cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accumulating resampling (modulation) in comprehensive two-dimensional capillary GC (GC×GC)

During each sampling period, an accumulating resampler (modulator) in comprehensive 2-D chromatography accumulates all eluite from the first-dimension column and reinjects the whole or a portion of the accumulated material into the second-dimension column. The detrimental effect of the resampling on peak capacity of a 2-D separation comes from the broadening of the peaks along the first-dimension due to the resampling itself and due to the subsequent peak reconstruction. Sampling density (rho(S)) of resampling is the number of sampling periods per standard deviation of a peak at the outlet of the first-dimension column. It is shown that a simple formula describes the peak broadening as a function of rho(S) at any (even practically too low or too high) rho(S), for the peaks of any (not necessarily Gaussian) shape, for a wide class of peak reconstruction techniques, and for any 2-D separation (GC x GC, LC x LC, etc.). In capillary GC x GC, optimal rho(S) (rho(S,Opt)) depends on the type of the peak reconstruction and on the degree of the gas decompression along the second-dimension column. When reconstructing using linear interpolation, rho(S,Opt) = 0.7 at large and rho(S,Opt) = 0.5 at small gas decompression. The choice of exact optimal conditions is not critical. Thus, two-fold departure of actual rho(S) from rho(S,Opt) in either direction (under- or oversampling) causes only 10% drop in the net peak capacity of GC x GC. The quantitative effect of a much greater undersampling is also evaluated.
Biological activity of rainbow trout Ea4-peptide of the pro-insulin-like growth factor (pro-IGF)-I on promoting attachment of breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) via α2- and β1-integrin

E-peptide of pro-IGF-I was considered as biologically inactive. We have demonstrated that rainbow trout (rt) Ea4-peptide exerted biological activities in several established tumor cell lines [Chen et al., 2002; Kuo and Chen, 2002]. Here we report the activity of rtEa4-peptide in promoting attachment of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231). While rtEa2-, rtEa3-, and rtEa4-peptides enhanced the attachment of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose dependent manner, rtEa4-peptide possessed the highest activity. Antibodies specific to alpha2 and beta1 integrins significantly inhibited the attachment of cells to rtEa4-peptide coated-plates by 40%. In addition, rtEa4-peptide induced the expression of fibronectin 1 and laminin receptor genes in MDA-MB-231 cells. Blocking new protein synthesis by cycloheximide significantly reduced the attachment of MDA-MB-231 cells to rtEa4-peptide coated wells by 50%. These results suggest that rtEa4-peptide may promote cell attachment by interacting with alpha2/beta1 integrin receptors at the cell surface and by inducing the expression of fibronectin 1 and laminin receptor genes. Expression of fibronectin 1 gene induced by rtEa4-peptide in MDA-MB-231 cells was abolished by inhibitors of PI3K, PKC, Mek1/2, JNK1/2, and p38 MAPK signaling transduction molecules. These results suggested that induction of fibronectin 1 gene expression in MDA-MB-231 cells by rtEa4-peptide may be mediated via PI3K, PKC, Mek1/2, JNK1/2, and p38 MAPK signal transduction molecules.
The Regularity of Weak Solutions of the 3D Navier-Stokes Equations in {B^{-1}_{infty,infty}}

We show that if a Leray–Hopf solution u of the three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equation belongs to \({C((0,T]; B^{-1}_{\infty,\infty})}\) or its jumps in the \({B^{-1}_{\infty,\infty}}\)-norm do not exceed a constant multiple of viscosity, then u is regular for (0, T]. Our method uses frequency local estimates on the nonlinear term, and yields an extension of the classical Ladyzhenskaya–Prodi–Serrin criterion.
3D Object Recognition Using Distributed Associative Memory (DAM)

The fundamental problem faced by all vision systems is the ambiguity created by the projection process. An object's projected shape in an image changes dramatically for small changes in the observer's viewpoint. This is the basic difficulty in creating a machine vision system that can respond robustly in an unconstrained 3D environment. Our approach to this problem enables the vision system to actively engage its interpretation of the surroundings using a distributed memory system modeled as visual potentials and made up of characteristic view(point)s (Koenderink and van Doorn, 1979).
Maternal Drinking During Pregnancy: Attention and Short‐Term Memory in 14‐Year‐Old Offspring—A Longitudinal Prospective Study

