cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Intravenous Propranolol on Human Ventricular Strength Interval Curves

BACKGROUND Prior studies on the effects of propranolol on human ventricular refractoriness have yielded occasionally inconsistent results. Most prior studies have examined refractory periods at a single stimulus intensity and without using continuous pacing; thus, the effects of propranolol on repolarization may have not been completely defined. The purpose of the present study was to reevaluate the effects of beta blockade on the human ventricular effective refractory period. METHODS Strength-interval curves were performed in duplicate in a group of 10 patients to demonstrate their reproducibility. Strength-interval curves were performed before and after intravenous propranolol administration in a second group of 10 patients who had no evidence of structural heart disease. RESULTS Propranolol increased the absolute refractory period from 208 +/- 9 milliseconds to 212 +/- 10 milliseconds (p = 0.01). However, propranolol decreased the coupling interval at which the strength-interval curve began to show an increase in the stimulus intensity required for capture from 236 +/- 8 milliseconds to 232 +/- 9 milliseconds. This resulted in a decrease of the width of the strength-interval curve from 28.0 +/- 5.1 milliseconds to 20.4 +/- 5.5 milliseconds (p < 0.005). Propranolol also significantly increased the slope of a logarithmic fit of the strength-interval curves. CONCLUSION Propranolol exerts complex effects on human ventricular refractoriness. Propranolol decreases the width and increases the slope of human strength-interval curve, rather than increasing or decreasing the refractory period. These results have potential implications for antiarrhythmic effects of propranolol.
A Proof of the Logical Possibility of God

At this point, it may look as if O is much more credible than proof M1, since O does not commit its defender to proving that God’s existence is logically possible. But this is mere appearance: O provides us with a model for such a possibility proof, as follows.
Introduction to Differential Geometry

In this chapter we give a brief introduction to basic concepts of differential geometry. This is a huge subject and we will only introduce background material necessary for the study of the heat kernel on Riemannian manifolds. A wide range of books on differential geometry at various levels of difficulty is listed in the bibliography.
Integrated model-based control and diagnostic monitoring for automotive catalyst systems

An integrated model-based automotive catalyst control and diagnostic monitoring system is presented. This system incorporates a simplified dynamic catalyst model that describes oxygen storage and release in the catalyst and predicts the post-catalyst exhaust gas oxygen sensor signal. The model-based controller maintains the catalyst stored oxygen at a desired operating condition to prevent post-catalyst emissions breakthrough by ultimately adjusting the engine fueling. Diagnostic monitoring is performed by detecting changes in a test statistic derived from the post-catalyst sensor response. These changes, which are sensitive to both long-term catalyst deactivation effects and short-term emission control device failures, are detected based on the result of nonparametric statistical tests on a moving horizon of past test statistic values.
Posibilidades y Costos de Generación y Cogeneración Termoeléctrica en Escalas Pequeña e Industrial.

En este articulo se muestran los valores mas pequenos que se pueden concebir al generar electricidad con carbon, combustibles de desecho, o hidrocarburos, en escalas de 100 hasta uno o varios miles de kilovatios, y se basan en trabajos, inversiones y cotizaciones reales para un cierto numero de casos especificos, en Colombia (particularmente en Bogota). 1) con calderas y turbogeneradores diferentes, lo que produce costos de generacion por kilovatio-hora generado que van desde $12 hasta $73, e Inversiones por kilovatio de potencia instalada que van desde U$250 (cogeneracion de 1000 kW) hasta $ 1250 (sistema de 100 kW simple). Estas cifras se comparan contra generacion Diesel, Gasolina y Turbogas en tres casos especificos. Las cifras en pesos y dolares empleadas representan los valores minimos de equipos de buena calidad compatibles con los resultados que se buscan; los costos totales, es decirlos de los sistemas completos instalados y funcionando, se sacan de los valores que se obtienen cuando el individuo que realiza el proyecto (con inteligencia y con ayuda de otros) es la misma persona que lo paga y que recibe los beneficios de el; los costos totales mostrados pueden llegar a ser hasta el doble de lo que se toma aqui. Igualmente, los parametros empleados (factor de carga, depreciacion, vida util, etc.) son muy particulares en cada caso, aunque pueden ser representativos de algunas ocurrencias especificas.
Towards low-cost infrared imagers: how to leverage Si IC ecosystem

Although performance remains paramount, especially in defense and security applications, cost increasingly drives the implementation strategy for existing and emerging infrared imaging systems. In this paper, we review two technologies that leverage mainstream Si IC technology and infrastructure to increase manufacturability and throughput and decrease the cost of infrared focal plane arrays. In the first example, we review a wafer-level vacuum packaging approach which replaces die-at-a-time serial approaches with a parallel process in which vacuum enclosures for hundreds of microbolometer arrays are formed simultaneously. The second example is a novel nanostructured short-wave infrared sensor developed at RTI International that can be monolithically integrated with Si CMOS at wafer scale.
Assessing Service-Learning in a College-Level Adolescent Development Course

