cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Team Stress and Performance: Implications for Long-Duration Space Missions

Interpersonal tensions during long-duration space missions can endanger mission success by preventing crew cooperation or by inducing errors. Crew friction in past U.S. – Russian missions drives home the need to understand how interpersonal stresses precipitate crew breakdowns. Most team research of the past decade has focused on the cognitive and communication aspects of team performance. The present study addressed the interpersonal aspects as well. A computer-based laboratory was created to study team problem solving under stressful conditions. Twelve teams of four males (aged 25-45) participated in six 75-minute search and rescue “missions.” A path model showed that level of mission success reflected degree of team collaboration, which was driven by both group level and individual factors. High levels of team cohesion, a helpful base-station leader, feelings of acceptance, and provision of interpersonal support were associated with high levels of collaboration. Implications of these findings for team ...
Bench, Boundaries, and Benefits Negotiating the Maze to a Successful Product in the United States

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: The information in this commentary will allow clinicians and inventors to better translate ideas in the commercial realm. It has a direct impact to improving clinical care and the patient experience.
Comparative Analysis of Tooth-Root Strength Using ISO and AGMA Standards in Spur and Helical Gears with FEM-Based Verification

Current trends in engineering globalization require researchers to revisit various normalized standards that determine "best practices" in industries. This paper presents comparative analysis of tooth-root strength evaluation methods used within ISO and AGMA standards and verifying them with developed models and simulations using the finite element method(FEM). The presented analysis is conducted for (1) wide range of spur and helical gears manufactured using racks or gear tools; and for (2) various combina-tions of key geometrical (gear design), manufacturing (racks and gear tools), and performance (load location) parameters. FEM of tooth root strength is performed for each modeled geaer. FEM results are compared with stresses calculated based on the ISO and AGMA standards. The comparative analysis for various combinations of design, manufacturing, and performance parameters are illustrated graphically and discussed briefly. The results will allow for a better understanding of existing limitations in the current standards applied in engineering practice as well as provide a basis for future improve ments and/or unifications of gear standards.
Effect of 1,3-Butanediol and Short Chain Acids in Sow Gestation Diets on Maternal Plasma Metabolites and Fetal Energy Storage

Gestating sows were fed diets in which 15% of the metabolizable energy was in the form of glucose monohydrate (control), 1,3-butanediol (BD) or an equimolar mixture of acetate and lactate (AL) in order to study the effects of ketogenic, glucogenic and lipogenic substrates on fetal energy storage. Diets were initiated on d 90 of gestation. Blood plasma was obtained from sows 2 and 8 h after feeding on d 102 of gestation. Sows receiving BD had a higher (P less than .001) concentration of beta-hydroxybutyrate (.54 vs .12, .14 mM) and a lower (P less than .05) concentration of glucose (72 vs 82, 86 mg/dl) after 8 h than sows in control or AL groups, respectively. Sows in the AL group had a higher (P less than .10) acetate concentration at 2 h, but no difference was observed by 8 h. Lactate concentration was lower (P less than .10) in AL sows when compared with those in the control group (69 vs 101 mg/dl). Two pigs/litter were killed at birth and two/litter were fasted for 36 h with blood samples obtained at 12-h intervals. Newborn pigs from AL and BS sows had more total liver glycogen than pigs derived from control sows (4.18, 4.07 vs 3.09 g, respectively); however, this difference was significant only for pigs from AL sows (P less than .10). Pigs in BD and AL groups had a higher (17 to 25%), though not significantly different, glucose concentration than controls after 24 and 36 h of fasting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Bible as a Judeo-Persian Epic: An Illustrated Manuscript of ‘Imrānī’s Fatḥ-Nāma

The poet ‘Imrāni (lived 1454‒ca. 1536) rendered episodes from the Bible—specifically the Tanakh or Old Testament books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, and part of 2 Samuel—into a Fath-Nāmeh, “Bo...
Serotonin Toxicity Causes Myodeterioration of Skeletal Muscle Function in Albino Mice

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) functions as a neurotransmitter affecting a variety of tissues, including gastrointestinal smooth muscle and striated limb muscle (Bulbring and Gershon, 1967; Ooms et al., 1986). It has also been shown to be a potent vasoconstricting agent (Carter, 1961). As a vasoconstrictor, serotonin causes decreased blood flow through capillaries to skeletal muscles. The decreased oxygen and nutrient exchange between blood and the “isolated” skeletal musculature results in changes in both histological appearance and muscle function (Erspamer, 1961). However, evidence suggesting that serotonin acts more directly on muscle cells has been reported. Attention has been given to studies testing the involvement of receptors responding to 5-HT stimulation in both vascular smooth muscle and skeletal muscle in an effort to discern the receptor subtype which may be in part responsible for the serotonin induced muscle myopathy. Interest has developed in attempting to determine which antagonists for distinct serotonin receptors will be effective therapeutically when administered to animal subjects suffering from serotonin induced myopathies.
Regenerative Braking Development Using Hardware-in-the-Loop