A large and compelling experimental literature has documented the adverse impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing brain of the offspring. This is the first report of adolescent attention/memory performance and its relationship with prenatal alcohol exposure in a population-based, longitudinal, prospective study (n = 462) involving substantial covariate control and "blind" examiners. Prenatal alcohol exposure was significantly related to attention/memory deficits in a dose-dependent fashion. A latent variable reflecting 13 measures of maternal drinking was correlated 0.26 with a latent variable representing 52 scores from 6 tests measuring various components of attention and short-term memory performance. The number of drinks/occasion was the strongest alcohol predictor. Fluctuating attentional states, problems with response inhibition, and spatial learning showed the strongest association with prenatal alcohol exposure. A latent variable reflecting the pattern of attention/memory deficits observed at 14 years correlated 0.67 with a composite pattern of deficits previously detected on neurobehavioral tests administered during the first 7 years of life. The 14-year attention/memory deficits observed in the present study appear to be the adolescent sequelae of deficits observed earlier in development. As is usual in such studies, not all exposed offspring showed deficits.
Nicotinic Receptor Antagonists as Treatments for Nicotine Abuse

Despite the proven efficacy of current pharmacotherapies for tobacco dependence, relapse rates continue to be high, indicating that novel medications are needed. Currently, several smoking cessation agents are available, including varenicline (Chantix®), bupropion (Zyban®), and cytisine (Tabex®). Varenicline and cytisine are partial agonists at the α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Bupropion is an antidepressant but is also an antagonist at α3β2* ganglionic nAChRs. The rewarding effects of nicotine are mediated, in part, by nicotine-evoked dopamine (DA) release leading to sensitization, which is associated with repeated nicotine administration and nicotine addiction. Receptor antagonists that selectivity target central nAChR subtypes mediating nicotine-evoked DA release should have efficacy as tobacco use cessation agents with the therapeutic advantage of a limited side-effect profile. While α-conotoxin MII (α-CtxMII)-insensitive nAChRs (e.g., α4β2*) contribute to nicotine-evoked DA release, these nAChRs are widely distributed in the brain, and inhibition of these receptors may lead to nonselective and untoward effects. In contrast, α-CtxMII-sensitive nAChRs mediating nicotine-evoked DA release offer an advantage as targets for smoking cessation, due to their more restricted localization primarily to dopaminergic neurons. Small drug-like molecules that are selective antagonists at α-CtxMII-sensitive nAChR subtypes that contain α6 and β2 subunits have now been identified. Early research identified a variety of quaternary ammonium analogs that were potent and selective antagonists at nAChRs mediating nicotine-evoked DA release. More recent data have shown that novel, nonquaternary bis-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine analogs potently inhibit (IC50<1nM) nicotine-evoked DA release in vitro by acting as antagonists at α-CtxMII-sensitive nAChR subtypes; these compounds also decrease NIC self-administration in rats.
Nongeneric Eigenvalue Perturbations of Jordan Blocks

Abstract We show that if an n × n Jordan block is perturbed by an O ( e ) upper k -Hessenberg matrix ( k subdiagonals including the main diagonal), then generically the eigenvalues split into p rings of size k and one of size r (if r ≠ 0), where n = pk + r . This generalizes the familiar result ( k = n , p = 1, r = 0) that generically the eigenvalues split into a ring of size n . We compute the radii of the rings to first order and generalize the result in a number of directions involving multiple Jordan blocks of the same size.
A simulation study of routing protocols for smart meter networks

The automated metering infrastructure in a smart grid system requires a network connecting the smart meters in the households back to the utility's operation desk. The network of choice is a wireless mesh network. While there has been some consensus on the choice of the link layer (Zigbee/IEEE 802.15.4-based or similar), the choice of the routing protocol remains an open issue. We evaluate a recently developed protocol in the IETF, called RPL (Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks) for its suitability for large-scale smart meter networks. Via a detailed and realistic simulation study using a standard packet-level simulator, Qualnet, we show that RPL significantly outperforms a commonly used routing protocol for ad hoc/mesh networks, AODV, when traffic is distributed such as congestions are likely. We use Zigbee/IEEE 802.15.4 at the 915 Mhz band for the link layer and promote the suitability of its `non-beacon enabled' mode for smart meter networks. Overall, our work demonstrates the performance and scalability of RPL.
A role for phenotypic plasticity in the evolution of aposematism

The evolution of warning coloration (aposematism) has been difficult to explain because rare conspicuous mutants should suffer a higher cost of discovery by predators relative to the cryptic majority, while at frequencies too low to facilitate predator aversion learning. Traditional models for the evolution of aposematism have assumed conspicuous prey phenotypes to be genetically determined and constitutive. By contrast, we have recently come to understand that warning coloration can be environmentally determined and mediated by local prey density, thereby reducing the initial costs of conspicuousness. The expression of density-dependent colour polyphenism is widespread among the insects and may provide an alternative pathway for the evolution of constitutive aposematic phenotypes in unpalatable prey by providing a protected intermediate stage. If density-dependent aposematism can function as an adaptive intermediate stage for the evolution of constitutive aposematic phenotypes, differential reaction norm evolution is predicted among related palatable and unpalatable prey populations. Here, I present empirical evidence that indicates that (i) the expression of density-dependent colour polyphenism has differentially evolved between palatable and unpalatable populations of the grasshopper Schistocerca emarginata (= lineata) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), and (ii) variation in plasticity between these populations is commensurate with the expected costs of conspicuousness.
Trials and errors: accidents in administration

