cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An improved replacement strategy for function caching

Function caching is the technique of remembering previous function calls and avoiding the cost of recomputing them. Function caching provides a simple way of implementing dynamic programming algorithms and can provide a facility for incremental computation. Previous discussions of function caching have generally relied on the user to purge items from the function cache or have proposed a strategy such as least-recently-used without any analysis of the appropriateness of that strategy. We describe a formal model that allows us to describe the potential of a function cache and use that model to develop a practical cache replacement strategy that performs substantially better than currently used strategies. Benchmarks show that in use in an incremental theorem prover, our caching strategy produces almost a factor of four improvement in running time over a system running without function caching and almost a factor of two improvement in running time over a system using a standard cache replacement strategy.
Gas chromatographic—mass spectrometric analysis of alfentanil metabolites Application to human liver microsomal alfentanil biotransformation

Abstract The short-acting synthetic opioid alfentanil undergoes extensive biotransformation to several metabolites. A gas chromatographic—mass spectrometric assay, using selected-ion monitoring and deuterated internal standards, was developed for quantitating the predominant metabolites of alfentanil. Optimal extraction and derivatization conditions are described. The assay was applied to the analysis of metabolites formed during alfentanil metabolism in vitro by human liver microsomes. Formation of known alfentanil metabolites was confirmed, and formation of a metabolite, not previously detected in vitro, is described. The assay represents a significant improvement over existing methods of alfentanil metabolite analysis, which use HPLC and radiochemical detection.
Glucocorticoid therapy for gastrointestinal diseases

Introduction: Glucocorticoids are widely used as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents in many immune-mediated gastrointestinal diseases. However, a number of undesirable side effects may occur and dictate continuous surveillance and monitoring to prevent complications. Areas covered: This review of the English language literature identified on PubMed focuses on key aspects of glucocorticoid therapy in patients with gastrointestinal diseases, highlighting specific aspects of recognition and management of its secondary effects. Expert opinion: Long-term cohort studies as well as placebo- and sham-controlled trials have evaluated the clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of glucocorticoid therapy in many gastrointestinal diseases. Other immunosuppressive and biological therapies have made glucocorticoid therapy part of a broader arsenal of therapies. Newer compounds that carry less systemic toxicity and improved tolerability are increasingly used. For several gastrointestinal diseases, the rol...
A study on intergranular strain evolution in nanostructured Ni–Fe alloys∥

The investigation of the lattice strain development in three Ni–Fe alloys suggests that the lattice strain evolution behaviour depends on the deformation mechanism. When the plastic deformation is governed by the dislocation, the lattice strain exhibited pronounced nonlinear behaviour around the elastic limit. When the grain boundary sliding dominates the deformation, there is no obvious shift in the lattice strain evolution as soon as plastic deformation occurs.
Conversion of palmitate to unsaturated fatty acids differs in a Neurospora crassa mutant with impaired fatty acid synthase activity.

The Neurospora crassa cel (fatty acid chain elongation) mutant has impaired fatty acid synthase activity. The cel mutant requires exogenous 16:0 for growth and converts 16:0 to other fatty acids. In contrast to wild-type N. crassa, which converted only 42% of the exogenous [7,7,8,8-2H4]16:0 that was incorporated into cell lipids to unsaturated fatty acids, cel converted 72%. In addition, cel contains higher levels of 18:3δ9,12,15 than wild-type, and synthesizes two fatty acids, 20:2δ11,14 and 20:3δ11,14,17, found at only trace levels in wild-type. Thus, the Δ15-desaturase activity and elongation activity on 18-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids are higher for cel than wild-type. This altered metabolism of exogenous 16:0 may be directly due to impaired flux through the endogenous fatty acid biosynthetic pathway, or may result from altered regulation of the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in the mutant.
Neuropsychological Assessment of Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA)

The goal of this article is to outline the utility of both language and non-language testing in making a diagnosis of logopenic, nonfluent/agrammatic, and semantic variant primary progressive aphas...
Interior experience within analytic process

In this paper, I consider the feeling of interiority as it evolves within the treatment relationship. A capacity to access and sustain one's interiority reflects a sense of personal solidity within which the validity of subjective process and privacy is taken for granted. When this capacity is relatively undeveloped, individuals rely on the “other”; (including the analyst) to help them contact, elaborate, or manage their affective experience. Quite paradoxically, the analyst's active investigation of dynamic or intersubjective process may obfuscate rather than clarify this core difficulty. I suggest two alternative approaches to the treatment situation that stand in some tension and yet also complement each other. One emphasizes the “active”; investigation of dynamic and dyadic process, wherein the analyst works interpretively and/or around relational issues. The other is organized around the “interior”; dimension of the treatment experience, emphasizing the patient's need to develop or manage her affecti...
New hydronephrosis and/or vesicoureteral reflux after bladder outlet surgery without augmentation in 75 children with neurogenic bladder