Service-learning is an instructional method in which students learn course content by actively participating in thoughtfully organized service experiences related to the content. Effectively linking service-learning to course content not only offers students a powerful opportunity to maximize academic learning, but also promotes their personal growth and instills a commitment to lifelong, civic engagement. Service-learning was integrated into an upper level Family and Consumer Sciences Adolescent Development course. In addition to completing the traditional course work, students also completed a service-learning experience at a community agency that served adolescents. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the service-learning component, students were surveyed at the end of the semester about their service-learning experiences. All agreed they had learned more about course concepts as a result of their SL experience, and the majority felt their service-learning activity provided a needed service to the agency and community.
Supratotal resection of diffuse gliomas - an overview of its multifaceted implications.

Successful management of diffuse low-grade and high-grade gliomas in adults is a challenge for neuro-oncologists. Indeed, due to their highly infiltrative feature, these diseases remain incurable despite therapeutic advances. Nevertheless, the elaboration of individualized therapeutic strategies has led to an improvement of both overall survival and quality of life. In particular, the impact of surgical resection on diffuse glioma survival has been extensively demonstrated. However, this impact is significant only when the resection is total (i.e., complete removal of the T2-hyperintensity in diffuse low-grade gliomas, or complete removal of the enhancement in high-grade gliomas), or at least subtotal. Interestingly, biopsy samples within and beyond the abnormalities, defined by magnetic resonance imaging, have shown that the actual spatial extent of gliomas was underestimated by this conventional imaging modality, since glioma cells were present outside the signal abnormalities. Thus, it was suggested that the removal of a margin around the tumor visible on magnetic resonance imaging, i.e. "supratotal resection", might improve the outcomes in diffuse gliomas. To achieve this type of supramaximal resection, while preserving the quality of life, a new concept is to switch from an image-guided surgery to a functional-guided surgery, i.e. to pursue the resection up to the eloquent neural networks using intraoperative direct electrical stimulation mapping in awake patients. The aim of this article was to review the recent data about supratotal resection, including both oncological and functional results. Favorable outcomes have recently opened the door to the principle of "preventive surgery" in incidentally discovered gliomas, and to the proposal of a medical screening.
Empathy and the action-perception resonances of basic socio-emotional systems of the brain.

Mammalian brains contain a variety of self-centered socio-emotional systems. An understanding of how they interact with more recent cognitive structures may be essential for understanding empathy. Preston & de Waal have neglected this vast territory of proximal brain issues in their analysis.
Evolutionary divergence of human p53 binding sites: use of high throughput DNA binding assays to characterize functional variation in cell cycle and apoptosis pathways

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4432 Characterizing gene-environment interaction requires both identification disease pathway genes and evaluation of how their inherent variation affects exposure-response phenotype. The p53 master regulatory gene is activated upon exposure to DNA damaging agents and binds to cis-acting response elements (REs) that control expression of cell cycle, DNA repair, and apoptosis-related genes. We have developed new bioinformatics and molecular approaches for characterizing variation in p53 binding sites. We employed comparative genomics to evaluate the sequence conservation of 83 experimentally-validated human p53 REs and compared p53 RE conservation rates with those from NFKB and NRF2, genes that exhibit high interspecific conservation across mammals. Surprisingly, the average p53 RE was not significantly more conserved than background genomic sequence. The common technique of filtering binding site predictions by 80% rodent sequence identity would not only give a false positive rate of ~19%, but miss up to 57% of true p53 RE’s. Examination of interspecific DNA base substitutions as a function of position in the p53 consensus sequence revealed an unexpected excess of diversity in apoptosis-regulating RE's versus cell cycle-controlling RE’s (rodent comparisons: p-values <1.0 E-12). This suggests these two pathways have been under different selection pressures throughout mammalian evolution. Thus comparative genomics must be used judiciously in the identification and evaluation of new, putative p53 gene regulatory elements and may be productive for p53 RE’s regulating cell cycle genes but not for apoptosis genes. To characterize p53 binding at the molecular level, a high-throughput multiplex method has been developed for measurement of p53 binding to RE sequences attached to fluorescent microspheres. The method shows low variability among replicates (<10%) and promises to be a useful alternative to laborious gel-shift assays (i.e. EMSA). We have tested the binding of activated p53 (nuclear extracts from doxorubicin-treated cells) to 10-15 multiplexed 50-mer oligos containing variants of the p53 response element consensus (RRRCWWGYYY-N-RRRCWWGYYY) and a nonbinding negative control oligo. Strong binding to the consensus sequence was observed and altering one or more nucleotides produced variation in binding over a large dynamic range (3 logs). Changing the conserved C or G nucleotides produced the largest magnitude changes. In order to test a position weight matrix-based binding model we have tested a total of 85 variants of the consensus element. This sensitive method detects single nucleotide binding differences. We are testing how single nucleotide polymorphisms in putative p53 response elements affect binding by p53 and evaluating binding to response elements in p53 regulated cell cycle and apoptosis genes.
Sounding Live: An Institutional History of the Television Laugh Track