It is becoming increasingly clear that medication administration errors are common in routine clinical practice. I was co-investigator on a recent study (Haw et al, 2007) which found that errors occurred in one quarter of all administered doses in an inpatient psychiatric elderly unit. This is not an isolated result: error rates ranging from 3.5–27% of all prescribed doses have been reported in various medical and surgical settings (Barker et al, 2002; Prot et al, 2003; Tissot et al, 2003). In the most serious cases medication errors can have grave consequences for patients and clinicians.
PANS: a portable navigation platform

Research into self driving vehicles and driver monitoring systems has reached the point where long duration and distance field testing has become feasible. However, vehicle and computer systems which provide the functionality to accomplish these tests have been too expensive or inconvenient. This paper describes a simple, yet powerful platform, designed to work on any passenger vehicle, developed at Carnegie Mellon University. The platform, called PANS (Portable Advanced Navigation Support), has allowed researchers at Carnegie Mellon University to log over 6000 autonomous steering miles in the last 6 months.
The Role of New Antihypertensive Drugs

T"\espite the availability of many antihypertensive drugs, the search for new compounds remains very active. Available agents are still limited by symptomatic side effects, as well as undesired re­ sponses with potentially serious consequences. These include electrolyte changes, alterations in serum lipids or lipoproteins, and neurohumoral imbalances. Re­ cently, emphasis has been placed on the effect of antihypertensive therapy on "quality of life." This nebulous term has been used to describe the hyper­ tensive patients cognitive, sexual, social, and emo­ tional functioning, as measured by psychologic ques­ tionnaires and psychometric testing. The future development and use of antihypertensive drugs will also be affected by other important issues. The classic "stepped-care" approach will likely change as "profiled-car e" tailored to an individual patients characteristics becomes more widespread.1 Recent demonstrations that many hypertensive patients can have drug therapy reduced or discontinued, at least temporarily, provides strong support for "step-down" care, especially in a cost-conscious environment.2 Nonpharmacologic interventions such as cessation of smoking, reduction of alcohol use, dietary sodium restriction, relaxation techniques, and exercise can lower blood pressure. Although these interventions may be limited by a patients compliance in established hypertension, an overall public awareness of the im­ portance of these factors is now evident. As people change life-style, there could be a future reduction in the prevalence and severity of hypertension, thereby reducing the demand for antihypertensive drugs. Newer drugs are generally more expensive, and cost concerns have become important.3 Finally, future research may permit identification of those relatively few patients who are at greater risk of hypertensive complications and in need of therapy Limitation of antihypertensive therapy to these patients will reduce the number of patients exposed to these agents and their potential side effects.
Polarized light transfer: Existence and uniqueness of solutions and spectral properties of transfer operators

Abstract We shall discuss the existence adn uniqueness of solutins to the equation of transfer of polarized light for a finite or semiinfinite plane-parallel planetary atmospher following two different approaches. In one approach the problem is converted into a vector integral equatin, of convoltion type if reflectin by the planetary surface is ignored, and this equation is analyzed using positive cone preservation techniques. In the second approach the boundary value problem is treated directly using positive selfadjountness of the real part of the stationary transfer operator, where and important role is played by inequalities satisfied by certain expansion coefficients. We shall also discuss the positivity and analyticity properties of the reflection and transmission operators. A justification will be given for the adding method used to obtain numerical results. Finally, we shall extend the results to vertically inhomogeneous atmospheres.
Work in progress - creating an online management degree in concert with a technical degree

As a small and relatively young private college, the creation of a graduate program is a major step forward. Our undergraduate degree is technical in nature, but marketing analysis indicated a large demand for a graduate IT management degree. We attempted to get double-duty out of a single degree by offering both technical and managerial courses. That worked great for those with a technical background, but students with other backgrounds found the additional undergraduate preparatory course requirements to be rather daunting. As such, we used the management portion of the technical degree to create a management degree. Also, it has been our experience that management courses often work well in an online environment, whereas technical courses generally work better in a more conventional environment. Therefore, the new management degree is also available in full online.
Recombination-Associated Sequence Homogenization of Neighboring Alu Elements: Signature of Nonallelic Gene Conversion