Abstract Objective We report new upper tract changes in children after bladder neck (BN) surgery without augmentation for neurogenic incontinence. Materials and methods Consecutive children with neurogenic sphincteric incompetency had BN surgery without augmentation. Postoperative renal sonography and fluoroscopic urodynamics were done at 6 months, 12 months, and then annually. Results There were 75 patients with mean follow-up of 48 months. Of these, 17 (23%) developed new hydronephrosis (HN) or vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). All HN resolved with medical management, as did 25% of VUR cases. Persistent VUR was treated by dextranomer/hyaluronic acid injection, or re-implantation in two patients undergoing re-operative BN surgery. There was no association between these upper tract changes and end filling pressures ( 40 cm) or continence status (dry vs. wet). Conclusions Upper tract changes developed in 25% of patients with neurogenic bladders after BN surgery without augmentation during a follow-up of 48 months. All new HN and most new VUR resolved with medical management or minimally invasive intervention. No patient developed upper tract changes requiring augmentation.
Violence and Abuse

This chapter reviews conditions that are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the life cycle, yet remain under-recognized and under-addressed in clinical practice.
3R: Fine-grained encounter-based routing in Delay Tolerant Networks

In this paper1, we first characterize the fine-grained encounter pattern among mobile users found in a large-scale Bluetooth trace collected by 123 participants at University of Illinois campus from March to August 2010. Our characterization results show that the fine-grained encounter pattern is regular and predictable. We then design 3R routing protocol, which leverages the regularity of fine-grained encounter pattern among mobile nodes to maximize message delivery probability while preserving message delivery deadline. We evaluate and compare 3R with Prophet and Epidemic routing protocols over the collected trace. Evaluation results show that 3R outperforms other alternatives considerably by improving message delivery while reducing message overhead.
Differential Effects of Endocannabinoids on Glutamatergic and GABAergic Inputs to Layer 5 Pyramidal Neurons

Endocannabinoids are emerging as potent modulators of neuronal activitythroughoutthebrain,andactivationofthetype-1cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) reduces sensory-evoked cortical responses in vivo, presumably by decreasing excitatory transmission. In the neocortex, CB1R is differentially expressed across neocortical laminae, with highest levels of expression in layers 2/3 and 5. Although we have shown that cannabinoid signaling in layer 2/3 of somatosensory cortex targets both g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate release, the predominant effect is a net increase in pyramidal neuron (PN) activity due to disinhibition. The role of endocannabinoid signaling in layer 5, the main output layer of the neocortex, remains unknown. We found that inducing activity in layer 5 PNs resulted in endocannabinoid-mediated depolarization-induced suppression of excitation (DSE), whereas the majority of inhibitory inputs were cannabinoid insensitive. Furthermore, in contrast tolayer 2/3, the net effect of elevations in action potential firing of layer 5 PNs was an endocannabinoid-mediated decrease in PN spike probability. Interestingly, excitatory synaptic currents in layer 5 evoked by intralaminar stimulation were cannabinoid sensitive, whereas inputs evoked from layer 2/3 were insensitive, suggesting specificity of cannabinoid signaling across glutamatergic inputs. Thus, cannabinoids have differential effects on excitation and inhibition across corticallayers,andendocannabinoidsignalinginlayer5mayserveto selectively decrease the efficacy of a subset of excitatory inputs.
Early Metabolic Acidosis and Coma After Acetaminophen Ingestion

Metabolic acidosis and coma may develop in patients who experience severe hepatic injury after acetaminophen poisoning. The onset of acidosis and coma soon after acetaminophen overdose, but preceding manifest hepatic injury, contrasts with the typical course of poisoning. This pattern has been reported in a limited number of cases. Coingestions and the rare occurrence of these findings after an overdose have engendered controversy as to whether acetaminophen alone is the cause of early coma and acidosis. We describe 4 separate overdoses among 3 patients who arrived at the emergency department comatose with a metabolic acidosis soon after ingesting large amounts of acetaminophen without evidence of toxic liver injury. Our cases support the view that early metabolic acidosis with coma does indeed occur after acetaminophen poisoning, independent of hepatic failure or its complications.
Evidence for the anorexia of aging : gastrointestinal transit and hunger in healthy elderly vs. young adults

Animal studies suggest that aging is associated with anorexia and disordered gastrointestinal transit. To determine whether there is a relationship between the effects of aging on appetite and gastrointestinal transit in humans, 19 young (age 23-50 yr) and 14 elderly (age 70-84 yr) normal volunteers underwent measurements of 1) desire to eat, hunger, and fullness (visual analog scales); 2) gastric emptying (scintigraphy); 3) orocecal transit (breath hydrogen); 4) total gut transit (radiopaque markers); and 5) autonomic nerve function (cardiovascular reflexes). We found that, postprandially, elderly subjects had less desire to eat (P < 0.05) and less hunger (P < 0.05), but not a significantly greater fullness than younger subjects. Gastric emptying (50% emptying time) for solid (182 +/- 26 vs. 127 +/- 13 min, P < 0.05) and liquid (47 +/- 4 vs. 35 +/- 3 min, P < 0.05) meal components was slower in elderly subjects. Postprandial hunger was inversely related (r = -0.39, P < 0.05) to solid gastric emptying. There were no significant differences in orocecal and total gut transit times between the two groups. Autonomic nerve function was abnormal in 11 elderly but none of the young subjects (P < 0.01). We conclude that aging is associated with 1) diminished desire to eat and hunger, 2) slowing of solid and liquid gastric emptying, 3 no change in orocecal and total gut transit, and 4) autonomic nerve dysfunction. The slowing of gastric emptying may contribute to anorexia in aging subjects.
Laser in situ keratomileusis for astigmatism following laser thermal keratoplasty