This article complicates popular and scholarly discourses that understand the television laugh track as a crutch for bad jokes or a means to routinize audience response. By exploring early institut...
Mutations in BAG3 cause adult-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is an umbrella term for more than 90 different genetic causes of inherited peripheral neuropathies (http://hihg.med.miami.edu/code/http/cmt/public_html/index.html#/) and has an estimated prevalence of 1 in 2500. Most cases present within the first two decades of life but increasing axonal genetic subtypes (CMT2) first present in adulthood. Identifying additional genes causing CMT2 is important because these can identify molecular pathways involved in axonal degeneration and enable development of rational therapies for these and related disorders. We have used whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify two families with CMT2 caused by mutations in the Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3). Mutations in BAG3 have previously been shown to cause a myofibrillar myopathy1 2 often associated with cardiomyopathy that usually presents in childhood. Children have been reported with peripheral neuropathy in addition to myopathy3 and/or cardiomyopathy.4 ### Genetic testing Genomic analysis was focused on rare and conserved variants that followed an autosomal-dominant inheritance pattern in WES of both probands using the GEM.app/GENESIS software. We only considered variants that met the following criteria: (1) non-synonymous change; (2) minor allele frequency in Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) database 3 or PhastCons >0.6; and (5) genotype quality >75. This analysis resulted in the identification of a variant in BAG3 (c.625C>T; p.Pro209Ser) that completely cosegregated with the presence of neuropathy in both large families (figure 1 …
Visual Tracking in Development and Aging

A moving target is visually tracked with a combination of smooth pursuit and saccades. Human visual tracking eye movement develops through early childhood and adolescence, and declines in senescence. However, the knowledge regarding performance changes over the life course is based on data from distinct age groups in isolation using different procedures, and thus is fragmented. We sought to describe the age-dependence of visual tracking performance across a wide age range and compare it to that of simple visuo-manual reaction time. We studied a cross-sectional sample of 143 subjects aged 7-82 years old (37% male). Eye movements were recorded using video-oculography, while subjects viewed a computer screen and tracked a small target moving along a circular trajectory at a constant speed. For simple reaction time (SRT) measures, series of key presses that subjects made in reaction to cue presentation on a computer monitor were recorded using a standard software. The positional precision and smooth pursuit velocity gain of visual tracking followed a U-shaped trend over age, with best performances achieved between the ages of 20 and 50 years old. A U-shaped trend was also found for mean reaction time in agreement with the existing literature. Inter-individual variability was evident at any age in both visual tracking and reaction time metrics. Despite the similarity in the overall developmental and aging trend, correlations were not found between visual tracking and reaction time performances after subtracting the effects of age. Furthermore, while a statistically significant difference between the sexes was found for mean SRT in the sample, a similar difference was not found for any of the visual tracking metrics. Therefore, the cognitive constructs and their neural substrates supporting visual tracking and reaction time performances appear largely independent. In summary, age is an important covariate for visual tracking performance, especially for a pediatric population. Since visual tracking performance metrics may provide signatures of abnormal neurological or cognitive states independent of reaction time-based metrics, further understanding of age-dependent variations in normal visual tracking behavior is necessary.
Budget Cuts in Scholastic Media: A Focus Group Study of Oklahoma Journalism Advisers’ Survival Skills:

Scholastic journalism plays an important role in future professional journalism. Due to journalism’s place in a functioning democracy, journalism education is also tied to a democracy’s success. Ma...
The Few-Body Problem in Nanoelectronics

Few electron systems are achieved by constraining electron motion so that one is no longer dealing with macroscopic bulk matter. (Similar remarks clearly apply to holes, which will be discussed specifically in our remarks on excitons). The constraints are effectively potential barriers which facilitate the creation of low-dimensional (d = 2, 1 or 0) systems. The zero-dimensional systems are the archetype of few electron systems but few electron aspects also play an important role in all low-d-systems. However, since d = 3 (bulk matter) and d = 2 (quantum well, semiconductor-insulator interface) systems have been extensively reviewed in the recent literature our emphasis will be on d = 1 (quantum wires) and d = 0 (quantum dots or boxes). We will concentrate on transport and noise properties but, in the case d = 0, we will also review other topics such as magnetic susceptibility, energy levels etc.
Research in Ultrasound Image Generation: A Computerized Ultrasound Processing, Acquisition, and Display (CUPAD) System

