The demographic transition follows from the mortality response to income and birth response to greater scale. The model is calibrated and simulated using historical data from Europe. Historical evidence is cited to support the idea that integration precedes the dramatic rise in economic growth rates.
Random Walks Associated with Non-Divergence Form Elliptic Equations

This paper is concerned with the study of the diffusion process associated with a nondivergence form elliptic operator in d dimensions, d≥2. The authors introduce a new technique for studying the diffusion, based on the observation that the probability of escape from a d−1 dimensional hyperplane can be explicitly calculated. They use the method to estimate the probability of escape from d−1 dimensional manifolds which are C 1, α , and also d−1 dimensional Lipschitz manifolds. To implement their method the authors study various random walks induced by the diffusion process, and compare them to the corresponding walks induced by Brownian motion.
The effect of exposure regimen and duration on benzene-induced bone marrow damage in mice. II. Strain comparisons involving B6C3F1, C57B1/6 and DBA/2 male mice.

Abstract In a companion paper (Luke et al., 1988), the effect of exposure duration and regimen on benzene induced-bone marrow damage was evaluated in male and female DBA/2 mice using the peripheral blood micronucleus assay. To assess the general applicability of the findings obtained for DBA/2 mice to other strains, similar studies were conducted using B6C3F1 and C57B1/6 male mice. An analysis of peripheral blood smears taken weekly from these mice exposed to 300 ppm benzene for 13 weeks (6 h per day) for either 5 days per week (Regimen 1) or for 3 days per week (Regimen 2) revealed: (i) a highly significant increase in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MN-PCE), the magnitude of which was strain specific (DBA/2 > C57B1/6 = B6C3F1), but independent of exposure regimen and, except for Regimen 2 B6C3F1 mice, of exposure duration. In male B6C3F1 mice, MN-PCE frequencies increased slightly with increasing exposure duration; (ii) a strain- (C57B1/6 = B6C3F1 > DBA/2) and regimen- (Regimen 1 > Regimen 2) dependent increase increase across time in the frequency of micronucleated normochromatic erythrocytes (MN-NCE). Apparent steady-state conditions for MN-NCE frequencies were attained by about 5 weeks of exposure in male mice of all three strains exposed to benzen by Regimen 2. Steady-state conditions for MN-NCE frequencies in male mice exposed to benzene by Regimen 1 did not occur during the duration of the study, with strain-dependent differences in the kinetics of MN-NCE accumulation being present; and (iii) in all 3 strains, an initial severe depression in the rate of erythropoiesis, the return of which to normal levels was both strain- (C57B1/6 = B6C3F1 > DBA/2) and regimen- (Regimen 1 > Regimen 2) dependent. These data indicate that the induction of genotoxic and cytotoxic damage in the bone marrow of male mice exposed to benzene for 13 weeks can be highly dependent on strain, exposure regimen and exposure duration but that under no circumstance did the level of genotoxic damage induced by benzene decrease under multiple exposure conditions.
The representation of agents: a study of phenomena in virtual environments

There is an increasing need for a robust emotion state model in human computer interaction, especially when naturalistic input, such as facial expression, is used. Existing cognitive models of emotion provide a starting point, but they are dependent upon phenomena which occur in the physical environment. Virtual environments present the human with qualitatively different phenomena. We investigated subjective, multidimensional responses and objective, facial responses to a set of 20 different phenomena or stimuli. This set of stimuli included caricatures and anthropomorphic forms typically used to represent agents in human interfaces. The stimuli were presented both static and dynamic forms. Subjects rated the anthropomorphic forms as having a higher degree of agency and intelligence. A variety of other interesting results were found relating to complexity, anthropomorphism, movement, and culture of the subject. These findings indicate that a substantially different emotion state model will have to be developed for human computer interaction. The findings provide practical heuristics for the design of "social" or agent-based interfaces.
Involvement of a vitronectin-like protein in attachment of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to carrot suspension culture cells.