We describe 2 cases in which a staged laser in situ keratomileusis procedure was used to treat residual hyperopia and astigmatism after laser thermal keratoplasty. The procedure successfully reduced the spherical equivalent refractive error and residual astigmatism. All eyes maintained their best spectacle-corrected visual acuity and had an uncorrected visual acuity of at least 20/25 at the end of follow-up.
Ecological correlates of risk and incidence of West Nile virus in the United States

West Nile virus, which was recently introduced to North America, is a mosquito-borne pathogen that infects a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including humans. Several species of birds appear to be the primary reservoir hosts, whereas other bird species, as well as other vertebrate species, can be infected but are less competent reservoirs. One hypothesis regarding the transmission dynamics of West Nile virus suggests that high bird diversity reduces West Nile virus transmission because mosquito blood-meals are distributed across a wide range of bird species, many of which have low reservoir competence. One mechanism by which this hypothesis can operate is that high-diversity bird communities might have lower community-competence, defined as the sum of the product of each species’ abundance and its reservoir competence index value. Additional hypotheses posit that West Nile virus transmission will be reduced when either: (1) abundance of mosquito vectors is low; or (2) human population density is low. We assessed these hypotheses at two spatial scales: a regional scale near Saint Louis, MO, and a national scale (continental USA). We found that prevalence of West Nile virus infection in mosquito vectors and in humans increased with decreasing bird diversity and with increasing reservoir competence of the bird community. Our results suggest that conservation of avian diversity might help ameliorate the current West Nile virus epidemic in the USA
Retinal very long-chain PUFAs: new insights from studies on ELOVL4 protein

Compared with other mammalian tissues, retina is highly enriched in PUFA. Long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA; C18-C24) are essential FAs that are enriched in the retina and are necessary for maintenance of normal retinal development and function. The retina, brain, and sperm also contain very LC-PUFA (VLC-PUFA; >C24). Although VLC-PUFA were discovered more than two decades ago, very little is known about their biosynthesis and functional roles in the retina. This is due mainly to intrinsic difficulties associated with working on these unusually long polyunsaturated hydrocarbon chains and their existence in small amounts. Recent studies on the FA elongase elongation of very long chain fatty acids-4 (ELOVL4) protein, however, suggest that VLC-PUFA probably play some uniquely important roles in the retina as well as the other tissues. Mutations in the ELOVL4 gene are found in patients with autosomal dominant Stargardt disease. Here, we review the recent literature on VLC-PUFA with special emphasis on the elongases responsible for their synthesis. We focus on a novel elongase, ELOVL4, involved in the synthesis of VLC-PUFA, and the importance of these FAs in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of retinal photoreceptors.
Emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery in abciximab-treated patients.

Abstract Background . Although the platelet antiaggregant abciximab is frequently used with percutaneous coronary interventions, results of emergency coronary artery bypass graft operations in patients recently treated with abciximab are poorly characterized. Methods . During a 29-month period, 12 patients required emergency coronary artery bypass grafting within 12 hours (mean, 1.9 hours) of abciximab therapy. Our full standard heparin dose regimen was used (mean heparin dose, 53,000 U per patient). Each patient received a single platelet transfusion dose after protamine administration, and further blood products were transfused as necessary. Clinical outcome and transfusion requirements were compared with predicted results based on risk-adjusted historical patients. Results . No patients died and none were returned to the operating room for coagulopathy-related bleeding. Per-patient transfusion requirements were as follows: red blood cells, 3.6 units; apheresis platelets, 1.4 units; and fresh frozen plasma, 1.5 units. As compared with predicted values, there was no excessive incidence of mortality, stroke, or red blood cell transfusion requirements. Conclusions . Emergency coronary artery bypass graft operations using full-dose heparin can be performed successfully in acutely ischemic abciximab-treated patients. Prophylactic transfusion of platelets after protamine administration appears to be useful.
Translational Energy Release in the Photodissociation of Aromatic Molecules

When a large amount of energy is suddenly placed in an aromatic molecule, it can dissociate via a rather complex path. Measurements of translational energy distributions of the dissociated fragments of a variety of related molecules at different wave lengths clarify the dissociation processes. The reactions considered are
Standardization of a method to detect bovine sperm-bound antisperm antibodies by flow cytometry