Recently, researchers have begun to recognize that, in order to establish neutral models for disease association and evolutionary genomics studies, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the genomic impact of nonallelic gene conversion. Drawing on previous successes in characterizing this phenomenon over protein-coding gene families, we undertook a computational analysis of neighboring Alu sequences in the genome scale. For this purpose, we developed adjusted comutation rate (aCMR), a novel statistical method measuring the excess number of identical point mutations shared by adjacent Alu sequences, vis-a-vis random pairs. Using aCMR, we uncovered a remarkable genome-wide sequence homogenization of neighboring Alus, with the strongest signal observed in the pseudoautosomal regions of the X and Y chromosomes. The magnitude of sequence homogenization between Alu pairs is greater with shorter interlocus distance, higher sequence identity, and parallel orientation. Moreover, shared substitutions show a strong directionality toward GC nucleotides, with multiple substitutions tending to cluster within the Alu sequence. Taken together, these observed recombination-associated sequence homogenization patterns are best explained by frequent ubiquitous gene conversion events between neighboring Alus. We believe that these observations help to illuminate the nature and impact of the enigmatic phenomenon of gene conversion.
RE: “OBESITY AND US MORTALITY RISK OVER THE ADULT LIFE COURSE”

Masters et al. (1) suggested that previous studies have misestimated the age pattern of the mortality risks of obesity. Although prior work has indicated that the mortality risks associated with obesity decline with age, Masters et al. argued that these risks rise with age. The authors reached their conclusion based on a model that included both age at survey and attained age over the follow-up period. They reported a positive interaction between attained age and obesity (i.e., the hazard ratios for obesity increased with increasing attained age). An alternative explanation not considered by the authors is that the pattern of the obesity-mortality relationship observed as participants age over the follow-up period is attributable to interactions between obesity and time in study. When data are conditioned on age at survey, attained age is highly and positively correlated with time in study. Prior research using data from the National Health Interview Survey, the data used by Masters et al., showed that the mortality risks of obesity increase with increasing time in study (2). Other studies based on large prospective cohorts have also reported this finding (3, 4). A prominent explanation for this pattern is that reverse causal pathways (i.e., disease-induced weight loss) are stronger during the initial years of follow-up and subsequently weaken as individuals with pre-existing diseases die. These observations suggest that caution should be taken in drawing firm conclusions about the age pattern of the obesity-mortality relationship based on the authors’ approach.
High Psychopathic Trait Females Exhibit Reduced Startle Potentiation and Increased P3 Amplitude

While there has been steady progress in identifying psychophysiological traits associated with psychopathy, most of the existing research has been carried out using incarcerated male participants, and data that include females are particularly rare. This study examined both affective startle blink modulation and P3 amplitude in a sample of female undergraduates grouped by scores on the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R). Those scoring high for psychopathic traits lacked startle blink potentiation and demonstrated larger P3 amplitudes during auditory and visual oddball tasks. These data support the generalizability of deficient startle potentiation to non-incarcerated females with psychopathic traits, and add to a growing body of literature suggesting that psychopathic traits are associated with distinctive information-processing characteristics as indexed by P3 amplitude.
Yammp: development of a molecular mechanics program using the modular programming method

Molecular mechanics is a fast developing discipline with new methods and potential fields appearing every year. A versatile molecular mechanics program supports many methods and potential fields that make it unavoidably large. There are problems writing and maintaining large programs with traditional methods because of data and other dependencies. Modular programming provides a solution. A program is developed as a collection of highly independent modules containing only related data structures and procedures. These entities are isolated in the module and access to them is provided through a well-defined and controlled interface. The high degree of independence circumscribes programming errors. Most of all, it reduces the cost of revising the program as only a small part of the program needs to be read and understood for each revision. We implemented a molecular mechanics program, yammp, using the modular programming method. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Idiopathic Eosinophilic Meningoencephalomyelitis in a Rottweiler Dog

A 6-month-old, female, intact Rottweiler dog was presented to the Iowa State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for a progressive history of abnormal behavior and generalized ataxia. At necropsy, there was eosinophilic infiltration of the brain and spinal cord, most severe in the medulla oblongata, cerebellum, and cervical spinal cord. Infiltrates of eosinophils were also present in the liver and small intestines. The dog was diagnosed with idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalomyelitis based on cerebrospinal fluid analysis, histopathology, and special stains to exclude etiologic agents.
Web data integration using approximate string join

Web data integration is an important preprocessing step for web mining. It is highly likely that several records on the web whose textual representations differ may represent the same real world entity. These records are called approximate duplicates. Data integration seeks to identify such approximate duplicates and merge them into integrated records. Many existing data integration algorithms make use of approximate string join, which seeks to (approximately) find all pairs of strings whose distances are less than a certain threshold. In this paper, we propose a new mapping method to detect pairs of strings with similarity above a certain threshold. In our method, each string is first mapped to a point in a high dimensional grid space, then pairs of points whose distances are 1 are identified. We implement it using Oracle SQL and PL/SQL. Finally, we evaluate this method using real data sets. Experimental results suggest that our method is both accurate and efficient.
Critical Role of Ena/VASP Proteins for Filopodia Formation in Neurons and in Function Downstream of Netrin-1