The information available to the physician from clinical ultrasound examinations is limited. Current research in our laboratory has identified some of the limitations found in presently available clinical imaging systems and has suggested ways of making significant improvements. In this paper the structure of our research system (CUPAD) is presented. Some of the current goals of this research are noted, and research schemes designed to achieve some of these goals outlined. A brief description of our acquisition hardware and processing software is provided and initial CUPAD scans discussed.
Human Security and the Socialization of Peace

A human security approach can engender a viable and lasting peacebuilding effort. The focus on the needs and security of the people, such as their social and economic developments, will better stabilize the security interests of a state in a postconflict situation. The difficulty has been how to realize such developments? Adopting a socialization framework of norms and rules can further institutionalize human security needs in a peace building context. Socialization involves a variety of actors beyond the state with a focus on the interests of people and their security (including civil society and grassroots organizations) and incorporates the essential elements of human security into a state’s internal infrastructure. Socialization can institutionalize and maintain the elements of human security approach in a measured and realistic manner.
Nutritional strategies for prevention and management of diabetes: Consensus and uncertainties

The nutrition Consensus Report (1) and four featured papers (2–5) in the special section on nutrition in this issue of Diabetes Care focus on nutrition therapy and medical nutrition therapy (MNT) in the management and prevention of diabetes. The Consensus Report, which is intended to update and replace the 2014 American Diabetes Association (ADA) nutrition position statement (6), examines “studies published in English between 1 January 2014 and 28 February 2018” to “provide clinical professionals with evidence-based guidance” (1) related to the 42 questions listed in Table 1. The ADA has indicated, “A consensus report is not an ADA position and represents expert opinion only” and does not include the ADA evidence-grading system (7). We examine the Consensus Report and nutrition articles featured in this issue considering epidemiological trends, population health versus professional intervention approaches, implications of feeding studies and interventional trials, and potential for personalization/individualization of nutritional approach based on genetic, metabolomic, and microbiomic variation or personal/cultural preferences. View this table: Table 1 Questions addressed by the nutrition Consensus Report expert panel The 2014 statement (6) focused on nutrition therapy for “adults with diabetes” whereas the 2019 Consensus Report has a broader scope and addresses nutrition therapy for “adults with diabetes or prediabetes” (1). Inclusion of adults with prediabetes expands the population base for nutrition therapy to 43.3% of U.S. adults based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prevalence estimates that 9.4% of U.S. adults have diabetes and 33.9% of U.S. adults have prediabetes (8). A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in Diabetes Care (9) synthesized the global evidence on the impact of lifestyle modifications on reducing the incidence of diabetes in a parsimonious model to inform resource allocation. Although evidence from clinical trials shows that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable clinically, population-level reductions in the …
The Speech-Language Pathologists' Role in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury for Early Childhood–, Preschool–, and Elementary School–Age Children: Viewpoints on Guidelines From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Purpose Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts millions of children each year, with those between birth and 4 years of age being 1 of the highest incidence groups. To address gaps in service provisio...
Granulocytic differentiation of normal hematopoietic precursor cells induced by transcription factor PU.1 correlates with negative regulation of the c-myb promoter

Numerous transcription factors allow hematopoietic cells to respond to lineage- and stage-specific cytokines and/or to act as their effectors. The transcription factors PU.1 and c-Myb are essential for hematopoiesis, most likely acting at distinct stages of differentiation, but sharing a common set of target genes. To determine whether PU.1 and c-Myb are functionally interrelated, murine bone marrow (BM) cells and 32Dcl3 murine myeloid precursor cells were infected with a retrovirus carrying a PU.1 cDNA and assessed for myeloid colony formation and for granulocytic differentiation, respectively. Compared with noninfected normal BM cells or to cells infected with an empty virus, hematopoietic precursor cells expressing PU.1 formed an increased number of interleukin-3 (IL-3) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-stimulated colonies. Moreover, granulocytic differentiation of 32Dcl3 cells constitutively expressing PU.1 was accelerated, as indicated by morphology and by expression of differentiation markers. Downregulation of c-Myb protein levels by expression of an antisense c-myb construct was also associated with a faster kinetics of 32Dcl3 granulocytic differentiation. Sequence analysis of the 5' flanking region of the c-myb gene revealed a consensus PU box at position +16 to +21 able to specifically interact in electrophoretic mobility shift assays with either bacterially synthesized PU.1 protein or whole cell extracts from differentiated 32Dcl3 cells. Transient expression of PU.1 in cotransfection assays in different cell lines resulted in inhibition of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase activity driven by different segments of the c-myb promoter. Moreover, such an effect was dependent on an intact PU box. Thus, the ability of PU.1 to potentiate terminal myeloid differentiation appears to involve downregulation of c-myb expression, an essential step during differentiation of hematopoietic precursor cells.
Achieving Successful Longitudinal Titration of Evidence Based Heart Failure Medical Therapy at a Newly Established Multidisciplinary Program in the Middle East Gulf Region