Abstract Infections of dicotyledonous plants by Agrobacterium tumefaciens result in the formation of crown gall tumors. Attachment of the bacteria to plant host cells is required for tumor formation. Human vitronectin and antivitronectin antibodies both inhibited the binding of A. tumefaciens to carrot cells. Wild-type bacteria are able to bind radioactive vitronectin; nonattaching mutants showed a reduction in the ability to bind vitronectin. The binding of biotype 1 A. tumefaciens to carrot cells or to radioactive vitronectin was not affected by high ionic strength. Detergent extraction of carrot cells removed the receptor to which the bacteria bind. The extract was found to contain a vitronectin-like protein. These results suggest that A. tumefaciens utilizes a vitronectin-like protein on the plant cell surface as the receptor for its initial attachment to host cells.
A Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage

Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program This hospital is a teaching facility with a diverse population of families. It is the only free‐standing women's hospital in the state and averages 6200 births per year. Despite being a groundbreaker in many ways, the rate of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) was almost equal to the state and national averages. There was no standardized approach to the management of PPH, and with an increasing urgency to improve PPH outcomes, the nursing staff made the decision to make a change. The goals were to develop a PPH protocol, decrease the rate of PPH‐related transfusions, and decrease the number of PPH‐related adverse outcomes such as peripartum hysterectomies. When any of these events occur, often the length of stay increases as well. Proposed Change To implement a culture of safety and enhance interdepartmental teamwork. A team approach was needed to develop and utilize a standardized protocol. Although historically physicians and nurses did not participate in education together, educating all members of the health care team at the same time was essential. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation A focused, multidisciplinary team representing every clinical department in the hospital formed a PPH committee and was facilitated by nursing staff. Each member of the team took ownership by using the plan, do, check, act (PDCA) quality improvement methodology. The protocol was developed; didactic learning and 87 simulation classes took place with participation from more than 83% of the entire staff and physicians. The rate of PPH‐related transfusions decreased from 3.5% in 2009 to 2012 to 2.8% in 2014. Peripartum hysterectomies decreased from an average of 4.1/year in 2009 to 2012 to two in 2013 and two in 2014 year to date. Before participating in the simulation, the mean confidence level in identifying and managing a PPH was 2.6 ( N = 307) on a Likert‐type scale (1 = not confident at all , 4 = very confident ). One month after the simulation, 90% of the participants said they felt either confident or very confident. Implications for Nursing Practice Nurses can be the change agents in an environment that has not embraced a true team approach, but it takes well‐coordinated effort and physician champions. Nurses at the bedside can be empowered to initiate evidence‐based practice approaches to improve outcomes and the overall quality of life for mothers and their families.
Repensar a Educação Ambiental: Um Olhar Crítico

Atraves deste presente artigo, sera apresentado o tema Repensar a Educacao Ambiental: um olhar critico. A educacao ambiental e uma acao educativa que se desenvolve, atraves de uma pratica, em que valores e atitudes promovem um comportamento rumo a mudancas perante a realidade, tanto em seus aspectos naturais como sociais, desenvolvendo habilidades e atitudes necessarias para dita transformacao e emancipacao e assim resgatarmos o tratado de Educacao para Sociedades Sustentaveis e por novos valores que a educacao ambiental se propoe formar. O objetivo deste estudo e fazer com que as pessoas possam compreender a educacao ambiental critica e emancipatoria em seus compromissos com as lutas populares, com as instituicoes publicas e com a transformacao radical das relacoes sociais que definem nosso modo de ser na natureza. A metodologia utilizada foi um estudo bibliografico, exploratorio, de carater qualitativo. Como metodo de estudo foi utilizado o dedutivo.Palavras-chave: Educacao Ambiental, Sustentabilidade e Compromisso Social.ABSTRACTThrough this present article will show the theme Rethinking Environmental Education: a critical look. Environmental education is an educational activity that develops through practice, in which values and attitudes towards promoting behavior change in the face of reality, both natural and social aspects, developing skills and attitudes required for transformation and empowerment and told thus recovers the treaty of Education for Sustainable Societies and new values that environmental education is proposed to form. The aim of this study is to get people to understand the critical environmental education and emancipatory in its engagement with popular struggles, with public institutions and the transformation of social relations that define our way of being in nature. The methodology used was a literature search, exploratory, of qualitative character. As a study method was used deductive.Words-key: Environmental Education, Sustainability and Social Commitment.
Properties of ribosomal binding sites for phenylalanyl-transfer ribonucleic acid.

