cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental observations of evolving yield loci in biaxially strained AA5754-O

Abstract Experimental measurement of the plastic biaxial mechanical response for an aluminum alloy (AA5754-O) sheet metal is presented. Traditional methods of multiaxial sheet metal testing require the use of finite element analysis (FEA) or other assumptions of material response to determine the multiaxial true stress versus true strain behavior of the as-received sheet material. The method used here strives to produce less ambiguous measurements of data for a larger strain range than previously possible, through a combination of the Marciniak flat bottom ram test and an X-ray diffraction technique for stress measurement. The study is performed in conjunction with a study of the microstructural changes that occur during deformation, and these microstructural results are briefly mentioned in this work. Issues of calibration and applicability are discussed, and results are presented for uniaxial (U), plane strain (PS), and balanced biaxial (BB) extension. The results show repeatable behavior (within quantified uncertainties) for U to 20%, PS to almost 15%, and BB to above 20% in-plane strains. The results are first compared with three common yield locus models (von Mises’, Hill’48, and Hosford’79), and show some unexpected results in the shape change of the yield locus at high strain levels (>5% strain). These changes include the rotation of the locus toward the von Mises surface and elongation in the balanced biaxial direction. Comparison with a more complex yield locus model (Yld2000-2d with eight adjustable parameters) showed that the locus elongation in the biaxial direction could be fit well (for a specific level of work), but at the detriment of fit to the plane strain data. Artificially large plastic strain ratios would be needed to match both the biaxial and plane strain behavior even with this more complex model.
Effect of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibition on distal embolization during percutaneous revascularization of aortocoronary saphenous vein grafts

Percutaneous treatment of narrowed aortocoronary saphenous vein graft disease represents a viable option for patients with recurrent angina following coronary artery bypass grafting. Present strategies are limited by high rates of distal embolization, non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and restenosis. Because these complications may be mediated by platelets, inhibition of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor, the final common pathway for aggregation, may improve clinical outcomes. In the Evaluation of IIb/IIIa platelet receptor antagonist 7E3 in Preventing Ischemic Complications (EPIC) trial, 2,099 patients undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary revascularization were randomized to receive abciximab bolus and infusion, abciximab bolus followed by placebo infusion or placebo. A total of 101 patients were treated for narrowing of saphenous vein grafts, 38 in the bolus and infusion group, 34 in the bolus group and 29 in the placebo group. Clinical end points included all-cause mortality, nonfatal AMI and need for repeat revascularization at 30 days. Compared with placebo, bolus and infusion therapy resulted in a significant reduction in distal embolization (2% vs 18%, p = 0.017) and a trend towards reduction in early large non-Q-wave AMI (2% vs 12%, p = 0.165). The occurrence of a 30-day composite end point was similar among the 3 treatment groups. At 6 months, there was also no difference in the composite end point. These results suggest that adjunctive therapy with abciximab during percutaneous treatment of narrowed saphenous vein grafts reduces the occurrence of distal embolization, and possibly non-Q-wave AMI.
A novel two microwave field ESR implemented by double field modulation

Abstract A theoretical and experimental study of the application of two microwave fields to the case of an inhomogeneously broadened electron spin resonance (ESR) line with neglect of spin diffusion is presented. The two microwave field ESR (TMFESR) may be implemented as a simple version of the double-modulation ESR method provided the modulation index is small. When applied to an inhomogeneously broadened ESR line, the technique yields a response whose width is twice the width of the spin packet. The E ′ defect in γ-irradiated vitreous silica was studied by TMFESR yielding a value of T 2 =23.6 μs, in agreement with time-domain ESR measurements.
Theory of Superconducting Contacts

The BCS theory of superconductivity is generalized to the case of a position-dependent energy gap (at the absolute zero of temperature and in the absence of magnetic fields). The BCS integral equation for the energy gap goes over into an integro-differential equation. The latter has nontrivial solutions (i.e., finite energy gap) even for the case of normal material ($V=0$). Expressions are obtained for the energy gap, for the volume energy density, and for the surface energy density at an interface, for both normal and superconducting material. These results are applied to a number of problems involving superconducting contacts. When a thin slice of normal material is sandwiched between bulk superconductors, it is found that the slice acts superconducting for thicknesses less than about ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ cm. When a thin slice of superconductor is sandwiched between bulk normal material, the slice acts like normal material for thicknesses less than about ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ cm. The energy gap at the free surface of a bulk superconductor may differ by as much as thirty percent from its constant value deep inside the material, the former being either larger or smaller than the latter, depending on the value of $N(0)V$, where $N(0)$ is the density of one-electron states of a given spin at the Fermi level in the normal metal.
Collective and single particle structure in Rh 103