Background The 2017 ACC expert consensus decision pathway for optimization of heart failure (HF) treatment emphasizes the fact that target doses of medications are associated with the best outcomes. It has been reported that a significant portion of HFrEF patients are not on optimal doses of medical therapy, and gaps exist in longitudinal medication titration. The objective of this retrospective study is to describe medical therapy after 12 months of follow up in a newly established multidisciplinary HF program in the Middle East Gulf region. Methods A retrospective outpatient chart review was conducted on HF patients after initial outpatient clinic enrollment between October 2015 and July 2017. All patients with EF ≤ 40 were included. We documented baseline and follow-up evidence based HF medications including beta blockers, RAAS inhibitors, and MRA. Results Out of 305 enrolled patients, only 186 had a 12 month follow up appointment, out of which 139 had HFrEF and were included in this analysis. At baseline, 25.2%, 13.7%, and 42.4% of patients were receiving target doses of beta-blocker, ACEI/ARB/ARNI, and MRA, respectively. Only 2.9% were on target doses of all 3 classes of evidence based therapies. At 12 months, percentage of patients on target doses significantly increased to 51.8% for beta blockers and 31.7% for ACEI/ARB/ARNI, while there was no significant change in patients on target dose MRA (36.7%). More patients (10.1%) were on target doses of all 3 evidence based therapies (table 1). A significant increase was observed in the rate of adoption of ARNI from baseline to follow-up (10.1% vs 48.9%, p Conclusion Close follow up of patients with HFrEF was associated with statistically significant increase in those on target doses of both beta blockers and ACE/ARB/ARNI and patients on simultaneous target doses of all evidence based medications. Compared to recent western outpatient registries, our study shows that the success of longitudinal titration of evidence based medications and adoption of new ones can be enhanced when patients are followed by a specialized multidisciplinary program.
Educating managers for the future

The authors predict that South Africa will need approximately 200 000 new executives within the next 15 years. Simultaneously the organizations will become more complex and difficult to manage. They suggest that the development of such a large number of managers within the black and white community will be difficult and furthermore, managers will also require new knowledge. Even highly trained professionals may quickly become obsolete unless they continue to receive further training and development. Future-oriented courses are already being developed and taught in a number of overseas universities. The authors suggest four approaches to this future orientation: studying of future trends and projections, coping with rapid change, impact analysis, and scenario writing. Die skrywers van hierdie artikel voorspel dat Suid-Afrika binne die volgende 15 jaar bykans 200 000 nuwe uitvoerende beamptes sal moet ontwikkel om aan die behoeftes van organisasies te voldoen. Terselfdertyd sal organisasies egter meer kompleks en moeilik bestudeerbaar word. Nie alleen sal die ontwikkeling van so 'n groot getal bestuurders problematies wees nie, maar bestuurders sal ook nuwe kennis benodig. Selfs hoogsopgeleide bestuurders sal vinnig onbruikbaar raak tensy hulle voortdurend aan nuwe opleiding en opvoeding blootgestel word. Toekomsgerigte curricula word alreeds aan verskeie oorsese universiteite ontwikkel en aangebied. Die skrywers stel vier benaderings tot hierdie toekomsgerigte opleiding voor: indringende studie van toekomstige tendense en voorspellings, metodes om tred te hou met veranderinge, impakanalise en die skryf van moontlike scenarios.
Integrated Fabrication of Serially Connected High Voltage Microbatteries via Multilayer Electrodeposition

We report a scheme for the integrated fabrication of MEMS-scale, series-connected battery cells. The approach exploits multilayer electrodeposition of active and sacrificial layers to generate structures that can be formed into high voltage power sources. Aqueous, non-vacuum based fabrication, via electrodeposition, enables high throughput and deterministic control of layer thicknesses and battery performance. Batteries manufactured using this technique offer the potential to match supply voltages to system needs, ranging from conventional electronics to direct drive of high voltage electrostatic or piezoelectric MEMS.
Respiratory syncytial virus suppression of the antiviral immune response: Implications for evaluation of candidate vaccines.