Abstract [14C]Phenylalanyl-tRNA bound to Escherichia coli ribosomes in the presence of poly U and varying levels of deacylated tRNA was isolated by adsorption to cellulose nitrate filters. The extent of binding of the radioisotope was inhibited by deacylated tRNA in a manner suggesting two binding sites for phenylalanyl-tRNA one sensitive to inhibition by deacylated tRNA and the other insensitive. The data did not fit a model that assumed identical sites with equal affinity for deacylated or acylated tRNA. Combinations of either tetracycline or streptomycin and deacylated tRNA gave additive inhibitions, while a mixture of both antibiotics did not produce a greater effect than either tested alone. Thus the antibiotics may inhibit the binding of phenylalanyl-tRNA at one type of ribosomal site, whereas deacylated tRNA may inhibit binding at the other.
Subsurface Growth of CoSi2 by Deposition of Co on Si-Capped CoSi2 Seed Regions

At a growth temperature of 800°C, Co deposited on Si (111) diffuses through a Si cap and exhibits oriented growth on buried CoSi2 grains, a process referred to as endotaxy. This occurs preferentially to surface nucleation of CoSi2 provided the thickness of the Si cap is less tfian a critical value between 100 and 200 nm for a deposition rate of 0.01 nm/s. Steady-state endotaxy is modeled under the assumption that the process is controlled by Co diffusion.
On the Center of the Enveloping Algebra of a Classical Simple Lie Superalgebra

0.1. Let g be a semisimple Lie algebra with Cartan subalgebra h , Weyl Ž . group W, and enveloping algebra U g . Several results illustrate the Ž . Ž . important role played by the center Z g of U g . First there is the Ž . Harish-Chandra homomorphism which shows that Spec Z g ( h*rW, Ž . and describes the action of Z g on highest weight modules. Next we w x recall the separation of variables Theorem of Kostant Ko; D, 8.2.4 which Ž . states that there is an ad g-invariant subspace K of U g such that the Ž . Ž . multiplication map K m Z g a U g is an isomorphism of ad g-modules. w Kostant’s theorem is a key ingredient in the proof of a result of Duflo D, x 8.4.3 stating that the annihilator of a Verma module is generated by its Ž . intersection with Z g . A version of the Harish-Chandra homomorphism has been given by Kac for basic classical simple Lie superalgebras. We recall the details in Subsection 1.1. The proof of Kostant’s theorem depends heavily on the fact that every finite dimensional g-module is completely reducible. By contrast if g is a simple Lie superalgebra, such that every finite dimensional g-module is completely reducible, then either g is a simple Lie algebra or g is an Ž . w orthosymplectic Lie superalgebra g s osp 1, 2 r for some r G 1 Sch, x Theorem 1, p. 239 . Ž . Ž . In this paper we show that for g s osp 1, 2 r we again have U g ( Ž . K m Z g for K ad-invariant. In addition if E is any finite dimensional
SAS: Source Asynchronous Signaling Protocol for Asynchronous Handshake Communication Free from Wire Delay Overhead

Asynchronous handshake protocol communication is accomplished by sending data down a communication link coupled with data validity information. Flow control is established by acknowledging the receipt of data, thereby enabling transmission of new data down the link. Handshake protocols operate at target cycle times based on system operational requirements. When the communication delay down wires increases beyond a certain point, the latency in sending the request and acknowledge signals across the link becomes longer than the target cycle time. This reduces the communication bandwidth below the desired value. This deleterious effect is particularly conspicuous on long links and network-on-chip communication. A method of enabling full communication bandwidth on wires with arbitrary delay when employing handshake communication is provided. This method supports end-to-end communication across links with arbitrarily large but finite latency without limiting the bandwidth, so long as line variation can be reliably controlled. This paper introduces the news AS protocol, provides an efficient implementation, and reports the resultant significant energy and bandwidth improvements over conventional handshaking methods.
Bayesian construction of geometrically based cortical thickness metrics.

