cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor redistribution in the dorsal root ganglia correlates with neuropathic pain inhibition after resiniferatoxin treatment

Abstract Background context Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its cognate receptor, the tyrosine kinase B (TrkB), are normally expressed in neurons and implicated in multiple pathological conditions. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is produced in the central nervous system microglia in response to noxious stimuli and appear to potentiate central sensitization. Resiniferatoxin (RTX) is an excitotoxic agonist of the vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1), a cation channel protein considered an integrator for nociception. Resiniferatoxin, administered into the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), selectively eliminates the VR1-positive neurons and improves tactile allodynia in a neuropathic pain rat model. Purpose The goal of the present study was to evaluate the role of BDNF in RTX-induced neuropathic pain suppression. Study design The study design was a sciatic nerve injury animal model with intraganglionic RTX injection. Methods Resiniferatoxin was injected into the DRG of the L3–L6 spinal nerves after the rats displayed tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia produced by a photochemical injury to the sciatic nerve. Behavioral testing and immunohistochemical and mRNA analysis of the DRG were performed to determine BDNF's role in pain modulation. Results Brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in the DRG of neuropathic rats was upregulated in the small- and medium-size neurons, whereas the upregulation was observed in the large-size neurons of non-neuropathic rat DRG. A high-dose RTX injection in the DRG of neuropathic rats led to elimination of both thermal hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia and also upregulated BDNF in the large-size neurons, similar to the nonallodynic rats. Tyrosine kinase B changes mirrored the BDNF ones. Conclusion Resiniferatoxin injection in the DRG of neuropathic rats upregulates BDNF expression in the same pattern as in the large-size neurons of non-neuropathic rats. Therefore, BDNF upregulation may have pain suppressive effects. These effects are likely mediated by TrkB.
Proteasome and p97 mediate mitophagy and degradation of mitofusins induced by Parkin

Damage to mitochondria can lead to the depolarization of the inner mitochondrial membrane, thereby sensitizing impaired mitochondria for selective elimination by autophagy. However, fusion of uncoupled mitochondria with polarized mitochondria can compensate for damage, reverse membrane depolarization, and obviate mitophagy. Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is mutated in monogenic forms of Parkinson’s disease, was recently found to induce selective autophagy of damaged mitochondria. Here we show that ubiquitination of mitofusins Mfn1 and Mfn2, large GTPases that mediate mitochondrial fusion, is induced by Parkin upon membrane depolarization and leads to their degradation in a proteasome- and p97-dependent manner. p97, a AAA+ ATPase, accumulates on mitochondria upon uncoupling of Parkin-expressing cells, and both p97 and proteasome activity are required for Parkin-mediated mitophagy. After mitochondrial fission upon depolarization, Parkin prevents or delays refusion of mitochondria, likely by the elimination of mitofusins. Inhibition of Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission, the proteasome, or p97 prevents Parkin-induced mitophagy.
Staining‐destaining tube for polyacrylamide disc gels

An 18 × 150 mm test tube in whose sides 3–5 mm holes have been blown is described. This tube(s) offers an economical alternative to commercially available staining-destaining apparatus for polyacrylamide disc gels.
Bond strength for orthodontic brackets contaminated by blood: composite versus resin-modified glass ionomer cements.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the shear bond strengths of a self-cured glass ionomer versus composite cement for bonding of stainless steel buttons with various enamel surface and setting conditions. Materials and Methods: Stainless steel orthodontic buttons were bonded using composite material under 3 different enamel and setting conditions: 1) conditioned and dry enamel surface, 2) conditioned and precontamination of the enamel surface with blood before bonding, 3) conditioned and immediate blood contamination postbonding and were compared with 3 different enamel conditions and setting for bonding with the glass ionomer cement: 1) nonconditioned and wet enamel surfaces, 2) nonconditioned and blood contamination of enamel before bonding, and 3) nonconditioned and immediate blood contamination postbonding. The brackets were bonded to 109 recently extracted teeth and allowed to set in a moist plastic container for 24 hours. They were subsequently tested in shear mode with a universal testing machine. The maximum bond strength and the site of bond failure were recorded. In addition, the location of the bond failure was studied. Results: Composite was capable of sustaining greater forces than the resin-modified glass ionomer materials. Hence, it took more force to debond a bracket cemented with composite than with resin-modified glass ionomer. The effect of contamination was similar in both of the materials, and the magnitude of the decrease in bond strength was nearly of the same proportion. The postcontamination values were not significantly different from the uncontaminated bond strength for either material. The type of bond failure was significantly different for the different materials, and there were significant differences among the treatment conditions. Conclusion: Composite resin had significantly greater shear strength than resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement. Both materials showed a significant decrease in bond strength when precontaminated with blood. The postcontamination values were not significantly different from the uncontaminated bond strength for either material. © 2003 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61:206-213, 2003
The Barkas-Effect Correction to Bethe–Bloch Stopping Power