Abstract Respiratory syncytial virus infections recur throughout life despite induction of immunity by the first natural infection. Results of an extensive series of studies indicate that the virus adversely affects the human antiviral recall response to challenge, although subsequent infections are less severe than the initial illness. The observations suggest that candidate vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus should not be expected to prevent clinical illness upon subsequent exposure. Candidate vaccines may be considered effective if they render a subsequent natural infection less severe. This is what would be expected from an initial and commonly more severe natural infection and sensitization.
The Hundred-Page Machine Learning Book

Advances in Artificial intelligence and machine learning have developed beyond the theoretical realm. In fact, several day-to-day applications are currently in use. Although artificial intelligence...
State pain management clinic policies and county opioid prescribing: A fixed effects analysis

Abstract Background The U.S. has seen an unprecedented rise in opioid-related morbidity and mortality, and states have passed numerous laws in response. Researchers have not comprehensively established the effectiveness of pain management clinic regulations to reduce opioid prescribing using national data. Methods We combine a policy dataset from the Prescription Drug Abuse Policy System with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention county-level opioid prescribing data, as well as with numerous government datasets for county- and state- level covariates. We predict retail opioid prescriptions dispensed per 100 people using county fixed-effects models with a state-level cluster correction. Our key predictors of interest are the presence of any state-level pain management clinic law and eight specific subcomponents of the law. Results Pain management clinic laws demonstrate consistent, negative effects on prescribing rates. Controlling for county characteristics, state spending, and the broader policy context, states with pain management clinic laws had, on average, 5.78 fewer opioid prescriptions per 100 people than states without such laws (p Conclusions Implementation of pain management clinic laws reduced county-level opioid prescribing. States should review specific components to determine which forms of law are most efficacious.
Eulerian numerical modeling of contaminant transport in Lower Manhattan, New York City, from a point-source release under the dominant wind condition: Insights gained via LES

Abstract Released pollutants, biological agents, and poisonous chemicals in populated urban areas can spread via wind flow and affect the safety and welfare of those close to the source and downstream. Being able to predict the transport of airborne contaminants in such urban areas could help stakeholders to plan emergency responses. Airflow due to the wind in urban areas with closely packed buildings results in a highly turbulent flow field around buildings that results in the transport of contaminant plumes. We conduct high-resolution large-eddy simulation (LES) of airflow of the dominant wind in the south to north direction with a mean-flow velocity of 3.58 m/s in a portion of Manhattan, New York, which is 2.5 km long in the north-south direction, 1.8 km wide in the east-west direction, and 0.6 km high, located at its southern tip. The study area is a highly-populated area with densely packed buildings in Manhattan. The LES captures turbulent flow dynamics around the buildings, which vary in height from several stories to skyscrapers, and, consequently, the transport of contaminant plume propagating downstream from a source point, which is located on the east side of the New York Stock Exchange building at 30 m above ground. The airflow tends to align with the streets that are reasonably parallel to the wind direction, creating high-velocity core regions. For as long as the source of contamination exists, the pollution plume rapidly travels through the streets, reaching downwind regions of the study area in about 20 min. Once the pollutant source is removed, the pollution plume propagates out of the study area. However, it takes about 40 min for the pollution to completely exit the study area due to the contaminants trapped in the low-momentum urban regions, such as open areas between tall buildings and narrow streets, which take longer to either exit the study area.
Proteomic pipeline to identify age-related compositional and structural changes of the human dentin extracellular matrix

Objective: Devise a pipeline to investigate the protein composition of the human root dentin extracellular matrix (ECM) from single individuals of different age cohorts. Design: Individual cervical root dentin of sound human molars from two age brackets, young (18-25 years old; n=3) and old (75-85 years old; n=3), were cut and pulverized. Protein extraction and fractionation were completed by sequential demineralization with EDTA buffer, chaotropic extraction with guanidine hydrochloride, and urea. The resulting protein extracts of differential solubility were digested into peptides and peptides were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Data generated for this study are available via ProteomeXchange, identifier PXD018320. Results: We found that protein extracts of different solubilities present distinct biochemical compositions. We further define the matrisome of young (48 proteins) and old (50 proteins) human root dentin and report the identification of compositional and structural differences in ECM proteins from young and old teeth. Conclusion: Our study provides a rigorous pipeline, from sample preparation to data analysis, to investigate the ECM composition, or matrisome, of the dentin. This pipeline has the potential to lead to the discovery of biomarkers of tooth aging and health.
Definitions of Terms

The purpose of this chapter is to define the two major terms proffered in the title of this proposal and to expand in greater detail on an integrative model in its clinical and practical implications (Fig. 1.1), already presented in previous publications (L’Abate 2013a, b, d). For instance, VandenBos (2007) covered multiple definitions about abstract attitude, abstract intelligence, abstract conceptualization, abstract impresssionism, abstract idea, abstract intelligence, abstraction, abstraction experiment, abstract learning, abstract representation, and finally abstract thinking characterized by the use of abstraction and generalization. Abstraction means the formation of general ideas or concepts, such as “fish” or “hypocrisy” from particular instances. The precise cognitive processes by which this [process] occurs have been subjected to many investigations. Abstraction would also mean an intangible concept, such as “goodness” or “beauty.” (p. 4).
PINEAL REGULATION OF BODY BLANCHING IN AMPHIBIAN LARVAE.

