cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How long do most seizures last? A systematic comparison of seizures recorded in the epilepsy monitoring unit.

Summary: Purpose: More information is needed regarding how long seizures typically last, since this influences treatment decisions. Seizure type and other factors could influence seizure duration. Methods: Data were collected from a random sample of patients being evaluated with continuous video and scalp EEG. Seizure duration was defined as time from early sign of seizure (clinical or EEG) until the end of seizure on EEG. Seizures were categorized as simple partial (SPS), complex partial (CPS), secondarily generalized tonic–clonic (SGTCS), primary generalized tonic–clonic (PGTCS) and tonic (TS). SGTCS were divided into a complex partial part (SGTCS/CP) and a tonic–clonic part (SGTCS/TC). Median and longest duration of each seizure type in each individual were used. Comparisons of seizure types, first and last seizure, area of onset, and state of onset were performed. Results: Five hundred seventy-nine seizures were recorded in 159 adult patients. Seizures with partial onset spreading to both hemispheres had the longest duration. SGTCS were unlikely to last more than 660 s, CPS more than 600 s, and SPS more than 240 s. PGTCS and TS had shorter durations, but the number of subjects with those two types was small. CPS did not differ in duration according to sleep state at onset nor side of origin. Conclusion: A working definition of status epilepticus in adults with cryptogenic or symptomatic epilepsy can be drawn from these data for purposes of future epidemiologic research. More information is needed for the idiopathic epilepsies and in children.
Ventricular rate control during atrial fibrillation by cardiac parasympathetic nerve stimulation: a transvenous approach.

Abstract OBJECTIVES To identify intravascular sites for continuous, stable parasympathetic stimulation (PS) in order to control the ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation (AF). BACKGROUND Ventricular rate control during AF in patients with congestive heart failure is a significant clinical problem because many drugs that slow the ventricular rate may depress ventricular function and cause hypotension. Parasympathetic stimulation can exert negative dromotropic effects without significantly affecting the ventricles. METHODS In 22 dogs, PS was performed using rectangular stimuli (0.05 ms duration, 20 Hz) delivered through a catheter with an expandable electrode-basket at its end. The catheter was positioned either in the superior vena cava (SVC, n = 6), coronary sinus (CS, n = 10) or right pulmonary artery (RPA, n = 6). The basket was then expanded to obtain long-term catheter stability. Atrial fibrillation was induced and maintained by rapid atrial pacing. RESULTS Nonfluoroscopic (SVC) and fluoroscopic (CS/RPA) identification of effective intravascular PS sites was achieved within 3 to 10 min. The ventricular rate slowing effect during AF started and ceased immediately after on-offset of PS, respectively, and could be maintained over 20 h. In the SVC, at least a 50% increase of ventricular rate (R-R) intervals occurred at 22 ± 11 V (331 ± 139 ms to 653 ± 286 ms, p CONCLUSIONS Intravascular PS results in a significant ventricular rate slowing during AF in dogs. This may be beneficial in patients with AF and rapid ventricular response since many drugs that decrease atrioventricular conduction have negative inotropic effects which could worsen concomitant congestive heart failure.
On the Characterization of Fullerenes

Abstract We present a characterization of fullerenes based on 12 x12 matrices which register separations between all twelve pentagonal faces in fullerenes. Some properties of such matrices (eigenvalues, the characteristic polynomial and sequences based on distance distributions) are illustrated. It is shown that derived invariants can serve for classification and characterization of not only different fullerene isomers but also for characterization of pentagonal faces in individual fullerenes.
Prosaptide activates the MAPK pathway by a G-protein-dependent mechanism essential for enhanced sulfatide synthesis by Schwann cells

Prosaposin, the precursor of saposins A, B, C, and D, was recently reported to be a neurotrophic factor in vivo and in vitro. The neurotrophic region of prosaposin has been localized to a 12-amino acid sequence within the saposin C domain and has been used to derive biologically active synthetic peptides (14-22 residues), called prosaptides. Treatment of primary Schwann cells and an immortalized Schwann cell line, iSC, with a 14-mer prosaptide, TX14(A) (10 nM), enhanced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated kinases ERK1 (p44 MAPK) and ERK2 (p42 MAPK) within 5 min, which was blocked by 4 h pretreatment with pertussis toxin. Furthermore, incubation of Schwann cells with the nonhydrolyzable GDP analog GDP-betaS inhibited TX14(A)-induced ERK phosphorylation. TX14(A) enhanced the sulfatide content of primary Schwann cells by 2.5-fold, which was inhibited by pretreatment with pertussis toxin or the synthetic MAP kinase kinase inhibitor PD098059. In addition, TX14(A) increased the tyrosine phosphorylation of all three isoforms of the adapter molecule, Shc, which coincided with the association of p60Src and PI(3)K. Inhibition of PI3(K) by wortmannin blocked TX14(A)-induced ERK phosphorylation. These data demonstrate that TX14(A) uses a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein pathway to activate ERKs, which is essential for enhanced sulfatide synthesis in Schwann cells.
Viscosupplementation in the olderpatient with osteoarthritis