The objectives were to standardize some methodological and analytical aspects of a direct technique to detect sperm-bound antisperm antibodies (ASAs) in bovine semen using flow cytometry, including the effects of prefixation of sperm membranes with formalin buffer solution and inclusion of dead cells in the analysis. Fourteen Angus bulls, including ASA-positive (experimentally induced ASAs) and 10 reproductively normal ASA-negative bulls, were used. Fixation of sperm membranes had no significant effect on the percentage of IgG- or IgA-bound spermatozoa detected by flow cytometry. However, including dead cells in the analysis increased the percentage of IgG-bound spermatozoa in fixed (live and dead 18.6 ± 9.7% and live 1.3 ± 0.5%; median ± SEM) and nonfixed samples (live and dead 18.8 ± 9.2%, live 1.5 ± 0.6%; P = 0.0029), as well as IgA-bound spermatozoa in fixed (live and dead 16.3 ± 6.4%, live 0.3 ± 0.5%) and nonfixed samples (live and dead 21.4 ± 4.6%, live 1.0 ± 0.5%; P = 0.0041) in semen from ASA-negative bulls. Intrasample, intra-assay, and interassay coefficients of variation (CV) were 0.8%, 4.6%, and 5.3%, respectively, for determination of sperm-bound IgG, and were 2.8%, 8.4%, and 40.3% for determination of sperm-bound IgA. Despite the high interassay CV for IgA determination, all ASA-positive bulls consistently had high percentages of IgA-bound spermatozoa. Flow cytometry correctly identified ASA-positive bulls. Confocal laser microscopy confirmed binding of ASAs to sperm heads and cytoplasmic droplets, and less frequently to midpieces and principal piece. In conclusion, although fixation was not necessary, dead cells should be excluded from the analysis, because ejaculates with a large proportion of dead cells can yield false-positive results. Flow cytometry was accurate and reliable for detection of sperm-bound IgG and IgA and discrimination between ASA-positive and ASA-negative bulls.
Not in Anyone’s Backyard: The Emergence and Identity of a Transnational Anti-Base Network

Providing an overview of the emergence, characteristics, trajectory, and potential limitations of the transnational anti-base network, this article focuses on two broad questions relevant to transnational politics. First, what processes and mechanisms enabled local and transnational activists to form the international No Bases network? Second, how did activists juxtapose existing local anti-base identity and frames to emerging transnational ones? Following existing transnational movement theories, I argue that the global anti-base network slowly emerged through processes of diffusion and scale shift in its early stages. The onset of the Iraq War, however, injected new life into the transnational anti-base movement, eventually leading to the inaugural International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign Bases in 2007. Although loose transnational ties existed among anti-base activists prior to 2003, the U.S. war in Iraq presented anti-base activists the global frames necessary to accelerate the pace of diffusion, scale-shift, and brokerage, and hence, the consolidation of a transnational anti-base network. Paradoxically, however, even as No Bases leaders attempted to forge a new transnational identity, anti-base activists, as “rooted cosmopolitans,” continued to anchor their struggle in local initiatives.
Purification of the Voltage Sensor Domain of KCNQ1 and its Interactions with Cholesterol and Sphingomyelin

Human KCNQ1 (Kv7.1 or KvLQT1), the transmembrane domain of which is composed of a voltage sensor domain and a pore domain, plays a crucial role in cardiovascular diseases by playing a central role in cell repolarization as part of the action potential. It is well known that KCNQ1 is co-expressed with KCNE1 to form the Iks channel, for which mutations in either protein can cause cardiac arrhythmias and hearing loss in humans. KCNQ1 is also expressed in different epithelia, where it is involved in water and salt transport. The plasma membrane environment of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 contains both cholesterol and sphingolipids that may be involved in the formation of microdomains often referred to as “lipid rafts”. Lipid rafts are important for cardiovascular function and may serve as platforms where Kv channels exhibit distinct functional properties relative to conditions in which they are in the bulk membrane. Multiple Kv channels appear to have affinities for lipid rafts, including the Iks channel complex. Here, we describe the overexpression and purification of the isolated voltage sensor domain of KCNQ1, as well as reconstitution and NMR characterization of this protein in model membranes with varying levels of cholesterol and sphingomyelin. The results suggest that these special lipids induce unique effects on the structure and dynamics of this voltage sensor domain. This work is supported by US NIH grant RO1 DC007416.
Systems theory: a formal construct for understanding systems

In the 2011 issue of this journal, we proposed that “The application of systems theory and systems thinking to the design and management of complex systems of systems and their associated life cycles can provide a valuable lens for the emerging methods in system of systems engineering (SoSE)” (Adams, 2011). Since that time we have had the opportunity to develop an axiom set that we feel is a sufficient construct for systems theory (Adams et al., 2013). In this paper, we will explain the multi-disciplinary theoretical foundation and discipline-agnostic framework we have developed for systems theory. We believe that this construct may be posited as a general approach to understanding system behaviour.
Visualization of localized store-operated calcium entry in mouse astrocytes. Close proximity to the endoplasmic reticulum