This chapter discusses evidence concerning the role of the pineal in regulating pigmentary phenomena. This evidence, much of it circumstantial and indirect, supports the hypothesis advanced a few years ago that the pineal operates normally in regulating the enigmatic body-blanching reaction of amphibian larvae. The well-documented photoreceptive properties of the pineal complex are integrated with the known melanophore contracting principle of the pineal. The chapter discusses the body-blanching reaction of larval amphibians, presents all the data that led to the formulation of the pineal hypothesis, and clarifies some of the unsolved problems pertaining to this hypothesis. Although final proof of the hypothesis is still to be obtained, both recent and older findings seem concordant with the original formulation.
Methods utilized in the study of apoptosis.

Publisher Summary The growing awareness of the frequency and importance of physiological cell death (PCD) has resulted from two related developments, an increasing understanding of the biochemistry of PCD and a utilization of that understanding to develop sensitive methods for detecting PCD. The realization that this form of cell death is generally accompanied by internucleosomal DNA cleavage led to a variety of techniques for detecting this process, including DNA electrophoresis, flow cytometry, filtration assays, and in situ nick end labeling. Recent studies have demonstrated that PCD is accompanied by loss of phospholipid asymmetry across the plasma membrane as well as activation of various proteases, particularly members of the interleukin-1/3 converting enzyme (ICE) family. This chapter briefly describes the biochemical basis for each of these techniques and then attempts to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. In this regard Inhibitors of proteases (and other enzymes) are potentially useful tools when employed properly. Because the selectivity of these inhibitors is not fully known, however, experiments must be carefully designed, suitably controlled, and cautiously interpreted. Moreover, multiple alternative techniques (including antisense approaches and genetic knockouts) must be employed to confirm or refute conclusions suggested by inhibitor studies.
Trends and challenges in the industrial applications of KDD

As an applications driven field, Knowledge Discovery in Databases and Data Mining (KDD) techniques have made considerable progress towards meeting the needs of these industrial and business specific applications. However, there are still considerable challenges facing this multidisciplinary field. Drawing from some industry specific applications this talk will cover the trends and challenges facing the researchers and practitioners of this rapidly evolving area. In particular, this talk will outline a set of issues that inhibit or delay the successful completion of an industrial application of KDD. This talk will also point out emerging and significant application areas that demand development of new KDD techniques by the researchers and practitioners. One such area is discovering patterns in temporal data. Another is the evolution of discovery algorithms that respond to changing data forms and streams. Finally, this talk will outline the emerging vertical solutions arena that is driven by business value, which is measured as a progress towards minimizing the gap between the needs of the business user and the accessibility and usability of analytic tools.
Personal Software Process in the database course

This paper describes the integration of the Personal Software Process (PSP) into an introductory database course in an MIS curriculum. PSP is a highly disciplined, process-based approach that serves to guide an individual programmer's activities during the development of a software system. Developed at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University, PSP defines how to use process principles to plan, track, and analyze personal programming work; measure effort, software product size and defects; manage software quality; and improve personal programming practices. Although generally used to augment programming courses in computer science, the PSP is more generally applicable to software development in a variety of contexts. This paper discusses an introductory database course for which PSP was adapted and integrated in the database development process. Student and instructor perceptions concerning the revised course are discussed.
Small Firms as International Players

In this paper, using aggregate data from the U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis, the author explores the strategies small U.S.-based foreign investing firms follow in their international activities. The aggregate study supports the findings of an earlier study of a few small firms with international activities. These firms have a lower-than-expected tendency to form minority-owned affiliates abroad. An analysis of the industries in which these small foreign investing firms operate supports the notion that these firms follow specific strategies uncovered in the small-scale study. Finally, the paper ties the findings to alliance strategies of small firms.
Transcriptional Repression of the Prointerleukin 1β Gene by Heat Shock Factor 1

Heat shock factor 1 activates the promoters of heat shock genes at elevated temperatures through its interaction with heat shock elements. We have examined a new role for heat shock factor 1 in the repression of the prointerleukin 1β gene in human monocytes responding to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide. Both exposure to elevated temperatures and heat-independent heat shock factor 1 expression repressed the transcription of the prointerleukin 1β gene, and repression was strictly dependent on an intact consensus heat shock element in the prointerleukin 1β promoter to which heat shock factor 1 bound. This is the first demonstration of heat shock factor 1 as a transcriptional repressor and suggests a role for the factor in the counter-regulation of cytokine gene transcription.
Abstract 89: Accuracy and Clinical Implications of Cincinnati Pre-hospital Stroke Scale and Los Angeles Pre-hospital Stroke Scale use by Emergency Medical Services