High-spin states in /sup 103/Rh have been studied using the /sup 100/Mo(/sup 7/Li,4n..gamma..) reaction at 45 MeV. The in-beam techniques employed included relative ..gamma..-ray excitation functions, ..gamma..-..gamma.. coincidences, and ..gamma..-ray angular distribution measurements. Low-lying collective bands built on the 1g/sub 9/2/ and 2p/sub 1/2/ quasiproton states show large signature splitting. At higher excitation energies (2.346 and 3.399 MeV), two strong ..delta..I = 1 cascades are also observed with small signature splitting. These latter bands probably arise from three quasiparticle configurations. The one quasiparticle bands are interpreted within the framework of the axially symmetric rotor-plus-particle model with a variable moment of inertia, the generalized particle-asymmetric-rotor model, and the interacting boson-fermion model. High-spin features of /sup 103/Rh are compared with the predictions of the cranked shell model. All of the models indicate that /sup 103/Rh is a soft nucleus which exhibits shape coexistence.
Dimethyl fumarate in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: an overview

Multiple sclerosis (MS) shares an immune-mediated origin with psoriasis. Long-term safety and efficacy data generated in Europe from usage of fumaric acid formulations in the latter disease constituted grounds to investigate their effects in MS patients. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) was found to be the active principle in those formulations and in vitro studies have demonstrated that DMF has immune-modulatory properties exerted through abilities to divert cytokine production toward a Th2 profile, both on lymphocytes and microglial cells. More importantly, DMF was discovered to impact the anti-oxidative stress cell machinery promoting the transcription of genes downstream to the activation of the nuclear factor (erythroid derived 2)-like2 (NRF2). DMF exposure increases the cytosol concentrations of NRF2, which besides immune regulatory effects, has the potential for cytoprotection on glial cells, oligodendrocytes and neurons. Extensive and rigorous clinical trials have assessed the efficacy and safety of DMF at the dose of 240 mg twice and three times a day in relapsing-remitting MS patients during one phase IIb and two phase III trials. Robust, positive results were obtained across a number of clinical and paraclinical parameters. In one study (DEFINE), the relative reductions of the adjusted annualized relapse rate of the low and high dose regimens in comparison with placebo were 53% and 48%, respectively (p < 0.001 for both comparisons). In the other trial (CONFIRM), DMF decreased the annualized relapse rate in comparison with placebo by 44% in the lower and by 51% in higher dosage group (also p < 0.001). The number and size of lesions as detected by magnetic resonance imaging were also significantly decreased in comparison with the patients receiving DMF at every dosage. Multiple post hoc and subgroup analyses corroborated the clinical data, rendering DMF an appealing medication whose potential for impacting the degenerative aspects of MS remains to be explored.
Amphetamine recapitulates developmental programs in the zebrafish

Addictive drugs hijack the human brain's 'reward' systems. A zebrafish model of addiction has recently been used to query changes in gene expression during this process.
A behavior-based arm controller

The author presents a working, implemented controller for an actual mobile robot arm. The goal of the system is to locate and retrieve empty soda cans in an unstructured environment using a variety of local sensors. The controller, however, is not a centralized sequential program, but rather a collection of 15 independent behaviors. Each of these behaviors contains some grain of expertise concerning the collection task and cooperates with the others to accomplish its goal. These behaviors run concurrently, in real time, on a set of eight loosely coupled on-board 8-bit microprocessors. The author describes the methodology used to decompose the collection task and discusses the types of implicit spatial representation and reasoning used by the system. >
Molecular Mechanisms of Pulmonary Vascular Development

In this era of rapidly advancing vascular biology research, a vast array of growth factors and signaling molecules have been recognized as key players in the mechanisms that control lung vascular development. In the lung, vascular development is a complex, multistep process that includes specialization of primitive cells to vascular progenitors; formation of primitive vascular networks; remodeling with local regression and branching; specialization toward arteries, veins, and lymphatics; stabilization of vessels by matrix production and recruitment of supporting cells; and maintenance of the vascular structure. This complex, highly organized process requires exquisite orchestration of the regulatory activity of multiple molecules in a specific temporospatial order. Most of these molecules are members of 3 major growth factor families that have been recently identified. They are the vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin, and ephrin families. Understanding the functional reach of several members of these growth factor families is integral to an appreciation of the etiology and pathogenesis of developmental lung vascular disorders affecting newborns. This review summarizes recent advances in the molecular bases of lung vascular development and some of the pulmonary diseases resulting from aberrant vascular growth, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, alveolar capillary dysplasia, congenital cystic pulmonary disorders, congenital pulmonary hemangiomatosis, and lung hypoplasia.
Works of Illness and the Challenges of Social Risk and the Specter of Pain in the Lived Experience of TMD

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) represent a particular form of chronic pain that, while not outwardly debilitating, profoundly impacts interactions as fundamental to human existence as smiling, laughing, speaking, eating, and intimacy. Our analysis, informed by an expanded "works of illness" assessment, draws attention to work surrounding social and physical risk. We refer to these as the work of stoicism and the work of vigilance and identify double binds created in contexts that call for both. Conflicting authorial stances in informants' narratives are shown to be essential in maintaining a positive identity in the face of illness. While earlier ethnographic studies report TMD sufferers' experience of stigma and search for diagnosis and legitimacy, we present a group of individuals who have accepted diagnosis at face value and soldier through pain as a fundamental aspect of their identity.
Homopolymerization and [2 + 4]/[3 + 2] cycloaddition in the reaction of nitroethylene with vinyl ethers