Abstract A brief history of the discovery of the Barkas-effect correction to the Bethe–Bloch stopping power formula is presented, followed by a recounting of the initial theoretical calculations prepared as a quantitative explanation. A current version of the modified Bethe–Bloch formula is described in detail. An overview of the current capability to assess the validity of several existing formalisms for calculating the Barkas-effect correction term is provided, in the course of which discussion of numerous sources of uncertainty ensues. Finally, an opinion on the significance of this departure from Bethe–Bloch theory is offered, along with a presentation of a few recent developments and of some areas for focus in future exploration in the field of the stopping power of matter for charged particles.
Detection of malaria parasitemia for hotspot identification: employment of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) in remote clinics in Kenya

Background: Identification of asymptomatic populations that may be reservoirs for malaria transmission is key to ensuring eradication. The lack of ability of current diagnostic tools to screen for asymptomatic malaria infection at a field level has made identification of these hotspots of transmission difficult. Molecular methods necessary to detect the low-density parasitemia in asymptomatic malaria, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), require considerable training to perform and remain too complex for use in field. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has proven a cost-effective technique for identifying asymptomatic malaria in resource-limited field settings. Structure/Method/Design: Student scientists from UC Berkeley and faculty from UC San Francisco Malaria Elimination Initiative informed research scientists at Maceno University about the use of LAMP to detect malaria parasitemia in asymptomatic cases. Early results indicate progress in the use of LAMP for the creation of a hotspot identificationmap, whichwill be completed by January 2015. The UC Berkeley-UC San FranciscoMaceno University collaboration continues to build capacity of local research scientists to perform the experimental phase of a hotspot identification campaign and, by default, gain understanding on the evolution of the Plasmodium parasite, change in its species, and hotspot characterization. Results (Scientific Abstract)/Collaborative Partners (Programmatic Abstract): University of Califonia, San Francisco Global Health Group & Malaria Elimination Initiative Maceno University Kenya Dr. Eva Harris, UC Berkeley Summary/Conclusion: Berkeley students have trained interested clinicians in LAMP diagnostics. They have compared successful diagnoses obtained using former RDT methods alongside LAMP tests to determine differences in detection capabilities that have been conveyed to clinicians and researchers. This has been instrumental in identifying asymptomatic populations and building an efficient drug distribution model for targeted ACT treatment. Data has been collected regarding trends of infection, efficacy of LAMP testing, and potential areas for improvement at every step in our initiative. ACT treatment of individuals who test positive for malaria via LAMP tests will begin as soon as possible, and as will the analysis of whether this corresponds with a drop in infection rates. A local team is carrying out experiments year round to test for variations in P. falciparum populations or emergence of drug-resistant strains, which will provide important information about fluctuations in parasite populations and emergence of drugresistant strains that can be used to tailor anti-malarial strategies.
Powered lower limb orthoses: applications in motor adaptation and rehabilitation

Task-specific practice can be beneficial for motor rehabilitation after neurological injury. Unfortunately, high labor demands have limited its clinical acceptance, especially for gait rehabilitation. A number of research teams around the world are testing large robotic devices for assisting treadmill stepping as a means for reducing therapist labor. We propose that powered lower limb orthoses may also have a role in assisting gait rehabilitation. Powered orthoses could assist task specific practice of gait with the long-term goal of improving patients' inherent locomotor capabilities. We present data showing that: (1) pneumatically powered lower limb orthoses can provide substantial mechanical assistance to human walking, (2) powered orthoses can lead to motor adaptation of gait in healthy subjects, and (3) powered lower limb orthoses may have positive benefits during gait rehabilitation.
Strategies For Direct Monolithic Integration of AlxGa(1-x)As/InxGa(1-x)As LEDS and Lasers On Ge/GeSi/Si Substrates Via Relaxed Graded GexSi(1-x) Buffer Layers

Abstract : Al(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs quantum well lasers have been demonstrated via organometallic chemical vapor deposition (OMCVD) on relaxed graded Ge/Ge(x)Si(1-x) virtual substrates on Si. Despite Un-optimized laser structures with high series resistance and large threshold current densities, surface threading dislocation densities as low as 2 x 10(exp 6)/sq cm enabled cw room-temperature lasing at a wavelength of 858 nm. The laser structures are oxide-stripe gain-guided devices with differential quantum efficiencies of 0.16 and threshold current densities of 1550A/sq cm. Identical devices grown on commercial GaAs substrates showed differential quantum efficiencies of 0.14 and threshold current densities of 1700A/sq cm. This comparative data agrees with our previous measurements of near-bulk minority carrier lifetimes in GaAs grown on Ge/GeSi/Si substrates. A number of GaAs/Ge/Si integration issues including thermal expansion mismatch and Ge autodoping behavior in GaAs were overcome.
Fluidic heterogeneous microsystems assembly and packaging