Abstract This paper describes the construction of cortical metrics quantifying the probabilistic occurrence of gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid compartments in their correlation to the geometry of the neocortex as measured in 0.5–1.0 mm magnetic resonance imagery. These cortical profiles represent the density of the tissue types as a function of distance to the cortical surface. These metrics are consistent when generated across multiple brains indicating a fundamental property of the neocortex. Methods are proposed for incorporating such metrics into automated Bayes segmentation.
In retrospect: The Feynman Lectures on Physics

Rob Phillips celebrates the US physicist's seminal series as it nears its 50th anniversary.
Taming spatiotemporal chaos with disorder

DISORDERand noise in physical systems usually tend to destroy spatial and temporal regularity, but recent research into nonlinear systems provides intriguing counterexamples. In the phenomenon of stochastic resonance1, for example, the presence of noise improves the ability of some nonlinear systems to transfer information reliably. Noise can also remove chaos in a model oscillator2, and facilitate synchronization in an extended array of bistable elements3. Here we explore the use of disorder as a means to control spatiotemporal chaos4–8 in coupled arrays of forced, damped, nonlinear oscillators. Chaotic behaviour in spatially extended systems, especially in biology and physiology9,10, might be amenable to control, as occurs in lowdimensional temporally chaotic systems11,12. In our numerical experiments, one and twodimensional arrays of identical oscillators behave chaotically, but the introduction of slight, uncorrelated differences between the oscillators induces ordered motion characterized by complex but regular spatiotemporal patterns.
Effects of killed cover crop mulch on weeds, weed seeds, and herbivores

The feasibility of killed cover crop mulches as an alternative to methyl bromide fumigation was investigated in spring bell pepper and fall collard production by examining post-dispersal predation on weed seed, predation on beet armyworm larvae and pupae, percent weed cover, invertebrate activity, activity of red imported fire ant, and crop yield. In three experiments, 5047 weed seeds were removed from cover crop mulch plots compared to 1860 seeds from standard production plots, and within treatments, predation increased significantly with decreasing seed size. Predation of beet armyworm pupaewas 33% greater in cover crop mulch compared to conventional production plots. Fire ants were the main predator of weed seed and pest insects. In the two bell pepper experiments, weed cover per square meter was 31.8% less in standard production than in cover crop mulch plots. The mean number of invertebrates (other than fire ants) captured in pitfall traps was 5.8 � 0.1 plot � 1 versus 3.8 � 0.8 plot � 1 for cover crop and conventional treatments, respectively. There were 5734 fire ants captured in mulched cover crop plots compared to 1278 in conventional production plots. There was no significant difference in crop yield among treatments. The results suggest fire ants were more abundant where there was mulched cover and were important predators of weed seed and pest insects in killed cover crop plots and that cover crop mulches in summer pepper and fall collard production are potentially viable alternatives to black plastic mulch and soil fumigation. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The Use of Synthetic Mesh in Reconstructive, Revision, and Cosmetic Breast Surgery

Background Recent evidence suggests that the use of acellular dermal matrices in prosthetic breast reconstruction, revision, or augmentation may be associated with an increased risk of complications. In this article we report our results of a potential alternative, using a new long-term resorbable synthetic matrix in these cases. Methods A retrospective study was performed evaluating 11 primary breast reconstructions (19 breasts), 43 secondary reconstructions (77 breasts), 3 augmentation/augmentation mastopexys (6 breasts), and 5 mastopexys (10 breasts) in 62 patients using TIGR Matrix Surgical Mesh. Results Follow-up ranged from 9.4 to 26.1 months with an average follow-up of 16.5 months. Average age was 54 years. The number of patients who had prior radiation was 9 (14.5 %). Four patients (6.5 %) were smokers. Postoperative breast complications included necrosis of two flaps (1.8 %), two seromas requiring drainage (1.8 %), four infection/extrusions (3.6 %), two relapses of inframammary fold/malposition (1.8 %), and two with rippling (1.8 %). Other complications included six cases of asymmetry that required a corrective procedure. In a variety of breast surgery cases very good aesthetic results were achieved. Conclusion The long-term absorbable synthetic matrix, TIGR Matrix Surgical Mesh, shows potential when used as temporary reinforcement in patients undergoing breast reconstruction or breast surgery revisions and in primary aesthetic procedures, and it appears to be a viable alternative to the use of acellular dermal matrices. Level of Evidence IV This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266.