The reaction of nitroethylene with isobutyl vinyl ether was reinvestigated. In agreement with the report of Kushibiki, Irie, and Hayashi (J Polym Sci Polym Chem Ed 1975, 13, 77), cycloaddition accompanied the anionic homopolymerization of nitroethylene. However, the cycloadduct was not a cyclobutane but a bicyclic oxazolidine, in keeping with the more recent report by Denmark and Hurd (J Org Chem 1998, 63, 3045). Cycloaddition accompanied by the anionic homopolymerization of nitroethylene was general for a series of vinyl and silyl ethers. Mechanistically, the cycloadducts formed by a cis–syn concerted approach of the reactants, whereas a trans–anti approach gave a zwitterionic tetramethylene that initiated anionic homopolymerization. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1886–1891, 2001
Fibrinogen and the albumin-globulin ratio in recurrent stroke

In following patients initially recruited for a cross-sectional study of blood viscosity in ischemic cerebrovascular disease, it was noted that those having a low albumin-globulin ratio appeared to experience the majority of subsequent vascular events. Accordingly, a prospective study in which subjects were assigned to a high or low albumin-globulin cohort was undertaken to examine the relation between a low albumin-globulin ratio, the presence of clinical risk factors for stroke, and the occurrence of subsequent stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death.Three groups of subjects were followed for an average of 1.5 +/- 0.8 years to ascertain vascular end points. Group 1 consisted of 126 patients with acute ischemic stroke; group 2 included 109 subjects matched with group 1 for age, medications, and recognized clinical risk factors for stroke; and group 3 was composed of 84 healthy volunteers, matched for age with groups 1 and 2. The median albumin-globulin ratio for group 1 at enrollment, 1.45, was ...
A CMOS low-noise and low-power charge sampling integrated circuit for capacitive detector/sensor interfaces

This paper describes the design and experimental results of a multichannel calibrationless charge sampling integrated circuit for capacitive detector/sensor interfaces. The integrated circuit incorporates multiple channels of sensitive charge preamplifiers, current/charge-mode amplifiers, pipelined analog storage cells, A/D converters, and static CMOS digital control circuitry. It is implemented in a 1.2 /spl mu/m single-poly double-metal CMOS p-well technology. The power dissipation is 1 mW/channel. The input-referred equivalent noise charge (ENC) for a detector/sensor source capacitance of 30 pF and an integration time window of 128 ns is 1800 rms electrons. The input-referred channel-to-channel offset variation from chip to chip is only 292 rms electrons while the storage-cell-to-storage-cell offset variation is 142 rms electrons. The channel-to-channel gain variation from chip to chip is 1.6%. >
Pavlovian processes do mediate control of the “advance” response strategy ☆

Abstract Two parallel experiments used pigeons in a transfer of control design to determine the basis of the transfer of the use of the “advance strategy” across successive discriminations ( W. K. Honig & H. Lindsay, Learning and Motivation, 1975 , 6, 157–178). Pigeons were first trained under instrumental contingencies to use an “advance” response to maximize their exposure to SD and minimize their exposure to SΔ. Then orthogonal stimuli (key lights in Experiment 1 and diffuse illuminations in Experiment 2) were independently established through separate discriminative Pavlovian procedures as CS+ and CS− or as CSo's. Later in special tests, it was demonstrated that the associative values of the Pavlovian CS's were a major factor governing the use of the advance strategy: only pigeons exposed to CS+ CS− used the advance response to regulate their exposure to either CS. Although these experiments showed that the necessary and sufficient conditions for utilization of the advance strategy are the Pavlovian associative values of the discriminative stimuli, opportunity for differential “operant” responding during the discriminative stimuli seems to be a contributor to the optimal use of the advance response across successive discriminations.
An Overview of Cyberbullying in Higher Education.

Bullying is a social problem. The proliferation of electronic technology has provided a new forum for bullies to harm victims. That is, bullies can transmit harmful text messages, photos, or video over the Internet and other digital communication devices to victims. This malpractice of technology-oriented phenomenon known as cyberbullying has become a social problem. College students who have been cyberbullied have committed suicide, dropped out, or endured torment while in school. This article provides an overview of cyberbullying among adults in higher education and an examination of the current status of state and federal laws that may serve as deterrents to cyberbullying.
The A Wave of the Apexcardiogram and Left Ventricular Diastolic Stiffness

This study was made to determine whether the A wave of the apexcardiogram (ACG), a reflection of the late diastolic response of the left ventricle to atrial systole, corresponded in a quantifiable way to left ventricular late diastolic stiffness (LVDS). Using a combined ultrasonic and hemodynamic technique, the slope of the late diastolic left ventricular pressure/diameter relationship (ΔP/ΔD) was calculated in 25 patients and used as a measure of effective LVDS. Most patients had valvular heart disease, all were in sinus rhythm and none had regional abnormalities of contraction. An ACG was recorded in all and the ratio of the size of the A wave to the total amplitude of the ACG wave (A/H) was calculated. When A/H was more than 11%, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the presence of a fourth heart sound were the rule in the group of patients studied. Using A/H as an independent variable, correlation coefficients were obtained for ΔP, ΔD, ΔP/ΔD, left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and left...
Blasts from elderly acute myeloid leukemia patients are characterized by low levels of culture- and drug-induced apoptosis.

Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that the biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may differ between older and younger patients, with a higher incidence of antecedent myelodysplasia, unfavorable cytogenetic abnormalities, and multidrug resistance seen in the elderly. Abrogation of apoptosis in response to cytotoxic medications is associated with drug resistance in AML, as is expression of bcl-2, an important anti-apoptotic protein. We hypothesized that blasts from elderly (≥55 years) and young adult AML patients might have different levels of apoptotic and cell cycle responses to chemotherapeutic agents, as well as different levels of proliferation and of bcl-2 protein expression. Therefore, we cultured bone marrow leukemia samples from previously untreated elderly (n=33) and young (n=21) AML patients for 48 h and then measured apoptosis, bcl-2 protein levels, cell cycle distributions, and expression of a proliferation marker, proliferating cellular nuclear antigen (PCNA) in multi-parametric flow cytometry assays. In some experiments, leukemia samples were exposed to cytarabine (Ara-C) or daunomycin (DNR) for the last 16–18 h of the culture period. In comparison to samples from young patients, cultured samples from elderly AML patients had a higher fraction of viable cells, as measured by Trypan blue exclusion, higher PCNA expression, and significantly less culture-induced and drug-induced apoptosis. The mean apoptosis after culture was 13% for elderly AML samples, versus 20% for young AML samples (P=0.009). Similarly, the mean apoptosis after Ara-C was lower in elderly than in young AML samples, 13 versus 28% (P=0.001), as was the mean apoptosis after DNR, 15 versus 26% (P=0.012). Diminished apoptotic responses in elderly AML cells were not consistently associated with high bcl-2 levels at thaw or bcl-2 levels increased by culture. These data suggest that new therapies should be developed to overcome abrogated apoptosis, particularly in elderly AML patients.
Explaining the Spectral Red-Edge Features of Inundated Marsh Vegetation

ABSTRACT Turpie, K.R., 2013. Explaining the spectral red-edge features of inundated marsh vegetation. In a previously published experiment, canopy reflectance spectrum was measured for three monospecific canopies as water level was artificially increased. As the water rose, spectral features appeared that could not be explained by the experimenters. To better understand their published results, a combination of a shallow-water reflectance model and a canopy reflectance model was used to simulate the spectral effects observed with increasing levels of inundation. Information from the Lee shallow water, in particular, helped explain the key spectral features observed during high water levels. However, the simulation results also suggested interesting implications regarding the nonlinear mixing of water and vegetation reflection spectra as found in marsh or other flooded canopies. As water level increases, the influence of leaf reflectance below the water's surface changes the characteristics of the backgrou...
Greedy adaptive measurements with signal and measurement noise

We examine greedy adaptive measurement policies in the context of a linear Gaussian measurement model with an information-based optimization criterion. We provide sufficient conditions under which the greedy policy is optimal in the sense of maximizing the net information gain. We also discuss an example where the greedy policy is not optimal.
Minimum-Energy Output Transitions for Linear Discrete-Time Systems: Flexible Structure Applications

This paper finds minimum-energy inputs to change the position of an output point, on a flexible structure, from one value to another. Current methods transform the output-transition problem into a state-to-state transition problem by constraining the initial and final states of the output transition, for example, to be rest (rigid-body) configurations of the flexible structure. However, the choice of the initial and final states can be ad hoc, and the resulting output-transition cost (input energy) might not be minimum. The contribution of this paper is the direct solution of the optimal output-transition problem; the problem is posed and solved for general linear discrete-time systems. The novelty of the proposed approach is that inputs are not applied just during the output-transition time interval; rather, inputs are also applied outside the output-transition time interval, that is, before the beginning of and after the end of the output-transition time interval. (These inputs are called pre- and postactuation.) The implications of using pre- and postactuation are illustrated by using an example of discrete-time flexible structure model, which consists of a flexible rod connecting two masses. Simulation results are presented, which show substantial reduction of output-transition costs with the use of the proposed method when compared to the use of the standard state-to-state transition approach.
Interpretation of ANA Indirect Immunofluorescence Test Outside the Darkroom Using NOVA View Compared to Manual Microscopy