Ena/VASP proteins play important roles in axon outgrowth and guidance. Ena/VASP activity regulates the assembly and geometry of actin networks within fibroblast lamellipodia. In growth cones, Ena/VASP proteins are concentrated at filopodia tips, yet their role in growth cone responses to guidance signals has not been established. We found that Ena/VASP proteins play a pivotal role in formation and elongation of filopodia along neurite shafts and growth cone. Netrin-1-induced filopodia formation was dependent upon Ena/VASP function and directly correlated with Ena/VASP phosphorylation at a regulatory PKA site. Accordingly, Ena/VASP function was required for filopodial formation from the growth cone in response to global PKA activation. We propose that Ena/VASP proteins control filopodial dynamics in neurons by remodeling the actin network in response to guidance cues.
A novel fabrication of ionic polymer–metal composite membrane actuator capable of 3-dimensional kinematic motions

Abstract Ionic polymer–metal composites (IPMCs) are one type of wet electroactive polymers that show promising actuating properties in many bio-inspiring underwater robotic applications. In these applications, 3-dimensional kinematic motions are desirable to generate high efficient thrust and maneuverability. However, traditional IPMCs are limited in being only able to generate bending motion. In this paper, a novel synthesis technique is developed to fabricate a hybrid IPMC membrane actuator capable of generating 3-dimensional (3D) kinematic motions. The actuator consists of separated IPMC beams bonded with a soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane. By controlling each individual IPMC beams, we can generate complex 3D motions such as oscillation and undulation. IPMC beams are cut from one sheet of IPMC, which is fabricated through chemically plating platinum electrodes on a Nafion film. A multiple plating process is used to enhance the conductivity of the electrodes, which leads to better actuation performance of IPMC. An assembly based fabrication process is adopted to bond the IPMC actuators with PDMS gel using two CNC-machined molds. Then the PDMS is cured at room temperature to form an actuating membrane. Overall this novel synthesis technique is cost effective and less time-consuming compared to existing strategies. The characterization of the actuating membrane has shown that the maximum twist angle can reach up to 15°, the flapping deflection can reach up to 25% of spanwise length, the tip force can reach up to 0.5 g force, and the power consumption is below 0.5 W. The first application of this novel membrane actuator is in the design of a free-swimming robotic batoid ray. The robot consists of two membranes functioning as artificial pectoral fins. Experimental results show that the robot is capable of free swimming with low power consumption.
Distance measurement using 3D stereoscopic technique for robot eyes

This paper proposes a distance measurement system for robots using a 3D stereoscopic technique, which is a new approach for solving the problem of measuring objects in a 3D image system. This can effectively measure the images precisely. Therefore, this paper focuses on the detection system and measuring the distance to an object using image processing techniques and 3D stereoscopic vision for robot eyes. We propose the new equations to calculate the distance by looking through 2 cameras for calculating the distance by using an equation and watching the virtual image in real time. We have tested by setting the camera focus point at 2 meters. The focus object and neighbor objects were placed on control environment. The experimental results show that the error of proposed distance measurement system were lower than 10 percent when compared to the actual measurement.
Growth and Population Dynamics of a Spider Mite (Tetranychus Urticae K., Acarina: Tetranychidae)

Female T. urticae deposit eggs in a circumscribed area and the young tend to mature in that area. Pheromones released by developing females are effective over very short distances; hence, sib—mating is the rule at low densities. Males grow to about three times the egg biomass; 20%—30% of the eggs are males. Mature females weight eight times as much as males but they disperse at one—half or less of their mature weight and may reduce their weight by even more when resources are poor. This suite of adaptations allows 70%—80% of the eggs to be female and delays almost half the increase in the biomass of a set of young until after the mated females disperse to new resources.
Low-income women’s employment experiences and their financial, personal, and family well-being.

Low-income women's rates of employment have grown dramatically in recent years, yet the stability and quality of their employment remain low. Using panel data from the Three-City Study following 1,586 low-income African American, Latina, and European American women, this study assessed associations between women's employment quality (wages; receipt of health insurance) and stability (work consistency; job transitions) and their financial, personal, and family well-being. Hierarchical linear models assessing within-person effects found that increases in wages were associated with improved financial well-being and physical health. Average wages over time similarly were associated with greater levels of income and financial stability as well as mental and physical health at the end of the study. In contrast, few significant associations emerged for receipt of health insurance or for the stability and consistency of women's employment. Results have implications for programs and policies seeking to support disadvantaged women's employment in order to improve family resources and functioning.
AN INVESTIGATION ON ELECTROSTATIC ATOMIZATION AND SPRAY OF MULTIJETS AT HIGH FLOWRATE