Unloading of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ stores activates influx of extracellular Ca2+ through ‘store-operated’ Ca2+ channels (SOCs) in the plasma membrane (PM) of most cells, including astrocytes. A key unresolved issue concerning SOC function is their spatial relationship to ER Ca2+ stores. Here, using high resolution imaging with the membrane-associated Ca2+ indicator, FFP-18, it is shown that store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in primary cultured mouse cortical astrocytes occurs at plasma membrane–ER junctions. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, depletion of ER Ca2+ stores using cyclopiazonic acid, an ER Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor, and caffeine transiently increases the sub-plasma-membrane Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]SPM) within a restricted space between the plasma membrane and adjacent ER. Restoration of extracellular Ca2+ causes localized Ca2+ influx that first increases [Ca2+]SPM in the same restricted regions and then, with a delay, in ER-free regions. Antisense knockdown of the TRPC1 gene, proposed to encode endogenous SOCs, markedly reduces SOCE measured with Fura-2. High resolution immunocytochemistry with anti-TRPC1 antibody reveals that these TRPC-encoded SOCs are confined to the PM microdomains adjacent to the underlying ‘junctional’ ER. Thus, Ca2+ entry through TRPC-encoded SOCs is closely linked, not only functionally, but also structurally, to the ER Ca2+ stores.
Intracardiac Forward-Looking Ultrasound Imaging Catheters Using Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia that now affects approximately 2.2 million adults in the United States alone. Minimally invasive catheter-based electrophysiological interventions have revolutionized the management of cardiac arrhythmias. We are developing forward-viewing ultrasound imaging catheters based on two types of transducer arrays using the capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer technology: A 10-MHz, 24-element MicroLinear (ML) array with a footprint of 1.7 mm × 1.3 mm, and a 10-MHz, 64-element annular ring array with an outside diameter of 2.6 mm and inner diameter of 1.6 mm. Both arrays are integrated with custom-designed front-end electronic circuitry to overcome the performance degradation associated with long cables in the catheter. The ML and ring arrays provide real-time 2-D and 3-D images, respectively, in front of the catheter tip. Using the ML array, we demonstrated ex-vivo images of the left atrial appendage in an isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit heart model and in-vivo images of heart through the open chest in a porcine animal model. We used the ring array to demonstrate 3-D images of coronary stents and an anatomic cast of a left atrial model.
Visual Trends Analysis in Time-Varying Ensembles

Visualization and analysis techniques play a key role in the discovery of relevant features in ensemble data. Trends, in the form of persisting commonalities or differences in time-varying ensemble datasets, constitute one of the most expressive feature types in ensemble analysis. We develop a flow-graph representation as the core of a system designed for the visual analysis of trends in time-varying ensembles. In our interactive analysis framework, this graph is linked to a representation of ensemble parameter-space and the ensemble itself. This facilitates a detailed examination of trends and their correlations to properties of input-space. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed trends analysis framework in several benchmark data sets, highlighting its capability to support goal-driven design of time-varying simulations.
Stop the Beach Renourishment: Why the Judiciary is Different

This essay, one of a collection of essays on Stop the Beach Renourishment v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection to be published by the Vermont Law Review, has two objectives. First, it attempts to situate the Supreme Court’s debate over the judicial takings concept within the framework of established takings doctrine. The results of this analysis suggest that the justices’ split over the judicial takings concept reflects fundamental disagreement about the relative virtues of per se vs. ad hoc analysis and about the nature of the Takings Clause as a constraint on government action.Second, this essay assesses the merits of the judicial takings concept by analyzing the core issue of whether court rulings, like actions by the other branches of government, can constitute “takings” within the meaning of the Takings Clause. Contrary to Justice Antonin Scalia’s argument that all branches of government must be treated the same under the Takings Clause, this essay concludes that there are numerous reasons for treating courts differently, including: (1) the judiciary is not vested with the eminent domain power; (2) the rationale that takings liability serves to constrain majoritarian political impulses generally does not apply to the judicial branch; (3) the judicial takings concept would undermine the relationship between the federal and state court systems; (4) the state courts’ institutional structure provides a relatively strong assurance of fidelity to federal constitutional values; and (5) court rulings on property law issues tend to apply broadly across the community rather than single out particular individuals to bear special burdens.
Experimental Determination of Fracture Parameters for Predicting Crack Growth in Viscoelastic Polymers

A micromechanical model for a viscoelastic cohesive zone has been previously formulated and based on a continuum mechanics model of the damage zone ahead of the crack tip in a polymer solid. The scale of the cohesive zone model is quite small, thus rendering it difficult to obtain the cohesive zone parameters experimentally. Presented herein is an experimental procedure for measuring the crack tip opening, damage zone profile ahead of the crack tip, crack tip opening rate, critical fibril breaking length and diameter. It is then shown that these parameters can be used to characterize the viscoelastic cohesive zone model.
Can we talk? The art (and science) of handoff conversation