Objective. To evaluate NOVA View with focus on reading archived images versus microscope based manual interpretation of ANA HEp-2 slides by an experienced, certified medical technologist. Methods. 369 well defined sera from: 44 rheumatoid arthritis, 50 systemic lupus erythematosus, 35 scleroderma, 19 Sjogren’s syndrome, and 10 polymyositis patients as well as 99 healthy controls were examined. In addition, 12 defined sera from the Centers for Disease Control and 100 random patient sera sent to ARUP Laboratories for ANA HEp-2 IIF testing were included. Samples were read using the archived images on NOVA View and compared to results obtained from manual reading. Results. At a 1 : 40/1 : 80 dilution the resulting comparison demonstrated 94.8%/92.9% positive, 97.4%/97.4% negative, and 96.5%/96.2% total agreements between manual IIF and NOVA View archived images. Agreement of identifiable patterns between methods was 97%, with PCNA and mixed patterns undetermined. Conclusion. Excellent agreements were obtained between reading archived images on NOVA View and manually on a fluorescent microscope. In addition, workflow benefits were observed which need to be analyzed in future studies.
A Multifrequency ESR Study of the Complex Dynamics of Membranes

A combined 250 and 9 GHz ESR study was performed on membrane vesicles composed of pure lipid (DPPC) and of DPPC:cholesterol in a 1:1 molar ratio using the end chain labeled lipid, 16-PC. It is shown that the 250 GHz spectra represent a “fast time-scale” such that the overall restricted motion of the lipid in the membrane is frozen out, but it is sensitive to the internal dynamics of the end chain. The 9 GHz spectra are, however, sensitive to the overall motion as well. This combined study thus permitted the separation of both types of motion. It is shown that the addition of cholesterol has a large effect on the end chain dynamics by restricting its motion while increasing motional rates, whereas its effects on the overall lipid motion are modest. This leads to a clearer characterization of the dynamic structure of the cholesterol-rich liquid-ordered phase as compared to the liquid crystalline phase. This study thus shows the significant potential of a multifrequency ESR approach to the complex dynamics o...
Effects of Chromatin-Modifying Agents on CD34+ Cells from Patients with Idiopathic Myelofibrosis

Idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM) is likely the consequence of both the acquisition of genetic mutations and epigenetic changes that silence critical genes that control cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. We have explored the effects of the sequential treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, decitabine [5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5azaD)], followed by the histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), on the behavior of IM CD34+ cells. Unlike normal CD34+ cells where 5azaD/TSA treatment leads to the expansion of CD34+ cells and marrow-repopulating cells, treatment of IM CD34+ cells results in a reduction of the number of total cells, CD34+ cells, and assayable hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC). In IM, HPCs are either heterozygous or homozygous for the JAK2V617F mutation or possess wild-type JAK2 in varying proportions. Exposure of IM CD34+ cells to 5azaD/TSA resulted in a reduction of the proportion of JAK2V617F-positive HPCs in 83% of the patients studied and the reduction in the proportion of homozygous HPCs in 50% of the patients. 5azaD/TSA treatment led to a dramatic reduction in the number of HPCs that contained chromosomal abnormalities in two JAK2V617F-negative IM patients. IM is characterized by constitutive mobilization of HPCs, which has been partly attributed to decreased expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4. Treatment of IM CD34+ cells with 5azaD/TSA resulted in the up-regulation of CXCR4 expression by CD34+ cells and restoration of their migration in response to SDF-1. These data provide a rationale for sequential therapy with chromatin-modifying agents for patients with IM. [Cancer Res 2007;67(13):6417–24]
Determining the Evidence in the Perioperative Environment: Standardizing Research Process Tools for Conducting the Integrative Literature Review

The foundation for evidence-based decision making has been established in the perioperative environment, but the ongoing challenge for perioperative nurses is to validate, modify, or develop practice guidelines that support evidence-based practice. To accomplish these tasks successfully, perioperative nurses must be well versed in the research and literature review processes and must understand the underlying principles of rigor and replicability when determining the evidence using published literature. The purpose of this article is to outline an identifying, organizing, and synthesizing strategy for determining the evidence, using the integrative research review and a standard set of research process tools designed to address issues related to rigor and replication.
Vascular disorders in athletes

Athletes rarely present with symptoms or clinical findings suggestive of vascular disease. However, vascular etiologies should be considered when an athlete complains of persistent symptoms which are refractory to conservative therapies commonly used for presumed musculoskeletal injuries. A comprehensive history should be performed, with special consideration to the postures the athlete assumes repeatedly during their chosen sport. Musculoskeletal anatomy surrounding the vascular bed of interest should be thoroughly reviewed. Physical examination should include provocative maneuvers specific to the suspected vascular disorder. The proper use of noninvasive diagnostic studies, including duplex ultrasonography, computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), along with catheter-based angiography, when indicated, can ensure prompt diagnosis. Appropriate, multifaceted treatment of an athlete affected by a vascular disorder can facilitate an expeditious return to previous levels of activity.
A Scalable Wavelet Transform VLSI Architecture for Real-Time Signal Processing in High-Density Intra-Cortical Implants