The nonrobotic fabrication of packaged microsystems that contain nonidentical parts has been accomplished by a directed self-assembly process. The self-assembly process uses geometrical shape recognition to identify different components and subsequent bond formation between liquid solder and metal-coated areas to form mechanical and electrical connections. We applied this concept of shape recognition and subsequent formation of contacts to assemble and package microsystems that contained nonidentical subunits. The self-assembly of three-component assemblies is demonstrated by sequentially adding device segments to the assembly solution including 200-mum-sized light-emitting diodes. Six hundred AlGaInP-GaAs light-emitting diode segments self-assembled onto device carriers in 2min without defects. Encapsulation units self-assembled onto the LED-carrier assemblies to form a three-dimensional (3-D) circuit path to operate the final device. The reported procedure provides a new route to the creation of autonomous heterogeneous microsystems including the realization of autonomous wireless sensor system that requires nonidentical units: CMOS circuitry, Non-CMOS sensor unit for sensing, III-V components for communication, and encapsulation units to form 3-D electrical interconnects. The creation of such systems is being discussed and a proof of concept experiment is being demonstrated
Train Tracks and Confluent Drawings

Confluent graphs capture the connection properties of train tracks, offering a very natural generalization of planar graphs, and—as the example of railroad maps shows—are an important tool in graph visualization. In this paper we continue the study of confluent graphs, introducing strongly confluent graphs and tree-confluent graphs. We show that strongly confluent graphs can be recognized in NP (the complexity of recognizing confluent graphs remains open). We also give a natural elimination ordering characterization of tree-confluent graphs, and we show that this class coincides with the (6,2)-chordal bipartite graphs. Finally, we define outerconfluent graphs and identify the bipartite permutation graphs as a natural subclass.
AN EXAMINATION OF RADIATIVE AND NONRADIATIVE EXCITATION TRANSPORT IN THIN ANTHRACENE CRYSTALS: TRANSIENT GRATING EXPERIMENTS

Abstract Picosecond transient grating (TG) experiments have been performed on ultrathin anthracene sublimation flakes at room temperature. The laser excitation wavelength was tuned to the singlet exciton band and the diffracted signal was detected in the reflection geometry. An extension of the expression [1] for the contribution from optical reabsorption to the TG fringe spacing and time dependences is derived. It includes the effects of directional radiation from molecules and a critical angle for total internal reflection. The extension and the original treatment both show that reabsorption will only influence the grating for very large fringe spacings, and therefore does not inhibit the use of the TG for the study of exciton transport. The fringe spacing dependence for small fringes reveals no measurable exciton diffusion in either the a- or b-crystallographic directions. This sets an upper bound on the diffusion coefficient in anthracene at room temperature at D ⩽ 5 × 10−4 cm2 s−1.
Clipping lists and change borders: improving multitasking efficiency with peripheral information design

Information workers often have to balance many tasks and interruptions. In this work, we explore peripheral display techniques that improve multitasking efficiency by helping users maintain task flow, know when to resume tasks, and more easily reacquire tasks. Specifically, we compare two types of abstraction that provide different task information: semantic content extraction, which displays only the most relevant content in a window, and change detection, which signals when a change has occurred in a window (all de-signed as modifications to Scalable Fabric [17]). Results from our user study suggest that semantic content extraction improves multitasking performance more so than either change detection or our base case of scaling. Results also show that semantic content extraction provides significant benefits to task flow, resumption timing, and reacquisition. We discuss the implication of these findings on the design of peripheral interfaces that support multitasking.
Voting Power, Policy Representation, and Disparities in Voting’s Rewards

Reelection-minded officials have motivations to represent some of their constituents more than others when casting roll-call votes. In particular, reelection seekers have incentives to appeal to those with greater “voting power” (Bartels 1998): those who are likely to vote, are not strongly predisposed to vote for one of the parties, and are members of large groups within a particular constituency. We present two novel findings stemming from these incentives. First, we find that those with greater voting power tend to enjoy better policy representation. Second, the rewards of voting are greater for those belonging to groups with more voting power. Since voting power varies across racial/ethnic and income lines, these findings hold significant normative implications.
Private Liberal Arts Colleges and the Costs of Scientific Journals: A Perennial Dilemma.

The continuing large increases in the costs of scientific journals is particularly acute in private, four-year liberal arts colleges. This study seeks to learn how academic librarians in these institutions are coping with the price increases. How do they inform and negotiate with their science departments in the face of inflated costs? What alternate strategies are employed to maintain access when local ownership becomes economically unfeasible? Using information obtained via questionnaire and personal interviews, this study describes how liberal arts colleges in the Midwest are confronting these challenges. The conclusion offers suggestions on how to manage a most vexing issue.
JPEG compression immune steganography using wavelet transform

Steganography is art of hiding a secret media in another media. One of the major challenges in steganography is robustness, since the stego-signal need to survive multiple kinds of data processing. Low pass filtering, for example JPEG compression, is known as a common attack against stego-signal in image based steganography. We present a new method of image steganography that is extremely robust against JPEG compression while allowing error free information extracting. The method is based on 2D lossless wavelet transform and convolution error correction coding. Experimental results show that hidden information can be retrieved with zero bit error rates even when the stego-image experienced maximum JPEG compression.
Förster Resonance Energy Transfer between Core/Shell Quantum Dots and Bacteriorhodopsin