Art and science have their meeting point in method.—Earl Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Caxtoniana (1875), 303 The handoff or handover of patient care is not just a simple act of communication. It is a complex exchange of patient information that increases the likelihood of safe and effective care. We know that these transfers of care are a vulnerable link in patient care that is associated with preventable adverse events. It is especially concerning that effective handoff communication is not regularly or systematically taught to health professionals. It is the interaction between the ‘sender’ and the ‘receiver’ that matters. Accurate transmission from the sender is not sufficient and without questions may result in a handoff ‘telegram’.1 The solution to the telegram problem lies partly with the sender and the information they transmit and with the receiver and their ability to ask the right questions—the handoff conversation, so to speak. Three papers in this issue of BMJ Quality and Safety encourage us to think about the art, as well as the science, of the handoff conversation.2–4 In a study conducted at one Veteran's Affairs (VA) Medical Center in the USA, Bergman and colleagues ask whether our efforts to improve have created an over-reliance on technology and standardisation—that is, structured handoff frameworks or checklists focus on the mechanical aspects, but don't take into account the patient-specific context.3 They argue that in actuality we have created another vulnerability and that we may miss contextually sensitive information about anticipated events. ‘“Mr Smith's been our problem child”: anticipatory Management Communication (AMC) in VA end-of-shift medicine and nursing handoffs’ defines AMC as “a family of conversational strategies in which one party (typically the outgoing healthcare professional) informs or …
Imprinting in Organizations: New Perspectives for Unpacking the Past

Since Stinchcombe’s (1965) seminal paper half a century ago, imprinting has become an influential concept across a range of fields in organizational research, from institutional theory to organizat...
Rectorite Pillared with Ce-Modified Aluminum Oxide

Rectorite clay was pillared with an Al/Ce-cluster pillaring agent made from aluminum chlorhydrol and cerium nitrate. The resulting product had an interlayer distance of 15.7 A, which was significantly larger than the interlayer distance obtained using conventional aluminum chlorhydrol as the pillaring agent (8.4 A). Argon adsorption analysis indicates that the pores of the AL/Ce-cluster pillared rectorite are non-uniform, with pore diameters ranging from 5 to 16A.29Si MAS NMR studies showed that calcining the natural rectorite changes the silicon environment, while the pillared rectorite clays are much more resistant to such changes upon calcination. It is suggested that pillaring reactions enhance the thermal stability of the rectorite by stabilizing the local silicon environment in the clay.
Plasmon-Enhanced Brightness and Photostability from Single Fluorescent Proteins Coupled to Gold Nanorods

Single-molecule imaging pushes fluorescence microscopy beyond the diffraction limit of traditional microscopy. Such super-resolution imaging, which relies on the detection of bright, stable fluorescent probes to achieve nanometer-scale resolution, is often hindered in biological systems by dim, blinking fluorescent proteins (FPs). Here, we use gold nanorods and single-molecule fluorescence detection to achieve plasmon-enhanced emission from intrinsically fluorescent proteins. We measure a doubled photon emission rate from the red FP mCherry and detect three times more photons before photobleaching from the photoactivatable FP PAmCherry. We further explore the effect of near-field nanorod interactions on the yellow FP mCitrine, for which the observed emission enhancements cannot overcome measurable quenching. Overall, our work indicates that plasmonic particles improve both the brightness and photostability of FPs and extends the applications of plasmon-enhanced fluorescence to the arena of biological imag...
The Research of Contour Extracting and Polygon Approximation Technology for Aircraft Image

This paper discussed how to take contour extraction for the airplane image with simple background,along with it,researched on polygon approximation technology.Firstly,according to the rule of drawing out interior point and detec-tion,the contour curve with a pixel width can be gained after boundary tracking.Then taking approximation for contour curve by a polygon approximation algorithm based on chord height,the contour polygon can be derived.Being validated of experiment,this approximation algorithm wiped off abundant redundant pixel,retained important character point.The effect of approximation was satisfied,and established the basis to acquire the geometry characteristic vector.
Intense dietary counseling lowers LDL cholesterol in the recruitment phase of a clinical trial of men who had co ronary artery bypass grafts

Intense dietary counseling lowered low-densitylipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels during the recruitment phase of a 5-year clinical trial of men who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafts. At visit 1, a 24-hour dietary recall was obtained and analyzed for intakes of total energy; total, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat; and dietary cholesterol. Participants were then instructed to follow the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step I diet. Additional dietary counseling was provided at 1-month intervals during visits 2 and 3. At visit 3, another 24-hour dietary recall was obtained and analyzed similarly. Of 59 men with an LDL cholesterol level greater than 4.5 mmol/L at visit 1, 52 decreased their level to 4.5 mmol/L or less to qualify for the 5-year study. Between visits 1 and 3, mean LDL cholesterol levels decreased significantly from 4.86 ± 0.04 mmol/L to 4.27 ± 0.05 mmol/L, which coincided with significant mean decreases in dietary intake of total fat from 33.4 ± 1.3% to 25.2 ± 1.4%, saturated fat from 11.1 ± 0.6% to 7.0 ± 0.4%, and dietary cholesterol from 122 ± 6.1 to 90 ± 6.3 mg/1,000 kcal. Overall, the dietary intake improved to more closely follow the NCEP Step II diet and resulted in a 10.7% decrease in total cholesterol level and a 12.4% decrease in LDL cholesterol level.
Revolutionary Nuns or Totalitarian Pawns: Evaluating Libyan State Feminism After Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi

This chapter centers women’s issues to situate post-revolutionary Libya as emblematic of a “decolonization” period rather than as representing the aftermath of a conventional civil war, because the previous politicized regime operated according to a zero-sum dynamic. The chapter uses a critical analysis that contextualizes gendered realities in Libya prior to, during, and after Gaddafi’s governance, and contends with the particularities of Libyan colonization and independence, forces that directly shaped the nation’s subsequent political trajectory: nearly a century of totalitarian, personalized rule. Hence, the challenges that face contemporary Libyan women directly reflect the accumulated specificities of personalized control, ideology, and historical inheritance that not only isolated Libya, but that differentiate it and Gaddafi from other totalitarian nations and leaders.
Clinical, morphologic, and immunophenotypic characteristics of ampullary carcinomas with an emphasis on SMAD4 expression.

Background: The purpose of our study was to examine the relationship between clinicopathologic variables and morphologic subtypes in ampullary carcinoma, with an emphasis on the expression of SMAD4 tumor suppressor gene. Methods: Sixty-three cases of ampullary carcinomas resected between 2000–2011 were included in this study. Clinical characteristics and outcome data were recorded. Tumors were classified as pancreatobiliary or intestinal type based on morphology, and immunohistochemical (IHC) studies for cytokeratin 7 (CK7), cytokeratin 20 (CK20), cytokeratin 17 (CK17), and SMAD4 were performed. Results: Forty-nine percent of the ampullary tumors were pancreatobiliary, 29% were intestinal, and 22% were other variants. Tumors with pancreatobiliary morphology showed worse overall survival than those with intestinal morphology or other variants (P=0.03). A trend for higher stage, recurrence and less survival was seen in cases with negative SMAD4 expression. In multivariate analysis, age group (≤60 vs . >60 years) and expression of CK17 were the most prognostic of survival. Conclusions: Ampullary tumors with pancreatobiliary morphology have a worse overall survival, while negative SMAD4 expression is associated with a trend of less survival.
Involvement of lipids in the action of ethanol and other anesthetics.

While it is generally accepted that ethanol and other anesthetics act on membranes, there is much debate on whether membrane proteins or lipids are involved in their action. The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence which suggests an involvement of lipids. The evidence implicating lipids at the site of action of anesthetics will first be cited. Then the lipid compositional changes responsible for the expression of tolerance will be discussed.
High countrate anger camera design for electronically collimated SPECT

Second detectors for Compton cameras will need to accommodate countrates on the order of 2-4 Mcps for good performance. A new high countrate Anger camera design for electronically collimated SPECT is being developed to recover position and energy information from a scintillation waveform typically resulting from the high likelihood for pileup at these countrates. Signal outputs from each PMT of the scintillation camera are digitized continually at 100 MHz into a ring buffer. When a Compton coincidence occurs, a snapshot of the digitized data is retrieved by a host computer for processing where correlations among the neighborhood PMT outputs are used to recover scintillation events from pileups and where position and energy information are subsequently computed. A new digital event detection algorithm is applied by using moving average filters and differentiator. The event signals generated from the new event counting algorithm are utilized to detect the starting time of each piled up event. Subsequent to detection and time estimation, a maximum likelihood position and energy estimation algorithm has been developed to deal with the highly piled up events
Lorentz Violation During Inflation

For this final chapter, we move to the early Universe to ask what constraints we can put on the violation of Lorentz invariance during inflation. As discussed in Sect. 2.2, we can use Einstein-aether theory (ae-theory) Jacobson and Mattingly (Phys. Rev. D64, 024028, (2001), [1]), Jacobson (PoS, QG-PH, 020, (2007), [2]) to model Lorentz violation in the boost sector, i.e., while maintaining rotational invariance on spatial hypersurfaces, at low energies.
Graphical Displays for Understanding SEM Model Similarity

Relationships between structural equation models are almost exclusively characterized as categorical. However, a simple yes–no answer as to whether 2 models are equivalent or nested (or other categorical descriptors of relationships) cannot address whether the models tend to fit similarly across a wide range of data, or how the characteristics of models and data affect the differences in fit. Therefore, such simple answers have limited value for model selection and evaluation. In this article we proposed a quantitative framework that allows for graphical display of results, incorporates the categorical distinctions in model similarity, is applicable to any model pairs, and offers a new method to generate data for studying model similarity. The framework is straightforward to implement and does not require complex analyses. The information this framework provides is diagnostic and can help researchers identify and explain how key characteristics in data and model parameters lead to (dis)similarity in fit.
Targeted next-generation sequencing in myelodysplastic syndromes and prognostic interaction between mutations and IPSS-R