This paper describes an area and power-efficient VLSI approach for implementing the discrete wavelet transform on streaming multielectrode neurophysiological data in real time. The VLSI implementation is based on the lifting scheme for wavelet computation using the symmlet4 basis with quantized coefficients and integer fixed-point data precision to minimize hardware demands. The proposed design is driven by the need to compress neural signals recorded with high-density microelectrode arrays implanted in the cortex prior to data telemetry. Our results indicate that signal integrity is not compromised by quantization down to 5-bit filter coefficient and 10-bit data precision at intermediate stages. Furthermore, results from analog simulation and modeling show that a hardware-minimized computational core executing filter steps sequentially is advantageous over the pipeline approach commonly used in DWT implementations. The design is compared to that of a B-spline approach that minimizes the number of multipliers at the expense of increasing the number of adders. The performance demonstrates that in vivo real-time DWT computation is feasible prior to data telemetry, permitting large savings in bandwidth requirements and communication costs given the severe limitations on size, energy consumption and power dissipation of an implantable device.
Clique Minors in Graphs and Their Complements

A graph H is a minor of a graph G if H can be obtained from a subgraph of G by contracting edges. Let t?1 be an integer, and let G be a graph on n vertices with no minor isomorphic to Kt+1. Kostochka conjectures that there exists a constant c=c(t) independent of G such that the complement of G has a minor isomorphic to Ks, where s=?12(1+1/t)n?c?. We prove that Kostochka's conjecture is equivalent to the conjecture of Duchet and Meyniel that every graph with no minor isomorphic to Kt+1 has an independent set of size at least n/t. We deduce that Kostochka's conjecture holds for all integers t?5, and that a weaker form with s replaced by s?=?12(1+1/(2t))n?c? holds for all integers t?1.
Aesthetic and Functional Outcomes of Dacryoadenopexy

Forty patients underwent bilateral lacrimal gland suspension concomitant with upper and lower lid blepharoplasty. All surgery was performed by the same surgeon (BG). Twenty-eight (70%) patients were available for a mean follow-up period of 19.9 months, and 12 (30%) patients were available only for an early follow-up period (mean = 3.6 months). Of the 40 patients, 20 underwent both preoperative and postoperative Schirmer's testing. Two patients exhibited “dry eye” symptoms preoperatively. Two (5%) patients had epiphora develop postoperatively, which resolved spontaneously and six (15%) patients complained of “dry eyes,” four of whom had complete resolution of their symptoms within 6 months postoperatively. Only two (5%) patients had persistent mild “dry eye” symptoms. Overall, 38 (95%) of the 40 patients were asymptomatic at their final follow-up evaluations. A correlation between Schirmer's scores and patients’ symptoms could not be established. No recurrences of lacrimal gland prolapse were found in any of the 28 patients who were available for long-term follow-up.
Typification of Himalayan Taxa of Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

Abstract. The type status of 146 names of Himalayan taxa is discussed, of which the lectotypes of 133 names are designated here for the first time, including a few that were incompletely lectotypified due to the existence of more than one sheet in the institution where the type was said to be. These 133 species and infraspecfic names were originally described in the genera Arabis (15), Chorispora (4), Cochlearia (4), Dilophia (2), Draba (64), Ermania (2), Erysimum (5), Eutrema (4), Nasturtium (3), Sisymbrium (9), and Thlaspi (2). In addition, lectotypes are designated for one name each in the 15 other genera: Barbarea, Brassica, Capsella, Cardamine, Cheiranthus, Dipoma, Goldbachia, Hemilophia, Hutchinsia, Lepidostemon, Martinella, Megacarpaea, Microsisymbrium, Sinapis, and Sophiopsis. The type status of 13 additional names in Arabis (1), Buchingera (1), Draba (8), Erysimum (2), Parlatoria (1), Parrya (2), Sisymbrium (1), and Torularia (1) are discussed.
Accountability in the 2015 Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health.

Julian Schweitzer describes the steps taken to ensure accountability in the 2015 Global Strategy and why it is important to success
Two Practical Rhetorical Structure Theory Parsers

We describe the design, development, and API for two discourse parsers for Rhetorical Structure Theory. The two parsers use the same underlying framework, but one uses features that rely on dependency syntax, produced by a fast shift-reduce parser, whereas the other uses a richer feature space, including both constituent- and dependency-syntax and coreference information, produced by the Stanford CoreNLP toolkit. Both parsers obtain state-of-the-art performance, and use a very simple API consisting of, minimally, two lines of Scala code. We accompany this code with a visualization library that runs the two parsers in parallel, and displays the two generated discourse trees side by side, which provides an intuitive way of comparing the two parsers.
Reactions between /sup 20/Ne and nickel