An energy transfer relationship between core-shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and the optical protein bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is shown, demonstrating a distance-dependent energy transfer with 88.2% and 51.1% of the QD energy being transferred to the bR monomer at separation distances of 3.5 nm and 8.5 nm, respectively. Fluorescence lifetime measurements isolate nonradiative energy transfer, other than optical absorptive mechanisms, with the effective QD excited state lifetime reducing from 18.0 ns to 13.3 ns with bR integration, demonstrating the Forster resonance energy transfer contributes to 26.1% of the transferred QD energy at the 3.5 nm separation distance. The established direct energy transfer mechanism holds the potential to enhance the bR spectral range and sensitivity of energies that the protein can utilize, increasing its subsequent photocurrent generation, a significant potential expansion of the applicability of bR in solar cell, biosensing, biocomputing, optoelectronic, and imaging technologies.
Simple method for measuring phase modulation in liquid crystal televisions

The relative phase shift of light transmitted through a liquid crystal television (LCTV) panel as a function of the applied voltage on the LCTV can be obtained by writing a Ronchi grating pattern to the LCTV and measuring the intensities in the diffraction pattern at the Fourier plane combined with the amplitude modulation factor. A kinoform is synthesized on the LCTV based on the measured phase shift demonstrating the phase-mostly modulation.
Arch-type Reconfigurable Machine Tool

The arch-type reconfigurable machine tool (RMT) is a full-scale reconfigurable machine tool, designed to provide customised flexibility in milling and drilling operations for a part family, i.e. V6 and V8 engine cylinder heads. The designed machine not only has to achieve the required kinematic task, but should also exhibit similar dynamic characteristic across all members of the part family to ensure specified productivity and quality levels in the manufacturing environment. This chapter begins with a brief introduction to reconfigurable manufacturing systems and reconfigurable machine tools, and later delves into the various RMT design considerations e.g. part family, machine specifications, workspace, and accuracy. The detailed design and construction of the arch-type RMT is described. This section also describes the research activities carried in the area of RMT design. The later part of this chapter discusses the variations in dynamic performance of the arch-type RMT across the various reconfiguration positions. The dynamic performance of the arch-type RMT is measured in terms of frequency response functions and stability lobe diagrams. It is observed, that for the arch-type RMT, the dynamic characteristics are similar across the part family, because the dominant frequency where chatter occurs comes from the tool-tool holder-spindle assembly. The machine dynamics is similar to many other industrial machines used for milling and drilling operations on similar sized workpiece, which are not designed to be reconfigurable. Thus, the arch-type RMT successfully demonstrates the concept of reconfiguration and its application in the machine tool industry.
The Method of Moments

(1923). The Method of Moments. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 307-311.
Recession Led To A Decline In Out-Of-Pocket Spending For Children With Special Health Care Needs

The 2007–09 recession led to an overall slowing in health care spending growth, but it is unclear whether the slowed spending growth had different impacts on adults and children. Although most children are healthy, forgoing routine health care could have long-term adverse implications for public health. Furthermore, children with special health care needs are at risk of adverse outcomes if they do not receive adequate care. Focusing on privately insured families with children, we investigated how out-of-pocket spending trends changed before and during the recession. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data from the period 2001–09 revealed that the recession did not affect out-of-pocket spending for most children, but it led to a decline in spending for children with special needs, who had much higher out-of-pocket spending at baseline. Adults had significantly lower out-of-pocket spending during the recession, which suggests that parents may reduce their own medical care in difficult economic times to meet t...
INVESTIGATION ON DISINFECTION QUALITY OF BAOJI MEDICAL INSTITUTION

Objective To know all levels of medical institutions disinfection quality condition in Baoji,in order to strengthen the hospital disinfection management.Methods Sampling and testing methods were used to monitor the disinfection effecacy and the sanitary quality in 20 different rank of hospital of Baoji.Results From 1999～2008,1 747 samples were gathered in the hospital,the average disinfection eligible rate was 86.7%.In different monitor object,the lowest eligible rate was indoor air and the medical care personnel's hand,that were 60.3% and 76.8% respectively.The eligible rate of object surface and using disinfectant were 97.1% and 92.9% respectively.Conclusions The Baoji medical institution disinfection quality was low.The disinfection efficacy of the indoor air and the medical care personnel's hand was unsatisfactory.It should to strengthen the management of supervision,and to improve disinfection management level.
Control Parameter Optimization of LTE Uplink Shared Channel