Abstract This paper describes regenerative brake system development for a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) using Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL). The paper presents the advantages of using HIL for system development, the brake system development objectives, a description of the HIL laboratory setup, a brief description of the regenerative brake system, and the brake system development process in the laboratory. Laboratory data, and simulation data is also presented.
Emerging Currents in Communication/LGBTQ Studies: A Review of LGBTQ-Related Articles Published in Communication Journals from 2010 to 2015

Since the late 1970s, communication scholars have been playing a significant role in LGBTQ scholarship. To understand the state-of-the-art LGBTQ studies within the communication discipline, I present a systematic review of 237 LGBTQ-related articles that were published in communication journals from 2010 to 2015. I examine the objects of study, the methodological approaches, and the themes of research of these articles. Nine themes of research are identified. Based on the review, I point out four emerging currents where communication scholarship can further contribute to larger LGBTQ studies: (1) balancing L/G/B/T/Q, (2) addressing intersectionality, (3) internationalizing LGBTQ research, and (4) embracing interdisciplinarity.
REIT Valuation: A Global Perspective

Prior empirical evidence regarding the impact of dividend taxes, corporate taxes, and corporate governance on firm valuation is inconclusive. This study avoids some of the complications encountered in previous empirical work by exploiting institutional characteristics of REITs, such as their limited discretion over dividend policy and the relative transparency of REIT assets. Using data from 32 global stock exchanges, I find that investors capitalize dividend taxes in REIT’s market valuation. I also show that REITs headquartered in countries with stringent restrictions on REITs investment opportunities have higher market value. Finally, the results document that investors assign negative values to REITs that retain earnings and have a weaker corporate governance mechanism.
Prediabetes, diabetes, and other CVD-related conditions among Asian populations in Los Angeles County, 2014.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of four common health conditions related to cardiovascular disease risk among Asians in Los Angeles County.Methods: A survey of Asians in Los Angeles County was ...
Metabolic interactions between acetaminophen (paracetamol) and two flavonoids, luteolin and quercetin, through in-vitro inhibition studies

Objectives Excessive exposure to acetaminophen (APAP, paracetamol) can cause liver injury through formation of a reactive metabolite that depletes hepatic glutathione and causes hepatocellular oxidative stress and damage. Generation of this metabolite is mediated by Cytochrome-P450 (CYP) isoforms, mainly CYP2E1. A number of naturally occurring flavonoids can mitigate APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in experimental animal models. Our objective was to determine the mechanism of these protective effects and to evaluate possible human applicability. Methods Two flavonoids, luteolin and quercetin, were evaluated as potential inhibitors of eight human CYP isoforms, of six UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms and of APAP glucuronidation and sulfation. The experimental model was based on in-vitro metabolism by human liver microsomes, using isoform-specific substrates. Key findings Luteolin and quercetin inhibited human CYP isoforms to varying degrees, with greatest potency towards CYP1A2 and CYP2C8. However, 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50 values) were generally in the micromolar range. UGT isoforms were minimally inhibited. Both luteolin and quercetin inhibited APAP sulfation but not glucuronidation. Conclusions Inhibition of human CYP activity by luteolin and quercetin occurred with IC50 values exceeding customary in-vivo human exposure with tolerable supplemental doses of these compounds. The findings indicate that luteolin and quercetin are not likely to be of clinical value for preventing or treating APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.
An experimental measurement of simple chip AD8302 implemented in SONAR interferometer

The paper investigates the underwater acoustic signal DOA (Direction Of Arrival) estimation of the passive sonar interferometer using the combination of the phase and amplitude comparison. Therefore, we performed an experimental measurement in this research for the AD8302, which was applied in the sonar interferometer to estimate DOA of the acoustic signals. The proposed system was designed and established for the experimental measurement in the scale of the lab water tank. The acoustic signal, which was used for the measurement, has pulsed-shape waveform with carrier frequency 200 kHz. The measurement results show that: the proposed sonar interferometer using the AD8302 could estimate the DOA of the signal with high accuracy and resolution. Specifically, for the real DOA = −1°, 0° and 1.5°, the sonar interferometer estimated the DOA = −0.9°, 0° and 1.37°. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the phase difference are 3.5°, 2.9° and 2.3° and the RMSE of the DOA estimation 0.04°, 0.03° and 0.02° for the real DOA = −1°, 0° and 1.5°, respectively.
When Should You Include Age Structure

The theoretical ecologist faces a dilemma when deciding whether to include size and age structure in an attempt to understand species dynamics. There is a large cost in terms of difficulty, so the benefit in terms of increased understanding must be substantial. This question of whether to include age structure (or size structure) in models is really a question of scale — organizational scale. At the organizational scale of species interactions, when can one ignore information at a lower level, namely at the level of differences among individuals?
"The Bright Shapes Were Going": Disability, Neurodivergence, and Theatrical Form in Elevator Repair Service's The Sound and the Fury