Charge, energy, and angular distributions of products from reactions between /sup 20/Ne and Ni have been measured at 164 MeV. The total reaction cross section inferred from the quarter-point of the elastic scattering data is 2010 mb. Products with 6 < or = Z < or = 20 account for 30% of the total reaction cross section. The evaporation residue cross section was also measured and found to be 1236 mb, or 63% of the total cross section. Products with atomic number near that of the projectile have angular distributions which increase in the forward direction and have energy spectra characteristic of both quasielastic and deeply inelastic events. Products with atomic numbers greater than 14 show an angular distribution dsigma/d..cap omega.. proportional 1/sinsigma/sub c.m./ and have kinetic energies that are characteristic of Coulomb repulsion following binary fission, indicating that complete damping has occurred. However, the yield near Z = 19 is low, and thus symmetric fission, if present at all, accounts for a rather small fraction of the total reaction cross section.
Occupational Needs and Goals of Survivors of Domestic Violence

This study's purpose was to describe the occupational needs and goals of women residing in a domestic violence shelter and their self-perceived changes in satisfaction and occupational performance. Using a retrospective design, data from 68 occupational therapy evaluations from two domestic violence shelter settings were examined. Data were analyzed by coding problem areas and occupational goals and calculating frequencies for these variables. Where data were available, we also analyzed changes in pre- and postscores for self-perceived satisfaction and occupational performance (n = 25). The most common problem areas were leisure, education, work, child rearing, and health management. The most common goals were in the areas of education, work, health management, child rearing, and home management. Retrospective pre- and postchange scores in performance and satisfaction for 25 women were statistically significant. Findings provide direction for, and highlight the importance of occupational therapy services within domestic violence shelters as women regain their life skills.
Ca2+-ionophore-induced microvilli and cortical contractions inXenopus eggs. Evidence for involvement of actomyosin

Using scanning electron microscopy, we show that the calcium ionophore A23187 has a profound effect on the surface morphology ofXenopus laevis eggs. The response to ionophore can be interpreted with respect to animal/vegetal polarity and the presence of an asymmetrically organized actomyosin-based contractile system in the egg cortex. When incubated in ionophore, the egg cortex contracts, pigment granules move towards the animal pole, and microvilli increase dramatically in size. While at first overall microvilli density decreases, many additional microvilli appear later in the animal hemisphere but not in the vegetal hemisphere. Eggs incubated in high concentrations of A23187 undergo the same surface changes at a faster rate, and rupture due to a massive cortical contraction. Local application of ionophore to the egg surface results in increased microvilli size and density in that area, with the animal hemisphere showing the greatest response. Since the effects of ionophore are inhibited by the actomyosin probe, N-ethylmaleimide-modified heavy meromyosin, actomyosin is implicated in the ionophore-induced surface changes.
STUDY ON MAGNETIC SEPARATION OF IRON BEARING STEELMAKING DUST

The experiment of magnetic separation of steelmaking dust bearing iron was conducted with different separation time and field strength.An optimal technology was obtained.
A Study on Synergy in Acquisition and Merger of Enterprises and the Related Value Judgment

The synergy valuation research in A M can be launched after the event or before it. Based on DCF model, the paper gives an analysis on how to make the study before A M, and then points out some problems to be solved.
Age-Related Reduction of Recovery Sleep and Arousal Threshold in Drosophila.

Study objectives Physiological studies show that aging affects both sleep quality and quantity in humans, and sleep complaints increase with age. Along with knowledge about the negative effects of poor sleep on health, understanding the enigmatic relationship between sleep and aging is important. Because human sleep is similar to Drosophila (fruit fly) sleep in many ways, we addressed the effects of aging on sleep in this model organism. Methods Baseline sleep was recorded in five different Drosophila genotypes raised at either 21°C or 25°C. The amount of sleep recovered was then investigated after a nighttime of sleep deprivation (12 h) and after chronic sleep deprivation (3 h every night for multiple nights). Finally, the effects of aging on arousal, namely, sensitivity to neuronal and mechanical stimuli, were studied. Results We show that fly sleep is affected by age in a manner similar to that of humans and other mammals. Not only do older flies of several genotypes have more fragmented sleep and reduced total sleep time compared to young flies, but older flies also fail to recover as much sleep after sleep deprivation. This suggests either lower sleep homeostasis and/or a failure to properly recover sleep. Older flies also show a decreased arousal threshold, i.e., an increased response to neuronal and mechanical wake-promoting stimuli. The reduced threshold may either reflect or cause the reduced recovery sleep of older flies compared to young flies after sleep deprivation. Conclusions Further studies are certainly needed, but we suggest that the lower homeostatic sleep drive of older flies causes their decreased arousal threshold.
The Principle of Necessary Means

Thus far we have found that the principle of respect for persons supports four principles of legal coercion: the harm principle, the principle of paternalism, the principle of community, and the welfare principle. These principles are primary principles, while the principle of necessary means is a secondary principle. Primary principles are those which specify the aims which make the use of legal coercion acceptable or unacceptable; secondary principles are ones which qualify the application of primary principles.
Optimization of amino acid thioesters as inhibitors of metallo-β-lactamase L1.