Reverse power control in LTE wireless system is principally used for the uplink transmission to adapt to different wireless transmission environments and reduce the interference from edge users in LTE network.This paper mainly discusses the LTE uplink power control theory,and focuses on the nominal power parameter optimization of uplink shared channel.The influence of LTE uplink shared channel nominal power on LTE network reverse throughput is technically studied,and the effect of nominal power parameter of LTE uplink shared channel on LTE network reverse throughput is further verified in actual network.In addition,some suggestions on nominal power power control parameter optimization of the uplink shared channel are also proposed.
The Treatment of Diabetes

The therapy of diabetes is besieged by problems inherent to any chronic disease. An additional aspect that is unique in treatment of diabetes mellitus is the heterogeneous nature of this disorder. The variability in responses to the same form of therapy administered to apparently identical patients is, in part, attributable to the heterogeneity of diabetes. Another major problem in the long-term management of diabetes is the enormous amount of effort asked of the diabetic patient throughout his/her diabetic life. Understandably, the development of physician dependence complicates the perspectives of therapy. Clearly, well-educated diabetics under the “team care” of professionals in a specialized setting tend to do better, live more normal lives, require less frequent hospitalizations, and be more dependent on themselves than on their physicians. The role of the physician caring for the diabetic is an especially important one, always bordering on the thin line between doing too much and doing too little. The former attitude, especially in the child or youngster with diabetes, is conducive to fostering dependency, which in extreme cases can be manipulated for secondary gains. The latter attitude may be perceived by the patient as a license for laxity in dietary and other disciplines that should be rigorously practiced for good glycemic control.
Identifying Ideological Perspectives of Web Videos Using Folksonomies.

We are developing a classifier that can automatically identify a web video’s ideological perspective on a political or social issue (e.g., pro-life or pro-choice on the abortion issue). The problem has received little attention, possibly due to inherent difficulties in content-based approaches. We propose to develop such a classifier based on the pattern of tags emerging from folksonomies. The experimental results are positive and encouraging.
Intravenous immunoglobulin: A promising new therapy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Intravenous administration of human immunoglobulin has been shown to have clinical efficacy in the treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Physicians who use this remarkable clinical tool face the dilemma of balancing the safety and efficacy of therapy against the cost, which is higher than that of the more toxic forms of therapy. Cost-effectiveness studies of specific clinical situations indicate that costs for children are decreased by a shortened hospital stay, the need for less antibiotic therapy, and avoidance of splenectomy. Therapy for adults must be individualized and varies depending on whether the goal is a rapid platelet response (eg, before emergency surgery) or avoidance of the risks of corticosteroid therapy and splenectomy. The availability of a safe immunomodulating agent makes intravenous immunoglobulin therapy a potentially useful tool for a wide variety of diseases.
A Fluorometric Method To Measure Sublobular Rates of Mixed-Function Oxidation in the Hemoglobin-Free Perfused Rat Liver

A new fluorometric method has been developed to measure the relative rates of the 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activities in periportal and pericentral regions of the liver lobule. The method utilizes a pair of micro-light guides constructed from two strands of 80 µm-diameter glass optical fibers. The micro-light guides are placed in periportal and pericentral regions on the surface of the perfused liver. The increase in tissue fluorescence due to 7-hydroxycoumarin formation from 7-ethoxycoumarin is measured in periportal and pericentral regions by illuminating tissue with light at 360 ± 50 nm and measuring fluorescence at 450 ± 50 nm. Since the steady-state tissue fluorescence due to 7-hydroxycoumarin monitored with a large light guide was found to be directly proportional to the steady-state rate of 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation, the sublobular fluorescence of 7-hydroxycoumarin measured by micro-light guides following infusion of 7-ethoxycoumarin allows one to estimate sublobular rates of the mixed-function oxidation of 7-ethoxycoumarin. The results indicate that the rate of 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation is approximately twice as large in pericentral regions as in periportal areas of the liver.
Repairing the Brain by SCF+G-CSF Treatment at 6 Months Postexperimental Stroke: Mechanistic Determination of the Causal Link Between Neurovascular Regeneration and Motor Functional Recovery.

Stroke, a leading cause of adult disability in the world, is a severe medical condition with limited treatment. Physical therapy, the only treatment available for stroke rehabilitation, appears to be effective within 6 months post-stroke. Here, we have mechanistically determined the efficacy of combined two hematopoietic growth factors, stem cell factor (SCF) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF; SCF + G-CSF), in brain repair 6 months after cortical infarct induction in the transgenic mice carrying yellow fluorescent protein in Layer V pyramidal neurons (Thy1-YFP-H). Using a combination of live brain imaging, whole brain imaging, molecular manipulation, synaptic and vascular assessments, and motor function examination, we found that SCF + G-CSF promoted mushroom spine formation, enlarged postsynaptic membrane size, and increased postsynaptic density-95 accumulation and blood vessel density in the peri-infarct cavity cortex; and that SCF + G-CSF treatment improved motor functional recovery. The...
Logic and Reasoning