Some atomizers with multi jets were investigated for the application purpose of Electrostatic Spray(ES) at high flowrate. Experiment shows that each jet in multi jets is still in CONE-JET mode, but with instability, and that each jet and its spray rely on the local dominant parameters at different part of atomizer, which results in nonuniformity in space.Baized on the strong coupling between the stability and uniformity, some approaches for increasing stability and improving uniformity are presented.
Prostate cancer, screening and the generalist physician

The generalist physician (family physician or general internist) provides primary care services and coordinates the care of other specialists for most Americans. These physicians develop continuous relationships with patients that can span decades. This therapeutic relationship is an important aspect of the services that generalist physicians provide. Generalist physicians serve as the first line of defense in screening for cancer and other serious health conditions. Prostate cancer is a prevalent and important condition. However, generalist physicians will encounter 10 times as many older men who will die of heart disease than of prostate cancer. Until more conclusive evidence is available to support the aggressive diagnosis and treatment of early stage prostate cancer, the generalist physician should refrain from screening for prostate cancer without counseling men about the risks, benefits, alternatives and uncertainties of early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
Seasonal Variation in Emergency Department Visits Among Pediatric Headache Patients

Objective To ascertain whether seasonal variation occurs in emergency department (ED) visits for headache among children and adolescents. Methods A retrospective review was conducted using the electronic medical records of ED visits for headache at a tertiary children's hospital through calendar years 2010–2014. Using ICD-9 diagnostic codes for headache and migraine, the numbers of headache visits were determined and compared by season and during school months vs summer months. Results A total of 6572 headache visits occurred. Headache visits increased during the fall season (133 ± 27 visits per month) compared with other seasons (101 ± 19 visits per month), P ≤ .002, but did not differ when comparing school months (113 ± 25 visits per month) and summer months (100 ± 24 visits per month), P = .1. Conclusions The corresponding increase in ED visits during the fall season coincides with the start of the school year. Academic stressors and the change in daily schedule may lead to more headaches and more ED headache visits among school-aged youth.
Trypan blue inhibition of yolk deposition--a clue to follicle cell function in the cecropia moth.

The yolk of insect eggs consists largely of proteins derived pinocytotically from the maternal blood (Telfer, 1965). Vitellogenic oocytes can also sequester the acidic colloid trypan blue: when injected into the blood, the dye, like the blood proteins, is deposited in yolk spheres in the cortex of the oocyte. This behavior of trypan blue was first described in the scorpian fly by Ramamurty (1964), and has since been confirmed in a cricket (Sander & Vollmar, 1967) and in the cecropia moth (Telfer & Anderson, 1968). Ovarian follicles of the cecropia moth have also been exposed to trypan blue in vitro ; under these conditions the dye is not only incorporated into cortical yolk spheres but is in addition bound at the oocyte surface and in the intercellular spaces which serve as passageways for blood proteins across the follicular epithelium.
Opportunities and Challenges Facing the Integrated Physician Workforce of Emergency Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Abstract Background The American Board of Emergency Medicine joined nine other American Board of Medical Specialties member boards to sponsor the subspecialty of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; the first subspecialty examination was administered in 2008. Since then an increasing number of emergency physicians has sought this certification and entered the workforce. There has been limited discussion regarding the experiences and challenges facing this new workforce. Discussion We use excerpts from conversations with emergency physicians to highlight the challenges in hospice and palliative medicine training and practice that are commonly being identified by these physicians, at varying phases of their careers. The lessons learned from this initial dual-certified physician cohort in real practice fills a current literature gap. Practical guidance is offered for the increasing number of trainees and mid-career emergency physicians who may have an interest in the subspecialty pathway but are seeking answers to what a future integrated practice will look like in order to make informed career decisions. Conclusion The Emergency and Hospice and Palliative Medicine integrated workforce is facing novel challenges, opportunities, and growth. The first few years have seen a growing interest in the field among emergency medicine resident trainees. As the dual certified workforce matures, it is expected to impact the clinical practice, research, and education related to emergency palliative care.
Targeting hepatic glucose metabolism in the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by the dysregulation of glucose homeostasis, resulting in hyperglycaemia. Although current diabetes treatments have exhibited some success in lowering blood glucose levels, their effect is not always sustained and their use may be associated with undesirable side effects, such as hypoglycaemia. Novel antidiabetic drugs, which may be used in combination with existing therapies, are therefore needed. The potential of specifically targeting the liver to normalize blood glucose levels has not been fully exploited. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms controlling hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogen storage, and assess the prospect of therapeutically targeting associated pathways to treat type 2 diabetes.
Learning to Rank with Labeled Features

Classic learning to rank algorithms are trained using a set of labeled documents, pairs of documents, or rankings of documents. Unfortunately, in many situations, gathering such labels requires significant overhead in terms of time and money. We present an algorithm for training a learning to rank model using a set of labeled features elicited from system designers or domain experts. Labeled features incorporate a system designer's belief about the correlation between certain features and relative relevance. We demonstrate the efficacy of our model on a public learning to rank dataset. Our results show that we outperform our baselines even when using as little as a single feature label.
Safe application of regionalization for trade in poultry and poultry products during highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in the USA.