Abstract Osteoarthritis of the knee is the leading cause of disability in the elderly. This localized, painful condition is oftenaccompanied by decreased elastoviscosity of the intraarticular synovial fluid due to decreased hyaluronan molecular weight and/or concentration. Viscosupplementation attempts to restore viscoelastic homeostasis to the arthritic joint to reduce pain and restore function. Recently, two low-molecular weight (MW) hyaluronans and one cross-linked high-MW hyaluronan(hylan) have been approved for the intraarticular treatment of this disease in the United States. Five weekly intraarticular injections are recommended for both low-MW hyaluronans. They have been proven effective in reducing knee pain in mild to moderate disease, equivalent to NSAIDS. They are as effective as corticosteroids, are of slower onset, and have longer duration of effect. Three weekly injections are recommended for the hylan product. It has been proven effective in mild to advanced disease and is as or more effective than NSAIDS and more effective than corticosteroids. Definitive comparative studies of these products have not been published. Viscosupplementation has been shown to be very safe. Local transient knee pain and/or swelling (2–4%) per injection, without long-term sequelae have been the only significant adverse events No systemic effects, viral transmission, drug interaction, or mortality have been associated with this treatment. It is recommended that viscosupplementation be considered after the failure of exercise and local or systemic analgesic treatment in the elderly osteoarthritic knee, particularly when gastrointestinal, renal, or cardiovascular comorbidities or drug interactions may exist.
Media and Political Polarization

This article examines if the emergence of more partisan media has contributed to political polarization and led Americans to support more partisan policies and candidates. Congress and some newer media outlets have added more partisan messages to a continuing supply of mostly centrist news. Although political attitudes of most Americans have remained fairly moderate, evidence points to some polarization among the politically involved. Proliferation of media choices lowered the share of less interested, less partisan voters and thereby made elections more partisan. But evidence for a causal link between more partisan messages and changing attitudes or behaviors is mixed at best. Measurement problems hold back research on partisan selective exposure and its consequences. Ideologically one-sided news exposure may be largely confined to a small, but highly involved and influential, segment of the population. There is no firm evidence that partisan media are making ordinary Americans more partisan.
Understanding and Modulating Motor Learning with Cerebellar Stimulation

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques are a powerful approach to investigate the physiology and function of the central nervous system. Recent years have seen numerous investigations delivering transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the cerebellum to determine its role in motor, cognitive and emotional behaviours. Early studies have shown that it is possible to assess cerebellar-motor cortex (CB-M1) connectivity using a paired-pulse TMS paradigm called cerebellar inhibition (CBI), and indirectly infer the state of cerebellar excitability. Thus, it has been shown that CBI changes proportionally to the magnitude of locomotor learning and in association with reaching adaption tasks. In addition, CBI has been used to demonstrate at a physiological level the effects of applying TMS or tDCS to modulate, up or down, the excitability of cerebellar-M1 connectivity. These studies became the fundamental substrate to newer investigations showing that we can affect motor, cognitive and emotional behaviour when targeting the cerebellum with TMS or tDCS in the context of performance. Furthermore, newer investigations are starting to report the effects of cerebellar non-invasive stimulation to treat symptoms associated with neurological conditions such as stroke and dystonia. Altogether, given the scarcity of current effective therapeutic options, non-invasive cerebellar stimulation can potentially become a game changer for the management of conditions that affect the cerebellum. This brief manuscript presents some of the current evidence demonstrating the effects of cerebellar stimulation to modulate motor behaviour and its use to assess physiological processes underlying motor learning.
Financial Asset Ownership: The Case of Chinese and Indian Immigrants tothe United States

Financial asset ownership is important for a large number of scholarly and practical reasons including for understanding saving propensities, risk taking, personal financial strategies, inequality, the flow of funds across national borders, and organizational marketing strategies. Yet we know little about group differences in approaches to owning various financial instruments. Chinese and Indian immigrants to the United States are large, growing, and diverse groups who are rapidly beginning to comprise a large portion of the U.S. population and whose unique financial asset ownership patterns offer insight into the factors that contribute to cross-group differences in this important behavior. The article studies how members of these two important groups own particular assets. Use data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and find that, Chinese and Indian immigrants do, indeed, exhibit unique asset ownership patterns when they are compared to native whites, African Americans, and other immigrants. Their ownership of stocks and mutual funds, interest-earning bank accounts, retirement accounts and whole life insurance. My findings demonstrate that age, tenure in the United States, education, and family traits are important meditating in the relationship between country of birth and financial asset ownership.
HVDC transmission system models for power system reliability evaluation

High voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) systems are finding increased use for long distance transmission of electrical energy from remote hydro electric generating stations to the load centers. The area of reliability evaluation of HVDC transmission systems has not attracted much attention in the past. The situation is changing as more and more DC links are being built, the need to develop methods for assessing the impact of these links on the overall system adequacy is increasing. This paper illustrates a technique for modeling the HVDC links. These models were then integrated into the overall system reliability studies. A simple system example was used to illustrate the technique. Practical system studies incorporating the developed model are illustrated. Finally the data requirements for modeling HVDC links in reliability studies are discussed.
Analog VLSI neural network with digital perturbative learning

Two feed-forward neural-network hardware implementations are presented. The first uses analog synapses and neurons with a digital serial weight bus. The chip is trained in loop with the computer performing control and weight updates. By training with the chip in the loop, it is possible to learn around circuit offsets. The second neural network also uses a computer for the global control operations, but all of the local operations are performed on chip. The weights are implemented digitally, and counters are used to adjust them. A parallel perturbative weight update algorithm is used. The chip uses multiple, locally generated, pseudorandom bit streams to perturb all of the weights in parallel. If the perturbation causes the error function to decrease, the weight change is kept; otherwise, it is discarded. Test results from a very large scale integration (VLSI) prototype are shown of both networks successfully learning digital functions such as AND and XOR.
The employment of dental nurses.

Even in New Zealand, where nurses were introduced in 1921 with support from the New Zealand Dental Association, initial opposition from sectors of the profession was obvious. IX " Possibly the strongest resistance has been expressed in the United States. In 1949, the Massachusetts Legislature approved a five-year experi- ment with dental nurses, but after little more than a year, the enabling legislation was repealed following opposition from organized denti~try.~3 The American Dental Association proclaimed in 1949 that programs to teach people to treat children's teeth should not be less rigorous and time-consuming than for dentists.' The Association called for a study into the effects of all programs employing dental nurses, wherever they might be established.4 Since then, the Association has been steadfast in opposing the preparation of cavities in teeth by auxiliaries.9 Nonetheless, approximatley 30 countries use dental nurses. 2h 5xln this review, factors that should be considered when deciding whether to introduce dental nurses are discussed, together with pertinent literature. Although data exist on the dental nurses' productivity and quality of restorative care, other aspects such as effects on dentists'job satisfaction or on the public's access to care have not been evaluated sta- tistically and are open to conjecture. Countries Employing Dental Nurses
Modeling of power and energy transduction of embedded piezoelectric wafer active sensors for structural health monitoring

This paper presents a systematic investigation of power and energy transduction in piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) for structural health monitoring (SHM). After a literature review of the state of the art, the paper develops a simplified pitch-catch model of power and energy transduction of PWAS attached to structure. The model assumptions include: (a) 1-D axial and flexural wave propagation; (b) ideal bonding (pin-force) connection between PWAS and structure; (c) ideal excitation source at the transmitter PWAS and fully-resistive external load at the receiver PWAS. Frequency response functions are developed for voltage, current, complex power, active power, etc. First, we examined PWAS transmitter and determined the active power, reactive power, power rating of electrical requirement under harmonic voltage excitation. It was found that the reactive power is dominant and defines the power requirement for power supply / amplifier for PWAS applications. The electrical and mechanical power analysis at the PWAS structure interface indicates all the active electrical power provides the mechanical power at the interface. This provides the power and energy for the axial and flexural waves power and energy that propagate into the structure. The sum of forward and backward wave power equals the mechanical power PWAS applied to the structure. The parametric study of PWAS transmitter size shows the proper size and excitation frequency selection based on the tuning effects. Second, we studied the PWAS receiver structural interface acoustic and electrical energy transduction. The parametric study of receiver size, receiver impedance and external electrical load gives the PWAS design guideline for PWAS sensing and power harvesting applications. Finally we considered the power flow for a complete pitch-catch setup. In pitch-catch mode, the power flows from electrical source into piezoelectric power at the transmitter; the piezoelectric conduction converts the electrical power into the mechanical interface power at the transmitter PWAS and then into the acoustic wave power travelling in the structure. The wave power arrives at the receiver PWAS and is captured at the mechanical interface between the receiver PWAS and the structure; the captured mechanical power is converted back into electrical power at the receiver PWAS and measured by the receiver electrical instrument. Our numerical simulation and graphical chart show the trends in the power and energy flow behavior with remarkable peaks and valleys that can be exploited for optimum design.
Evidence for a physical interaction between the Escherichia coli methyl‐directed mismatch repair proteins MutL and UvrD