This article describes logic and explains that it is not a theory of how humans reason. It presents three contemporary psychological theories based respectively on formal rules of inference akin to those of logic, on probabilistic considerations designed to replace logical principles, and on mental models that use the meanings of assertions to represent possibilities. It reviews seven empirical phenomena that elucidate these theories.
Pharmacy-administered IV to oral therapeutic interchange program: Development, implementation, and cost-assessment

This study describes the development, implementation, and estimated vs. actual cost benefits of an IV to oral therapeutic interchange program. Secondary objectives were determining patient eligibility criteria and selecting medications for future inclusion in the program. Medical charts were reviewed to determine which patients were appropriate candidates for the interchange. Targeted medications were selected by reviewing the literature and the institution's drug expenditures. Five medications - famotidine, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, fluconazole, and azithromycin - were selected for the initial stages of the program. Preimplementation cost analysis suggested that the interchange would yield cost savings of more than $30,000 per year in medication costs alone. The interchange was piloted on a single nursing unit to determine best procedures and possible barriers to implementation. Data collected in the first 6 months after implementation indicated greater potential cost benefits than originally estimated. Including more medications in the interchange would further reduce drug acquisition costs.
56th International Mathematical Olympiad

(2015). 56th International Mathematical Olympiad. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 88, No. 4, pp. 305-315.
Low temperature operation of Si and SiGe bipolar transistors

The operation of Si and SiGe epitaxial-base bipolar transistors at liquid nitrogen temperature is demonstrated to be comparable or superior to that at room temperature. Tunneling leakage at the emitter-base junction is suppressed at all temperatures as a result of a lightly doped spacer. The maximum current gain of both the Si and the SiGe devices shows a very small temperature dependence. Monte Carlo simulations of a Si-base transistor at 77 K indicate the presence of velocity overshoot, which is supported by the higher current density at the onset of base pushout. The peak cutoff frequency at 85 K is 57 GHz for the Si transistor and 94 GHz for the SiGe transistor, respectively 8% and 25% higher than at 298 K. >
CD28 Fails to Costimulate Tumor-Specific Activation of Epstein Barr-Virus-Specific Memory Effector T Cells.

Genetic modification of cytotoxic T cells with tumor antigen-specific chimeric receptors (chRec) specifically redirects their effector functions towards tumor cells. Integration of the signaling domains of the costimulatory molecule CD28 into chRec enhances antigen-specific proliferation of peripheral blood-derived polyclonal human T cell populations. While CD28 plays an essential role in the priming of naive CD4+ T cells, its contribution to effector memory cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses is controversial. We investigated the function of chRec containing the signaling domains of CD28 in vitro expanded T cells with specificity for Epstein-Barr-virus (EBV). Chimeric T cell receptors containing an extracellular single-chain antibody domain directed against the tumor ganglioside antigen G D2 fused to the intracellular signaling domains of both the CD28 and the T cell receptor (TCR) ζ chain (14.G2a-CD28ζ), or TCRζ alone (14.G2a-ζ) were expressed in EBV-specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) lines from three seropositive donors and in peripheral blood T cells preactivated by CD3-/CD28-specific antibody crosslinking by retroviral gene transfer. Following transduction with the chRec genes, 14.G2a-ζ and 14.G2a-CD28ζ EBV-CTL had comparable levels of chRec surface expression (21–28% versus 26–40%). EBV-CTL had an immunophenotype characteristic of memory effector T cells, coexpressing CD3 and CD45RO in the absence of CD45RA and CD27 surface expression. The transduced CTL maintained their capacity to specifically lyse autologous EBV targets in 4 hr 51 Cr release assays and to proliferate after stimulation with autologous EBV targets. Intracellular cytokine staining demonstrated efficient and comparable antigen-specific IFN-γ secretion by both 14.G2a-ζ and 14.G2a-CD28ζ-transduced CTL in response to EBV and tumor targets. Furthermore, G D2 + neuroblastoma targets were lysed in a comparable and antigen-specific manner. However, while antigen engagement by 14.G2a-CD28ζ efficiently induced expansion of non-specifically activated polyclonal peripheral blood lymphocytes in an antigen-dependent manner, CD28 signaling failed to overcome the failure of transduced EBV-CTL to specifically proliferate in response to G D2 + tumor cells. Thus, the costimulatory requirement for the highly efficient proliferative activation response of EBV-specific CTL to viral antigen can not be mimicked by combined CD28 and ζ signaling. Exploring the mechanisms and costimulatory requirements of effector memory T cell reactivation may help to exploit the full potential of this highly cytolytic T cell population for adoptive immunotherapy of cancer.
Waste governance and ecological identity in Maui, Hawaii, USA