The article considers a theatrical adaptation of the “Benjy Chapter” from William Faulkner’s 1928 novel The Sound and the Fury created by the experimental theatre company Elevator Repair Service (ERS) and presented at the Public Theater in New York in the spring of 2015. Told from the perspective of Benjy Compson, Faulkner’s text contains one of the most significant and complex representations of a mentally disabled character in modern American literature. The article examines how ERS attempted to evoke Benjy’s consciousness using the specific affordances of theatrical performance. It argues that the ERS production asks questions about theatrical form in ways that echo and yet significantly diverge from the questions that Faulkner’s novel asks about literary form. In so doing, it further suggests that the emerging discourses of neurodiversity and neurodivergence offer powerful new methodological possibilities for theatre and performance studies.
Reintegrating Combatants in War to Peace Transition

This introductory chapter engages in a critical discussion surrounding theories and concepts as well as opportunities, difficulties and dilemmas in reintegrating ex-combatants in post-conflict peacebuilding. Situating reintegration of ex-combatants in a continuum of war to peace transition, this chapter maintains that building sustainable peace becomes illusive without effective reintegration of ex-combatants at the end of an armed conflict. This chapter argues that effective reintegration process must be guided by underlying principles and practices of ‘transformatory peacebuilding’ in which agency of ex-combatants, their families and communities has a vital role to play. Such role can be played from ‘below’, ideally in conjunction with programmes implemented from ‘above’.
Status of High Temperature Adhesives

The status of high temperature organic adhesives is reviewed. These materials are defined by having usable adhesive properties at temperatures ranging from 232°C (after hundreds of hours at 232°C) to 538°C (after a few minutes at 538°C). The search for high temperature adhesives began in the 1960s, primarily under government funding. Since then, many high temperature polymers have undergone evaluation as adhesives. In spite of this effort, only a few are commercially available because of an elusive market and an unfavorable combination of price, processability and performance. The principal adhesives to be discussed will be addition and condensation polyimides, polyquinoxalines, polybenzimidazoles, and addition, condensation, and cross-linked polyphenylquinoxalines. The synthesis, processability, adhesive performance, and availability of these materials are addressed.
Pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo furans in surface soil surrounding pentachlorophenol-treated utility poles on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska USA

Composite surface soil samples were collected at 0, 25, and 50 cm from the base of 12 utility poles on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, to assess the extent to which pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo furans may have leached from pentachlorophenol-treated poles. Six pairs of utility poles were included, consisting of an “old” pole manufactured in 1959 or 1963, a “new” pole manufactured within the past 20 years, and a suitable background soil sample from the same vicinity. Old poles had greater concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents (TEQs) near the pole base and at 25 cm than “new” poles did. For all 12 poles combined, the mean pentachlorophenol levels in soil were 1810, 157, and 17.8 ppm dry weight (d.w.) near the pole bases, at 25 and 50 cm from the poles, respectively, while the mean total TEQ levels in soil were 15,200, 5170, and 1510 parts per trillion d.w. at those distances. Surface soil levels of pentachlorophenol and TCDD-TEQs exceeded both human health and ecological risk-based screening levels. The design and results of this study were similar to another project in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. Together the results are cause for concern, indicating that millions of similarly treated utility poles in North America may be point sources of pentachlorophenol and dioxins/furans to soil.
Development and implementation of procedures for outpatient naloxone prescribing at a large academic medical center

Purpose An interprofessional initiative to operationalize outpatient naloxone prescribing at a large academic medical center is described. Summary The initiative was carried out by a work group of clinical pharmacists and pharmacy administrators in collaboration with physicians and nursing staff leaders from multiple practice settings. An opioid overdose risk-assessment guide was developed on the basis of literature review and expert opinion. An institutional policy to guide identification of high-risk patient populations and facilitate naloxone prescribing and dispensing was developed and vetted by multiple expert committees. Patient education materials were created, and patients at high risk for opioid overdose were educated about overdose risk factors and naloxone use by a pharmacist and/or nurse before discharge or, in some cases, by outpatient pharmacists; when feasible, patients’ friends, family members, and/or caregivers were included in education sessions. Interventions included distribution of a pamphlet emphasizing the importance of contacting emergency medical services personnel immediately in the event of an overdose, depicting the process for administration of injectable and nasal spray formulations of naloxone, and providing information on other first-response steps. Collaboration with outpatient pharmacies allowed for successful dispensing of naloxone prescriptions. Conclusion The implementation of an outpatient naloxone prescribing policy at a large academic medical center created a streamlined approach for the interprofessional healthcare team to use in providing naloxone education and improved naloxone access to patients at high risk for opioid overdose.
Novel Algorithms to Monitor Continuous Cardiac Activity with a Video Camera

Recent advances in computer vision methods have made physiological signal extraction from imaging sensors feasible. There is a demand to translate current post-hoc methods into real-time physiological monitoring techniques. Algorithms that function on a single frame of data meet the requirements for continuous, real-time measurement. If these algorithms are computationally efficient they may serve as the basis for an embedded system design that can be integrated within the vision hardware, turning the camera into a physiological monitor. Compelling results are presented derived from an appropriate algorithm for extracting cardiac pulse from sequential, single frames of a color video camera. Results are discussed with respect to physiologically relevant features of variability in beat-to-beat heart rate.
Differences in Opioid Prescribing Among Generalist Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants.