UvrD (DNA helicase II) is an essential component oftwo major DNA repair pathways in Escherichia coli:methyl-directed mismatch repair and UvrABC-medi-ated nucleotide excision repair. In addition, it has anundeﬁned role in the RecF recombination pathway andpossibly in replication. In an effort to better understandthe role of UvrD in these various aspects of DNAmetabolism, a yeast two-hybrid screen was used tosearch for interacting protein partners. Screening of anE.coli genomic library revealed a potential interactionbetween UvrD and MutL, a component of the methyl-directed mismatch repair pathway. The interaction wasconﬁrmed by afﬁnity chromatography using puriﬁedproteins. Deletion analysis demonstrated that theC-terminal 218 amino acids (residues 398–615) of MutLwere sufﬁcient to produce the two-hybrid interactionwith UvrD. On the other hand, both the N- andC-termini of UvrD were required for interaction withMutL. The implications of this interaction for themismatch repair mechanism are discussed.Keywords: mismatch repair/MutL/protein–proteininteraction/two-hybrid system/UvrD
The Relationship Between the Timing of Maternal Postpartum Hospital Discharge and Breastfeeding

This study examines the association between discharge timing and breastfeeding, controlling for demographic, economic, and health factors that influence both. Using the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health database, maximum-likelihood modeling was used to generate 2-equation models to estimate both outcomes simultaneously. The joint estimation of breast-feeding and discharge timing demonstrates that mothers who spent 1 night in the hospital were more likely to breastfeed than mothers who spent 2 or 3 nights in the hospital (OR = 1.96, 95% C.I. 1.86-2.03). Furthermore, the model altered the association between breastfeeding and age, breastfeeding advice, and prenatal classes. In 1988, when decisions were a function of clinical judgments about readiness for discharge, early discharge was associated with an increased likelihood of breastfeeding. Instead of basing discharge solely on predetermined rules, derived largely from financial criteria, attention to the decision-making process should be an important part of newborn discharge policies.
The impact of the telegraph on public time in the United States, 1844-93

Telegraph technology permitted, for the first time ever, the almost instantaneous synchronization of one place with another far distant one. This synchronization made the introduction of a uniform national standard time possible. The origins of a specialized time-distribution technology, in the beginnings of telegraphy and the experimental instruments designed for the US Coast Survey's longitude expeditions in the 1840s and 1850s, are examined. Further developments on into the 1890s are discussed, by which time the technology had matured from crude beginnings as a specialized scientific tool to become, as an aspect of Western Union's business, the most successful and widely used means of disseminating time to the business community and the general public. >
Role of postoperative irradiation for patients with bilateral cervical nodal metastases from cutaneous melanoma: A critical assessment

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of regional nodal radiation therapy (RT) for patients with bilateral cervical nodal metastases from melanoma. Methods Between 1998 and 2008, 16 patients with bilateral cervical metastases without distant metastases were treated with postoperative RT (30 Gy in 5 fractions delivered twice weekly). Results Median follow-up was 5 months (range, 1–34 months). Median survival was 9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 0–23 months). Overall survival was 68%, 50%, and 27% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Regional nodal control was 74% and 64% at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Rates of development of distant metastasis were 60%, 70%, and 90% at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. The actuarial rate of RT-related complications was 49% at 12 months. Conclusion The limited life expectancy of patients observed with this disease combined with the high rate of RT-related complications argue against the routine use of adjuvant RT for regional nodal disease in this setting. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010
Using Facebook to Engage Learners in a Large Introductory Course.

Classes of hundreds pose special challenges for teaching and learning. Notable among these challenges is the tendency for students to feel like anonymous spectators rather than active, collaborative participants. To combat this tendency, we used the popular social networking site Facebook to cultivate a sense of community among 200-plus students in an Introduction to Sociology course. The Facebook Group proved a powerful tool for community-building and learning. We describe our Facebook Group, present evidence of its benefits in the course, and discuss the pedagogical potential of social media.
Parametric modeling of concentric fringing electric field sensors

Fringing electric field (FEF) sensors are widely used for non-invasive measurement of material properties, such as porosity, viscosity, temperature, hardness, and degree of cure. FEF sensors have also been used to detect the presence of a material or estimate the concentration of a material within the test environment. There are no generic analytical models for FEF sensors. Their design optimization process often involves complex and time-consuming finite element simulations. This paper presents a tool for improvement of the design process through formulating a universal equation for three-electrode concentric FEF sensors. The equation models the effect of sensor geometry and substrate material on sensor output. The model parameters are determined from a 3-D surface fit of finite element simulation results for the most common type of sensor geometry. The variables in the model are non-dimensionalized, which makes the model applicable to a wider range of sensor designs. Based on the model, the terminal capacitance can be estimated for three-electrode concentric sensors of wide range of sizes.
MTASC: A Multithreaded Associative SIMD Processor