Abstract Recent scholarship examining environmental governance and solid waste management (SWM) in Hawaii has demonstrated the complexities of managing refuse in a remote, ecologically sensitive archipelago. Despite decades of calls for intensive recycling, composting, incineration, and other non-landfill disposal technologies, most islands of Hawaii continue to rely on sanitary landfilling. On Maui, a minor bureaucratic scandal centered on landfill permitting triggered the formation of an ad hoc entity intended to change SWM once and for all – the Solid Waste Resources Advisory Committee (SWRAC). I mobilize scholarship on waste governance, and in particular the ‘modes of governing’ framework to interrogate the decision-making processes of the SWRAC, evaluate their outputs, and consider the reasons for their ultimately limited impact on SWM governance on Maui. Based on a close reading of SWRAC meeting minutes and documents, I identify several factors, including the lack of clear goals or targets for SWRAC activity; a flawed, consensus-oriented decision-making process; and a failure to contextualize SWM within the broader environmental and cultural terrain of Maui. Taken together, I contend that these three problem areas underline the significance of seriously incorporating and harmonizing competing conceptions of ecological identity into both the ‘modes of governing’ framework and the scholarship of environmental governance more broadly.
Minicomputer Software System for Controlling Several Asynchronous Processes

Abstract A minicomputer software system for real-time control of several asynchronous relay processes interconnected with various degrees of rigidity ia described. Controllable processes as well as control algorithms are specified in terms of finite automata. The transition conditions of such automata are checked by control algorithms. Control signals are delivered to the object. The number of controllable objects ia not fixed. The software system consists of control programs the number of which depends on the controllable objecta, and a small operating ayatem. The latter consists of a monitor, a supervisor, a timing generator, a processing interrupt system and a diagnostic system. The problems of queueing and service disciplines of automata by the processor are also described. Another field of application of the system is the control of such objects ss electric drives and signalling systems.
Droughts and water trading in the western United States: recent economic evidence

Recent droughts in the western United States have encouraged the growth of spot markets for water trading in states like California, which witnessed $95 million worth of water exchanged through the...
Wildland firefighters and suicide risk: Examining the role of social disconnectedness.

Recent research has indicated that firefighters are at elevated suicide risk. Fire service organizations have called for research to examine fire service subgroups that might be at relatively increased suicide risk. Although anecdotal reports suggest that wildland firefighters represent one such group, to our knowledge, no study has empirically examined this conjecture. Thus, the present investigation examined if wildland firefighters report greater levels of suicide risk than non-wildland firefighters. Moreover, we sought to determine if two constructs proposed by the interpersonal theory of suicide to comprise suicidal desire-thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness-statistically explain the link between wildland firefighter status and suicide risk. Merged data from two nationwide investigations of firefighter mental health were utilized (N = 1,131; 68.2% male, 89.4% White). A total of 1.8% (n = 20) of the sample identified as wildland firefighters. Compared to non-wildland firefighters, wildland firefighters reported greater levels of suicide risk. Thwarted belongingness, but not perceived burdensomeness, statistically explained this link. Findings suggest that programs enhancing social connectedness within the fire service, particularly among wildland firefighters, might be one avenue for suicide prevention among firefighters. Results of this novel investigation should be interpreted in light of the relatively small subgroup of wildland firefighters.
Mindfulness and self-compassion as tools in health behavior change: An evaluation of a workplace intervention pilot study

Abstract While interventions teaching general mindfulness and self-compassion have been effective in promoting health and participation in health behaviors, more research is needed to evaluate the effect of targeted interventions that teach participants to apply mindfulness and self-compassion to health behaviors. A sample of 24 university employees participated in a 10-week health behavior change intervention that featured psychoeducation in mindful and self-compassionate nutrition, exercise, and stress management and engagement in guided group exercise. The intervention produced significant improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, mindful health behaviors, and some health behaviors, well-being measures, and some body composition and physical fitness measures. This program had high satisfaction and low attrition rates. These findings provide initial evidence that targeted mindfulness and self-compassion may be useful components of health behavior change interventions.
Blut im Stuhlgange (Melaena)

Unter Melaena versteht man die Anwesenheit von dunklem Blut im Stuhl, die sog. Teerstuhle. Wenn dieses Symptom vorhanden ist, so zeigt es an, das sich hoch oben im Darmkanal Blut entleert hat; praktisch heist das im Halse, Magen oder Duodenum. Sehr selten ist es, das man Teerstuhle als Folge irgendeiner Hamorrhagie im Dunndarm findet.
The environmental chemistry of some important elements

The naturally occurring elements that are present in high abundance, determine the nature of the environment as a whole through the properties, or behavior of themselves or their compounds. This chapter describes the chemistry of some of the most important elements that is related to the properties of the environment and to the biological effects. Many of these inorganic systems, play vital organic/biochemical roles; sometimes essential for life, and sometimes toxic to it. The biological availability of an element, and its ultimate effect on an organism, may depend on the chemical form in which the element is encountered. The elements are distributed through the environment in geochemical or bio-geochemical cycles, and these cycles involve processes that transfer substances from rocks and soils to the atmosphere; to oceans through weathering and runoff and through precipitation, and back to rocks through incorporation into sediments and subsequent geological transformations. The chapter discusses bio-geochemical cycles of important elements such as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and other elements of environmental interest.
Modeling DNA Backbone Structures