Objective To determine if there are differences in opioid prescribing among generalist physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs) to Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Design Serial cross-sectional analysis of prescription claims from 2013 to 2016 using publicly available data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Subjects All generalist physicians, NPs, and PAs who provided more than 10 total prescription claims between 2013 and 2016 were included. These prescribers were subsetted as practicing in a primary care, urgent care, or hospital-based setting. Methods The main outcomes were total opioid claims and opioid claims as a proportion of all claims in patients treated by these prescribers in each of the three settings of interest. Binomial regression was used to generate marginal estimates to allow comparison of the volume of claims by these prescribers with adjustment for practice setting, gender, years of practice, median income of the ZIP code, state fixed effects, and relevant interaction terms. Results There were 36,999 generalist clinicians (physicians, NPs, and PAs) with at least one year of Part D prescription drug claims data between 2013 and 2016. The number of adjusted total opioid claims across these four years for physicians was 660 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 660-661), for NPs was 755 (95% CI = 753-757), and for PAs was 812 (95% CI = 811-814). Conclusions We find relatively high rates of opioid prescribing among NPs and PAs, especially at the upper margins. This suggests that well-designed interventions to improve the safety of NP and PA opioid prescribing, along with that of their physician colleagues, could be especially beneficial.
A social impact quantification framework for the resource extraction industry

The objective of this study was to develop a social impact quantification framework for the resource extraction industry. The framework was developed to incorporate two approaches—scale-based and quantitative approaches. It aimed to be used for assessing upstream social impacts for products incorporating mined materials to produce a full social life cycle assessment (S-LCA). The framework consists of measurable indicators and impact assessment methods. The quantitative approach simulates S-LCA by applying a two-step impact assessment: (1) calculation of impact scores at the social topic level, and (2) normalization and aggregation to the social theme and stakeholder level. The framework was demonstrated via a case study to compare one material issue—health and safety—from the material extraction phase of two major photovoltaic (PV) technologies in the USA: poly-Si and CdTe PV under stakeholder workers. A temporal analysis on a key mineral was performed. The results showed large variations in the social impact scores for selected topics on key raw materials associated with the two PVs. While the case study is limited in deriving practical implications due to preset assumptions, the framework itself can be extended and integrated with a whole product S-LCA to enhance the understanding of and promote social sustainability of the resource extraction industry. A framework to measure both positive and negative social impacts was developed to follow the S-LCA methodology. The framework was illustrated by comparing two dominant PV technologies in the USA for the social theme of health and safety. Our case study demonstrated inspiring patterns for assessing upstream social impacts from the resource extraction industry, especially when incorporating a temporal analysis.
Mindful feeding: A pathway between parenting style and child eating behaviors

Certain child eating behaviors (e.g., food fussiness, emotional overeating, and disruptive mealtime behaviors) can create challenges for caregivers and result in short- and long-term health consequences (e.g., lower fruit and vegetable intake, a deficiency of essential nutrients, greater intake of energy-dense foods and sugary beverages, and/or higher BMI) for the children. The role of mindful feeding-cultivating a present-centered awareness in the feeding context to increase parents' awareness of their own responsive (and non-responsive) feeding behaviors-has not been explored as it relates to parenting and children's problematic eating behaviors. The objective of this study was to understand whether the relations between parenting style and child eating behaviors often documented in the literature are mediated by mindful feeding. Using self-reports from Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) of 496 mothers and fathers of young children (age 2-7 years old), we explored whether mindful feeding mediates the relation between parenting style and child eating behaviors. As hypothesized, authoritative parenting was related to higher rates of mindful feeding (β=.16, 95% C.I. [.05, .18]), while authoritarian (β=-.34, 95% C.I. [-.32, -.17]) and permissive parenting (β= -.15, 95% C.I. [-.18, -.05]) were related to lower rates of mindful feeding. Mindful feeding mediated the relation between each parenting style and each child eating behavior (i.e., food fussiness, problematic mealtime behaviors, and emotional overeating). These findings suggest that that mindful feeding may be a promising new construct, and its relation to feeding interventions aimed at improving problematic child eating behaviors should be further evaluated.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Augmentation in Meniscal Repair Surgery: A Systematic Review of Comparative Studies.