In this paper we describe the architecture of MTASC, a multithreaded associative SIMD processor, and a cycle-accurate instruction set simulator for that architecture. We show, through simulations of a set of five associative benchmarks, that this architecture is capable of significantly improving the performance of associative code over a single-threaded architecture, especially for processors with a large number of PEs. Furthermore, we show that the amount of improvement in performance is highly dependent on the frequency of reduction instructions in the code being executed.
Premedication during rapid sequence intubation: a necessity or waste of valuable time?

The California Journal of Emergency Medicine VII:4, Dec. 2006 Page 75 Clinical Review PREMEDICATION DURING RAPID SEQUENCE INTUBATION: A Necessity or Waste of Valuable Time? Joel M. Schofer, MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Naval Medical Center San Diego Correspondence: Joel M. Schofer, MD, 628 Sand Shell Avenue, Carlsbad, California 92011. Tel: 619-459-1256. Fax: 760-476-0722. Email: jschofer@gmail.com INTRODUCTION Every day, thousands of patients who present to emergency departments (EDs) require tracheal intubation for optimal care. Most acute intubations are performed using rapid sequence intubation (RSI), with the administration of an intravenous sedative followed by a paralytic agent, to ob- tain the best chance for successful intubation. Premedication with various agents prior to RSI when certain conditions are present is recommended by experts in acute airway manage- ment, as well as by many authors of major emergency medi- cine textbooks and advanced airway instructional courses. This premedication is touted as a way to limit physiologic responses to intubation that may adversely affect the patient. Despite expert opinions in favor of premedication, a paucity of data in the literature supports these practices. This fact, combined with the chaos, anxiety, and confusion often as- sociated with securing a critical airway, can cause the physi- cian performing RSI to question whether the administration of additional medications is truly essential or simply an un- necessary and burdensome measure. The central nervous, respiratory, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems all respond in various ways to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation (LTI), and many of these responses can be harmful. See Table 1 . LTI stimulates the sympathetic nervous system which causes release of catecholamines and an increase in mean arterial pressure, heart rate, myocardial and cerebral oxygen consumption, cerebral blood flow, intraocular pressure (IOP), and intracranial pressure (ICP). Laryngospasm, bronchospasm, cough, and dysrhythmias can also result. In children, LTI will often lead to a paradoxical bradycardia due to stimulation of the vagus nerve. These physiologic responses are worsened by prolonged and aggressive LTI attempts, as well as by stimulation of the carina with the endotracheal tube. In theory, these responses could adversely affect patients Table 1. Physiologic responses increased by laryngos- copy and intubation Blood pressure Pulse Cerebral oxygen demand Myocardial oxygen demand Cerebral blood flow Intracranial pressure Intraocular pressure Laryngospasm Bronchospasm Cough Dysrhythmia with such conditions as myocardial ischemia, aortic dissection or aneurysm, head trauma, ocular trauma, traumatic bleeding, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). See Table 2. T able 2. Conditions for which pre-medication may be beneficial Myocardial ischemia Aortic dissection Aortic aneurysm Head trauma Ocular Trauma Traumatic bleeding Asthma Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Design of microfluidic impellers capable of bi-directional pumping under a single rotating magnetic actuation

In this paper, we advance our previous dynamic microfluidic micropumps by designing and developing nickel (Ni) impellers that pump and recirculate fluid in both forward and reverse directions, while being driven by a single external rotating magnetic stirrer rotating in the same direction. Liquid-phase photopolymerization and Ni electroforming are leveraged and integrated together to fabricate polymer- based micropumps with different Ni impeller geometries. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of magnetic stirrer frequency on the average flowrate achieved by the different Ni impeller geometries. The forces that dictate the direction of the fluid flow is also discussed.
Trace Elements in Carcinogenesis