ABSTRACTThe 2014–2015 H5Nx high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak affected 211 commercial premises, 21 backyard flocks, 75 individual wild birds and four captive-reared raptors in 21 Western and upper Midwestern states, resulting in death or culling of over 50.4 million poultry in the stamping-out programme that cost the US government $850 million. The outbreak had a negative $3.3 billion impact on the economy. Seventeen trading partners suspended imports of all US-origin poultry and poultry products while 38 trading partners regionalized the United States, and allowed trade in poultry and poultry products to continue from areas of the US not affected by HPAI. Disease response and control activities in addition to the use of comprehensive surveillance and regionalization (zoning) as prescribed by the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code are a scientifically valid and effective means to maintain safe trade in poultry and poultry products. This was further realized during the 2016 H7N8 HPAI outbre...
Energy-Proportional Photonic Interconnects

Photonic interconnects have emerged as the prime candidate technology for efficient networks on chip at future process nodes. However, the high optical loss of many nanophotonic components coupled with the low efficiency of current laser sources results in exceedingly high total power requirements for the laser. As optical interconnects stay on even during periods of system inactivity, most of this power is wasted, which has prompted research on laser gating. Unfortunately, prior work has been complicated by the long laser turn-on delays and has failed to deliver the full savings. In this article, we propose ProLaser, a laser control mechanism that monitors the requests sent on the interconnect, the cache, and the coherence directory to detect highly correlated events and turn on proactively the lasers of a photonic interconnect. While ProLaser requires fast lasers with a turn-on delay of a few nanoseconds, a technology that is still experimental, several types of such lasers that are suitable for power gating have already been manufactured over the last decade. Overall, ProLaser saves 42% to 85% of the laser power, outperforms the current state of the art by 2× on average, and closely tracks (within 2%--6%) a perfect prediction scheme with full knowledge of future interconnect requests. Moreover, the power savings of ProLaser allow the cores to exploit a higher-power budget and run faster, achieving speedups of 1.5 to 1.7× (1.6× on average).
American Catholic Liturgical Music in the Twentieth Century: Pius X's Motu Proprio at its Centennial

During the past hundred years, American Catholic church music has undergone a sea change. Those who remember the music of the pre-Vatican II church are likely to remember liturgies filled with Gregorian chant and choral music sung by male choirs, while Catholics who grew up in the 1960s and later have encountered an astonishing array of musical styles in church. The change in Catholic church music occurring after Vatican II can easily be traced to its rulings, but the forces that attempted to restrict Catholic liturgical music in the pre-Vatican II era sprang from several sources. Most importantly, from the early 1900s until Vatican II, Catholic liturgical music was controlled by the strictures of Pope Pius X's historic Motu Proprio on music. Issued in 1903, the document restricted both the style of appropriate liturgical music and the means employed in its execution. It placed a high value on Gregorian chant and choral polyphonyun accompanied by instruments, a decided change from the nineteenth century,when orchestras and soloists were frequently heard in American and European Catholic churches. The Motu Proprio also forbade women from singing liturgical music and called for the use of boy choirs to sing music with high vocal parts. Chief advocates of the nascent Liturgical Movement nevertheless felt that laymen and laywomen should sing Gregorian chant in worship. Pius XII advocated lay singing in vernacular languages as an adjunct to liturgies in a 1947 encyclical,foreshadowing the sweeping liturgical (and consequently musical) changes of the Second Vatican Council.
Twelve tips for using clinical cases to teach medical ethics.

AbstractThe essential role of clinical case discussions in the teaching of medical ethics is well recognized. Based upon published literature and the authors’ curricular development experience, the following 12 tips cover all major aspects of the case method for teaching clinical ethics and offer practical suggestions for designing and conducting case discussions.
Atomistic mechanisms of ReRAM cell operation and reliability

We present results from first-principles-based modeling that captures functionally important physical phenomena critical to cell materials selection, operation, and reliability for resistance-switching memory technologies. An atomic-scale description of retention, the low- and high-resistance states (RS), and the sources of intrinsic cell-level variability in ReRAM is discussed. Through the results obtained from density functional theory, non-equilibrium Green's function, molecular dynamics, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations; the role of variable-charge vacancy defects and metal impurities in determining the RS, the LRS-stability, and electron-conduction in such RS is reported. Although, the statistical electrical characteristics of the oxygen-vacancy (Ox-ReRAM) and conductive-bridging RAM (M-ReRAM) are notably different, the underlying similar electrochemical phenomena describing retention and formation/dissolution of RS are being discussed.
Programming Cells to Work for Us