Abstract The emergence of antibiotic resistance caused by metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs) is a global public health problem. Recently, we found amino acid thioesters to be a highly promising scaffold for inhibitors of the MβL L1. In order to optimize this series of inhibitors, nine new amino acid thioesters were developed by modifying the substituents on the N-terminus of the thioesters and the groups representing the amino acid side chain. Biological activity assays indicate that all of them are very potent inhibitors of L1 with an IC50 value range of 20–600 nM, lower than those of most of the previously reported inhibitors of this scaffold. Analysis of structure–activity relationship reveals that big hydrophobic substituents on the N-terminus and a methionine amino acid side chain improves inhibitory activity of the thioesters. All these inhibitors are able to restore antibacterial activity of a β-lactam antibiotic against Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells producing L1 to that against E. coli cells lacking a β-lactamase. Docking studies reveal that a large N-terminal hydrophobic group results in a slightly different binding mode than smaller hydrophobic groups at the same position.
Grazing behavior and production characteristics among cows differing in residual feed intake while grazing late season Idaho rangeland.

The objectives were to determine whether cows previously classified during a postweaning test as either low or high residual feed intake (LRFI or HRFI) differed in BW, BCS, and winter grazing activity while consuming poor-quality forage. Thirty Hereford × Angus (LRFI = 16; HRFI = 14) 2-yr-old mid- to late-gestation cows (pregnant with second calf) grazed sagebrush steppe for 78 d beginning 29 September 2015. BW and BCS were collected before and after grazing. Five cows of each RFI classification were fitted with global positioning system (GPS) collars on 16 November 2015 with data collection commencing 3 d later and continuing for 25 d in a 323-ha pasture. The GPS units collected location coordinates every 2 min from which total daily travel distance (DTD) was calculated. Visual counts for bite rate were obtained from collared cows over 8 d. Coordinate data, daily bite rate, BW, and BCS were analyzed as repeated measures using a mixed model, which included RFI group, day, and RFI group × day as fixed effects and cow within RFI group as the random effect. Change in BW and BCS was analyzed by ANOVA with RFI group as the main effect. Cow BCS and BW differed for both day (P 0.21) by RFI for DTD or bite rate, but day was significant (P < 0.0001) with cows increasing bite rate as the season of year progressed (55.2 ± 5.63 bites/min for day 4 vs. 84.8 ± 5.32 bites/min for day 21) and increasing DTD as snow storms occurred. Although LRFI cows were leaner than HRFI cows at the commencement of the project, they lost less BW in a late season rangeland environment.
Lauren Histologic Type Is the Most Important Factor Associated With Pattern of Recurrence Following Resection of Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Objective:To examine sites of initial recurrence in patients after resection of gastric and gastroesophageal junction Siewert II/III adenocarcinoma (GA).Background:There are few recent studies on recurrence for Western patients following potentially curative resection of GA.Methods:A review of a pro
Antibody-Based Therapy for Enterococcal Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections

ABSTRACT Gram-positive bacteria in the genus Enterococcus are a frequent cause of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), a disease whose treatment is increasingly challenged by multiantibiotic-resistant strains. We have recently shown that E. faecalis uses the Ebp pilus, a heteropolymeric surface fiber, to bind the host protein fibrinogen as a critical step in CAUTI pathogenesis. Fibrinogen is deposited on catheters due to catheter-induced inflammation and is recognized by the N-terminal domain of EbpA (EbpA NTD ), the Ebp pilus’s adhesin. In a murine model, vaccination with EbpA NTD confers significant protection against CAUTI. Here, we explored the mechanism of protection using passive transfer of immune sera to show that antisera blocking EbpA NTD -fibrinogen interactions not only is prophylactic but also can act therapeutically to reduce bacterial titers of an existing infection. Analysis of 55 clinical CAUTI, bloodstream, and gastrointestinal isolates, including E. faecalis, E. faecium, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), revealed a diversity of levels of EbpA expression and fibrinogen-binding efficiency in vitro . Strikingly, analysis of 10 strains representative of fibrinogen-binding diversity demonstrated that, irrespective of EbpA levels, EbpA NTD antibodies were universally protective. The results indicate that, despite diversity in levels of fibrinogen binding, strategies that target the disruption of EbpA NTD -fibrinogen interactions have considerable promise for treatment of CAUTI. IMPORTANCE Urinary catheterization is a routine medical procedure, and it has been estimated that 30 million Foley catheters are used annually in the United States. Importantly, placement of a urinary catheter renders the patient susceptible to developing a catheter-associated urinary tract infection, accounting for 1 million cases per year. Additionally, these infections can lead to serious complications, including bloodstream infection and death. Enterococcus strains are a common cause of these infections, and management of enterococcal infections has been more difficult in recent years due to the development of antibiotic resistance and the ability of strains to disseminate, resulting in a major threat in hospital settings. In this study, we developed an antibiotic-sparing treatment that is effective against diverse enterococcal isolates, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci, during catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
Test-tube fusion: reality or delusion?

Unless you were away from the planet in March 1989, you learned of the dramatic press conference in which B S Pons and M Fleischmann declared: "We have sustained a controlled nuclear fusion reaction by means which are considerably simpler than conventional." Thus, test-tube fusion was thrust upon an anxious, energy-hungry world.