Carcinogens show extreme diversity in chemical composition and structure. Since they are almost invariably mutagenic, it is generally assumed that they impart, directly or indirectly, genetic damage which results in the genesis of modified viable or nonviable cells. Viable mutant cells are not necessarily malignant. In fact, some authors believe that cancer cells may be associated with specific chromosomal patterns and that each malignant disease is an expression of a specific karyotype. This hypothesis is attractive in view of the existence of neoplastic diseases that are transmitted in a Mendelian pattern and the fact that tumor cells exhibit characteristic morphologies on the basis of which they may be identified. Not all chromosomal changes induced by mutagens or carcinogens are necessarily irreversible. If the initial damage is small and localized, correction through the action of DNA-repairing enzymes is often still possible. Where repair is impossible and viable mutant cell lines are generated, hyperplastic or metaplastic lesions may appear which differ only slightly from the normal cells in the surrounding tissue. Such cell populations may coexist in healthy tissue for extended periods. In organisms with functional immunologic surveillance, “spontaneous” regressions may occur. But if the natural defense mechanisms are weakened, i.e., in old age or after exposure to stress, “carcinoma in situ” or small, avascular, solid tumors eventually appear.
Comparative Ethical Issues Entailed in the Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste and Carbon Dioxide in the Light of Climate Change

Many governments are at various stages of planning to dispose of ­radioactive waste (RW) in geological formations. Many governments expressly expect to use geological formations to dispose of the carbon dioxide (CO2) ­produced in fossil fuel combustion. This chapter compares, in the light of climate change, the ethical issues involved in disposing of RW and CO2 in geological formations, given their potential to cause harm and given the risks involved in the deployment of these disposal technologies. It highlights the ethical issues triggered by the need for a high level of scientific certainty regarding the ability of potential disposal sites to counteract the migration of substances of concern away from disposal areas. However, the ethical issues entailed in geological disposal of RW and CO2 may need to be re-evaluated in light of the fact that disposal contributes to climate change mitigation. It is concluded, however, that as long as alternative methods for mitigating climate change are available that do not involve geological disposal of CO2 and as long as scientific uncertainty remains about the efficacy of disposal sites to contain RW and CO2, such alternative methods are ethically preferable. The chapter identifies another ethical issue, namely that the development and deployment of alternative technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could be delayed by reliance on geological disposal of CO2.
Effects of CGRP, forskolin, PMA, and ionomycin on pHi dependence of Na-H exchange in UMR-106 cells.

1 Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510 We examined the effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), forskolin, pho...
HIV’s Syndemic Links With Mental Health, Substance Use, and Violence in an Environment of Stigma and Disparities in Japan

A syndemics orientation has become a valuable lens through which to understand the complex system dynamics of HIV, HIV's links to other social and health problems, and the design of effective, comprehensive interventions. Using data from a broader ethnographic study of HIV epidemics in the Kansai Region and Tokyo Metropolitan Area of Japan, I found that HIV was synergistically linked with poor mental health, substance use, and violence, suggesting the existence of at least three syndemics. These occurred in an environment of stigma and social and health disparities, particularly for men who have sex with men, transgender persons, immigrants, and people living with HIV. Integrated interventions, led by Japan's HIV nongovernmental organizations and supported by the government, should more aggressively target stigma, which underlies most of the syndemic connections. Quantitative research should build upon the ethnographically derived associations shown here and test whether there are additive syndemic effects.
Using a sentence compression pipeline for the summarization of email threads in an archive

Automatic text summarization is an important subfield in Natural Language Processing (NLP). In this paper, we examine how to summarize the contents of an email thread into a single short summary. We implement a multi stage NLP pipeline that includes key sentence extraction, sentence compression, machine learning and language models to summarize email threads in the SIGCSE email list archives. We then analyze our results using the automated summary evaluation technique known as ROUGE-2, with our ROUGE-2 scores averaging 8.01. These results compare favorably to other summarization approaches.
Defocused Emission Patterns from Chiral Fluorophores: Application to Chiral Axis Orientation Determination

Experimental defocused fluorescence emission patterns from single chiral molecular systems are compared to semiclassical simulations as a means for a priori determination of chiral axis orientation in single-molecule systems. Using a coupled-oscillator model as a radiation source, we show that the basic features of defocused emission patterns from chiral fluorophores can be recovered and suggests the feasibility of chiral axis orientation determination (within some limits) in single-molecule systems.
A SHAPE OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR CONTROLLING DEFORMATION PARAMETERS IN FORGING

Complex forgings typically require two or more forming stages to achieve the desired finished shape. When the selected material microstructure is highly dependent on strain, strain-rate and temperature, it is essential to find the optimal deformation path that will lead to the desired final service properties. This work presents a method for developing forging preform shapes based on sensitivity analysis and shape optimization with finite element simulation procedures. The preform shape is controlled using composite B-splines to define the boundary of the material volume. Design objective functions include minimization of the effective strain variance at the end of the forging stage and minimization of the accumulated error in effective strain-rate that occurs over the total forging time. The amount of die underfill or excess material is quantified and constrains the optimization problem. This method is demonstrated with the preform design for a flanged axisymmetric disc where the design objective is to minimize the variance in strain.
Two-Port Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: 18 Patients Human Experience Using the Dynamic Laparoscopic NovaTract Retractor