Purpose To systematically review the literature on meniscal repair surgery and assess functional and radiographic outcomes of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)–augmented repair compared with standard repair techniques. Methods A systematic review of the literature was completed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases. The inclusion criteria included all human studies testing PRP augmentation of meniscal repair written in the English language. All cadaveric, animal, and basic science studies were excluded from review. The quality of the included publications was assessed prior to data extraction through the Jadad score. Risk of bias was further determined by Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) and Cochrane risk-of-bias assessments. Heterogeneity in outcomes reported across studies was evaluated using I2 statistic calculations. Results A total of 5 studies (1 with Level I evidence; 1, Level II; and 3, Level III) met the inclusion criteria for this review, all comparing PRP augmentation of meniscal repair surgery versus meniscal repair with no augmentation. Overall quality and risk of bias in the included studies varied substantially (Jadad score, 1-5; Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies score, 7-18). Three comparative studies found no significant difference in outcome or failure, whereas the other two showed a significant improvement in PRP-augmented repairs at final follow-up. Two studies assessed healing with postoperative magnetic resonance imaging or second-look arthroscopy, with both showing significantly improved outcomes in the PRP-treated groups (P Conclusions In early and limited investigations, there is insufficient evidence to support PRP augmentation of meniscal repair surgery improving functional and radiographic outcomes and resulting in lower failure rates compared with standard repair techniques. There is considerable heterogeneity in the reporting and preparation of PRP used for augmentation. Level of Evidence Level III, systematic review of Level I to III studies.
Induction of AP-1 activity associated with c-Jun and JunB is required for mitogenesis induced by insulin and vanadate in SV40-transformed 3T3T cells

Insulin and vanadate function as complete mitogens for SV40-transformed murine 3T3T (CSV3-1) cells but not for nontransformed 3T3T cells. Mitogenesis induced by insulin and vanadate in CSV3-1 cells is associated with the induction of the expression of protooncogenes c-Jun and junB, two major AP-1 transcription factor components. We now report that both insulin and vanadate induce a significant increase in AP-1 DNA binding activity in CSV3-1 cells but not in 3T3T cells. Gel supershift assays and Western blot analysis using specific antibodies demonstrate that the increased AP-1 binding activity induced by insulin and vanadate in CSV3-1 cells is primarily contributed by an increase in the expression of c-Jun and JunB protein levels. Furthermore, treatment of CSV3-1 cells with antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides to c-Jun or to junB blocks insulin- and vanadate-induced mitogenesis whereas antisense junD oligomers have no inhibitory effects. These results therefore demonstrate that the induction of AP-1 binding activity associated with c-Jun and JunB is required for insulin- and vanadate-induced rnitogenesis in SV40-transformed murine 3T3T cells. Additional data presented in this paper show that JunD/AP-1 binding activity, which is thought to play a negative role in regulating cell proliferation, is also slightly induced following insulin and vanadate stimulation in CSV3-1 cells. Nevertheless, the ratio of proliferation promoting c-Jun/AP-1 and JunB/AP-1 binding activities to proliferation inhibiting JunD/AP-1 binding activity is significantly increased following insulin and vanadate stimulation. These results therefore support the concept that modulation of the balance of positive Jun/AP-1 and negative Jun/AP-1 activities is important in regulating cell proliferation.
Chapter 1 – Environmental Biotechnology: An Overview

This chapter is an introduction to environmental biotechnology, beginning with a discussion of systems theory. The systematic approach is applied to environmental science and engineering, especially environmental risk assessment and management, including lessons learned from environmental impact statements and life cycle analyses (LCAs). Important tools and concepts are introduced, including biomarkers, the exposome, dosimetry, toxicokinetics modeling, bioremediation, risk trade-offs, and ethics. The chapter introduces both the applications of biotechnology for environmental purposes and the possible adverse environmental implications of biotechnologies.
Effect of microstructural anisotropy on severe plastic deformation during material removal at micrometer length-scales

Abstract The emergence of shear inhomogeneity across grain boundaries during severe shear deformation in Cu at the micrometer length-scales is demonstrated through in situ imaging inside a scanning electron microscope. The deformation mechanics during machining is found to be orientation dependent. Microstructure refinement from severe plastic deformation in confined volumes is entirely suppressed in certain orientations but results in a characteristic ultrafine structure in others. Rampant ductile fracture is found to nucleate at some grain boundaries due to elevated dislocation densities, and this failure mechanism is imprinted on the freshly generated surface, which limits the precision of machining-based processes (e.g., diamond turning) in nanometrically-smooth roughness profiles.
Impact of the fMRI environment on eye-tracking measures in a linguistic prediction task