Background: Cincinnati Pre-hospital Stroke Scale (CPSS) and Los Angeles Pre-hospital Stroke Scale (LAPSS) are widely used by emergency medical services (EMS) to screen potential ischemic stroke patients. We performed a population based state-wide study to evaluate the accuracy of CPSS and LAPSS in identifying stroke cases and investigate their impact on ischemic stroke treatment. Methods: A statewide EMS database was created by linking South Carolina’s statewide Emergency Department (ED) and hospital discharge records for the calendar years 2010-2012. The EMS data were obtained from the Division of EMS and Trauma at Department of Health Environmental Control and linked to hospitalization records at Office of Research and Statistics. Results from the EMS use of CPSS and LAPSS were compared with hospital discharge diagnoses for stroke. For both scales, we calculated Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV). Additionally we evaluated the impact of identification of stroke during EMS transportation by CPSS/LAPSS on treatment of ischemic stroke with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA). Results: Of all the EMS transported cases between January 2010 and December 2012, use of CPSS or LAPSS was recorded for 101,442 cases. Among the cases where the use of CPSS/LAPSS stroke scale was recorded, 6,757 cases had a diagnosis of ischemic stroke on hospital discharge records. CPSS demonstrated sensitivity of 59%, and specificity of 96%. Sensitivity and specificity for LAPSS were 26% and 84%, respectively. PPV and NPV for CPSS were 45% and 98%, and for LAPSS were 27% and 83%, respectively. Rates of IV-tPA administration were approximately five times higher for those correctly identified by CPSS (18.3% for true positive vs. 3.5% for false negative, P<0.01), and about two higher for those correctly identified by LAPSS (33.3% for true positive vs. 14.9% for false negative, P<0.01). Conclusion: Early identification of potential stroke cases using CPSS/LAPSS can have a significant impact on treatment of ischemic stroke with IV-tPA. We report a modest accuracy of CPSS and LAPSS in correctly identifying stroke cases in the field, with CPSS leading to a better rate of IV-tPA use compared with LAPSS.
Emerging SEFI modes and SEE testing strategies for highly scaled NAND flash devices

Summary form only given. In addition to single event upsets during read and write operations, like many other digital devices with internal state machines and operating modes, NAND flash devices are also susceptible to single event functional interrupts (SEFI). Due to the increasing complexity of device architectures, the ability detect and characterize the SEFI events is emerging as the primary challenge in SEE testing. At JPL we have developed testing algorithms and hardware which specifically addresses this issue. We have taken SEFI and read/write upset data on devices which is presented here
Importance of genetic drift during Pleistocene divergence as revealed by analyses of genomic variation

Determining what factors affect the structuring of genetic variation is key to deciphering the relative roles of different evolutionary processes in species differentiation. Such information is especially critical to understanding how the frequent shifts and fragmentation of species distributions during the Pleistocene translates into species differences, and why the effect of such rapid climate change on patterns of species diversity varies among taxa. Studies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have detected significant population structure in many species, including those directly impacted by the glacial cycles. Yet, understanding the ultimate consequence of such structure, as it relates to how species divergence occurs, requires demonstration that such patterns are also shared with genomic patterns of differentiation. Here we present analyses of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) in the montane grasshopper Melanoplus oregonensis to assess the evolutionary significance of past demographic events and associated drift-induced divergence as inferred from mtDNA. As an inhabitant of the sky islands of the northern Rocky Mountains, this species was subject to repeated and frequent shifts in species distribution in response to the many glacial cycles. Nevertheless, significant genetic structuring of M . oregonensis is evident at two different geographic and temporal scales: recent divergence associated with the recolonization of the montane meadows in individual sky islands, as well as older divergence associated with displacements into regional glacial refugia. The genomic analyses indicate that drift-induced divergence, despite the lack of long-standing geographic barriers, has significantly contributed to species divergence during the Pleistocene. Moreover, the finding that divergence associated with past demographic events involves the repartitioning of ancestral variation without significant reductions of genomic diversity has intriguing implications — namely, the further amplification of drift-induced divergence by selection.
Development of a solid electrolyte sensor for oxygen in hot gases

Abstract High-temperature oxygen detection is used in the emission control and optimization of combustion and metallurgic processes. To overcome the disadvantages of potentiometric sensors, we have investigated an actively operated three-electrode system on yttria-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte. At various selected potentials, there is a strong and stable relationship between the current and the concentration of gaseous oxygen. The current is not limited by the gas diffusion and is, therefore, unaffected by the gas flow. It is demonstrated that the electrode and electrolyte degradation can be considerably retarded by the proper selection of the electrode voltage profile. A metal-film resistance thermometer deposited directly on the sensor is found to be suitable for the on-site temperature monitoring. This sensor also responds to combustion products present in a hot gas. A possible development of a multicomponent sensor is discussed.