In recent years, experimental data has indicated that the sugar-phosphate backbone can play an important role in the recognition of DNA by protein or drug molecules (Marky and Breslauer, 1987; Matthews, 1988; Federick et al., 1987). For example, the recognition mechanism for the trp repressor molecule to the operator sequence is attrubuted to the backbone structure of the DNA molecule (Matthews, 1988). The narrower minor groove in the central (AT) n segments of the dodecamers d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2 and d(CGCAAATTTGCG)2 help to stabilize the interaction between DNA and minor groove binding drugs (e.g., netropsin, distamycin, etc.) (Federick et al., 1987). In order to understand its role in the recognition process, it is necessary to have a simple yet rigorous method to model DNA backbone structure.
Information on Galaxy Clustering from Gravitational Lenses

Observations of gravitational lens systems can provide information on the distribution and perhaps the nature of dark matter in clusters of galaxies. Lenses may prove to be one of the most powerful tools for the study of a variety of cosmological problems.
Effects of Phosphatase Inhibitors on Mammalian p34cdc2 Kinase Activities

The activity of cyclin-dependent protein kinase p34cdc2 is regulated by phosphorylation. in this study, we show that the presence of phosphatase inhibitors can have major effects on the levels of phosphorylation and the activities of the kinase extracted from cells. The combination of okadaic acid and sodium vanadate was most effective in protecting p34cdc2 against cellular phosphatases. in the absence of these inhibitors, p34cdc2 was dephosphorylated with an altered activity, indicating that phosphatase activities remained high during extractions. in contrast to when both inhibitors were used, lower activity of the kinase was found when only sodium vanadate was used, whereas higher activity was found in the presence of okadaic acid. Other conventional phosphatase inhibitors such as NaF, NaHSO3 and glycerol 2-phosphate, were not effective in preventing dephosphorylation from p34cdc2 in whole cell lysates.
Testing a Multivariate Proteomic Panel for Traumatic Brain Injury Biomarker Discovery: A TRACK-TBI Pilot Study

Abstract The complex and heterogeneous nature of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has rendered the identification of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers elusive. A single acute biomarker may not be su...
Method Development for High Temperature In-Situ Neutron Diffraction Measurements of Glass Crystallization on Cooling from Melt

A glass-ceramic borosilicate waste form is being considered for immobilization of waste streams of alkali, alkaline-earth, lanthanide, and transition metals generated by transuranic extraction for reprocessing used nuclear fuel. Waste forms are created by partial crystallization on cooling, primarily of oxyapatite and powellite phases. In-situ neutron diffraction experiments were performed to obtain detailed information about crystallization upon cooling from 1200°C. The combination of high temperatures and reactivity of borosilicate glass with typical containers used in neutron experiments, such as vanadium and niobium, prevented their use here. Therefore, methods using sealed thick-walled silica ampoules were developed for the in-situ studies. Unexpectedly, high neutron absorption, low crystal fraction, and high silica container background made quantification difficult for these high temperature measurements. As a follow-up, proof-of-concept measurements were performed on different potential high-temperature container materials, emphasizing crystalline materials so that residual glass in the waste form sample could be more easily analyzed. Room temperature measurements were conducted with a pre-crystallized sample in ‘ideal’ containers stable at low temperatures (i.e., vanadium and thin-wall silica capillaries) and compared to the same measurements in containers stable at high temperatures (i.e, platinum, single crystal sapphire, and thick-walled silica ampoules). Results suggested that Pt is probably the best choice if suitably sealed to prevent contamination from the sample after neutron activation.
Generating 3D virtual microstructures and statistically equivalent RVEs for subgranular gamma-gamma’ microstructures of nickel-based superalloys

Abstract Nickel-based superalloys are characterized by γ phase (FCC) nickel solid solution and γ ′ phase ( L 1 2 ) intermetallics in their subgrain microstructures. The γ ′ precipitates act as obstacles to the motion of dislocations and affect the mechanical behavior. It is important to capture the statistics of these microstructures in effective micromechanical models of these materials at the sub-grain scales. This paper develops a comprehensive suite of computational methods for generating optimally designed representative volume elements from experimental data on the material microstructure. Starting from 3D input datasets generated by a dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB-SEM) system, computational algorithms are developed to generate statistically equivalent virtual microstructures (SEVMs) and microstructure-based statistically equivalent representative volume elements (M-SERVEs) of γ - γ ′ microstructures of Ni-based superalloys. Image processing, microstructural characterization, feature parametrization and representation of statistical distributions are conducted, along with novel interpolation schemes for statistically accurate precipitate packing. Subsequently, methods are developed for identifying the M-SERVE as an optimal subset of the SEVM, meeting requirements of statistical equivalence with respect to specific microstructural descriptors. Parametric representation of geometric features enable the incorporation of microstructural descriptors in parametrically homogenized constitutive models.