The present study investigated the impact of the MRI environment on eye-movement measures in the visual-world paradigm. 24 neurotypical young adults performed a linguistic prediction task in a typi...
Effects of fiber type, particle size, and inclusion level on the growth performance, digestive organ growth, intestinal morphology, intestinal viscosity, and gene expression of broilers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect fiber type, particle size, and inclusion level on the performance parameters, intestinal development and gene expression in broiler chickens. A total of 648 one-day old Cobb male broilers were randomly assigned to a control diet and 8 other dietary treatments divided in 2 fiber types (cellulose vs. soyhulls), 2 particle sizes (100 and 600 µm), and 2 inclusion levels (4 and 8% crude fiber). Birds were reared to 21 days of age in battery cages (n = 6 replicates). Growth performance parameters and intestinal viscosity were measured on da 7, 14, and 21. On d 14 and 21, digestive organ weights were recorded for analyses of organ growth. On d 21, intestinal samples were taken for analyses of histology, and jejunal mucosas were collected for analyses of nutrient transporters. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design using JMP 2021. Treatments were compared against the control group using one-way analysis of variance, whereas the main effect interactions were evaluated as a factorial excluding the control group to be able to assess the effect of the independent variables without the variability introduced by the control group. The groups fed 8% crude fiber from cellulose (8% CL) had the lowest weight gain regardless of the particle size (P < 0.01). The control group had the highest feed intake among the treatments (P < 0.01). The groups fed 8% crude fiber from soyhulls (8% SH) with a coarse particle size had the heaviest relative gizzard weight among the treatments (P = 0.045). The groups fed 8% SH had the heaviest small intestine weights regardless of the particle size (P = 0.009). No differences were observed in the relative weights of the ceca. The highest viscosity was observed in the group fed 8% SH with a fine particle size (P < 0.001). The group fed 4% SH with a coarse particle size had the longest duodenal villus (P < 0.001). The shortest jejunal villus height was observed in the group fed 8% CL with a fine particle size (P < 0.001). Ileal villus was highest in the groups fed high CL levels regardless of the particle size (P < 0.001). The highest digestibility of dry matter was observed in the group 4% SH with fine particle (P = 0.017). The group 4% CL with fine particle had the highest digestibility of crude protein (P = 0.033). The highest expression of peptide transporter 1 was observed in the group fed 8% CL with a coarse particle size (P = 0.008). In conclusion, fiber type, particle size, and inclusion levels are important factors in the regulation of intestinal morphology, viscosity, nutrient transporters, and growth performance.
Effect of Modulus of Elasticity on Creep Prediction of High Strength Concrete Containing Pozzolans

The focus of this study is investigating the sensitivity of each creep prediction model wjen using various modulus of elasticity equations. Nine high strength concrete (HSC) mixes containing pozzolans were made and tested in the laboratory. The mixes consisted of three mixes with varying percentage of silica fume, three mixes with varying percentage of fly ash, and three mixes with different combination of silica fume and fly ash. Data on elastic modulus from these mixes as well as from other tests have been used to form the basis of developing an elastic modulus equation for HSC. Three creep prediction models are considered in the study.
Finite purchasing power and computations of Bertrand---Nash equilibrium prices

This article considers the computation of Bertrand---Nash equilibrium prices when the consumer population has finite purchasing power. The literal KKT conditions for equilibria contain "spurious" solutions that are not equilibria but can be computed by existing software, even with prominent regularization strategies for ill-posed problems. We prove a reformulated complementarity problem based on a fixed-point representation of equilibrium prices improves computational reliability and provide computational evidence of its efficiency on an empirically-relevant problem. Scientific inferences from empirical Bertrand competition models with explicit limits on individual purchasing power will benefit significantly from our proposed methods for computing equilibrium prices. An analysis of floating-point computations also implies that any model will have finite purchasing power when implemented on existing computing machines, and thus the techniques discussed here have general value. We discuss a heuristic to identify, and potentially mitigate, the impact of computationally-imposed finite purchasing power on computations of equilibrium prices in any model.
1, 2, 4-Oxadiazoles

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the chemistry of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles and the corresponding reduced derivatives. The chapter discusses the synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles. Two widely used general methods of synthesizing 1,2,4-oxadiazoles embrace 95% of the practical preparations of these compounds: The conversion of amidoximes by means of carboxylic acid derivatives to the cyclic structure and the cycloaddition of nitrile oxides to nitriles (II). Synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from O-acylamidoximes, N-acyliminoethers, and C-nitroso derivatives is discussed. The most widely used method of synthesizing oxadiazoles is the cyclization of O-acylamidoximes. Aldoximes may be used as starting compounds for amidoximes. The amidoximes may then be converted into O-acyl derivatives, which is an intermediate in the pathway to oxadiazoles. Furthermore, the chapter describes the physical properties, such as electron density and molecular geometry, thermodynamic functions, and dipole moments. Chemical properties, such as thermal stability, photochemical effects, and functional group chemistry of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles is discussed. Finally, the chapter illustrates the use of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles in chemotherapy and agriculture.
Abstract W P369: Inhibitory Effect of FTY720 on Neuroinflammation in Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion

Background: Neuroinflammation is a key contributor to brain injury in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR). FTY720 has been shown to be neuroprotective in animal stroke models. In most studies, FTY720 treatment was initiated either before or shortly after the cerebral insult. The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of FTY720 on CIR-associated neuroinflammation and outcome using a therapeutic window similar to the one utilized in clinical practice. Methods: We used the rat middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion model for CIR. The right MCA was occluded for 1h followed by reperfusion. Animals were treated with vehicle or 0.5 mg/kg FTY720 intraperitoneally at 3h post-reperfusion. Neurobehavioral test battery (scale from 0 to 21 points with lower scores representing increased neurological deficits), grid-walking test, infarct volume, and brain water content were determined 24h post CIR. A cranial window was established at 24h post occlusion and leukocyte trafficking behavior was monitored by direct microscopic observation of surface venules. Pial venular leukocyte adhesion was expressed as the % of vascular area occupied by adherent rhodamine-6G-labeled leukocytes. Statistical analysis was performed by t test. Results: Compared to the vehicle group (n=10), FTY720 animals (n=10) had improved neurological score (8.6±1.9 vs. 13.7±1.9; p<0.001) and better motor performance throughout all subsections of the grid test (p<0.001). FTY720 treatment also decreased infarct volume (vehicle: 342±182; FTY720: 122±138 mm3; p=0.04) and ipsilateral brain edema, measured as water content (vehicle: 84.5±1.05%; FTY720: 79.4±0.87%, p=0.003). Leukocyte trafficking study showed a significant increase in vascular leukocyte adhesion 24 h post reperfusion in the vehicle group which was markedly decreased by FTY720 treatment (sham: 3.0±0.6%; vehicle: 11.4±2.6%; FTY720: 5.2±1.4%; p<0.001). Conclusion: FTY720 given at 3h post reperfusion reduces infarct volume, brain edema, neurological disability, and vascular leukocyte adhesion. These results support the beneficial effect of FTY720 when used in a clinically relevant timeframe and provides direct evidence of the anti-inflammatory effect of FTY720 on CIR.
Estudio sobre incidencia de anticuerpos a virus de influenza tipo "A" entre un grupo de estudiantes de Medicina

Three strains of Type A, influenza virus have been prevalent in urban areas of Peru. Antigenic experience, as shown by hemagglutination inhibition test with the PR8 an Asian Jap/305/57 virus strains was demostrated among 100 first and second year medical students. Sero-inmunity to PR8 and FM1 viruses was found among 93 per cent of the individuals tested; sero-inmunity to the Asian strain of virus was demostrated among 31 subjects. The incidence of these infections as indicated by the sero-inmunity produced, is similar to that found among similar groups in North America.
Psychophysical capacity modeling in frequent manual materials handling activities

Models related to the psychophysical capacity of individuals engaged in frequent manual materials handling (MMH) activities are reviewed and evaluated. Predictive models are classified into regress...
Poster abstract: Reliable data collection from mobile users for real-time clinical monitoring

Real-time patient monitoring is critical to early detection of clinical patient deterioration in general hospital wards. A key challenge in such applications is to reliably deliver sensor data from mobile patients. We present an empirical analysis on the reliability of data collection from wireless pulse oximeters attached to users. We observe that most packet loss occur from mobile users to their first-hop relays. Based on this insight we developed the Dynamic Relay Association Protocol (DRAP), a simple and effective mechanism for dynamically discovering the right relays to be used for forwarding data from mobile users.
p‐Chloroamphetamine‐induced hyperthermia pharmacologically distinct from fenfluramine‐induced hyperthermia

The influence of various drug pretreatments upon the responses of rabbits to the putative indirect 5-hydroxytryptaminergic agonists p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) and fenfluramine were examined. In naive rabbits PCA evoked hyperthermia, behavioural excitation and prominent forepaw clonic activity, while fenfluramine produced only hyperthermia and behavioural stimulation. The hyperthermic and behavioural responses of both agents were reduced by the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) uptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, potentiated by the monoamine oxidase inhibitor, pheniprazine, and unaltered by the dopaminergic antagonist, haloperidol. Pretreatment with the 5-hydroxytryptaminergic receptor blockers cinanserin, cyproheptadine or D-2-bromolysergic acid diethylamide markedly attenuated the effects of fenfluramine but only slightly influenced the responses to PCA. Depeletion of central 5-HT stores with p-chlorophenylalanine also affected responses to fenfluramine more than responses to PCA. The tryptaminergic receptor blocker methergoline abolished both PCA-induced hyperthermia and forepaw clonus--but not behavioural stimulation--while the effects of flenfluramine were only partly reduced. We interpret these data to mean that PCA- and fenfluramine-induced drug effects have different underlying mechanisms, the PCA responses relying possibly upon tryptamine while the fenfluramine responses are 5-hydroxytryptaminergic.
The leader as motivator: coach and self‐esteem builder