A 27-gene panel was used for next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 179 patients (median age 73 years) with primary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS); risk distribution according to the revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) was 11% very high, 18% high, 17% intermediate, 38% low and 16% very low. At least one mutation/variant was detected in 147 (82%) patients; 23% harbored three or more mutations/variants. The most frequent mutations/variants included ASXL1 (30%), TET2 (25%), SF3B1 (20%), U2AF1 (16%), SRSF2 (16%), TP53 (13%), RUNX1 (11%), and DNMT3A (10%). At a median follow up of 30 months, 148 (83%) deaths and 26 (15%) leukemic transformations were recorded. Multivariable analysis of mutations/variants identified ASXL1 (HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.5), SETBP1 (HR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6-10.2) and TP53 (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.4) as risk factors for overall and SRSF2 (HR 3.9, 95% CI 1.5-10.2), IDH2 (HR 3.7, 95% CI 1.2-11.4), and CSF3R (HR 6.0, 95% CI 1.6-22.6) for leukemia-free survival. Addition of age to the multivariable model did not affect these results while accounting for IPSS-R weakened the significance of TP53 mutations/variants (P = .1). An apparently favorable survival impact of SF3B1 mutations was no longer evident after adjustment for IPSS-R. Approximately 41% and 20% of patients harbored at least one adverse mutation/variant for overall and leukemia-free survival, respectively. Number of mutations/variants did not provide additional prognostic value. The survival impact of adverse mutations was most evident in IPSS-R very low/low risk patients. These observations suggest that targeted NGS might assist in treatment decision-making in lower risk MDS.
You Can’t Always Get What You Want: Using “Broken Lotteries” to Check the Validity of Charter School Evaluations using Matching Designs

We consider situations in which public charter school lotteries are neither universally conducted nor consistently documented. Such lotteries produce “broken” Randomized Control Trials, but provide opportunities to assess the internal validity of quasi-experimental research designs. Here, we present the results of a statewide charter school evaluation using a broad-based student matching evaluation design, and run two additional analyses using the charter application waitlists as robustness checks. Our additional models, which address concerns of self-selection by using only charter applicants as matched comparison students, yield similar effect estimates and thus provide support for the use of matching designs in charter school evaluations.
Ketamine and the Dissociatives: Comparisons with Schizophrenia

Abstract Dissociative agents—uncompetitive N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists—such as ketamine, phencyclidine, and dizocilpine are known to transiently induce positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia in healthy adults. Herein, we conclude that dissociative drug challenge accurately models neurotransmitter dysfunction, excitotoxicity, neurodegeneration, age of onset, gamma band aberrations, and electroencephalogram signal complexity observed in schizophrenia. Furthermore, dissociative drugs bind to a host of other receptors (e.g., sigma, opioid, dopamine D 2 , cholinergic) and thus transcend NMDAR hypofunction models of schizophrenia. Principal effects of dissociative agents are mediated by blockade of NMDARs expressed by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons, resulting in disruptions of gamma oscillations and disinhibition of glutamatergic and cholinergic afferents, triggering patterns of excitotoxic neurodegeneration seen in schizophrenia. Future work should seek to understand the extent to which ketamine and other dissociative drugs might effect psychomimesis through action at muscarinic, nicotinic, opioid, and sigma-1 receptors, as well as monoamine transporters.
"Site-seeing" in disaster: An examination of on-line social convergence

On-line websites and applications are increasingly playing a role in disaster response and recovery. Yet with the wide variety of on-line grassroots activities that occur in such situations, it can be difficult to make sense of them. In this paper, we describe on-line behavior as socially convergent activity, interpreting it within existing sociological understandings of behavior in disaster events. We discuss seven types of convergent behavior and give examples of on-line activities for each type. By seeing these activities as an essential part of the disaster social arena, we can begin to think about how to support socially convergent phenomena in new and creative ways.
Panthera tigris (Tiger)

According to the San Juan nomenclature system, the autosomes of P. tigris are classified as follows: Group A, 5 pairs; Group B, 3 pairs; Group C, 2 pairs; Group D, 3 pairs; Group E, 3 pairs; and Group F, 2 pairs. Pair El has a deep secondary constriction on its short arm.
Protumorigenic Function of Dendritic Cells

A growing body of evidence suggests a strong role of the tumor microenvironment in shaping up the final outcome of tumor progression. The focus is now on how various stromal components interact with cancer cells to promote tumor growth and metastasis. Infiltration of dendritic cells is a common feature of most human tumors and until recently, these tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells have largely been studied for their immunologic properties. Current studies reveal a more active role of dendritic cells in the microenvironment leading to tumor enhancement, angiogenesis and bone resorption. These observations have tremendous applications for tumor therapy and suggest a need to better understand the ways by which dendritic cells regulate tumor biology in terms of their antigen-presenting as well as tumor-supporting functions including transdifferentiation into other cell types. This review focuses on the protumorigenic effects of dendritic cells in tumor progression that can be targeted to improve cancer therapy.