The past decade has witnessed the rise of an exciting new field of engineering: synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is the application of engineering principles to the fundamental components of bi...
A general approach for the formation of oxygen-chelated ruthenium alkylidene complexes relying on the Thorpe–Ingold effect

Ruthenium alkylidene complexes are prepared via enyne ring-closing metathesis relying on the exo and endo gem-dialkyl substituent effect. The structural features stabilizing oxygen-chelates are explored and confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. In stark contrast to the previously reported oxygen chelated Grubbs-type complexes, all chelates prepared through a ring-closing enyne metathesis regime show the disposition of the chelated oxygen and the NHC ligand in cis relationship, which force the two chloride ligands in cis-orientation. The newly synthesized oxygen-chelated ruthenium alkylidene complexes are metathesis active only at elevated temperatures.
A METHOD FOR INTERPOLATION IN MODERATOR TO FUEL RATIO DEPENDENT BUCKLINGS

A method is presented for interpolation in moderator to fuel ratio dependent bucklings. It is shown that XB/sup 2/ (X) is approxunately parabolic in X (X is the moderator to fuel ratio) by determining linearity in its derivatives using one group theory. (C.J.G.)
Geriatric Gastroenterology: The Gastroenterologist’s Perspective

Demographic change in the last few decades shows a shift toward an older age distribution. The shift has resulted in changes in the incidence and prevalence of diseases, and associated morbidity and mortality. Because of the high prevalence of cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly, oropharyngeal dysphagia is commonly encountered. While peptic ulcer disease (PUD) has declined, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced ulcers are common and associated with morbidity and mortality. Celiac disease, considered a pediatric problem until recently, is increasingly diagnosed in the older adults. Anemia in the elderly is a diagnostic challenge. Wireless capsule endoscopy has opened a window of opportunity to visualize the entire small bowel. Small bowel disorders, including malabsorption of fat and B12 secondary to bacterial overgrowth, are common. Constipation may result from several disorders including medications. Upper, more than lower, gastrointestinal bleeding can be life-threatening. Chronic liver disease secondary to alcohol abuse is uncommon, but malignant liver disease (primary and metastatic) is common. Liver transplantation is offered to older adults and recipients over age 60. Clinicians must become familiar with the epidemiology of common gastrointestinal disorders in the elderly.
Human-origin probiotic cocktail increases short-chain fatty acid production via modulation of mice and human gut microbiome

The gut bacteria producing metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs; e.g., acetate, propionate and butyrate), are frequently reduced in Patients with diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disorders, and cancers. Hence, microbiome modulators such as probiotics may be helpful in maintaining or even restoring normal gut microbiome composition to benefit host health. Herein, we developed a human-origin probiotic cocktail with the ability to modulate gut microbiota to increase native SCFA production. Following a robust protocol of isolation, characterization and safety validation of infant gut-origin Lactobacillus and Enterococcus strains with probiotic attributes (tolerance to simulated gastric and intestinal conditions, adherence to intestinal epithelial cells, absence of potential virulence genes, cell-surface hydrophobicity, and susceptibility to common antibiotics), we select 10 strains (5 from each genera) out of total 321 isolates. A single dose (oral gavage) as well as 5 consecutive doses of this 10-strain probiotic cocktail in mice modulates gut microbiome and increases SCFA production (particularly propionate and butyrate). Inoculation of these probiotics in human feces also increases SCFA production along with microbiome modulation. Results indicate that human-origin probiotic lactobacilli and enterococci could ameliorate gut microbiome dysbiosis and hence may prove to be a potential therapy for diseases involving reduced SCFAs production in the gut.
Detection and analysis of endogenous polar volatile organic compounds (PVOCs) in urine for human exposome research.

Background: The human exposome, defined as ‘…everything that is not the genome’, comprises all chemicals in the body interacting with life processes. The exposome drives genes x environment (GxE) i...
DksA-RNA polymerase interactions support new origin formation and DNA repair in Escherichia coli.

The formation of new replication origins (cSDR) and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in E. coli share a commonality. We find that the two processes require the RNAP-associated factor, DksA. However, whereas cSDR also relies on (p)ppGpp, the alarmone molecule is dispensable for the repair of topoisomerase type II (Top II) DNA adducts and associated DSBs. The requirement for DksA in repair of nalidixic acid (Nal)-induced DSBs or for the formation of new origins is not suppressed by a greA deletion mutation, indicating an active role of DksA rather than competition with GreA for insertion into the RNAP secondary channel. Like dksA mutations, transcription termination factor Rho mutations also confer sensitivity to Nal. The rho and dksA mutations are not epistatic, suggesting they involve different repair pathways. The roles of DksA in DSB repair and cSDR differ; certain DksA and RNAP mutants are able to support the first process, but not the latter. We suggest that new origin formation and DNA repair of protein adducts with DSBs may both involve the removal of RNAP without destruction of the RNA:DNA hybrid.