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine what motivating strategies followers (comprised of low and high need achievers) view as most necessary from their leaders.Design/methodology/approach – Three survey instruments were administered to 297 working professionals taking business courses offered through a college of management at a private university. Correlational research methodology was used to investigate the relationships between self‐attributed needs for achievement on demographic, interest and effort variables. Discriminant analysis was used to determine if motivational and profile characteristics could be used to predict low and high self‐attributed need achievers.Findings – The major findings of this study centered on the leader's ability to inspire followers by using a variety of interesting coaching techniques and by building their self‐esteem regardless of achievement orientation.Research limitations/implications – The results of this study are tentative and need to be reproduced wi...
Concurrency and recovery in generalized search trees

This paper presents general algorithms for concurrency control in tree-based access methods as well as a recovery protocol and a mechanism for ensuring repeatable read. The algorithms are developed in the context of the Generalized Search Tree (GiST) data structure, an index structure supporting an extensible set of queries and data types. Although developed in a GiST context, the algorithms are generally applicable to many tree-based access methods. The concurrency control protocol is based on an extension of the link technique originally developed for B-trees, and completely avoids holding node locks during I/Os. Repeatable read isolation is achieved with a novel combination of predicate locks and two-phase locking of data records. To our knowledge, this is the first time that isolation issues have been addressed outside the context of B-trees. A discussion of the fundamental structural differences between B-trees and more general tree structures like GiSTs explains why the algorithms developed here deviate from their B-tree counterparts. An implementation of GiSTs emulating B-trees in DB2/Common Server is underway.
Reduce call light frequency with hourly rounds.

Hourly nursing rounds aren't a new concept. In recent years, strategies have developed across organizations to initiate hourly rounds to reduce the noise and interruption caused by unnecessary call lights. The benefits of this practice can't be denied, as studies show that properly conducted
POEMS syndrome: Update on diagnosis, risk‐stratification, and management

Disease overview: POEMS syndrome is a paraneoplastic syndrome due to an underlying plasma cell neoplasm. The major criteria for the syndrome are polyradiculoneuropathy, clonal plasma cell disorder (PCD), sclerotic bone lesions, elevated vascular endothelial growth factor, and the presence of Castleman disease. Minor features include organomegaly, endocrinopathy, characteristic skin changes, papilledema, extravascular volume overload, and thrombocytosis. Diagnoses are often delayed because the syndrome is rare and can be mistaken for other neurologic disorders, most commonly chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. POEMS syndrome should be distinguished from the Castleman disease variant of POEMS syndrome, which has no clonal PCD and typically little to no peripheral neuropathy but has several of the minor diagnostic criteria for POEMS syndrome. Diagnosis: The diagnosis of POEMS syndrome is made with three of the major criteria, two of which must include polyradiculoneuropathy and clonal plasma cell disorder, and at least one of the minor criteria. Risk stratification: Because the pathogenesis of the syndrome is not well understood, risk stratification is limited to clinical phenotype rather than specific molecular markers. The number of clinical criteria is not prognostic, but the extent of the plasma cell disorder is. Those patients with an iliac crest bone marrow biopsy that does not reveal a plasma cell clone are candidates for local radiation therapy; those with a more extensive or disseminated clone will be candidates for systemic therapy. Risk-adapted therapy: For those patients with a dominant sclerotic plasmacytoma, first line therapy is irradiation. Patients with diffuse sclerotic lesions or disseminated bone marrow involvement and for those who have progression of their disease 3–6 months after completing radiation therapy should receive systemic therapy. Corticosteroids are temporizing, but alkylators are the mainstay of treatment, either in the form of low dose conventional therapy or high dose with stem cell transplantation. Lenalidomide shows promise with manageable toxicity. Thalidomide and bortezomib also have activity, but their benefit needs to be weighed against their risk of exacerbating the peripheral neuropathy. The benefit of anti-VEGF antibodies is conflicting. Prompt recognition and institution of both supportive care measures and therapy directed against the plasma cell result in the best outcomes. Am. J. Hematol. 90:951–962, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A liquid chromatographic assay for phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase

Abstract A new assay technique for phenylethanolamine N -methyltransferase (PNMT) is described. The assay involves the separation of the PNMT substrate (e.g., norepinephrine) from the N -methylated product (e.g., epinephrine) using high-performance liquid chromatography on a cation-exchange resin. The detection and quantitation of these catecholamines are accomplished using an electrochemical detector. This assay technique has sensitivity and precision comparable to the radiochemical assays. In addition, it has the added advantage of specific product identification and quantitation.
Chemistry of heterocyclic compounds LV Platinum(O) complexes of heterocyclic acetylenes: Bis-Lithiation

Abstract Low temperature bis-metal—halogen exchange on a platinacyclic moietyis reported to occur without cleavage of the zero-valent platinumalkyne bond(s). The metallation procedure affords a convenient, mild route to metalate, dehalogenate, label, and/or functionalize metallacycles.