Abstract Objective: The concept of reducing the number of transabdominal access ports has been criticized for violating basic tenets of traditional multiport laparoscopy. Potential benefits of reduced port surgery may include decreased pain, improved cosmesis, less hernia formation, and fewer wound complications. However, technical challenges associated with these access methods have not been adequately addressed by advancement in instrumentations. We describe our initial experience with the NovaTract™ Laparoscopic Dynamic Retractor. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent two-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy between 2013 and 2014 using the NovaTract retractor was performed. The patients were equally divided into three groups (Group A, B, C) based on the order of case performed. Results: Eighteen consecutive patients underwent successful two-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Mean age was 39.9 years and mean body mass index was 28.1 kg/m2 (range 21–39....
SUSY searches with the ATLAS detector

Despite the absence of experimental evidence, weak scale supersymmetry remains one of the best motivated and studied Standard Model extensions. This talk summarises recent ATLAS results for searches for supersymmetric (SUSY) particles, with focus on those obtained using proton-proton collisions at a centre of mass energy of 13 TeV. Strong production in both R-Parity conserving and R-Parity violating SUSY scenarios are considered. The searches involved final states including jets, missing transverse momentum, light leptons, as well as long-lived particle signatures.
A single-chip in-band full-duplex low-IF transceiver with self-interference cancellation

A 3.8–4.8GHz single-chip in-band full-duplex (FD) transceiver with self-interference cancellation (SIC) is reported. The RX has a noise figure (NF) of 3.1dB/6.3dB at 10MHz/50kHz IF with TX and SIC off. The 1/f noise corner is 60kHz, more than one order of magnitude lower compared to prior work. Moreover, for the first time, the operation of RX and SIC is demonstrated when a co-integrated TX is active at the same time and generating more than 20dBm output power. When TX and SIC are on, at −10dBm SI power, the NF is 6.8dB/11.1 dB at 10MHz/50kHz IF. This is lower by 5.6dB/9.6dB at 10MHz/50kHz IF compared to the NF with SIC off.
Extraction of Oil from an Aqueous Emulsion by Coupling Thermal Swing with a Capillary Pump

Separation of oil from water is an area of increasing interest because of the ever-increasing emphasis on reducing discharge of oily wastewater streams and for managing accidental oil spills. While several methods to separate oil from water are available, the current methods often require elaborate processing steps and/or have low extraction rates. Here, we report two simple and potentially inexpensive methods of separating oil from aqueous emulsions. The first method employs hydrophobized glass wool in a pressure-driven capillary pump, while the second method employs novel zeolite pellets the exterior surface of which is hydrophobic. These pellets selectively absorb oil from an aqueous emulsion, which can subsequently be recovered using thermal swing with hot fluid at a temperature far below the boiling point of the oil. Separation of oil with a very high yield (ca. 97%) appears possible using a combination of the two methods.
Glycoside hydrolases family 20 (GH20) represent putative virulence factors that are shared by animal pathogenic oomycetes, but are absent in phytopathogens

Although interest in animal pathogenic oomycetes is increasing, the molecular basis mediating oomycete-animal relationships remains virtually unknown. Crinkler (CRN) genes, which have been traditionally associated with the cytotoxic activity displayed by plant pathogenic oomycetes, were recently detected in transcriptome sequences from the entomopathogenic oomycete Lagenidium giganteum, suggesting that these genes may represent virulence factors conserved in both animal and plant pathogenic oomycetes. In order to further characterize the L. giganteum pathogenome, an on-going genomic survey was mined to reveal novel putative virulence factors, including canonical oomycete effectors Crinkler 13 (CRN13) orthologs. These novel sequences provided a basis to initiate gene expression analyses and determine if the proposed L. giganteum virulence factors are differentially expressed in the presence of mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti). Sequence analyses revealed that L. giganteum express CRN13 transcripts. The predicted proteins, like other L. giganteum CRNs, contained a conserved LYLA motif at the N terminal, but did not display signal peptides. In contrast, other potential virulence factors, such as Glycoside Hydrolases family 20 (hexosaminidase) and 37 (trehalase) proteins (GH20 and GH37), contained identifiable signal peptides. Genome mining demonstrated that GH20 genes are absent from phytopathogenic oomycete genomes, and that the L. giganteum GH20 sequence is the only reported peronosporalean GH20 gene. All other oomycete GH20 homologs were retrieved from animal pathogenic, saprolegnialean genomes. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that saprolegnialean and peronosporalean GH20 protein sequences clustered in unrelated clades. The saprolegnialean GH20 sequences appeared as a strongly supported, monophyletic group nested within an arthropod-specific clade, suggesting that this gene was acquired via a lateral gene transfer event from an insect or crustacean genome. In contrast, the L. giganteum GH20 protein sequence appeared as a sister taxon to a plant-specific clade that included exochitinases with demonstrated insecticidal activities. Finally, gene expression analyses demonstrated that the L. giganteum GH20 gene expression level is significantly modulated in the presence of mosquito larvae. In agreement with the protein secretion predictions, CRN transcripts did not show any differential expression. These results identified GH20 enzymes, and not CRNs, as potential pathogenicity factors shared by all animal pathogenic oomycetes.
Generic portfolio management: A paradigm for minimizing risk and maximizing value:

Optimal product portfolio management is increasingly important for generic pharmaceutical companies in today’s intensely competitive environment. Strategic focus and front-level risk management are...
Jezik i identitet/Portret jednog jezika/Jezici u potkrovlju

Ranko Bugarski (b. 1933; pronounced with penultimate accent, unlike the initial-accented adjective bugarski ‘Bulgarian’) has taught English linguistics at the University of Belgrade since the 1960s...
Content and Surface Aware Projection

Image projection is important for many applications in entertainment industry, augmented reality, and computer graphics. However, perceived distortion is often introduced by projection, which is a common problem of a projector system. Compensating such distortion for projection on non-trivial surfaces is often very challenging. In this paper, we propose a novel method to pre-warp the image such that it appears as distortion-free as possible on the surface after projection. Our method estimates a desired optimal warping function via an optimization framework. Specifically, we design an objective energy function that models the perceived distortion in projection results. By taking into account both the geometry of the surface and the image content, our method can produce more visually plausible projection results compared with traditional projector systems. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method with projection results on a wide variety of images and surface geometries.
Adaptation of a Biomarker-Based Sepsis Mortality Risk Stratification Tool for Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objectives:The original Pediatric Sepsis Biomarker Risk Model and revised (Pediatric Sepsis Biomarker Risk Model-II) biomarker-based risk prediction models have demonstrated utility for estimating baseline 28-day mortality risk in pediatric sepsis. Given the paucity of prediction tools in pediatric
Role for Nitro-Conjugated Linoleic Acid and cGMP in Nitrite-Mediated Neuroprotection in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Every year in the US 350,000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) but despite recent advances, survival rates remain below 10%. Successful resuscitation is inescapably associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury (IR) resulting from uncontrolled free radical generation, microcirculatory dysfunction and sterile inflammation. Animal studies of nitrite (NO2‒) administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have shown promising results driving an ongoing phase I/II clinical trial (NCT02987088) of NO2‒ after OHCA. Nitro-conjugated linoleic acid (NO2-CLA) is generated from the reaction of nitrogen dioxide with conjugated linoleic acid, and is both a potent inducer of Nrf2-dependent antioxidant responses and an inhibitor of TLR4/NF-κB pro-inflammatory signaling. Data in humans and animal models show that NO2-CLA levels are modulated by dietary NO2‒ intake as well as by iNOS-dependent nitric oxide (NO) formation during inflammatory responses. We hypothesized that intravenous NO2‒ during CPR would result in downstream signaling via NO2-CLA and/or cGMP resulting in improved outcomes after OHCA and sought to identify clinical characteristics of responders. Plasma was obtained under exception from informed consent from patients receiving NO2‒ (25 and 60 mg) within 60 minutes of resuscitation. Circulating levels of NO2‒, NO2-CLA and cGMP were determined and correlated with indices of clinical presentation and Cerebral Performance Category (CPC), a functional outcome scale. Surrogate ischemic burden markers were not correlated with NO2‒ levels (p = 0.141-0.372) however NO2‒ consumption was correlated with NO2-CLA formation (p=0.039). NO2‒ consumption was not associated with successful resuscitation or survival to discharge (p=0.16-0.24) but was associated with improved neurological outcome (CPC 1 or 2; p=0.029). Increased levels of both NO2-CLA and cGMP were positively associated with better neurological outcome (p = 0.022, n = 82 and p = 0.046, n = 74, respectively) and survival to discharge (p = 0.020 and p = 0.034, respectively). Levels of NO2-CLA did not correlate with cGMP (p = 0.99). Both NO2-CLA and cGMP were increased in patients presenting with ventricular fibrillation. These results, though limited by power and the unadjusted use of multiple comparisons, suggest that NO2‒ administration is neuroprotective after OHCA via both NO-dependent cGMP formation and cGMP-independent NO2-CLA signaling thus opening the door for the development of interventions aimed at curbing both morbidity and mortality in OHCA.